Happy Friday, October 9th!
FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.
I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS like the one below :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?
And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏
Ok, this has been a controversial one in my household lol, but I still think it’s a fun one!
Our mission: tomorrow (meaning, the next day from whenever you read this), keep a tally of every dog that you see. At the end of the day, take that number and donate that many dollars to your favorite candide running this cycle OR your favorite Oath slate (where they will split your donation across the campaigns and causes – my faves right now are the Elect Democratic Governors slate and the Fight Gerrymandering fund).
That’s it! (Up to you if you have a dog and however many times you want to include them in the tally lol)
Republican megadonors dominate 2026 midterm election as crypto and AI money surges, CNBC analysis finds
Fourteen of the 20 largest donors and donor groups this election cycle have exclusively or nearly exclusively backed GOP candidates or aligned groups, according to a CNBC analysis of federal campaign-finance records. Together, the 20 account for $1.2 billion, or about an eighth of the roughly $9.8 billion raised this election cycle through Sept. 25 across the campaigns and super PACs CNBC examined. (CNBC, 10/8)
Conservative Podcasters Can’t Stop Talking About Affordability
Just months ago, “affordability” was the left’s favorite buzzword. President Trump hated it so much he called it a “fake word by Democrats” and a “hoax.” Now, it is catching on in another circle: conservative podcasts. As the cost of living emerges as a top issue for voters ahead of the 2026 elections, right-leaning podcasters are using the term about as often as left-leaning ones, a Wall Street Journal analysis of tens of thousands of hours of podcasts aired since January found. (WSJ gift link, 10/8)
Trump Administration Investigating Nine Universities For J-1 Visa Fraud
The probe is the latest example of the administration’s campaign to crack down on American universities for their recruitment and employment of foreign students and researchers. The nine universities under investigation are Yale University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, University of California at Davis, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Forbes, 10/8)
CBS News to launch election night “nerd show” for politics junkies
The special streaming show will begin at 5pm ET, a few hours before CBS News’ official election broadcast. It will be hosted by CBS News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto alongside congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns. Pollsters and data experts will appear alongside the pair throughout the livestream, which will be distributed on YouTube, X and CBS News’ owned and operated digital channels, including its streaming network, CBS News 24/7. (Axios, 10/7)
Lucy’s note: huge news probably for everyone who is reading this! i’m excited lol
The insidious rise of fake TikTok fan accounts
These huge accounts make no secret of the fact they’re run by artist teams. But there are instances where it’s less clear who’s behind a stan account: as smaller artists without a sizable following often don’t have the audience (or resources) to command a large scale fan account, sometimes they’re compelled to drum up hype for themselves on social media by creating smaller scale fan accounts which, on the surface, look organic. Briony Graham-Rudd, a photographer and social media manager, says that in recent years, the task of running smaller artists’ socials have commonly come to include the running of these ‘fake’ fan accounts too. (DAZED, 10/7)
Your Next Great Read Might Be Certified ‘Organic’
On Wednesday, Books by People confirmed it had received approval from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to begin distributing a mark that indicates a published book has been authored by a human. The stamp, which looks like a thumbprint, will be displayed on the cover. (WIRED, 10/7 – free version)
Americans’ Confidence in Food Safety Drops to New Low
Americans’ confidence that food sold at most grocery stores is safe to eat has fallen to its lowest level Gallup has recorded, with 65% now very or somewhat confident. That is down from 73% last year and 72% in 2024, and well below the 81% recorded in 2019. (Gallup, 10/8)
Spas, rock walls and other must-have amenities for your doomsday bunker
Some clients expect shelters to function less like emergency refuges and more like protected homes. Builders describe private bedrooms, running water and sanitation, independent energy and amenities like meditation rooms, movie theaters, gyms and spas. Much has been written about the sprawling compounds of tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg, whose 1,400-acre Kauai property includes plans for a 5,000-square-foot underground shelter. But even non-billionaire buyers want creature comforts for the apocalypse. (WaPo, 10/9 – free version)
Who Won Fashion Month (on Instagram, Anyway)
Celebrity front rows—not the collections themselves—generated most of the engagement for both Prada and Calvin Klein. Dressing Sadie Sink and seating her in the front row drove a truly remarkable share of that attention. A single Prada post featuring Sink earned 2.83 million engagements, accounting for 57 percent of the brand’s total for the week. A Calvin Klein post featuring the Stranger Things actress earned 1.69 million engagements, or 37 percent of the brand’s total. (Puck, 10/8 – free version)
Your state’s Halloween candy craving
New DoorDash data shows the most uniquely popular Halloween candy by state, based on last October’s orders. Reese’s over-indexes in 17 states, and the peanut butter cups are the top candy nationally for the third year in a row. Sweet Smiles, a Dollar General brand that sells an assortment of sweets, stands out in seven Southern states. Laffy Taffy claims five states across the Midwest. (Axios, 10/9)
Spirit Halloween reveals top costume trends for 2026
According to Spirit Halloween, consumers are especially interested in dressing like characters from Amazon Prime’s “Off Campus,” Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” and Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters.” Iconic superheroes like Spider-Man and Power Rangers remain popular, the company said. Spirit Halloween is also leaning into mythology and high fantasy, with Greek-inspired armor, cloaks, dragon-themed accessories and rogue adventurer looks. (NJ Biz, 10/6)
Extra Credit 🤓
Substacks That Really Substacked This Week 🤌
What the authoritarians fear most from Anna Dorman and Corey Dukes
How do voters feel about key Supreme Court cases this term? from Cooper Burton and Mary Radcliffe from FiftyPlusOne
Sneaky Links
TL;DR I’ve inexplicably started receiving codes to stuff… here are the things I actually like :)
My BNTO code for October is 3FBFAF for $20 off (if you know me IRL, you know my rant about the Nuulification of the 20-something city dweller)
I also have a code for CampSnap??? And I do love my CS8 camera from them but like I don’t think I said that online? Either way, it’s L-RiTZMANN10 for 10% off (we got bumped up from 7% woohoo!)
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!
I know all those 'favorite foods by state' are never correct, but this one might take the cake≥ Door Dash is extra;olating what people are ordering to be what they are giving out for Halloween? In MN I have never er given out M inked and Ikes, nor hav e m y kids received them. Do they even come in Fun Size? Weird.