The Daily Seat | The Weekend Watch
Friday, October 3, 2025
Good morning—happy Friday. We made it through another week. And yes, before we get serious: today is officially Mean Girls Day. Twenty-one years later, the legacy of that movie lives on. Iconic.
Now, let’s get into what I’ll be watching this weekend—because by the time we’re back on Monday, a lot could shift.
Washington on Pause
The federal government is shut down—day three. Senators are expected to try again today with another set of funding bills, but so far there’s no breakthrough. The one potential compromise on the table: extending ACA tax credits. That’s unusual bipartisan territory. Meanwhile, Trump is leaning harder into Project 2025, which only raises the stakes.
Shutdowns don’t just freeze offices; they hide bigger economic risks. This weekend, I’ll be watching how households and markets start to feel the squeeze.
TrumpRx: Pharma Firestorm
Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood shoulder to shoulder with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla this week to announce a $70 billion deal under the “Make America Healthy Again” plan. Trump is calling it TrumpRx—and yes, that’s the real name.
The backlash was immediate. Pfizer is a bogeyman in the anti-vaccine movement that Kennedy himself once led. Former allies accused him of betrayal. Trump says it’s about keeping pharma accountable; critics say it looks like coziness. Whether this fractures Kennedy’s MAHA movement is the big question to watch.
Abortion Pill Blowback
The FDA approved a new generic form of mifepristone, the abortion pill, and the pro-life backlash was swift. Senator Josh Hawley called it “shocking.” Former VP Mike Pence called it “a complete betrayal” and demanded Kennedy’s resignation. Lawsuits in red states are already moving, and federal agencies are reevaluating safety frameworks. Healthcare and culture wars don’t pause—even when the government does.
Cartel Conflict
Trump formally notified Congress that the U.S. is now in a “non-international armed conflict” with South American cartels. Translation: the war on drugs just got rebranded under the law of armed conflict. This follows last month’s U.S. strikes on three suspected drug boats that killed 17 people.
The White House calls it self-defense. Critics say it’s a blank check for secret wars without congressional approval. Expect this debate to heat up.
Tech Power Plays
- NVIDIA is negotiating a chip deal with the UAE—a reminder of how global the AI arms race really is.
- OpenAI launched Sora, a social-video app disguised as a playful AI tool. Think TikTok meets generative AI. Same week, they closed a deal valuing them at $500 billion—leapfrogging SpaceX.
- Elon Musk crossed $500 billion in personal net worth. Unless something catastrophic happens, he’s on track to be the first trillionaire.
And one unsettling note: Microsoft researchers flagged—and patched—a gap where AI models could be used to design new toxins. AI + biotech is moving faster than regulators can keep up.
Taylor’s New Era
Taylor Swift dropped her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, at midnight. Fans are already dissecting every lyric. It’s a record about love, trust, and—of course—foes to vanquish. Swift isn’t just topping charts; she’s shaping the cultural mood of millions.
The Sports Watch
We’re rolling into Week 4 of the NFL and Week 5 of college football. You know I’ll be locked in on the Buckeyes. In the NFL, I’m riding with the Eagles for now—but I always love an underdog story.
That’s the slate. From shutdown politics to Big Pharma battles, cartel wars to AI empires, Swift’s new era to weekend football, there’s plenty to watch.
Take a breath, enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you back here Monday morning for The Rundown.
— K.W. Hampton & The Press Co.
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