October 05, 2026
Good Morning. Texas hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1990. A new poll has the incumbent trailing by three points. Plus, a free travel guide* , Zach Cregger's horror reign, and Kyiv bridge explosion (first time here? Join 523,000 Betterists ).
Friday’s most clicked link : 60M auto-enrolled into Trump accounts
TOP STORY TODAY
Red-State Toss-Ups
New polls of five Republican-leaning states show Democratic candidates leading four governor's races a month before Election Day ( NYT ). Texas is 49-46, Ohio 49-45, Alaska by four points, and Iowa by 11. In Kansas, the Republican leads 49-44.
The president's approval across the five states runs between 38% and 41%, with disapproval between 55% and 60%. In four of the five , the Republican candidates poll ahead of his approval number.
Governors will shape the redistricting fights expected to run into 2027 and beyond. Texas hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1990, and Ohio hasn't in 20 years. The surveys each sampled 500 to 620 likely voters. All five polls, with full results .
Trump’s AI-Team
President Trump announced a federal AI task force Sunday called the Super Intelligence Force , naming Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead it. The group has 120 days to report on the technology's risks and define the government's role ( previous write-up: is AI conscious? ).
The name follows an executive order last week directing agencies to write "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" in official correspondence. Condoleezza Rice and the previous AI czar will advise from outside government.
It follows a White House meeting where the largest AI companies signed a one-page set of voluntary standards, including internal evaluations, outside audits and board reviews. Asked whether the accord was binding, Trump said he thinks it's morally binding. The companies that signed the accord .
▲ “I Quit OpenAI Because Its Culture Is Broken”
Bookshelf Dating
Reading has become a filter in dating . Only 32% of Americans read five or more books last year, which makes a reader harder to find and, apparently, more appealing.
A new app called Readme launched in September from the team behind the astrology app Co-Star. A 25-question quiz sorts users into 12 reading archetypes, with names like Former Gifted Kid, then matches them. Its launch party drew more than 700 RSVPs.
Bookstores are running speed-dating nights too, and one Virginia shop says a couple who met at theirs is now engaged. The appeal people describe isn't really literary: a reader is someone who can put the phone down. Inside the app's launch party .
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Your 2026 Has Just 88 Days Left
The fourth quarter started Thursday. If the goals you set in January have stalled, don't wait for next January. Shrink the year instead.
In The 12 Week Year , Brian Moran and Michael Lennington argue that annual goals invite procrastination: with 12 months on the clock, there's always time to start next month. Their fix is to treat the next 12 weeks as your entire year:
- Pick one or two goals. Not ten. Ask what would make this year feel like a win.
- Plan by the week. Break each goal into the specific actions due each week.
- Keep score. At the end of every week, grade yourself on how many of those actions you actually did.
- Check in weekly. Hold a short meeting, alone or with a friend, to review the score and plan the next week.
- Rest in week 13. The book builds in a 13th week to review, celebrate and reset.
Twelve weeks from today is December 28, so week 13 lands on New Year's.
Read more about The 12 Week Year | Buy the book
Best horror movies from the past 5 years
Halloween is three weeks out. Skip the endless scrolling. Here are the best horror movies since 2021, ranked by IMDb (and yes, Zach Cregger is 3 for 3 ).
- Obsession (7.8 ⭐ | 93% 🍅): Be careful what you wish for.
- Resident Evil (7.6 ⭐ | 96% 🍅): Zach Cregger reboots the zombie franchise.
- Sinners (7.5 ⭐ | 97% 🍅): Vampires crash a juke joint opening.
- Weapons (7.4 ⭐ | 93% 🍅): 17 kids vanish at 2:17 a.m. One stays behind.
- The Substance (7.2 ⭐ | 89% 🍅): Demi Moore creates a younger her.
- Talk to Me (7.1 ⭐ | 94% 🍅): Teens use a cursed hand to party with the dead.
- Nosferatu (7.1 ⭐ | 85% 🍅): Robert Eggers remakes the original vampire movie.
- Late Night with the Devil (7.0 ⭐ | 97% 🍅): Halloween talk show with the devil
- Barbarian (7.0 ⭐ | 92% 🍅): A double-booked Airbnb. Avoid the basement.
- Heretic (7.0 ⭐ | 89% 🍅): Missionaries knock on Hugh Grant's door. Whoops.
- Backrooms (6.7 ⭐ | 87% 🍅): Endless yellow rooms. Deeply unsettling.
- 28 Years Later (6.6 ⭐ | 88% 🍅): Britain, 3 decades after the rage virus.
- Longlegs (6.5 ⭐ | 85% 🍅): FBI agent hunts a serial killer (Nic Cage).
Did we miss any movies you loved? Reply and let us know.
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▲ Short-form video habits shrink teens' sense of the future, which then hurts their ability to handle setbacks | The study's one hopeful finding
▲ Homeowners with 2% mortgages are staying put, and now can't afford to renovate either | Big-ticket sales fell up to 28%
▲ Radar survey claims corridors and chambers under a Turkish formation long linked to Noah's Ark | Why most geologists still disagree
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Fun Links
How Bezos decided to quit his job and start Amazon [ Video ]
Japanese walking: a 30-minute interval workout [ Blog ]
Charlie Munger's guide to a miserable life [ Speech ]
Hugh Jackman's 16:8 Wolverine diet [ Interview ]
Find Thomas Kinkade Disney prints [ Video ]
Do these before the first freeze [ List ]
The best chili recipe, according to Kenji [ Recipe ]
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