Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 25, and we're covering a two-day military alliance meeting, a murder tied to a cultlike group, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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NATO leaders are expected to agree to ramp up defense spending when the two-day summit concludes today. Countries may commit to spending 5% of their gross domestic product on defense by 2035—up from the current 2% target, which 22 of the 32 member countries have met.
The commitment responds to a call from President Donald Trump, who has conveyed skepticism about the military alliance’s value to the United States. The US is one of NATO's biggest contributors, responsible for roughly 16% of the alliance's collective $3.5B budget last year. It is also the only country to have triggered Article 5, which assures collective defense for all member countries. Spain struck a deal with NATO to be exempted in the final communique, instead committing 2.1% of its GDP to defense. Learn more about NATO here.
Separately, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to hold yesterday despite violations. An early US intelligence assessment meanwhile reportedly found US strikes set Iran's nuclear program back by months but left its uranium stockpile and centrifuges largely intact. The White House has denied the report. See updates here. |
A record-breaking heat wave is scorching much of the eastern US, with some cities seeing their hottest June temperatures in over a decade. Driven by a powerful heat dome, temperatures have soared 15 to 20 degrees above normal—New York City exceeded its 1888 record Tuesday of 96 degrees—and heat indexes have climbed over 100 degrees in several cities. See updates here.
Millions remain under heat alerts as the multiday heat wave strains power grids, sparks outages, and disrupts travel, including damaged infrastructure such as buckled roads. Hot days often feel hotter due to high humidity, trapped heat, and elevated dew points, making conditions feel like a sauna. Urban areas are especially vulnerable due to the heat island effect, as asphalt and concrete trap heat overnight. Meteorologists say some relief is expected heading into the weekend.
Separately, Tropical Storm Andrea formed Tuesday in the Atlantic, becoming the first named storm of the 2025 hurricane season. It is not expected to impact any land. |
A woman tied to the cultlike Zizian group and charged in the death of a US Border Patrol agent appeared in federal court for pretrial proceedings yesterday. Authorities have also connected the radical group composed largely of young computer scientists to homicides in Pennsylvania and California.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, allegedly shot agent David Maland during a January traffic stop in Vermont. She and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, who was killed in the shootout, had been under surveillance for suspected Zizian ties. They were traveling armed and, days earlier, another suspected Zizian had allegedly killed a California landlord.
Authorities linked the gun Youngblut used to a person of interest in a 2022 Pennsylvania double homicide who was arrested in February alongside the group’s assumed leader, Jack “Ziz” LaSota. LaSota, a 34-year-old who amassed a following through blogging, was indicted last week on weapons charges.
Though their motives remain unclear, the Zizians’ online writings explore anarchy, radical veganism, gender identity, and AI. Learn more about the group here. |
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