today in tabs: the end of the "sad beige influencer" saga

ALSO: international students are hitting back at the Trump admin, airlines are making solo travelers pay more, and more...

May 29, 2025

Happy Thursday, May 29th, 2025.

The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database

The United States government has collected DNA samples from upwards of 133,000 migrant children and teenagers—including at least one 4-year-old—and uploaded their genetic data into a national criminal database used by local, state, and federal law enforcement, according to documents reviewed by WIRED. (WIRED, 5/29)

Lucy’s note: You probably already know this, but in case you don’t, WIRED is an absolute must-follow publication for the Trump 2.0 era.

International students sue over Trump’s social media surveillance plan

Fifteen Iranian students and researchers sued the Trump administration for completely halting student visa interviews while it determines whether to vet all visa applicants’ social media accounts. (The Verge, 5/29)

Lawyer says Tate brothers will return to UK to face rape and trafficking charges

The former professional kickboxers have millions of followers on social media. Andrew has drawn a much larger following with self-professed misogyny that has drawn boys and young men to the luxurious lifestyle he projects. (AP, 5/29)

Bluesky has caught on with many news influencers, but X remains popular

The share of news influencers in our sample with a Bluesky account roughly doubled in the four months after Election Day 2024, from 21% beforehand to 43% by March 2025. Most of these influencers – including left-leaning ones – are also on X and post there frequently. (Pew Research Center, 5/29)

The ‘beige Amazon influencer’ lawsuit is headed for dismissal

A high-profile lawsuit between two rival lifestyle and shopping influencers would have rewritten copyright law and changed the creator industry. Now, both parties are asking the judge to dismiss the case. (The Verge, 5/29)

Meta AI now has 1B monthly active users

Meta AI now has one billion monthly active users across its apps, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, as first reported by CNBC. The new milestone doubles the 500 million monthly active users Meta AI had back in September 2024. (TechCrunch, 5/29)

E.L.F. Beauty acquires Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skin care in $1 billion deal

Mass-market cosmetics company E.L.F. Beauty, known for its internet-viral dupes and affordability, has acquired American model Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skin-care brand in a $1 billion deal, the company announced Wednesday. (WaPo, 5/29)

New Banksy revealed but location remains a mystery

Banksy's latest piece of grafitti art has been revealed to the world - but where it was painted remains a mystery for now. Images posted on the elusive artist's Instagram depict a lighthouse stencilled on a drab, beige wall, along with the words: "I want to be what you saw in me". (BBC, 5/29)

Lucy’s note: I was just checking in on this… how is it possible we still don’t officially know who Banksy is? Or do we??

US Airlines Are Quietly Hitting Solo & Biz Travelers with Higher Fares

Since we published that story, we've searched through hundreds of fares and found plenty of examples that prove it: All three of the country's largest carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta) are penalizing solo travelers with higher ticket prices than you can book when traveling with a group – sometimes, significantly higher. (Thrifty Traveler, 5/29)

Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds

The study, published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at 198, 417 mothers with children age 17 and under, finding large declines in self-reported maternal mental health and small declines in physical health from 2016 to 2023. (CBS News, 5/29)

The Rise of the Japanese Toilet

An industry report last year showed that more than two in five renovating homeowners in the United States are choosing to install toilets with specialty features, including bidet toilet seats. Toto’s profits in its Americas housing equipment business have grown more than eightfold over the past five years — and the company has its sights on expanding even more. (NYT, 5/29 – free version)