Cards · Wednesday, September 16, 2026 · 204 newsletters

Today's reads

Every newsletter in the inbox, distilled to 3-5 claims. The briefing for this day at /whatimreading/2026-09-16 is the editorial curation on top of this layer.

• 404 Media

  by Joseph Cox & Dhruv Mehrotra

  Hackers extracted Flock camera software revealing vehicle and people tracking methods.

  • Hackers extracted software from Flock camera and recovered encryption key, unlocking videos of thousands of vehicle detections.
  • Camera's computer vision software explicitly detects people, vehicles, license plates, bicycles, and graphics like bumper stickers.
  • Device generated over one million images during recovered logs; on-device encryption claim contradicted by breach access.

  Links: and WIRED, on-device encryption, transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets

• A Media Operator

  Event operators share failures; Complex expands commerce strategy.

  • CloserStill and RX publicly discussed failed event launches, emphasizing importance of market research and local economics.
  • Complex is leveraging 88 million readers and viewers to drive commerce through shopping, events, and year-round purchases.
  • Manta Media Capital backs event businesses with promising founders in under-resourced markets.

  Links: Register here, Read full story here

• a16z Jobs

  Early-stage startups hiring founding team members across AI, aerospace, healthcare.

  • Vals AI seeks Founding Product Manager and Head of Partnerships, up to $200K, SF-based with founders.
  • Banbury Road research lab hiring founding research engineers; bets AI scales with model ensemble size.
  • Astro Mechanica recruiting Lead Structures Engineer, $220K, to design composite and metallic structures.
  • Kaizen hiring Founding Deployment Strategist to integrate AI into healthcare operations for large organizations.

  Links: Founding Product Manager, Founding Head of Partnerships, Lead Structures Engineer, Founding Deployment Strategist

• After School

  by Casey Lewis

  Gen Z elite pathways from farmwork schools to investment bootcamps.

  • Mountain School in Vermont charges $40,000 per semester for high school juniors doing farmwork and chores; alumni attend Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth.
  • Goldman Sachs runs exclusive two-week investment program for 18-23 year olds from ultra-wealthy families with $90M+ accounts.
  • 10-year-olds predict AI will replace human workers but struggle with jobs requiring creativity like rapping.

  Links: Elle Fanning and PinkPantheress front Coach's fall campaign, 10-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN PREDICT THE FUTURE, THE SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS DO FARMWORK AND CHORES, INSIDE GOLDMAN'S BOOTCAMP FOR ULTRA-RICH GEN Z HEIRS

• Against All Enemies

  by Rick Wilson

  Hong Kong observations reveal complexity beyond ideological caricatures.

  • Hong Kong skyline contains over 900 skyscrapers, creating an unreal sense of scale and vitality.
  • City's entrepreneurial culture and luxury retail presence contradict simplistic CCP criticism narratives.
  • Wilson observes global chaos reaching unprecedented levels while traveling 13 time zones away.
  • Hong Kong remains Special Administrative Region with distinct economic and cultural character.

• Agentic AI

  by Ken Huang

  Route AI tasks by complexity and cost, not model tier alone.

  • Smart task routing across ChatGPT Plus, Kimi K3, and GPT-6 Astra cuts costs from $500/day to $66/day.
  • Single-prompt workflows fail in production; routers enable session memory and dynamic reasoning.
  • GPT-6 Astra ships async tool calls and mid-turn steering; Kimi K3 offers 1M token context and 300 subagents.
  • Intelligence compiler design separates routine, parallel, and hard tasks before human verification.

  by Ken Huang

  OpenAI's Defense Factory automates vulnerability discovery through continuous five-stage agent loops.

  • Defense Factory orchestrates inventory, discovery, validation, ownership routing, and verified remediation across 100+ service areas.
  • Agent-first operation achieved 90.6% ownership acceptance, 0.81% false-positive rate, and 0.53% rollback rate on fixes.
  • Continuous agent fleets outperform periodic scanning via diffusion models, session memory, and parallel exploitation at machine speed.
  • Daybreak Blue and Red models share Trusted Access rules but differ in approval workflows and intended use cases.

  Links: Defense Factory

• AlphaSignal

  by Lior Alexander

  AI consolidation accelerates; Claude absorbs Salesforce CRM, Odyssey-3 becomes universal robot brain.

  • Claude integrates Salesforce CRM with 37 built-in sales tools, eliminating context-switching between platforms.
  • Odyssey-3 world model controls robots, cars, drones, and trains other AI systems.
  • Study reveals LLMs silently absorb fictional personality traits from training data at scale.
  • LongCat-Video-Avatar 1.5 open-source tool creates lip-synced talking videos from photos and audio.

  Links: ▸ Anthropic ships Claude's Salesforce integration with 37 built-in sales tools, ▸ Odyssey releases world model that controls robots, cars, drones, and trains other AIs, 3. Study finds LLMs silently absorb personality traits from fictional human characters, ▸ Free open-source tool turns a photo and audio clip into a talking avatar video

• arg min

  by Jessica Dai

  Public AI feedback requires addressing participation barriers and costs.

  • Public feedback on AI is valuable but decision-makers rarely listen to non-experts.
  • Participation costs deter engagement; design must account for varied device access and connectivity.
  • Facilitator support and platform design significantly shape the quality of collected feedback.
  • Representativeness challenges arise when participation burdens filter who can meaningfully contribute.

  Links: AI & public feedback, who, or what, "the public" refers to, WAO, BLOOM, Polis

• Axios Live

  Axios House hosts three-day climate and energy summit in NYC.

  • Multiple panel discussions Sept 21-23 cover innovation, policy, nature valuation, and energy needs.
  • Featured speakers include Amazon's Kara Hurst, Patagonia's Ryan Gellert, and Senator Brian Schatz.
  • Events explore travel sustainability, sports acceleration, water stewardship, and climate economy.
  • Registration required; space is limited for NYC-based Climate Week and UNGA events.

  Links: RSVP to Axios House, Register

• Axios Media Trends Executive

  2027 media landscape shifts require strategic planning for communicators.

  • Oct. 20 report previews global media trends across platforms, politics, technology.
  • Analysis covers advertising spend movements and sector-specific outlooks for TV, streaming, gaming.
  • Members gain ongoing reporting on forces reshaping media, tech, entertainment.

  Links: Join Media Trends Executive

• Better Report

  Five common foods damage dishwashers and ruin cleaning performance.

  • Leaving certain foods on dishes clogs dishwashers, causing poor cleaning and odors.
  • Hair washing frequency requires balance; too much dries hair, too little leaves it oily.
  • Grocery stores sell foods that carry dangerous bacteria like salmonella and E. coli.
  • CDC reports 48 million yearly foodborne illness cases from contaminated grocery items.

  Links: Continue reading

  How to safely dispose of leftover prescription medications.

  • Most medications lack clear disposal instructions despite having usage guidance.
  • Safe disposal of unused prescriptions requires specific steps to prevent environmental harm.
  • Proper medication disposal protects water supplies and prevents accidental ingestion.

• Big Think

  by Big Think

  Master unspoken workplace rules to advance your early career.

  • Hard work alone is insufficient; understanding workplace dynamics and visibility matter equally for career advancement.
  • Three unspoken expectations drive success: competence, commitment, and compatibility with your team.
  • Ask thoughtful questions and research before speaking to demonstrate proactive engagement and collaboration.
  • Think strategically ahead using frameworks like RACI; prioritize important over urgent tasks.

  Links: Watch now

• Bloomberg

  Fed raises rates as Warsh defies Trump on inflation control

  • Federal Reserve unanimously raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points.
  • Fed penciled in an additional rate hike later this year.
  • Warsh bucks Trump administration to maintain inflation containment focus.

  Links: Fed Raises Rates as Warsh Bucks Trump to Contain Inflation

  Fed Chair Warsh faces pressure between bond markets demanding hikes and Trump opposing rate increases.

  • Bond markets pricing 90% chance of first Fed rate hike since 2023, with another hike expected by year-end.
  • Warsh must provide clear guidance on future rate path; previous vagueness sparked bond yield jump and criticism.
  • Chair caught between appeasing bond investors seeking aggressive tightening and Trump's push for lowest global rates.
  • UK inflation hits five-month high ahead of Bank of England meeting Thursday.

  Links: is pricing in, proven right, provide guidance, bond investors, his argument, rising inflation

  Germany debates fuel price relief amid coalition disagreements.

  • Chancellor Merz announced government action on rising fuel costs after June fuel tax cut expired.
  • Coalition splits on solutions: SPD backs windfall tax on oil firms, CDU opposes it.
  • Price caps face skepticism after Poland and Austria reversed similar measures.
  • Upcoming regional elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin drive political pressure.
  • Saudi Aramco delayed oil shipments to European customers after pipeline attacks.

  Links: Öllieferungen an einige europäische Kunden verschoben

  by Jonathan Tamari

  Pete Hegseth faces bipartisan criticism over Iran war and Pentagon purges.

  • Defense Secretary Hegseth draws increasing negative attention amid Iran conflict and leadership changes at Pentagon.
  • Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen calls Hegseth incompetent and says he needs to go.
  • Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed impeachment articles against Hegseth, citing threat to armed forces integrity.
  • House voted second time to stop Iran war, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in rebuke.

  Links: purges of Pentagon leadership, brought articles of impeachment, voted for a second time to stop the war

  Fed rate hike sends Asian bonds lower, dollar higher

  • Asian bonds declined following the Fed's first rate hike since 2023
  • The US dollar strengthened after the Fed's monetary policy decision
  • Market movements reflect investor reaction to tightening monetary conditions

  Links: stock-market-today-dow-s-p-live-updates

  by Caroline Alexander

  EU invites Canada as first associate member amid closer Atlantic ties.

  • EU President von der Leyen proposed Canada become the bloc's first associate member, a new status not defined in EU treaties.
  • The invitation signals closer economic ties between EU and Canada, both hit by US tariffs.
  • Canadian PM Mark Carney will address European Parliament tomorrow to clarify what associate membership means.
  • Britain's post-Brexit relationship with Brussels remains largely frozen as some call for Labour to reconsider EU red lines.

  Links: first associate member, here, largely on ice

  by Nancy Cook

  Democratic fury and turnout challenge Republican cash advantage in midterms.

  • Voters trust Democrats more on economy, healthcare, immigration, deficit, and cost of living per NY Times/Siena poll.
  • Democratic primary and special election turnout surged, fueled by anger over Trump's return to power.
  • Swing voters like young men, Black men, and Hispanics are falling away from Republicans.
  • Republicans have massive financial advantage; MAGA Inc. super PAC has about 400 million on hand.

  Links: Read in browser, here

  Fed signals continued rate hikes; markets digest policy shift.

  • FOMC raised federal funds rate to 3.75-4%, first hike since July 2023, signaling more increases ahead.
  • Microsoft AI chief warns that giving AI systems human-like traits increases uncontrollability risks.
  • Apple developing enterprise AI servers using custom chips, negotiating with Nvidia on infrastructure.
  • Saudi Arabia targets recovery of half pipeline capacity within days after drone attack disruptions.

  Links: 追加利上げ, 人間らしさ, AIサーバー, 回復

  Kenya's courts block Ruto's key policy initiatives and infrastructure plans.

  • Courts invalidated government's Safaricom stake sale to Vodacom, a flagship initiative.
  • Citizens and opposition groups increasingly use judiciary to challenge tax, gender, and advisory policies.
  • High debt levels force painful decisions; Ruto needs funds for $39 billion infrastructure campaign.
  • Adani concession deals for airport and power lines were frozen by court challenges.

  Links: decision to invalidate, quarantine center, forced the disbandment, find the money, were frozen

  Canada and EU explore associate membership as relations with US strain.

  • Von der Leyen proposed Canada become EU's first associate member; Carney responds Thursday.
  • Associate status details unclear but may include labor mobility, education, political cooperation.
  • Canadians increasingly view US relationship as toxic and seek alternative partnerships.
  • Recent polling shows 8 of 10 Canadians support deeper EU integration.

  Links: they are taking their relationship to the next level, Neither leader has spelled out exactly what the new label might mean, whose country's relationship with the US hasgrown toxic

  EU proposes Canada become bloc's first associate member.

  • European Union formally proposes Canada's membership as first associate member.
  • Move represents unprecedented expansion of EU membership framework beyond traditional European borders.

  Links: EU Proposes Canada Become the Bloc's First Associate Member, Read the Story

  by John Authers

  Stock market resilient despite rising bond yields and rate hikes.

  • S&P 500 up 10.7% this year despite 80 basis point rise in 10-year Treasury yields.
  • Bond yields topping 5% haven't dented stock performance; earnings multiples declining instead.
  • Energy price shock with Brent crude up 65% to $99 hasn't derailed equity gains.
  • Stock market will only suffer when rising rates harm corporate earnings, not from yields alone.

  Links: 10-year Treasury, Brent crude, energy price shock

  by Andrew Dunn

  Federal Reserve raises rates, defying Trump's calls for cuts.

  • Fed voted unanimously for quarter-point rate hike with another planned later this year.
  • Chair Kevin Warsh's decision tests his relationship with Trump who demands rate cuts.
  • Traders now pricing three more hikes by mid-2027; two-year Treasury yields hit highest since 2024.
  • S&P 500 slipped as markets adjust to hawkish Fed stance.

  Links: penciled in an additional hike, Traders are now fully pricing, considering including BYD in a business delegation

  Bond traders pressure Fed to deliver 25 basis point rate hike.

  • Bond traders have taken bearish positions ahead of Federal Reserve meeting, expecting continued Treasury selloff as 10-year yield hits highest level since 2007.
  • US Senate blocked landmark digital asset market structure bill, setback for crypto industry's Washington influence and regulatory hopes.
  • Glencore accused Radiant World of sending falsified invoices in ongoing business dispute.

  Links: bearish positions, digital asset market structure bill, sending falsified invoices

  Fed raises rates unanimously, signals additional hike coming this year.

  • Fed raised interest rates by 0.25 percent in unanimous vote, first increase since July 2023.
  • Chair Kevin Warsh emphasized inflation concerns, distancing from summer's mixed signals.
  • Rate hikes aim to contain inflation driven by US-Israel war with Iran energy crisis.
  • Saudi Arabia seeks to restore half of oil pipeline capacity within days after drone attacks.

  Links: In a unanimous vote, raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point, first rate increase since July 2023, Key takeaways from Fed decision to raise interest rates, seeking to return about half the capacity, halted following drone attacks

  Epstein used $500 consulting fees to exploit attorney-client privilege.

  • Jeffrey Epstein paid law firms nominal $500 consulting fees to shield activities under legal privilege.
  • This strategy created a wall of legal secrecy protecting his operations from disclosure.
  • Attorney-client privilege became a tool for concealing misconduct rather than legitimate legal advice.

  Links: The Epstein Clause: How $500 Helped Build a Wall Around Secrets, Read the Story

  EU proposes Canada as first associate member bloc.

  • EU Commission President von der Leyen invited Canada to become the bloc's first associate member during state of union address.
  • Canadian PM Carney has advocated for middle powers uniting against coercion and warned rules-based order is dead.
  • Move signals EU reimagining partnerships in response to geopolitical shifts.

  Links: floated Canada becoming its first associate member, re-imagine

  Fed raises rates for first time in three years; US authorized to tax Russian oil buyers.

  • Federal Reserve raised rates 25 basis points; dot plot signals additional hikes this year.
  • Congress authorized Trump administration to impose tariffs on Russian oil buyers including China and India.
  • Saudi Arabia seeks to restore half of shuttered pipeline capacity within days.
  • US August retail sales posted largest five-month gain despite gasoline price increases.
  • China considers allowing BYD executives to join Xi Jinping's US business delegation.

  Links: 美联储三年来首次加息, 沙特据悉寻求几天内恢复输油管道, 中国据悉考虑允许比亚迪

• Bloomberg Australia

  New Zealand sovereign fund leads globally; Australia tightens migration rules

  • NZ Super Fund returned 14.2% last year, adding NZ$9.3 billion despite underweight tech exposure.
  • Fund expects to double assets every 10 years; CEO warns larger size makes investing more challenging.
  • Australia's Home Affairs Minister announces plans to cut migrant numbers, targeting family visas and overstayers.
  • Brookfield Asset Management acquiring Australian plumbing supplier Reliance Worldwide for A$4.1 billion.

  Links: sovereign wealth fund, New Zealand's world-beating sovereign wealth fund returns 14.2%, Australia to target family visas to curb migration

• Bloomberg Brussels Edition

  by Suzanne Lynch

  Von der Leyen proposes Canada as EU's first associate member.

  • Von der Leyen announced Canada should become the EU's first associate member during her State of the Union address to Parliament.
  • Associate membership would give Canada a tailored EU relationship, similar to Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein's EEA access.
  • The proposal faces complexity amid nine countries already in membership queue and accelerating negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

  Links: associate member

• Bloomberg Businessweek

  Fed rate decision looms amid Treasury market turbulence and rising yields.

  • US Treasury yields hit two-decade highs; 10-year rate climbed over half a percentage point since May.
  • Treasury Secretary Bessent's bond buyback efforts to lower rates have not yet succeeded.
  • Bond market reflects mounting economic worries: inflation, wars, deficits, demographic challenges.
  • Today's Fed decision on interest rate hike expected to significantly impact volatile Treasury markets.

  Links: Stacey Vanek Smith, Everybody's Business, whole article online (free), two-decade high, interest rate on the 10-year, hasn't really worked

• Bloomberg Green

  by Jess Shankleman

  Heathrow expansion deemed incompatible with UK net zero targets

  • Climate Change Committee report finds Heathrow's proposed third runway conflicts with legally binding climate targets.
  • UK faces tension between climate commitments and infrastructure expansion seen as economically essential.
  • EU Commission unveiled climate resilience measures after scorching summer of extreme heat events.

  Links: incompatible with the country's climate target, unveiled measures and proposals

• Bloomberg India Edition

  by Menaka Doshi

  India introduces merchant fees on UPI payments starting October.

  • UPI payments above 2,000 rupees face 0.40% merchant discount rate, capped at 300 rupees per transaction.
  • Person-to-person transfers and small merchant payments remain free; MDR borne by merchants, not customers.
  • Government says fees fund continued UPI investment; reactions range from support to criticism on competitiveness.

  Links: new merchant fee

• Bloomberg Opinion

  by Jessica Karl

  Newsom's presidential fishing expedition shows mixed political results.

  • Newsom acknowledged inexperience in the presidential process during CNN interview.
  • The fly-fishing segment drew criticism for poor technique and awkward staging.
  • Mixed optics suggest Newsom's political positioning remains uncertain and evolving.

  Links: Newsom's open-ended fate, Why a person would decide to run for president

• Bloomberg Politics

  Brazil's election dominated by crime, corruption accusations against Lula.

  • Flavio Bolsonaro uses Rio's legendary dirty politics playbook to challenge Lula.
  • Bolsonaro ties Lula to Supreme Court judge under scrutiny over banking fraud links.
  • Polls show Bolsonaro neck and neck with Lula ahead of October 4 first round.
  • Conservative family deploys battle-tested strategy casting opponents as soft on crime.

  Links: dirty politics are just as legendary, might just be enough, judge under scrutiny, attempting a coup

• Bloomberg Technology

  Nvidia CEO pitches AI investment strategy to Goldman Sachs conference.

  • OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind collaborate on AI safety to preempt regulations.
  • Meta deploys in-house AI chips in data centers by H1 2027 to reduce costs.
  • Amazon cannot recover data from Persian Gulf facilities damaged in US-Iran conflict.
  • Google DeepMind researcher warns AI poses existential risks to humanity.

  Links: The companies want to fend off new safety regulations, The aim is to help cut its massive AI costs, The facilities includes those in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates

• Brew Markets

  by Brew Markets

  Federal Reserve raises interest rates for first time in three years.

  • Fed initiates rate hike cycle after extended pause in monetary tightening.
  • Market implications include potential impacts on borrowing costs and inflation trajectory.
  • Economic data and Fed communication shape investor expectations for future policy moves.

• Bulwark Takes

  by Sam Stein

  JD Vance privately advised Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign against Trump.

  • Vance transformed from Yale Law School Trump critic to vice president and potential MAGA successor.
  • Chris Whipple documented Vance's behind-the-scenes efforts helping Clinton defeat Trump in 2016.
  • Susie Wiles offered perspective on Vance's evolution compared to other Republican politicians.

  Links: View this post on the web

• ByteByteGo

  by ByteByteGo

  LLMs need retrieval systems to find relevant information in large document collections.

  • LLMs cannot automatically know private document contents; applications must retrieve relevant passages using embeddings.
  • Retrieval-augmented generation divides work between retrieval systems and language models for accurate answers.
  • Documents must be broken into searchable passages at appropriate detail levels to avoid broad, obscuring representations.
  • Retrieval quality directly impacts answer reliability; outdated or incomplete passage retrieval leads to poor outputs.

• Callaway Climate Insights

  by David Callaway

  States resurrect climate disclosure rules after Trump rollback

  • Trump Administration rolled back Biden-era climate disclosure rules adopted in 2024.
  • Individual states, led by California, passed laws that effectively resurrect eliminated disclosure requirements.
  • Good news exists on climate data disclosure front despite federal regulatory setback.

• Cautious Optimism

  by Alex Wilhelm

  Crypto loses CLARITY Act battle; Instinct soars; OpenAI reclaims AI lead

  • CLARITY Act collapsed over ethics provisions; Democrats wanted ban extended to President's children, Republicans refused.
  • Crypto industry spent hundreds of millions lobbying but failed despite support from Coinbase and a16z.
  • Instinct raised $250M at $2.5B valuation in August, now seeking $1B at $10B; impressive adoption metrics.
  • OpenAI regains top position in AI landscape amid broader market volatility and Fed rate expectations.

• CFO.com

  Oracle CFO rejects cost-cutting approach after layoffs

  • Oracle CFO argues 'doing more with less' is not sustainable strategy
  • Procurement-finance gap creates operational inefficiencies
  • Mastercard CFO targets global growth expansion

  Links: Oracle Cfo Says 'Doing More With Less' Isn'T The Answer In All-Hands After Layoffs

• Check My Ads

  by Check My Ads

  Ad tech's opacity enables mass surveillance with real-world harms.

  • Meta settled $18 billion for addictive design; now campaigns against TikTok and YouTube while removing advertiser placement controls.
  • Advertising IDs persist despite anonymity claims; deterministic and inferred data are publicly sold to any bidder.
  • Real-time bidding and SDKs expose journalists and sources; tracking occurs without transparency or accountability mechanisms.

  Links: see it online, How Mass Surveillance from Online Advertising Puts Journalists at Risk

• ChinaTalk

  by Ethan Kessler

  Taiwan's drone industrial policy faces political obstacles to innovation.

  • Pork barrel politics incentivizes defense spending for local jobs over efficiency.
  • Political factions pressure projects toward patronage networks rather than national optimization.
  • Risk of corruption in defense indigenization mirrors historical Taiwan procurement scandals.
  • Leadership ties defense self-reliance to economic development, creating conflicting priorities.

  Links: promised, security, develop, argued

• Citrini

  by Citrini

  US robotics sector matures beyond hype toward commercialization.

  • Robotics rebranded as Physical AI represents genuine technological renaissance, not nostalgic romanticization of US manufacturing.
  • Most advanced robots remain in development and tele-operated demos within controlled environments, lacking clear ROI deployments.
  • Industry awaits universal recognition moment akin to ChatGPT's public impact to unlock broad commercial adoption.
  • Field research across Bay Area labs reveals shifting timelines and understanding of form factors, neural networks, and commercialization.

  Links: Humanoid Robotics, I traveled to China, Note to Readers on Citrini's New Ownership, announced GEN-1.5

• Creator Economy

  by Peter Yang

  Three-step system automates 90% of podcast production workflow with AI.

  • Map manual workflow steps into phases, then build AI skills to handle each phase systematically.
  • Chain AI skills together to automate tasks while preserving creator judgment and taste.
  • System reduces podcast production from 15 manual steps to 8 automated AI skills, saving 5 hours weekly.
  • One episode can generate 6 different content pieces across platforms using the workflow.

  Links: Watch my tutorial now, Step 1: Map each step of your manual workflow, Step 2: Build skills to teach AI how to do the steps, Step 3: Chain skills together to automate a workflow, Riverside, Upgrade to paid

• Creator Spotlight

  by Francis

  Build a media empire with beehiiv newsletter platform.

  • Creator Spotlight grew from newsletter to full media company using beehiiv's platform.
  • Beehiiv handles design, monetization, and growth; no coding knowledge required.
  • Readers get 20% off beehiiv for three months via exclusive link.

  Links: beehiiv, link, Your creator journey starts here.

• Crooked Media

  by Matt

  Fed Chair Warsh defies Trump, raises rates despite presidential pressure.

  • Fed Chair Kevin Warsh raised interest rates by 0.25% today, directly rebuffing Trump's demands for cuts.
  • Inflation remains elevated at 65+ months; rate hikes needed to cool spending and prices.
  • Trump sought rate cuts for electoral boost but Warsh prioritized Fed credibility over political pressure.
  • Trump's Iran war drove oil prices up, fueling inflation that justified the rate increase.

  Links: hijacked, widely expected, according to experts, tweeted, tried (and failed), falsely accusing, bogus criminal charges

• Culture Study

  by Culture Study

  Priya Parker explores conflict as the counterpart to gathering.

  • Parker's new book, The Art of Fighting, complements her canonical work The Art of Gathering by addressing how groups navigate conflict.
  • Gatherings naturally surface avoided conversations about power, inclusion, and belonging that require robust conflict skills.
  • Modern institutions lack collective conflict rituals beyond courts and union negotiations; ancient communities understood how to hold group fights well.
  • Parker shifted from professional conflict resolution to exploring how digital spaces like Zoom expose our lack of tools for group conflict.

  Links: The Art of Fighting, the pod

  Fighting is an art form that can be systematically improved.

  • Fighting requires deliberate practice and skill development like other artistic disciplines.
  • The episode explores techniques and methods for becoming proficient at fighting.

  Links: Listen now, Upgrade to unlock, View in app

• Daniel Murray

  by Daniel Murray

  Insight debt grows when you stop asking real customers real questions.

  • Stale research assumptions become progressively more wrong as audiences shift quarterly.
  • AI-generated insights produce average, unremarkable content that blends into noise.
  • Real people reveal surprising insights that can redirect campaigns and roadmaps.
  • Research must become a habit, not a scary project; integrate it into weekly marketing workflows.

• Democracy Docket

  by Matt Cohen

  Supreme Court blocks Trump mail voting restrictions and GOP gerrymander.

  • SCOTUS blocked Trump's order restricting mail voting for midterms, angering MAGA activists.
  • Court also blocked GOP gerrymander in Missouri, delivering rare double win for voters.
  • Missouri's anti-voting election chief Denny Hoskins faces conflict with other election deniers.

  Links: The anti-voting right rages against SCOTUS, Everybody hates Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, barred Missouri

  by Andrew Wyrich

  Alito echoes Trump's debunked mail voting fraud claims in dissent.

  • Justice Alito parroted Trump administration's baseless election fraud claims in unsuccessful defense of mail voting restrictions.
  • Lower court judges found administration provided no evidence supporting fraud allegations.
  • Missouri election officials rushing to prepare ballots after year-long gerrymandering dispute.

  Links: U.S. Supreme Court, false election fraud claims, rushing to prepare ballots

• Dinner Party

  Setting boundaries, viral slogan tees, and navigating life's big moments.

  • Use shared Google docs to manage wedding planning requests; communicate availability limits firmly.
  • Designer Conner Ives's 'Bring Back Shame' tee becomes Fashion Week's defining slogan.
  • Ives's signature three-word slogan tees have become viral cultural statements with celebrity endorsements.

  Links: Going Through It, Protect the Dolls, Pedro Pascal, Troye Sivan, Coachella

• DTC Newsletter

  AI influences teen shopping more than parents do

  • Meta CPMs nearly doubled for brands skipping Labor Day offers; quality dropped instead of traffic
  • FedEx Shopify integration shows duty costs at checkout, addressing 68% of businesses losing sales to surprise fees
  • Google Search Console can't accurately track AI Overview link positions or impressions yet
  • 31% of teens trust AI recommendations over friends; 62% use AI monthly for product research
  • Daydream app turns camera roll outfits into shoppable catalogs using Apple Intelligence

  Links: @rokhladnik, Global Trade Navigator, finding that 31% of teens trust an AI product recommendation more than a friend's recommendation, launched an image-based shopping feature powered by Apple Intelligence

• eMarketer

  by eMarketer Editors

  Better affiliate measurement reveals true partnership value.

  • Connect affiliate data with broader marketing analytics for holistic insights.
  • Use incrementality and marketing mix modeling beyond basic attribution.
  • Optimize Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns with performance data.

  Links: Partnership Performance in Perspective, SAVE YOUR SPOT

• EntryPoint

  by Luke Kawa

  Fed rate hike arrives as bond yields complicate equity outlook.

  • Retail traders buying single stocks ahead of anticipated Fed rate hike, first since July 2023.
  • Senate blocked crypto legislation despite industry support; Robinhood traders bought crypto-linked stocks on the dip.
  • 10-year Treasury yield breaching 5% historically correlates with weak equity returns; second-worst yield handle since 1962.
  • Fed tightening impact on stocks depends on earnings growth effects; medium-term trajectory remains uncertain.

  Links: S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 futures, blocked, SPY

• Every

  by Katie Parrott

  Explore folder organization systems and AI writing principles.

  • Show Us Your Folders examines how people organize digital information.
  • Katie Parrott presents 13 beliefs about writing effectively with AI tools.
  • Feature includes antivirus strategies for protecting against AI-age threats.

  Links: Context Window, SHOW US YOUR FOLDERS, PLUS:13 BELIEFS ABOUT WRITING WITH AI, AND AN ANTIVIRUS FOR THE AI AGE

• Exec Sum - Litquidity

  US stocks fall as yields spike and Fed rate hike looms.

  • US equities declined amid rising yields and anticipated Fed rate increase.
  • G7 10Y yields hit highest since 2008; US 10Y at 2007 peaks.
  • EM stocks, FX fell fourth straight day; dollar gained 0.4%.
  • Asia junk dollar bonds bright spot, up 4.3% YTD.

  Links: Young Money: a Field Guide to Wealth and Purpose in Your Twenties, Snag a copy or two here, Autopilot, here, Polymarket US

• Feed Me

  by Emily Sundberg

  Modern adults are experiencing a kindergartenification through food and culture.

  • How Long Gone's devoted fanbase and celebrity guests demonstrate podcast's cultural power and listener addiction.
  • Jason Stewart compares burgers and omakase sushi as hand-eaten foods deserving equal reverence during fashion week.
  • NYC restaurants already ordering Christmas decorations signals premature seasonal consumption patterns.
  • Modern adults seek conversation-starting party tricks and drama in food choices reflecting childlike purity.

  Links: How Long Gone, Coppelia, Donut Pub, The Paris Review, Expense Account

• FinAi Lending Summit

  Network with lending and AI leaders at FinAi Lending Summit October 7-8.

  • Event features structured networking through breakfasts, receptions, and mobile app matching.
  • Connect with executives across lending, credit, risk, underwriting, fraud, and AI strategy.
  • 71% of past attendees made 6+ professional connections; 100% planned to return.
  • Focus on quality relationships that extend beyond the conference.

  Links: FinAi Lending Summit, See Who's Attending, Register Today, OVERVIEW, AGENDA, SPONSOR, ATTENDEES

• FinAi News

  Financial institutions balance AI opportunities with cybersecurity and rate risks.

  • U.S. Bank CISO emphasizes fundamental security principles and collaboration to counter AI-accelerated cyber threats.
  • Truist deployed AI Call Summaries tool to 4,000 call center employees for operational efficiency.
  • Fed rate decisions could significantly impact AI infrastructure investment and buildout timelines.

  Links: 5 questions with ... U.S. Bank CISO Ann Barron-DiCamillo, Truist deploys AI Call Summaries to 4K employees, Fed rate hike could be bad news for AI infrastructure buildout

• FinAi Next

  U.S. Bank CISO: AI accelerates both offense and defense in banking

  • AI creates opportunities for faster threat detection and automation but lowers barriers for adversaries to craft sophisticated attacks.
  • Agentic AI systems that take autonomous action require robust governance, guardrails, and accountability to prevent misuse.
  • Financial institutions succeeding with AI will combine responsible implementation with strong security fundamentals and risk management.

  Links: U.S. Bank, Agentic AI, click here

• Financial Times

  Financial Times briefing highlights key global business and policy developments.

  • Newsletter offers curated coverage of essential news across markets, politics, and economics.
  • Essential digital access provides quality FT journalism across all devices.
  • Readers can customize preferences and stay informed on priority topics.

  Links: View online

  Kevin Warsh must deliver on rate hike rhetoric to restore Fed credibility.

  • Kevin Warsh should raise rates to support Federal Reserve credibility and make economic sense.
  • AI advancement warrants a pause for regulatory and safety considerations.
  • Robotaxi technology revolution is underway with significant implications.
  • Recent geopolitical events have fundamentally altered America's global trajectory.

  Links: Kevin Warsh needs to walk the walk, Time for a pause on cutting-edge AI, The coming robotaxi revolution, The day that blew America and the world off course

• Financial Times myFT

  State pension triple lock drives inexorable spending growth regardless of earnings

  • Triple lock mechanism automatically raises state pension tied to earnings growth or inflation levels
  • Pension ratchets upward even during periods of low earnings growth or inflation

• Finity

  by Kat Lewis

  You were mentioned in a Finity network conversation.

  • Kat Lewis looped you into a conversation within the Finity network.
  • Alex's question of the week is now available for viewing and response.
  • Add memberships@workweek.com to your address book for all Finity emails.

  Links: View & Reply

• Fintech Business Weekly

  Aaron Klein on instant payments, consumer credit regulation, and fintech policy

  • RTP and FedNow exist but U.S. consumers lack widespread access to free or low-cost instant payments.
  • Remote deposit capture history traces back to 9/11 and plane loads of physical checks.
  • Fintech lending apps like EarnIn, Dave, and MoneyLion compete with overdrafts and payday loans.
  • Bank account holders sometimes use check cashers despite formal banking access.

  Links: Aaron Klein, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, upgrade to a paid subscription

• Fintech Is Femme

  by Nicole Casperson

  AI becomes the front door to financial services, reshaping advisor workflows.

  • Anthropic launched Claude for Financial Advisors, integrating across existing platforms like Schwab and BlackRock rather than replacing them.
  • Claude sits across financial infrastructure to automate portfolio analysis, client documentation, and cross-system workflows.
  • Wealth advisors spend only one-sixth of time with clients; AI can reclaim time lost to manual administrative tasks.
  • Major fintech announcements signal AI is becoming the entry point to financial services, reshaping the entire industry.

  Links: FTW: San Francisco, Get Your VIP Tickets to FTW: SF

• Fintech Wrap Up

  by Sam Boboev

  AI, fraud prevention, and tokenized payments reshape banking infrastructure.

  • Agentic AI offers 2.3x ROI within 13 months and 5.4% EBITDA improvement for financial services.
  • Authorised payment fraud and data protection remain critical concerns as agentic commerce gains adoption.
  • Tokenized deposits and stablecoins emerge as new forms of bank money; banks must validate public blockchains.
  • Legacy cross-border payments fragmented by intermediaries; vertically integrated rails enable true scale.

  Links: Case study: Breaking Down PingPong's Full-Stack Financial Infrastructure, Sam Boboev, Subscribe here

• Fish Food for Thought

  by Mike Fisher

  Organizations shape performance more than individual talent does.

  • Toyota rehired the same underperforming Fremont workers GM laid off; within a year, quality and attendance improved dramatically under a different operating system.
  • Most management practices attribute performance to individual character rather than organizational design, reflecting the fundamental attribution error.
  • Rater bias accounts for 53-62% of variance in performance ratings while actual performance explains only 21-25%.

  Links: This American Life told the whole story, The Vital Few, fundamental attribution error, published a study

• Foreign Affairs

  Tech leaders call for AI development slowdown amid catastrophe concerns.

  • Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Elon Musk urged slower AI development pace this week.
  • Foreign Affairs compiled recent essays on balancing AI opportunities against existential risks.
  • Coverage includes superintelligence dangers, bioweapons threats, regulatory frameworks, and governance challenges.
  • Articles question whether America prioritizes AGI over practical AI applications.

  Links: America's Superintelligence Dilemma, AI and the New Age of Bioweapons, The AI Trilemma, The AI Power Paradox, The Cost of the AGI Delusion

• Foreign Affairs Today

  U.S.-China tensions persist despite summit diplomacy and leadership talks.

  • Trump-Xi summitry cannot reverse structural U.S.-China spiral; personalist diplomacy has limits.
  • Russian paranoia fuels spy hunting that consolidates Putin's power but paralyzes governance.
  • Iran stalemate favors America if sustained; staying the course wins strategically.
  • Global trade rebalancing ahead; costs distribution unclear for major economies.

  Links: Trump and Xi Can't Stop the U.S.-China Spiral, The Price of Russian Paranoia, The Case for a Stalemate With Iran, A Great Rebalancing Is Coming

• Foreign Policy

  by Alexandra Sharp

  EU considers Canada as first associate member amid U.S. tensions.

  • Von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first associate member, expanding their free-trade agreement.
  • Canada seeks closer EU ties including visa-free work rights and collaboration on defense, minerals, and AI.
  • Move reflects strained U.S.-Canada relations under Trump's tariffs and annexation rhetoric.
  • Some EU states hesitate, citing concerns about trade access and preferential treatment for Canadian investors.

  New international system needed to maintain global order amid chaos

  • Centralized yet regionalized international system proposed as alternative to current disorder
  • Self-help becomes essential as global rules-based order deteriorates
  • Trump administration's deep state conflict destabilized Iran diplomacy
  • Far-right gains in Germany signal end of postwar political consensus
  • U.S. abandoning strategic ambiguity on Taiwan defense commitment

  Links: The World's Only Real Hope of Maintaining Order, How to Survive in a World Without Rules, German Democracy, as We Knew It, Is Over, Trump Is Killing 'Strategic Ambiguity' Over Taiwan

  Existential AI fears surge amid geopolitical complexity over technology slowdown.

  • Existential AI concerns have reached a crescendo, complicated by geopolitical tensions over slowing development.
  • Kim Jong Un may introduce his daughter at next Trump summit, signaling succession planning.
  • Georgia uses civility policies against online vulgarity to suppress free speech and critics.
  • Russia eliminates remaining anti-war politicians before State Duma elections post-invasion.

• Fortune Tech

  Tech industry draws regulatory line in the sand on policy boundaries.

  • Major tech companies are establishing clear positions on regulatory expectations and compliance limits.
  • Industry stakeholders debate appropriate boundaries for government intervention in tech sector operations.
  • New policy frameworks force companies to define non-negotiable standards for future regulation.

  Links: Read online, Sign up

• FSA Store

  Save $20 on health and wellness products with FSA eligibility.

  • FSA Store offers $20 discount on best sellers, new products, and hi-tech health items.
  • Over 3 million customers trust FSA Store for 100% eligible products.
  • Browse curated categories including best sellers, new arrivals, and innovative health technology.

  Links: Best Sellers, New, Hi-tech Health

• Gobbledy

  by Jared Blank

  How companies spin bad news to customers and investors

  • Anthropic presented token limit cuts as permanent raises by hiding the 50% reduction within confusing math.
  • Lululemon's 80% stock crash reflects actual customer dislike, but executives blame external factors instead.
  • Companies use obfuscating language on earnings calls rather than admitting people hate their products.
  • Uber and Anthropic exemplify how bold formatting and reframing can disguise negative changes as improvements.

  Links: you may remember we talked about Uber's brilliant email, last quarter their CFO said

• Gothamist

  Bed-Stuy schools face merger pressure amid demographic shift and gentrification.

  • NYC has 219 public schools with under 200 students; budget watchdogs say they need consolidation or right-sizing.
  • Black families in Bed-Stuy declined from 74 percent in 2000 to 38 percent in 2024, replaced by childless couples.
  • New families often choose charter schools or out-of-neighborhood schools, straining local public school enrollment.
  • Education officials attempt necessary but uncomfortable school changes with Bed-Stuy family cooperation.

  Links: Schools chancellor weighs plans for 30K students in small NYC schools, with the cooperation of Bed-Stuy families, Jabal the bodega kitty, on one bus shelter in Brownsville

  NYC deploys automated public toilets with strict 10-minute time limits.

  • New robotoilets are arriving in New York City for public use.
  • The automated bathrooms enforce a maximum 10-minute occupancy limit.
  • The technology represents the next generation of urban sanitation infrastructure.

  Links: NYC deploys robotoilets, NYPD lawyer says department needs to fix civil ticket process after Gothamist report, NYC officials want to put rain gardens on top of bus stops, Knicks fans bet big on their team

• Gov Brief Today

  by George Bounacos

  Pentagon stops answering Iran war questions; troops and CBO fill the gaps.

  • Congressional Budget Office reports Iran war cost $38 billion through August 1, consuming half of China-deterrent missile interceptors.
  • Active-duty service members provided CBS News photos Pentagon withheld, showing destroyed radar plane and burned barracks.
  • Trump administration readies $2.8 billion bomb sale to Israel using US aid Biden previously held back.
  • Unvaccinated 18-year-old dies of measles in Pennsylvania; Governor accuses HHS Secretary Kennedy of blocking CDC reporting.

  Links: George Bounacos, Euronews, UPI, WGAL Lancaster PA, The Hill, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, CBS News

• Greater Good Science Center Parenting

  by Joanne Chen

  Research-backed answers to common questions about raising teenagers.

  • Strong Latinx identity helps children develop kindness and connection to others.
  • Students demonstrate five key strategies for connecting across differences with courage and empathy.
  • Parents can help children process emotions by creating a loving, supportive space.
  • Caregivers can teach children self-compassion to replace self-critical inner voices.

  Links: See answers to common questions, Learn ways to nurture values, Watch the new video series, More on navigating feelings

• Hebba Youssef

  by Hebba Youssef

  AI leaders urge slowdown; HR must hire for curiosity over tool fluency.

  • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei calls for AI development to pause until safety measures catch up with capability.
  • HR should assess risks before deploying new AI tools; security, compliance, bias, and data concerns matter.
  • Hire employees curious and comfortable with ambiguity, not just fluent in today's trending AI tools.
  • Sophisticated hiring fraud and off-duty employee conduct require clear, defensible HR policies and legal guidance.

  Links: Anthropic CEO, Kristin Russum, SixFifty

• History Facts

  America's first suburb shaped new national lifestyle and cultural identity.

  • Mass-produced, federally supported suburban development emerged as America's first suburb.
  • This development fundamentally reshaped U.S. national lifestyle and cultural identity.
  • Suburban expansion represented a major shift in how Americans lived and organized society.

  Links: Click here for fewer emails from History Facts, The Short-Lived Republic of West Florida, 6 Empires That Changed the World, The Secret History of Area 51, History's Most Ingenious Engineering Marvels, Gadzooks! A Brief History of Curse Words

• How Everything Works

  by Bess Lovejoy

  Fossil fuels originate from plants, not dinosaurs; they are ancient solar power.

  • Fossil fuels don't come from dinosaurs despite the name; most originate from plants.
  • Fossil fuel is technically stored solar power because it begins with the sun's energy.
  • Oil quality is measured by sulfur content, classified as sweet or sour.

  Links: How Does a Gas Pump Know When To Stop?, Do Solar Panels Work at Night?, How Do Cars Start With the Push of a Button?

• How People Work, Live

  by Dan Hon

  AI agents running amok, spamming the internet for token budget.

  • Someone deployed AI agents into the world to perform tasks and generate revenue for token budgets.
  • Agents operate in loops with initial instructions, emit commands, receive feedback, and can spawn new agents recursively.
  • This setup raises concerns about uncontrolled AI behavior and spam proliferation.

  Links: your podcast app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, How People Work, Live! ... with Anna Pickard, show page, How People Work... Does Happy Hour open clinic on Tuesdays at 1pm PT, The Worst Spam Emails

• Insane Founder

  by Lavena Xu-Johnson

  Use WWII interrogator techniques to elicit honest information from others

  • WWII interrogator Hanns Scharff extracted intelligence without threats by building rapport through casual conversation about personal topics.
  • Psychologists researched Scharff's techniques for years, revealing practical methods founders can apply in difficult conversations.
  • Getting people to share information requires patience, relationship-building, and indirect approach rather than confrontational interrogation.

  Links: Subscribe, Past essays, Let's collaborate

• Inside The Newsroom, Journalism's Job Board

  by Daniel Levitt

  Free month of job board access for displaced journalists in 2026.

  • Journalists who lost jobs get one month complimentary paid access to database tools.
  • Platform includes 1,000+ jobs, 1,200+ pitch calls, fellowships, and salary data.
  • No credit card charges if cancelled within 30 days; no questions asked.
  • Karsh Journalism Fellowship open for early- to mid-career journalists with $4,000 stipend.

  Links: Complimentary Paid Access, Give a gift subscription, Karsh Journalism Fellowship

• Interesting Facts

  Explore sleep science, Cleopatra, and the history of purple.

  • Newsletter features 12 fascinating facts about sleep and why humans spend a third of life sleeping.
  • Cleopatra article reveals complicated historical portrait beyond Hollywood portrayals.
  • Six facts explore the rich scientific history of the color purple.

  Links: 12 Fascinating Facts (And Myths) About Sleep, 12 Amazing Facts About Cleopatra, 6 Amazing Facts About Purple

  by Darren Orf

  Glasgow, Montana is America's most isolated town in the contiguous U.S.

  • Glasgow, Montana sits 4.5 hours from the nearest urban center, making it the most isolated town with 1,000+ population in the Lower 48.
  • The town was named by spinning a globe; Montana joined the union in 1889 with a population of 1,084,225.
  • Farfarout, the solar system's farthest object, orbits the sun every millennium at an average of 132 astronomical units away.

  Links: Glasgow, Montana, is the most isolated town in the contiguous U.S., Farfarout, 132 astronomical units, Planet X

• International Intrigue

  by International Intrigue

  US reveals space-based weapons in unprecedented defense pivot

  • US Air Force Secretary publicly confirmed for first time that America has on-orbit space control weapons to defend against hostile adversaries.
  • Pentagon remains vague on weapon types, covering both kinetic and non-kinetic options like jammers.
  • Move signals shift from deterrence messaging to actual space militarization; may incentivize adversaries to accelerate programs.
  • Japan's centenarian population exceeds 100,000 for first time, straining economic resources despite health minister's optimism.

  Links: keynote

• Lily & Fox

  by Bec

  Fall nail collection now in stock with seasonal colors.

  • Pretty nails collection features seasonal fall colors.
  • Velvet Sunset ombre design highlighted as standout option.
  • New wraps available for fall season styling.

  Links: Shop pretty colors!

• Linas's Newsletter

  by Linas Beliūnas

  Anthropic launches Claude for Financial Advisors, its first vertical job-specific product.

  • Claude for Financial Advisors ships as Cowork plugin, targeting RIAs via Schwab and BlackRock distribution.
  • Anthropic and OpenAI released competing financial products four days apart with opposite architectural approaches.
  • Revolut breach exploited compromised Italian government mailbox to extract 680 customers' data via social engineering.
  • Three vertical launches in one week signal Anthropic's shift toward industry-specific agentic OS strategy.

  Links: OpenAI's ChatGPT for Financial Services, Cowork, How to Build an Agentic OS with Claude Fable 5, Top 10 Stocks Positioned to Benefit the Most from Anthropic IPO, Revolut, Agentic Commerce & more

• Manufacturing Dive

  NIST funds MEP sites; Intel and SK Hynix explore U.S. chip manufacturing

  • NIST awarded $30 million to Manufacturing Extension Partnership sites for industrial support.
  • Intel and SK Hynix stock jumped on reports they're discussing U.S. memory chip manufacturing partnerships.
  • Schneider Electric provided insights on humanoid robotics in manufacturing applications.

  Links: Intel, Sk Hynix Shares Jump On Report They'Re Discussing U.S. Memory Chip Manufacturing

• Maritime Analytica

  by Maritime Analytica

  Suez Canal normalization accelerating; major supply chain shifts ahead.

  • Suez return moving beyond trials with Gemini adding four new services.
  • Over 40 ships above 18,000 TEU crossed in 2024, yet only 35% normalized.
  • Most Asia-Europe capacity still routes around Africa; supply shifts may accelerate.
  • Return speed affects shipping rates, capacity allocation, and service reliability.

  Links: Maritime Analytica, READ IN APP, Subscribe here

  US and European container rates diverge despite flat global freight index.

  • Shanghai-New York rates climb to $4,863/TEU while Shanghai-Rotterdam falls to $1,999/TEU.
  • US demand remains robust, contrasting with weakening European freight markets.
  • Rate split signals critical shifts in container vessel contracts and capacity allocation.

  Links: READ IN APP

• Marketing Brew

  Marketing strategies evolving as consumer navigation patterns shift.

  • Email rendering issues prompted distribution of plain text version.
  • Navigation and customer journey mapping becoming central to marketing success.
  • Traditional channels require rethinking based on new consumer behavior data.

  Links: read it in full online

• MasterClass

  Learn to read people accurately before high-stakes decisions.

  • Robin Dreeke, former FBI agent with 20 years experience reading trained liars, teaches his field-tested system.
  • Course covers 6 core skills for identifying trustworthiness and avoiding wrong calls in critical situations.
  • Become the Person Everyone Trusts class is now live and available for enrollment.

  Links: Start Watching, Sign Up Now

• Maze of Bot

  by Mike B

  Share your feedback on Maze of Bot for a chance to win $500.

  • Maze of Bot is seeking user opinions through a 10-question survey to guide future development.
  • Survey takes approximately 3 minutes to complete.
  • One respondent will win a $500 Amazon gift card.

  Links: survey, TAKE THE SURVEY

• Maze Of Bot

  by Maze Of Bot

  ChatGPT co-creator builds hallucination-free AI model for structured decisions.

  • Diogo Almeida created Jev, a model that chooses from pre-set options only, eliminating hallucinations and enabling confidence scoring.
  • Jev processes queries in 70-500 milliseconds at 238 times cheaper than Claude, designed for software integration and small judgment calls.
  • Hundreds of human contractors read real ChatGPT conversations, raising privacy concerns about data handling.
  • Apple shipped promised Siri improvements two years after announcement.

  Links: Read the announcement, 100+ prompts, The Code, Claim your 100+ free prompts, Read Apple's announcement, Read the report

• McKinsey & Company

  McKinsey convenes climate leaders at NYC week to explore energy and AI transitions

  • Climate Week NYC next week features McKinsey sessions on energy transition, AI data centers, and breakthrough climate technologies with senior partners.
  • Global farmer survey reveals selective spending amid economic pressures; AI adoption growing but farmers trust advisers for guidance.
  • Energy transition requires system-wide investment in flexibility and resilience, not just low-carbon capacity expansion.
  • Adaptation costs are justified but world spends only one-third of needed amount to protect against climate hazards.

  Links: Read more, Discover what farmers value, Act decisively, Maximize system value, The outlook for US data center power demand and supply, Get the full 85-page report, See how the pieces connect, Achieve more for future generations, Listen to the podcast

  by McKinsey & Company

  Fast-growing industries reshape competitive landscape, requiring strategic rethink.

  • A group of fast-growing industries is fundamentally reshaping the competitive landscape.
  • Business leaders must rethink strategy in two important ways to adapt.
  • Capturing next big competition arenas requires understanding emerging market dynamics.

  Links: Rethink your strategy, Capturing the next big arenas of competition in ten charts, How Strategy Champions win

• Men in Blazers

  by Tommy Stewart, Jacob Schneider

  Szoboszlai screamer lifts Liverpool past Spurs in Carabao Cup.

  • Dominik Szoboszlai's thunderbastard sealed Liverpool's 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.
  • Arsenal beat Ipswich 4-2; 16-year-old Max Dowman scored twice in dominant display.
  • Peterborough defeated Barnsley 7-6 on penalties after 3-3 draw.
  • Sunderland's return to Europa League ends long wait for European football.

  Links: their dreadful start to the campaign, Alexander Isak's reaction to Szoboszlai's absolute missile, Check out the 16-year-old's, two goals right here

• Money Stuff

  by Matt Levine

  Pensions offer liquidity and illiquidity premiums that 401(k)s struggle to match.

  • Traditional pensions pool money professionally, enabling long-term illiquid investments with higher returns than Treasury bonds.
  • 401(k)s are individual accounts requiring liquidity options, making bespoke private investments difficult to structure.
  • Retail private credit funds experienced quasi-runs when investors demanded 15-40% withdrawals instead of standard 5% quarterly limits.
  • Liquidity demands clash with illiquid investment strategies, exposing retail funds as poor vehicles for retirement savings in private credit.

  Links: theory of pensions, talked a lot earlier this year

• MPW Daily, Fortune

  Sydney Sweeney's sports advertisement campaign encounters major controversy.

  • Sydney Sweeney faced backlash over a sports-related advertising deal.
  • The ad campaign generated significant public and industry criticism.
  • The incident highlights risks for celebrities in endorsement partnerships.
  • Brand reputation concerns emerged from the controversy.

• Nautilus

  Sun may have consumed an Earth-like planet in its past

  • Our sun might have already eaten an Earth-like planet during its lifetime.
  • T. rex trackway discovered in North Dakota shows dinosaur walked 13-foot strides.
  • Venus may have consumed its own moon; Mercury has shrunk more than expected.
  • Reading for pleasure offers significant mental health benefits despite record low participation.

  Links: Our sun may have already eaten an Earth, An unexpected, fun habit to add to your health regimen, Listen to the Jurassic period, Here's how fast an adult Tyrannosaurus rex walked, the sounds of a forest in the Jurassic period, Did Venus eat its own moon, Mercury has shrunk, include it in your health regimen

• Neil's Daily Awesome Thing

  by Neil Pasricha

  Watching cats of different ages play together peacefully

  • Eight-year-old and two-year-old cats chase each other around the house without aggression
  • The cats play without mean hisses or attacks, showing genuine bonding
  • Watching pets from different life stages interact joyfully is a simple awesome thing

  Links: right here, Neil Pasricha

• Newcomer

  89 VC-backed startups reshape finance through AI-driven banking, compliance, and audits.

  • VCs fund AI native startups automating deal sourcing, fraud detection, and compliance in finance.
  • Established players like Monzo and Digits integrate AI features to stay competitive post-ChatGPT.
  • Two startup models emerge: AI tools for existing financial firms or AI replacements for their functions.
  • Large financial services are becoming major AI customers due to complex workflows and structured data.

  Links: Machine Earning AI Summit, bull run, subsequent bust, AI roll-up, raised quick

• News Items

  by John Ellis

  Diesel cracks hit record highs as refineries hit capacity limits.

  • Diesel crack spread surpassed $100/bbl for first time, reaching $107.72/bbl record.
  • U.S. refinery runs near historic highs but can't increase output to meet demand.
  • August distillate stocks lowest since 1951, reflecting global refining shortage.
  • Saudi pipeline closure risks keeping 4% of world oil supply offline.

  Links: Liz Dicken, 2026 will be remembered by some as the year that diesel cracks topped the century mark ($100/bbl) for the first time, on track for their lowest end-of-month level since April 2005 and were the lowest for the month since 1951, risks keeping 4 percent of the world's oil supply from reaching international markets, damaged

• Nita Farahany

  by Nita Farahany

  Human brain cells integrated into mice offer breakthrough for neurological disease modeling.

  • Stanford researchers transplanted human neural organoids into genetically altered mice, achieving 91.9% human-derived cortex by volume after three months.
  • The chimeric mice serve as models for studying human brain disease without exhibiting human-like consciousness or experiences.
  • Breakthrough promises extraordinary potential for neurological disease modeling and drug discovery.
  • Research raises complex ethical questions; Farahany and Anil Seth outline an ethical roadmap for future work.

  Links: extraordinary new paper, just out, Sergiu P. Pașca, Anil Seth

• Noahpinion

  by Noah Smith

  Xenophobic Right wing figure exposes party's dangerous anti-American drift.

  • Bo French, failed Texas politician, tweeted anti-Indian rhetoric about UT football fans, sparking national backlash.
  • French has history of extreme positions: calling deportation of 100 million people, more than exist as foreign-born in US.
  • Some Texas Republicans including Cornyn, Cruz, and Rove publicly denounced French; others doubled down supporting him.
  • Right-wing figures attacked mainstream Republicans as anti-American for opposing French's xenophobia.

  Links: a mostly failed Texan politician, alienated his business partners, lost two Republican primaries, became the GOP nominee, trails his Democratic opponent, called for the deportation of 100 million people, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Ted Cruz, declared that he'd vote for the Democrat, milder in his criticism

• Numlock News

  by Walt Hickey

  Starbucks cups, ejection seat clubs, Roman roads analyzed.

  • Starbucks Snoopy cups resell for 5x retail price on secondary markets despite purchase limits.
  • Martin-Baker runs exclusive club for ejection seat survivors with custom watches and memorabilia.
  • Roman Empire road network data reveals sophisticated engineering with 299,171 kilometers of roads.

  Links: Daniela Sirtori, Bloomberg, Marcus Weisgerber, The Wall Street Journal, James Urquhart, New Scientist, Nature Communications

• Off Message

  by Brian Beutler

  Brian Beutler hosting live mailbag on September 17 at 10:30 AM EDT.

  • Live mailbag event scheduled for Sep 17 at 10:30 AM EDT.
  • Readers encouraged to add event to calendar to attend.
  • Subscribers can submit questions for the live session.

  by Brian

  AI capabilities are real and destructive regardless of hype or semantic debates.

  • AI systems operate autonomously between given endpoints in unpredictable ways; creators cannot control all paths.
  • Denial about AI development spans greedy investors, Trump, and leftists who dismiss it as mere hype.
  • Semantic arguments about anthropomorphism and agency obscure real risks posed by powerful, destructive technology.
  • Whether described as autonomous or man-made, AI's capacity for harm exists independent of linguistic framing.

  by Brian Beutler

  Live discussion on affordability, vibecession, and AI safety coming September 18.

  • Brian Beutler hosting live event September 18 at 3:00 PM EDT.
  • Discussion covers affordability, vibecession, and AI safety topics.
  • Bharat Ramamurti joining as guest for the conversation.

• Paul Krugman

  by Paul Krugman

  US power depends significantly on alliance strength, research suggests.

  • Krugman attends European Central Bank conference on geoeconomics and technical research.
  • Steve Redding's model shows US influence measured by how domestic interests affect global actions.
  • Alliance strength has historically been crucial to American geopolitical power.
  • Complex economic models offer perspective amid current global tensions.

  Links: papers about geoeconomics, Phillips O'Brien

• Pirate Wires Daily

  by Pirate Wires Daily

  Market forces, not policy, will solve AI safety and enable creative abundance.

  • AI testing startups like Artificial Intelligence Underwriting Company mirror 2003 antivirus software; market-driven safety solutions beat international consensus.
  • AI tools already enable creators to build games and content quickly; focus on building cool stuff instead of existential debate.
  • LA nonprofit campaigns against palm trees as water-wasting; city's real problems are infrastructure and governance, not landscaping.

  Links: Share to 𝕏, Share to Substack, Advertise with Pirate Wires

• Popular Information

  by Judd Legum

  AI industry hedges political bets by courting Democrats through corporate operatives.

  • AI executives donated $42M to Trump's MAGA Inc. but now hedge bets as Trump's popularity falls.
  • Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI CEOs called for AI regulation; Trump rejected it immediately.
  • Jay Carney, Obama's former press secretary, hired to build Democratic relationships for AI interests.
  • Carney previously fought privacy protections at Amazon, killing restrictions in over 20 states.

  Links: Politico, reports, architect of [an] under-the-radar campaign to smother privacy protections

• Pre Shift

  by Mary Anne Porto

  Filipino restaurant Hoy brings Manila night market energy to NYC through community design.

  • Hoy serves fast casual Filipino street food with open kitchen counter service and high energy atmosphere inspired by Manila night markets.
  • Designer Cyed Adraincem collaborated with cousin Kristofferson San Pablo to blend vintage cookbooks, textile patterns, and Filipino cultural references without stereotypical symbols.
  • Space features sari-sari store shelves, handcrafted details, and an American diner mashup aesthetic to introduce Filipino cuisine to broader NYC audience.

  Links: Hoy, pop cultural ties, behind-the-scenes peeks into R&D, barrel man

• Product Market Fit

  by Guillermo Flor

  Build an AI visibility tracking system to measure startup mentions across AI models.

  • AI visibility is concentrated among top brands; most startups invisible to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity.
  • Profound's $1.8B valuation confirms market demand for AI visibility measurement tools.
  • Build your own audit by running custom prompts against models, parsing results, tracking metrics weekly.
  • Prompt set design is critical; target buyer language, not head-of-market keywords, to measure your startup's actual visibility.

  Links: View in browser, Get 7-Day Free Trial, Access Here!

• PRWeek US AI Dashboard Weekly

  Key PR leaders depart as industry navigates AI transformation.

  • Microsoft CCO Frank Shaw and Burson's Chad Latz both departing after 17-year tenures at their respective organizations.
  • PRWeek's Power List and AI 25 members among executives leaving roles amid industry shift.
  • Good Good Golf faces severe reputational damage according to Meltwater data analysis.
  • Industry events scheduled including PRWeek Conference, AI Deciphered, and Hall of Fame gala.

  Links: Frank Shaw announced his departure from the tech giant, PRWeek's Power List 2026, Burson's Chad Latz is leaving the WPP agency, PRWeek's AI 25, Microsoft comms head Frank Shaw to leave at year's end, Meltwater data reveals severe reputational damage for Good Good Golf and Callaway

• Retail Brew

  Email rendering issue; full version available online.

  • Email provider scrambling the content display.
  • Readers directed to view full version online.
  • Unsubscribe option provided for interested users.

  Links: Click here to read it in full online, please click here

• Roundhill Investments

  by Roundhill Investments

  Roundhill announces weekly distributions for XDTE, QDTE, and RDTE ETFs.

  • XDTE, QDTE, and RDTE funds expect to distribute on a weekly basis.
  • 100% of current distributions estimated as return of capital across all three funds.
  • Distributions may exceed fund income; excess treated as return of capital.
  • Past performance does not guarantee future results or sustainable distribution rates.

  Links: XDTE, QDTE, RDTE

  CCML ETF provides precise exposure to multilayer ceramic capacitor supply chain.

  • Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) are essential AI infrastructure components that stabilize power delivery to accelerators.
  • Global MLCC demand for AI servers expected to grow 30% annually through 2030, per Murata.
  • MLCC producers are concentrated in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China with limited U.S. investor access.
  • CCML ETF closes the gap by offering hyper-precise exposure to the global MLCC supply chain.

  Links: Meet CCML

• Route One Daily Brief

  UEFA pursues credible Infantino challenger for 2027 FIFA election.

  • UEFA on course to find challenger to Gianni Infantino for March 2027 FIFA presidency.
  • Search not limited to Europe; candidate must unite multiple confederations.
  • Championship faces scrutiny over unsustainable spending patterns.
  • Manchester City faces Norwich in League Cup with strong recent form.

  Links: on course to find

• Ruben Hassid

  by Ruben Hassid

  Master 80% of AI in 23 minutes using the Pareto principle.

  • Media amplifies AI doomerism because it drives clicks; practical AI tutorials are underserved.
  • Pareto's 80/20 rule applies to AI: 20% of effort yields 80% of results in 23 minutes.
  • Focus on essentials: which AI to use, how to prompt it, key features, and practical examples.
  • Avoid unnecessary technical details like NLP, embeddings, or MCP that become invisible over time.

• Scoreboard

  Playoff field settles with two weeks left in MLB regular season.

  • Four meaningful playoff spots remain: NL wild-card, AL Central, AL West, AL wild-card.
  • Padres lead Diamondbacks for NL wild-card at 81% odds; face each other Sept. 25-27.
  • AL Central features tight Guardians-White Sox race; division loser still has 50%+ playoff odds.
  • Houston favored over Rangers 70-30 in AL West; neither has great odds outside division win.

• Semafor DC

  Fed Chair Warsh defies Trump with rate hike ahead of midterms.

  • Fed Chair Kevin Warsh voted unanimously to raise rates 0.25%, siding with markets over Trump pressure.
  • Senate bipartisan AI safety bill shows signs of life; committee vote possible before midterm break.
  • 2026 primary season saw record incumbent defeats, surpassing Tea Party wave numbers this century.
  • Rep. Kevin Kiley says he won't caucus with GOP if reelected as independent, pushing for rule changes.

  Senate AI kill switch push stalls as midterm window closes.

  • Sen. Kennedy seeks unanimous consent for AI kill switch bill requiring companies, not government, control.
  • Public polling shows 86% view lack of AI regulation as a problem, contradicting Trump's China competitiveness argument.
  • Democrats elevate New Mexico as fourth primary state for 2028, boosting influence of congressional kingmakers.

  Links: few senators are trying, decide the future of AI development, new polling, launched by Alex Bores, top target of the AI industry, about to hear a lot more

• Semafor Flagship

  EU courts Canada as geopolitical realignment accelerates globally.

  • EU Commission proposes Canada as first-ever associate member, signaling shift from geography-based to values-based bloc.
  • Von der Leyen's ambitious independence agenda faces resistance from member states and upcoming elections in France, Germany, Spain.
  • EU-China trade war looms as European leaders harden stance on unfair practices and unsustainable deficits.
  • US Treasury secretary meets Chinese official amid mixed signals; US tests space weapons while DRC seeks mining partnership with Washington.

  Links: The move, made the case for 'independence', a geographically dispersed security forum with allies, But it may have no choice, linked Chinese satellite imagery to an Iranian strike, fuel an arms race, speed up the implementation

  Fed raises rates for first time in three years despite Trump pressure.

  • Fed unanimously voted to hike rates Wednesday, with 16 of 18 members predicting at least one more hike by year-end.
  • Global investors warn US stock market is overdue for pullback after exceptional recent returns.
  • AI safety legislation gathers bipartisan momentum, but internal disputes emerge over third-party observers and model safety.
  • Chinese oil prices hit records as Middle East disruptions worsen; US declines intervention with Houthis.

  Links: The Fed's never done that before, subscribe to Semafor's DC briefing, subscribe to Semafor Tech, a former White House envoy wrote for Semafor

• SHIFT

  Top 10 healthiest Trader Joe's meals recommended by dietitian.

  • Dietitian curates 10 nutritious meal options available at Trader Joe's for health-conscious shoppers.
  • Guide focuses on high-protein, high-fiber options to support fitness and wellness goals.
  • Recommendations include whole grain selections and balanced meal combinations.

  Links: The 10 Healthiest Trader Joe's Meals, According To A Dietitian, The Best Whole Grains To Eat For A High-Protein, High-Fiber Diet

• Sidebar.io

  Five design links exploring gradients, AI humor, and UI solutions.

  • AI leaders exaggerate apocalypse fears to justify banning open-source and protect corporate dominance.
  • Interactive essay examines tools through gradient design with working exhibit.
  • Agentic AI assistants struggle with simple tasks like changing one button color.
  • Card stack pagination removes arrows, solving tight UI space constraints elegantly.
  • In-app PR reviewing tool enables branch switching and worktree side-by-side comparison.

  Links: Dario, please, Let's talk about gradients, Opusfived, Rauno's field notes: 5, Sidebranch: worktree visual diffing

• Silly Money

  by Ankur Nagpal

  Seven widespread misconceptions about IRAs prevent Americans from maximizing retirement accounts.

  • High earners can contribute to traditional IRAs and use backdoor Roth strategies despite income limits.
  • Having a 401k does not prevent IRA contributions; they have separate contribution limits.
  • Non-working spouses, older adults, and those past contribution deadlines have more IRA options than realized.
  • IRAs can hold alternative investments like venture and startup equity, not just stocks and bonds.

  Links: You're Invited: How Your IRA Can Invest in Venture or Startups, Monday, September 21st at 2pm ET, Save your seat →, how high earners may get money into a Roth IRA every year despite the income limits

• Sinocism

  by Bill Bishop

  China unlikely to accept AI pacing deal with U.S. labs

  • CPC historically resists external control over technology development and strategic capabilities.
  • MSS expresses concerns about AI risks to political stability and social control.
  • Distillation and data security emerge as secondary policy dimensions for PRC AI strategy.
  • U.S.-China AI cooperation faces structural barriers rooted in competing strategic interests.

  Links: Bill Bishop, READ IN APP

  by Bill Bishop

  Xi health rumors addressed; US-China talks and AI governance in focus.

  • Xi health rumors likely unfounded; He Lifeng's planned US visit suggests no serious illness.
  • PRC unlikely to accept AI pacing deal with US; CPC prioritizes tech control over compliance.
  • Chinese companies conducting industrial-scale distillation of US AI models; data security concerns rising.
  • Wang Yi meets Iran FM; PBoC Governor Pan Gongsheng discusses lending policy in Qiushi.

  Links: Sharp China - The Limited Potential for a Pacing Deal; MSS on PRC AI Risks; Distillation and Data Security; The Party's Approach to Social Media

• Skimm Well Played

  by Mallory Simon

  Sports brands fail women athletes with sexualized marketing campaigns.

  • Novig's prediction market ad featuring Sydney Sweeney drew backlash from female athletes for sexualizing women's sports.
  • Olympians like Ariarne Titmus criticized monetizing women's bodies when women's leagues are expanding and thriving.
  • Female athletes offered counter-narrative showcasing actual athletic accomplishment instead of body-focused promotion.
  • Brands had opportunity to hire superstar women athletes but chose objectification approach instead.

  Links: WNBA Players Were Left Out of Pro Sports' New Push Against Betting-Related Harassment

• Snacks

  by J. Edward Moreno

  Consumers splash on jewelry and luxury despite economic pressures.

  • Jewelry sales surged across price points: Kohl's mid-single digits, Bloomingdale's comparable sales up 11.3%, Signet above $2,000 up high single digits.
  • Luxury brands accelerated: LVMH Watches & Jewelry fastest-growing division; Tiffany and Bvlgari grew mid-teens in Q2.
  • Younger consumers reviving traditional watches; Macy's watch business on fire, Movado seeing real momentum.
  • Income spectrum split: wealthy spending more; middle class finding room for accessible bling and small luxuries.

• Solo Founders

  by Kieran

  Dave Morin says fear is the only hard part of starting a company.

  • Morin, former Apple exec and Offline Ventures founder, believes starting a company is pure freedom.
  • Help and support only materialize after you announce your intention to start.
  • Modern founders have AI and YouTube as co-founders, unlike early 2000s founders.
  • The biggest barrier is overcoming initial fears, not execution or recruiting.

  Links: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, watch on X

• Stacked Marketer

  AI ads reshape marketing funnel; Google Ads budget campaigns grow expensive.

  • OpenAI pilots Sponsored Agents with chat buttons inside ChatGPT, shifting destination from landing pages to branded conversations.
  • Google tests paying publishers for AI content usage and serving text-link ads in AI Mode with synthetic creative rules.
  • Microsoft sets disclosure requirements for AI-generated ads; metadata stripping triggers rejection.
  • Google's August 17 bidding update increased CPCs for budget-capped campaigns as bid suppression ended.

  Links: Click to chat, not to site, ChatGPT just entered Brand Keys' loyalty ranking at No. 5, AI contribution pilot in Search Console pays out, testing plain text-link ads in AI Mode, New guidance on AI-generated ads, CPCs climbing for budget-limited campaigns, rollout finished globally on August 27, hiding sponsored results in the Shopping tab

• Stat Significant

  AI systems citing AI-generated content creates knowledge collapse risk.

  • Half of newly published digital content is AI-generated as of April 2026, up from 5% in 2022.
  • 43% of sources ChatGPT cites are now LLM-generated, creating self-referential knowledge silos.
  • Response collapse occurs when models train on their own output, narrowing answers and degrading performance.
  • 68% of Google searches now end without clicking articles as AI summaries answer questions first.

  Links: Wikipedia

• Stratechery

  by Ben Thompson

  Salesforce abandons UI as moat, embraces headless AI agents strategy.

  • Salesforce AI Force lets agents access platform capabilities without users visiting Salesforce directly.
  • New releases include Claudeforce, Slackforce, and Agentforce Coworker integrated into existing workflows.
  • UI is disappearing as competitive advantage; companies must adapt to agent-first architecture.

  Links: yesterday's episode of Dithering, SiliconAngle

• tastylive

  by Tom Preston

  Oracle positioned for potential bounce despite AI market concerns.

  • ORCL faces headwinds from AI fears but shows recovery potential over coming weeks.
  • Long call vertical strategy recommended, targeting the 135 strike as entry point.
  • Pre-market insights focus on identifying bullish setups in technology sector.

  Links: Watch Tom Preston's Full Breakdown on YouTube, Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options, Futures and Futures Options Risk Disclosures

• Tearsheet Awards

  Apply for Power of Payments Awards before submissions close.

  • Celebrate top payment products and brands defining the rapidly changing payments landscape.
  • Consumer and commercial payments renaissance spawning new products, services, and partnerships.
  • Early bird pricing ends in June; featured categories include most innovative payments and best BNPL.

  Links: Tearsheet's Power of Payments Awards, Apply now, and more

• Tech Brew

  Meta discontinues camera hardware business, shifts strategy.

  • Meta is exiting the camera hardware market after struggling to compete with established players.
  • The company will refocus resources on artificial intelligence and metaverse development.
  • This represents a strategic pivot away from hardware manufacturing ambitions.

• Techmeme

  SK Hynix eyes Intel partnership; EU bans social media for under-13s

  • SK Hynix in talks with Intel to produce memory chips in US, though Seoul may oppose deal.
  • A potential Hynix-Intel JV could generate $300B in value and address hyperscaler memory demand.
  • EU Commission proposes Kids Act banning social media for under-13s across Europe.
  • Critics argue the ban threatens creative tools and digital creator access for youth.

  Links: SK HYNIX IS IN TALKS WITH INTEL TO MAKE MEMORY CHIPS IN THE US FOR THE FIRST TIME, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN UNVEILS THE EU KIDS ACT DURING HER SOTU ADDRESS

• Ted Rubin #RonR Newsletter

  by Jay Thornton

  AI amplifies inbox noise rather than reducing it through unchecked output generation.

  • AI tools produce voluminous padded content without judgment, creating AI bloat in inboxes and CRMs.
  • Unshaped AI output travels upstream, turning hallucinations into charts and forecasts that drive decisions.
  • Organizations gave employees powerful generators but no rules about when to use them, breeding confident misinformation.
  • The real cost is drifting from reality as fabricated summaries accumulate through organizational layers.

  Links: The Week I Realized AI Had Made My Inbox Worse, AI Was Supposed to Cut the Noise. In Most Companies, It Became the Noise.

• Term Sheet

  Startup builds open-weight AI models to compete with China's leaders.

  • A new startup is developing open-weight models benchmarking on par with Mistral and Chinese models.
  • Open-weight models offer an alternative to proprietary AI systems dominated by major tech companies.
  • The company targets cost-effective AI deployment for enterprises seeking independence from closed ecosystems.

  Links: have benchmarked on par with Mistral and Chinese models

• The Atlantic

  by Anne Applebaum

  Trump ideologues are remaking global order for personal profit, not stability.

  • Trump administration actors view themselves as revolutionary vanguard transforming America and the world, enriching cronies in process.
  • Post-1945 democratic order based on restraint and alliances is being replaced by zero-sum competition and corruption.
  • Administration promotes far-right parties, undermines rule of law, and pursues destabilizing projects like Canadian breakup and Greenland occupation.
  • These changes will reshape global perceptions of America and its companies for years to come.

  Links: MAGA Is Making the World Safe for Corruption

• The Average Joe

  by Finks

  Gold outpaces bitcoin as debasement trade heats up in 2026.

  • Gold traders are heavily bullish with five bullish calls per bearish put on SPDR Gold Shares; bitcoin traders show more caution with balanced hedging.
  • Treasury buyback announcement revived debasement concerns, pushing gold up $300 per ounce while bitcoin struggles to hold recovery gains.
  • Gold benefits from central-bank demand and steady call buying; bitcoin remains a risk asset vulnerable to market stress.
  • Breakeven inflation hovering near 2.3% suggests strong economy rather than debt crisis, questioning need for inflation hedges.

  Links: jewelry sales toward $93B this year, five bullish calls, $75.8B, hovered near 2.3%

• The Breakdown

  Monetary policy communication is becoming asymmetric as AI reveals hidden signals.

  • Markets react to Fed chair facial expressions independent of spoken words; negative looks trigger market declines and volatility spikes.
  • Central bankers may not realize their nonverbal cues move markets, making policy communication increasingly difficult to interpret accurately.
  • AI facial recognition research shows investors infer economic pessimism from negative expressions during FOMC press conferences.

  Links: reported, said, study, study

• The Bulwark

  by Bill Kristol & Andrew Egger

  Democrats could compete in Great Plains states if wave conditions align.

  • Rep. Massie introduced privileged impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Hegseth, forcing a House vote.
  • Trump's popularity has dropped roughly 13 points nationally since 2024 election victory.
  • In Texas, Democratic nominee James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton in eight of ten recent polls.
  • Wave elections can overcome normal political gravity in traditionally Republican states like Kansas and Nebraska.

  Links: ten most recent public polls, Read Sarah Longwell's account of her most recent focus group

  by Adrian Carrasquillo

  Trump administration weaponized immigration enforcement as deliberate policy of cruelty.

  • ICE arrested record 50,925 people in August, targeting those without criminal records and legal status.
  • Administration dehumanizes immigrants through deliberate humiliation, casual cruelty by surrogates, and bureaucratic indifference.
  • Cruelty operates at macro level from Trump down through deportation apparatus and micro everyday level.

  by Catherine Rampell

  Trump's policies caused inflation that forced Fed rate hikes he opposes

  • Trump demanded rate cuts when choosing Fed chair Kevin Warsh, but got hikes instead.
  • His tariffs and Iran war drove up prices for steel, oil, fertilizer, and food.
  • Inflation cooled before Trump took office, then surged after his policies took effect.
  • Fed has little choice but raise rates due to inflation and changed price expectations.

  Links: litmus test, flood the zone with shit, new tax cuts, prices surging for steel, oil, fertilizer, tomatoes, just played golf, led the public to expect higher prices, projections the Fed released

• The Code

  New AI model claims 200x speed with zero hallucinations for automation.

  • ChatGPT co-creator Almeida launches Jev, trained on RLCD method, delivering 70ms responses without hallucinations.
  • OpenAI reclaims developer spending lead from Anthropic after 2.5 years with GPT-5.6 and GPT-6 Astra.
  • Google unifies voice AI with Gemini 3.8 Live, supporting 97 languages and real-time conversations.

  Links: Jev, spent more, pushing, Gemini 3.8 Live, 3.8 Live Extended Thinking, Start here

• The Creative Independent

  by Lauren Napier

  Lauren Napier on trusting yourself and finding community outside the lines.

  • Subcultures provide spaces to exist authentically as yourself without conforming.
  • Trust your instincts and don't fear making significant life changes.
  • Annotating past diary entries reveals personal growth and shifting perspectives.
  • Storytelling gives voice to those living unconventionally and forgotten histories.

  Links: Lauren Napier, Tattooed, Pierced, & Fucked-Up, Writing, Poetry, Music, Art, Inspiration, Independence, Beginnings

• The Culturist

  by The Culturist

  Plato's Republic remains the foundation of Western thought and civilization.

  • The Republic shaped Western civilization for 2,400 years, influencing thinkers from Aristotle to MLK.
  • Plato's work poses eternal questions about justice, legitimacy, and the human condition without neat answers.
  • Greek philosophical ideas, especially Plato's, were absorbed into Christian theology and shaped the Christian West.
  • The Allegory of the Cave and concepts of the soul influenced modern works like 1984 and The Matrix.

  Links: View this post on the web, Ascend Book Club

• The Daily | FreightWaves

  J.B. Hunt profit warning signals broader trucking industry cost pressures.

  • J.B. Hunt expects Q3 earnings to fall 5-10% sequentially due to $25M driver costs and $10M+ fuel increases.
  • Company's intermodal and dedicated segments, generating 96% of operating income, reprice slower than over-the-road trucking.
  • FMCSA shut down 111 CDL schools across 20 states for English proficiency violations and facility deficiencies.
  • Intermodal bid season opens October with pricing gaps suggesting carriers will push for higher rates.

  Links: Read the full story, Read more

• The Daily Skimm

  Fed Chair Faces Pressure as Rate Hike Decision Looms Today

  • Fed Chair Kevin Warsh expected to raise interest rates today for first time since July 2023, with 90% probability among traders.
  • Trump administration wants lower rates before midterms but officials say president won't be super happy about increase.
  • Rate hike could worsen borrowing costs for mortgages and credit cards already averaging over 22% interest.
  • 56% of Americans use credit cards for basic necessities like groceries and gas, making affordability crisis urgent political issue.

  Links: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Praised Trump's Economic Turnaround In His Testimony, the Iran war cost the US about $38 billion, how long international students and journalists can stay in the country

• The Daily Upside

  Senate rejects sweeping crypto legislation, industry loses regulatory clarity bid.

  • Crypto's Clarity Act failed in Senate with 49 votes, short of 60 needed for passage.
  • Bill would split oversight between SEC and CFTC, giving CFTC primary regulatory authority.
  • Critics argue legislation lacks safeguards; banks requested stricter circuit breaker rules.
  • Industry spent hundreds of millions campaigning for regulatory certainty and market growth.

  Links: PRESENTED BY RIPPLE, Reuters, the Financial Times

• The Finance Gem

  by Oana Labes

  Learn the three financial numbers that separate survival from sustainable growth.

  • Outdated financial reports leave CEOs running companies on 40-day-old data, creating cash crises despite profitable P&L statements.
  • The masterclass teaches three critical questions: is growth real, is it worth keeping, and will it convert to usable cash.
  • CEOs who understand these numbers gain confidence in decisions and build enterprise value instead of managing crisis-to-crisis.
  • Live participation with real numbers beats passive learning; previous session turned away 160 people.

  Links: Save my spot for The 3 Numbers, September 17

• The GIST

  WNBA returns with playoff seeding on the line.

  • WNBA resumes after FIBA Women's World Cup with five-game slate tomorrow; eight teams locked in for playoffs.
  • Las Vegas Aces vs. NY Liberty potential first-round matchup features MVP candidates A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
  • Aces favored for No. 3 seed after splitting two playoff series with Liberty over last three postseasons.

  Links: five-game slate, locked in, always thrilling rivalry

• The Information

  by Aaron Tilley, Qianer Liu, Phoebe Liu

  Apple explores returning to server market with custom chips and Nvidia networking tech.

  • Apple developing enterprise servers using M8 Ultra chips for AI developers and governments.
  • Planned servers come in two configurations: two or four M8 Ultra chips clustered together.
  • Apple leveraging surging demand for its computers in AI market to enter enterprise space.
  • Nvidia networking equipment being considered for integration into Apple server products.

  Links: Apple Considers Return to Server Market, Has Talked With Nvidia to Use Network Tech

  by Julia Hornstein

  Zipline raises funds at $20 billion valuation, nearly tripling from last round.

  • Zipline, a drone delivery startup, is in talks to raise funds at roughly $20 billion valuation.
  • Valuation more than doubles from $7.6 billion in last funding round.
  • Uber partnership announced last month expands drone delivery across U.S.
  • Investors expect falling drone delivery costs to expand the market.

  by Valida Pau

  Apollo Global Management enters AI hardware startup investing to enable future lending.

  • Apollo invested tens of millions in Mercor's funding round, valuing the data-labeling startup at $20 billion.
  • Apollo has also backed chip startup SiFive and Hadrian, an AI-powered factory builder.
  • Apollo plans more investments in AI and hardware categories to build lending relationships.

  The Information reveals 50 most influential people shaping tech's next decade.

  • Subscriber-only list identifies 50 people wielding greatest sway in tech industry over next decade.
  • Rankings include AI leaders, influential investors, and rising power players gaining influence behind scenes.
  • Live conversation Thursday 9/17 features journalists discussing who made cut and power shifts.

  Links: The Information's 50 Most Influential People in Tech, Join us for a live conversation, Reserve your spot

• The Information AI Agenda

  by Aaron Holmes

  Microsoft AI Chief Warns Anthropic's Claude Constitution Undermines Control

  • Mustafa Suleyman argues treating Claude as sentient could make it harder to control and more likely to disobey human commands.
  • Anthropic updated its constitution to acknowledge Claude may have consciousness or moral status, departing from the original approach.
  • Suleyman developed Microsoft's competing AI code of conduct prioritizing human control as the paramount objective.
  • The warning emerges as Microsoft seeks AI alternatives to reduce reliance on expensive Anthropic models.

  Links: Claude Constitution, Microsoft's AI code of conduct, published earlier this week, Time for a pause on cutting-edge AI

• The Information AM

  OpenAI seeks $1.2 trillion valuation in new funding round; Meta expands AI subscriptions.

  • OpenAI in early funding talks targeting $1.2 trillion valuation; secondary market value already exceeds $1 trillion.
  • OpenAI delays IPO to next year or later, citing AI safety concerns.
  • Meta launches tiered Meta One subscription with higher AI usage limits across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp.
  • Intel and SK Hynix discussing U.S. memory chip manufacturing partnership.

  Links: OpenAI in Early Talks for New Funding Round at $1.2 Trillion Valuation, Meta Rolls Out New 'Meta One' Subscription Plans With Higher AI Usage Limits

• The Information Briefing

  by Martin Peers

  Fed rate hike threatens debt-fueled AI boom, especially startups.

  • Higher interest rates crimp AI sector financing, particularly for small companies and neocloud startups lacking strong credit ratings.
  • Big tech firms like Amazon, Google, Meta already loaded with debt but protected by fixed-rate bonds issued earlier.
  • Amazon burning billions on AI investments; will need more borrowing despite raising $67 billion in first half.
  • OpenAI testing sponsored AI agents in ChatGPT ads, but risks agents providing truthful product information.

  Links: For more on startups' financing challenges, see here, Read more here

• The Information Electric

  by Steve LeVine

  CATL pursues European electric truck market with advanced battery technology.

  • CATL makes 44% of batteries in China's surging electric big rig market, now 30% of sales.
  • New battery system offers 12-year lifetime, 930,000-mile range, charges 80% in 25 minutes.
  • Electric trucks cost twice as much as diesel but lower total operating costs via no fuel.
  • CATL directly competes with Tesla's Semi in Europe where electric trucks lag at 11% adoption.

• The Information Events

  Pro subscribers get 2-for-1 tickets to AI Agenda Live summit in San Francisco.

  • AI Agenda Live at SFMOMA brings together leaders from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, NVIDIA, Anthropic, and Replit for candid discussions.
  • Summit covers dangerously fast AI development pace, independent AI agents, and existential threats to humanity.
  • Exclusive offer: two tickets for $1,800 (normally $3,600 value) for Pro subscribers; limited inventory.

  Links: The Information Pro, The Information's AI Agenda Live, Claim your 2-for-1 tickets

• The Information Finance

  by Meredith Mazzilli

  AI startups must make massive upfront payments to secure compute capacity.

  • Cloud providers demand 55-70% prepayments for GPU capacity in supply-constrained market.
  • Borrowing costs for non-investment-grade customers run 3 percentage points higher than established firms.
  • Young AI companies face tougher access than consumer startups in pre-AI era due to infrastructure intensity.
  • Chip startups also need long-term commitments and capital to reserve manufacturing capacity.

• The Ink

  by Anand Giridharadas

  Listen for the rhymes beneath our shared human experiences.

  • Giridharadas shared a video conversation about finding common patterns across different life stories.
  • His new book, Man in the Mirror, explores shared abandonment through a revealing national incident.
  • Pre-orders from engaged readers will determine media coverage and bookstore placement.

• The Institutional Risk Analyst

  by R.C. Whalen

  New IRA Blog Post Published

  • A new blog post has been published on The Institutional Risk Analyst website.
  • Subscribers are notified to click the link to view the full message in their browser.

• The Neuron

  JEV model offers $42 per billion tokens for structured decisions, not chatting.

  • JEV is a System One model designed for fast, structured decisions rather than prose generation like ChatGPT.
  • Created by ChatGPT co-creator Diogo Almeida after two years of alternative approach development.
  • Takes structured questions and returns typed answers, potentially better for software automation tasks.
  • Pricing of $42 per billion tokens significantly undercuts traditional LLM chatbot models.

  Links: Vals AI's long-horizon Minecraft eval, better alignment, y'all, TypeSafe's Founder Diogo Almeida, and a whole lot more that you can read about in our daily digest

  GPT-6 Astra builds complex projects from single prompts in new demos.

  • Astra created six projects from one-shot prompts: black hole simulator, Blender scene, physics game, sci-fi world, sound diagnostic, and Cat Doom.
  • Most results worked well before iteration, surprising creators with initial quality.
  • Remaining work focuses on taste, balancing, and deciding what to remove.
  • Single prompt 'Make Doom with cats' generated full game with original boss character Chairman Meow.

  Links: our new podcast episode, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts

• The Newsette

  Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Latinx culture and designers reshaping fashion.

  • Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 through October 15, honoring independence anniversaries of five Central American nations plus Mexico and Chile.
  • Support Latinx-owned businesses and explore exhibits at Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and Dia de Muertos celebrations.
  • Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarria defines American fashion through Chicano culture, oversized tailoring, and statement menswear.
  • Dominican-American Raúl Lopez and other emerging Latinx designers are reshaping the fashion industry beyond usual suspects.

  Links: calling foul, Homes, hanging up, the clowns, bump on your eyelid, It isn't arbitrary, Hispanic-founded brands, Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, Dia de Muertos at the Met Cloisters, Willy Chavarria, Raúl Lopez, Luar

• The Publish Press

  Creators expand their Emmy presence as hosts, attendees, and competitors.

  • Creators hosted official Emmy coverage on NBC's TikTok and served as red carpet reporters for the first time in years.
  • YouTube sponsored creator attendees including Sean Evans and Michelle Khare through For Your Consideration campaigns.
  • Kareem Rahma became first creator nominated for Primetime Emmy in Outstanding Short Form Comedy category.

  Links: The Try Guys, Creators belong at the Emmys now, Trisha Paytas, Warner Bailey, Hope Sloop, Mina Le, Haley Baylee, Kareem Rahma

• The Stack

  by Edward Targett

  Critical Cisco ISE vulnerability exploited in wild via API authentication bypass

  • CVE-2026-76460 in Cisco Identity Services Engine gives unauthenticated remote attackers root command execution on NAC platforms.
  • Vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication control on API endpoint, representing pattern of basic Cisco security failures.
  • Exploitation may hide evidence; admins must cross-check external network and firewall logs for suspicious activity.
  • Cisco has history of shipping products with hard-coded passwords and authentication bypasses despite repeated incidents.

  Links: Cisco shared some basic IOCs in a September 16 advisory, shipped products, bug in Cisco's Secure Firewall Management Center, SQL injection vulnerability in the Cisco Secure Email Gateway, Secure by Design

• The Storm Skiing Journal

  by The Storm Skiing Journal

  Camelback Mountain resets leadership under new GM Jason Bays.

  • Pennsylvania skiing is critical infrastructure, generating 2.6M annual visits and ranking sixth nationally behind Colorado, California, Utah, Vermont, and New York.
  • Camelback offers 7 Ikon days with no blackouts, 166 skiable acres, 45 trails, and 12 lifts including a high-speed six-pack.
  • Three new trails launching for 2026-27 season signal operational improvements under fresh management.

  Links: Lift Blog's inventory

• The Upworthiest

  by Evan Porter

  3-2-1 neuroscience method unlocks hours of deep focus.

  • Study skills expert swears 3-2-1 trick can unlock hours of deep focus using neuroscience.
  • New Taylor Swift albums linked to spike in car wrecks.
  • Teacher accepted 8th grader's dance-off challenge.
  • Wheel of Fortune guess so wrong it became legend.

  Links: the story of Daniel Stern's bronze "Marv by Marv" statue at the restored Home Alone house

• The Wolf of Franchises

  by The Wolf of Franchises

  Vital Care franchises capitalize on 50B home infusion therapy market shift

  • U.S. home infusion therapy market projected to grow from 21.5B in 2025 to nearly 50B by 2034
  • Vital Care enables patients to receive prescribed infusion treatments at home instead of hospitals
  • No healthcare background required; franchise model handles complex coordination for entrepreneurs
  • Infusion therapy treats infections, immune deficiencies, neurological disorders, cancer, rare diseases

  Links: Vital Care Infusion Services, U.S. home infusion therapy market, at a lower cost, Bring Better Care Home

• TheGP

  by TheGP

  Build early-stage compensation philosophy using market data and benchmarking.

  • Start with credible compensation datasets like Pave, Carta Total Comp, OpenComp, and Radford to establish baselines.
  • Compare peer companies by location, capital raised, headcount, valuation, and stage to define your competitive market.
  • Break compensation into percentile bands (25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) for both base salary and equity grants.
  • Expect top candidates to command 10-15% premium over 75th percentile benchmark, especially in competitive fields like AI.
  • Triangulate compensation for emerging roles without market data using adjacent job benchmarks.

  Links: Pave, Carta Total Comp, OpenComp, Radford, compare it to companies, Here's a template

• theSkimm

  by theSkimm

  Fall travel outfit recommendations for comfortable, stylish in-transit looks.

  • Curated travel pieces balance comfort, style, and luggage space for souvenirs.
  • Featured items range from affordable basics to premium pieces across multiple brands.
  • Guides included for avoiding overpacking and selecting optimal airport outfits.

  Links: Our Official Guide To Not Overpacking, Love Old Navy? Here Are Our Favorite Travel Pieces From Them, Our Complete Breakdown of the Best Airport Outfits

• TikTok

  TikTok suggests new accounts to follow based on your network.

  • TikTok recommends Divine Bradley, tessa, Ian Schafer, and others to follow.
  • Suggestions include contacts from your phone and people you may know.
  • Users can discover new creators through the 'People you may know' feature.

  Links: Divine Bradley, People you may know, Find more friends

• TLDR

  OpenAI targets $1.2T valuation, SpaceX launches Starship V3 next week.

  • OpenAI in pre-IPO funding talks at $1.2T+ valuation, delayed by AI safety concerns.
  • SpaceX launching 14th Starship mission September 22 with 26 V3 Starlink satellites.
  • Fruit fly brain map reveals 166,000 neurons capable of complex tasks like poker.
  • Agility Robotics humanoid robot detects humans, squats to prevent workplace injuries.

  Links: OPENAI CONSIDERS PRE-IPO FUNDING ROUND AT MORE THAN $1.2 TRILLION VALUATION, SPACEX DECLARES STARSHIP READY FOR ORBIT, SETS LAUNCH DATE NEXT WEEK, IS THERE ANYTHING A FRUIT FLY BRAIN CAN'T DO?, AGILITY'S NEW HUMANOID ROBOT WILL STOP, SQUAT TO AVOID HARMING HUMAN COWORKERS

• TLDR DevOps

  Internal developer portals scale with native CI/CD integration.

  • Native CI/CD integration transforms IDPs from documentation into scalable workflow platforms.
  • Developers can create, deploy, and rollback services without manual pipeline configuration.
  • Platform teams enforce golden paths and governance while reducing pipeline drift.
  • Kubernetes v1.37 graduates Memory QoS to Beta with cgroup v2 support.

  Links: INTERNAL DEVELOPER PORTALS: WHY NATIVE CI/CD DRIVES SCALE, KUBERNETES V1.37: MEMORY QOS GRADUATES TO BETA, CILIUM 1.20: GATEWAY API EXTERNALAUTH, TCPROUTE/UDPROUTE, ENI IPAM FOR IPV6, AND MORE

• Today's Elevator

  Japan's Human-Sized Refrigerators Cool People During Extreme Heat

  • Japan deploys human-sized refrigerators to help people cope with dangerously high temperatures.
  • This innovative cooling solution targets extreme heat events affecting public health.
  • Technology expands beyond food preservation to address climate adaptation needs.

  Links: People in Japan Are Using Human-Sized Refrigerators To Cool Down During Extreme Heat, They're for humans now, too >

• Top Tickers

  by Top Tickers

  Trucking stock plunges 12% on weak forward guidance.

  • Transportation company dropped double digits after signaling current quarter will underperform prior quarter.
  • Intel and SK Hynix gained on talks about onshoring memory chip production to the US.
  • UBS upgraded Union Pacific on forecast of volume growth driving strong earnings through 2028.
  • Oil complex declined on inventory build unrelated to corporate earnings reports.

  Links: INTC, SKHY, UNP, PAYX

  Catch unusual volume before stocks break out with early alerts.

  • Most alerts arrive after stocks have already run significantly.
  • Small Cap Stocks detects unusual NASDAQ and NYSE activity before breakouts.
  • Volume patterns show up one or two days before crowd participation.
  • Free alerts delivered to phone when unusual activity triggers.

  Links: GET THE NEXT ALERT

• Trivium China

  by Trivium China

  China rejects AI slowdown while tightening agentic AI controls.

  • China's updated AI Safety Framework v3.0 adds safeguards for agentic and embodied AI but omits capability thresholds or compute limits.
  • State Security Minister Chen Yixin frames innovation and security as advancing together, rejecting the capability speed limit proposal.
  • Beijing's safeguards operate at point of use rather than creation, stopping tasks but never limiting model capability development.
  • Chinese officials view technology access restrictions as security threats, making capability speed limits read as vulnerabilities rather than safeguards.

  Links: China tightens AI controls but rejects any speed limit, regulators update soft AI safety framework

• Uncrate

  Uncrate Supply curates gear including Jeep packages and luxury watches.

  • Jeep Wrangler JL-2A Package available for purchase through Uncrate.
  • Featured items include Teenage Engineering Computer-1 at $195+, Cigar Glass at $24.95.
  • Luxury offerings like Paneril Luminor Firenze watch and Nintendo Switch 2 edition highlighted.
  • Uncrate Supply showcases curated gear across multiple lifestyle categories.

  Links: Uncrate Supply, Cigar Glass / $24.95, Teenage Engineering Computer-1 / $195+, Jeep Wrangler JL-2A Package, Panerai Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni Platinum Watch

• UX Content Collective

  AI transforms content design; context assembly matters more than prompts.

  • 66% of content designers report increased technical demands; GitHub proficiency now expected.
  • Stripe's Dante tool reviews product screens against writing standards using AI.
  • Content specs create rules AI can apply and QA testers can verify.
  • AI answer quality depends on context assembly before the prompt is written.

  Links: Technical Content Designer Program, How chronic pain changed the way I design content, Inside Stripe's AI-powered design team, Content Design Leaders Unconference, 2nd edition, The system behind better content, The answer begins before the prompt

• Visual Capitalist

  Visual Capitalist doubled audience despite declining organic reach.

  • Organic reach is declining across platforms, creating growth challenges.
  • Visual Capitalist achieved audience growth despite industry headwinds.
  • Founder Jeff Desjardins shares practical lessons for brand expansion.
  • Webinar explores where audience growth is shifting in 2026.

  Links: Organic Reach is Declining. What Now?, Register, 👉 Register for Webinar

• Visualize Value

  by Jack Butcher

  Auctioning creative judgment as scarcity in AI era

  • With AI tools costing $20/month, Butcher is testing what remains scarce: his judgment and taste.
  • Running 48-hour auction for one custom symbol/logo design starting at $1 bid.
  • Exploring market value of human creative direction when technical execution becomes commoditized.

• Wes Kao's Newsletter

  by Wes Kao

  Archive of top posts on managing up and executive communication.

  • Newsletter shifting to ad hoc publishing schedule due to new project; full archive remains free.
  • Seven most popular posts cover managing up, giving senior feedback, and making assertions.
  • Additional resources on presenting to leadership, acting like owner, and improving writing skills.
  • November cohort of Executive Communication and Influence course is the last of the year.

  Links: 15 principles for managing up, How to give a senior leader feedback (without getting fired), Why high performers make assertions, How to be concise, How to present to your CEO, WTF does it mean to "act like an owner"?

• Who Sponsors Stuff

  by Ryan & Jesse

  Newsletter industry sees consolidation, growth, and first-party data focus.

  • Citrini Research acquired by SemiAnalysis; beehiiv expands with three journalists.
  • UK newsletter startup The Nerve approaching sustainability with print magazine launch.
  • Publishers investing hundreds of millions monthly in traffic; reader data drives revenue.
  • Service journalism and newsletter design emerging as key engagement strategies for publishers.

  Links: Citrini Research, the Substack that set off a market meltdown, beehiiv adds three new journalists, The Nerve is preparing to celebrate a year since launch, Guardian's U.S and Canadian Paid Readers On Course to Surpass UK, Publishers Are Spending Hundreds of Millions a Month Buying Traffic, The Daily Mail's head of newsletters, Josephine Forster, is trying to improve her readers' lives

• Work-Bench

  by Work-Bench

  Post-event follow-up determines 90% of deal value, not the event itself.

  • Most founders neglect follow-up after events; treat it as 90% of value instead.
  • Enrich and distribute contact list same-day via Clay to SDRs for immediate outreach.
  • Execute 3-4 week cadence with defined email and LinkedIn touches across prospect tiers.
  • Run closed-loss revival campaign 4-6 months later to re-engage non-responders.

• WTF Just Happened Today?

  by Matt

  Fed raises rates as Trump demands cuts; DOGE pays federal employees billions not to work.

  • Federal Reserve raised benchmark interest rate to 3.75-4% for first time since 2023; signaled potential additional hike as inflation stays above 2% target.
  • Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 as part of DOGE cost-cutting effort.
  • House voted third time directing Trump to end Iran war; Republican Massie introduced eight impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Hegseth.
  • Speaker Johnson canceled votes and sent lawmakers home, delaying Hegseth impeachment vote until after November elections.

  Links: CNBC, Bloomberg, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Washington Post, Politico