What You Said About …

DO THE DEMOCRATS MATTER?

After reading Sam Frizell’s Feb. 20 cover story about Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and how he plans to negotiate with President Trump, Pam Jones of West Hollywood, Calif., wrote to say that she felt “a lot better” about the chances that Congress would do what it’s “supposed to do to keep the country running.” However, Curt Oyer of Bloomington, Ill., said that the article went too far in framing Republicans as responsible for earlier obstruction in Congress when Democrats were polarizing too. And some readers, like Marty Meiser of Loganton, Pa., argued that Platon’s cover photo of Schumer as “a benevolent grandfather” was “visually manipulating” readers.

JEFFERSON’S WARNING

Many readers applauded TIME editor Nancy Gibbs’ defense of freedom of the press and objectivity in her Feb. 13 editor’s note. The article reminded Timothy Everton of Clearlake, Calif., of the work of Thomas Paine. The connection drawn between Thomas Jefferson’s time and today left Doris Averiett of Long Branch, N.J., feeling ready to talk current events–“especially politics.” Gordon Kelly of Fort Worth, a subscriber for 47 years, said simply, “Sign me up for another 47 years.” Yet Jerry Newberry of Alexander City, Ala., said he was concerned that the popularity of opinion journalism comes at the expense of facts: “The sword cuts both ways. I wonder if Jefferson had imagined the press would become an ideological trumpet for either side.”

LIGHTBOX

TIME’s presentation of the winners of the 2017 World Press Photo Contest includes Ami Vitale’s shot of 16-year-old giant panda Ye Ye, honored in the nature category. See them all at lightbox.time.com

Back in TIME

Oct. 20, 1958

Growing old usefully

This week’s look at longevity is not TIME’s first foray into the matter of adding years to life and, as this 1958 cover story–featuring football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, 96–put it, “adding life to years.” See the issue at time.com/vault

THE PREDICTION

Life expectancy in the U.S. was up 43% since 1900, and TIME cited the number of Americans who were 80 or older as jumping from 374,000 at the beginning of the century to 2.3 million in the late 1950s. It was projected that there would be 7.4 million American octogenarians by 2000.

THE REALITY

The census counted about 7.7 million Americans in their 80s in 2000–and 1.4 million who were even older.

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