A new study says you’d need $400,000 a year to make childcare “affordable” — so is parenthood becoming a luxury item? Meanwhile, police are increasingly using Google search histories to identify suspects, raising big questions about privacy in 2026. Today on News Sidequest: the cost of kids, searchable curiosity, rogue AI real estate monsters, and why Waffle House remains undefeated.

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Gen Z is hitting life milestones later — and more women are choosing to stay single by choice. What does “adulthood” even mean anymore? Today on News Sidequest: redefining grown-up life, the new relationship calculus, flirty chimpanzees, rogue robot vacuums, and why you should live your life in a way that doesn’t make jury selection impossible.

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A Republican senator backs his Democrat wife for office — and somehow that’s national news. Meanwhile, U.S. fighter jets can apparently be “jailbroken” like an iPhone. Today on News Sidequest: loyalty vs. party, military software at Mach 2, and why stealing an ambulance is harder to get away with than you’d think.

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A new study says college students who spend 16 hours a week on social media are more likely to feel lonely — which raises an important question: what are you all doing for two hours a day? Meanwhile, a 32-year-old couple retired to live full-time on cruise ships for less than $10K a year. Today on News Sidequest: loneliness, logging off, boneless wing justice, pickle assault, kung fu robots, and the growing threat of a coffee shortage.

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Adults who still “play” are happier and less stressed — which is great news, because apparently we also need $2 million to retire. Today on News Sidequest, we talk about burnout, play, the future of retirement, and why waiting until you’re 70 to enjoy life might be a risky strategy. Plus: spicy chicken crimes, city-killer asteroids, automation anxiety, and one very good dog.

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Gird your loins for Friday the 13th. Naturally we’re talking about happiness and the American Dream. New research says the secret to happiness is feeling loved — while another study suggests more Americans feel the Dream is slipping out of reach.

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Three out of four people are burned out… and apparently stressing about aging makes you age faster. Cool. On today’s News Sidequest, we talk survival strategies, mindset hacks, and the strange headlines that help us reset — from alien commentary to Olympic hockey fugitives.

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Gird your loins for Friday the 13th. Naturally we’re talking about happiness and the American Dream. New research says the secret to happiness is feeling loved — while another study suggests more Americans feel the Dream is slipping out of reach.

Get full access to News Sidequest at newssidequest.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meta’s plan to let AI “digital stand-ins” keep posting after you die — because apparently logging off forever is no longer an option. Then we look at the growing number of Americans turning to AI for emotional therapy and what that means for real human connection. Plus, the usual strange headlines

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American optimism has hit a record low, according to a new Gallup poll—but what does that actually feel like in everyday life? Plus, a high school in Taiwan that’s making students climb a wall to graduate, sparking a bigger conversation about the life skills school never taught us.

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