today in tabs: we are STILL talking about the gen z stare
ALSO: Sammy of Girl and the Gov gives us her takes on current trends, Trump is about to make $100 million from his memecoins, and more
Happy Friday, July 18th, 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 the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?
And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), that would be so appreciated 🙏
Today, we have something a little bit different for this section! Sammy Kanter of Girl and the Gov® is sharing an exclusive mini-briefing with us on what’s trending right at this very moment, what she thinks about it, and how it could be used in a political media context. For those who aren’t creators, I think this is a super interesting look at the internal workings of trends, and for those who are… get that front-facing camera open :)
FROM THE DESK OF GIRL AND THE GOV:
Two content trends that you need to know about this week
The Art of the Instagram Story Trend: Despite a nod given to Instagram in this trend’s name, it’s chiefly built for TikTok. And in its growing existence in the feed, the trend has creators sharing a carousel of images that they’d either share on their Instagram Story because the images reflect their modus operandi or are images that they’ve already shared to their story that have operated with the same context in mind.
The trend can easily be applied to political accounts, sharing a mix of on-the road content inclusive of meeting with constituents, potential voters, etc, examples of policy at work [ex: a bridge made possible by funding secured by an elected], and so on, that share with the viewer what IG stories are indicative of what the account’s principal is about.
“Do you gamble?” Trend: As seen here, this trend makes light of an action taken that, in a sense, is a gamble. Specifically, the trend has the creator posing the question (and answering it) of “do you gamble?” The answer is again that, likely, this daily action has varied results.
In a political application, the trend could be used by an organization that endorses candidates, acknowledging that an endorsement or push behind a campaign is a risk, but a worthwhile one. The trend could also be used by an elected making light of their attempts to get a member of the opposite party on board with a piece of legislation. It’s a trend all about showing the dynamics of risk and reward in political decision-making.
For more content ideas that work for political applications, read and subscribe to #VIRAL, a newsletter written by Sammy Kanter at Girl and the Gov®, that drops the latest actionable trends into inboxes every Thursday.
DOJ hits states with broad requests for voter rolls, election data
The most unusual activity is happening in Colorado — a state that then-candidate Donald Trump lost by 11 points — where a well-connected consultant who says he is working with the White House is asking county clerks whether they will allow the federal government or a third party to physically examine their election equipment. (WaPo, 7/16)
Unlocked Trump Memecoins Set to Boost President’s Wealth by $100 Million
The so-called unlock means early investors or insiders previously restricted from selling the coins are now free to trade them. About 200 million Trump memecoins became available at the Jan. 17 launch, so the unlock will increase the circulating supply by 45%. (Bloomberg, 7/16 – free version)
DHS Faces New Pressure Over DNA Taken From Immigrant Children
Citing recent data that shows the DHS took genetic samples from approximately 133,000 migrant children and teenagers—first reported by WIRED in May and made public through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Georgetown Law—Wyden says the government has provided no “justification for the permanent collection of the children’s DNA samples.” (WIRED, 7/16)
Ex-DNC chair launches podcast
Former DNC chair Jaime Harrison will join the crowded podcast market on Thursday, and one of his first guests will be Hunter Biden. In Biden’s taped interview for Harrison’s At Our Table — his first since Joe Biden left the White House — the former president’s son said that Democrats “lost the election because we did not remain loyal to the leader of the party.” (Semafor, 7/16)
Lucy’s note: And ICYMI, the DNC (which is currently headed up by Ken Martin) is over here on Substack as
.
A ‘disruption in discovery’: What Google and Instagram’s new search partnership means for brands
In response to the new feature, brands will need to be thoughtful about how their Instagram captions and hashtags can break through a crowded search page, as that metadata will now be scraped by Google, Winker said. (Glossy, 7/14)
Research shows that YouTube Shorts steers from viewers away from political content
A new study, however, found that YouTube’s automated systems may be curbing that influence. A group of researchers led by Mert Can Cakmak of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock tracked recommended videos on YouTube Shorts and determined that the algorithm tends to steer viewers of political content toward more typical forms of entertainment. (Tubefilter, 7/17)
Yes, Gen Z Is Staring at You. The Question Is Why.
Ms. Jefferson’s video was one of dozens of recent clips racking up millions of views over the last few weeks on the concept of the Gen Z stare, which many social media users have said is the blank stare that members of younger generations give in situations where a verbal response would be more common. (NYT gift link, 7/14)
Why Did the Indie Film Studio A24 Buy an Off Broadway Theater?
The company says it plans a wide-ranging slate of programming, prioritizing theater — Cherry Lane describes itself as the birthplace of the Off Broadway movement — but also featuring comedy, music and film. (NYT gift link, 7/17)
Nobody wants to hang out on TV anymore
Batchelor explains that streaming platforms are risk-averse, so the fact that hangout shows take a while to find and create a bond with a loyal audience makes them a tougher sell. Even Seinfeld, the quintessential hangout series that proudly billed itself as a show about nothing, took a while to land. But once it did, it had legions of fans for life. (Yahoo News, 7/16)
Lucy’s note: I realized this piece was written by the fabulous
, who did a Got A Text interview with us a few weeks ago!
CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’
There has been growing speculation that both Colbert and Jon Stewart, who hosts one broadcast of Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” each week, could be under growing scrutiny from executives at Skydance Media, which is slated to acquire Paramount Global, the parent of both CBS and Comedy Central. (Variety, 7/17)
Lucy’s note: I was SO upset to hear this – and completely agree with
of ’s take on this, it seems like it’s obviously yet another unconscionable capitulation from Paramount.
Here's how a star beyond Earth's sun could offer a 'picture of the baby solar system'
The newborn planetary system appears to be emerging 1,300 light-years away around a baby star known as HOPS-315 that resembles a young version of the Earth's own sun. Using data from ground and space telescopes, the researchers were able to pinpoint the moment when the first specks of planet-forming material began to coalesce around the protostar. (USA Today, 7/17)
Extra Credit 🤓
Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:
We had a FABULOUS guest author over at
this week: !!! If you work in digital in any way, shape, or form, you absolutely must read his piece: “Why Democrats are (still) bad at the internet”“The 25% Gap No One's Talking About” from
of“Golf’s Big Swing: YouTube, Gen Z & Creators Over Country Clubs” from
of +“They love Bernie and hate cancel culture” from
+
That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!