This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you. *** The modern dating market has been so efficient at reducing romance to metrics that there’s a movie about it. Last year’s romantic drama hit, aptly titled Materialists, put a finer point on this trend, its characters navigating dating lives full of heights, salaries, and hairlines rattled off like baseball card statistics. Yet while the film centered on a New York highbrow matchmaker, the real culprit behind modern materialist dating is a far more popular way to meet: dating apps. If the film’s portrayal of partners as portfolios feels exaggerated, it’s not by much. It resonated with audiences precisely because of how recognizable the shallowness has become. The characters routinely reference people’s “stats” and “market value,” taking the phrase “she can do better” to new and depressingly intricate levels of specificity. The problem, then, doesn’t lie in the fact that people have preferences. Unrequited love, yearning, and other frustrations with the imperfect romantic market have kept love from being too boring — or too easy — since presumably the fall of man. Instead, the change lies in modern dating systems, training us to see every one of our romantic interests as data. The omnipresence of dating apps is hard to explain to those who were lucky enough to find a partner before they became mainstream. Even the email dating of the late ’90s à la You’ve Got Mail seems positively quaint in comparison, back when a single-digit percentage of couples were meeting online. Now, over 50% of couples meet online, primarily via dating apps, making them less of a whimsical plot device and more of a begrudging fact of romantic life for those seeking love. It’s not working very well. Despite the ability to download a wide variety of digital matchmakers from the App Store, singles say the dating market is getting worse, not better. The majority of singles say their dating lives aren’t going well, and it’s difficult to find people to date; nearly half say they’ve noticed dating has gotten harder in the last decade. They aren’t crazy, either. As the average age of first marriages increases and marriage rates themselves reach historic lows, it’s hard to see what, exactly, we’ve achieved with the introduction of the apps. More choice has not produced better outcomes, and there’s a reason for that. If dating apps were perfect reflections of the romantic market, they could be ruled out as a culprit, but a closer look at swipe apps shows how they directly engineer the consumerist mentality plaguing modern romance. Dating apps combine gambling mechanics, aimed at increasing the amount of time spent on them, with a “baseball card” style format consisting of a few carefully curated photos, a bio constrained to punchlines or slogans, and a handful of sortable traits such as height, job, education, or politics. The swiping mechanic then turns romantic interest into a binary decision, forcing snap judgments made in seconds. This system rewards traits that result in positive first impressions — e.g., good looks — but have no correlation with long-term relationships, helping the apps avoid losing users, but hurting those users’ chances at wedding bells. With an endless supply of options and a casino-like momentum to “keep playing,” the resulting loop of people trying to optimize their prospective partner’s stats is a predictable, perhaps even intentional, outcome of the design. Of course, millennials and Generation Z are hardly the first generations to want wealthy, attractive spouses. The desire for hypergamy, or “marrying up,” in all its forms, is as natural a human inclination as romance itself. Dating apps didn’t invent this instinct, but they directly and dramatically accelerated it by stripping away the real-world encounters that once kept it in check. In a more connected, less isolated culture, attraction often grew through proximity and familiarity: the boy next door, the coworker, or the friend of a friend. You learned who someone was before you learned what they earned. The downstream effects of this shift extend far beyond bad first dates. With dating becoming more of an exercise in optimization, commitment is perpetually deferred, contributing directly to delayed marriage, declining birth rates, and a growing population of permanently single adults. At the same time, our current state of affairs fuels resentment and polarization between the sexes, causing men and women to view one another as adversaries competing for leverage rather than partners building a shared future. We are ending up with more than just broken dating: a feedback loop of loneliness, mistrust, and demographic decline that no amount of swiping efficiency can fix. In an increasingly atomized society made more distant by technology, dating begins with résumés rather than relationships. When your introduction to someone is his job title, height, or income bracket, material considerations naturally take precedence over character, turning a universal human impulse into the dominant organizing principle of modern romance. *** Alina Voss is a freelance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

World Economic Forum President Børge Brende said Thursday he will step down from the organization, citing “distractions” stemming from his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.  Brende’s resignation follows the release of Justice Department emails that shed light on his relationship with Epstein, prompting an internal inquiry by the WEF.  “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8½ years, has been profoundly rewarding,” Brende said. “I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions.” In a statement, WEF Board of Trustees co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink thanked Brende for his service and said that the inquiry found “no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.” Board member Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president while the search for a replacement is conducted. In 2018 and 2019, Brende had three dinners with Epstein, roughly a decade after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for solicitation of prostitution from a minor. Brende claimed he did not know about Epstein’s criminal past at the time.  “I was completely unaware of ​Epstein’s past and criminal activities,” Brende said earlier this month. “Had I known about his background, I would have declined the initial invitation to join [former Norwegian Deputy Prime Minister Terje Rod-Larsen] and any subsequent dinner invitations ⁠or other communications.” Brende previously served as Norway’s minister of foreign affairs.  Emails released by the Justice Department appear to show Brende referring to Epstein as his “friend” and arranging a dinner at the convicted sex offender’s Manhattan home. The correspondence also indicates that the two discussed how the World Economic Forum could one day replace the United Nations.  In a September 16, 2018, email, Epstein wrote to a person identified as Brende, “davos [sic] can really replace the UN. cyber, crypto. genetics… Intl coordination. like my stint at the trilateral. issues now need to deal with the distributed trust. and intemet [sic] fallout.” The message appears to reference the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos. Brende replied, “Exactly – we need a new global architecture. World Economic Forum (Davos) is uniquely positioned –public private,” according to an email released by the Justice Department.  A September 21, 2018, email appears to confirm a dinner between Epstein, Brende, and leftist journalist Michael Wolff. In a separate message around the same time, Brende appears to confirm the dinner with Epstein’s assistant.  “I’m already looking forward,” Brende wrote on September 21, 2018. In response, Epstein’s assistant wrote, “He looks forward to seeing you!” In a separate email on that same day, Brende told Epstein he was “looking forward” to the dinner and referred to him as “my friend.”  In March 2019, Brende wrote to Epstein, “Best regards from Moscow and Riyadh….”  A June 2019 email shows the two setting up another dinner at Epstein’s Manhattan home.  The Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files has had international repercussions, including arrests in the United Kingdom of former Prince Andrew and former U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson, both of whom have been accused of sharing confidential information with Epstein.

A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden struck down a key initiative of the Trump administration’s deportation effort Wednesday. Judge Brian E. Murphy of the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that the Trump administration can’t deport illegal immigrants to third countries, which are nations other than their native soil. Instead, federal authorities must attempt to remove the illegal immigrant to their home country or another country approved by an immigration judge, Murphy said in the 81-page ruling. “It is not fine, nor is it legal,” Murphy wrote of the deportation policy. “This new policy — which purports to stand in for the protections Congress has mandated — fails to satisfy due process for a raft of reasons, not least of which is that nobody really knows anything about these purported ‘assurances.’ Whom do they cover? What do they cover? Why has the Government deemed them credible? How can anyone even know for certain that they exist? These are basic questions that the Constitution permits a person to ask before the Government takes away their last and only lifeline.” Murphy ruled that illegal immigrants must have “meaningful notice” before they’re deported to a third country so they have the opportunity to share if they fear persecution or torture there. “These are our laws, and it is with profound gratitude for the unbelievable luck of being born in the United States of America that this Court affirms these and our nation’s bedrock principle: that no ‘person’ in this country may be ‘deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,’” Murphy wrote. “The simple reality is that nobody knows the merits of any individual class member’s claim because Defendants are withholding the predicate fact: the country of removal,” he wrote. The Trump administration has shipped off illegal immigrants to countries like Eswatini, Rwanda, Ghana, El Salvador, and South Sudan, as part of the strategy. The government has 15 days to appeal the order, which exempts border crossers who are to face “expedited removal.” The Supreme Court previously ruled in June against Murphy’s previous order that prevented the Trump administration from deporting illegal immigrants to third countries. As a result, the Trump administration was able to deport a group of eight illegal immigrants with rap sheets to South Sudan, where none of them held citizenship. The group of deportees had criminal convictions in the United States and deportation orders, according to the Associated Press.

Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration would withhold nearly $260 million in Medicaid funding for the Democrat-controlled Minnesota state government following the state’s massive fraud scandal. Vance, who was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the administration’s anti-fraud crackdown during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, said that Minnesota must prove that it “takes its obligation seriously to be good stewards of the American people’s tax money.” According to Vance, the Trump administration is withholding reimbursements for Medicaid services that Minnesota already paid for out of the state budget. “What this means is that first of all, the providers on the ground in Minnesota have actually already been paid,” Vance said at a press conference alongside Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “What we’re doing is we’re stopping the federal payments that will go to the state government until the state government takes its obligations seriously to stop the fraud that’s being perpetrated against the American taxpayer.” Minnesota state leaders, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz were informed of the Trump administration’s move, according to Oz, who said the federal government will hold the Medicaid payments until Minnesota properly addresses the fraud. “If Minnesota fails to clean up the systems, the state will rack up $1 billion of deferred payments this year,” Oz said. Oz assured reporters that the Medicaid funding freeze would not “hurt” Minnesota residents, since the state’s budget has a “rainy-day fund” to cover the lapse in funding. “If providers and beneficiaries are worried about getting their money and services, please call your governor. These are services the governor has already paid for. We are just not reimbursing the state,” Oz said, adding, “This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it’s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously.” Vance has zeroed in on 14 state programs in Minnesota, which include autism service providers and medical service transports that the administration believes is rife with fraud. The Trump administration is giving Walz 60 days to respond to its letter informing the state government of its freeze on Medicaid funding. The vice president called out so-called services in Minnesota that have received millions in taxpayer dollars only to make fraudsters rich. Federal prosecutors recently uncovered a massive fraud scheme in Minnesota that has resulted in dozens of convictions so far. Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” program received federal funds and claimed to distribute meals to hungry children during the COVID pandemic but allegedly never did so. The vast majority of those charged in the fraud scheme were of Somali descent. Vance said on Wednesday that the administration also found that a Minnesota program that was supposed to help kids with autism “has made a number of people rich, not by providing services to needy children, but by allowing fraudsters to take money that ought by right go to American citizens and to American families.” Dr. Oz said at the White House press conference that the new Trump administration effort would be the “largest anti-fraud effort of its kind” in the history of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oz said that a fraud scheme in Minnesota pays mothers around $1,000 to falsely enroll their children as autistic and then Medicaid is billed for millions of dollars in “services that were never rendered.” “These schemes disproportionately involve immigrant communities,” Oz added. “They’re able to organize efforts, and sometimes they don’t understand what’s going on. And ultimately, it diverts resources away from kids who truly have autism.” Daycare and learning centers linked to Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis area have also come under scrutiny for suspected fraud after independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a 42-minute video in December that showed him visit numerous daycares that have received state funding, but don’t appear to be serving any children.

Robert Cosby Jr., who is the son of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Mary Cosby, has died at the age of 23. TMZ broke the news on Wednesday that Cosby Jr. died on Monday, but did not immediately reveal his cause of death. His parents, Mary and Robert Cosby Sr., told the outlet in a statement: “Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called home to the Lord. Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow.” The outlet noted that police responded to a possible overdose, but so far, that information is unconfirmed. Cosby Jr. was seen on the popular reality show and discussed his substance abuse issues there, per Deadline. In a Season 5 episode, the reality star said he used Xanax, Adderall, acid, “Molly,” and cocaine. He also confessed to his mother that he had thoughts of suicide and self-harm in the past. “You’re the only reason I didn’t kill myself,” he told his mom in one episode. His mother replied, “You have to know I love you more than anything, more than anything in this world. I think I love you more than dad — don’t ever tell [him] I said that. But you’re my friend, you’re my son, you’re my gift. God gave you to me. You’re the only thing that ever made me happy. Before I had you, I was never happy. You came, and you were so real. You [were] everything I hoped [for] in a person.” Cosby Jr.’s wife, Alexiana Smokoff, filed for divorce in November 2025 following accusations of domestic violence and a restraining order. These all stemmed multiple domestic incidents, including one at Smokoff’s parents’ house, leading to more than a dozen charges being filed against Cosby Jr., several of which he pleaded guilty to. The divorce was finalized earlier this year.  “Real Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen responded to Cosby Jr.’s death on Threads, writing, “Devastatingly sad news out of SLC. This is every parent’s worst nightmare. My heart is broken for Mary, and I am sending all my love to her and Robert Sr.”