QUOTE OF THE DAY

'Their weakness is, I think, that their credibility is now quite low. And they don't have much of a message for working people, other than to say Trump is dangerous.'

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in an interview with The Guardian, pointing out what Democrats are lacking in their attempts to stand up to the Trump administration. "What the Democrats have to absolutely make clear is this: We are going to take on the billionaire class," he added.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Trump looks to create a database of Americans

The Trump administration may be taking an executive order calling for the federal government to share data across agencies to the next level by partnering with a tech company to compile data and track Americans across the country. The firm, Palantir, has denied these accusations. But that has not stopped concerns from spreading about the potential data collection, including from some in President Donald Trump's camp.

Creating the database
The claims of a "database of Americans" first surfaced in a Friday report by The New York Times. Palantir, a data analysis firm co-founded by Trump megadonor Peter Thiel, has already been working with the White House and has "received more than $113 million in federal government spending since Trump took office," said the Times. Using Palantir's technology "paves the way for Trump to easily merge information from different agencies."

Trump officials have "already sought access to hundreds of data points on citizens and others through government databases," with Palantir's assistance, said the Times. The Department of Defense also recently awarded the company a $795 million contract. If Palantir's technology gives the government a centralized platform of this data, it could "potentially use such information to advance his political agenda by policing immigrants and punishing critics."

And this is already coming to fruition, as Palantir engineers have "quietly discussed" the "goal of uniting data on Americans," said the Times. The company is "reportedly working with the administration in the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service" to consolidate data, said The Independent.

Mixed reactions
Palantir has denied it's creating such a database. The "recently published article by The New York Times is blatantly untrue," the company said on X. Palantir "never collects data to unlawfully surveil Americans."

This has not stopped many from raising concerns. Palantir has been "heavily criticized by data privacy advocates, anti-war protesters and other organizations over the years," as it has had federal contracts going back years, said Mashable. However, its role with the government has reportedly been turbocharged since Trump reclaimed office.

Even several "pro-Trump voices expressed dismay and feelings of betrayal across social media platforms like X," including MAGA figures, said Newsweek. This is an "ultimate betrayal of his own people," said Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist, on X.

Statistic of the day

19.3%: The percentage of times parents raised concerns about their child's critical illness prior to their diagnosis, according to a new study. Published by Monash University in Australia, the study analyzed nearly 190,000 ER visits and found that children were four times more likely to need ICU care when parents raised these concerns.

the explainer

Gen Z wants to be in the office

Members of Gen Z don't want to "show up" to the office, according to JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon. But contrary to this perception, research suggests Gen Z employees "crave the connection and routine" of in-person work. And they are "leading the charge back to the office," said the Financial Times.

How common is in-office work for younger employees?
Gen Z workers go into the office more than any other age group, according to a study from property company JLL. They average three days a week, compared with the national average of two.

Separate research found that 45% of 20- to 29-year-olds were full-time in an office and were the only age group to say they worked more productively that way. Further analysis suggested that while 35% of Gen X wants "remote-first" roles, only 24% of Gen Z wants the same.

That makes sense, Pam Lindsay-Dunn, the COO of recruitment company Hays, said to The i Paper. When people are "learning the job," they "enjoy touching base," "meeting people" and "being part of a culture."

How does Gen Z differ in the workplace?
Every time a new generation "ages into the work world," the "sky always seems to be falling," said Alison Green at Slate. Millennials were supposedly "overly entitled participation trophy-chasers," and Gen Xers were "disaffected slackers," but in "my experience as a manager," such generational generalizations are "usually B.S."

Some junior staff are reluctant to commute, but their reservations are often financial. A survey of Gen Z workers by Deloitte found that 21% believe "being required on-site full time or on some days has negatively impacted them in a financial sense."

"Why would I, as a young person with student debt, say goodbye to around a quarter of my salary just on trains and the occasional coffee?" a 23-year-old finance worker said to the Financial Times. Going into the office also feels pointless for some younger colleagues owing to the discrepancy between their attendance and that of older workers, who are more likely to have caring responsibilities that make hybrid or remote working more attractive.

These "generational disparities" create "challenges" for managers, said the Financial Times. They now have to "balance competing demands for flexibility from older workers" with the desire from younger peers to "learn and meet colleagues."

Good day 🧬

… for archaeology. Scientists have identified a "new pod of ancient hunter-gatherers" who lived near the land bridge between North America and South America about 6,000 years ago, said The Associated Press. The group was identified using ancient DNA and lived in the high plateaus of present-day Bogotá, Colombia, according to the study published in the journal Science Advances.

Bad day 🌾

… for agricultural safety. Two Chinese scientists have been charged with smuggling a toxic fungus into the U.S., said the Justice Department. The pair is charged with conspiring to smuggle in Fusarium graminearum, which causes a disease that attacks wheat, barley, maize and rice and is classified in scientific literature as a "potential agroterrorism weapon," said the FBI.

Puzzles

Daily crossword

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

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The Week recommends

The dead, the living and the spenders this podcast season

It's nearly halfway through the year, and podcast fans have had a decent lineup of new shows to listen to as we head into the latter half of 2025. These recommended podcasts include a deep cultural dive into the life of the late Jerry Springer and a show that unpacks the way we spend money.

'Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer'
In this nine-part series, Leon Neyfakh provides an in-depth history of "The Jerry Springer Show." Neyfakh presents a "compelling case for Springer's cultural significance, weaving it into a biographical portrait of the man himself, who died in 2023," said Vulture. Neyfakh seemed "particularly interested in Springer's contradictions."(Audible)

'Good Hang with Amy Poehler'
Celebrity podcasts are pretty common, but Poehler's new show stands out. "Good Hang" features weekly guests like Tina Fey, Rashida Jones and Jack Black, and her "interviewing style is both thoughtful and fun," said Cosmopolitan. Each episode is like a "little bottle filled with comedy and joy that you want to get the very last drop out of." (The Ringer, Apple Podcasts, Spotify)

'What We Spend'
This podcast gives you a peek into the spending habits of other people. A combination of "spot interviews and audio diaries," the show might "initially resemble a polished equivalent of a personal-finance blog," said Vukture. But host Courtney Harrell has created a show that's a "thoughtful, revealing and illuminating series of windows into the inner lives of others as refracted through their expense sheets." (Audacy, Apple Podcasts, Spotify)

Poll watch

Just over one in five Israelis (21%) think Israel can coexist peacefully with a Palestinian state, according to a Pew Research Center survey. It's the lowest percentage since Pew began the survey in 2013. The poll of 998 Israeli adults also found that 75% think a lack of trust between the two sides is a major obstacle.

INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'A Canadian defense buildup could restart a beautiful friendship'
Greg Pollock and Imran Bayoumi at The Washington Post
The U.S. and Canada have "enjoyed a close security partnership and a shared perception of how to defend against the primary threats facing North America," but this is "no longer the case," say Greg Pollock and Imran Bayoumi. Trump "must realize that Canada's defense investment decisions may not always align with his priorities." If Canada's prime minister "can put Canada on a credible path to meeting its defense commitments, the bilateral relationship could be headed toward a much more stable footing."

'We desegregated schools 71 years ago. We still have more work to do.'
Russ Wigginton at USA Today
It has been "71 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision," and "our country is reminded of how far we have come and how much work remains, through the lens of education," says Russ Wigginton. The Department of Justice's "recent removal of 1960s-era safeguards" could "threaten the spirit of that landmark ruling." One of the "greatest challenges is an attack on the very foundation of education via the ongoing threats to free thought and critical inquiry."

'The misinformation campaign trying to bring down abortion pills'
Rachel Jones and Jamila Perritt at The Nation
Medication abortion is "safe, effective and widely accepted by patients and providers, which makes it a prime target for political attacks founded on misinformation," say Rachel Jones and Jamila Perritt. "Promoting lshoddy science is not a new tactic of the antiabortion movement." If "legislators and administrative officials got their way, then hundreds of thousands of people across the country could lose access to mifepristone," denying them "access to a safe, effective and well-studied method."

WORD OF THE DAY

noughties

The decade from the year 2000 through 2009, which is experiencing a burst in nostalgia as music, TV and fashion from the era are being rediscovered by Gen X and millennials and discovered for the first time by Gen Z. Use of the #noughtiesnostalgia hashtag is up 36% on TikTok.

Is China winning the AI race?