The Navigator, Saturday, July 12, 2025
Trump base roiled, Nvidia now top dog, the useful idiot generation, expensive suburbs, AI industry radicalizing—and more
For years, right-wing provocateurs have dominated the misinformation space, pushing conspiracy theories from the dark corners of the web into the mainstream. From “Stop the Steal” to the Epstein Files, these narratives have captured headlines and driven real-world consequences. But something has shifted. In recent months, we’ve noticed that trend has begun to seep into the left.
We’re now seeing a growing number of progressive influencers, content creators, and fringe media outlets peddling misleading or outright false claims—the latest surrounding the horrific tragedy in Texas last week. And while the tone and packaging may differ from their right-wing counterparts, the effect is eerily similar.
This growing embrace of misinformation on the left is especially troubling because it erodes the moral high ground that progressives often claim in the fight for truth, justice, and democratic values. It also makes combating disinformation a much harder task.
How do we defend the idea of a shared reality if both sides are actively distorting it? It’s one thing to be skeptical of mainstream narratives, but it’s another to reject verified facts in favor of viral content that confirms one’s worldview. And let’s be clear: when popular left-leaning accounts traffic in doctored videos, misrepresented statistics, or conspiratorial thinking, they’re not speaking truth to power, they’re contributing to the same informational decay they claim to oppose.
We are in a moment when trust in institutions is already fragile and polarization is peaking. If misinformation becomes a bipartisan strategy—used not just to score points, but to manipulate, divide, and radicalize—it threatens the very foundation of our democracy. We need more than fact-checking. We need a recommitment to evidence, a respect for complexity, and a willingness to sit with uncomfortable truths. Otherwise, we risk a future where belief becomes untethered from reality, no matter which side you’re on.
Immigration, Epstein, Ukraine: Trump’s moves roil MAGA base (The Washington Post)
White House officials concede there’s unrest in the MAGA ranks but say it doesn’t seriously threaten Trump’s support.
Opinion: The Deficit and “Why We Are a Boiled Frog” (The New Yorker Radio Hour)
New Yorker Editor David Remnick and staff writer Susan Glasser parse the political implications of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Nvidia becomes first company to be worth $4 trillion (NBC News)
The AI chipmaker’s market value smashed the previous record valuation, set by Apple.
Opinion: Gen Z, the Useful Idiot Generation (The Wall Street Journal)
Young people usually become less radical with time. Are we seeing an exception?
America’s fastest-growing suburbs are about to get very expensive (Vox)
Sprawl made suburbia affordable. Now it’s breaking it. Here’s what a new vision of the suburbs could look like.
The AI Industry Is Radicalizing (The Atlantic)
The tech industry and its critics occupy parallel universes.
How U.S. Universities Became So Vulnerable to Government Threats (Bloomberg)
Military and medical science brought federal funding to American college campuses, but student tuition helped keep it there.
The hidden drag on China's economy (CNBC)
From June 2023 to June 2025, the average price per square meter for secondhand apartments in 100 major cities fell by 13%.
Remembrance of Scents Past (The New Yorker)
At museums, curators are incorporating smells that can transport visitors to a different time.
Crying Glacier (The New York Times)
What does a melting glacier sound like? Artist Ludwig Berger attempts to record a disappearing environment.
Perhaps every post should be prefaced by either "News:" or "Opinion:". That would help make it journalism.