Mia Sato

Features Writer, The Verge

The frenzied, gamified chase for Labubus

You just can’t win — until you do.

Mia SatoJul 20, 2025

Mia SatoJul 17, 2025

Substack wants to reinvent the wheel.

In recent years the newsletter platform has tried to expand to micro-blogging, TikTokers, and full websites. Now the company is inching towards something its leadership has long criticized: advertising and social networks.

The New York Times reports that Substack is doubling down on its Notes feature, which is similar to X or Meta’s Threads. Substack raised $100 million in a recent funding round. In June, the company said it wasn’t planning to be profitable anytime soon.

Substack Raises $100 Million, Betting on Subscriptions but Coming Around to Ads

[nytimes.com]

Mia SatoJul 15, 2025

UnitedHealth is keeping tabs on its critics.

What do a filmmaker in Wisconsin, billionaire investor Bill Ackman, The Guardian, and a doctor who posted on TikTok all have in common? UnitedHealth has targeted them in an effort to clamp down on criticism. The company’s legal tactics have only intensified after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, The New York Times reports.

UnitedHealth’s Campaign to Quiet Critics

[nytimes.com]

Can Nextdoor overhaul itself to be useful?

Mia SatoJul 15, 2025

The Verge’s summer ‘in’ and ‘out’ list

In our second annual trend forecast, The Verge staff weighs in on Labubus, tariffs, The Hague, and AI slop.

Mia SatoJul 6, 2025

Mia SatoJul 1, 2025

Law360 is forcing reporters to use an AI ‘bias’ detector.

Nieman Lab reports that the new policy comes after leadership at LexisNexis (which owns the outlet) claimed some of Law360’s coverage had liberal leanings. The AI tool scans stories and flags portions it deems biased that should be rewritten to be more “impartial.” A petition signed by over 90 percent of unionized staff at Law360 demands that use of the tool be made voluntary.

Law360 mandates reporters use AI “bias” detection on all stories

[niemanlab.org]

Spotify will let users personalize the genre of Discover Weekly playlists

Mia SatoJun 30, 2025

Mia SatoJun 27, 2025

‘Honestly, the more botched they look, the better.’

Labubus — those kind of scary little dolls with teeth that people are obsessed with — are hard to come by these days. It’s no surprise that the knock off industry is filling the gap; what is funny is that the fake dolls (“Lafufus”) are popular, too. For some Labubu owners, the authenticity of their doll doesn’t even matter. It’s part of the fandom experience all the same.

What Is a Lafufu? Fake Labubus Find Some Fans Online.

[nytimes.com]