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Quote of the Day

"Up a Tree without a Squirrel"

— The title of one of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year entries. Please tell us the critter escaped the leopard.

Group of people using smartphones outdoors

Addiction On Trial

Smash That Accountability Button

What’s going on: To paraphrase Justin Timberlake in The Social Network, drop the social media addiction. Just social media. It’s cleaner. Yesterday, in a dramatic about-face, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to end a trial over endangering children with its addictive social media platforms. Four states accused Meta of using the same advertising tactics as Big Tobacco in the 1990s. As for Facebook and Instagram, big changes are coming for teens. Alongside tightening parental controls, there will be a new two-hour daily time limit, and instead of being able to doomscroll in bed, nighttime usage will be capped and notifications silenced. Meta is also strengthening age verification tools and protections for children against “unwanted contact from strangers.” Its platforms will also limit beauty filters and hide the total number of “likes” on pics to ease social anxieties among teens. Some changes have already been introduced, but other features will be rolled out over the next six months and could take up to a year.

A precedent with reach: The landmark settlement — one of the highest ever paid by a tech company to states — could signal an inflection point for social media companies. For years, Big Tech has faced accusations that their products have hurt teens’ mental health. Now, money from the settlement will support after-school programs, crisis intervention services, and mental health initiatives. One Stanford law professor said, “Meta wouldn’t settle unless it sees the writing on the wall and feels really exposed." Colorado’s attorney general said the agreement exceeded what most courts might order. This deal could impact legal claims against TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, which all face thousands of lawsuits from states, schools, and teenagers. DC’s attorney general noted that while Meta was the first to settle, it "will not be the last." We’d be fine if Meta made the change for adults, too.

Related: If You’re Mindlessly Scrolling on Your Phone, Try These Science-Backed Tips Instead (The Washington Post gift link)

The News in 6

🗞️ An enormous flash flood on Wednesday swept through villages on the Nepal-Tibet border. Over 270 people have died, and officials say hundreds are still missing (including at least 47 Americans).

🗞️ Fourteen newborn babies died in a devastating fire sparked by faulty air conditioning that broke out in the nursery of the largest hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan.

🗞️ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been on a firing spree of the Army’s top generals, which has created a dangerous leadership vacuum during the Iran war.

🗞️ DICK'S Sporting Goods is among the retailers that pulled Callaway golf clubs amid the fallout over that controversial ad with Good Good Golf. Bad Bad Golf doesn’t even cut it.

🗞️ The EPA has proposed scrapping a requirement that gives communities the opportunity to weigh in on air pollution concerns, especially around data centers and power plants.

🗞️ In news it pains us to report, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) says the US-Canadian trade war may “devastate” Maine’s lobster industry. Wish we could claw this one back.

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Sister Act

Keeping It in the Family

What's going on: Nepotism is a time-honored tradition in US politics, from the Adamses to the Kennedys to the Bushes. Now, we can add the Grahams to that list. When Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died in July, Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) appointed his sister Darline Graham to serve out the remaining months of her brother’s fourth term. She had almost no political experience, but the family connection made many say, “Aww.” Then, Graham decided to run for Senate herself, entering a crowded field of more experienced Republicans. President Donald Trump endorsed her and his super PAC spent over $800K on her campaign. (Graham said she’d “fight for President Trump’s agenda” if elected.) On Tuesday, she beat Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in the primary runoff and became the Republican nominee for senator. Analysts say that because the state leans so heavily Republican, she’s likely to win the midterm election in November. Her Democratic opponent is Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and another political newcomer.

What’s in a name?: Nepotism memes began circulating before Graham won the runoff. Some of her fellow Republicans were quick to pick up the criticism, too. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who endorsed Norman, told The Independent, “I don't believe in nepotism.” Graham admitted to not knowing much about national security in a debate (people booed her) and kept her political platform vague rather than supporting specific policies. However, she framed her lack of political experience as a positive, comparing herself to Trump. Her win shows that a combination of name recognition, the continued power of Trump’s endorsement, and super PAC spending can outweigh a political platform and experience. "I really liked her brother, Lindsey Graham,” one voter told NPR.

Not Rocket Science (But Close)

Babies in STEM

What's going on: If you remember anything about being a baby, it’s probably the board books. We’re talking classics, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Rainbow Fish (Skimm’r Molly fondly looks back on her mom’s operatic dramatization of Good Dog, Carl). But a strange, new trend has taken over the toddler publishing industry: Page-turners for…babies who love STEM? As The New Yorker reports, there’s been a proliferation of books with titles like Bath Time Physics, Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering!, and, of course, Baby Loves Angular Momentum on Hanukkah!. Quite the (quantum) leap from Goodnight Moon, but OK. These book titles may seem whimsical and delightfully geeky on the surface. However, some literacy experts warn that the point of reading for this age group is to spark interest and have fun — and they’re skeptical that High Chair Chemistry evokes the same preliterate joy as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Stop Rolling Your Eyes: This trend comes at a time when parents increasingly feel pressure to have overachiever kids — as we learned from Baby Einstein’s lawsuit era. Meanwhile, some worry that if the goal of these texts is to inspire an army of future STEM workers, the timing is bad. AI has ravaged the tech industry (sorry, Baby Loves Coding!), and scientists are struggling after cuts to research funding. Still, some librarians don’t make much of this trend, saying baby books have long targeted adult interests, from The Kelce Brothers: A Little Golden Book Biography to children’s stories inspired by The Golden Girls. Now, it’s nerd parents’ day in the sun. And ultimately, anything that gets parents reading to their kids is a good thing. Yes, even if what they’re reading is Baby Loves Photosynthesis on St. Patrick’s Day!.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Legacy of Literacy Will Shine On (The Guardian)

Quick Hits

💗 Busy Philipps said she’s “grateful” to be alive after having two surgeries to remove and treat a rare brain tumor.

🧹 At Practical Magic 2’s London premiere, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock cast a love spell on us in two very different gowns with matching thigh-high slits.

🧘 Yes, “active recovery” days are important, no matter what you're training for (in our case, carrying groceries upstairs).

📺 First look photos are out for Emily in Paris’s final season. We’ll need our evil eye for this one.

👀 You might be putting your perfume on wrong. Here’s how to make every spritz worth it.

✈️ You could land at Dolly Parton International Airport for your next Nashville bachelorette party, if fans have their way. A petition calling for the name change got more than 100,000 signatures the day Parton died.

On Our Calendar

Thursday, August 27

🌝 Partial lunar eclipse

The moon is expected to look reddish-orange-ish during this eclipse, which starts just after midnight on the East Coast. Check for your exact local time here.

🍑 National Peach Day

One way to use this summer staple: Make this Gilmore Girls-Inspired Peach Sauce. Sookie would approve.

✂️ World Rock Paper Scissors Day

A day to celebrate this iconic playground game. The real question: Did you grow up saying it this way?

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TOGETHER WITH AMERICAN CLEAN POWER

Power Players

Three successful women on career pivots, working in male-dominated fields, and how to grow your influence.

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Skimm This

Earlier this week, we asked you to skimm this photo — and your submissions were hilarious. We narrowed it down to three (Californians, we see you). Now: Which skimm gets your vote?

A. “Wow — another delay on his way back to Penelope” — Molly B., San Dimas, CA

B. “Me on day one of PSL season” — Stephanie M., Encino, CA

C. “I had to go see about a Mouse” — Lia S., Monterey, CA

Turn a word search into your favorite strategy game with Spelltower. Clear the board.

Baby’s first physics lesson