Today’s Big Story

What’s Up With Sunblock’s White Casts?

Let’s look into why sunscreens leave that hazy film and what you can do to avoid it

It’s 2025. That means, by now, we know that the sun’s rays are dangerous. They age your skin and could even endanger your health. But it also means that we should have a sunscreen that can be absorbed without leaving a dreaded “white cast” or hazy film on the surface of your skin. But the fact is, we’re all still dealing with the problem.

Depending on how much beauty and grooming content you consume, you may or may not be familiar with the “white cast” debate raging in social circles and social media. But what they’re talking about is the faint film that’s left behind after application. It can be visible on those who are lighter-skinned, but it’s particularly noticeable on tanner and darker-skinned people. People with more melanin can even look slightly blue or purple when using sunscreen that causes a white cast. So why don’t they get rid of it?

That’s complicated. Physical (a.k.a. mineral or natural) sunscreens are responsible for the issue. They usually have the minerals titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO), which sit on top of the skin rather than seeping into it for UV protection. And both are white pigments. At the concentrations needed to achieve a broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher, it's difficult—if not impossible—to create a mineral sunscreen that doesn’t reflect visible, white light. As such, cosmetic scientist Dr. Julian Sass explains to Refinery29 that currently, a truly invisible mineral sunscreen doesn’t exist on skincare shelves.

The Cut says you could fight this with color theory and go with a tinted SPF. However, many brands tend to develop tinted mineral sunscreens that are so tinted that they end up like foundation and develop a ton of shades, which isn’t ideal for everyday, or dudes who want a more natural look.

Another option is to use chemical sunscreens, which contain different filters that absorb UV light. They absorb into the skin, making the white-cast problem non-existent. But they also come with some possible downsides. Cleveland Clinic highlights that active ingredients in chemical sunscreens (e.g., avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone) can seep into the skin and bloodstream, causing irritations or allergic reactions, especially for those with sensitive skin. But Valet.’s editor’s choice for the best SPF moisturizer is a popular Japanese chemical sunscreen, so we stand by that choice.

How Trump Is Reshaping Government Data

The president is following a familiar playbook of discrediting unfavorable data

President Donald Trump doubled down on his decision to dismiss the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, casting the agency that published a bleak set of jobs report last week as broken and corrupt. “It’s a highly political situation,” Trump said Tuesday morning on CNBC’s Squawk Box, calling it—like most things he disagrees with—”rigged.” Trump offered no evidence for his assertion, which his former BLS commissioner has said is not true.

According to the Washington Post, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized his decision to fire Erika McEntarfer, the top official overseeing employment statistics, saying that ousting her calls into question the independence and stability of the federal agency that reports some of the nation’s most critical economic data. But the Associated Press says Trump has a go-to playbook if the numbers reveal uncomfortable realities and that’s to discredit or conceal the figures and to attack the messenger—all of which can hurt the president’s efforts to convince the world that America is getting stronger.

NBC News reports that recently meteorological data collected by some weather balloons has been halted. Statistics for HIV among transgender people were scrubbed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. And basic public figures, like how many people work for the federal government, have been frozen or delayed for months. And it had been happening largely behind the scenes until the firing.

Oh Good, a New Illness to Worry About

CDC issues travel health notice for mosquito-borne chikungunya virus

Should we be worried? If you don’t have any international trips booked, then good news: You don’t need to worry about the Chikungunya virus. But outbreaks have prompted the CDC to issue travel alerts warning U.S. travelers of an “elevated risk” of exposure to the mosquito-borne illness in China and several other countries.

Some 240,000 chikungunya cases have been reported in parts of Central and South America, Africa, the Indian Ocean region and Asia this year, including 90 deaths. Officials in Guangdong province, South China, have confirmed at least 7,000 illnesses since June. The painful viral disease (that's not contagious) is spread to people by infected female mosquitoes that can also transmit dengue and Zika viruses, according to the World Health Organization.

Most people infected with the virus develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, rash, joint swelling and other symptoms, the CDC notes. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after a person has been bitten by an infected mosquito. Doctors say most people recover in about a week, and there is no treatment. In some cases, severe joint pain can last for several months to years following acute illness.

Are Rents Across America Falling?

Not exactly but the price hikes seem to be slowing

Housing remains one of our biggest expenses. And that’s not going to change anytime soon. As of June though, rent prices are growing more slowly than a year ago, according to the latest report from Zillow. Forecasts show growth is expected to continue decelerating throughout the rest of the year: At the start of the summer, according to a recent Redfin report, the median U.S. asking rent fell by 0.5 percent year-over-year to $1,642 for a one-bedroom, marking the fourth straight month of annual declines.

But Newsweek points out that even as prices continue falling and renting remains much more convenient than buying a home, at the national level the median asking rent is now only $63 lower than the August 2022 peak of $1,705. And, of course, how much space you can get depends entirely on where you live. CNBC compared what $1,500 would get you in a range of American cities. In Manhattan, it’s an average of 216 square feet (roughly the size of a bedroom). But in Wichita, Kansas, the same amount will get you an average of 1,329 square feet (enough for a multi-room apartment or even a modest house).

Nerd Wallet says that the rent price growth is weaker largely due to a combination of more homes for rent and a cooling housing market. Those conditions put renters in a favorable position. However, affordability remains tight: The typical household spends 30.1% of its income on rent. To afford a typical rental, household income must be $82,743 annually. Which means low-income renters are being priced out of housing-constrained metros.

The Long Read

When young adults use a social-media outlet to keep up with current events, what kind of information are they getting?

Stick with it.