They’re Baaaack

Tit for Tariff

What’s going on: If you live along the northern US border, maybe don’t ask your Canadian neighbors for a cup of sugar this week. First, President Donald Trump suggested that Canada will need to pay the US for ongoing wildfire smoke, accusing the country of “willful negligence.” Then, on Monday, Trump announced that Canada will face new 50% tariffs on key exports like wine, dairy, and wood products (including, yes, hockey sticks). Trump says this is to get back at Canada for being one of only two countries including China to retaliate after Trump announced his first wave of global tariffs last year. Two can’t play this game, eh? 

But how?: You may remember that the Supreme Court struck down the legal argument for Trump’s 2025 tariffs, ordering him to repay at least $166 billion collected from importers. Trump, who is famous for letting things go, responded by dusting off different trade laws to impose new tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the move will hurt US families and businesses. Trump insists it’ll boost US manufacturing — but that will take years to bear out. The president campaigned on lowering prices, but has done little to make that come true. Inflation is up, the war in Iran has sent gas prices into orbit, and tariffs don’t make things cheaper. The new tariffs are set to kick in next month. And, judging by the sound of it, Canada will be the first –– but probably not the last.

Related: Mexico’s the Classic Middle Child in US-Canada Trade Talks (CBC)

Science Experiment 

Medicine Has a New Lab Partner

What's going on: Scientists want AI to be the magic pill for how new medicines are developed — and they’ve already made significant progress. A new survey of biotech executives suggests AI has dramatically sped up the early stages of drug research, cutting preclinical development costs and timelines by up to 70%. The biggest boon: It’s helped scientists identify promising drug candidates much faster — so they can ultimately appear on your TV sooner while a smiling woman canoes peacefully and rattles off the horrible side effects. Before you worry, AI is not replacing scientists (yet), but it’s handling more time-consuming tasks, like data set analysis. On the other hand, AI famously has biases, as does medicine, so some critics worry those could be exacerbated. Drugmakers — many of whom have invested heavily in AI — say it gives researchers more “shots on goal” by testing more ideas before they ever reach human trials. Jimmy Neutron would be intrigued.

Just what the doctor ordered?: AI could eventually help bring new medicines to patients more quickly — and potentially lower some of the enormous costs of drug development (we’d like to say this means cheaper medicine for you, but we have to factor capitalism into that math). Still, don’t expect AI to start inventing blockbuster drugs overnight. No AI-developed drug has won FDA approval yet, and experts say human judgment and empathy remain essential. Computers can predict a lot, but they still struggle to capture how real people with different genetics, ages, and health conditions will respond to a drug, which could widen existing healthcare gaps for minority groups. That means clinical trials — and their notoriously high failure rate — aren’t going away anytime soon. Now can AI solve the lines at the pharmacy? 

Related: OpenAI Says Some of Its Models Went Rogue in “Significant Security Incident” (NBC News)

Shades by Any Other Name

Keys, Wallet, “Pervert Glasses”?

What's going on: From Wayfarers to the “Bushwick Birkin,” some accessories sound so cool that the name alone makes you want to wear them. And sometimes the opposite is true, as in the case of “pervert glasses,” a scathing nickname for the Meta AI glasses that come in designs from Ray-Ban and Kylie Jenner. Activists — and women who are tired of getting filmed without consent — have been criticizing the glasses since the first AI-powered version was announced last year, calling them violating and intrusive. (Unsurprisingly, they’ve also become a manosphere staple.) But the backlash has become inescapable since Meta shared a newer, cheaper version in June. 

Cue the fallout: The nickname has been used by the extremely online and AI-critical for months, but now it’s become so common that even those who created the glasses are acknowledging it. This week, the president of Ray-Ban posted a spoof ad calling the glasses “the biggest advance in pervert technology since the trenchcoat” along with a laughing emoji. It wasn’t well received. While he’s LOLing, Meta (and Apple, soon enough) may be sweating: Some have decided to stick with analog glasses purely to avoid being called “a predator or a creep,” as one man told Engadget. You’d hope respecting boundaries would be enough of a reason on its own, but alas.

Related: Police Officers Are Being Arrested for Misusing Flock Cameras (CBS News)

Quick Hits

🚢 If you’ve had a bad week, just know it’s not as tough as that of the National Geographic cruise team’s PR person. 

👑 Happy birthday, Prince George. The one-time royal baby turns 13 today, and Prince William is “absolutely determined” to get this one thing right about raising a future king. 

🛋️ These 10 design mistakes can make your house feel messier than it is. Please, Martha, don’t come for the throw pillows. 

🍫 Three chefs named the best chocolate ice cream, and they all picked the same classic. Now the only question left to answer is: rainbow or chocolate sprinkles?

🤳 Celebs are now using semi-secret finstas for this purpose, but stuff like this belongs on the main feed.

🩳 The swim short he won't need to change out of before dinner.*

It’s Our Birthday

This week, theSkimm turns 14 years old. To say thank you to our loyal audience who has been with us since the beginning, we rounded up exclusive discount codes from some of our beloved brands. Here’s to another 14.

• 20% off full-priced candles at Literie with code SKIMM20

• 25% off bestsellers at Brooklinen with code THESKIMM

• 20% off sitewide at Lo & Sons with code SKIMM20

• 20% off six or more pints at Jeni’s Ice Creams with code SKIMM20

It's Our Birthday

This week, theSkimm turns 14 years old. To say thank you to our loyal audience who has been with us since the beginning, we rounded up exclusive discount codes from some of our beloved brands. Here’s to another 14.

• 20% off full-priced candles at Literie with code SKIMM20

• 25% off bestsellers at Brooklinen with code THESKIMM

• 20% off sitewide at Lo & Sons with code SKIMM20

• 20% off six or more pints at Jeni’s Ice Creams with code SKIMM20

All of the reporting featured in today’s Daily Skimm was written, edited, and fact-checked as of 6 am ET. 

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Kate Preziosi, Jessica Prois, and Marina Carver. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.