the wild, wild west of political influencing
ALSO: the "Gen Alpha" melody, 25% of Americans are locked into their jobs, the right-wing panic over "third-worldism" and more
Happy Tuesday, July 28th!
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 FOR OPEN TABS :) 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 🙏
Money usually wins elections. Billionaires have already poured $433 million into the 2026 midterms—and 80% of it is going to Republicans
That’s according to an analysis released by the Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF), a progressive advocacy group, which examined Federal Election Commission data through March 1. The group found the 50 biggest-spending billionaire families had funneled $344.3 million, or about 79%, to Republican candidates and conservative organizations. (Fortune, 7/27)
Senate Democrat’s new bills would restrict AI-powered ads and paid influencers
On Monday, California Sen. Adam Schiff plans to introduce two new bills that would attempt to illuminate who is paying influencers for political speech online and restrict AI-generated likenesses of politicians. The Promoting Authenticity with Influencer Disclaimers Act would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to require labels on some posts from influencers paid for by political committees. If passed, the legislation would mandate “audiovisual or audio-only content” explicitly state whether it was paid for by a political committee. (Semafor, 7/26)
Lucy’s note: shot…
Inside the world of Gen Z political influencers, where the money is messy, but the work keeps coming
Not all posted political content is paid, but posters are not federally required to disclose if they have been given money by a campaign or outside source for a piece of political content. Many creators who post in support of candidates also do so for specific causes or industries, but do not have to register as lobbyists. And it is hard to track the source and amount of money being paid to them. (CNN, 7/25 – free version)
Lucy’s note: …chaser
Why the right is freaking out about “third worldism”
Read in this light, the right-wing allegation that third worldism is supplanting woke is more confession than anything else. From McCarthyism to the Reagan era and on through Newt Gingrich warning of Barack Obama’s “Kenyan, anti-colonial” worldview, the right has deployed fearmongering about foreign subversion as a central tactic to delegitimize its opponents and rally the base. The sweeping allegations about the entire Democratic Party being overtaken by third worldism represent a fusion of this old Red Scare blueprint with the new Rufo tactics of mimetic-conceptual warfare. (Vox, 7/27 – free version)
How Bots Took Over Our Lives
Extreme voices with high follower counts, such as Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the right-wing X account Libs of TikTok, are usually at the center of the skirmish, and then bot networks swarm to boost the message. It’s like pouring gasoline onto a few embers, which then appears to be a bonfire. (The New Yorker, 7/27 – free version)
Viral iPhone App Warns Users When Smart Glasses Are Nearby
AntiZuck is a new iPhone app designed to alert users when smart glasses could be close by scanning for Bluetooth signals associated with devices like Meta Ray-Ban glasses, Snap Spectacles, Amazon Echo Frames, and RayNeo smart glasses. The app takes a privacy-focused approach, performing all detection locally on the device without collecting user data, tracking locations, or accessing cameras and microphones. (PetaPixel, 7/23)
One in Four U.S. Employees Locked in Jobs for Health Insurance
Nearly one in four U.S. workers (24%), the equivalent of about 23 million adults, report “job lock” — staying in their current job, even though they want to leave, because they are afraid of losing their health insurance — according to a new study from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. This marks an eight-percentage-point increase since 2021. (Gallup, 7/21)
Once you hear it, the ‘Gen Alpha melody’ is everywhere
Over the years, he would keep hearing those four notes elsewhere. He first noticed it with “Apt.,” 2024’s hit song by Rosé and Bruno Mars. Then he heard it throughout K-pop, American pop, dance music, indie records and hits all over the world. (WaPo, 7/27 – free version)
Lucy’s note: side note, if you like stories like this one and below, you should subscribe to Chris Dalla Riva!
Admit It: ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Is the Song of the Summer
If the song stays Number One on the Hot 100 this week, “Choosin’ Texas” will surpass Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” as the only non-holiday song by a woman to hold the top spot for more than 15 weeks. According to the Billboard Summer Songs Chart, it’s already the clear winner, with Drake and Taylor Swift trailing behind. (Rolling Stone, 7/27 – free version)
Lucy’s note: Ella Langley is, to me, the best current example of how much culture has splintered… like I know she is insanely popular, yet no one I know listens to her or really knows much about her???
Expedition to find Amelia Earhart’s plane will begin this year
A 16-person team of archaeologists, logistics experts, scuba and safety personnel, filmmakers and Kiribati representatives will leave Tarawa, Kiribati, by boat on Oct. 7 and travel about 830 nautical miles over six days to Nikumaroro Island. The expedition will spend multiple days on the island before returning to Tarawa. (NBC News, 7/24)
Jetting off for a summer vacation? How to eat and drink to minimize jet lag
One way to minimize jet lag is to begin gradually shifting the timing of your meals as you get ready for travel. Schmidt suggested first moving them by 15 minutes, then a half hour, then an hour closer to the destination time zone. (AP, 7/25)
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Extra Credit 🤓
Substacks That Really Substacked This Week 🤌
Gen Z Just Did the Math on Your $14 Billion Data Center from John Della Volpe
NOT Substack, but I’m really enjoying this newsletter The Lobby which is customizable and gives you a weekly, super digestible brief on bills in Congress
Sneaky Links
TL;DR I’ve inexplicably started receiving codes to stuff… here are the things I actually like :)
My BNTO code for July is UQG7S9 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 LUCYR7 for 7% off
I also somehow got Glossier PR last week… and if you are an obnoxious New Yorker like me, you will probably also really enjoy the I <3 NY Balm Dot Com
Speaking of Glossier, if you like gossipy journalistic books, I highly recommend Glossy by Marisa Meltzer!
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!