The hottest News Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top News Topics

Matt Gurney: Australia, but in a bad way

The Line • 2653 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
📰 News Media Regulation Tech Companies Government Response Journalism Ethics
  1. Some tech giants have exited the Canadian news market due to a new law, C-18, prompting comparisons to the situation in Australia.
  2. Australia implemented legislation on big tech companies supporting local journalism, which initially led to threats of pullouts but ultimately resulted in deals being struck.
  3. The concerns in Canada are whether the deals with big tech companies will save journalism or end up benefiting legacy companies more, potentially undermining media independence.

Should Israel Pardon Bibi? The AI Cure for Deafness. Plus. . . 

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 306 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
📰 News Politics International Technology Science Health Law Business
  1. Netanyahu's formal pardon request has split Israel: some see a pardon as a way to heal the nation, while others view it as a dangerous blow to the rule of law.
  2. Recent Trump-linked lawfare efforts are backfiring because inexperienced prosecutors were disqualified, delaying hearings and weakening the cases they were meant to press.
  3. Rapid advances in AI and gene editing are reshaping medicine and ethics — they could make deafness rare and force society to decide whether editing embryos to prevent disease is a moral duty or a slide toward eugenics.

The Bondi Massacre was a Choice

Kvetch • 238 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
📰 News Crime Terrorism Security Immigration Antisemitism Politics
  1. The Bondi massacre was a deadly, targeted antisemitic attack that has devastated Sydney’s Jewish community and killed and injured many families.
  2. This form of hatred is portrayed as imported rather than homegrown, and Australia must choose whether to let such extremism fester or to act decisively to prevent it.
  3. Increased security helps but is not enough; practical, pragmatic measures—like stronger prevention, vetting, and border controls—are needed to stop extremists, while communities refuse to be intimidated.
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‘Everything Is Gone’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3542 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
📰 News Disaster Economics Personal Stories
  1. The recent fires in Los Angeles have caused massive destruction, burning more than 36,000 acres and destroying nearly 10,000 structures. That's a huge area, larger than the city of Miami.
  2. Over 100,000 people have been evacuated due to these fires, which have resulted in around 11 confirmed deaths so far. However, many are still unaccounted for, raising concerns for their safety.
  3. Even after losing everything, the people affected by the fires are holding on to hope. They share their stories and experiences, showing resilience despite the devastating circumstances.

My friend, the sadistic murderer

Julie Bindel's podcasts and writing • 1395 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
📰 News Crime Society Violence Injustice Justice
  1. Kevin Ashdown, a former school friend, turned into a sadistic murderer who killed his girlfriend after years of abuse and control.
  2. The tragic story highlights the long-term impact of childhood abuse on individuals and how unaddressed anger and misogyny can lead to extreme violence.
  3. Reflecting on the past with empathy sheds light on how lives can diverge drastically, and how early experiences can shape a person's future choices and actions.

Australia Enforces Under‑16 Social Media Restrictions

The PhilaVerse • 123 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
📰 News Social media Internet regulation Tech Policy Data Privacy
  1. Australia now requires a minimum age of 16 to create or keep social media accounts and forces platforms to take reasonable steps to verify age, with fines of up to $50 million for noncompliance.
  2. Platforms have already removed millions of accounts as part of initial compliance, but officials say the long‑term effectiveness of age‑verification measures remains under evaluation.
  3. The policy is intended to improve young people’s online safety and wellbeing, and it has sparked debate about privacy, verification technology, and whether other countries will adopt similar rules.

[Editorial] In defense of critical citations

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 305 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
📰 News Journalism Ethics Media Criticism Investigative Reporting Digital Platforms
  1. Treating all citations as endorsements harms investigative work because it discourages journalists and researchers from citing primary sources and doing forensic analysis.
  2. Direct citations to primary materials — even from extremist forums — are valuable evidence that let readers verify claims. They help reveal internal dynamics and avoid reliance on secondhand summaries.
  3. Critiques should focus on language, synthesis, and how sources are used rather than raw citation counts, since context determines whether a citation implies endorsement.

Aviation Report: An Example of Honesty, and One of Deceit.

Breaking the News • 1346 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
📰 News Aviation Writing Obituary Journalism Politics
  1. William Langewiesche was a well-respected figure in aviation and writing, known for his unique storytelling style. His work changed how many people view aviation and its complexities.
  2. He wrote a famous book called 'Stick and Rudder,' which is essential reading for pilots. His father's influence helped him become a skilled pilot from a young age.
  3. The FAA keeps public records of pilots, showing transparency about who has trained to fly. This information includes many famous personalities, highlighting the wide interest in aviation.

Editors’ Picks: Jimmy Lai, Norman Podhoretz, and Rob Reiner

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 199 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
📰 News Obituaries Crime Politics Culture International Media
  1. Editors highlight the lives and legacies of three notable men: Jimmy Lai, Norman Podhoretz, and Rob Reiner.
  2. This week included a string of brutal violence — a shooting at Brown University that killed two students and injured nine, an MIT professor was later murdered, and Rob Reiner and his wife were fatally stabbed.
  3. The pieces mix remembrance and ongoing struggle, noting that while some are being mourned, one of the three is still fighting for his freedom.

What We Know, and Don't, About the Air India Crash.

Breaking the News • 1026 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
📰 News Aviation Investigations Safety Disasters Public Safety
  1. The investigation into the Air India crash is focusing on the possibility of 'suicide by pilot,' which is a rare but terrifying scenario in aviation. This raises serious questions about cockpit safety.
  2. Initial hypotheses included issues like bird strikes and fuel contamination, but the plane's steady flight indicated a different kind of problem. Most of these initial theories were eventually ruled out.
  3. The preliminary report from Indian authorities did not point to Boeing or its engines as being at fault, which is significant. This suggests that the issue might be more related to human factors than mechanical failures.

News: Ashton Kutcher Resigns As Board Chair of Anti-Child Sexual Abuse Organization He Co-Founded

Yashar's Newsletter • 2201 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
📰 News Celebrity Sexual Abuse Organization Resignation
  1. Ashton Kutcher resigned as board chairman of an anti-child sexual abuse organization he co-founded.
  2. Kutcher admitted writing a character letter for a convicted rapist was an error in judgment, but he did not apologize directly to the victims.
  3. The character letters from Kutcher and his wife portrayed the rapist in a positive light, which hurt and infuriated survivors.

Corrected Headlines

Human Capitalist • 19 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
📰 News Business Workforce Trends Corporate
  1. There is often much more to a news story than what the headline says. It's important to look deeper for the real stories behind the news.
  2. Business and workforce changes impact real people. Understanding these changes can help us connect with the human side of the news.
  3. Readers are encouraged to share interesting news ideas. This helps capture stories that matter and highlights human experiences.

Five months after his mysterious death, a Manchester soldier comes home to rest

The Mill • 1159 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
📰 News Investigative Journalism International Conflict True Crime Military Mystery
  1. Daniel Burke's death is being investigated as a homicide.
  2. Daniel Burke was a former paratrooper who fought in Afghanistan and Syria before his mysterious death.
  3. Daniel was known for his involvement with foreign military volunteer groups in Ukraine before shifting towards humanitarian aid efforts.

Watching the dead

Kvetch • 178 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
📰 News Crime Terrorism Religion Community Politics Human Interest Local news
  1. Ordinary community members — fathers, elders, and local leaders — were killed, and many bystanders showed remarkable bravery and self-sacrifice to stop the attackers.
  2. The violence has left deep grief and trauma, abruptly orphaning children and filling families with fear, guilt, and uncertainty about the future.
  3. Official political responses felt inadequate and evasive, while neighbours, strangers, and non-Jewish teachers offered powerful, spontaneous solidarity and practical support.

10 Things I Learned From the Epstein Files

The Corbett Report • 38 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
📰 News Investigative Crime Politics Intelligence International Finance Technology Media
  1. Jeffrey Epstein had deep ties to intelligence services, wealthy elites, and global institutions, appearing to act as an operative, fixer and broker between governments, businesses and security actors.
  2. The released files show troubling links across finance, technology and internet culture — from coded "pizza" communications and 4chan connections to funding in bitcoin and gaming — suggesting a broad network of influence and possible abuse, though many items are suggestive rather than definitive.
  3. The DOJ release is partial and heavily redacted, exposed survivors, and left major questions unanswered about his death and who else was involved, prompting calls for more documents and accountability.

What Really Happened to George Floyd?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 7776 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
📰 News Crime Journalism Documentary Trial Narrative
  1. A new documentary challenges key parts of the George Floyd story: the knee-on-the-neck hold as Chauvin's signature move, asphyxiation as the cause of death, and whether Chauvin received a fair trial.
  2. The full footage of the incident shows more context than the viral clip - officers had tried to place Floyd in the squad car and Chauvin's knee was not on Floyd's neck for as long as widely believed.
  3. Chauvin's criminal trial presented an opportunity to reassess the evidence and public opinion, with the prosecution having to prove Chauvin's actions constituted assault and caused Floyd's death.

Journalism is dead, long live journalism

Unreported Truths • 45 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
📰 News Journalism Media industry Press freedom Independent Media
  1. Independent, subscription-funded news outlets are growing and hiring talent, and they can become new flagships that offer an alternative to corporate media. They promise more editorial independence and can attract readers and investment.
  2. Legacy newspapers are facing serious financial losses and large layoffs, which hurt many mid-level reporters and expose deeper editorial and strategic failures. Cutting staff without fixing the business model risks a downward spiral.
  3. There is a clear opening for independent journalists and collaborations to fill gaps left by traditional outlets, but scaling up is hard and many displaced journalists will face real economic challenges. Working together could amplify impact, even as running a larger outlet remains difficult.

Feds Spent $27 Million on Minnesota Somali Community Since FY2021

OpenTheBooks Substack • 177 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
📰 News Government spending Immigration Social Services Public Health Education Nonprofits
  1. Federal grants totaling about $27 million since FY2021 have funded programs for Minnesota’s Somali community, covering culturally relevant services, education, health research, and food/gardening initiatives.
  2. The University of Minnesota got the largest share (around $14.3 million) for projects like after‑school arts, diversity training, and Autism Spectrum Disorder research that reports higher autism rates among Somali children.
  3. Separate federal investigations have uncovered large welfare and autism‑related Medicaid fraud involving some Somali community members, which raises program‑integrity concerns even though researchers say their surveillance data can’t determine the fraud’s effect on prevalence estimates.

Job listing: Associate Editor

Silver Bulletin • 39 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
📰 News Journalism Editorial Careers Politics Sports Data
  1. An associate editor position (initially part-time, with the potential to expand) will focus on editing others' work, commissioning and editing freelancers, shaping style and editorial planning, and doing quality control on data, charts, and models.
  2. Applicants need at least two years of editing experience, a strong interest in topics like electoral politics and sports, and a precise, statistics-savvy eye for data and factual accuracy.
  3. The job pays $45–55/hour for roughly 15–20 hours per week with a 50-hour minimum guarantee, requires US work eligibility and weekday availability, and has an application deadline of Feb 24 with interviews in early March.

Tucker In Moscow

Daily Dreher • 864 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
📰 News Opinion
  1. The post discusses Tucker In Moscow.
  2. The author is participating in a symposium in Oxford featuring Iain McGilchrist.
  3. Readers can access the full post archives with a 7-day free trial.

Note to Readers

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 6697 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
📰 News Media
  1. The author is partnering with another site for a campaign column during campaign season to navigate digital pressure and maintain site's independence.
  2. Despite this partnership, the author reassures readers that they will not receive less content and emphasizes that it is not about money but rather about ensuring site's integrity and independence.
  3. The author appreciates the support of subscribers and promises more content to come, including transcripts from events and stories with familiar partners.

Power to the People

Comment is Freed • 76 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
📰 News Politics Public Policy Local government Community Social Policy Governance
  1. Labour is shifting toward a communitarian approach with Pride in Place, aiming to rebuild local civic life instead of just delivering top-down, technocratic fixes.
  2. Evidence from Big Local shows long-term, flexible, community-led funding that protects local space, follows local instincts, and helps projects spread can grow social capital, improve outcomes, and attract more investment even with modest per-person spending.
  3. Top-down managerial programmes can upgrade buildings and services but struggle to create lasting community power or emotional buy-in, so Pride in Place should avoid reverting to technocracy and prioritise methods that build pride, agency and momentum.

The High Tragedy of the Pandemic

Glenn Loury • 2856 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
📰 News Pandemic Research Funding
  1. The pandemic may have originated from a lab leak due to gain-of-function research.
  2. Fauci and others believed they were doing good by conducting this research, but it had unintended consequences.
  3. Cooperation and transparency from both Chinese and American authorities could have potentially prevented the pandemic from reaching a global scale.

What Do We Know Now, About the Airline Crash in DC?

Breaking the News • 2052 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
📰 News Current Events Breaking News Accidents Transportation Politics
  1. A regional jet and a military helicopter collided near DC National airport, raising many questions about what went wrong during the incident.
  2. Air traffic controllers attempted to manage the situation but communication with the helicopter crew will be scrutinized to see if there were errors in judgment.
  3. Helicopter pilots are expected to fly below 200 feet in that area, but it’s unclear if they adhered to this rule, which could have played a role in the crash.

How the Kyiv Independent used global sympathy to generate membership revenue

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 124 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
📰 News Media Journalism Membership Revenue Fundraising International Audience
  1. Being the main English-language outlet on the ground during Russia’s invasion brought massive global attention and traffic.
  2. They turned international sympathy into income by shifting from one-off donations to a Guardian-style membership model without using a paywall, growing recurring revenue.
  3. They’ve also started producing longform documentaries as part of their editorial and revenue strategy.

Escape from Los Angeles. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2114 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
📰 News Wildfires Immigration Crime Media Health Politics
  1. Southern California is facing serious wildfires, leading to evacuations and deaths. Many structures, including famous schools and celebrity homes, have been destroyed.
  2. Women have been exposing the long-hidden issue of grooming gangs in Britain, which involved the exploitation of young girls for years. Their efforts are gaining attention after recent events sparked wider discussions.
  3. Many Indians on H-1B visas feel excluded from the American Dream. Some are experiencing challenges with the visa system and have chosen to return home instead.

Welcome to Striking 13

Striking 13 • 1457 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
📰 News Journalism Politics Media
  1. Striking 13 is dedicated to providing good, clean, and honest journalism that is easy to understand and grounded in evidence and expertise.
  2. The newsletter prides itself on not providing impartial reporting like on TV, but instead offers coverage committed to values like reason, tolerance, truth, and empiricism.
  3. Readers can expect objective political coverage based on evidence, research, reliable sources, and interviews with specialists, even when it may not align with the author's own political biases.