today in tabs: democracy as contract
ALSO: 3 billion people use Instagram every month, "dumbphone" is now in the dictionary, why AZ's special election could tip a very important scale, and more
Happy Friday, September 26th.
WELCOME :)
Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.
Want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?
And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), that would be so appreciated 🙏
We have some texts from a VERY cool and quite brilliant person today… Ricky Holder! Ricky is a child welfare advocate, a Marshall scholar, a Navy vet, and a Tillman scholar (among many other things!). I learned a ton just from this quick interview, and I hope you do too :)
And btw,
is also on Substack, writing !This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
LR: In this political era, it feels like a dominant theme that both parties claim to be focused on helping working families – but costs just keep rising and things just keep getting harder. What do you think people in office need to understand about what working families actually need and want?
RH: Just to keep this short, I’ll highlight three interrelated things, all of which are pretty basic. First, working families are complex. They don’t neatly map onto the right/left schema but rather have a mix of views that would confound partisans in both parties. I know folks who work in warehouses or construction who would say six things before breakfast that would definitely get them canceled with certain audiences, while also saying billionaires shouldn’t exist, often in the same sentence. That’s just one example. Point being, anyone who claims to speak for the working class and doesn’t accept this complexity should come to my neck of the woods and start knocking on doors.
Second, many working families I know have a very different conception of democracy than elites. At UChicago and Oxford, the conversations I heard about democracy were often about process, ritual, or theory; the working folks in my life often talk about democracy as a contract. That is: “I vote every year and the pothole on my commute is still there, my groceries cost a crap ton more, housing is out of reach, etc. Why should I keep voting?” When I talk to friends and family, they are often skeptical that the government can do big things because they rarely see it get the small things right. So, if you want working families to support a ‘government should do cool things to help people out’ agenda, you should try to knock out the little things that piss folks off.
Third, working folks want dignity. Not just economic dignity — being rewarded for hard work and being able to live in comfort — but personal dignity too. While one party will rob them of their economic dignity (by ripping healthcare away or slashing taxes for the rich), the other (even when pushing for policies that would help them materially) often undercuts their personal dignity by signaling that people are backward or less-than if they didn’t go to college or if they don’t talk the “right” way. For example, when people mock Trump’s line from way back about ‘loving the poorly educated,’ I cringe, because I know a lot of folks who didn’t finish high school, work to the bone day in and day out, and feel disrespected when they hear this (especially people who voted against the President). I could send you like forty paragraph-length texts, but long story short, working families just want to be respected, in every sense of the word.
LR: If you had the power to snap your fingers and pass three pieces of federal legislation right now, what would they be?
RH: We should be doing a helluva lot right now (like banning partisan gerrymandering and ending money in politics, for example), but I’ll focus on safety net issues, which are my bread and butter:
- Pass the American Family Act, proposed by Senator Bennet and others, which would permanently expand the child tax credit (which dropped child poverty to historic lows just a few years ago) and index it to inflation.
- Enact universal healthcare of some sort (I will let the experts hash out the details). I have far too many friends and family who forgo medical care because they just don’t have the money. I’ve had to do this previously. Plus, we’re spending a staggering amount of money to produce worse outcomes (maternal mortality, catastrophic spending, etc.)
- Enact universal child care and Pre-K, which would dramatically transform our economy, help families, unearth untapped human potential, and save a ton of money over the long run.
LR: I know you just wrapped up an MPhil degree at Oxford as a Marshall Scholar (congrats!!!). What is the biggest difference you saw when it comes to policy priorities in the UK vs the US?
RH: It’s difficult to answer this now, with UK politics being in such flux, but in broad terms, here’s what I could come up with: the UK is still, in some capacity, engaged with the wider world on issues unrelated to defense. For example, I participated in an event just this week where the UK government launched a global charter designed to spur countries to reform their child welfare systems. This initiative had the buy-in of folks atop the political hierarchy in the UK. Conversely, the US, to the extent it ever engaged in such diplomacy, has largely gone in the opposite direction, evident in the gutting of USAID. It seems right now that leaders in the US are more interested in flirting with authoritarians or battening down the hatches, rather than using whatever heft or clout it has left to do some good in the world.
LR: What’s one book, show, or movie that’s shaped how you think about politics and/or public service?
RH: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? by MLK. As an evangelist of hope and an anti-poverty advocate, I have a well-worn copy of this book that I return to time and time again. Honestly, I’d recommend the entirety of the King Legacy Series, a collection of books that includes his sermons, speeches, and writings on a variety of subjects. For folks wanting to do good and needing the words to express how good they want to do, you can’t go wrong with King’s books.”
LR: It feels like everyone is obsessed with candy from different countries and places right now… so, what, in your opinion, are the best British biscuits and sweet treats?
RH: A scone with clotted cream and jam is goated (as my Gen Z brother-in-law would say). I slept on them for a while, having been used to American scones, which need to be eaten with a vacuum cleaner because the second you take a bite, they crumble. That is NOT the case with the British version, which is soft and nice and warm. I will miss them dearly.
Also, this is not a sweet, but I feel I must come clean...While I found the whole baked beans in the English breakfast thing a bit odd at first, it really grew on me. I’m not saying I’ll be having baked beans with my pancakes in the US, but when I’m back in the UK? Ngl, probably gonna be the first thing I eat.
Arizona Democrat’s Win Clinches Bid to Force Epstein Files Vote
Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who on Tuesday won a special election for a House seat in Arizona, has committed to signing on to a so-called discharge petition that would force action on the measure. The petition needs the signatures of a majority of the House — 218 members — to succeed, and Ms. Grijalva is poised to be the 218th. (NYT gift link, 9/24)
As hurricane season heats up, investors bet big against natural disasters
It’s been a record year for placing bets against Mother Nature’s wrath — $18.6 billion and counting. That’s how much large investors such as pensions and hedge funds are estimated to have spent so far in 2025 buying catastrophe bonds, which insurers and reinsurance firms sell to shed some of the risk of massive natural disasters. (WaPo, 9/25)
Lucy’s note: Dystopian as f*ck
Instagram now has 3 billion monthly active users
The figure is a major milestone for the photo-sharing app, which the social media company acquired in 2012 for $1 billion. Meta last disclosed Instagram’s user figures in October 2022 when Zuckerberg said during an earnings call that the app had crossed 2 billion monthly users. (CNBC, 9/24)
Kids have the best ad recall on YouTube long-form videos
We’ve covered Precise data in the past, and the firm’s latest findings are consistent with its previous reports. As per usual, YouTube reaches more two-to-12-year-olds than any other social video platform. 78% of the U.S.-based kids in Precise’s panel said that they use Google’s video hub. (Tubefilter, 9/25)
YouTube reinstating creators banned for COVID-19, election content
Steve Bannon, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka were among those previously banned from the platform for content choices. Each has managed to draw followers to other media sites where they’ve maintained a large audience. (The Hill, 9/23)
Jessica Chastain opposes Apple TV+ decision to delay ‘The Savant’ after Charlie Kirk’s death
Chastain, who is also the show’s executive producer, took to Instagram Wednesday to says she was “not aligned on the decision to pause the release,” arguing that the show is “so relevant” and she’s never “shied away from difficult subjects.” A media contact for the show did not immediately comment on Chastain’s post. (AP, 9/24)
Where America’s oldest residents live
Hawai’i (4.4 centenarians for every 10,000 residents), Rhode Island (4.0) and South Dakota (3.9) had the highest rates of centenarians per their overall populations as of 2020. Utah (1.0), Alaska (1.3) and Nevada (1.4) had the lowest. (Axios, 9/24)
Hard pass. Cold brew. Dad bod. Merriam-Webster adds over 5,000 words to ‘Collegiate’ dictionary
Word nerd alert: Merriam-Webster announced Thursday it has taken the rare step of fully revising and reimagining one of its most popular dictionaries with a fresh edition that adds over 5,000 new words, including “petrichor,” “teraflop,” “dumbphone” and “ghost kitchen.” (AP, 9/25)
Nike’s new activewear line with Skims is set to launch this week. Here’s why it matters
The launch will help Nike move toward a number of goals it set under new CEO Elliott Hill. The assortment’s dual focus on performance and lifestyle will allow Nike to capture both female athletes and regular shoppers who are spending on activewear at competitors. The new styles include Nike’s drying technology, making them suitable for intense exercise, but also knit pieces and layers that can be incorporated into everyday outfits. (NBC News, 9/22)
Astronomers Have Found 6,000 Planets Outside the Solar System
As the number of confirmed exoplanets has increased, the scientific community has been able to build a picture of the planet population across the universe. Researchers estimate that rocky planets appear to be most common in the universe. They’ve also discovered planets the size of Jupiter that orbit closer to their star than Mercury does to our sun, or planets that have two stars. (WIRED, 9/25 – free version)
Extra Credit 🤓
Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:
“Who’s Getting Rich Off Your Attention?” by
“Why Is Trump Bailing Out Argentina?” by
- of
“The Rise of the Wellness Anarchist” by
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!