today in tabs: see you in Iowa, i guess??

ALSO: Love Island is officially a phenomenon and a recession indicator, Teslas just got even more toxic, and more

Jul 11, 2025

Happy Friday, July 11th, 2025.

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

Want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

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Today, we have some texts from Christen Sparago, Interim Vice President, Digital at EMILYs List!!! Christen is on the frontlines – both digitally and otherwise – of some of the most important fights in our nation right now. And to that end, to keep in touch + learn all about EMILYs List’s work, make sure you check out their newsletter, Friends of the List. :)

This text has been edited for clarity and concision.

Deadly Texas floods raise questions about emergency alerts and whether staffing cuts affected forecasts and warnings

The Integrated Public Alert Warning System, known as IPAWS, is software used to send emergency text alerts to cellphones, but none were initiated by Kerr County, according to CBS News' analysis. The only notifications sent to the public were the ones from the National Weather Service. (CBS News, 7/7)

Iowa Democrats plot 2028 comeback for caucuses

Some Iowa Democrats are arguing for their state party to go first in primary season — no matter what the DNC does — because Republicans are set to hold their Iowa caucuses anyway. The Iowa Democrats don't want to cede the national media limelight to the GOP. (Axios, 7/10)

Freed from ICE detention, Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million claim against Trump administration

On Thursday, his lawyers filed a claim for $20 million in damages against the Trump administration, alleging Khalil was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his prominent role in campus protests. (AP, 7/10)

Can RFK Jr. Track My Oura Ring?

If someone were to steal your data, there’s very little recourse as a consumer. The data can also be sold to a third party, such as researchers, advertisers, and other companies, without your knowledge or consent — or you may even opt in to sharing your information in one specific way with the company that created a device, only for the parameters to change without your input later, says Hamerstone. (The Cut, 7/10)

ChatGPT Is Helping Women Get Pregnant

Among the questions Mandy Hoskinson asked ChatGPT while she was trying to conceive a child: How long, on average, does it take 32-year-olds to get pregnant? Is it helpful to elevate your legs after sex? Is eating special foods beneficial for conception? This was all last year. Now, Hoskinson is holding her one-month-old daughter, whose existence she credits to ChatGPT. (Rolling Stone, 7/9 – free version)

Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles ‘next week,’ says Elon Musk

The update also comes as adjustments to Grok have made the chatbot more prone to misbehavior — including making antisemitic comments, slating the Democrats, and even rape threats. X took down Grok temporarily on Wednesday to attempt to solve the problem. (TechCrunch, 7/10)

YouTube replaces Trending tab with charts that show “micro-trends enjoyed by diverse communities”

In recent years, however, the rapid expansion of YouTube’s creator community turned the single, centralized hub of trending content into an obsolete concept. That cultural shift informed YouTube’s decision to sunset the Trending tab. (Tubefilter, 7/10)

Glossier is joining TikTok Shop

Since it launched in the U.S. in September 2023, TikTok Shop has become the country’s eighth-largest beauty retailer, according to a NielsenIQ report. A consumer trends report from the New Consumer and Coefficient Capital even found that TikTok Shop—which, as of 2024, counted an estimated 150 million daily active users—was more popular among Americans than Shein and Sephora. (Fast Company, 7/7)

Lucy’s note: I was a preteen when Glossier rose to fame… and over a decade later, I still find it one of the most interesting cultural “girlboss” microcosm stories. There’s a good book called Glossy about it if you’re also interested!

How men are redefining masculinity through style, substance and self-care

Male users now represent more than one-third of our global audience.1 Our data paints a picture of a nuanced group of male users on Pinterest that largely rejects the toxicity you might find elsewhere online—and engages with content in positive, authentic ways that might surprise you. (Pinterest Newsroom, 7/8)

Why Is Everyone Watching ‘Love Island USA?’

Historically, reality TV has spiked in popularity during times of societal and economic hardship. “If you look at literature on why people watch reality TV, that’s one of the main reasons: escapism,” said Danielle J. Lindemann, the author of “True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us.” (NYT, 7/7)

Lucy’s note: Dare I say… I am not enjoying this economic instability, but man, am I enjoying the recession indicators. Will keep y’all posted if I find a good Love Island bar here in DC.

Alex Warren’s Not-So-Ordinary Rise to the Top

But as the fans and streams keep rolling in, so do the TikTok comments and the criticism. Some critics have dubbed Warren’s Billboard hit as a song that’s “driving us nuts,” as one outlet put it. Even Warren, who doesn’t seem to not quite realize he’s a star, finds himself poring through the comments section. (Rolling Stone, 7/8 – free version)

Lucy’s note: From Addison Rae to Alex Warren, I am always fascinated by the influencer to mega popstardom pipeline.

First-Time Home Buyers Are MIA. Landlords Are the Winners.

The flip side of sluggish demand from first-time home buyers is a rapidly swelling population of tenants. In a bullish sign for landlords, the number of renter households in the U.S. has reached a record 46 million. (WSJ, 7/7 – free version)

Cloning Came to Polo. Then Things Got Truly Uncivilized.

Among his ponies are six lean bay mares with splashes of white staining their dark foreheads. Cambiaso has ridden thousands of horses in his decades-long career, but these mares are special. They are perfect genetic copies—clones made by a company called Crestview Genetics—of the most celebrated pony ever to set hoof on a polo field: a prize-winning, recently retired mare called Cuartetera. (WIRED, 7/10)