The Navigator, Saturday, June 21, 2025
Iran, extreme weather robots, Molly Jong-Fast, NATO's Mark Rutte, Amtrak's popularity crisis, DIY detoxing, summer heatwaves—and more
NOTE: Re-posting to update references to America’s involvement in Iran.
Friday marked the start of summer, and it’s likely to be a hotter one for most Americans—weather-wise and politically.
The National Weather Service said the first significant heat wave of the season would be starting this weekend, smashing dozens of records with temperatures feeling like they’re in the triple digits, especially for those in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the country.
Also heating up fast is U.S. involvement in Israel’s war with Iran. President Trump announced late Saturday the U.S. bombed key nuclear sites in Iran, despite recent polls showing most Americans strongly opposed to having the U.S. join the conflict. Trump’s MAGA base had been especially split earlier this week, with some questioning what Trump’s pledge of America First means—and who gets to define it—something political analysts said had begun to challenge Trump’s grip on the Republican Party by causing friction between some of his key supporters. [In his inaugural address, Trump promised to “measure our success by the wars we end and those we don’t get into.”]
Former Fox News host and right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson angered Trump earlier this week by questioning his handling of the growing conflict. There also was division this past week between Pentagon officials over strategy and multiple plans being put forward to either limit or destroy Iran’s nuclear capability.
Late Saturday, Trump warned of more strikes “if peace does not come quickly.”
According to Harvard Management Professor Arthur C. Brooks—in another story we highlight this week—we all now live “in an Age of Offense” and need to become more socially resilient in this time of rising conflict and political polarization. It is better, he writes in The Atlantic, to “work on becoming less offended by some of the uncivil behavior we face in these times.”
In a recent survey by Pew Research, 47% of Americans said that people saying things which are “very offensive” to others is a “major problem” in the U.S. right now—but a larger percentage (62%) say another big problem is “people being too easily offended” and thin-skinned by the things which others say.
We wish you all a very cool summer, filled with new ways to navigate the heat.
With a Military Strike His Predecessors Avoided, Trump Takes a Huge Gamble (The New York Times)
President Trump is betting the United States can repel whatever retaliation Iran orders, and that it has destroyed the regime’s chances of reconstituting its nuclear program.
Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE detention (PBS News/AP)
A federal judge agreed with Khalil’s lawyers that the pro-Palestinian activist, opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza, was being prevented from exercising his free speech and due process rights.
Musk’s Meltdown Era is Here (Salon magazine)
Exploding rockets, billion-dollar losses and now a Trump cold shoulder: Elon Musk’s empire is running on fumes.
Viral Storm Streamers are Predicting Deadly Tornadoes—Sometimes Faster than the Government (WIRED)
Storm streamers—like the tornado chasers fictionalized in movies like Twister—are now using radars and AI robots to track extreme weather for millions of YouTube subscribers—and in some cases, issuing alerts faster than the National Weather Service.
Amtrak is losing friends on both sides of the aisle (Politico)
The Trump administration and New York are taking a more adversarial approach to Amtrak.
The Man Who Wants to Save NATO (TIME)
A profile of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the center-right politician who is bringing an idiosyncratic mix of experience and personality to the job of saving the NATO alliance—and marshaling member states to meet the moment.
The Myth of the Gen Z Red Wave (The Atlantic)
The best available evidence suggests that the youth-vote shift in 2024 was more a one-off event than an ideological realignment, says Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist specializing in generations and how they differ.
Alaska just hit a climate milestone—its first-ever heat advisory (Grist)
The heat bearing down on central Alaska this summer “could feel like 110.”
The Strength Gained by Not Taking Offense (The Atlantic)
We live in an Age of Offense. We all face uncivil behavior or insulting comments at times, but writer Arthur C. Brooks says it’s much better to work on being less offended—than taking offense in the first place.
Why are MAHA Influencers So Obsessed With Parasites? (Vanity Fair)
Conservative influencers are pushing livestock de-wormers along with DIY “detox” potions, and people are posting photos of their soiled toilet bowls (again). What’s going on?
Food fights, fake blood, obsessed fans: When Jaws invaded Martha’s Vineyard (National Geographic)
50 years after the legendary movie became the nation’s first summer blockbuster, locals reminisce about the time Hollywood came to town.
Molly Jong-Fast reflects on her famous mother’s early feminism and struggle with dementia (Fresh Air/NPR)
Fresh Air Host Terry Gross interviews Vanity Fair columnist and MSNBC political analyst Molly Jong-Fast about her new memoir, How to Lose Your Mother, what it was like to be raised by the late Erica Jong—the larger-than-life, 1970s feminist icon—and witnessing her heartbreaking decline.
The Most Efficient Way to Run your AC During a Heat Wave (TIME)
As most of the U.S. gears up this weekend for a hotter than average summer, many might be inclined to stay inside and crank up the AC. But don’t sweat. There are ways to both keep cool and reduce your environmental impact.