Good morning, and welcome to October. In today’s edition:

• 🗣️ Tonight’s VP debate
• 🤔 Netflix + Hot Ones?
• 🎓 Going South for college

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.56-minute read (1,214 words).

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

“Knowledge is different from all other resources. It makes itself constantly obsolete, so that today’s advanced knowledge is tomorrow’s ignorance."

–Peter Drucker (1909-2005)

Tonight, Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) will face off in the first vice presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle.

As it currently stands, the VP debate also represents the last major prime-time campaign event before the election takes place in 35 days, with no other debates currently on the docket.

The rules for tonight’s event are similar to the previous presidential debates, with two key exceptions:

1. Microphones won’t be muted when the other candidate is speaking
2. Moderators won’t be live fact-checking the candidates

The VP debate comes as both presidential candidates are hot on the campaign trail. In a series of speeches across several battleground states over the past week, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris touted their separate policy proposals and threw barbs at each other, largely over the topic of immigration.

• Trump blamed Harris for America’s problems with crime and immigration – two of the most important issues to US voters currently – and highlighted his own proposals to enhance border security.
• Harris vowed to keep the Biden admin's strict restrictions on asylum claims for migrants if elected, and denounced Trump’s opposition to a bipartisan border package in Congress earlier this year.

Polling update: Harris is currently leading Trump by a slight margin in polling aggregators from RealClearPolitics (+2.0%), FiveThirtyEight (+2.8%), and The Hill/Decision Desk HQ (+4.2%). However, Trump is projected to defeat Harris by a 281-257 margin in the Electoral College based on individual state polls in recent weeks, per RCP.

Help defend your body against bugs and germs this season with Essential C from Paleovalley. It’s the most powerful, 100% natural, vitamin C product on the market and contains three organic superfoods:

• 🍒 Unripe Acerola Cherries – the most potent natural source of vitamin C on the planet
• 🍓 Camu Camu Berries – supports a healthy immune system and has powerful mood-boosting properties
• 🍈 Amla Berries – used for thousands of years for its ability to support circulation and detoxification

With 3,000+ 5-star reviews, customers call Essential C “a complete life-changer”, citing more energy, better skin tone, and improved immunity.

Save 30% on lifetime subscriptions or 20% on single purchases at Paleovalley.

🇨🇳🌕 China unveiled new spacesuits ahead of a planned Moon mission. The lightweight spacesuits are equipped with high-tech cameras, an operations console, and insulation to protect astronauts from the Moon’s rapid and extreme temperature shifts (from 250°F in daylight to -208°F at night). China is angling to become the second country to land astronauts on the Moon, with its first crewed mission scheduled to occur by 2030. The US is also planning to send astronauts to the lunar surface within a decade, with a targeted launch date of September 2026.

🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israel is launching targeted raids into Lebanon, potentially ahead of a ground invasion. Yesterday, Israel’s military said it had begun a “limited, localized” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, but didn’t say how long it would last. Some analysts predict the move signals a larger Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon in the near future – but US officials currently believe Israel won’t escalate to a major invasion, per the New York Times. Separately, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees confirmed a top Hamas commander killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon this week was one of its employees.

🇬🇧🏭 The UK becomes the first major world economy to stop burning coal for electricity. The UK permanently closed its last coal power station yesterday, ending the country’s 142-year streak of relying on the fossil fuel to produce electricity. The UK is now the 14th country – and first G7 member – to fully phase out the use of coal, which is widely considered the single most-damaging fossil fuel.

Netflix may be comin’ in hot with its newest deal. The media giant is in talks with Buzzfeed to acquire Hot Ones for a potential live series, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

A successful formula: The show with hot questions and even hotter wings has a knack for unlocking vulnerability in some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, while host Sean Evans has gained a reputation as a great interviewer.

And this combo has translated into a lot of eyeballs. The show’s YouTube channel has 14 million subscribers, and episodes routinely attract 5+ million viewers.

In the know: Buzzfeed has reportedly been trying to sell First We Feast, the food-focused media brand company that owns Hot Ones, for months, but its asking price of $70 million has been too steep for potential buyers. Buzzfeed says First We Feast is profitable, and generates ~$30 million in annual revenue.

Netflix’s idea: While talks are still underway, the streaming giant is aiming to introduce the show as a live program, rather than pre-recorded content.

👀 Zoom out: Netflix’s possible acquisition of the show comes in the midst of its “fast ramp” into live programming, as outlined on its Q2 earnings call. Other streaming platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime have also been increasingly adding live programming to their platforms.

Skip the alcohol, and enjoy a healthy happy hour with Cornbread Hemp THC Gummies. With a balanced 1:1 CBD to THC ratio, you’ll feel calm, comfortable, and confident.

• 🍬 10mg of real THC per gummy – no fake ingredients, just the real deal
• 🫐 Delicious Blueberry Breeze flavor
• 🏆 100% legal in almost every state
• 🦅 Made right here in the USA

Cornbread Hemp Gummies are lab-tested by 3rd parties because quality and safety matter. They’re also America’s first and only USDA organic THC gummy.

Get gummies you can trust from Cornbread Hemp.

"Brands need to give entry-price customers something new they can afford.”

In a twist of irony, luxury brands are working harder than ever to appeal to average shoppers.

Overall demand for luxury goods is weak, while prices are high. Luxury products are 55% more expensive on average today than they were back in 2019, according to HSBC estimates, driving away middle-income shoppers who are responsible for a significant portion of sales.

The impact: Burberry’s share price is at a 14-year low, while Gucci’s owner Kering has seen its market value drop 40% in 12 months because of problems at the Italian brand, the Wall Street Journal reports.

How are brands planning to woo middle-income shoppers back? Cheaper ways to carry Chihuahuas around handbags.

• Shoppers browsing Burberry’s US website for a bag costing less than $1,500 have ~20 options to choose from today, up from six at the start of 2023.
• Gucci has 27 sub-$1,500 purses on its website, including a range of “super mini” handbags (exactly what they sound like).

📸 Big picture: Middle-income shoppers are imperative to a luxury market turnaround. More than half of all global luxury purchases by value are made by ~330 million people who spend less than $2,225/year on expensive handbags, clothing, and jewelry, according to Boston Consulting Group.

• ☝️ Nikon revealed the 47 finalists for its ongoing Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024, with the winners announced in mid-December.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with NoNetz

• 💰 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +0.4%; Dow: +0.004%; Nasdaq: +0.4%); the S&P and Dow closed at record highs. | 🚢 ~45,000 dock workers on the East and Gulf Coasts are officially on strike.
• 📺 DirecTV is buying Dish Network for $1 plus the assumption of ~$9.75 billion in debt; the deal creates the largest US TV provider, with ~20 million subscribers; private equity firm TPG will own the combined company.
• ✂️ Stellantis cut its full-year earnings guidance; becomes the latest automaker to warn of an increasingly tough car market. | 🚘🔌 Ford launched a program designed to help it boost EV sales through the end of the year; it includes free home-charging installation among other benefits.

*From our partners: 🍂 It’s sweater weather… Get cozier than ever with women’s and men’s athleisure from NoNetz. Sustainably crafted with eco-viscose yarn for a luxurious feel and a stylish design. All athleisure items 3D-knitted on demand in Brooklyn. Save 15% on NoNetz with code DONUT15.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚾ The Braves and Mets split a storm-delayed doubleheader yesterday, granting both teams a spot in the MLB playoffs and eliminating the Diamondbacks; MLB Wild Card action starts today. | 🙏 Pete Rose, the MLB all-time hits leader who was banned from the sport for gambling, passed away at the age of 83. | 🙏 Dikembe Mutombo, the shot-blocking Hall of Fame NBA center also known for his humanitarian work, passed away from brain cancer at the age of 58.
• 🎭 TikTok star Charli D’Amelio is making her Broadway debut in the jukebox musical & Juliet. | 🎤🏟️ Oasis announced its North American reunion tour dates; all five shows are scheduled for August and September 2025, with Cage the Elephant as the opening band.
• 📺 CNN is starting to finance and release documentaries once again, after backing away from the genre two years ago.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Xero Shoes

• 🪵 Burying unusable wood can help fight climate change, according to a new study; researchers found a 3,800-year-old log retained at least 95% of its CO2 after being buried in clay soil for millennia.
• 🏭☢️ The Energy Department finalized a $1.5 billion loan to help restart a nuclear plant in Michigan; it would mark the first American nuclear plant ever to be restarted.
• ☀️🌕 A “ring of fire” solar eclipse will be visible from parts of the Southern Hemisphere tomorrow.

*From our partners: ​​🍂🥾 Embrace Autumn with boots from Xero Shoes… Designed for fall adventures on any terrain. Promotes natural movement. Lightweight, durable, and perfect for chilly days. October SALE! – save up to 70% on Xero Shoes until the 22nd.

MISCELLANEOUS

• 🎓🙅 California banned the use of legacy and donor preferences when considering students for admission at all private and nonprofit universities; the new law, which applies to schools like Stanford, CalTech, and USC starting next September, makes California the fourth state to ban legacy admissions. | 🎓💰 The Education Department extended the deadline for its Fresh Start program for defaulted student loan borrowers until Wednesday morning.
• ⚖️ The 58-year-old man charged with attempting to assassinate former President Trump at his golf course last month pleaded not guilty and requested a trial by jury.
• 🏥⚖️ A Georgia judge overturned the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy; the ruling means abortion in the state is now legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy; Georgia’s attorney general has pledged to appeal the ruling. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

CLICKBAIT

• 🦠🌕 COVID-19 Pandemic Affected the Moon, Scientists Claim.

🎓⬇️ Stat of the Day: What do high-school seniors and migratory birds have in common? They both tend to travel south at the first sign of autumn. Over the past two decades, the number of Northern high-schoolers who attend Southern public colleges and universities has increased by 84%, including a 30% jump between 2018-2022, per a new Wall Street Journal analysis of Education Department data. Experts largely attribute the trend to cheaper tuition, better weather, a more relaxed political environment, and an attractive social atmosphere (including college football tailgates/games, and a vibrant Greek life).

🤔 Did You Know? An estimated 60% of professional psychologists in the US have experienced at least one episode of clinical depression, while ~30% consider themselves suicidal, according to a 2013 study.

📰 Worth a Read: How Chain Restaurants Use Smells to Entice Us → (Atlas Obscura)

Yesterday we covered how, over the past decade, an ideological gap has opened up between young men and women in America, with the divide spreading across many key areas of life.

❓ Our question to you (long-form): In your opinion, what’s behind the growing ideological gap between younger American men and women?

• “As a 57yo woman, I feel this change has been happening slowly over the past 40 years. I think it sprouts from the introduction of the pill and no-fault divorce. These both gave women agency over their own lives, bodies, and futures. Girls are taught to be educated, to speak up for themselves and to take up space - all messages reserved for boys in the past.”
• “I believe that the breakdown of the traditional family unit has caused much of the difference in viewpoints. Young women of today seem less likely to be satisfied with the lives that their mothers and grandmothers lived as a housewife and mother.”
• “It seems social media algorithms and inflammatory headlines have the greatest impact. The algorithms tend to create an echo chamber where individual views are continuously reaffirmed. Inflammatory headlines also lead to a greater divide by villainizing the opposing view – and too often, people take those headlines at face value.”

Click here to read more of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note: Some responses may be slightly edited for length; Sample size: We received 257 longform responses.

A team of student volunteers on an archaeological dig in northern France recenty discovered a message from the past.

As they searched through the remains of an old village, the students found a small glass flask sealed with a message inside:

• "P.J Féret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies, carried out excavations here in January 1825. He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar's Camp."

"It was an absolutely magic moment," team leader Guillaume Blondel told BBC News. "We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago ... it was a total surprise."

📚 You’re welcome: Your fall reading list awaits (the list is from 2020 but is very classic-centric).

📺 You’re welcome again: Your fall TV watchlist awaits.

🧑‍🍳 The season of soup and chili: Here are 19 quick, comforting, and cozy dinner ideas for fall.

🧑‍💻 For techies: Explore 2024’s best new gadgets and tech.

😰 Overwhelmed. Burned out. They say that's just modern life – but it doesn't have to be. Do5ive is a free weekly newsletter with suggestions on how to live a slower, more deliberate and embodied life.*

💸 Save that $$$: The Friendletter sends weekly emails letting you know about all the freebies, savings hacks, and money mindset shifts that will set you up for a lifetime of spending better.*

*A message from our partners.

❓ Trivia: Who was the only fictional character in TIME magazine’s top-100 most influential people of the 20th century?

🎓 True or False?... Mano a mano translates to "man vs man."

🤔 Riddle Me This: I can be long, or I can be short. I can be grown, and I can be bought. I can be painted, or left bare. I can be round, or square. What am I?

Working your way towards a sweet tumbler? Airpods? The $100 gift card? Good news: prizes stack, so when you’re emailed to claim your prizes, you don’t have to wait. Just reply to this email for more info or with any questions🍩✌️.

❓ Trivia: Bart Simpson

🎓 T/F: False, it translates to "hand to hand" in Spanish

🤔 Riddle: Fingernails