Happy Tuesday, September 22nd! Happy fall, y’all 🍁
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 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 🙏
REMINDER: if you have fun ways that you like to GOTV and are comfy sharing them, please send them my way!!! You can drop them here or just reply to this email!
Without federal action, candidates for governor see an opening on AI
POLITICO reached out to more than 18 Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates on their plans and received responses from eight. Nearly all said they want states to take the lead on AI, signaling a frustration with Washington’s inaction and acknowledgement that — if they eventually secure the governor’s mansion — they can’t dismiss the growing warnings. (POLITICO, 9/19)
Republicans Are Unleashing Their Fundraising Advantage Against the Democrats
Democratic candidates have mostly outpaced their Republican opponents in fundraising, but the GOP has maintained a significant lead among their network of super PACs and party committees—and are beginning to open the spending spigot in significant ways. (WSJ gift link, 9/20)
Why Tucker Carlson Is Defending This Democrat in a Key Senate Race
In recent weeks, Mr. Carlson has repeatedly spoken in positive terms about Dr. El-Sayed and castigated his Republican opponent, former Representative Mike Rogers, a critic-turned-ally of President Trump with hawkish foreign policy views. (NYT gift link, 9/20)
How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation
The Trump administration has authorized or pledged at least $410 million to facilitate agreements with 31 countries, mostly in Africa and Latin America, as of the end of June, according to internal government records reviewed by The Washington Post. The documents, which have not been previously reported, provide the most comprehensive picture to date of the Trump administration’s fast-growing third-country network. (WaPo, 9/21 – free version)
Days After Press Ban, White House Launches ‘Trump TV’ — A 24/7 Clip Show
Teasers for the new media venture first appeared on the White House’s social media channels Monday morning, quipping “something’s coming.” The posts were followed by a flashy promotional video that promised a nonstop live feed covering the administration kicking off at 7 p.m. (The Washington Sun, 9/21)
AI is the butt of the joke
As AI and data centers create tension, audiences are looking for comic relief. Business Insider spoke with five stand-up comedians, including Jalees, about how audiences respond to jokes about the technology. They agreed on one rule: In a joke about AI, AI has to be the butt. (Business Insider, 9/18 – free version)
Woke Was Never the Problem
“Wokeness” has become an excuse for nearly everything the administration does, from mass firings of federal workers to blocking promotions for women and people of color in the military. Elsewhere, empathy takes fresh hits. Gad Saad, a popular writer, warns of “suicidal empathy” in a new book. Elon Musk has attacked “shallow empathy” for years. To be anti-woke is to lack empathy for others, to be purposefully cruel while offering no solutions to hunger or the cost of health care. (Intelligencer, 9/19 – free version)
Mental Health Among Teenagers Is Improving, C.D.C. Finds
Twenty percent reported currently drinking alcohol, compared with nearly 51 percent in 1991, and fewer than 10 percent reported using illicit drugs, compared with 27 percent when the question was first asked in 2001. Thirty-six percent of teenagers said that they used social media every hour or more, a similar percentage to what was seen in 2023, when the data was first reported. (NYT gift link, 9/21)
Bear encounters are rising across the United States. Here’s why
While black bears’ natural diet is mostly plant-based, high-calorie foods like human garbage, bird seed and pet food are all things that are “attractive to bears,” said Chris Servheen of IUCN Bear Specialist Group. And once bears succeed in eating human food, they continue doing so and mother bears will teach the behavior to their cubs. (WaPo, 9/22 – free version)
Lucy’s note: this also works as an opportunity to talk about Fat Bear Week! don’t forget to vote!
YouTube Canada’s Slate of Creator Shows to Include a Series of Kareem Rahma’s ‘SubwayTakes’ in Toronto
Set to premiere in 2027, “SubwayTakes Toronto” will see Rahma take the unfiltered, long-form interview series to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway system. Each episode will feature “iconic Canadian guests” and bring viewers “viewer directly in the middle of the authentic, unscripted mayhem found inside Canada’s most recognizable subway car,” according to YouTube Canada. (Variety, 9/17)
Extra Credit 🤓
Substacks That Really Substacked This Week 🤌
UPDATE: MAGA Inc.’s audacious new ads from Judd Legum of Popular Information
(spoilers… they’re trying to attack Dems on insider trading, while Trump exists lol)
I asked 8 Substackers for the fall books they’re most excited for from Alisha Ramos of Downtime
Sneaky Links
TL;DR I’ve inexplicably started receiving codes to stuff… here are the things I actually like :)
My BNTO code for September is 8Y8R4F 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 I don’t think I said that online? Either way, it’s LUCYR7 for 7% off!
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Friday!