today in tabs: where is the song of the summer

ALSO: Ugg wins over men, Apple's new text filters are causing campaign chaos, big news about tomatoes, and more

Aug 01, 2025

Happy Friday, August 1st! In my family, we’re big bunny bunny rabbit rabbit people, so 🐰🐰

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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I won’t lie, today’s ‘Got A Text’ section is REALLY cool. We have some texts from Sarah Drory, who is Rep. Ro Khanna’s Communications Director. You’ve probably heard a lot about Rep. Khanna and the really interesting stuff he + Sarah + his team have been doing, from him being one of the only Dems to commit to the YouTube circuit to holding townhalls when Republican members refuse to. I hope you enjoy!

What Kamala Harris’s Decision Not to Run for Governor Means for 2028

Kamala Harris’s decision not to run for governor of California leaves open the door to a presidential campaign in 2028, even as her fellow Democrats are months into preparing for a future without her. (NYT, 7/30 – free version)

Scientists Say New Government Climate Report Twists Their Work

A new report released yesterday by the Department of Energy purports to provide “a critical assessment of the conventional narrative on climate change.” But nine scientists across several different disciplines told WIRED that the report mishandled citations of their work by cherry-picking data, misrepresenting findings, drawing erroneous conclusions, or leaving out relevant context. (WIRED, 7/30)

Apple's iOS 26 text filters could cost political campaigns millions of dollars, top GOP group warns

The memo estimated that the new feature could cost the group $25 million in lost revenue and lead to a $500 million loss for GOP campaigns as a whole, based on the estimate that 70% of small-dollar donations come from text messages and that iPhones make up 60% of mobile devices in the US. (Business Insider, 7/28)

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in July removed references to President Donald Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit display. A person familiar with the exhibit plans, who was not authorized to discuss them publicly, said the change came about as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director. (WaPo, 7/31)

YouTube loosens profanity rules for monetized videos

YouTube is tweaking its profanity-related rules to allow creators to monetize videos with swearing in them, provided the profanity is limited to the first seven seconds of the video. (TechCrunch, 7/30)

Yelp is creating its own AI videos about restaurants

Yelp relies on multiple generative AI tools to create the finished product, as OpenAI LLMs write the text descriptions and narrator’s script, put together story topics, and proofread, while ElevenLabs is used to generate the narrator’s voice and Amazon Transcribe creates the synchronized on-screen captions. (The Verge, 7/29)

Millions are flocking to grow virtual gardens in viral Roblox game created by teenager

Grow a Garden, created by a 16-year-old in a few days, has shattered records for the most concurrent players of any game in history, beating out video games that take years and millions of dollars to develop. (AP, 7/30)

Ugg Is Winning Over Guys With Sporty Clogs and Post Malone

To promote Ugg, Deckers brought on singer Post Malone last year and has done collaborations with celebrities and designer brands. Ugg also tapped into fashion trends. Earlier this year, it released the PeakMod, a chunky clog with sneaker styling that fits into the uglycore aesthetic, which became popular after the pandemic with its blurring of homey comfort and streetwear. (Bloomberg, 7/29 – free version)

It’s Not Just You—There Are No Good New Songs This Summer

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has sloshed around the top 10 for 62 weeks and counting. “Die With a Smile,” a pledge of eternal devotion from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, has an ongoing streak of 47 weeks, while “Beautiful Things,” a quiet-turned-thunderous track from Benson Boone, is still parked at No. 16 after spending 42 weeks in the top 10. All three are from 2024. (WSJ, 7/24 – free version)

Why ‘Fawning’ Is The Quiet Epidemic We’re Finally Taking Seriously

Millions of us know we are people-pleasers – a YouGov poll found that 56% of women identify as such, compared with 42% of men – but few of us understand why it’s such a problem until we find ourselves at breaking point. (Service95, 7/28)

Lucy’s note: Guys… don’t sleep on Dua Lipa’s “cultural concierge” site!

High Noon Recalls Vodka Seltzers Mislabeled as Energy Drinks

High Noon, which is owned by E&J Gallo Winery, recalled its Beach Variety 12-packs after some Celsius Astro Vibe sparkling blue razz cans were accidentally filled with High Noon vodka seltzer. The packs were sent to stores in Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin between July 21 and July 23. (Bloomberg, 7/30 – free version)

Lucy’s note: I NEED to know if any of those Virginia shipments made their way into the famously Celsius-obsessed United States government lol.

The Way People Walk in Cities Has Changed

A new study out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reveals that pedestrians in three major northeastern U.S. cities—Boston, New York and Philadelphia —are moving 15 percent faster than they did in 1980. (Newsweek, 7/28)

Remarkable News in Potatoes

Tomatoes, in other words, can now justifiably be described as the mother of potatoes. The plant experts I interviewed about the finding almost uniformly described it as remarkable, and not only because dipping fries into ketchup just got a little more mind-bending. (The Atlantic, 7/31 – free version)