today in tabs: the little elves of soft power

ALSO: the online tools behind the resistance™️, why Gen Z is talking about "fridge cigarettes," and more

Jun 17, 2025

Happy Tuesday, June 17th, 2025.

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 this??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

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U.S. could lose more immigrants than it gains for first time in 50 years

A net outflow of migrants could stoke inflation, a risk economists already expect from Trump’s tariff policies. It also could renew the type of labor shortages the country experienced during the pandemic. Longer term, it could even have implications for fiscal policy, with fewer immigrants paying taxes and supporting entitlement programs such as Social Security, said one of the economists, Wendy Edelberg. (WaPo, 6/15)

Emails Reveal the Casual Surveillance Alliance Between ICE and Local Police

In the email thread, crime analysts from several local police departments and the FBI introduced themselves to each other and made lists of surveillance tools and tactics they have access to and felt comfortable using, and in some cases offered to perform surveillance for their colleagues in other departments. (404 Media, 6/16)

Right-wing disinformation machine spins up a false profile of Minnesota shooting suspect

By the time the actual facts emerged, the right’s reckless and conspiratorial speculation had done its job, muddying the waters with misinformation claiming the shooter was a left-wing associate of Walz, which quickly spread across social media. (Media Matters, 6/16)

Lucy’s note: This piece has a very thorough and helpful timeline of exactly which bad actors said what, when, and on which platform. Something to help us trace and make sense of all the madness – also, I wanted to share this GoFundMe set up for Rep. Melissa Hortman + her husband’s children.

The Online Tools That Fueled ‘No Kings’ and the Trump Resistance

The 50501 group also uses a wide variety of other online platforms to coordinate their efforts, including encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Matrix, which smaller subgroups use for sensitive conversations. Platforms like Mobilize.us allow participants to share information about upcoming protests, while state-level groups come up with ideas for signs and chants on shared Google Docs. (WIRED, 6/16)

Meta AI users confide on sex, God and Trump. Some don’t know it’s public.

Still, the company’s share button doesn’t explicitly tell users where their conversations with Meta AI will be posted and what other people will be able to see — a fact that appeared to confuse some users about the new app. (WaPo, 6/13)

Instagram tests a reposts feature

Some users have reported seeing the feature on their accounts, with one noting that users will be able to repost their own content in addition to other users’ posts. Of course, not everyone will be on board if Instagram decides to roll out the change officially, especially since it would add yet another content format to a platform already overcrowded with posts, Stories, Reels, Notes, DMs, ads, and more. (TechCrunch, 6/16)

Lucy’s note: Instagram continues to make major moves (and major chaos) – this announcement comes after they said you can completely rearrange your grid.

Can This Not-Particularly-Cute Elf Make China Cool?

The enthusiasm over Labubu may pass like any other viral trend. But it could also be another sign that China, which has struggled to build cultural cachet overseas amid longstanding concerns about its authoritarian politics, is starting to claim some victories. (NYT, 6/16)

What is a fridge cigarette? The viral Diet Coke trend explained

Earlier this week, TikTok user @reallyrachelreno posted: “Overheard someone call Diet Coke a ‘fridge cigarette’ and nothing’s been more true to me since.” The video, which has since been viewed 3.5 million times, shows her cracking open a cold one in the sun. (Fast Company, 6/12)

Most Workers Value Remote Work Over Money

Nearly all, or 95 percent, of working professionals want some type of remote work, and 63 percent said remote work is the most important aspect of their job, even more important than salary, according to a recent FlexJobs report. (Newsweek, 6/16)

Why Do Dads Watch TV Standing Up?

Through a series of conversations with dads themselves, along with their children and spouses, I’ve created a rough taxonomy of the different techniques, motivations, and types of dads who enjoy television while fully upright. (GQ, 6/10)

What the Complex Family Tree of the First American Pontiff Reveals

The initial finding about the pope’s Black ancestry looked back three generations. In collaboration with the genealogists at American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, we were able to identify more than 100 people going back 15 generations and discovered a wealth of fascinating stories. (NYT Magazine, 6/11 – free version)

Lucy’s note: Spoilers… there’s a ton of interesting stuff here, but probably the most ~fun~ is that the Pope is related to “numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins, including Pierre and Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Jack Kerouac and Madonna.”