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Quote of the Day
"I dream of rest"
— Quinta Brunson responding to what’s on the horizon for her. Maybe the most relatable thing ever uttered on a red carpet.
What's Happening
Technology
Scroll On, America
What's going on: It looks like TikTok is here to stay. Ahead of a looming deadline, the Trump administration announced it reached a deal with China to keep the social media app operational in the US. While details are still sparse, President Donald Trump said he’ll speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and teased that young people are going to be “very happy.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned that, for now, it’s only a “framework” and didn’t say who’d buy it — though there are theories. Even so, the announcement points to a possible resolution to a saga that dates back to Trump’s first term, when he effectively banned it in 2020 (though, obviously, not in practice). Now, it looks like your FYP isn’t going anywhere — and neither are all those saved recipes you’ve never looked at again.
What it means: This is big news — and not just for TikTok. The app has reshaped many industries, from music to fashion, and brought users fleeting trends like “coastal grandmother” and the word “cheugy” (a label that fits that very trend). What happens to all the data the company collected remains TBD. This worries some experts, who’ve warned about the massive amounts of data the algorithm uses to serve content. Meanwhile, others see the deal as a political move, tied to Beijing’s push for a Trump state visit. All told, after years of courtroom fights, lobbying, and Gen Z panic, TikTok appears to have dodged the chopping block, this time for good.
Immigration Crackdown Casts Shadow on Heritage Celebrations
What's going on: Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood usually bursts with waving flags, sizzling tamales, steaming elote, and blaring horns for Mexican Independence Day. This year, just hours after the parade, the streets went quiet. NBC reported smaller crowds, and some paradegoers in Chicago carried anti-ICE signs — a reflection of how Trump’s immigration raids and rollback of DEI have reshaped the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Beyond Chicago, Indianapolis canceled its pan-Latino FIESTA, and festivals in the Carolinas and Louisiana were scrapped or delayed. In Colorado, one group moved its celebration from a public park to inside a church with security.
What it means:Fear has settled into communities that usually mark the month with big, open-air celebrations. The Trump administration says the raids enforce immigration law, but critics argue they’ve created a chilling effect — amplified by White House social media posts boasting “I like the smell of deportations in the morning” and memes about “Alligator Alcatraz.” The scaled-back celebrations have brought the lack of immigration reform to the forefront for many, who say both parties have failed to take action. Still, others refused to retreat from participating in the month’s festivities. “It’s about showing up,” one woman, whose parents are from El Salvador, said. “I don’t want to go under the shadow and hide just for what I look like or what I am.”
What's going on: They say “God works in mysterious ways,” but the strangest route may be chatbots. AI-powered religion apps now dominate app stores. Millions confess sins to algorithms that act as round-the-clock priests, rabbis, and imams, The New York Times reports. Some even claim to channel God, opening with lines like “Greetings, my child!” Some faith leaders call the apps a fun, new entry point to spirituality, while others label them sacrilege. Either way, the apps have caught fire like a burning bush, attracting big investments. The Catholic app Hallow — promoted by celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Chris Pratt — beat Netflix, TikTok, and Instagram for the number one spot in the App Store at one point last year.
What it means: Tech and religion are old bedfellows — from Gutenberg’s press to radio preachers, TV evangelists, and 1960s “dial-a-prayer” hotlines. As “digital chaplaincy” takes hold, users hail the apps as more available than traditional faith leaders. One noted: “You don’t want to disturb your pastor at three in the morning.” But you can bare your soul to a bot day or night. Critics, who’ve also raised privacy concerns, warn AI confessionals can’t replace the communal part of faith and may deepen isolation amid a loneliness epidemic. Others fear the bots will flatten the nuance of human spiritual guidance. In the algorithm we trust?
