September 23, 2026

The Appetizer

“So we removed a dose of accommodation.”

• Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Chair, during his post-meeting press conference following the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision to raise rates a quarter point to 3.75%-4.00%.

Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …

• 0.25%: How much the Federal Reserve raised the Fed funds rate last Wednesday, its first increase since 2023.
• 40%: The approximate percentage of U.S. economic growth attributable to artificial intelligence spending in the past year.
• $5,851: The average annual cost of car ownership excluding auto loan payments as of August 2026.
• 102,000: The average number of girls who played high school flag football in 2025-26, making it the fastest-growing high school sport, a 551% increase in the past four years.
• 1/6:The share of time in our lives that we truly control, according to a new Axios book.

Dig In
The Great AI Debate

If you were around in 2012, you may remember the Mayan calendar panic. Roughly one in 10 people worldwide thought December 21 could mark the end of the world. Spoiler alert: It didn’t.

Fast forward to today, and another prediction-heavy debate is everywhere. This time, it’s – artificial intelligence.

AI has reached an interesting milestone: It’s important enough that nearly everyone has an opinion. Investors see opportunity. Companies see efficiency. Workers see uncertainty. Policymakers see regulation. And some job seekers see the exit – 38% say they’ve walked away from a hiring process after encountering an AI interviewer.

The economic impact is becoming harder to ignore, too. One estimate suggests AI-related investment accounted for roughly 40% of U.S. economic growth over the past year. But what’s most striking is how quickly the conversation has changed. Just a few years ago, we debated what AI might eventually do. Now, we’re debating what it’s already doing.

The internet went through it. Smartphones went through it. Social media definitely went through it. New technology tends to move faster than the rules, habits, and expectations surrounding it.

AI isn’t waiting on the sidelines anymore. The question now isn’t whether it’s coming. It’s how quickly the rest of us adjust.

Weekly Specials

Seven NFL teams are still winless two weeks into the season. It’s September, so the official position in all seven cities is “it’s early.” Ask again in October.

DWTS Season 34 didn’t just sparkle; it shattered records. Week 2 drew 5.46 million viewers and 35 million votes, while the finale generated 72 million votes – more than double the previous year – and captured 53% of adults ages 18-49 watching TV. With Season 35 underway, can the show top nearly half a billion season-long votes?

I’m not a huge school fan, so this sounds dreadful – but some people love it, and school’s No. 1 fan may be Jamie Beaton. He has earned master’s degrees from Penn, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, King’s College London, and Tsinghua University. Take a deep breath: Dude. Is. Ed-u-ca-ted …

Corporate Lunch

Spotify will now let parents keep their kids’ listening out of their recommendations and Wrapped. Finally, parental controls designed to protect the parent.

Kraft Heinz released three new Philadelphia cream cheese flavors, with 10 more planned over the next two years. The announcement came from its President of Taste Elevation, which is apparently a real thing and now a dream job.

Burger King is betting on higher-quality burgers rather than lower prices. One upgraded ingredient away from calling it the Whoppér.

Conagra unspooled a 429-foot Slim Jim across tables in its Omaha parking lot to claim the world’s longest meat snack. Same recipe, same flavor, just 116 feet more of it. Research and development, technically.

Meta is reportedly developing camera-free AI smart glasses. Between smartwatches, smart glasses, and smart earbuds, I think we’re taking “dressing smart” a little too literally.

Campari is betting on a sweeter, bright-pink Sarti Spritz, with tropical flavors of mango, passion fruit, and blood orange. Aperol Spritz summer, meet Sarti Spritz fall.

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