Sunday October 5th

Another week, another reminder that America runs on caffeine, controversy, and chaos. From $7 lattes to tariffs on Hollywood, the only thing more expensive than your coffee is Washington’s incompetence. Let’s break it down.

Politics & Policy

Prediction markets are giving Mamdani an 84% chance of becoming New York’s next mayor — which is basically Wall Street betting on the city’s continued free fall. If you thought congestion pricing was bad, just wait until he gets to “fix” things. Meanwhile in Washington, the government is once again shuttered. Federal workers are furloughed, spending is frozen, and taxpayers are reminded that the only people who never feel a shutdown are the politicians still collecting paychecks. And in the middle of it all, Trump is floating a 100% tariff on any movie made outside the U.S. Maybe the only way Hollywood fills seats again is if Trump tells Americans not to go — then suddenly every theater will be sold out.

Markets & Money

If you thought politics was bitter, wait until you sip your morning fuel. Coffee prices are near record highs as tariffs and global production woes turn your daily caffeine into a luxury item. At this rate, Starbucks should come with white tablecloths and a wine list. On the housing front, buyers are finally getting the last laugh. Nearly one in five American homes cut prices in September, and active listings are up 17% year-over-year. After years of bidding wars that felt more like hostage negotiations, buyers finally have the upper hand.

Business & Culture

Corporate America isn’t backing down either. American Eagle’s CEO is standing firm on those viral Sydney Sweeney ads, refusing to bow to the pearl-clutchers. At least one company still knows what its customers want. And speaking of things customers actually want, Diet Coke Lime is back on shelves. Forget crypto and AI — the real market-moving news is the return of lime-flavored soda. On the other end of the cultural circus, Elon Musk is calling for a Netflix boycott after the streamer released yet another cartoon designed by the Diversity Olympics. Viewers may not agree on much these days, but “unsubscribe” seems to be bipartisan.

Winners & Losers

Overseas, Lufthansa decided that 4,000 administrative jobs were excess baggage, slashing its headcount in the name of profitability. Investors cheered, employees not so much. Back home, Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings collapsed again after his short-lived suspension bump. Turns out America really didn’t miss him — and no amount of monologues is going to fix that cliff dive.

America Decides:

Washington has officially hit the self-destruct button again, and the blame game is in full swing. Some point at Republicans, others scream at Democrats — but let’s be honest, the whole circus looks brain-dead. So tell us…

After hoarding a record $344B in cash and making Wall Street wonder if he’d gone full doomsday prepper, Warren Buffett just pulled the trigger on a $9.7B deal. Berkshire Hathaway is scooping up Occidental Petroleum’s chemical arm, OxyChem — his first mega-move in years and a reminder that when Buffett bets big, it’s usually America that wins.

After years of battling Big Tech over his deplatforming, Donald Trump just walked away with a $24.5M settlement from YouTube. The deal mirrors similar payouts from Meta and X, making Alphabet the final holdout to cave. Of the total, $22M heads to the Trust for the National Mall to fund a new White House State Ballroom, while another $2.5M will be split among conservative allies and other plaintiffs.

New York mayoral candidate and self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani says a “cornerstone” of his campaign is pumping an extra $100M into legal defense for illegal immigrants — nearly tripling the city’s current immigration budget. Mamdani insists the plan will “keep New Yorkers safe,” though critics argue the only people really being protected are those facing deportation.

Wall Street loves selling you fairy tales. CNBC yells “buy” in the morning, “sell” by lunch, and “panic” before dinner. Meanwhile, the only thing going up is your blood pressure.

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U.S. households now have a record 45% of their financial assets tied up in the stock market, the highest share on record, according to Fed data. Economists say the surge reflects inflated confidence and leaves Americans dangerously exposed if the market stumbles — especially with inflation still biting and the labor market looking shaky.

Exxon Mobil is cutting 2,000 jobs worldwide — about 3–4% of its workforce — as part of a long-term restructuring push. The oil giant says it’s all about “streamlining operations,” but for workers it’s just the latest pink-slip wave ripping through the energy sector this year.

A South Carolina father is demanding accountability after his 22-year-old daughter was killed during a home invasion by a man with 39 prior charges — 25 of them felonies. Stephen Federico says the suspect should have been behind bars long before the tragedy, calling out “soft on crime” policies that let career criminals walk free until they ruin another family’s life.

The Trump administration is putting $625M into keeping coal plants alive, lowering energy costs, and exporting U.S. reserves abroad. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright says coal will keep fueling 15–16% of America’s electricity while helping reindustrialize the country — and, in his words, give the U.S. an edge in the global AI race. For now, coal’s not just black gold; it’s the administration’s ticket to cheaper power and industrial revival.

A Florida-based task force just pulled off the largest cocaine bust in U.S. history, seizing one million pounds of the drug — enough to fill 42 dump trucks and worth $11 billion on the street. Officials say the haul represents 378 million lethal doses, essentially enough to wipe out the entire U.S. population. For once, the only thing cartels are exporting this year is disappointment.

Walmart chief Doug McMillon says artificial intelligence is about to touch “literally every job” in the world — including the 2.1 million roles at his own company. While he admits some positions will vanish, McMillon insists AI will also create new ones, calling it the biggest workplace reshuffle since the assembly line. Translation: your cashier may disappear, but the algorithm running your receipt is hiring.

Charlie Javice, the 33-year-old founder of student-loan startup Frank, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan Chase. Prosecutors say she inflated user data to trick the bank into buying her company, leading CEO Jamie Dimon to call the $175M deal a “huge mistake.” Turns out when you lie to Wall Street, orange jumpsuits are the only exit strategy.

President Trump announced a new agreement with Pfizer to cut the cost of “virtually its entire portfolio” of prescription drugs, available directly to Americans through a soon-to-launch site called TrumpRx. The move bypasses insurance middlemen, delivering lower prices immediately — and giving Big Pharma a rare reason to fear Washington that doesn’t involve subpoenas.

Here’s the uncomfortable question: why is it that countries like Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands—small nations with sky-high taxes, brutal winters, and zero global dominance—keep ranking as the happiest in the world, while America can’t even crack the top 20?

What do they have that we don’t? Is it community trust? Social stability? A belief that tomorrow will be better than today? And more importantly—why are we, the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth, falling behind?

The scoreboard doesn’t lie:

Top 10 Happiest Countries

The U.S. is nowhere in sight. All the way down in 24th, its lowest ranking in history. That should sting.

So we’ll leave it with you: what do you think America is missing—and how do we get back on track? Hit reply and let us know.