using tiny text on IG stories to hide our feelings

ALSO: OpenAI drops something like a social contract, Dems <3 dark money these days, vintage Gap takes over, and more

Apr 07, 2026

Happy Tuesday, April 7th!

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.

And don’t forget to head to the bottom of the newsletter for the GCC JOBS CORNER! Today, we’ve got Substack, Indivisible, and the Senate Banking Committee Minority (under Sen. Warren).

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 🙏

QUICK NOTE: I have the MOST fun chatting with my friend Sammy Kanter of Girl and the Gov for her new newsletter, The Girl and the Gov Diaries – if you are a politics x culture girlie (gender-neutral term ofc), then you should definitely be following her everywhere!

How Democrats Are Embracing Dark Money

For the first decade after the court’s decision, Republicans dominated the so-called dark money game. But nowadays, it’s the Democrats who are running the table. That’s partly because some of their ultrarich donors fear retribution from President Trump and want to hide the fact that they are together spending hundreds of millions of dollars on liberal candidates and causes. (NYT gift link, 4/3)

These Cities and States Are Taking Aim at Data Centers

Maine looks poised to become the first state to freeze building of new data centers with legislation that could pass this spring, but community backlash against these properties is spreading across the country. Lawmakers in more than 10 states have proposed temporary bans on data-center construction this year. Dozens of county and city governments have already passed such measures. (WSJ, 4/7)

Politicians are debuting holograms at airports. It’s either innovation or the ‘height of inauthenticity.’

Today it’s mayors who appear to be the most eager political adopters of the technology, especially in Northern California. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan both recently debuted airport holograms. A few years earlier, Jeffrey Mims Jr., then mayor of Dayton, Ohio, unveiled one at his local airport. The upside for politicians is that it could allow them to beam themselves to multiple audiences at once — to be present, in some form, where they are not. (POLITICO, 4/5)

Congressional Race Takes a Strange Turn—One Guy Keeps Showing Up at Quinceañeras

What began as a clever response to a dig from his political opponent has morphed into something much bigger. Pulido, a Latin Grammy Award-winning Tejano singer vying to represent Texas’ 15th congressional district, spends most of his Friday and Saturday nights bouncing around South Texas performing at the traditional Hispanic celebrations of a girl’s 15th birthday. (WSJ gift link, 4/5)

OpenAI’s latest release is a social contract revamp

AI companies have warned that their newest models could enable large-scale cyberattacks and engineered biological weapons in the near future. So, OpenAI also shared ways to mitigate AI threats, like giving the government a bigger role in managing risks and expanding international AI-safety cooperation. (Morning Brew, 4/7)

Lucy’s note: like I appreciate the memo since our government clearly isn’t doing this work… but alternatively, could they invest some of this energy into not building world-destroying products maybe?

Cameo partners with TikTok to boost popularity

The new partnership aims to help creators increase their earnings while simplifying the process for fans to request Cameo videos. Creators can now sign up to provide personalized messages within TikTok, making it easier for their followers to access this offering right alongside the content they are already engaging with. (TechCrunch, 4/1)

Your Instagram Story Text Is Too Damn Small!

If a grid post started to feel like too formal of an announcement, here was a self-deleting format that offered a lower commitment. Using small text on a story minimizes the impact further — something younger users know especially well. Micro-text is “part of a broader tendency of Gen Z to lean into low-key, ‘IYKYK’ vibes when posting,” says Tessa Lyons-Laing, VP of Product at Instagram, who confirms that this tiny font wave we’re seeing is, in fact, a thing. (Bustle, 4/2)

Gen Z wants their job to cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, survey suggests

It’s a benefit that could actually push young employees from one job offer to another. In a new ZipHealth survey of more than 1,000 workers, nearly half (47%) of Gen Zers said GLP-1 coverage would affect their choice between two similar jobs—that’s compared to 35% of millennials and 36% of Gen X workers surveyed. (Fast Company, 4/6)

Trying to Thrift Vintage Gap? You and Everybody Else

According to the digital secondhand retailer ThredUp, more and more people are opting for online resale and secondhand shopping — including to save money and for sustainability purposes — and Gap is one of the platform’s most-shopped brands, landing at number five on their top ten list. (The report also notes that resale is “no longer a secondary option,” and that many consumers are going directly to secondhand sites to shop.) (Teen Vogue, 4/2)

Strongest El Niño in a century? What this rare phenomenon could bring.

During a typical El Niño, a warming patch of water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean influences what regions experience droughts, floods, extreme heat, hurricanes and declining sea ice. During relatively rare super El Niño events, happening once every 10 to 15 years on average, the effects may be stronger, more persistent and more widespread. (WaPo, 4/6 – free version)