The Navigator, Saturday, April 26, 2025
Trump's 100 days, exploding cargo, Israel's AI experiments, the 'No Buy' movement, the letter-writing revival, Pope Francis' legacy—and more
As President Trump departed for Italy to attend this morning’s funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, new polling data showed rising fears and division among Americans over Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House.
On the economic front, Bloomberg Businessweek reported, there is record fear among Americans, with U.S. consumer sentiment falling to one of the lowest readings on record and long-term inflation expectations climbing to their highest since 1991 on worries over the domestic impact from Trump’s tariffs.
Pew Research reported Trump’s approval rating has been falling steadily since January and is now at 40%, down 7 percentage points from February. And in a recent New York Times/Siena poll— released last week—a majority of respondents shared their disapproval over Trump’s efforts to give more power to the executive.
High-ranking political commentators also couldn’t resist making historical references to the level of social, political, and economic destabilization Americans have been experiencing since January, with some writers calling Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House “Roosevelt in Reverse.” “FDR’s first 100 days in the White House in 1933 calmed and unified the country,” wrote political columnist Jonathan Alter. Trump’s first 100 days of his second term since January “have catalyzed fears and increased division.”
But pushback also continued last week—in some court action, and also from hundreds of thousands of everyday Americans, red and blue. Majorities in both parties now say the Trump administration must stop an action if a federal court rules it is illegal—and across the country, more anti-Trump rallies were held again, mostly to protest Trump’s tariffs, his actions which legal scholars describe as efforts to limit free speech, and inflation. Meanwhile, politically-driven consumer boycotts of Elon Musk’s Tesla dealerships were cited by auto market analysts as one of the factors influencing Tesla sales to slump internationally in the first quarter by over 70%. It’s what Musk said Tuesday was the main reason he’ll now be spending less time with Trump in the White House.
As American historian Heather Cox Richardson said after an April 18th speech in Boston: “Democracy is fragile but as long as there is economic uncertainty and rising citizen pushback—and if the rule of law sticks—the fundamentals will hold.”
That said, Trump insists he is “still just getting started.”
As always, thank you for including us in your week. Let us know your thoughts on this week’s events and your input on the new rules emerging for tomorrow.
What Would Be Worse Than a Recession? (The Atlantic)
Fearing the potential loss of America’s economic hegemony.
How Pope Francis Changed the Catholic Church (The Daily podcast)
The New York Times’ podcast hosts a conversation about what a surprising papacy meant to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The Moment of Truth in Ukraine (The Wall Street Journal)
The missile strike on civilians is clarifying about the war’s causes.
Exploding Cargo. Hacked GPS Devices. Spoofed Coordinates. Inside New Security Threats in the Skies. (Vanity Fair)
Some experts suspect that a series of aviation incidents traces back to Russian aggressors. The sophistication only rivals the potential for danger—and the sky’s the limit.
Elon Musk’s Luck Runs Out ( Radio Atlantic)
Tesla’s first quarterly earnings report since Musk started his work with DOGE showed the company’s profits were down 71 percent from the same time last year. How did Musk find himself in this predicament?
As Recession Fears Rise, ‘No Buy’ Takes On New Urgency (The New York Times)
The uncertainty surrounding President Trump’s tariffs has invigorated an underconsumption movement that took off early this year on TikTok and other platforms.
Trump’s First 100 Days (TIME magazine)
The magazine’s exclusive, hour-long interview with Trump explores how the first 100 days of his second term have been “among the most destabilizing in American history”—and in Trump’s words, “exactly what I’ve campaigned on.”
A battle looms over rule of law as some courts start to flex their muscles against Trump (The Guardian)
Whether federal courts can force Trump to comply with their orders is an essential question for US democracy.
Israel’s A.I. Experiments in Gaza War Raise Ethical Concerns (The New York Times)
Israel developed new artificial intelligence tools to gain an advantage in the war. The technologies have sometimes led to fatal consequences.
Subtitling Your Life (The New Yorker)
Advances in transcription are good news for those experiencing hearing loss.
The Delightfully Analog Art of Letter-Writing (NPR/WBEZ-Chicago)
The art of letter writing is not dead.
Everything You Need to Know About Fashion’s Biggest Night (Vogue)
The annual Met Gala in Manhattan this year celebrates ‘Black Dandyism.’