18 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Mia Sato

Mia Sato

Features Writer, The Verge

Features Writer, The Verge

    More From Mia Sato

    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    Media Matters is still fighting.

    The left-leaning nonprofit watchdog has been a frequent target of Elon Musk and other Republicans for its reporting on the right wing media ecosystem. Its legal battles have left the group with mounting bills, concerns for staff safety, and hesitant donors, The New York Times reports.

    “Unlike some major media entities that have recently caved to pressure, we understand that this battle is larger than us,” Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, said in a statement. “That’s why we continue to carry out our mission and fight in court.”

    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    And Patreon’s top earner is...

    After inadvertently revealing his earnings on social media in June, podcaster Joe Budden told The New York Times that his network is on pace to earn $12 million this year in Patreon subscriptions alone. With other revenue streams, that number swells to more than $20 million. The Times piece is a rare look into the finances of big-name content creators — usually they’re cagey about money.

    A-lister antics and Schedule A shenanigans
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    On The Vergecast: TV is on the decline, so celebrities are riding the subway and going to chicken shops. Plus, how Chicago became the epicenter of ‘Schedule A’ lawsuits against online storefronts.

    Mia Sato
    How dupes turned online shopping upside down

    Getting copied is devastating — but not necessarily illegal. Who owns what in an era of unprecedented mass consumption?

    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    You wouldn’t 3D print a Labubu.

    Or would you? The weird little toys are a nightmare to buy so we took matters into our own hands.

    The frenzied, gamified chase for Labubus

    You just can’t win — until you do.

    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    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.

    Mia Sato
    Mia Sato
    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.