Melania goes No. 1
Politics in the front, pop culture in the back. Subscribe to Whig, a newsletter by Hunter Schwarz:
Former First Lady Melania Trump just bumped Ina Garten from the top of the New York Times Bestseller list. Meanwhile Trump’s husband faced a pointed question from one Republican voter asking how he’d win his vote back.
Welcome to today’s issue of Whig. Read to the end for the long-lost secrets of Rihanna’s “SOS,” which you’ll never listen to the same way again. — Hunter
Top headlines:
🗞️ The Associated Press will have a record-breaking 5,000 people working on election night. This year, AP will produce 24 hours of continuous live coverage across the U.S. on Election Day, with more than 30 live video shots from every battleground state and more. It will feature live video from voting locations in over 11 key states. [Axios]
🖱️ The FTC puts an end to “click to subscribe, call to cancel.” The FTC ruled that consumers must be able to cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up for them. Among other things, businesses “can’t require people to talk to a live or virtual representative to cancel if they didn’t have to do that to sign up.” [Nieman Lab]
🚬 Teen tobacco use falls to 25-year low as fewer pick up e-cigarettes. The CDC and FDA recorded data on youth tobacco product use through the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which found that 2.25 million middle and high school students reported they had used any tobacco product in the past 30 days, down from 2.8 million in 2023. [CNBC]
🇮🇱🇵🇸 Israel says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. [Associated Press]
POTUS leaves for Berlin:
President Joe Biden left Washington, D.C., Thursday for Berlin where he’ll meet with European leaders. Biden is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Friday morning, and in the afternoon with the leaders of France and Britain to discuss the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East.
Back at home, Biden has reportedly been in frequent contact with Vice President Kamala Harris as she’s distanced herself from him, three sources told NBC News. Harris told Fox News Wednesday her presidency would not be a “continuation” of Biden’s. The sources told NBC News she plans to maintain overall loyalty to Biden.
FLOTUS vouches for Harris in Michigan:
On fall break from teaching at the Northern Virginia Community College, First Lady Jill Biden told people at a restaurant outside Detroit Wednesday that she’s “bonded” with Harris over the past four years, including over “how we lost our mothers both to cancer, both long before we were done needing them.” Dr. Biden called Harris “a tough, compassionate, decisive leader.” “As president, Kamala Harris is going to fight for you,” she said.
Harris on Fox News:
Harris answered tough questions from Fox News political anchor Bret Baier in a testy interview, including questions about illegal immigration (“I do not believe in decriminalizing border crossings, and I’ve not done that as vice president, and I will not do that as president,” she said), gender surgeries from prisoners (“I will follow the law, and it’s a law that Donald Trump actually followed”), and whether she thinks Trump supporters are stupid (“I would never say that about the American people… [Trump] is the one who tends to demean and belittle and diminish the American people. He’s the one who talks about an enemy within”).
You can watch Harris’ full 27-minute Fox News interview here. She spent Thursday campaigning in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Emhoff asked about potential White House Christmas plans:
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff said he “will uphold my oath of office” to decorate the White House for Christmas if he becomes our nation’s first First Gentleman. “We may throw some gelt in there. Maybe a few more dreidels,” he told Andy Cohen when asked Thursday on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live (fun fact: in 2022, a menorah used to decorate the White House Christmas display became the first menorah ever in the White House collection).
Emhoff called Trump’s attacks on his wife a “Trumpian fog” and “distraction” from Trump’s extremism and plans for a second term. “He’s trying to run out the clock. He doesn’t want to debate her again,” Emhoff said. “He’s degrading in front of our very eyes and this is why he’s putting on all this stuff.”
Trump stuns audience member at Univision town hall:
Trump faced questions from voters Wednesday on Univision, including from Ramiro González, a former registered Republican and construction worker from Tampa. González told Trump he had concerns over Jan. 6, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and former administration members not endorsing him, but he offered him another chance. “I want to give you the opportunity to try to win back my vote,” González said.
“Your action and inaction during your presidency and the last few years sort of was a little disturbing to me,” he said. “What happened during Jan. 6 and the fact that you waited so long to take action while your supporters were attacking the Capitol. Coronoavirus, I thought the public was misled during Coronavirus and that many more lives could have been saved if we would have been informed better. And also people in your administration who don’t support you. I’m curious how people so close to you and your administration no longer want to support you so why would I support you?”
Trump claimed “about 97%” of people in his former administration support him, he said he disagrees with former Vice President Mike Pence, who didn’t go along with overturning the election, and Trump falsely claimed Ashli Babbitt was the only person killed on Jan. 6. At that point, the Univision camera captured a stunned audience member upon hearing Trump’s false claim. You can watch the full segment here.
Trump is expected to head to Philadelphia this weekend where he’ll work as a fry cook at McDonald’s.
Melania goes No. 1:
The former FLOTUS is No. 1 this week on the New York Times Bestseller list. Melania debuted at the top of the Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction list ahead of Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir From Here to the Great Unknown and last week’s No. 1, Garten’s Be Ready When The Luck Happens.
In her latest promotional video, Trump talks about citizenship. “Becoming a U.S. citizen, it’s a responsibility,” she says. “It’s about participating in democracy, safeguarding our freedoms, and making a difference in our communities. It’s about setting a positive example and making meaningful contributions to our society. I am proud to call myself an American.”
POTUSes gather for Ethel Kennedy funeral:
Biden sat next to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton Wednesday for the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave the men a shoutout during her remarks, addressing them as “Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. President.” Lip readers have some thoughts on what cameras caught Biden telling Obama.
Here comes Michelle Obama:
After telling Democratic National Convention viewers in August to “do something” to help elect Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama is publicly doing her part with a rally scheduled the week before the election in Atlanta, hosted by her civic engagement group When We All Vote. Obama has reportedly expressed concerns over security following the two failed assassination attempts on Trump, two sources told NBC News.
Malia Obama was at the Sweat Tour L.A. afterparty:
Former first daughter Malia Obama was spotted Tuesday at Spotify’s Sweat Tour afterparty after Charli XCX’s joint tour with Troye Sivan hit Inglewood’s Kia Forum (see, Malia’s dad does know who Charli XCX is). BTW, Charli brought out Kesha to perform “TikTok” as a special guest at the L.A. show.
Ivanka’s inspiring Trump’s plan for child care:
The former president said on Fox News it’s his daughter Ivanka Trump who pushed him to support child tax credits.
“My daughter drove me crazy on this,” Trump said Wednesday. “She was the one who got it started.” Trump said many members of his party “said rightfully don’t do it because we never get credit for that, we’re not known for that.”
Jimmy Carter votes for Harris:
Former President Jimmy Carter, 100, cast his mail-in ballot in Georgia Wednesday for Harris. “He’s never voted for a Republican in his life,” Carter’s son Chip told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
One Direction devastated by the death of Liam Payne:
Former One Direction member Liam Payne died Wednesday at the age of 31 and his former bandmates are paying tribute. In a joint statement, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan said they were “completely devastated” by Payne’s death.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” the group said. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Payne, who released his debut solo album in 2019, is survived by his son Bear Grey, 7, who he had with former partner and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, police said.
The songwriter behind Rihanna’s “SOS” reveals the secrets of the song:
Songwriter Evan “Kidd” Bogart, who wrote Rihanna’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “SOS,” told Behind the Wall podcast host Daniel Wall it was written like a rap song, because that’s what he knew how to write. “If you look at the verses, they’re crafted with a lot of clever word play and internal rhyme schemes — like a rapper would,” he said (“You got me stressin’/incessantly pressing’ the issue”).
As for the second verse, it’s all “‘80s song titles strung together as sentences because I thought it would be clever,” Bogart said, including “Take on Me” by A-ha, “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” by Cutting Crew, “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears, “You Keep Me Hanging On” by Kim Wilde, and “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. (“Take on me (a-ha), you know inside you feel it right/Take me on, I could just die up in your arms tonight/I melt with you, you got me head over heels/Boy, you keep me hangin’ on, the way you make me feel”).
It’s like the Madonna “Vogue” rap for ‘80s pop songs. 🤯
Britney names her girl crushes:
In an Instagram Stories post Tuesday, Britney Spears said 1. she’s writing a novel, and 2. she has a bunch of girl crushes. Spears wrote that she admires Pamela Anderson (“classic babe and seems so sweet!!!”), Natalie Portman (“coolest person”), Camila Cabello (“she makes me giggle out loud”), and Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, and Drew Barrymore (because they’re pretty and gorgeous). OK, but do tell us more about this novel, Britney??
Mariah Carey on Butterfly and new music:
Mariah Carey told Las Culturistas hosts Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang that Butterfly is “probably my best album” even though “it has zero accolades.” “I love that album,” Carey said. “It has a certain feeling when you listen to it. It’s just got a lot of diversity. You go from ‘Breakdown’ to ‘Butterfly’ to ‘My All.’”
Carey said she’s “writing now” but doesn’t want to say too much because “everybody gets mad at me because they're like ‘why are you telling us this and it doesn't come out in a year.’”
Sabrina covers Dolly:
At the Nashville stop of her Sweet n’ Sweet Tour Wednesday, Sabrina Carpenter performed Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Consequence of Sound reviewed the show at Bridgestone Arena and called it “theatrical and playful” and “honestly reminiscent of a K-pop show.”
Cynthia Erico doesn’t like the Wicked poster edits or memes:
Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo wrote on Instagram Stories that edits to the upcoming film’s poster, edited to look more like to musical poster, was “deeply hurtful” because “to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me.”
Erivo added, “Our poster is an homage not an imitation.” She also compared the edit to other recently circulating memes, including one that used artificial intelligence to show her and co-star Ariana Grande fighting, and said they were “offensive.”
Disney is doing a prince movie:
Disney has reportedly tapped Wonka director Paul King to direct Prince Charming. Plot details of the film are unknown, but it won’t be specifically linked to Cinderella, where the character first appeared in Disney canon, according to Deadline, which first reported the news.
Thanks for reading! See you next time. ⭐