October 9, 2025

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Bob Ross’s work heads to auction, friends are a lifeline to longer life, and Lou Gramm gets good with Foreigner 😎

But first our weekly poll!

Canada removed its retaliatory tariffs on American liquor several weeks ago; however, a tariff isn’t relevant if the product isn’t being stocked at all.

While some provinces have resumed purchasing and stocking American spirits, the Distilled Spirits Council of America says most provinces continue to keep their booze off shelves.

Overall, spirits exports from the United States were down a staggering 9% year-over-year in Q2.

“There’s a growing concern that our international consumers are increasingly opting for domestically produced spirits or imports from countries other than the U.S., signaling a shift away from our great American spirits brands,” Chris Swonger, the council’s CEO, said in a Monday release.

“With the slowdown in the U.S. market, it’s more important than ever for American distillers to have reliable access to international markets,” he said. “Until these trade issues are fully resolved, many distillers are remaining on the sidelines, fearful that without a permanent return to zero-for-zero tariffs, they could once again face retaliatory tariffs. They simply don’t want to risk jeopardizing the investments they’d need to make to reestablish their presence abroad.”

According to a new study published by researchers at Cornell University, long-lasting and deep relationships aren’t just bringers of joy and happiness, but may actually lead to a healthier and longer-lasting life.

The study looked at the impact of maintaining a vibrant social network, and found noticeable markers on epigenic, inflammatory, and neuroendocrine pathways; in other words, having lots of deep and meaningful friendships can lead to lower levels of inflammation, lower risk of heart disease, and a lower chance of neurodegeneration.

“Cumulative social advantage is really about the depth and breadth of your social connections over a lifetime," said Anthony Ong, psychology professor at Cornell University. "We looked at four key areas: the warmth and support you received from your parents growing up, how connected you feel to your community and neighborhood, your involvement in religious or faith-based communities, and the ongoing emotional support from friends and family."

Specifically, focusing on and cultivating friendships over the course of a lifetime can have a direct and positive influence on one’s own longevity.

"Think of social connections like a retirement account," Ong said. "The earlier you start investing and the more consistently you contribute, the greater your returns.”

Congressional budget cuts of over $1 billion to public broadcasters have led 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to seek other sources of funding to stay afloat.

In an effort to raise some of that money, 30 pieces of historic art painted by ‘80s and ‘90s PBS legend Bob Ross will be auctioned off.

“[Ross] dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”

The paintings are being auctioned specifically to raise money to help public broadcasters cover the licensing fees to air content provided by American Public Television, including shows like The Best of Joy of Painting, America’s Test Kitchen, Julia Child’s French Chef Classics and This Old House.

Bonhams will start the auctioning with three paintings hitting the block in Los Angeles on Nov. 11, and the remaining works will be auctioned off in various venues afterward, including New York, London, Boston, or online.

Bonhams anticipates the collective works will sell for between $850,000 and $1.4 million.

Lou Gramm left Foreigner for good in 2003, but by 2005, Mick Jones had assembled a Foreigner version 2.0 consisting of Jason Bonham, former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, and Gramm’s replacement, Kelly Hansen. They were selling out smaller venues within a year, and successfully moving on without Gramm.

Over the following years, however, Gramm was able to repair his relationship with Jones from the outside, and in 2013, the two were inducted together into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In the years since, Gramm has joined various iterations of Foreigner for special one-off performances, and has performed with combined versions of various iterations that Pilson cheekily dubbed “SuperForeigner.”

"I've been doing shows with them and I've been enjoying it a lot. The band is excellent. They portray the songs [in a way that] an original member of Foreigner would be proud to to to play along with," he recently told UCR. "They have their own style, but they stick close enough to the original [versions] where no one's going, 'Hey, where's that part?' So it's a lot of fun.

"We have fun on stage and offstage. There's a lot of camaraderie there that is a different brand from the original Foreigner, but nonetheless, it's very appreciated,” he added.

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