— Some Trader Joe's loyalists aren't happy that this iconic seasonal dessert has yet to hit shelves. When life gives you lemons… get angry?
US News
Tough Week for Meta
What's going on: For years, social media giants have dodged lawsuits that claim their apps harm and hook minors. Not anymore. In a landmark trial, a Los Angeles jury reached its decision yesterday, siding with a 20-year-old woman, identified as KGM. She alleged that Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube contributed to her anxiety and depression. KGM said she started using YouTube at 6 and joined Instagram at 9, then felt constant pressure to stay online. The jury awarded her $3 million in damages, with Meta responsible for 70%. Both companies say they plan to appeal. That's not all. Earlier this week, a New Mexico jury said Meta is on the hook for $375 million in damages for violating child exploitation laws.
What it means: If you've ever felt worse after you scroll, that experience just got validated in court.Most cases against Big Tech have focused on the content, but that's protected under the 1996 Communications Decency Act. KGM's lawyers took a different route. They argued that the algorithms and features are built to keep you scrolling. The jurors may have related to her experience. Dozens more trials will test this strategy in the months ahead, and experts predict lawyers will borrow from this playbook. It's also clear that Big Tech companies might not fare as well before a jury of our peers (which is probably why they usually try to avoid it). Social media's reckoning is finally here, but will these multi-billion-dollar companies fix the problem or put profits first?
🗞️ First Lady Melania Trump and her very special guest treated the DC Tech Summit like a runway. At least they kind of matched.
In Our Rotation
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Taxes
ChatGPT Isn't Your CPA
What's going on: If you haven't filed your taxes yet, consider this your nudge — gentle, but firm. This tax season looks messier than usual, thanks in part to last summer's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (yes, that again). Its passage created some big, confusing changes to the tax code. Some deductions and credits have shifted or disappeared, which might mean fewer easy wins and more second-guessing. Also complicating things: More people are using AI to help them file. But before you hand over your financial life to a chatbot, pause. AI wasn't built to file your taxes, and how you use it could mean the difference between a clean return and an accidental run-in with the IRS.
So what can (and can't) we use it for? As Vox lays out in its guide, a good rule of thumb is to treat AI like a "coworker who never gets tired and sometimes gets things wrong." You wouldn't give your colleague your Social Security number, and you also shouldn't give it to a bot — don't share personal information. What AI can help with is chatting things out. Ask it questions about code changes (but double-check its work on the IRS official site), and use it to play out scenarios. It might also help you interpret confusing questions on documents (do you qualify for item C or D?). However, don't let it do the math for you, and make sure to proofread before you submit. If you're overwhelmed, it may be worth going with an accountant or using a tool like TurboTax or H&R Block.
What's going on: Here at The Daily Skimm, several of us have ties to the Midwest, so we are extremely pleased to tell you that the region has been dubbed "the place to move" by The Atlantic. After years of people blowing it off as "boring," "freezing," and "way too obsessed with tater tot casserole," it's finally having a moment. This is largely thanks to its affordable atmosphere, job opportunities, and cheaper housing. For years, people tended to move further South to spots like Austin and Phoenix to save a buck. But recently, cities like Indianapolis and Cleveland have said, "Ope, can I sneak right past 'ya?" to the Sun Belt. That might be how they've climbed to the top of the list for cities with the highest population growth. The flyover states are now home to three of the country's fastest-growing metros. But we're too "Midwest nice" to keep bragging…
Is it worth the hype? Many see the appeal of the Midwest, even if they can't agree on where, exactly, it is (see: this trippy map). Still, it's not a perfect place. There are blizzards and tornadoes. There are major unresolved social issues, and, in many cities, a real lack of diversity. It's also true that economists say the region is one of the last places you can buy a three-bedroom home for $300,000 or less. Jobs tend to be more plentiful in the bigger cities, including in finance, health care, and tech, along with factory work. We're not saying "move now," but we're not not saying it. If you do, you, too, can discover the difference between "yeah no," "no yeah," and "yeah no for sure." If you don't like it, you can leave — but be warned, it will absolutely involve a "Midwestern goodbye."
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Welcome back to Spring Fashion Week. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and our closets are purged and ready to be filled with pieces we actually like. Need a little shopping inspiration? Check out:
