Yesterday I realized that when I ask the AI to find the most-read news, it tends to tilt toward what I like to read, so I told it to do another search, and the result was different. They even know what the bots are searching for and give them what they think they want.
Incognito check, 6:39 a.m. CT: I ignored what I know about your interests and looked at the broad national front pages plus actual “most read” lists. There isn’t one nationwide readership counter, but the pattern is pretty clear.
- Iran / Strait of Hormuz / gasoline prices. This is the dominant national story. Trump is talking about U.S. control of Hormuz, Iran is pushing back, the blockade continues, and Americans are being told high gasoline prices may persist. It is leading or prominent at Reuters, CBS, ABC, Fox, Axios, and others. (Reuters)
- Hurricane Lala is hitting Hawaii. Heavy rain, dangerous flooding, and wind are driving major morning coverage; it is high on ABC and Google News. (ABC News)
- Anthony Fauci. Surprisingly, the No. 1 item on AP’s “Most Read” list this morning is Fauci declining to appear before a second Senate panel after the GOP contempt vote. (AP News)
- Michigan mass killing. Five victims were killed, and the suspected shooter was later found dead; this is No. 2 on AP’s Most Read list. (AP News)
- Military wife nearly deported. The wife of a U.S. soldier was removed from a deportation flight and released; No. 3 on AP Most Read. (AP News)
- Luigi Mangione. His guilty plea in the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO continues to draw major readership and television coverage. Axios has it among its top stories, and ABC led Friday’s evening broadcast with it. (Axios)
- The November midterms are moving forward fast. Stories about Republican vulnerability, rising Democratic primary turnout, and the political damage from the Iran war and cost of living are increasingly prominent. AP has Democratic turnout among its homepage top stories; Reuters polling has Democrats narrowly ahead of Republicans on handling the economy. (AP News)
- Ukraine’s huge drone attack on Moscow and the deadly Indonesia earthquake are the two big foreign stories breaking into American coverage this morning. (ABC News)
Incognito winner: Iran/Hormuz — especially the connection to gasoline prices and the November election. But the interesting surprise is Fauci being AP’s most-read story. That one I would not have predicted before looking. (AP News)