The Navigator, Saturday, January 11, 2024
California wildfires, TikTok brainwashing, Americans partying more, the Army of God, arts and culture for your health—and more
As of Saturday morning, the Los Angeles wildfires had ravaged over 36,500 acres (14,771 hectares)—or roughly 57 square miles—reducing entire neighborhoods to ash. To put this into perspective, the area affected is more than twice the size of Manhattan. Over 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate, the equivalent of the population of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The devastation is another stark reminder of the increasing threats of climate change.
Meanwhile, political winds are shifting in Washington. This past Monday, the U.S. Congress certified the Electoral College results, setting the stage for a new chapter in American leadership. On January 20, Donald J. Trump will return to the presidency, becoming the 47th president and only the second person in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms—and the only president to have been convicted on felony charges. The peaceful certification process stood in sharp contrast to the upheaval of January 6, 2021, when the Capitol was stormed in an unprecedented attack on American democracy—and at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral service at the National Cathedral, where Barack Obama and Donald Trump engaged in what appeared to be a convivial conversation for more than a half hour.
Yet, as the inauguration approaches, some of Trump’s bold campaign promises are already being walked back—rhetoric on tariffs and deportation policies, for example, appears more tempered. Still, his signature unpredictability persists, with proposals ranging from renaming the Gulf of Mexico to bold (and possibly implausible) suggestions like using military force to claim Greenland or the Panama Canal.
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California infernos in January? Here's why wildfire season keeps getting longer and more devastating (CalMatters)
As climate change warms the planet, California's worsening wildfires have become unpredictable and extreme.
New Report: TikTok Brainwashed America’s Youth (FP Magazine)
China’s indoctrination isn’t hypothetical. It’s real, says the conservative news organization, The Free Press.
TikTok’s Fate is in the Supreme Court’s Hands. (Vanity Fair)
With Donald Trump now on its side, the Chinese-controlled company behind the popular app claims the First Amendment protects it and its millions of users. Will the justices buy it?
Americans Need to Party More (The Atlantic)
We’re not doing it as much as we used to. You can be the change we need.
Meta is ending its fact-checking program in favor of a 'community notes' system similar to X (NBC News)
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a series of major changes to the company's moderation policies and practices, saying that the election felt like a "cultural tipping point." The move ignited opposition among content professionals who know all too well that full-time fact checkers are needed to keep up with the volume and pace of what’s shared.
Climate Models Can’t Explain What’s Happening to Earth (The Atlantic)
Global warming is moving faster than the best models can keep a handle on.
Elon Musk Won’t Stop Meddling in European Elections, and World Leaders Aren’t Having It (Vanity Fair)
Musk most recently called for British PM Keir Starmer to be jailed and suggested the US should invade the United Kingdom.
Is your phone listening to you? Yeah, but probably not to target ads. (The Washington Post)
The specifics of the theory that your phone is eavesdropping probably aren’t true, but the paranoia is justified.
Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds (The Guardian)
Exclusive: Engaging with arts improves quality of life, increases productivity and creates financial ‘dividend’
The Army of God Comes Out of the Shadows (The Atlantic)
Tens of millions of American Christians are embracing a charismatic movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which seeks to destroy the secular state.