“Increases in the shelter, food, and medical care indexes were the largest of many contributors to the monthly seasonally adjusted all items increase.”—Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Consumer Price Index Summary

“Legs are coming soon! Are you excited? ”—Meta Horizon Worlds announcing that avatars will soon have legs

“Obscene tweets ensued.”—Men’s Health describing the moments after Jonathan Majors’s shirtless Creed III photo leaked online

—Sherry Qin

On October 8, an Iranian state TV broadcast of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was interrupted for a few seconds by an unsanctioned message showing crosshairs over the leader’s face and photos of four women who died in Iran in the last month. Voices chanted “women, life, freedom” as text on the screen urged viewers to “rise up and join us.” Another line of text read, “The blood of our youth is dripping from your grip.” The urgent message displayed on television screens across the country was the result of a hack.

Since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died under suspicious circumstances days after being detained by Iran’s morality police for the way she was wearing her hijab, the women in the Kurdish regions of Iran have taken to the streets to protest the country’s oppressive laws. And they’ve met a brutal response. According to the nonprofit Iran Human Rights, over 150 people have died during the protests. Still, the Iranian people’s voices continue to be heard—women are burning their hijabs in front of police and oil workers are going on strike. But one method of protest is unique to the 21st century: hacking a news network, then uploading the results to social media.

The Iranian state TV hack was one of many recent high-profile digital attacks. In October alone, crypto exchange Binance reported its network got hacked for $570 million, malware apps “may have” stolen over one million Meta customer passwords, and pro-Russian hacking groups were able to temporarily knock some US airport websites offline.

Cybersecurity experts agree it was a particularly busy week for hackers, hacked organizations, and the companies plugging up the holes. But the public perception of cybersecurity is limited to what makes headlines—many others happen all the time.

“There were a variety of public-facing events, but organizations are getting hacked around the globe at an alarming rate,” said Nick Biasini, head of outreach at Cisco Talos, a threat intelligence research team.

Citing the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war and civil unrest in Iran, Tiago Henriques, head of research at Coalition, said it’s a volatile time in the world. The recent high-profile hackings, Henriques said, are “best understood in the context of escalating geopolitical conflicts.” A pro-Ukraine hacking group also hacked Russian television networks to broadcast an anti-war message to several channels.

There’s no indication that the hacks will slow down, even if you stop reading about them. Both small revolutionary forces and powerful authoritarian governments see hacking as a major way to send a message, whether it’s to spread dissent or squash it.

—Ashwin Rodrigues

Most YouTubers and Twitch streamers wouldn’t blink at a joke about defecation. Body humor is a staple of most internet forums. But for Liv, a cam performer—a creator who streams custom, adult shows for paying clients—these jokes can be disastrous.

As she manages her virtual chat room and sits in front of her webcam, she needs to entice new viewers while making her regulars feel valued. But it’s no easy task. It requires a mix of hustle and charm to convince someone to pay for the pleasure of her performances. The vibe must always remain sexy.

When Liv’s regulars get a bit too comfortable, it can hurt her chances of securing paying clients. “I had a regular talking about how he was on the toilet, and this is in the chat where everyone can see him,” said Liv, 31, who lives in Texas and performs under the name Liv Anonyma. (Morning Brew is withholding last names to protect privacy.) “I’m like, ‘Dude. Oh my God! This is not part of a sexy environment.’”

On the flip side, Liv said, there are other regulars who want to spend time in the shows chatting with her, “and sometimes it takes away from potential customers that I could be engaging with.”

Setting boundaries with clients and the way they behave in her chat room can be tricky for cam performers like Liv, especially when those clients are paying the bills. “If something happens and a boundary is crossed [...] it can become a little sticky because customers might be offended,” Liv continued. “They’ve spent a lot of money on you—like they’ve purchased things, but they treat it like an investment.” Liv noted that clients often take it “personally” when she expresses her discomfort.

Although maintaining a roster of steady, repeat customers is lucrative, it can also be challenging. Those who do maintain regular clients often find themselves battling manipulation tactics, unpaid emotional labor, and dwindling payments from customers-turned-friends. That heady mix can make the safety of regular work feel like more hassle than it’s worth.

According to Danger, a 43-year-old cam model from Iowa who has been performing for the last four years under the name Danger Darling, having regulars can provide financial stability in a saturated and competitive market, and can even make the job more pleasant. “They just get straight to the point,” Danger said about her regulars. “They understand where to begin and I have pretty decent relationships with them.”

“I always [tell] them that this is fantasy and everything’s with respect and with consent here, and let’s have fun together,” she said.

According to performers like Vivian and Clark, a cam performing couple from the Northeast who have been together for a decade, such arrangements can even be freeing in comparison to traditional jobs. “As employed in a vanilla workplace, I was never sure of people’s intentions there,” Vivian said. As a cam performer, she has absolute clarity about clients’ intentions. Continue reading this story by Jessica Lucas on how cam performers navigate the demands of their workplace.

You might recognize Catherine Steadman from her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey, but she’s had a very busy week as a writer. She made her screenwriting debut with an adaptation of psychological thriller The Ex-Wife on Paramount+ in the United Kingdom (US release date is TBD). She is also the best-selling author of Something in the Water. Her latest novel, The Family Game, is out October 18.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Don’t take advice from anyone who has more problems than you.

What’s the most embarrassing song you’ll admit to liking publicly?

There’s a UK cartoon that my toddler is obsessed with right now called Octonauts. There’s a section of every episode that contains a song called “Creature Report.” It’s a VERY catchy band camp style song…all the bears (or whatever they are) march on the spot as they sing it. It’s absolutely hilarious—also my daughter becomes infuriated when I accidentally sing along.

What fictional person do you wish were real?

Mr. Peanut of Planters fame.

What real person do you wish were fictional?

Everyone represented in true crime, I guess. I’d much rather they were fictional.

What invention do you wish you could take credit for?

Bouncy castles.

What always makes you laugh?

I’m really enjoying the podcast Smartless at the moment. I laughed so loud on the street the other day that two men across the road stopped and stared at me.

If you were given a billboard in Times Square, what would you put on it?

I think I’d have it broadcast a rolling set of general affirmations that might give passersby a little lift in their day. Small silly stuff like…

“It’s OK to sit down and have a coffee for a minute.”

“You’re doing a great job.”

“You’re getting there, don’t worry.”

“That thing you’re good at—you’re really great at it!”

Sometimes we all need that little nudge.

—Interview by Amanda Hoover

Step aside, shrinkflation: Smart Balance’s buttery spread is facing backlash over “skimpflation” as consumers noticed they watered down their recipe. [Retail Brew]

The Hall of Financial Terrors: It crawls…it creeps…it eats you alive! It’s the curse of the adjustable rate mortgage. [Money Scoop]

Newbie leaders, listen up: Sidekick’s guide to actually listening dropped just in time for you to get a head start on your hustle. [Sidekick]

AI is wack: According to Betterment, one of the world’s largest robo-advisors, whose consumer-facing investment offerings make virtually no use of machine learning. [Emerging Tech]

Bootstrapping #FAIL: While sometimes the answer to a problem is working harder, other times the answer is policy, interdependence, and community. [Money with Katie]

The offset onset: It seems like every company and their mothers are claiming “carbon neutrality”—but what does that actually mean? [Marketing Brew]

Can Brew Do It? In this episode, Morning Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman challenges two teams of Brew creators to dream up a new startup and make a pitch presentation worthy of his investment—all in 90 minutes. [Morning Brew]

All things crypto: Veteran Brew writer Jamie Wilde joins Business Casual to break down crypto basics, and Raoul Pal, founder and CEO of Global Macro Investor and Real Vision, talks about how to navigate the crypto winter. [Business Casual]

The best thing we read this week: Want your dog to live longer? One company is developing drugs to improve your furbaby's lifespan and maybe yours, too. [Wired]

In our budgeting bag: Money Scoop is our thrice-weekly personal finance newsletter sharing smart spending habits. Learn how to better invest, budget, manage your taxes, and much more. Subscribe for free.

—Sherry Qin