The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health

The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health

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The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health
The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health
June 15 : What Really Happened This Week

June 15 : What Really Happened This Week

Millions protest peacefully nationwide, Israel-Iran conflict, and more right wing political violence

Anya Kamenetz's avatar
Anya Kamenetz
Jun 15, 2025
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The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health
The Golden Hour: climate, children, mental health
June 15 : What Really Happened This Week
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Hello friends.

Things are getting very real. Are you keeping your spirits up? Taking breaks with some nonthreatening media? I’m watching Poker Face and listening to Amy Poehler’s podcast.

True story: Three different times recently I’ve been at a party where a friend/acquaintance said to a new person: “This is Anya. She has an awesome Substack where she shares a news roundup every week that helps you stay on top of the news without being overwhelmed! It’s got action points, bright spots, and it’s quick and easy to read.”

Lesson #1: I have some incredible, supportive women in my life. .

Lesson #2: Consider upgrading to a paid subcription, or if you can’t, then pay what you can and drop me a line.

Don’t worry and please don‘t hit unsubscribe: my Friday essays will remain free for all. If you want to read this but can’t swing $5/month, simply pay what you CAN afford here and drop me a line so I can comp you!

Copy this and send it to a friend who says they are “tuning out the news.”

More of you are tuning IN each week!

This week:

1.Israel starts a war with Iran

2.Peaceful mass protests coast to coast

3.Right-wing political violence escalating; a Minnesota lawmaker is killed

4.People are starving in ICE detention

5.Good news/wild card


1. Israel starts a war with Iran

615 days into a war on Gaza that is a humanitarian disaster with no clear endgame, the Israeli government struck Iran beginning on Thursday, June 12. They targeted nuclear facilities and assassinated five nuclear scientists. They also targeted military commanders and the world's largest fossil gas field. Tehran struck back, in the main city of Tel Aviv and in Haifa in the north, making “the most sustained, direct attacks ever between the two regional rivals,” per the Washington Post.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert characterized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current motivations this way on Ezra Klein’s podcast last week before the attack:

“Netanyahu is captive. He is nominally the leader of the state of Israel. He’s the prime minister. But he’s entirely captive by these messianic, extremist, fundamentalist terrorists who are dictating the policy, because if he will not surrender to their pressures, he will lose his government.”

Polled last month, 55% of Israelis believed their Prime Minister cares more about staying in power then winning the war or freeing the hostages.

The Israeli Defense Force now says that Iran is the primary war front and Gaza is secondary.

Some Iranian dissidents, however, express “a sense of grim satisfaction,” daring to hope that these attacks could weaken repression and even help them topple the regime. Lots and lots of details in this post:

The Cosmopolitan Globalist
Israel's strike on Iran, Part II
Note: Just before sending this, I saw the ghastly news from Minnesota. What can I say? My heart breaks for my country…
Read more
a month ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Claire Berlinski

40,000 U.S. troops are deployed in the region.

So what now? On the one hand, dictators love wars. On the other hand, TACO.

2.Peaceful mass protests coast to coast

“No Kings” and “Kick Out The Clowns” protests took place in 2300 US cities and towns and 20 countries to oppose the fascist takeover, while the President awarded himself a (sparsely attended) military parade in Washington, D.C. on his 79th birthday.

In NYC…

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