NYT Extra Credit

2026-09-10 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:00:05 GMT

Thanks for signing up for the Extra Credit newsletter.

Weekdays

Extra Credit

Hi! Thanks for signing up for Extra Credit. I’m Matt Yan, and I’ll be your host. I’m so excited to hang out for a few minutes every morning.

Each weekday, I’ll help you get ahead both inside and outside of class. We’ll talk about the news of the day, as well as the stories and trends you need to know about. We’ll also cover what is happening at colleges across America.

That’s where I need your help: Tell me what’s happening on your campus here. I’ll see you soon!

— Matt

P.S. To ensure you receive this newsletter, add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book, or drag this email to your Updates tab. Visit our help page for more assistance.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-11 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: How to get organized

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 11, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! It’s our final day of Back to School week. Today, we want to help you get organized. I went on a field trip to test some products you might like, and I even sat in a massage chair. I can’t wait to tell you about it.

We’re also covering:

The 25th anniversary of 9/11
A missed connection
More thoughtful goodbyes

Talking points

What to know to be the smartest person in class today.

In Lower Manhattan during the annual commemoration ceremony for the Sept. 11 attacks. Dave Sanders for The New York Times

1. It’s the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Ceremonies in Manhattan and across the country will mourn the thousands of lives lost. It marked the beginning of what would become decades of war. Look at these before and after photos.

2. Vice President JD Vance was in the spotlight at the Republican midterm convention. Vance is widely seen as a potential White House candidate in 2028, and his speech heavily emphasized his personal story. Read takeaways.

3. Vance called U.S. military commanders to get their assessments of the war, according to officials. Their sobering assessments of the war didn’t line up with what he, President Trump and others were saying.

4. Inflation showed little improvement in August. Elevated inflation puts pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates at its meeting next week.

5. The price of oil briefly surged to $110 a barrel before easing back to $103, and U.S. diesel prices rose to above $6 per gallon.

6. Yemen is on the brink of all-out war. The Houthi militia, the Yemeni government, Iran and Saudi Arabia all have reasons to ramp up the conflict, analysts say. Catch up on the latest.

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that covers the biggest news of the day. It’s short, like our news recap. Today’s episode has a news quiz with a special guest (it’s me!).

Field trip!

You may want to buy a rolling tote. Source photos by Hulken, CleverMade

I haven’t lived in a dorm room in years. I don’t miss it. (But I do miss my twin XL mattress! That was so cozy.) My room was sometimes a mess in college, but I felt so much better when it wasn’t. So I want to help you get organized this year, too.

I turned to my colleagues at Wirecutter, The Times’s product recommendation site, for help picking the best dorm essentials. My colleague Talya Minsberg and I went to Wirecutter’s office in Queens to see the products ourselves. Our day at Wirecutter felt like recess in middle school. I tried a massage chair that had a screen, tilted me back and squeezed my arms. It was awesome.

And these reporters here don’t mess around: They rigorously test and research all the products that they suggest. Here are their picks:

For laundry

For schlepping to the laundry room: We tried a rolling tote by CleverMade, a dupe for the pricier Hulken. The wheels rolled easily, and you could fit so much stuff (66 pounds!) in there. I’d buy it if I had to trek to a communal laundry. Plus, it’s easy to fold up and store.
Don’t want to be seen rolling around a tote? I get it. Try a laundry backpack instead. The Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag has padded straps and a Velcro pocket for your detergent and dryer sheets. It stows 50 pounds, which means you can do all your clothes at once.
For cleaning up after a night out: Make your shirt wearable again with the best stain removers. If you’re on the go, a Tide To Go + Oxi stick could do the trick, but Wirecutter recommends the Amodex Ink and Stain Remover.

For dorm cooking

Mini fridges are ideal for hoarding snacks and drinks in your dorm. But be warned: Just because it’s cute doesn’t always mean it works well. The plain Magic Chef MCR170 is probably the best choice. It’s well under $200, keeps food cold and is small enough to squeeze into your dorm room.
Microwaves: If you’re keeping leftovers in your new mini fridge or don’t feel like walking to the dining hall, you might need a microwave. We looked at the IKEA Tillreda. It’s nice and small, but its heating performance is uneven. Here are the best ones.
Electric kettle: Finally, I love a cup of tea. You, too? You may want a kettle for your room. The 40880 by Hamilton Beach is cheap and a top performer. See the best kettles.

For vacuuming

The best part of our field trip (besides trying the massage chairs) was testing the cordless vacuum cleaners and handheld vacuums. One of my friends had a vacuum in her dorm, and I was jealous. They’re a little pricier, but I think it’s worth it.

At the Wirecutter office, we tried the mini vacuum from Ryobi, which sucked up all the red glitter on the table. It was so satisfying. The vacuum is small, so it wouldn’t take up much of your space. You also could try Black+Decker’s cordless vacuum, which was effective but not as good at picking up hair.

Finally, all these appliances mean you’d have to plug them in somewhere. If you can’t plug them directly into a wall outlet, choose a heavy-duty, 12-gauge surge protector or a power strip meant to handle up to 1800 watts.

Looking for more? Here’s a list of the best college dorm essentials and the best dorm décor.

Looking for more deals? The experts at Wirecutter have got you covered.

Get it in your inbox.

Missed Connections

Helping you find the one that got away.

Katie Avants, a student at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., has our first Missed Connection. Let’s hear more about her missed connection, whom she met on one of her last days studying abroad. She’s hoping to “snag my first boyfriend through a New York Times newsletter.”

Where did you meet this person? London.

Do you know them? No.

The details: I went to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery to pick up a final souvenir: an engraved Guinness glass for my dad. I left wishing I’d picked up the guy working the engraving machine. Something about his slightly shaggy dark hair and sweet smile made me illogically imagine he was what a young Keats or Tennyson would’ve looked like.

I can’t stop thinking about a coincidence from that encounter. He asked me where I was from — North Carolina, which not everyone abroad instantly recognizes, but he did, saying one of his good friends was from Charlotte. It felt like an incredibly rare connection to make so far from home.

I want a second shot with Guinness guy!

Do you know Guinness guy? Email us. And did you have a Missed Connection? Tell us here.

On campus

Stories from your schools.

Some students at Ohio State were sleeping in the basement of their residence hall because their rooms didn’t have air-conditioning. (The Lantern)
New York University ranked last in an annual assessment of free speech policies across the country. (Washington Square News)
I’m a huge fan of Biz Sherbert’s back-to-school-week features in her newsletter, American Style. She’s asking college students what they’re wearing and who they have crushes on. I loved the responses from Kate, a student at Santa Monica College in California.

Required reading

The stories you should read before they hit the group chat.

Look at this bear!! Loren Elliott for The New York Times

Bears in California are thriving, at the expense of humans. There are roughly 60,000 black bears in California, and they’re going far, far away from their usual habitats — in pools, backyards and shaded street corners.
Scientists have found the earliest evidence of drug use. They studied teeth that belonged to a hunter-gatherer who lived in Indonesia as early as 25,000 years ago and may have regularly sucked on betel nuts.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

There’s a different way to say “goodbye.” Matt Chase

Don’t ghost someone. Try a “connected goodbye” instead.

Watch a new movie or show. I’m excited to be horizontal on my sofa and watch something this weekend. Here’s what’s new on Netflix. Maybe I’m going to start “Crew Girl”?

Read a tiny love story. I always find these short stories so moving.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you next week! Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-14 NYT Extra Credit

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Wellness darty, anyone?

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 14, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Our Back to School week is over, and we’re back to regularly scheduled programming.

What will life be like in 2050? I’ll be freshly 49 and thriving. But beyond that, I’m not making any predictions. Thankfully, my colleague Callie Holtermann asked some 10-year-olds for theirs.

“The world is already going kind of downhill, but it’s still a very good place to live, and it’s a very good life that we have,” one kid said. Read the rest of their takes here.

We’re also covering:

Wellness darties
A shrinking planet
Judge Judy is stepping down

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

1. Tech stocks were down around the world this morning. The stocks shuddered after leaders of top A.I. companies, led by Dario Amodei at Anthropic, called for new safeguards on the technology’s development.

2. Silicon Valley is debating doomsday A.I. scenarios. Some employees have said that the threat is overblown. Others, including one former Anthropic researcher, have said that the agents threaten human safety. Listen to the researcher on “The Daily” today.

3. The Trump administration is expected to erase limits on climate pollution from power plants, according to two people familiar with the proposal. The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the U.S.

At a coal power plant near Emmett, Kan. Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

4. Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought. It was once much hotter, but its metallic core has cooled and contracted over many millenniums, causing the planet’s surface to warp and wrinkle. Scientists say that Mercury is now shrinking up to 30 percent faster than expected.

5. The Emmy Awards are tonight. “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” are among the favorites. Catch up on all the nominees.

6. Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina won the singles titles at the U.S. Open. I’m bummed that it’s over. You too? Read takeaways from this year’s tournament.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Sebastian Acosta, 20, production management major at the Fashion Institute of Technology

The details: I am wearing a Balenciaga T-shirt, Ludovic de Saint Sernin jeans, Balenciaga Stomper boots with shades and a White Sox cap. I take inspo from growing up in NYC as well as the knowledge gained from classes in school. My style really developed the more I hung out with people from school.

The occasion: Going to campus.

Want more Fit Checks? We featured a few more in The Morning newsletter over the weekend. I love seeing what you all are wearing. Submit more here.

On campus

Did you go to a “wellness darty” this weekend? Some students are ditching keg stands for cold plunges. I’m so intrigued by all of this. Send me an invite?
Some parents are paying local moms to look after their children at college. One brings students balloons on their birthdays, bakes homemade challah and picks up their prescriptions. (Do you have a school mom? Please email me!)
Texas is now No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 poll for college football, after a huge comeback victory over Ohio State on Saturday. See the full list.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat.

Judge Judy. Sonja Flemming/CBS

Judge Judy is stepping down from her TV bench. She isn’t stepping down from television entirely, though. “Judge Sheindlin is not retiring,” her representative said. “She is rewiring.”
Dolly Parton fans are paying tribute to her at their weddings and bachelorette parties. They’re also hiring Parton impersonators for their Shabbat dinners.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Drinking wine and running a marathon? I’d try it. James Hill for The New York Times

Train for a marathon. I’m not doing one anytime soon. If I change my mind, I’ll try this race in France, where runners stop for oysters and wine.

Clear your phone’s storage. We’re apparently supposed to be doing this regularly. It should take only around 15 minutes. Follow these tips.

Make this polenta. It has fried eggs on top, and the recipe is by my colleague Melissa Clark. You should subscribe to her newsletter, too!

New recipes, easy dinner ideas and smart kitchen tips from Melissa Clark and our New York Times Cooking editors.

Get it in your inbox.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune into “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-15 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: Influencer stunts

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 15, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Influencers are doing dangerous stunts.

These aren’t your average vlogs or “get ready with me” videos. Some have trespassed on skyscrapers. One staged a plane crash and got a federal prison sentence. All of this shock content is about getting clicks. I’m sticking to my cooking videos.

We’re also covering:

The Emmy Awards
A student who picks up the dead
Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Ballots in California. Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

1. The Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s plan to screen mail-in ballots. The ruling, which comes weeks before the midterms, was a win for voting rights groups and Democratic-led states. Two conservative justices dissented.

2. “Widow’s Bay” dominated the Emmy Awards last night. The show, about a haunted New England island, won 14 Emmys, including best comedy. “The Pitt” won best drama. Read more about the best (and worst) moments and see our favorite looks.

3. Democrats have developed a clear advantage over Republicans before the midterms, according to a poll by The New York Times and Siena University. Even some Republicans have lost faith in Trump’s economy, the poll found.

4. The Department of Homeland Security is getting involved in elections. A department agency is using open-source state voter registration websites to search for voter fraud, my colleague Hamed Aleaziz explains. Click below to watch the video.

The New York Times

Side hustle

What you’re doing outside class.

Frankie Halvey, 20, is a student at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. He’s a public health major and theater minor. Outside class, he picks up the dead. Frankie chatted with my editor Lauren Jackson for her newsletter, Believing, and I found his story so moving:

What’s his side hustle? A “transfer team member” at a funeral home. He retrieves the bodies of the recently deceased from homes, hospitals and hospices.

Hours per week: He’s on call for overnight shifts. His phone rings as many as four times a night.

Pay: $150 per transfer.

How did he get into this? Frankie’s parents are funeral directors in upstate New York, and he worked through the coronavirus pandemic. He also liked how it “let him extend care to people raw with grief,” Lauren wrote.

What does he do? It depends on what he’s walking into. Sometimes, he’ll say “hello” and “sorry for your loss.” Other times, he’ll listen. Sometimes, it’s just silence. When the conversation tapers, he’ll transfer the deceased onto a stretcher. If the body was in a bed, he’ll spend time making it. It’s his way, he said, of giving the family dignity. He learned it from his parents.

“There has never been a time where I’ve really felt great leaving a house call,” he told Lauren. “People can be crying. People can be laughing. You really have no idea what you’re walking into.”

Read more in Believing, a newsletter about modern belief. You should subscribe!

A weekly newsletter about how people live religion and spirituality now, with Lauren Jackson.

Get it in your inbox.

On campus

Universities are sounding the alarm on artificial intelligence, but some are still embracing it. The response from university leaders has been all over the place, and it’s confusing for students and faculty. (Students: How are you using A.I. at school and in everyday life? Tell me.)
A group of pro-Palestinian former student activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, sued Columbia University in federal court. They accused the university of failing to protect pro-Palestinian students.
The range of classes that students can take to graduate in right-leaning states is narrowing. At some of Texas’ biggest public universities, for example, courses on women’s studies and climate change no longer fulfill graduation requirements.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Steve Kornacki Lexi Parra/The New York Times

How much Steve Kornacki is too much? NBC News is trying to make Kornacki, its chief data analyst, a livestreaming star. There’s already the Kornacki Cam, and now, the network is trying to lure back younger viewers who have gotten into livestreaming.
Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after he said “Free Palestine” onstage. He addressed the crowd at MetLife Stadium and performed “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song against the war in Gaza. Watch the video.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Sardines on toast is one of my favorites. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times

Eat sardines. They’re good for your bones and your heart. I love to put mine on some toast.

Wear some oversize clothing. It’s a trend now, but I have always loved being swallowed by my sweatshirts.

Start a new TV show. I’m partial to a good show over a movie, but that’s just me. Find your next fave on this list.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune into “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Scott Ball was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-16 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: America's bad reputation

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 16, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! We’re almost two years into President Trump’s second term, and the world economy is increasingly looking for ways to distance itself from America. Allies are concerned about the country’s debt burden and Trump’s use of sanctions.

Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said before Congress that he remained confident in the credibility of the U.S. financial system. “The U.S. is in fact the leader, and the leader does not fear competition,” he said. “Competition makes us better.”

We’re also covering:

The Kennedy Center closure
A new Sydney Sweeney ad
Cold plunges

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

1. Interest rates are expected to go up today. The Fed is widely expected to raise rates by a quarter of a percentage point. It would be the first increase since July 2023 and comes weeks before the midterms.

2. The European Union offered to make Canada its first “associate member.” The invitation comes as the two face a deteriorating relationship with the U.S.

3. The Trump administration approved a $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel. The package would include 40,000 one-ton bombs.

4. The Kennedy Center closed its doors to the public. The announcement came after Trump said he would cancel a planned renovation if his name wasn’t put back on the building. A judge previously blocked efforts to close the center and to affix Trump’s name to the building.

5. A.I. isn’t popular with voters, according to a Times/Siena poll. Voters were skeptical about the technology and split on which party is more equipped to address it. My colleague Nate Cohn has more context about what this means for the midterms.

6. Russia has found a trading loophole. Kyrgyzstan has become a major transit point for goods headed to Russia. In the video below, Paul Sonne, our Moscow bureau chief, pays a visit to the country’s biggest market. Click to watch.

The New York Times

Office hours

Your questions about the news and life, answered.

With the midterm elections coming up, I’m curious how The Times’s system works for reporting vote totals as they come out on election night. Surely there are so many different, local, state-dependent sources for vote totals. How do you collect and verify them all in near-real time? — Carter Cashen, 21, Yale University

Great question, Carter. I asked my colleague William Davis, our director of election data analytics, to answer this one. He said:

Most news organizations, including The Times, get their election results primarily from The Associated Press, which combines data feeds from state and county websites with on-the-ground reporting by thousands of correspondents who gather vote tallies from county clerks and other local officials after polls close. Those vote totals go through a series of data quality checks as part of that process.

In addition, The Times collects additional, precinct-level results in key states and races, which we use to supplement The A.P.’s reporting and help make our election reporting, including our live election-night forecast known as The Needle, as accurate as possible. We also run our own checks against all data before it appears on our website. The statistical model behind The Needle allows us to catch issues like when candidate vote totals are flipped or if somebody adds an extra zero to a number. Those alerts are reviewed by journalists here at The Times.

Even so, it is inevitable that some data entry errors will slip through and appear on our website on election night. It’s important to remember that the results that are reported on election night are unofficial and often incomplete, and election results go through a series of checks and audits before they are certified.

Have a question? Submit yours to Office Hours.

On campus

Jamie Beaton has 12 advanced degrees from Harvard, Yale and Oxford. He still has more on the way.
An event at the University of California, Berkeley, mocking Charlie Kirk on the anniversary of his death has drawn federal criticism.
A Republican candidate in Texas posted anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant attacks on University of Texas students online.

The author James Patterson is collaborating with MrBeast. They’ve co-written a novel: “The Most Dangerous Games.”
A nude Sydney Sweeney ad has gone viral. Some female athletes were not happy.
Ozempic has come for the dorms. Some students who want to join the top sororities are turning to weight-loss drugs to get there. (The Cut)

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

A coffee pavlova from Bistrot Ha. Yuvraj Khanna for The New York Times

Treat yourself to a nice dinner. There are lots of delicious options on our list of the best restaurants in America. Bistrot Ha is one of my favorites; I’m so glad it made the cut.

Light your desk. Overhead lighting in your dorm room giving you a headache? I get it. Splurge on one of the best desk lamps.

Take a cold plunge. I’m still warming up to them … Here are some tips if you’re a first timer.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune into “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Scott Ball was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-17 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: In my fiber era

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 17, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Everyone seems to be protein-maxxing. Is fiber next?

You need a lot more than you think: The recommended minimum is 21 to 38 grams per day. It’s as easy as adding spinach to your scrambled eggs or mixing lentils with your rice.

Breakfast, experts said, is a great place to start. They also stress starting slowly and drinking lots of water. That way, you’re not bloated and gassy. Read our full guide here.

What else are you eating? Submit your best food recs to Dining Hall.

We’re also covering:

Interest rates
Owen Thiele
Stray cats

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the U.S. Capitol. Alex Kent/The New York Times

1. Deep-red states are at play in the midterms. Republicans are facing challenges in areas that President Trump won easily in 2024. Read more here.

2. The Fed raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. And rates may go up again.

3. The global economy has been struggling during the war in Iran. Countries have tried to manage skyrocketing energy costs, but prices have still risen. Now, some people are protesting.

4. OpenAI disclosed six new instances of “concerning” A.I. behavior. Its systems hid mistakes, made up data and moved files onto the open internet without permission. The company released a framework for reporting when its systems go wrong.

5. Dozens were arrested in Turkey as part of a broad crackdown on the L.G.B.T.Q. community. The government called the campaign an effort to protect Turkish families. Rights groups accused the authorities of criminalizing the L.G.B.T.Q. community and of seeking to stop activism.

Missed connections

Helping you find the one that got away.

Hiroko Rose, 18, a freshman at Claremont McKenna College, saw a familiar hat at Los Angeles Union Station:

The details: I just moved to a school outside L.A., and I went into the city by myself for the first time over Labor Day weekend. It was late at night, and I was worried about catching the train back home, when I saw someone wearing a fedora.

I had seen this guy around campus because of his distinguishing hat, but I had never talked to him. I decided to approach him and set off the most wonderful and genuine conversation I’ve had since arriving to campus. Once we hopped off the train, we said good night and haven’t talked since.

Do you know Fedora Guy? Email us. And submit your missed connection here.

On campus

How much does your college football roster cost? It could be more than $50 million. My colleagues at The Athletic looked into 68 teams. Ohio State had the largest estimated budget, followed by Oregon and Texas. Look at the numbers.
Virginia Tech has its own A.I. platform called HokieAI. (The Collegiate Times)
Boston University has a dating app — Campus Crush — and you have to be a student there. Sorry to all of the other students in Boston! (The Daily Free Press)
Students at the University of Southern California are rescuing stray cats around campus. (The Daily Trojan)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Owen Thiele. Ayesha Kazim for The New York Times

Owen Thiele wants to get to know you better. Thiele has had a breakout year on TV shows trying to capture Gen Z, like “Adults.” “It is the Owen cinematic universe, and we’re just happy to be a part of it,” one of the creators of “Adults” said.
It’s a good time to be over 100 years old in Japan. There are now more than 100,000 centenarians there. The oldest woman is 114, and the oldest man is 112. Obsessed!

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Care for a breakfast sandwich? Ruthie Darling/NYT Wirecutter; food styling by Lesley Stockton

Eat a breakfast sandwich. Maybe it’s not the most fiber-rich way to start your day, but at least it’s delicious. Running to class? Pop a frozen one in the microwave.

Buy a plant. And then consult these tips on how to give your houseplants the best care.

Listen to a new album. Our critic chose a few albums that she’s looking forward to this fall. I’m so excited for “Melatonin” by Tinashe. The title track makes me feel like I’m at the club.

Your alternative to the algorithm — a real, live human helps you discover songs you’ll love.

Get it in your inbox.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Will Baxter was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-18 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Bird watch

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 18, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Nearly half a billion birds may soon be on the move across the country. It’s part of the annual migration, in which hundreds of species head down south to somewhere warmer. I’m jealous.

The big flight can be dangerous. At least one billion birds die each year after crashing into skyscrapers and lit buildings. Some cities are asking residents to turn off their lights. Hope the birds have a safe trip!

We’re also covering:

College football predictions
Audrey Hobert
New definitions in the dictionary

A reminder: You probably have a free New York Times account through your school. Log in and you can read all the good stories we share below.

And we want to know what’s happening on your campus. Tell us about your questions, crushes and best food recs here.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Vladimir Putin and President Trump. Doug Mills/The New York Times

1. President Trump is considering offering business deals to Russia. He’s trying to entice Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

2. Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett, 96, will remain on the board as chairman emeritus, and his son Howard Buffett will become chairman.

3. Alabama executed a man named Jeffrey Lee by lethal injection. The Supreme Court previously blocked the state from killing him with nitrogen gas.

4. There are “reasonable grounds to believe” that a U.S. strike on an Iranian school was a war crime, according to a U.N. report. The strike hit an elementary school in February and killed 157, most of them boys and girls below age 13.

5. The Himalayas could face more climate disasters. Experts are warning countries to monitor glaciers there after floods left more than 8,000 people dead or missing in Nepal and China.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Travis Duong, 19, advertising and English major at the University of Texas at Austin

The details: I’m wearing a 100 percent cotton Imogene + Willie T-shirt, super-long jorts (the norm amid 100-degree weather) and thrifted combat boots. When it’s impossible to layer, I always aim to accessorize effectively.

The occasion: Class and errands.

And a fun fact: I run an account with around 3,500 followers called @utaustinfits! The account is essentially an archive of fashion and faces across UT Austin’s community.

Missed connections

Helping you find the one that got away.

Our last missed connection was looking for a man in a fedora at a train station. We found him!

Submit your missed connections here.

Tailgate

News about college sports.

It’s Week 3 of college football season. Some big games to watch, according to The Athletic, are Houston at Texas Tech, Florida at Auburn and L.S.U. at Ole Miss. Read predictions here.
Steve Belichick, a son of Bill Belichick, resigned as defensive coordinator after an investigation into the football program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Arch Manning, the Texas quarterback, apologized for an “insensitive comment” he made about an A.I.-altered video that showed Coach Steve Sarkisian slapping a female ESPN reporter.

Audrey Hobert is one of the defining pop stars of this year. You might have heard her song “Sue Me” or seen this video from Lollapalooza. “Silver Jubilee” has been on repeat for me, and I’m so excited for her concert. Watch her interview on “Popcast.”
Looksmaxxing, cuffing season and glow-up are now in the dictionary. Merriam-Webster added 1,400 definitions to its online dictionary this week. Call that wordsmaxxing?

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Igor Adameyko, Gerd Günther, Wim van Egmond, Benedikt Pleyer

Look at this microscopic beauty. Life is around us in all forms, but it’s often invisible. I mean, that rainbow sea slug is adorable. Click above to watch the videos.

Eat a vegetable. Not sure if you’re craving broccoli or a sweet potato? Consult my colleague Tanya Sichynsky’s new cookbook, “Veg Everything.” It has 101 NYT Cooking recipes!

Unplug this weekend. Notifications are constantly blowing up my phone. I like to put it on “do not disturb,” but my friends at Wirecutter have better ideas.

Take our quiz. It’s the 175th birthday of The New York Times. How much do you know about The Times? Test your knowledge.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you next week!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Will Baxter was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-21 NYT Extra Credit

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Bedazzle it

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 21, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Bedazzling is back.

Some people are bedazzling their clothes or their bald heads; others are bedazzling everyday items like pill bottles or breast pumps. It’s all about Gen Z’s love of whimsy. I just ordered a work phone. Maybe they’ll let me bedazzle the case?

We’re also covering:

A toxic reservoir in Mexico
Ed Sheeran’s apology
The best TV shows

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Outside the White House. Doug Mills/The New York Times

1. CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they would sue the Trump administration to regain access to the White House. The outlets said that the ban was a violation of their First Amendment rights to cover the president. Major television networks also agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of Trump.

2. President Trump chose not to join Saudi Arabia in joint strikes against the Houthis. As bombs were being loaded onto the planes, he decided against them for now.

3. An ICE agent shot a Venezuelan immigrant in Austin. It was the latest violent episode as the Trump administration pushes to increase deportations.

4. World leaders are meeting in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and its effect on the world economy will be a big topic, along with the threat posed by artificial intelligence.

5. Patrick Clancy said he dreams about his children “all the time.” The former husband of Lindsay Clancy talked to CBS about his grief in his first interview since the case was deemed a mistrial.

6. There’s a toxic reservoir in Mexico. Some people who live near the highly polluted Endhó Dam say that sickness is everywhere. My colleague Emiliano Rodríguez Mega visited the area. Click below to watch the video.

The New York Times

Office hours

Your questions about the news and life, answered.

How can students embrace a neo-luddite lifestyle when society seemingly embraces tech as a whole? — BK Kennedy, 21, Hofstra University.

Really good question, BK, and it reminded me of this article about a Luddite Club. I wish I could unplug, but my job makes it hard. I asked our personal tech columnist, Brian X. Chen, to tackle this one:

I’ve experimented with this idea, and I think people can unplug to an extent, but not entirely. Last year, I tested the Light Phone, a minimalist phone that could show maps, shoot photos, send texts and take calls and not much else; it didn’t even have a web browser. It was impractical! I couldn’t easily take public transportation because our local train system had switched to a mobile pass, for one. Because there was no app store, there was no Slack, so I missed messages from my colleagues. Tech is so woven into society that turning away from it entirely causes more headaches for yourself and the people around you. So I think a more moderate approach is looking at what aspects of your tech are negatively affecting you the most and weaning yourself from those apps. (For me, it’s social media, which I barely use these days.)

Have a question about life or the news? Submit yours to Office Hours.

On campus

Ole Miss beat L.S.U. this weekend at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in front of the largest crowd in school history. It wasn’t a very sweet homecoming for Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss to coach at L.S.U.
I found this poll of Brown University freshmen pretty interesting. Most students are single, and most want to major in economics. (Brown Daily Herald)

Are Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson brothers? Not quite, but the two longtime friends are starring in a new buddy comedy called “Brothers.” Read my colleague Maureen Dowd’s story about the duo.
Ed Sheeran apologized to his fans onstage. He acknowledged that he had made “mistakes” after Macklemore was removed from his tour over comments about the war in Gaza.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

What’s your favorite TV show? Clockwise from top left: Netflix ("The Queen's Gambit"); WB ("Gilmore Girls"); FX ("Shogun"); HBO Max ("Eastbound & Down"); Netflix ("The Great British Baking Show")

Watch an old TV show. Our first picks of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century just dropped. I was so happy to see “The Great British Baking Show.” Vote for your favorite here.

Make a grain bowl. Your quinoa slop doesn’t have to be boring. Try a few of Ali Slagle’s tips to make them delicious.

Try a “novelty audit.” It could help simplify your life and also help you stop buying new stuff. Need that!

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-22 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: New college rankings just dropped

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 22, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Happy fall. The latest college rankings just dropped, and there’s a new No. 1.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top spot from Princeton University, which had held the highest U.S. News & World Report ranking for 15 years. Williams College was U.S. News’s pick for best national liberal arts college, and Spelman College kept its top ranking among historically Black schools. Read more about the rankings.

We’re also covering:

The U.N. General Assembly
A dorm love story
Cat dads

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the United Nations. Dave Sanders for The New York Times

1. The U.N. General Assembly begins today. President Trump is speaking before world leaders. He began by promoting his economic policies and criticizing the previous administration. Read the latest news.

2. Trump and Xi Jinping are slated to meet later this week in Washington. Xi is seeking to extend the truce that the U.S. and China reached last year, my colleague David Pierson reports.

3. Trump is still finding ways to get on air. A boycott of the White House press pool by major networks has deprived Trump of his screen time, but he has still managed to attract attention. Click below to watch my colleague Peter Baker explain the ban.

The New York Times

4. Paramount reached an agreement that clears the way for its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. It resolved an antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of states. If the deal is completed, it would create one of the world’s largest entertainment companies.

5. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is still mulling a presidential run. She has said that she won’t make a decision until after the midterms, but she was unusually candid with us about the biggest crossroads of her political career.

6. The president of South Korea urged the U.S. to ease sanctions on North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung said that Washington should demand that Pyongyang freeze, not eliminate, its nuclear weapons program.

Dining hall

What you’re eating

Some of you are making grain bowls at your dining hall. Yum! Let’s hear from Sydney Mark, 18, a chemistry major at Frostburg State University in Maryland. She has a dining hall hack.

What are you eating? Quinoa salad.

The details: I make it from the different ingredients that are offered as part of the salad bar at the campus dining hall. You can put in edamame, chickpeas, green peas, tomatoes, olives, whatever you want! Customize it to your preferences.

What’s your best dining hall hack? Submit yours here.

On campus

Congress is considering a bill that would regulate college sports, which is starting a debate among senators who were once college athletes, like Senators Cory Booker (football at Stanford) and Eric Schmitt (football and baseball at Truman State). The legislation would, among other things, put strict rules on how often athletes can jump from school to school.
This story about a couple who met their first night as freshmen at Brown University is adorable. The groom’s brother had warned him not to date anyone in his freshman hall, but eventually, it worked out.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

At Aga’s. Annie Mulligan for The New York Times

Is this restaurant the world’s busiest? Aga’s, an Indian-Pakistani spot in the Houston suburbs, delivers more to-go orders on Uber Eats than any other single-location restaurant in the world, according to the company. It also serves about 4,000 guests a day.
Some young consultants are jumping ship for A.I. start-ups. These consultants were recruited from college, but they were wooed by the glamour of the start-up space. Some are getting paid more.
It’s a good time to be a “cat dad.” Many men’s perceptions of cats have been changing, and cat ownership in the U.S. has surged. “I think there are probably a lot more men that are willing to be cat-liberated,” a cat dad of two said. Are you a cat dad? Join the conversation.

Sophia June

News assistant

I am a lifelong cat person and was interested in the ways that brands are marketing toward male cat owners specifically, and how male adoption of cats is seen as a 'green flag,' whereas it can be seen as a liability for single women. Cats haven't changed. (They're still the best.) But it seems like the conversation around men with cats has. If you're a cat dad, when did you notice the shift?

View all comments

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Yum! Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Have buttered noodles for dinner. The Northern Italian treat is forgiving about measurements. Try this recipe from the actor Theo James, which was adapted from a restaurant he owns in London.

Go for a run. You’ll need some running shoes, though. Wirecutter talks you through choosing the best ones for you.

Eat a healthy snack. You could try some nuts (if you aren’t allergic). They can be full of health benefits. But how much do you know about them? Take our quiz.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Hiroko Masuike was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-23 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: A.I. assistant

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 23, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Would you give your life away to an artificial intelligence agent? That idea makes me a little nervous, especially with all the recent headlines about calls to slow down A.I.

My colleague Eli Tan tried doing so with Muse, Meta’s A.I. agent. It helped handle his dental insurance and book dinner reservations. Of course, it required some of his most personal data (his bank account!) and lots of trust. But it paid off: “Two weeks in, I found Muse to be the most useful A.I. app I had ever used,” Eli wrote.

We’re also covering:

Clavicular
An A.I. photo at Stanford
Fat Bear Week

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

The White House briefing room. Andrew Leyden for The New York Times

1. The White House defended Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Officials said in a court filing that the networks had breached standards of conduct. The filing also said that “access to the White House is a privilege — not a right.”

2. President Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He said he’d do so if it failed to make a deal to end the war.

3. President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran was the first leader whose country is at war with the U.S. to address the General Assembly. He began his defiant speech by accusing the U.S. and Israel of targeting Iran’s civilian infrastructure in violation of international law. Read the latest.

4. The Trump administration ejected more than 750,000 people from Obamacare insurance markets. Vice President JD Vance claimed that many had defrauded the government and said the measure would save the government $2.2 billion.

5. A dispute over Missouri’s congressional map is back in front of the Supreme Court. The justices have twice cleared a path for Missouri to hold its general election under an older map. After a federal court sided with Republicans, it goes back to the court for a third time this month.

6. Clavicular, the looksmaxxing influencer, faces charges in Massachusetts. He’s accused of giving a 17-year-old girl alcohol on a livestream and raping her.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Ishani Peddi, 23, Ph.D. student in international affairs, science and technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology

The details: Sustainability and creativity are incredibly important to me. Most of the outfit is thrifted and allowed me to play around with silhouettes and layering.

The occasion: Working on research and dropping off some film.

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

On campus

Stanford University used A.I. to swap a Black woman for a Hispanic man in a photo. The man, Billy Ramirez, a student, said it was upsetting to be “erased.” The altered photo was first reported by The Stanford Review.
The co-founder of Nike donated $1 billion to the University of Oregon. It’s the largest known contribution to a public flagship university in the country.
Student journalists at Dartmouth, using an artificial intelligence detector, checked Op-Eds and academic articles published by the school’s provost. It flagged some work as written by A.I. Read The Dartmouth’s investigation.

What do you get when you mix nepo babies and drama? That would be “Next Gen NYC.” The show has been breaking records on Bravo, and the cast is full of the children of reality TV stars.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is starring in her first lead role in a film. She had to transform herself to play Maya in “Best of the Best,” which explores the cutthroat world of South Asian intercollegiate dance competitions. The role, she said, almost broke her.
Taylor Swift is dropping new music on Friday. Called “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” the album is an expanded version of the one she released last year. Swift said she recorded the four new songs on a trip to Sweden.
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” broke a record set by Mariah Carey. The country song held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a 23rd nonconsecutive week, surpassing “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” On the “Cannonball” podcast, our critic Wesley Morris tried to figure out why.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Which bear is your favorite? C. Loberg/National Park Service

Pick your favorite bear. Fat Bear Week is back. I’m obsessed with all the competitors, and it made my day a little better.

Read one of these books. They’re all nominated for the Booker Prize. See the shortlist (our critic said “The Disappearers” was the novel of the decade).

Make a fall treat. Perhaps a pumpkin bread? I may have to make one this weekend.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-24 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Restaurant theft

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 24, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Some diners at restaurants are getting bolder. They’re stealing things, and owners are noticing.

The missing items aren’t forks, pens or random glasses. Diners are nabbing more personal items, like a vintage toilet paper holder and a cherished lamb figurine. One bar owner has even put tracking items into phallic totems, so the bar can hunt them down.

We’re also covering:

A U.S.-China summit
An artsy side hustle
A Rubik’s Cube world record

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China Kenny Holston/The New York Times

1. President Trump is expected to host President Xi Jinping of China at the White House today. It will be Xi’s first White House visit in more than a decade. Follow live updates on the summit.

2. A federal judge temporarily reversed Trump’s ban on three news outlets. The judge said that the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico was most likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access.

3. The spotlight at the United Nations today is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, will deliver dueling speeches. Read the latest.

4. OpenAI’s artificial intelligence went rogue in four additional incidents. The technology appeared to be conducting mundane data collection and resorted to hacking techniques to get it, researchers said.

5. Life in Kyiv has gotten more dangerous. My colleague Siobhán O’Grady visited a school, where air raid sirens interrupt classes all day and children must take shelter. Click below to watch the video.

The New York Times

Side hustle

What you’re doing outside class.

Signe Bieganski, 21, is an art history major at Hope College in Michigan. Here’s what she’s up to:

What’s your side hustle? I work part time as an assistant gallery preparator in my campus’s art gallery. I help install and deinstall art exhibitions, light the artwork and repair/paint the gallery walls.

Hours per week: Typically 20 hours when we are installing a new exhibition.

Pay: $13.75 per hour.

How did you get the gig? In my freshman year, one of my art professors encouraged all art students to work in the gallery because understanding art handling practices and installation methods is invaluable in the art world. I began as a gallery attendant, sitting at the desk and answering visitors’ questions, before joining the prep team.

Why do you like it? I am quite a perfectionist and this job gives me the perfect outlet for that. Everything needs to be aligned and leveled perfectly otherwise it can throw off the whole show.

Anything else to share? Go visit your local galleries and museums! Art is amazing, and it takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get exhibitions ready for the public.

What’s your Side Hustle? Submit yours here.

On campus

The Ralph and Fanny Ellison Charitable Trust donated all rights and royalties to Bard College, where Ellison, the author of “Invisible Man,” formerly taught.
Trump is planning to attend the Texas and Tennessee football game in Knoxville, Tenn. this weekend.
Multiple Black student organizations were still waiting for a formal meeting with officials from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after a racially motivated attack on Black students in August. (The Daily Tar Heel)
The Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California ended its contract to loan donated cadavers to the U.S. Navy. The contract had allowed for the cadavers to be used by the Israel Defense Forces for training. (The Daily Trojan)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Jeff Probst David Billet for The New York Times

“Survivor” is back for its 51st season. Anyone else watch the premiere last night? It’s one of my favorite shows, and I even sent in an audition tape once. The game has changed over the years, but Jeff Probst, the host, has been a constant. Hear more from Probst on “Popcast.”
A 6-year-old girl set a Rubik’s Cube record. Lian Yunzhi of China solved a Rubik’s Cube five times in an average of 4.27 seconds and set a new women’s world record. She practices two to three hours a day, her mom says.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

This salmon bowl is one of my favorite easy meals. Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Make some salmon for dinner. I’ve been eating out way too much, and my body is yearning for something nourishing. Tonight, I think I’ll make one of my favorite recipes: this sticky miso salmon bowl.

Take a nap. I love being horizontal and getting cozy, especially after a long day. Are you a side sleeper like me? You might want to try one of these pillows. I’m adding a few to my list …

Read a tiny love story. I love how these capture so much emotion in a few words. Sometimes I’m laughing, other times, I’m tearing up. See them here.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Marika Kochiashvili was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-25 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Iced coffee debate

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 25, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Would you bring an iced coffee to a job interview? Some say that’s unprofessional because it could be distracting. I’m not sure it’s that deep. Regardless, the topic has turned into something of a generational debate.

I’d probably wait until after the interview to have a coffee. What do you think? Email me.

We’re also covering:

Immigration arrests
The best TV shows of the 21st century
Ex-tradwives

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

ICE arrests soared this summer.

1. The most effective surge in President Trump’s mass deportations happened quietly. ICE arrests soared to record highs this summer. My colleagues reviewed dozens of incidents caught on camera.

2. The U.S.-China summit was full of flattery. Military flyovers and gifts of pandas masked significant divides over A.I. and trade during President Xi Jinping’s first visit to the White House in more than a decade.

3. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Israel’s critics as “moral cowards” during a combative speech to the U.N. General Assembly. He also defended the wars in Gaza and in Iran.

4. Russia is waging “total war” on Ukraine’s economy. Strikes have caused billions of dollars’ worth of economic damage as Russia’s advances on the battlefield have mostly stalled.

5. Google is taking the A.I. data-center race to space. It’s sending an experimental satellite into orbit that will have enough computing power to answer simple A.I. queries.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Joey Houska, 23, master’s student in arts administration at the University of Akron

The details: Mesh collared H&M shirt I got in high school while on an exchange trip to London, embroidered linen dress I recently thrifted, brown tights and Keds I bought from a local vintage retailer. Spiral earrings acquired from a local jeweler.

The occasion: Work in the admissions office and then class.

Anything else? Don’t sleep on the fashion in Northeast Ohio! There are a lot of stylish people participating in sustainable fashion culture in the area.

Submit your Fit Check here.

On campus

It’s Week 4 of college football. Texas is playing Tennessee, and Ole Miss is coming off its win over L.S.U. to face Florida in Gainesville. Read some “oddly specific” predictions from The Athletic.
Tom Moore is 87 years old, and he’s still on the field at Iowa as a senior offensive adviser. “I can’t sit and not do anything,” Moore said. “I did it for about three months, and there’s absolutely nothing about retirement that interests me.”
A venture capital company in San Francisco is investing in an unaccredited alternative to college, backed by tech giants including Anthropic and Google. Students would work on projects like building an A.I. model. (The Wall Street Journal)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

I have so many more shows on my watchlist now.

Our top 100 picks are out for the best TV shows of the 21st century. I won’t spoil what’s No. 1, but it’s one of my favorites. I’m overwhelmed by how many more shows I need to watch. See the full list and celebrities’ picks, and create your own ballot.
Paid creators are inundating the internet with political content. These aren’t celebrity influencers with large followings. Most have only a smattering of followers, but they’re shifting public conversation.
What happens when a tradwife gets divorced? Some influencers, like Bernadine Bluntly, are leaving the movement. Read about Bluntly, and click below to watch my colleague Amanda Hess explain the tradwife exodus.

The New York Times

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

What’s your favorite mystery book? The New York Times

Read a mystery. If you’re an Agatha Christie lover, you’ll probably enjoy these. It’s almost spooky season, after all!

Buy some new socks. I prefer crew socks, which probably is a sign of my age. If you need new ones, Wirecutter has the best picks.

Take our news quiz. How much did you keep up with the headlines this week? Test your knowledge.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you next week!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Marika Kochiashvili was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-28 NYT Extra Credit

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: Lock-in season

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 28, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! The weather is cooling down. Are you ready for your “winter arc”? That’s what some people are calling their fall resolutions.

For me, that looks like working out consistently and eating healthier. Who’s with me? I promise I’m going to the gym this week!

We’re also covering:

A hazing incident at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
A lesbian bar in Massachusetts
New books in October

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the U.S. Capitol. Kenny Holston/The New York Times

1. Who’s winning the race for Congress? We’re 36 days away from the midterms. Republicans are panicking about prices, and their super PACs are significantly outspending Democratic groups. Read more about the state of the race.

2. Iran said it’s still waiting on an official U.S. response to its cease-fire proposal. President Trump publicly rejected the proposal, but Iran’s foreign minister said that Trump’s history of contradictory messaging means that he could change his mind.

3. Trump offered to sell arms to China, the U.S. ambassador to China said. The White House later said that the U.S. had no plans to do so.

4. A possible terrorism plot at a British air base used by the American military was thwarted. Five men were arrested as they approached the base, R.A.F. Fairford. The foiled attack has raised security concerns.

5. Vice President JD Vance claimed that the White House found $250 billion of fraud. My colleague Linda Qiu explained why those claims are exaggerated. Click below to watch the video.

The New York Times

Dining hall

What you’re eating.

It seems like you all are doing a much better job at eating vegetables than I am. Let’s hear from Michelle So, 20, who is an ecology and evolutionary biology major at Yale University. I’m going to try Michelle’s hack soon.

Where are you eating? Dining halls.

What’s your hack? I try to get something of every color.

Tell us more! My family became fiber-obsessed the summer I left for college. I feel very lucky that my school cares about fiber nearly as much as I do. Now, whenever I approach the dining hall salad bar, I aim to fill my plate with at least five different plant sources — including lentils, arugula, beets, radish, sweet potato, peas, corn, tofu, spinach and more. The secret sauce that ties it all together? Always a dollop of hummus with olive oil.

Submit your meals to Dining Hall.

On campus

Two students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, were charged in connection with a hazing incident involving about 30 pledges, who were found splattered with condiments in a hot basement.
A report commissioned by Utah Valley University faulted campus and Turning Point USA officials for poor planning of the event last year where Charlie Kirk was killed.
Texas is still No. 1 in The Associated Press’s college football poll, after beating Tennessee. Georgia and Notre Dame rounded out the top 3. See the full list.

The VMAs were last night. Madonna performed for the first time in 23 years, and Taylor Swift won video of the year for “The Fate of Ophelia.” These were the best and worst moments.
Have you heard about this lesbian bar in Massachusetts? A Boston Globe article featured Last Ditch, a bar and art space in Greenfield that recently eased its Covid-era mask restrictions. Then it went viral.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Can I interest you in any stir-fried greens? Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

Don’t be a veggie hater. If you’re tired of the same roasted slop, these recipes may change your mind. You could also try making your own hummus salad!

Stop doomscrolling. I know it’s tempting to open up TikTok, but there are so many other things you can do instead. How about going on a walk?

Add a new book to your rotation. A new month means new books, including a novel from Barbara Kingsolver and a Larry David biography. Find your next read.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Scott Ball was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-29 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Who else is LARPing?

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 29, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Have you been LARPing recently?

The term, which stands for “live-action role playing,” was once associated with people dressing up as fantasy characters and jousting on college lawns. Now, it’s a way to call someone out for being inauthentic. I feel as if I’m LARPing being a real adult at the office every day.

We’re also covering:

An investigation at Cornell University
A rising pop star
Forest flavors

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

In the Strait of Hormuz. Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

1. Oil exports out of the Middle East have risen this month, some oil analysts say. More tankers are moving through the Strait of Hormuz, but the global supply of oil is still below demand.

2. Democratic turnout has surged in the primaries, outpacing Republicans. Democrats raced to the polls in states including Texas, Michigan and Georgia. It’s a signal that Democrats are favored this fall.

3. Evan Gershkovich is ready to talk about prison. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was imprisoned in Russia for 16 months and was freed in the most elaborate prison swap since the Cold War. Read our interview.

4. The Trump administration banned some Canadian products. The ban includes certain dairy items, alcohol and motorcycles as the trade fight between the U.S. and Canada escalates.

5. A Russian drone struck the National Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv, Ukraine, killing two people. It’s the center of scientific discovery in the country. Click below to watch.

Side hustle

What you’re doing outside class.

Gabi May, 29, is a chemical biology Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan.

What is your side hustle? I teach foraging and plant identification courses, which include medicinal plants and drugs that originate in nature.

Pay: $10/person, which can be $100-150 an hour for a 10-15 person class. I have been paid up to $400 for curated events.

How’d you get the gig? I grew up with this knowledge from family members. I started sharing it while on hikes with friends, which turned into praise and referrals to other friends who would like to learn more about plants. I also am a chemical biology Ph.D. student who works with plants.

Why do you like it? It changes how others view the world, and helps them connect with nature and care about plants/the natural world in a new way.

What’s your Side Hustle? Tell us here.

On campus

A New York prosecutor said he would reopen an investigation into accusations of a 2024 sexual assault at Cornell University — two weeks after a woman filed a lawsuit. The case has prompted national outrage.
The Senate approved sweeping new rules for college sports that regulate transfers, shifts in conference membership and payments to athletes. It faces an uncertain future in the House.
Students have been getting busted for using artificial intelligence to cheat, but lately, professors and administrators have been getting in trouble, too.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Adéla Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times

Adéla could be the next pop sensation. The Slovakian pop star was cut in the first round of a reality show that created the girl group Katseye. She’s now on tour, and after releasing her first studio album, she has become a solo star.
People are running backyard ultramarathons. In these races, which usually last more than 100 miles, runners must complete the same 4.167-mile loop once each hour. If you fail, you’re out. No, thanks!
Have we hit peak protein? Cookies. Water. Chips. Pop-Tarts. Protein is finding its way into things that don’t traditionally contain much of it, and supermarkets have become protein maxxed. Use this calculator to check if you’re getting enough protein. (You probably are.)

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Forest flavors are popping up in various foods. Miriam Martincic

Have a pine-flavored soda. Food is now in its woodsy era. Forest flavors, such as juniper, spruce and pine, are appearing in drinks.

Change up your skin care routine. You don’t need to break the bank for a good moisturizer. These are the best drugstore skin care products, according to Wirecutter.

Brush up on your literary trivia. Can you recognize these autumnal quotes? Take our quiz.

Read more about how The New York Times covers young people. (In this interview, I called the paper “unc.”)

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Scott Ball was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-09-30 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:10 GMT

Extra Credit: The fallout at Cornell

View in browser|nytimes.com

September 30, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. The fallout from the fraternity sexual assault case at Cornell University keeps growing. It’s all over my feeds, and I bet it’s all over yours.

Fraternity members and students from other schools are condemning Cornell’s handling of the case. Influencers and celebrities are weighing in. And more details have emerged, including an image of the messages from the night of the alleged rape.

What we know

Prosecutors have reopened the case of a woman who said she was raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. She is suing seven men, the university, the fraternity, her sorority and a bar.

The local district attorney said the woman’s statement to the police in 2024 did not support a criminal case. Now, he says, he hopes to speak with her about “new evidence.”

What is happening at Cornell?

The Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Heather Ainsworth for The New York Times

Student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun have been covering the story since 2024. After the woman filed her lawsuit, the paper published an editorial titled “Cornell Won’t, We Will,” which named the seven men in the lawsuit. Alumni also wrote a letter to the editor that called for accountability.

The lawsuit claims Cornell failed to protect the woman and let the men submit essays to address their conduct. Cornell denied that essays were the “sole consequence” for the fraternity members, stating that the investigation led to suspensions and expulsions.

My colleague Emma Goldberg is on campus. “Students I’ve interviewed are bewildered about why only a few of the men involved in this case were reportedly expelled,” she said. “They’re also marveling over the strangeness of learning that guys they knew — from class and clubs — could be guilty of something so sinister. Now students seem a little jaded.” She explains more here.

Are you a Cornell student? I want to hear about the reaction on campus. Email me here.

Now, on to the news.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

The Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq, on Tuesday. Zaid Al-Obeidi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

1. U.S. forces formally withdrew from Iraq today after two decades. Some Iraqis were celebrating the end of the American military presence, but others fear what will happen next.

2. ICE plans to hire 5,000 new employees by the end of the year to support President Trump’s deportation campaign. It would expand the agency’s work force by around 17 percent.

3. The Supreme Court said the Trump administration, for now, could resume deporting immigrants to countries not their own. The justices said that the case had been fast-tracked and that they would hear oral arguments in December.

4. Meta is using A.I. data centers to avoid billions of dollars in federal taxes. The company is exploiting a lucrative tax break to support research and experimentation. Here’s how.

5. A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted after the pilots fought in the cockpit. The plane plunged thousands of feet before passengers intervened. Read what we know.

6. Hispanic voters on the Texas border have soured on Trump. They were essential to the winning Republican coalition in 2024. Now, many say they are furious over Trump’s approach to immigration and the economy.

On campus

Carnegie Mellon University has received the largest single donation in the history of American higher education: $3 billion, from a hedge fund executive. Much of it will go toward building a campus in Miami.
The University of Michigan said it would halt a plan to get rid of letter grades for many first-year students.
A Bollywood dance team at the University of California, Los Angeles, inspired a Netflix coming-of-age movie called “Best of the Best.” Our photographer followed one team, Nashaa. I loved the photos.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Justice Broughton, 18, College of the Holy Cross

The details: It’s a fun button-down shirt (with a topographic pattern!) paired with a sweater vest and some comfortable black pants. I’m a sucker for fun button-downs and sweater vests, so combining these two was a match made in heaven (to me, at least).

Anything else? The minute I saw this shirt, I knew I couldn’t live without it. It’s green. It’s topography. And it was somehow on clearance!

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

Ivy Wolk is yapping her way to stardom. Wolk, 22, is known for her anarchic social media presence. She has appeared in movies like “Anora” and will soon make her Broadway debut.
Backpack, a grizzly, won Fat Bear Week. He won with just over 5,000 votes, and he’s part of a legacy: His mother, Holly, was also a champion. Congratulations, Backpack!

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

It’s almost time for the leaves to change color. Nantahala Outdoor Center — Chattooga River Outpost

Look at some foliage. The leaves will start peaking soon, but this year, consider looking at them from the water. Here are the best spots.

Go for a run. But don’t push yourself too hard too soon. Follow these strategies recommended by experts to avoid an injury.

Watch a new movie. I saw “Primetime” at the theater last weekend, and there are so many other new films I’m excited for this fall. See our full list.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Jill Foley was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-01 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: New Cornell documents

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 1, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. The Times obtained more than 1,000 documents from Cornell University’s inquiry into rape accusations by “Jane Doe.”

What we found

The records have helped shed light on the three weeks between the fraternity party and Jane Doe’s decision to take her story to the campus police.

They show that Jane Doe was initially embarrassed about what happened at the fraternity party in 2024. She told her roommates about that night without identifying herself as a rape victim. But one of her roommates later told investigators that Jane Doe seemed as if she was “in shock.”

Over the coming days, her initial focus was the gossip spreading around campus. She sent texts to fraternity members about it. Then, as she was looking through an online forum, she came across a post that made her stop cold. “Are Chi Phi brothers Crips or Bloods because I hear they have been doing hell Gang Banging?” someone had written. “They do drugs and gang r*ped a sophomore,” another user said. “Report them.”

Those words stuck. “That’s the first time I had ever heard the narrative change that I wasn’t a whore and that I was assaulted,” she told investigators, according to documents that were part of the university’s Title IX proceedings. She went on to tell the campus police that she was raped. She said she had been surrounded by a “ring of men,” that she was drunk and had been given ketamine, that her phone was across the room. “There was really no escape,” she said.

She was also definitive about one thing: “I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped.” But the police’s subsequent statement to the district attorney omitted that claim.

Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in September, accusing the seven men of sexual assault. Lawyers for at least three of the accused men have more broadly denied criminal wrongdoing; others have not yet made public statements.

Read the investigation and the takeaways.

The response

The case has stirred outrage, confusion and grief on campus, and students are having difficult conversations about Greek life culture. “There’s a little bit of shock,” one student told my colleague Emma Goldberg. “People are like, Oh, my God, I can’t believe I was in a club with them, or I can’t believe I met them at O-week,” referring to campus orientation.

Students at other universities are responding, too. The Daily Pennsylvanian’s editorial board published a piece titled “Penn has a Cornell problem, too,” and a writer for The Daily Trojan, the University of Southern California’s student newspaper, argued that fraternities should be abolished.

How has the news about this case made you feel on your campus? Email me.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At a news conference in Nashville before the execution of Christa Pike was halted. George Walker IV/Associated Press

1. A Tennessee woman sentenced to death survived two doses of lethal injection. State officials suspended the execution and took the woman, Christa Pike, to the hospital. It wasn’t clear what went wrong or what her current medical condition was. Read more about the case.

2. Israelis were celebrating the passengers aboard a FlyDubai plane who averted a midair catastrophe. The attacker has not been identified, and key questions remain. The attacked pilot is being called a hero. Read the latest news and one passenger’s account of the flight.

3. Thousands of refugees and legal immigrants are about to lose access to Medicare. Republican-led cuts to the health insurance program are taking effect today. Some immigrants said they weren’t sure how they were going to afford treatment for their conditions.

4. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out his vision for the military. He used vulgarities to describe people who he believes have no place in the military: “No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals.”

5. Artificial intelligence anxiety is showing up in therapy. Patients and providers are processing their feelings about the technology in real time, and some therapists have said that worries about A.I. are becoming increasingly common.

On campus

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Harvard, asking a judge to compel the university to hand over information on hiring practices that the agency said discriminated against white men.
These are the best places to yearn near New York University’s campus. So earnest. (Washington Square News)
Dorm Room Fund, a program that helps college students invest in their peers, raised a new $50 million fund to keep investing in companies created by students.

Dining hall

What you’re eating.

Here’s what Caroline Stanwood, 19, a finance major at Miami University in Ohio, is eating. I wish I thought of this one!

Your hack: Keep a jar of peanut butter in your backpack.

Tell me more? During the pledge process for my business fraternity, I oftentimes would leave my dorm for my 8 a.m. and not get back until 10 p.m. My lifesaver was keeping a jar of peanut butter (yes, a whole jar), an apple and a butter knife in my bag at all times. Whether I needed a meal replacement or quick pick-me-up, it always did the trick.

Submit your meals to Dining Hall.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

An artist’s concept showing the Beta Pictoris system, which has three gas giant exoplanets, 63 light-years from Earth. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

Astronomers spotted radio waves coming from an alien planet. The planet, Beta Pictoris b, is more than 63 light-years from Earth and appears to have an aurora caused by a powerful magnetic field. If confirmed, it would be the first such field known outside our solar system.
Would you go to a phone-free concert? I went to Phoebe Bridgers’s concert in Brooklyn last week, and we had to put our phones in Yondr pouches. I was nervous at first, but I loved being in the moment with a few of my best friends. Read our critic’s thoughts on her experience at the concert.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Pumpkin blondies! Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Have a sweet treat. I think I’m finally ready to eat pumpkin- and apple-flavored desserts. Try these recipes.

Make an instant coffee. It might not be the same as a regular drip, but it can do the trick in a pinch. These are the best ones, according to Wirecutter.

Download your music. I’m a Spotify loyalist and am always streaming music, but my colleague says that downloading music has some perks. Here are some tips.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Marika Kochiashvili was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-02 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: A forum at Cornell

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 2, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York spoke about how Cornell University’s police department handled Jane Doe’s rape allegations in 2024.

“In what world would the police learn from the victim that she had literally been gang-raped” and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney, she asked. She appeared with the state attorney general, Letitia James, whom she has appointed to investigate the case. We have live coverage here.

And The Times is still digging through more than 1,000 pages of previously unreported documents. The accused men denied any wrongdoing. Their accounts were disjointed and sometimes contradictory. Read what they said.

We have more on students’ reactions:

At Cornell

The emotions were raw in a campus auditorium yesterday.

Students gathered to share their feelings publicly. There were fiery testimonies and pleas for action from university leaders. The meeting gave students a chance to denounce administrators, but few school leaders were present, including the president, Michael Kotlikoff. (Some parents were there, though.)

“We’re absolutely ashamed of the events that happened on campus,” Eeshaan Chaudhuri, the student body president, said.

Cornell’s Interfraternity Council canceled all parties this weekend. And The Cornell Daily Sun has a survey asking community members how they feel about the lawsuit. The responses are updated in real time.

Watch this video to hear more reactions from students.

The New York Times

Across the country

More student newspapers have been publishing opinion pieces about the allegations at Cornell. Here are a few that I saw. Did I miss any? Email me.

A writer describes in The Harvard Crimson a personal experience with sexual assault.
At the University of Connecticut, Patrick Minnerly argues that students should be enraged by the case. “If you identify as a man and think that it has nothing to do with you, you are mistaken,” he writes.
“When the Cornell administration faltered, it was the students who rose to the occasion”: Joshua Hawkins, at the University of Virginia, celebrates student journalism.
At Boston University, Lucio T. Maffei asks to what extent people can change. His article discusses “moral monsters” and questions the limits of forgiveness.
In The Vanderbilt Hustler, Maggie Young argues that fraternities represent old systems of power. “Institutions built within patriarchal societies have historically given men greater authority to define, control and respond to violence against women,” she argues.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

The Dnipro River in Kyiv, Ukraine. Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times

1. Russia is planning to cut off major Ukrainian cities from power, heat and water this winter, according to Ukraine.

2. The Supreme Court will review the policy of detaining migrants who crossed the border illegally years ago. It’s a sign that the justices plan to respond to major pieces of President Trump’s deportation campaign.

3. A woman in Tennessee is in critical condition after surviving a botched execution, according to her lawyers. She was on death row for murdering a classmate in 1995.

4. A pilot who was stabbed shared his story. He said he was attacked by his co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight this week but managed to open the cockpit to get help despite his injuries. “I couldn’t let all of them die,” Capt. Smit Machchhar said.

5. The job market slowed last month, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent. Good luck out there, seniors.

Office Hours

Your questions about the news and life, answered.

I am in the arts and sciences side of my college, and my friends in the business school were telling me about the stock market and all things finance. What is the best place to expand your knowledge of the markets and be smart with money? — Sarah Noël, 21, sociology major at Providence College

Great question, Sarah. I asked Ron Lieber, the Your Money columnist for The Times, to tackle this one:

Buy one share of stock, at a brokerage firm that won’t charge you fees. Pick an industry you already know (even if it’s just as a consumer) or is related to something you’re studying. Set a Google alert for the company. And then just … watch what happens. How does the news about the company — and the world — affect the share price?

My Uncle Frank did this for me with McDonald’s when I was a child and sent me Wall Street Journal stories about the company. I’ve never forgotten how much it taught me.

Submit your question to Office Hours. And want more financial tips? Click below to subscribe to Your Money.

Get a better grasp on your finances.

Get it in your inbox.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Maybe I could match these 2016 vibes? Rebecca Smeyne for The New York Times

Are you ready for Halloween? Having to come up with a costume gives me hives. Luckily for us, my colleagues in Styles made a list of costumes that scream 2026. I’ve been nostalgic for 2016, so maybe I’ll dress up as a SoulCycle instructor. 💛
For some young singles in Japan, dating apps are out. They’re turning to marriage agencies, but it isn’t cheap. Couples who get engaged have to pay an additional $1,300 “success fee.” If couples have premarital sex or live together, that’s another $1,300.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Happy shopping. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter; styling by Megan Hedgpeth

Buy something that lasts. My colleagues at Wirecutter just named some items to its new Hall of Fame list. Time to shop!

Try our first crossword puzzle. It’s from 1942, and it’s nearly impossible to solve. It’s so hard that even our crossword editor had no problem admitting that it was a doozy. Try it here.

Break up nicely. You told us your best wildest breakup lines. (My favorite: “Why aren’t you crying?”) See more here, and tell us yours.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you next week!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis and Marika Kochiashvili were our photo editors.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-05 NYT Extra Credit

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Punishments at Cornell

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 5, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. Protests are planned to start at Cornell University today and are expected to continue this week. An administration building was defaced and a glass door smashed early this morning.

The school’s president called the inquiry into Jane Doe’s rape allegations a “defining moment” for the school. And Jane Doe’s lawyer said in an interview with NBC News that she was “not doing well.”

We have more about how Cornell disciplined the men accused of sexual assault in Jane Doe’s lawsuit. None of the men face criminal charges. All of them denied any wrongdoing. Read their accounts of the night here.

The school’s punishments

In university disciplinary records obtained by The Times, we found:

The school expelled two of the men. A university panel found one responsible for sexual assault, according to the records. Another, the files show, sent a Snapchat message to fraternity members encouraging them to enter the bedroom where Jane Doe was undressed. She also accused him of sexual assault.
The university suspended two of the men and put them on probation. One was suspended for two years and another for three semesters. Both were required not to contact Jane Doe. They were also required to study sexual harassment and to write reflection papers, according to disciplinary records.
One man, who had graduated by the time of the discipline panel’s ruling, faced a persona non grata order and was barred from campus for three years, according to the files.
Two others were accused of being part of the group of men who entered the room after reading a Snapchat message, the records show. The school ordered them not to contact Jane Doe; to study sexual harassment, social media use and bystander intervention; and to write reflection papers, the documents show.

Read the full story.

Over the weekend …

The campus was subdued, even as some students were still looking to cut loose.

“I think that it’s going to be a quieter year,” one senior, reflecting on the pause on Greek life this weekend, told my colleague Maia Coleman. “The vibe is different, at least for us. I would be very surprised if in a week, two weeks, three weeks, we were back to normal.”

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the Suncor Energy refinery in Commerce City, Colo. Mark Makela for The New York Times

1. It’s the first day of a new Supreme Court term. The first case is a landmark dispute about whether local governments can sue oil companies over damages caused by climate change. Follow our live coverage.

2. Democrats are leading governor races in Republican territory, according to new polls. They are in reach of flipping four Republican-held governorships in Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.

3. The U.S. rushed to withdraw bombers from a British air base. The withdrawal was highly unusual, and it came after new threats about an Iran-backed plot against the installation.

4. The Nobel Prizes are being announced this week. Three scientists were awarded the prize in physiology or medicine today for their discoveries in neuroscience.

5. Karoline Leavitt has a new gig. The former White House press secretary is joining Fox News as a contributor.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Who: Jayden Morfín, 20, mechanical engineering major at the University of Arkansas.

The details: I’m known for wearing pajama pants on the regular, and that day a group of resident assistants and I decided to dress formally for our staff meeting, just because (hence the sports jacket).

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

On campus

The American University of Afghanistan has lost its State Department funding, putting the education of hundreds of Afghan women at risk.
The Times’s publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, spoke with student journalists at Michigan State University. Read his interview with The State News.
Five fraternities at Indiana University were placed on cease and desist in September after allegations of hazing. (Indiana Daily Student)
The campus Wi-Fi at the University of South Carolina is reportedly bad. (The Daily Gamecock)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

In the recording studio. Matthew Defeo for The New York Times

Can you tell if this music is A.I. generated? My colleague spent days making a song to compare. (I preferred the song made by humans. How about you?) Read more about the experiment here.
Librarians are keeping communities together. We spoke to more than 50 of them about their jobs. I found their responses so moving.
What are the best TV shows? You let us know. More than 100,000 people told us their favorite shows of the century so far. See the full list. (And how well do you know them? Take our quiz.)

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

I love a jambon beurre. Mark Weinberg for The New York Times

Make this sandwich. You need only three ingredients: a baguette, butter and ham.

Tell the truth. Giving someone feedback can be a challenge, but it’s doable. Here are some tips.

Take our news quiz. How much did you keep up with the headlines last week? Test your knowledge.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-06 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: Student protests in France

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 6, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. High school students have been protesting across France over school understaffing, overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.

The demonstration movement began last month in a single school in the suburbs of Paris, and it has spread to hundreds of schools. Some demonstrators have barricaded school doors, set buildings on fire and shot fireworks at police officers, though many protests have been peaceful.

Roughly 6,000 people have been arrested since the protests began and about 300 high school students and school staff have been injured, as well as more than 700 police officers.

A protest in Rennes, France. Alain Jocard/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

At Cornell

Thousands of students and faculty members protested at Cornell University.

Students wore name tags that read “Jane Doe.” Others held signs criticizing the school administration, and many called for the abolition of fraternities. An undergraduate who helped plan the demonstration said the protesters were urging Cornell to change its policies for responding to reports of sexual assault.

More news from Cornell:

Faculty members are angry, too. The faculty senate plans to vote on a rare no-confidence resolution over how administrators handled the assault accusations in 2024.
Ketamine, an increasingly popular party drug, is at the center of the case. Read more about it.
The case also shows how the Trump administration has shifted its enforcement of Title IX toward issues like blocking protections for transgender students and away from sexual misconduct.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

At the R.A.F. Fairford air base in England. Craigyoungmedia/UGC, via Reuters

1. The U.S. abruptly withdrew bombers from a British air base because of a potential Iranian drone attack, according to U.S. and British officials. Commanders had received new information about a possible attack ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

2. Paramount closed its deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a media behemoth.

3. Francis Halzen received the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was honored for paving the way for a new kind of astronomy and pioneering a telescope used deep in the ice at the South Pole.

4. Kenya has recorded its first Ebola case. The virus was diagnosed in a man who had arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has experienced a severe Ebola outbreak.

5. Switzerland’s melting ice is revealing ancient artifacts. Is this a 2,500-year-old ski? Look at what scientists are finding.

In the Swiss canton of Valais. Giacomo d'Orlando for The New York Times

On campus

Wellness peptides are getting popular on campuses, including Arizona State University’s, according to The State Press.
Minnesota’s football team had its first home win against Michigan in 49 years. The Little Brown Jug, a rivalry trophy, is back in the hands of the Minnesota Gophers. (The Minnesota Daily)

Dining hall

What you’re eating.

Sophia Byl, 19, is a nutritional biochemistry and metabolism major at Case Western Reserve University. She has a snack to share with you all.

What are you eating? I make what I like to call “infinite trail mix,” which usually contains walnuts, pistachios, no-sugar-added cranberries and dark chocolate bark.

Tell me more! I like the walnut-pistachio combo because it covers fiber, protein and omega-3s. I didn’t know pistachios were a complete protein until reading NYT’s nut nutrition article from a bit ago, which made me even more eager to include them in my trail mix.

Submit to Dining Hall.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Anne Hathaway Macall Polay/20th Century Studios; Alisha Wetherill/Amazon and MGM Studios, Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

It’s an Anne Hathaway renaissance. She has starred in five major films since April, and has scored three No. 1 films on an opening weekend in a calendar year. It may be a while before we see her again: “You’re not going to see me until you have to,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
Before the Big Bang, there was … what? We asked 100 scientists about major, unsolved problems. Read their hard questions.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Have you ever had a pen pal? Mallory Ensing

Get a pen pal. It’s another way to inject some whimsy into your lives.

Go shopping. It’s Amazon’s October Prime Day. We found the best deals for you.

Read these books. They are finalists for the National Book Awards.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Hiroko Masuike and Carlos Garcia Rawlins were our photo editors.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-07 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: The data center boom

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 7, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. Data centers are popping up all over the United States. Last year, 180 new ones were completed, according to an energy data company, and another 88 have been completed this year. More are on the way, and some teenagers have been protesting them.

While the rate of construction has increased, the size of the centers has, too. One planned in Utah could rival Manhattan in its total acreage. The surge can best be seen from the sky. Look at the data center boom here.

We’re also covering:

The anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks
More from the Cornell case
Really loud birds

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

In Kibbutz Beit Guvrin, Israel. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times

1. It’s the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Twin brothers, who were abducted in the Hamas-led attacks and among the last living hostages freed, told us how they were adjusting. And our photographer Saher Alghorra documented how residents in Gaza are coping after a devastating war that has left much of the enclave reduced to rubble. Watch the video below to see his photos.

The New York Times

2. A former acting U.S. attorney general will oversee the internal investigation at Cornell University. Sally Yates will investigate how the school handled a former student’s claim that she was raped.

3. Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after her botched execution, according to her lawyers. She’s continuing to receive medical care at a hospital in Nashville, and her lawyers said that her prognosis remained unclear.

4. Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They were honored for solving a longstanding mystery about mirror images in molecules.

5. Ukraine is clawing back land in the Donbas area. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has said that the fall of the region is inevitable, but recent trends on the battlefield are painting a different picture.

Side hustle

What you’re doing outside class.

Piper Saunders, 21, is a religious studies major at Wake Forest University. Her side hustle takes place on campus, where she hosts pop-up coffee shops.

What’s your side hustle? I reached out to my school’s Christian Study Center, which hosts a lot of events, and asked if I could open a coffee shop on various Saturday mornings. I love making coffee and baking, so it is a great way to make money and do something I enjoy.

Hours per week: Three.

Pay: It varies, but I usually make around $200 when I do it.

Why do you like it? I like it because I get to talk to a lot of my friends on Saturday morning and make them coffee! It is a fun way to serve people by doing something that I love. The only part that is hard is finding time to do it, because Saturday mornings can get busy in college.

Submit your Side Hustle here.

On campus

The University of Arizona put its fraternity chapters on “interim activities suspension,” citing reports of misconduct.
A group of current and former students from Lincoln University, a historically Black university, sued Missouri, arguing that the state spent decades illegally underfunding their school.
Two members of Sigma Phi Delta at Lehigh University were disaffiliated from the fraternity after they were said to have sent a graphic recruitment text message. The fraternity is under investigation. (The Brown and White)
Middlebury College will be tuition free for students with family incomes of up to $175,000, starting with the class of 2031. (The Middlebury Campus)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Look at this A.I. food slop. Sam Bush for The New York Times

A.I. food slop is all over. And the results are kind of … gross? The burritos are grayish, and pastas are covered in random black dots. Experts told us why it looks like that.
These birds are so loud. Two species of Brazilian birds are the loudest in nature, according to a new study. At about 122 decibels, they’re louder than elephants and jackhammers. I played the bird calls out loud in the office, and my co-worker gave me a funny look. Listen to them.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Could you lift a stone? Jiro Akiba for The New York Times

Get stronger. You can try one of these strength tests from around the world. Who wants to arm wrestle? Or should we lift some stones?

Hang out with some llamas or alpacas. You can take selfies with them at a farm. Some llamas regularly visit stressed-out college students in California. Look at how adorable they are!

Make some muffins. These recipes require only one bowl, and they all take under an hour.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

Whet Moser edited Extra Credit today. Carlos Garcia Rawlins was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-08 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:00:07 GMT

Extra Credit: What will you earn?

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 8, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Which college majors pay off — or don’t?

My colleagues Ron Lieber and Arfa Momin created a tool that shows what graduates earn, depending on their degree.

Mathematics majors at Duke University had the highest median income four years after graduating, at nearly $300,000, while graduates from Juilliard may not earn more than the median high school graduate.

I tried my alma mater, Northeastern University, where I studied journalism and English. (Journalism majors there had a median income of $74,709, and English majors were at $67,877.) Check what people with your major make. And watch the video below to learn more.

The New York Times

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Protesters in Paris. Abdul Saboor/Reuters

1. High school students and their supporters are protesting in France again. More than 150 schools were closed, and students are angry about teacher shortages and budget cuts. Follow our live coverage.

2. President Trump has alienated some Republican voters. Some dispirited voters in the party tell us they may stay home in November.

3. Is there a plague risk in Russia? A researcher at an anti-plague institute died from a mysterious pneumonia, but the Russian authorities said that she had been vaccinated and that there was no “emergency.” American officials demanded more information.

4. Christa Pike woke up angry and confused after her botched execution, according to her lawyers. Her condition, which was disclosed yesterday after a court hearing, remains severe.

5. Anne Carson, a Canadian poet, won the Nobel Prize in Literature. She’s best known for her translations of ancient Greek texts, which she remixes in a modern, playful voice.

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Who: Lexa Overman, 20, English major at Rogers State University

The details: I’m wearing a lacy black skirt with a Chinese-style shirt with frog closure and a mandarin collar, as well as a gold sword hairpin and a crescent moon hairpin.

The occasion: Mid-Autumn Festival. I planned the event for the International Students Association.

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

On campus

From Cornell:

One of the men accused of sexual assault at Cornell University was designated as a party monitor at the fraternity party where Jane Doe said she was sexually assaulted.
The Cornell case has revived a national conversation about whether fraternities and sororities are harmful or beneficial.

And, elsewhere:

A religion professor at Haverford College in Pennsylvania was accused of harassing a colleague with a campaign of anonymous and antisemitic posts on social media.
Leon Botstein, a former president of Bard College with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, has resigned from all positions affiliated with the school. (He had previously continued to teach and play a prominent role in the school’s music programs.)
Need help paying for college? Try bass fishing. Some schools, like Bethel University in Tennessee, are offering scholarships.

How do you become Howard University’s next top model? You need to strut on a catwalk for starters. (The Hilltop)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat.

The New York Times

Jonathan the giant tortoise knows something about aging. At about 194, he’s the oldest known land animal. Scientists have sequenced his genome for the first time, hoping he can offer clues into longevity.
This Luddite influencer wants you to put your smartphone down. August Lamm once had 200,000 followers, but she has since swapped her smartphone for a 2002-era cellphone and pawned her laptop. Now, she’s writing about her experience divesting from technology.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Can you recognize these famous faces?

Can you recognize these famous people? All of them have appeared in the pages of The Times. Take our quiz.

Read your tarot cards. My friends do readings for me, but maybe it’s time for me to learn how to do that myself. These are the best decks, according to Wirecutter.

Add some joy to your day. My colleague Melissa Kirsch writes a lovely newsletter called The Good List, in which she highlights nice things, including nice rocks. Click the link below to subscribe.

A weekly inventory of ideas, rituals and cultural artifacts to add joy to your days.

Get it in your inbox.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Carlos Garcia Rawlins and Brent Lewis were our photo editors.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-09 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: A.I. detective

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 9, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! Are you good at spotting A.I.-generated photos? I consider myself a pretty solid detective, but I still get stumped sometimes.

They have gotten more sophisticated. Look closely at this A.I. photo. There are a few signs that it’s fake. Can you spot them?

We’re also covering:

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
An ICE shooting in New York
Tinashe

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today

Navi Pillay. Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

1. Navi Pillay, a human rights lawyer, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She has served as a judge in South Africa and on international courts. She also led a U.N. panel that determined that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim that Israel rejects.

2. The Pentagon is expected to livestream an execution by firing squad. The Army officer Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is set to be executed in public, a practice that ended in the United States nearly a century ago. Read more here.

3. There were some spicy debates last night. Candidates in three key Senate races — Georgia, Maine and Michigan — lobbed bitter and personal attacks. Senator Jon Ossoff called his opponent Representative Mike Collins a “bigot.” Read our takeaways.

4. An ICE agent shot a man in New York. The man was in a car with his 5-year-old in the back seat when he was shot and wounded, the authorities said. Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused the Trump administration of “terrorizing our city.”

5. Hurricane Isaias is approaching Florida and Alabama. The storm was upgraded to a Category 3 and is set to make landfall late tonight or early tomorrow. Follow our live coverage.

Dining hall

What you’re eating

We have a fall recipe for you today. It's from Natalie Sherman, 21, an environmental engineering major at the University of Texas at Austin.

What are you eating? Baked spaghetti squash.

Why? Spaghetti squash is the best meal prep hack there is, especially in the fall! Buy a squash from your local grocery, cut it in half, put some cheese and pesto on top, stick it in the oven for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, and BAM! Nutritious, easy and delicious with minimal effort. (I pair it with a slice of fresh-baked sourdough.)

Submit your meals to Dining Hall.

On campus

The Labor Department is investigating several universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Arizona State, for potential abuses of the J-1 visa program, a cultural exchange program that allows international students to study in the U.S.
Princeton congratulated Anne Carson for being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She once taught there as a professor, but — as the internet was quick to point out — the university denied her tenure in the 1980s. Awkward!
This student at the University of Michigan spent 24 hours on Yom Kippur in the library to atone for his sins. Read his essay.
Does the Cornell case feel familiar? My colleague Susan Dominus argues that while politics, technology and sexual norms change, the power dynamics — and outrage — are familiar.

Tinashe is stepping into her pop star era. She has long been considered underrated, and her new album, “Popstar,” is receiving some of the best reviews of her career. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a response so positive for my work right out the gate,” she said, beaming, “and it’s kind of funnnnn.”
Can a pinned video be punishment? An influencer lost a defamation lawsuit after she posted videos condemning the F-Factor diet. As part of a settlement, she must keep an apology video pinned at the top of her Instagram and Facebook accounts for three and a half years.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead

I love tortang talong. Janice Chung for The New York Times

Make this dish. Try this eggplant, which is one of my favorites — it’s a Filipino dish called tortang talong.

Go to the movie theater. I’m dying to see “The Social Reckoning,” which is now in theaters. Read our review and watch the writer and director Aaron Sorkin break down a scene from the movie.

Read a classic book (with a twist). We asked the author Kat Dunn for her favorite dark and modern retellings of books, including “Jane Eyre” and “Frankenstein.” These are her picks.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. I’m taking a little vacation, so I’ll see you on Oct. 19. But don’t worry! We’ll still be in your inbox on Tuesday with my colleagues. Be nice to them!

This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

Forward today’s newsletter to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A.

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com.

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Scott Ball was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-13 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Free money

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 13, 2026

	By Talya Minsberg

Good morning! Talya here. What would you do with a year of free money?

The Times followed people participating in a universal basic income program, which received funding from Google, that provided $1,330 a month for a year. (There were no strings attached). The idea is that the program could be an alternative or a complement to traditional welfare.

We found that people quickly spent money on groceries, rent, utilities and laundry. Some also bought a new blender, tickets to an amusement park and swim lessons for their kids.

Elon Musk and other tech leaders have called these programs a solution to A.I.-fueled job losses. Read more about them here.

We’re also covering:

A death at Six Flags
Kelly Clarkson’s shopping saga
So many burritos

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Representative Thomas Kean Jr. of New Jersey Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

1. A worried Republican Party: Top super PACs aligned with President Trump are scrambling to avoid midterm losses. They are cutting funding for two House incumbents.

2. Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, was asked to resign, the White House said. She’s facing accusations that she had asked a donor to pay off her American Express bill.

3. Federal agents searched the home of Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat. (The Justice Department has long avoided such investigative steps so close to an election.) Read more here.

4. The emergency response to Christa Pike’s botched execution was delayed by about a half-hour because the authorities questioned if the 911 call was authentic.

5. One person died on a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. The company said it was temporarily closing nine rides across the United States and Canada as a precaution.

6. The actress Selma Blair was arrested after a call about a “physically abusive passenger” on a flight that landed at Kennedy Airport.

On campus

Yale University’s president complained on a hot mic about the school’s trustees and a student, describing her as “one of those students who shows up pissed off.” Read more in The Yale Daily News.
The University of Pennsylvania has seen an increase in the cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease among undergraduates this fall. (The Daily Pennsylvanian)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Kier Gaines Caroline Gutman for The New York Times

Kier Gaines is pushing millions of people online to be more vulnerable. But some college students don’t think of him as a therapist. Read more about him here.
“Big mistake. Big. Huge!” Kelly Clarkson said she was treated as if she was not good enough for a Brooklyn store’s merchandise. The store has a different account.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Christopher Testani para The New York Times. Estilismo de alimentos: Simon Andrews.

Wrap a burrito. My friends and I had a make-your-own-burrito potluck and totally overdid it. Now we all have burritos for the freezer. Stock yours, too, with this excellent recipe.

Be careful with anti-aging claims online. Many are inaccurate, experts say.

Win at Crossplay. This article can help you master it.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-14 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Cornell bans frat parties

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 14, 2026

	By Evan Gorelick

Good morning! Evan here.

Cornell University has banned fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year and will add experienced sexual assault investigators to work with its police force in response to rape allegations that have shocked the campus and the nation.

The pause in parties will allow for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell, where a third of undergraduates participate in Greek organizations, the school’s president said.

In an interview yesterday with The New York Times, he noted that the parties had become more central to student life after the pandemic: “There is an issue, post-Covid, of what are the options for students in a town like Ithaca,” he said. “Many, many bars and venues went out of business and did not come back.”

Read more from the interview, which is the first that the president has given since Jane Doe filed her lawsuit.

We’re also covering:

A spy inside OpenAI??
New York’s bathroom shortage
Real-life horror movie locations

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Pope Leo this month. Remo Casilli/Reuters

1. Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with a common form of lung cancer called lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said, and the lower lobe of his right lung was removed during surgery. (What is his prognosis?)

2. OpenAI said it had discovered a hidden recording device in one of its offices and traced it to an employee, whom the F.B.I. arrested.

3. Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as the U.S. ambassador to Greece after reports that she had asked a Republican donor for $100,000 to pay off her credit card debt. Read about her rise and fall in the Trump administration.

4. Inflation accelerated in September. The bulk of the rise came from energy prices, which have increased this year because of the war with Iran. Follow our live coverage here.

5. A man convicted of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

6. President Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, held her first briefing yesterday. It was tough to watch. She spent eight minutes reading tremulously from a script, then called on only three reporters. (They were from Breitbart, Fox News and The Daily Mail.)

On campus

Penn State University has recommended 47 academic programs for closure, including geobiology and elementary education. (The Daily Collegian)
The University of Maryland club tennis team has been indefinitely suspended after emailing “racist imagery,” including Ku Klux Klan hoods, to other collegiate teams. Read more in The Diamondback.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Cameron Winter in Carnegie Hall. Lewis Evans

Geese in Carnegie Hall: Cameron Winter, the 24-year-old frontman of the popular but divisive rock band Geese, sat a Steinway piano last year and played a solo set on one of music’s hallowed stages. We have the story of how he got there.
Bathroom shortage: Should New York City require businesses to open their bathrooms to the public?
Joni Mitchell finally became an American citizen after some 60 years of living in the country.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., which inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining.” Matthew Staver for The New York Times

Visit real-life locations from “The Shining” or “Friday the 13th” to get in the Halloween spirit.

Pick a good Thanksgiving recipe. It’s early, but you could accumulate the necessary ingredients at your leisure. You can even do a test run!

And stay toasty with a great space heater.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-15 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Cornell in crisis

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 15, 2026

	By Evan Gorelick

Good morning! Cornell’s president is in hot water.

The university’s faculty senate, mulling a vote of no confidence against his administration, grilled him during a meeting yesterday. Here’s some of what was said:

A labor and employment law professor said she was not swayed by policy changes the president announced this week, including banning fraternity parties.
A music professor expressed concern that reports of sexual assault at Cornell have climbed since 2021. More than a third of undergraduate women said in a 2025 survey that they had some kind of nonconsensual sexual contact during their time at the school.

It’s a growing crisis at Cornell, whose response to national scrutiny has so far followed a familiar playbook: add rules, hire outside investigators, perhaps make a leadership change. Will that be enough this time?

We’re also covering:

The parade of women exiting the Trump administration
An unbelievably large pumpkin
The Kelly Clarkson tapes

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

The New York Times

1. High-ranking women keep leaving the Trump administration, often involuntarily: an attorney general, a labor secretary, a homeland security secretary, a national intelligence director and most recently, an ambassador to Greece.

2. The total cost of ads this midterm election cycle has surpassed $10 billion. (It’s on track to eclipse the 2024 presidential cycle.)

3. More Texas schoolchildren are being charged with crimes after minor offenses like vaping, making threats and lashing out at school.

4. President Trump’s new press secretary has called herself a lawyer and a “general counsel.” The president has called her an “attorney.” Does she have a law license?

5. A contract dispute is forcing many migrant children to face immigration judges alone. In some cases, children as young as 7 have agreed to voluntarily leave the country without a lawyer present.

6. Trump canceled the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of the Army officer who was convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting.

7. Sally Rooney said her novels would no longer be sold in the United Kingdom because of her financial support for a pro-Palestinian group that the British government banned as a terrorist organization.

On campus

A 21-year-old woman reported that she was sexually assaulted last weekend at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago, the city police said, putting another campus on edge.
Virginia Tech named its next president: Richard Linton, who has been serving as the president of Kansas State University. (Collegiate Times)

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

Ron Wallace celebrates with his pumpkin. Frerichs Farm

Gigantic gourd: A farmer in Rhode Island raised a 3,156-pound pumpkin this year, smashing the previous record of 2,856 pounds set just a week prior.
We’re jumping the gun? Stella Lefty’s viral hit “Boston” was likened to a popular Noah Kahan tune. Now the internet has made a sport of pointing out similarities between her work and other popular songs.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Watch the security-camera footage of Kelly Clarkson’s now-infamous visit to a Brooklyn store that wouldn’t let her buy a bespoke toy bird. (And listen to the latest episode of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” which investigated the incident and obtained the footage.)

Crisp some brussels sprouts on a sheet pan in the oven. If you do it like this, they’ll almost have that satisfying, deep-fried restaurant crackle.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-16 NYT Extra Credit

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Robot trainers

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 16, 2026

	By Talya Minsberg

Good morning!

Could a robot cut your hair? This morning, I would have said no.

Then I watched these Dallas barbers who strapped cameras to their bodies to record themselves working. They are among the countless workers around the world who now have a second job title: robot trainer.

The incentives for wearing the cameras are worthwhile for many: a double income for a single job. But are they training robots to replace them?

It depends. Ed McDonald, one of the barbers, asked a client if he would let a robot cut his hair. The answer was swift: “No.”

We’re also covering:

A school shooting in Oregon
A mind-boggling amount of math
Weekend movie reviews

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

Elon Musk and President Trump. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

1. An avalanche of cash is keeping Republican candidates competitive. Elon Musk has become the biggest known midterm donor, and he appeared to just give $158 million to Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate candidate in Texas.

2. A teenager shot his way through locked doors into an Oregon elementary school, killing three children and a teacher before an armed bystander shot him dead, the police said.

3. Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, admitted that she never passed the bar exam. She defended calling herself a lawyer.

4. Young voters, particularly men, are turning their backs on President Trump and Republicans after swinging right in the 2024 election.

5. Parisian authorities acknowledged a “collective failure” to prevent sexual offenders from working in schools after a surge in abuse accusations.

On campus

Harvard’s endowment grew by $11 billion this year to a record $68 billion.
From Opinion: Want to address sexual assault? Make fraternities admit women, the president of Wesleyan University writes.

Required reading

The stories about to hit your group chat

The New York Times

What are data centers doing? A mind-boggling amount of math. It took nearly an octillion calculations, a thousand trillion trillion, to train OpenAI’s new model. It’s impossible to comprehend, so we visualized it.
How do Americans feel about socialism? Public opinion polls and recent primary results have shown that it is growing in popularity, even as there’s disagreement on what it means.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Source photos by NYT Wirecutter, The Infinite Door

Pull a card. Wirecutter researched over 100 tarot decks. Here are the best.

Pick a movie. Our critics can help. Here are The Times’s reviews of some of the weekend’s new releases, including “You Can See Everything,” “Whalefall,” and “Sense and Sensibility.”

Make better scrambled eggs. Impress your friends by adding just a small amount of “starchy slurry” to your scrambled eggs. Let us explain.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you on Monday!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Lauren Jackson. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-19 NYT Extra Credit

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: A social media mob

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 19, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. It’s so nice to be back. There’s a lot for us to catch up on, but first, I want to talk about a growing online movement.

After a former Cornell University student named seven men in a lawsuit and accused them of sexual assault, a movement gained steam online to reveal her identity.

One post offered $5,000 for the name and photos of Jane Doe. Within a day, commenters were circulating a woman’s name and photos of her from a social media account.

An analysis found more than 11,000 accounts that had made almost 25,000 posts that purported to name her. Many of those posts included hateful or antagonistic language, and some used misspelled words such as “sIut” instead of “slut,” in apparent attempts to evade the platforms’ text filters. Read the full story here.

We’re also covering:

Riots in France
A campus influencer
The Elizabeth Holmes documentary

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

A street in Marseille, France, on Sunday. Thibaud Moritz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

1. There were huge riots in France this weekend. Anti-government demonstrations devolved into riots and looting that led to nearly 2,400 arrests on Saturday and widespread damage. Read more about the protests.

2. President Trump endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming Israeli election. Trump praised Netanyahu on social media, saying that any other choice would be the “wrong Leader.” Israelis are heading to the polls next week.

3. Trump said he was making progress on a peace deal with Russia. He defended his decision to ease tariffs and other sanctions against Russia. He also hinted at a hostage deal, but did not specify whose release he was seeking.

4. New findings challenge the narrative around the O.J. Simpson case. Newly unsealed records and interviews show that an “extremely reliable” informant told the authorities about the missing murder weapon. Read the investigation and takeaways.

5. Who are ICE officers really targeting? The Department of Homeland Security has said that it’s pursuing “the worst of the worst” criminals, but data shows that arrests of people with no criminal records have soared. Click below to watch the video.

The New York Times

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Zinia Lee, 20, is a fashion production management major at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She’s also a content creator with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. I asked her a few questions:

Tell me about this outfit. I love wearing pink, so I started with the polka-dot dress and felt it needed a little more pizazz, so I added the lace shrug to spice it up and add a whimsy factor. The Gentle Monster glasses I use to see the board at school have silver and pink gems, so I matched them with long, dangly earrings that feature silver and pink gemstones. I adore a matching moment, like the black boots and black polka dots or even my pink hair to my pink dress and bag! The goal is always to look like Draculaura from “Monster High.”

Who are your other style inspirations? Lisa from Blackpink. Alexandra Leclerc. The main character of “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.”

Have you been recognized on campus? Yes! (One student told her that she’s one of the reasons she came to FIT.)

Who is your favorite on-campus influencer? Tell me here. And send me your Fit Checks!

On campus

Miami is at the top of The Associated Press’s college football poll for the first time since 2002 after the team beat its rival Florida State. Read more about the game, and take a look at all the college football winners and losers from Week 7.
The student paper at the University of Florida is celebrating its 120th anniversary today. “Some of the challenges we face today might sound surreal to those first editors, who lived in a 45-state U.S. and wouldn’t see widespread modern air-conditioning until nearly half a century later,” The Alligator’s editorial board writes.
Forty-eight students from New York University, Pratt Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, Savannah College of Art and Design and more shared their fit checks, advice and music with The Fader. These students have better music taste than me …

It’s a big moment for Zara Larsson. She has long dreamed of being a pop star. This year, she unlocked pop superstardom. (As a fan, I couldn’t be happier.) Watch her interview on “Popcast.”
The Elizabeth Holmes documentary is out. And I’m dying to watch it. The nearly three-hour film, “You Can See Everything,” opened to more than 2,000 sold-out shows after being released on 855 screens. Does it live up to the hype? Tell me!

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

This curry looks delicious. Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Make some comfort food. For me, the most nourishing meals always include rice. Try one of these recipes.

Don’t lose your temper. I know, it’s easier said than done. Keep your anger in check with these three tools.

How does The New York Times make tough calls? If you’re curious, you should subscribe to our new newsletter, The Backstory. Hit the link below to subscribe.

Your inside look at the decision-making, tough calls and challenges behind New York Times journalism.

Get it in your inbox.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Talya Minsberg. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-20 NYT Extra Credit

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: College football superlatives

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 20, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! It’s already the midway point of the college football season. My alma mater did not have a football team, as I’ve probably mentioned, so all this is a little new to me.

I am getting a bit of a crash course from my colleagues at The Athletic, who are handing out midseason superlatives. Miami was named the best team; James Madison was deemed the best team from a non-Power 4 conference; Jeremiah Smith, a wide receiver for Ohio State, was named the best player; and Oregon State’s Jesse Legree was called “college football’s biggest surprise.”

Already over football? It’s almost basketball season. Florida was at the top of The Associated Press’s preseason poll, followed by Duke, Illinois and Connecticut.

We’re also covering:

Origins of life
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
Deep fried eggs

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

French police officers in Lyon on Monday. Olivier Chassignole/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

1. France extended its curfews. The country’s prime minister said the measures helped keep the calm overnight after days of rioting and looting.

2. Mahmoud Khalil appealed to the Supreme Court to stop his deportation. Khalil had recently graduated from Columbia University when he was arrested by ICE and became the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

3. Residents of Alberta voted to remain a part of Canada. They rejected a campaign to try to separate the oil-rich province from the rest of the country. Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the result.

4. Christiane Amanpour said she was leaving CNN. Amanpour, one of the most famous names in broadcast news, is stepping down next year. She started at CNN in 1983.

5. How did life arise on Earth? Three moments may offer some clues. I’m trying not to get too existential.

Dining hall

What you’re eating.

Avocado toast may be a millennial delicacy, but the fruit is full of nutrients. Here’s what Amelia Kingsley, 19, a chemistry major at Yale, does with them:

What are you eating? A whole avocado.

Where? In the library, in class or in the dining hall.

Her hack: I keep a stash of whole avocados in my dorm. In the morning I put one in a jar in my bag so it doesn’t get crushed, adding it to dining hall salads for extra nutrients and healthy fats.

Submit your meals to Dining Hall.

On campus

The City University of New York raised $312 million in donations during the 2026 fiscal year. My colleague James Barron talked to the chancellor to learn more.
David Sabatini, a prominent scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was forced out of his job over sexual harassment allegations, won a defamation case against his accuser, along with a $6 million award.
The vibes were high during Cornell University’s homecoming tailgate, but as nighttime came around, the effects of the party ban led to a more subdued scene.
The former Cornell student who accused seven men of sexual assault in a lawsuit sent a letter to faculty leaders last week, saying that she felt “unsupported” and “disbelieved” by the school’s president. Read the letter.

Kylie Jenner walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She wore the Fantasy Bra, a $50 million piece with thousands of diamonds on it.
Can you guess which snack has Copenhagen in a chokehold? It’s literally sliced cheese on bread with butter, known locally as a bolle med ost (bun with cheese), shortened to BMO. The city’s top bakeries are striving to perfect the snack.
Get dumped by A.I. on reality TV. Three celebrities dated A.I. avatars on a South Korean show called “My A.I. Partner: Strange Love.” One contestant went on a pool date with one, slept next to another and was dumped by a third.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Would you eat egg katsu? Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.

Fry an egg. If you can’t decide between sunny side up or over easy, how about deep frying it? Egg katsu is blowing up online. Try this recipe.

Play a board game. It could be a great way to bond (or start beef) with your friends. Here are the best ones.

Eat some seaweed. It’s great for your gut, is a complete source of protein and has some vitamins, too. Now I’m craving seaweed salad!

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Talya Minsberg. Scott Nelson was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-21 NYT Extra Credit

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Extra Credit: Meteor shower, N.B.A. and man-on-the-street videos

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 21, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning! You might want to look up tonight.

The Orionids, a meteor shower from Halley’s comet, are reaching peak activity tonight. The bright and speedy streaks can sometimes linger in the sky for minutes. Try to find a dark sky, and don’t bother with telescopes or binoculars because they can limit your field of view. You may be sitting and enjoying the show for a while, so wear some layers, too. Here’s how to catch the shower.

We’re also covering:

President Trump’s approval rating
A Costco club
The N.B.A.

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

A photo provided by the Moscow City Court showing Stephen James Hubbard in court in 2024. Moscow City Court, via Associated Press

1. Russia released an American from prison. The release of Stephen James Hubbard, a 74-year-old teacher, came after Trump made a direct appeal to President Vladimir Putin. Steve Witkoff, a Trump administration envoy, thanked Putin and called him a “humanitarian.”

2. Trump’s approval rating hit a new low. It was driven down by broad disapproval of his handling of the economy, the war in Iran and high gas prices, according to a Times/Siena poll. Just 36 percent of likely voters said they approved of his performance, while 59 percent said they disapproved.

3. SpaceX and Tesla are exploring a merger, Elon Musk said. A deal would create a de facto Elon Inc., consolidating his holdings into a company worth well over $3 trillion.

4. A major city in Yemen is running out of food and water. The Houthi militia has encircled the city of Taiz as officials there warn of an impending humanitarian disaster.

5. Trump is pushing to evict the press from the White House. He has talked about turning the White House briefing room into a swimming pool.

Side hustle

What you’re doing outside class.

Mihika Kasi, 21, is a business management and marketing student at the University of Florida. I love this idea:

What is your side hustle? I create thrift bundles for people!

Tell me more! I got tired of replying “I thrifted it” when my friends would ask me where my outfits are from. I changed the reply to “I thrifted it, but you have to let me thrift for you sometime!” Now we are all happy.

Hours per week? Four.

How much do you charge? I charge a 70 percent markup. (1.7 times the cost of the items, based on client budget and requests.)

Submit your Side Hustle here.

On campus

Justice Elena Kagan criticized the Supreme Court’s conservative majority during a conversation at Catholic University. She said a series of election-related decisions in recent years had intensified polarization.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reached a deal with the Trump administration that allows the school to keep federal funding. The agreement is similar to ones made with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia.
Love $5 rotisserie chickens and buying in bulk? Join the Costco Club at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Daily Bruin has the story.
This junior at Harvard University isn’t just a student athlete. He’s also an influencer and model who has done work for J. Crew and Dior after being scouted at a Harvard boathouse. Read more in The Harvard Crimson about how he keeps “the main thing the main thing.”

LeBron James showed up ready for business on opening day. He entered his 24th N.B.A. season and first as a Philadelphia 76er in a double-breasted suit. “It was perhaps an affirmation of how seriously he plans to take this season, as he aims for a fifth title, with a new team,” my colleagues wrote. The 76ers went on to beat the New York Knicks.
Do you watch man-on-the-street videos on social media? I do, and I’m always afraid that I’ll run into the interviewers in New York. While these interviews are meant to capture pedestrian wisdom, our writer argues that the videos have become gentrified.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Yum! Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.

Eat some pasta. I’ve been craving spaghetti and meatballs for like two weeks. You, too? Use these tips to upgrade your red sauce. And before you ask: Yes, you can use store-bought tomato sauce.

Get some sleep. Just stay clear of some common medications that can keep you up. Here are five.

Can you guess these distinctive objects from books? Take our quiz.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Talya Minsberg. Scott Nelson was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

2026-10-22 NYT Extra Credit

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:00:06 GMT

Extra Credit: How young voters are feeling

View in browser|nytimes.com

October 22, 2026

	By Matt Yan

Good morning. There’s a notable shift among young voters ahead of the midterms: More 18-to-29-year-old voters are backing Democrats.

A poll of likely voters by The Times and Siena University found that 70 percent of young voters identified as Democrats or leaned that way. That’s 15 points higher than in our last poll before the 2024 election.

It’s also comparable to 2008, when a youth wave helped Barack Obama win the election.

The poll found that approval of President Trump was its lowest among young voters, at 16 percent. That’s at least 11 points lower than any other age group. Read more about the shift.

Have questions about voting or the midterms? Ask us in Office Hours.

We’re also covering:

Protests across Europe
A matchmaker for giant birds
The former collegiate athlete who swam the length of California

Talking points

What you need to know to be the smartest person in class today.

In Madrid, Spain. Juan Medina/Reuters

1. More young people across Europe are protesting. High school students in France have been joined by students in at least seven other countries. Greeks protested for more university funding, and young Spaniards and Portuguese have pitched tents to protest high rents.

2. The U.S. and Israel are drawing up plans for renewed strikes on Iran. The strikes would come after the American midterm elections. It’s far from certain that Trump will approve fresh strikes, as he’s repeatedly vetoed plans for a return to major combat operations.

3. Meta was ordered to pay $25 billion for deceiving users on privacy. The penalty is one of the largest levied against a tech giant.

4. Pope Leo XIV needs no further treatment for lung cancer, his doctors said. Test results confirmed that the cancer was localized.

5. Clavicular, the manosphere influencer, pleaded not guilty to a rape charge. He was charged in September with assaulting a 17-year-old girl. His next court date is set for Nov. 24.

6. An Australian zoo played matchmaker for giant birds. Martina, a southern cassowary, laid bright green eggs, which were the first at the zoo in 34 years. Congratulations, Martina and Jeffrey!

Fit check

What you’re wearing.

Donovan Santine, 20, biomedical engineering major at the University of Texas at Austin.

The details: Navy blue suit and 64-channel EEG cap.

Tell me more! I’m controlling a drone in real time with my mind and dressing up for the occasion.

Submit your outfits to Fit Check.

On campus

The Cornell University case has highlighted a shift in how Title IX is enforced on campuses. College officials say the swinging pendulum of how it is enforced has created confusion on campuses.
A woman filed a lawsuit against the University of Chicago’s chapter of Alpha Delta Phi and its national organization, claiming that a fraternity member sexually assaulted her at a party. (The Chicago Maroon)
Who is keeping the crowd hype at University of California, Berkeley football games? You can always count on the Mic Men, the “unsung heroes” who rally the entire student section. (The Daily Californian)

Required reading

Catherine Breed Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

This woman swam the length of California. Catherine Breed, a two-time all-American swimmer who competed for the University of California, Berkeley, braved sharks and storms on her journey that took over 100 days and around 890 miles.
Have you heard of “dark nutrition”? It’s less of an actual diet and more of a style of thinking about health and food. Think fewer vegetables, more raw meat. Fans of dark nutrition think that everything you know about food is wrong.

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

And today’s extra credit …

Do this to get ahead.

Choose your next book. Deena So'Oteh

Read a new book. These four are filled with slow-burn dread. Spooky!

Host a soup swap. I love a cookie swap, but I may have to try this one with my friends. I mean, you get eight dinners in one hour. Here are some tips.

Listen to some music. All of these songs are odes to different actresses, like Drew Barrymore, Bette Davis and Nicole Kidman.

Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. This newsletter is powered by your submissions — tell us about your classes, questions, crushes, side hustles and obsessions here.

Also: Times access is free for half of all U.S. college students through their school. Tell your friends to check if their school provides free access.

And forward this to your roommate, professor, club president or T.A. See you tomorrow!

Want more of today’s top stories? Tune in to “The Headlines,” our podcast that includes top headlines and analysis.

Any tips or feedback? I’m all ears. Email me at extracredit@nytimes.com

The editor of Extra Credit is Talya Minsberg. Brent Lewis was our photo editor.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Extra Credit, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

NYT Extra Credit

2026-09-10 NYT Extra Credit

2026-09-11 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Field trip!

For laundry

For dorm cooking

For vacuuming

Missed Connections

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-14 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Fit check

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-15 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Side hustle

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-16 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Office hours

On campus

Trending

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-17 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Missed connections

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-18 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Fit check

Missed connections

Tailgate

Trending

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-21 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Office hours

On campus

Trending

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-22 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Dining hall

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-23 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Fit check

On campus

Trending

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-24 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Side hustle

On campus

Required reading

PLAY TODAY’S GAMES

And today’s extra credit …

2026-09-25 NYT Extra Credit

Talking points

Fit check