🌎 Heating Up

Iran strikes US military base in Qatar

The attack comes after the US’s strike on its nuclear facilities. On Monday, Iran launched a limited missile strike on a US military base in Qatar in response to American attacks on its nuclear facilities over the weekend.

As of writing, US officials said no casualties have been reported, and Iran appeared willing to avoid further escalation after an official statement.

How did we get here?

The Iranian missile strike was launched in retaliation for the US’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s nuclear sites and amied to cripple the nation’s ability to develop an array of nuclear weapons (see previous newsletter).

The complex operation consisted of a coordinated airstrike targeting three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo.

• Around midnight Friday, seven B-2 bombers departed Missouri and flew east toward Iran, while others flew west as a decoy.

• The bombers, in an 18-hour low-communication mission, deployed 14 massive 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs against Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordo and Natanz. The mission marked the bombs’ first-ever operational use.

• US officials said after the operation that the aircraft were not only not fired at once, but never even detected.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation following the attack, calling the operation a success and stating the nuclear sites were destroyed. As of writing, the full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program is still being assessed.

Looking forward: Iran warned President Trump through intermediaries last week that any US strike on its nuclear sites would trigger the activation of sleeper-cell operatives inside the United States, per NBC News.

Retalitory attack

Yesterday, Iran swiftly responded with missile strikes targeting US forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and a base in Iraq. The attack is the latest involving Iran and has greatly escalated tensions in the Middle East.

While details are still emerging, here is what we know so far:

• In a statement minutes after the launch, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called the strike “devastating and powerful.”

• However, the Trump administration was reportedly aware of the strike ahead of time, and all 14 missiles were intercepted by Qatari defenses.

Around 8,000 US citizens are based at Al Udeid, though the air base was evacuated beforehand, and no deaths or injuries have been reported. The situation is still unfolding. Click here for live updates.

Update: US President Trump announced late yesterday that Israel and Iran have agreed on a “complete and total” ceasefire, though later, Iran’s Foreign Minister said in a post on X that “there is no agreement” and that the final decision “will be made later.”

Tesla’s robotaxis hit the road in Texas

Driverless Teslas are officially on the move. Tesla has launched its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, debuting with up to 20 driverless Model Y vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving software.

No driver required

While CEO Elon Musk said he plans to eventually have up to 1,000 Tesla robotaxis roaming the streets in the coming months, so far, the rollout has been limited:

• 10-20 Autonomous Model Ys have been released for test rides at a flat fee of $4.20, but just for those on an invite-only list, and only within a tightly defined area.

• Plus, each autonomous vehicle includes a human monitor onboard and is supported by a remote operator able to intervene during emergencies.

While the launch was limited, initial reviews of the service have been good, with early riders frequently describing the trips as “smooth,” “great,” and “normal,” even in low light conditions. Tesla shares surged 10% after the rollout.

However… despite positioning autonomous vehicles as a key growth area amid declining sales, Tesla is far from the first company to introduce ride services in the Austin area without human drivers.

Stiff competition

Waymo, backed by Google parent Alphabet, leads the industry with more than 250,000 paid rides per week across cities like Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

• Waymo surpassed 10 million driverless rides earlier this month and has grown exponentially in the past few years.

Although the company controls a majority of the market share, Tesla’s much cheaper, camera-driven system could still leapfrog Waymo’s sensor-heavy cars. Not to mention, Tesla could rapidly expand its robotaxi fleet by upgrading existing vehicles with enhanced driver assistance software.

There’s a big upside: Some analysts project Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing service to become a $951B business by 2029, which would make up 90% of the company’s earnings.

Massive ‘heat dome’ to bring record temperatures to the US

As if this weekend wasn’t hot enough already. An intensifying heat dome is expanding across the US this week, bringing record temperatures to the Midwest and East Coast and prompting health advisories across several states.

Heating up

While the relentless heat dome already scorched much of the US this weekend, forecasters warn that the worst is yet to come:

• Through at least midweek, temperatures will remain stubbornly in the 90s and low 100s, with heat index values soaring as high as 110°F.

• Today and tomorrow are expected to be the most dangerous days for major cities, including Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, where record highs may fall.

In just the past few days, more than 147 million people were under excessive heat warnings and advisories across 28 states, with several cities seeing record temperatures and many declaring heat emergencies.

Officials are advising residents—especially older adults and those with health conditions—to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous activity, noting that heat waves claim dozens of lives each year.

• Track the heat risk in your area here (map included).

Why is it so hot? The high temps are being driven by a heat dome—a wide, slow-moving, high-pressure system that traps heat beneath it—that swept over the central US this weekend, amplified by moisture from the south.

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Meta and Oakley debut AI performance glasses

But can these stop me from slicing my drives? Following the unexpected success of its Ray-Ban collaboration, Meta is launching its first partnership with Oakley this summer to produce AI-powered sunglasses designed for athletes.

A marked improvement

The new glasses, called Oakley Meta HSTN, are a new line of AI-powered smart glasses aimed at athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Like Meta’s earlier Ray-Ban model—which sold over 2 million units—the new Oakley smart glasses can translate languages in real time, record video, play music, and respond to user questions.

On top of that, the frames also feature:

• A 3K-resolution camera, an upgrade from the 1080p found in Ray‑Ban Meta models.

• Up to eight hours of battery use (double the Ray-Ban models), plus 48 additional hours from the charging case.

• IPX4 splash resistance, open-ear speakers, and built-in microphones for calls, music, and Meta AI voice control

The glasses will start at $399 and are expected to release later this summer, but if you’re after the $499 limited-edition version (which has gold colored accents), pre-orders open July 11. Expect more designs to roll out later in the season.

Looking forward: As Meta continues its wearable AI push, the team up with EssilorLuxottica (which owns Oakley and Ray-Ban) should position Meta to compete with Google, Apple, and Snap in a rapidly growing smart glasses industry.

Why your workday keeps getting longer—and how AI might fix it

The 9 to 5 is officially out. According to a Microsoft report released last week, people are caught in increasingly long workdays that stretch from 6 am to 10 pm. However, AI might just be the cure.

Never-ending day

Microsoft calls the phenomenon the “infinite workday,” which was once an outlier for remote workers, but has now become standard for many who can’t dissociate from their jobs.

After analyzing trillions of data points across its Microsoft 365 platform, the company found that employees are:

• Working earlier: By 6 am, roughly 40% of workers are already checking emails, and over the course of the day, the average employee receives 117 emails and 153 Teams messages. That’s an interruption every two minutes.

• Working longer/later: Employees now process an average of 50 messages after hours, 20% put in time on weekends, nearly 30% are working past 10 pm, and 16% more meetings are happening after 8 pm.

It’s becoming a problem… nearly 50% of employees and over 50% of leaders describe their workday as “chaotic and fragmented,” as the nonstop cycle erodes deep work time, increases stress, and saps creativity and well‑being.

How can AI help?

Seeing as employees using Microsoft 365 are interrupted by a meeting, email, or notification every two minutes during “core business hours,” the average worker’s sanity might need some fixing. Enter AI:

• To restore focus and protect well-being, AI tools are being positioned as digital allies that can offload routine, repetitive, and administrative tasks.

• Features like auto-summarizing meetings, drafting emails, prioritizing messages, and scheduling based on urgency can all reduce digital clutter and decision fatigue.

However, it’s not a cure-all: Microsoft and workplace analysts warn that while AI can help lessen menial tasks, it’s only truly effective when it’s paired with cultural change.

FAST FACTS
Catch up on this week’s weird news

Millionaire Moment: UBS data revealed that the US added nearly 380,000 millionaires last year, bringing the national total close to 24 million and making the US the global leader in the number of millionaires.

Steep Steering: An 80-year-old man drove his Mercedes down the historic Spanish Steps in Rome, stunning onlookers as firefighters removed his car using a crane.

Car Cataclysm: American car sales are plummeting as skyrocketing purchase prices, insurance premiums, and repair bills erode what was once a national passion, according to the WSJ.

Trump v. Newsom: A San Francisco-based appeals court ruled Trump acted within his authority to federalize California’s Guard during the immigration-related unrest in LA.

Tick-Tock: President Trump granted TikTok a third 90-day extension of the deadline to sell the company or face a US ban, pushing the deadline back to Sept. 17, 2025.