October 26, 2026
Good Morning. Lula lost the first round of Brazil’s election three weeks ago. On Sunday, he won the whole thing, a first for the country’s democracy. Plus, a Medicare deadline for your parents, Nathan Fielder’s box office surprise, and Stanley Tucci’s favorite sandwich (first time here? Join 523,000 Betterists ).
Friday’s most clicked link : This year’s top-trending Halloween costumes
TOP STORY TODAY
Medicare Plan Exits
Humana and UnitedHealthcare are ending Medicare Advantage plans for about 1 million seniors next year. Humana’s exits affect roughly 600,000 members, and one UnitedHealthcare plan that is closing covers about 390,000.
It’s the third straight year of big pullbacks. Next year, 193 counties will have no Medicare Advantage plan on offer, up from about 120. Affected members should have gotten a letter in early October.
The deadline to switch is Dec. 7, not Dec. 31. A closing plan also unlocks Medigap coverage without the usual health questions ( what to do if a letter came ). Compare 2027 plans here .
Lula’s Comeback
Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term Sunday , beating Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro 51.8% to 48.2%. He is the first candidate since military rule ended in 1985 to lose the first round and still win.
The margin was nearly 4.4 million votes with every ballot counted. Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, refused to concede and asked for the result to be annulled after a justice extended voting two hours ( see the chart ).
Lula turns 81 on Tuesday and starts his new term Jan. 5. Brazil is Latin America’s largest economy, and his win interrupts a run of right-leaning victories across the region (scroll for photos).
Fielder’s Sleeper Hit
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, earned more in its second weekend than its first : $19.5 million from 2,600 theaters, up 25%. Its total is now $45.1 million.
A24 made the three-hour film in secret over three years and hid it until a surprise Telluride screening , leaving just five weeks to market it. Fans bought tickets to dodge spoilers. Fielder, fittingly, started out as a broker .
Critics give it 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences give it 96%. It’s now playing nationwide, and only DC’s Clayface, at about $24 million, kept it from No. 1 ( watch the trailer ).
TOGETHER WITH THE GALLERY
Three People to Thank Before the Year Ends
By mid-December, every inbox is full of holiday emails nobody remembers. A real card, sent at Thanksgiving, gets there first. Start with these three:
- The client who stuck with you. Paid on time, sent repeat work, said yes to the new idea.
- The person who sent you business. Referral partners almost never get thanked in writing.
- Your team, including the remote people you've only seen on Zoom.
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Put your logo on this year's cards
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GET 1% BETTER
How a Flight Attendant Packs Her Bag
Afar's Aislyn Greene asked her mom, a flight attendant for more than 15 years who has packed and unpacked a suitcase more than 4,000 times, how she does it. With Thanksgiving trips a month out, five rules worth stealing:
- Ask what you can't replace. ID, glasses, meds, phone, laptop. Check those before you leave home or the hotel. Everything else is expendable.
- Unpack the same way every time. Then reverse it in the morning, and put your pajamas away before you shower.
- Leave the cord bag by the room key. You won't walk out without your charger.
- Tie a ribbon on your bag. Too many suitcases look alike.
- Pack a stain stick. She once got red wine out of a passenger's white coat.
See all 10 of her packing rules
Stanley Tucci's Favorite Sandwich
See how to make Tucci's sandwich
Stanley Tucci has written two books about food. When asked him about the meals that shaped his life, one stood out: a toasted prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich . Thick, crusty sourdough. Fresh mozzarella. A few slices of prosciutto. Then pesto or fresh basil, and he usually picks one, not both. Butter the outside and toast it in a pan over medium-low heat until the bread is crunchy and the cheese melts. The host adds a little grated cheddar for more flavor.
THE MARKET
Business & Markets
▲ Diesel averaged $6.32 a gallon Friday, up $2.69 in a year, and regular gas sat at $4.29 | Check gas prices in your state
▲ Audi will spend $4 billion on its first US factory, a Georgia plant for 200,000 SUVs yearly | Why its parent is cutting jobs at home
▲ Microsoft and Alphabet report Wednesday and Amazon on Thursday, the same week the Fed sets rates | Why this week carries big risks for stocks
TOGETHER WITH HUMECARE+
Don't Make It a January Plan
Thanksgiving is a month away. Then come the office parties, the cookie tins and the leftovers. If you've been meaning to get serious about your weight, waiting for January means starting after all of it.
HumeCare+ , from Hume Health, is a GLP-1 program built around more than the prescription:
- A licensed clinician reviews every member and builds a personalized plan.
- At-home 3D body composition scans track fat and muscle, not just weight.
- A 24/7 care team, with glycine, B12 and B6 built in.
- Guidance for what happens when you stop.
More than 20,000 Americans have used it, rated 4.7/5 across 21,479 reviews.
Get started before Thanksgiving
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THE OTHER 99%
5 Stories
▲ The Brewers rallied from 4-0 down to beat the Rays 5-4 and lead the World Series 2-0 | The 103.5 mph pitch that opened the Series
▲ Fire largely destroyed Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat in the Bavarian Alps, and police suspect arson | Police detain a man at the scene
▲ US fertility hit a record low in 2025, but births rose for women 30 to 44 | The CDC’s full 2025 birth report
▲ Serbia’s Vučić conceded to a student movement born from a 2024 station collapse that killed 16 | How students ran 250 candidates for 250 seats
▲ Israel votes Tuesday, and most polls show Eisenkot’s party ahead of Netanyahu’s, neither bloc at 61 seats | The final poll average, bloc by bloc
Fun Links
Alton Brown’s classic brined turkey [ Recipe ]
Hidden switch that burns fat [ Study ]
FDA-cleared laser for thinning hair [ Partner* ]
Low-dose aspirin and dementia, with a catch [ Study ]
Criterion Channel’s Nicolas Cage month [ List ]
The Gentlemen S3 adds Orlando Bloom [ Article ]
Best all-you-can-eat buffet in every state [ List ]
$10 chip puts a lab on your wrist [ Study ]
Chef’s Doritos rotisserie chicken hack [ Video ]
Why 1% Better? Most self-improvement swings between burning out and rusting out. 1% Better is the antidote. In five minutes each morning, we help you get smarter about the news, your health and your money, with small tips you can use to get a little better every day.