Journalistic malpractice + cinnamon-scented pinecones
How to get your newspaper staff to quit and how to make your home smell like fall
Welcome back to Hot Tip, dear pals! Two newsletters in one week? We must be mere days away from the potential end of democracy as we know it!
Hot Tip for everyone: vote early!!!
Democracy dies in da hands of billionaires. Both The Washington Post and LA Times are not endorsing a presidential candidate this year, decisions that have staffers quitting and readers cancelling their subscriptions. Why? In the words of six-time bankruptcy declarer Donald Trump’s TV show theme song: Money, money, money, money, monnnaaaay! The owners think it’s better business not to turn on Trump. We’ve gone from Deep Throat and Watergate to Deep Pockets and Can’t Live Without A Yachtgate.
The LA Times’ editorial editor Mariel Garza immediately resigned and explained that the paper was planning to endorse Harris before billionaire owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong nixed the plan. Then the Washington Post, which had also been planning to endorse Harris, quickly followed suit on the orders of owner Jeff Bezos. It was the first time the paper didn’t endorse a candidate since 1988, back when Bezos dreamed of selling books and looked like this:
Hot Tip, on the other hand, is happy to make a loud and clear endorsement:
Closing arguments. Kamala Harris is busy promoting her economic plan, which has been endorsed by 23 Nobel-winning economists and me, a woman with a Roth IRA who mostly knows what that means. Harris’ plan supports small businesses and first time home buyers, huge news for those of us who would rather not pay a landlord who can “deal with the bees themself” for the rest of our lives.
Tonight, VP Harris is in Houston, Texas with Beyonce (!!!!!!!!), just one day after doing Atlanta with Tyler Perry, Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama. It’s like the Met Gala of campaign season. And in Wisconsin, the Mayor of Waukesha— a reliably red city outside Milwaukee — has officially endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket:
“It would be easier for me to stay quiet and vote my conscience privately, but the stakes of this election are so important that I feel compelled to share publicly that I am voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and I encourage other Wisconsinites who care about our country to do the same.” - Shawn Reilly
White noise. On the other side, Trump’s big get this week was Tucker Carlson, who apparently is weirder than I thought and I already thought he was a massive, horrifying, misogynist creep. Speaking in Georgia, he likened Hitler-curious Trump to America’s “Daddy,” (and hot tip: I do recommend keeping a trash can nearby for reading this direct quote, just in case.)
“When Dad gets home, you know what he says? ‘You’ve been a bad girl, you’ve been a bad little girl, and you’re getting a vigorous spanking right now. And no, it’s not going to hurt me more than it hurts you. No, it’s not. I’m not going to lie. This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me. And you earned this. You’re getting a vigorous spanking because you’ve been a bad girl.’”
New GOP tagline: The party of family values AND spanking. Not to mention, it’s an interesting choice of words to endorse a candidate who has been found liable of sexual abuse in court (again: how is this race so close?!)
I’m watching Game of Thrones for the first time right now (I know, a decade late, but loving it) and I can’t help but make an analogy of sorts here. This election is Jon Snow + Sansa Stark vs. Ramsay Bolton. One pair just wants to save their home, and the other wants to skin people alive, more or less. Vote accordingly.
Getting spicy. In my continued effort to make my southern California home (let’s be honest, one-bedroom apartment) feel like it’s not 76 degrees outside, I made one of my favorite annual purchases: cinnamon-scented pinecones. Mine came from Whole Foods, but you can find them all over — or, if you live somewhere with a lot of pine trees and a penchant for unnecessary and time-consuming projects, you can make them! Put them in a decorative bowl and boom! Autumn.
Also, my absolute favorite LA-based candle company, PF Candle Co., has released their seasonal scents, among them: Spruce, Campfire, Smoky Cinnamon, and Vanilla Ghost Pepper. (Why would I leave my couch when I could bring the outdoors right here?)
Restacks. As part of the Substack community, I really enjoy reading other authors’ work. This week, I recommend
’s “Tough Men Don’t Bow To Fascists,” where she explains the argument perhaps best suited to get self-identifying “masculine” men to vote for Kamala: it’s the only way to protect women.Also, check out
’s fall pantry porn (‘tis the mf-ing season) and ’s weekly note, featuring fashion + film commentary that rocks, and a collage that makes me feel like I’m 16 and burying myself in TeenVogue again. Chicken soup for the substackers’ soul.TV. This year’s Great British Baking Show has one of the most talented, fun casts I’ve seen in years (Fridays on Netflix.)
Also, the final season of What We Do In The Shadows is finally back and as good as ever (Mondays on Hulu), and all of English Teacher is out (also Hulu). I have some catching up to do on English Teacher, but I can confidently say this is one of the best, smartest comedies in a long while (not to mention, it’s an actual comedy.)
And praise goddess (aka Sharon Horgan): It’s time to rewatch season one of Bad Sisters in anticipation of the new season next month (Apple TV.)
The LA district attorney recommended shortening the prison sentence of the Menendez brothers this week, showcasing the rare instance of a Netflix murder series getting someone out of prison.
The World Series starts tonight, and for those of us Angelenos who want to watch the Dodgers but have to prioritize rent over a ticket, here are some fun spots to watch with friends and (hopefully) friendly strangers alike.
Olivia Munn shared her mastectomy scars as part of her new SKIMS campaign, and the comments section is for once, a wonderful, beautiful place to find yourself.
thanks for reading, pals! i hope you have a great weekend. if you enjoyed this newsletter, please remember to like, share, and subscribe. <3 and hug each other! shit is rough right now. xoxo.