The Navigator, Saturday, May 17, 2025
Happy Meal Team Six, work-from-home popularity, the perils of 'elder speak', climate-driven mortgage crisis, in defense of despair—and more
This week, we’ve been reflecting on the importance of resilience in our lives.
In Seattle, where Bradley spoke on Wednesday, residents are shifting from doomsday prepping to practical preparedness—organizing essential documents, learning CPR, and assembling emergency kits—to navigate real-world challenges like inflation and instability. Meanwhile, across the pond in England, the government is expanding mental health support in schools to foster "grit" among students, aiming to equip them with the resilience needed to face modern pressures. And that’s not all. In northern Italy, where Marcia will be speaking in a few weeks, a new cohort of philanthropic foundations and individual philanthropists are testing new fundraising models, including Seth Godin’s recent venture, GoodBids.org, which he says he “designed to help Italian and European nonprofits raise more money to build resilience and help Gen Zers navigate through their nation’s new levels of economic uncertainty.”
These initiatives highlight a broader recognition of resilience as a vital skill. Whether adapting to economic shifts or supporting mental well-being, building resilience enables individuals and communities to withstand and grow from adversity. It's about more than just bouncing back; it's about moving forward with strength and purpose.
As we navigate challenges and disruptions, we’re considering how to cultivate resilience in our daily lives. This might involve developing coping strategies, seeking support when needed, or simply taking time to reflect and recharge. By strengthening our resilience, we not only improve our own well-being but also contribute to the resilience of our communities.
How are you building a more resilient future for yourself, your family, and your community? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Trump’s Tactical Burger Unit Is Beyond Parody (The Atlantic)
Happy Meal Team Six
A massive Stanford WFH study reveals where the policy is popular—and why: Q&A (FastCompany)
Work from home is “the new norm” says Stanford economics professor and lead author Nicholas Bloom. But not everywhere.
Inside the Very Peculiar and Wildly Popular World of Armored Medieval Combat (Esquire)
Across America, in front of crowds of thousands, men and women are dressing up as knights from the Middle Ages and fighting one another. The weapons, violence, and chivalry are all real.
Opinion: Why America’s dangerous need for imported food is a crisis waiting to happen (MarketWatch)
Food is not just a commodity; it’s also a pillar of national security
28 American Cities Are Literally Sinking Into the Earth (Popular Mechanics)
This slow-going subsidence is measured in just a handful of millimeters per year, but rising sea levels due to climate change complicates matters.
In Defense of Despair (The New Yorker)
The feeling is most commonly framed as an end point, a level of despondency that cannot be overcome. But it doesn’t have to be so.
FEMA Head Admits in Internal Meetings He Doesn’t Yet Have a Plan for Hurricane Season (The Wall Street Journal)
Two weeks from hurricane season, agency staff are worried FEMA isn’t prepared
The PSAi (Columbia Journalism Review)
An introduction to CJR’s innovative project with TBWA/Chiat/Day, the ad agency, to use AI as a tool to spot AI visuals as fakes—and to highlight the role everyone plays in making those fakes go viral.
How to Reduce Economic Inequality by Expanding Employee Ownership (Nonprofit Quarterly)
The growing divide between those who own assets and those who don’t fuels deep fractures. There are no easy solutions, but employee ownership of businesses is a powerful tool that can help narrow these divisions in these turbulent times.
Honey, Sweetie, Dearie: The Perils of Elderspeak (The New York Times)
A new training program teaches healthcare aides to stop baby talk and address older people as adults.