Clay weekly context brief for the Substack category (ISO week 2026-W28). Clay tracks publications from the Substack feed list. Below are recent items from this category, each with its source and a short description of what the publication covers when one is available in the source feed. Recent publications: 1. Politics Chat, July 9, 2026 Source: Heather Cox Richardson Link: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/politics-chat-july-9-2026-e5c In which I try to answer your questions about modern politics.... 2. Abdul El-Sayeds War Against the Democratic Party Source: Bari Weiss Link: https://www.thefp.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-democratic-party The hard-left, anti-Israel candidate has surged in the polls by attacking his own party. His establishment opponent has failed to effectively challenge him in return, writes Noah Bernstein. 3. Graham Platner and the Politics of Accusation Source: Matt Taibbi Link: https://www.racket.news/p/graham-platner-and-the-politics-of A candidate in Maine drops out, and hypocrises abound. 4. Adam Mosseri: AI is a tailwind for authenticity Source: Lenny Rachitsky Link: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/adam-mosseri-ai-is-a-tailwind-for Listen now | Instagrams Adam Mosseri on the new product team structure in 2026, the rise of the product staff role, and the hiring traits that matter most today 5. Mark Carneys national liberalism Source: Matthew Yglesias Link: https://www.slowboring.com/p/mark-carneys-national-liberalism The center-left exception to the rule 6. Trump's Iran Debacle Has Become a "Neverending War" Source: Robert Reich Link: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-iran-debacle-has-become-a Will he or the Republicans be held to account? 7. Artificial Intimacy Source: Sam Harris Link: https://samharris.substack.com/p/artificial-intimacy A Conversation with Paul Bloom 8. XBOX Cuts; Bundling and the Internet Solvent; Transaction, Coordination, and Sunk Costs Source: Ben Thompson Link: https://stratechery.com/2026/xbox-cuts-bundling-and-the-internet-solvent-transaction-coordination-and-sunk-costs/ Microsoft's Xbox division is conducting big layoffs, as the company deals with abject failure of its Game Pass strategy. 9. Vibe coding has escaped the terminal Source: Casey Newton Link: https://www.platformer.news/glaze-app-raycast-vibe-coding-review/ Adventures with Raycasts new app-making app, Glaze 10. Socialism, Violent Men, Infectious Siblings, Babbling Babies Source: Rob Henderson Link: https://www.robkhenderson.com/p/socialism-violent-men-infectious Links and recommendations 11. Damage Out of Control Source: Dan Rather Link: https://steady.substack.com/p/damage-out-of-control Soccer, NATO, and Mount Rushmore 12. Automation Makes The World Cup Worse. But We Cant Help Ourselves, Can We? Source: Kara Swisher Link: https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/automation-makes-the-world-cup-worse Advanced sensors and robot refs make the games more accurate and fair. But better? No, not at all. 13. Crafting serial fiction part 5: Getting paid (in theory) Source: Simon K Jones Link: https://simonkjones.substack.com/p/crafting-serial-fiction-part-5-getting It's a get-a-couple-of-quid-very-slowly scheme 14. The Truth of Neil The Seal Source: David Farrier Link: https://www.webworm.co/neiltheseal/ The one-tonne softy is here to teach us about context. 15. A Note from the Road Source: George Saunders Link: https://georgesaunders.substack.com/p/a-note-from-the-road With a bad cold, but nevertheless enthusiastic. 16. 3. Rich Brain Source: Anand Giridharadas Link: https://the.ink/p/3-rich-brain What do super-rich people think about constantly? In chapter three of our series, we find one answer in the Epstein files 17. Too little dark matter Source: Ethan Siegel Link: https://startswithabang.substack.com/p/the-invisible-ingredient They appear to be missing dark matter. But appearances can be deceiving. 18. Taylor Swift Is Getting Married During A Crisis Source: Hunter Harris Link: https://hunterharris.substack.com/p/patti-lupone-cruise-ship The Friday Post. 19. Meanwhile, Among The Democrats ... Source: Andrew Sullivan Link: https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/meanwhile-among-the-democrats-7b8 The hard left cements its grip on the party. 20. The Bluestocking 423: Escher's Arcadia Source: Helen Lewis Link: https://helenlewis.substack.com/p/the-bluestocking-423-eschers-metaverse Patagonian trains and rigid Victorian moralists 21. Socialist Says 9/11 "INEVITABLE," AOC Endorses Jeffries, Dan Goldman Cries on CNN & More Source: Glenn Greenwald Link: https://greenwald.substack.com/p/socialist-says-911-inevitable-aoc A recording from Glenn Greenwald's live video 22. Problems at StepStone ($STEP) Source: Edwin Dorsey Link: https://thebearcave.substack.com/p/problems-at-stepstone-step The Reckoning Facing The Private Equity Growth Giant 23. I have plastic chemicals in my pee Source: Emily Atkin Link: https://heated.world/p/i-have-plastic-chemicals-in-my-pee And you probably do, too. 24. Time machines . . . in SPACE! Source: Neil deGrasse Tyson Link: https://startalk.substack.com/p/time-machines-in-space Plus, air! You know, something similarly cool 25. Death to optimisation Source: Rosamund Dean Link: https://rosamunddean.substack.com/p/wellness-without-optimisation-liz-earle-event As wellness brands rush to distance themselves from perfectionism, come join me at a live event to discuss what actually works 26. Celebrating Mothers Day in Deep Time Source: David Eagleman Link: https://davideagleman.substack.com/p/celebrating-mothers-day-in-deep-time An ode to our matriarchs, every last one. 27. Richard Dawkins is coming to Australia and New Zealand Source: Richard Dawkins Link: https://richarddawkins.substack.com/p/richard-dawkins-is-coming-to-australia 50 Years of The Selfish Gene. One final tour. 28. If you're missing the Culture Study Gift Guide.... Source: Anne Helen Petersen Link: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/if-youre-missing-the-culture-study Somehow it's even better than last year 29. The Seventh Wave. Episode 47. Source: Salman Rushdie Link: https://salmanrushdie.substack.com/p/the-seventh-wave-episode-47 Episode 47 30. Part 5 Alfred Wolfsohn, my father 1896-1962. Source: Michael Faraday Link: https://michaelfaraday.substack.com/p/part-5-alfred-wolfsohn-my-father His early life 31. Scott MacFarlane | American Conversations Source: Heather Cox Richardson Link: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/scott-macfarlane-american-conversations Scott MacFarlane 32. Choose the Girl No Matter What Source: Bari Weiss Link: https://www.thefp.com/p/school-suspended-boy-allegation-suicide A New York school suspended a 15-year-old boy for an allegation of sexual assault without letting him defend himself or even calling his parents. Hours later, he died by suicide, writes Frannie Block. 33. Get Lit" July 9, 2026: Dostoevskys Demons, Continued Source: Matt Taibbi Link: https://www.racket.news/p/get-lit-july-9-2026-dostotevskys Episode four on the classic Russian novel 34. What a harness is and how to build one with Claude Agent SDK Source: Lenny Rachitsky Link: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-a-harness-is-and-how-to-build Listen now | I built a custom Claude Agent SDK harness to automate Sentry bug triage, saved the "dear agent, please fix this" prompt forever, and show you exactly how to build your own 35. Jane Jacobss urbanism without economics Source: Matthew Yglesias Link: https://www.slowboring.com/p/jane-jacobss-urbanism-without-economics Matt and Jerusalem revisit The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Sources in this brief: Anand Giridharadas; Andrew Sullivan; Anne Helen Petersen; Bari Weiss; Ben Thompson; Casey Newton; Dan Rather; David Eagleman; David Farrier; Edwin Dorsey; Emily Atkin; Ethan Siegel; George Saunders; Glenn Greenwald; Heather Cox Richardson; Helen Lewis; Hunter Harris; Kara Swisher; Lenny Rachitsky; Matt Taibbi; Matthew Yglesias; Michael Faraday; Neil deGrasse Tyson; Richard Dawkins; Rob Henderson; Robert Reich; Rosamund Dean; Salman Rushdie; Sam Harris; Simon K Jones. Selected 35 of 564 available items for this weekly brief.