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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>TIMEhttps://time.com/<!\[CDATA\[Breaking news and analysis from TIME.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science and entertainment news.\]\]>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:10:23 +0000en-UShourly1<!\[CDATA\[Breaking Down the Ending of Agent Kim Reactivated\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/agent-kim-reactivated-ending/<!\[CDATA\[Entertainment\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The thrilling action series follows an unassuming single dad who reveals his past as a secret agent when his daughter disappears\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Courtesy of SBS TV\]\]><!\[CDATA\[So Ji-sub\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt213a50cb9871dc57/6a67c2778495603a56e47af4/6a66a0ef7799e004c63d6e39-p.jpg?branch=production)

So Ji-sub —Courtesy of SBS TV

_Agent Kim Reactivated_, a [Korean drama](https://time.com/article/2026/06/18/my-royal-nemesis-ending-explained/) broadcast on SBS TV domestically and streamed on Netflix globally, has become one of the summer’s [biggest hits](https://time.com/7340988/best-k-dramas-2025/). The thrilling action series follows an unassuming bank manager and single dad named Kim (So Ji-sub). When his teen daughter, Min-ji (Seo Su-min), disappears after a fight at school, Kim’s background and skillset as a secret agent is revealed as he stops at nothing to find her. 

Agent Kim is aided by his two friends: taekwondo instructor Sung Han-soo (Choi Dae-hoon) and boisterous military man Park Jin-cheol (Yoon Kyung-ho). Like Agent Kim, Han-soo and Jin-cheol are former spies and current parents. In an effort to rescue Min-ji, the three middle-aged, bespectacled dads face off against criminal organizations and state intelligence entities as what starts as a clash between two teenagers disturbs a decade-long lull in intergovernmental espionage. The 10-episode drama about paternal anxiety and devotion wrapped up over the weekend. Here’s everything that happened in the final episodes of _Agent Kim Reactivated_.

## 

## **Does Min-ji die?**

The first few episodes of _Agent Kim Reactivated_ imply that Kim’s beloved daughter Min-ji has died. At the end of Episode 1, Hye-ri (Yoo Ji-an), Min-ji’s classmate and the daughter of Juhak Construction group chairman Ju Gang-chan (Joo Sang-wook), hits Min-ji over the head with a brick. Min-ji loses consciousness, leading Hye-ri and Min-ji’s other bullies to assume she is dead. A panicked Hye-ri convinces local thug Golden Teeth (Jo Bok-rae) to take care of the body. 

However, unbeknownst to both Hye-ri and Golden Teeth, Min-ji has survived the attack. She later wakes up in the cold storage warehouse where Golden Teeth has temporarily stashed her “body”, and escapes. This is just the beginning of Min-ji’s many efforts to get back to her father. Next, she is picked up by Ju Gang-chan while trying to hitchhike. Then, she is “rescued” by South Korea’s Special Missions Directorate (SMD), where director Kang Guk-cheol (Won Hyun-joon) ties her up and questions her for information about her father. It’s a foolish strategy. Agent Kim has kept his daughter in the dark about his dark past.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba72001476ea8435/6a67c365fac349baae42db28/6a56c928cb804a7bd7390df9-p.jpg?branch=production)

Choi Dae-hoon —Courtesy of SBS TV

## **Agent Kim’s secret past**

Agent Kim was born in North Korea, and was trained from a young age to be a special operative for his native government. However, when Kim is captured during a failed mission in South Korea, he has a choice to make: be disappeared by the SMD, or agree to work for them. He chooses the latter, and becomes friends with operatives Han-soo and Jin-cheol through their missions together.

Kim also meets and falls in love with a South Korean woman. When she dies in childbirth, he forces his retirement from the SMD in order to raise his baby. The SMD allows his freedom on one condition: he must lay low. If the North Korean government realizes their former operative is alive in South Korea, it will cause an international incident. 

Kim gladly devotes himself to a quiet life as a father and office worker, and the SMD leaves him alone. But when Min-ji goes missing and Kim starts wreaking havoc across the city looking for her, North Korean Intelligence learns of his continued existence. The SMD and North Korean Intelligence both set out to capture Agent Kim. 

## **Who is Agent 66?**

The pseudonym “Agent 66” is first used by Park Yeong-gwang (TaecYeon), a North Korean spy who trained alongside Agent Kim. When Yeong-gwang dies during his and Agent Kim’s first mission to South Korea, betrayed by the North Korean agency that sent them, Agent Kim takes on the moniker.

When Agent Kim reappears on the North Korean government’s radar after years of being presumed dead, Park Yeong-gwang’s little brother, Gang Seong (Kim Sung-kyu), is sent to kill him. He too uses the name “Agent 66” as his codename. Though killing Kim may be Gang Seong’s orders, the mission is also personal for the new Agent 66, who has been told that Kim is responsible for the death of his big brother. When Kim dispels this lie, revealing that it was North Korean intelligence director Ri Eung-ryeong who betrayed them all, Gang Seong abandons his mission to kill Kim. 

Later, after Ri Eung-ryeong spills his secrets to the South Korean government in exchange for asylum, Agent Kim kidnaps and hands Ri Eung-ryeong over to Gang Seong. Gang Seong brings Ri Eung-ryeong back to North Korea, where he is presumably punished for his defection.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19ccd366404b5fef/6a67c308eceabd35e1d20cee/6a62a5097799e004c63d6aa5-p.jpg?branch=production)

So Ji-sub —Courtesy of SBS TV

## **The ending of** **_Agent Kim Reactivated_**

Heading into the [season finale](https://time.com/article/2026/07/06/reborn-rookie-ending-explained/), Agent Kim has managed to evade SMD capture by protecting defector Ri Eung-ryeong during the intergovernmental talks between North Korea and South Korea. With the completion of one final mission for the SMD, Kim has earned his freedom (again) and the promise of a normal life with Min-ji. He just has to stay alive to claim it. And, unfortunately, Ju Gang-chan—the former thug turned Juhak Construction chairman—is still gunning for him. He wants to see Agent Kim, Han-soo, and Jin-cheol suffer for besting him. To do so, Ju Gang-chan kidnaps Han-soo and Jin-cheol’s children. He holds the teens at gunpoint and forces Han-soo and Jin-cheol to fight Agent Kim.

The three friends initially go along with Ju Gang-chan’s orders to kill Agent Kim, but use their years of experience working together to come up with an out. They lure a boasting Ju Gang-chan closer to the fence of the cage in which they are fighting, and manage to knock it down onto the villain. They rescue their children, and hand Ju Gang-chan over to the authorities. Later, he is stabbed multiple times by Golden Teeth while being transported out of the hospital. Hye-ri, the spoiled daughter whose bullying acted as a catalyst for this entire sequence of events, has been sent abroad following the public humiliation of her family.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc4524f9ff0085dd/6a67c3218495605a79e47b0d/6a5d6833cb804a7bd739148c-p.jpg?branch=production)

Seo Su-min and So Ji-sub —Courtesy of SBS TV

## **Agent Kim and Min-ji are reunited**

The father-daughter relationship between Agent Kim and Min-ji is at the [heart](https://time.com/7377559/singles-inferno-season-5-ending-explained/) of _Agent Kim Reactivated_, and it’s at the heart of the finale, too. Following the action of the series, the two have grown closer after being forced apart. Min-ji now understands more about her father’s past and motivations, and no longer sees him as a timid man who would rather bow than fight. 

In the final episode, they are reunited after Agent Kim fakes his death to escape international accountability for his past acts of espionage. The father and daughter start a new life together under new identities, with the help of the SMD. While they leave the identities of Bank Manager Kim and Kim Min-ji behind, they are somehow still in contact with Han-soo and Jin-cheol, who help the Kims move into their new home.

## **Will there be a Season 2?**

It’s likely—the [series](https://time.com/7338764/dear-x-ending-explained/) has been one of the most successful Korean dramas of the year so far on Netflix and on broadcast television in Korea. [According to The Chosun Daily](https://www.chosun.com/english/kpop-culture-en/2026/07/26/M35FQ45W4BAP3AUKRORWT7K3OI/), the production team is currently discussing the possibility of a second season.

If _Agent Kim Reactivated_ does get more episodes, the story will most likely revolve around Agent Kim’s new job at Baekho Employment Agency. In the first season finale, Kim makes a deal with Lee Dong-kyu, a new and enigmatic character who agrees to take down Juhak Construction for our protagonist. The cost is implied to be Agent Kim’s employment at Lee’s mysterious company. 

While we don’t learn much about Lee Dong-kyu in the Netflix series, the character is an important element of the webtoon on which _Agent Kim Reactivated_ is based. In the webtoon, the Baekho Employment Agency, aka the White Tiger Job Center, is a mercenary organization founded and led by Tom Lee. The private company takes on high-risk, high-reward jobs--for the right price. If _Agent Kim Reactivated_ continues for a second season, Agent Kim may find himself in even more dangerous scenarios due to his deal with Lee Dong-kyu.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltb0ba5758fe4c711aMon, 27 Jul 2026 20:58:17 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Kayti Burt\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Measles Cases in the U.S. Are at a 35-Year High\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/measles-cases-us-35-year-high/<!\[CDATA\[Health\]\]><!\[CDATA\[New numbers from the CDC reveal a trend that's worrying doctors.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Brandon Bell—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The Lubbock Public Health facility on April 9, 2025\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt682c33cffaa871ba/6a67a46707823747754d9938/GettyImages-2209410399.jpg?branch=production)

The Lubbock Public Health facility on April 9, 2025 —Brandon Bell—Getty Images

[Measles](https://time.com/article/2026/05/11/measles-complication-immune-system/) is an old scourge that’s rapidly re-emerging as a new one. According to [numbers released](https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html) by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 24, there have been 2,318 cases of measles reported nationwide so far in this year, already exceeding the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025\. The current figure is the highest incidence of measles in 35 years, a record set back in 1991 when there were 9,643 U.S. cases.

It wasn’t long ago that measles cases were extremely rare in the U.S. In [1963, the first measles vaccine](https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html) was introduced in the U.S., and decades of steady administration of the shot eventually led to the [country being declared measles-free in 2000](https://time.com/6981222/public-health-measles-history/). There were some scattered infections in the ensuing years—56 cases in 2003, 55 in 2012, 13 in 2020\. But this year and last year, the numbers have exploded.

The surge has come amid a backdrop of drastic changes to childhood vaccinations. In January 2026, the CDC changed the childhood vaccine schedule—despite experts and [organizations](https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/34141/AAP-s-2026-immunization-schedule-keeps-routine) saying there had been no change in the science—after President Donald Trump directed the agency and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services and a longtime vaccine skeptic, to review how other developed countries issue vaccine recommendations. The new guidelines reduced the number of recommended vaccines for children from 17 to 11\. Though the measles vaccine is still on the “recommended” list, recent [research](https://time.com/article/2026/04/30/cdc-vaccine-autism-trust/) published in _Science_ showed that changes in the CDC's vaccine messaging under the Trump Administration reduced the public's trust in the agency and in vaccines, while increasing perceptions that vaccines are not safe.

  
Even before the second Trump Administration, vaccination rates for measles nationwide were down. Generally, it takes 95% vaccination coverage for a population to achieve what is known as [herd immunity](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22599-herd-immunity), the protection that is afforded when there are so many people inoculated against a disease that the pathogen can’t gain an infectious toehold in a society and reach that small part of the unvaccinated population—generally those who are too young to be vaccinated or those who cannot receive the shots for medical reasons such as compromised immune systems. Vaccination rates are not available for the 2025-2026 school year yet, but for 2024-2025 the [number](https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/) was just 92.5%, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020\. 

That much of a drop in vaccination coverage creates pockets for viruses, like the one that causes measles, to spread. Of measles cases so far in 2026 and for the entirety of last year, [93% have been among](https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/) unvaccinated children, 3% were among children who received just one vaccine dose, and 4% were among kids who received both. This year, 7% of those cases resulted in hospitalizations. There have been no deaths so far this year, but there were three in 2025—one of them an [unvaccinated adult](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7414a1.htm), and two of them children with no known underlying health conditions.

“There were two healthy little girls in West Texas that died from measles,” said Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in an email to TIME. “Those were the first measles deaths in a child in this country in more than 20 years. I think it is fair to say that measles is epidemic in the United States. And if people are coming from outside this country to the United States, they better make sure they’re up-to-date on their immunizations.”

Adds Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine: “For all practical purposes measles has returned to the United States, both in terms of cases and hospitalizations, as well as two needless deaths. We should expect our annual winter-spring surges of measles to get even worse in subsequent years. And it won't be just measles—pertussis is also returning, and other childhood infectious diseases might follow."

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltdb1aa0ecb363afddMon, 27 Jul 2026 20:22:29 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Jeffrey Kluger\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Mitch McConnell Shares New Health Update 6 Weeks After Hospitalization\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/mitch-mcconnell-health-update-hospitalization-senate/<!\[CDATA\[Politics\]\]><!\[CDATA\[McConnell revealed earlier this month that he had been hospitalized following a fall, pushing back on speculation of more serious health issues.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Nathan Posner—Anadolu/Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is seen during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Department of Defense budget hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f9ca34f9b252e7a/6a67a6cdad05181416614637/McConnell-Health-Update.jpg?branch=production)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is seen during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Department of Defense budget hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2026\. —Nathan Posner—Anadolu/Getty Images

Sen. [Mitch McConnell](https://time.com/article/2026/07/13/how-graham-s-death-and-mcconnell-s-absence-complicates-senate-gop-s-agenda/?live%5Fpreview=029d2760c9f14f83ac80668628ded919&content%5Ftype%5Fuid=article&entry%5Fuid=blt625bae78a97c1f50) shared a new update on his health on Monday, six weeks after he was initially [hospitalized](https://time.com/article/2026/07/13/mitch-mcconnell-breaks-silence-with-statement-and-photo-amid-questions-about-health-status/).

In a [statement](https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=DC6BF158-0E6A-4BAC-AF63-43E7DB393869) released by his office, the 84-year-old lawmaker said that he was “still working hard to get back to \[his\] full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky,” and that he was still undergoing “intense physical therapy.” He added that he wouldn’t be able to attend an upcoming event in his home state, called Fancy Farm picnic.

“There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton,” McConnell said. “As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.”

The statement was accompanied by a message from Congress’ Office of the Attending Physician (OAP), which said that its physicians “visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care.”

“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” the office said. “His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

McConnell was hospitalized on June 14\. His office initially didn’t share any details of the Republican Senator’s condition, and his ensuing weeks-long absence from the upper chamber with little to no information from his office sparked speculation over McConnell’s health. The growing uncertainty prompted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, to issue a [public letter](https://governor.ky.gov/attachments/20260708%5FMcConnell-Letter.pdf) calling on McConnell to “fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of \[his\] health.”

“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear wrote. “As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent. I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve.”

Four days later, the Senator [revealed](https://time.com/article/2026/07/13/mitch-mcconnell-breaks-silence-with-statement-and-photo-amid-questions-about-health-status/) that he was hospitalized after a fall. He said that his doctors confirmed that he didn’t break any bones or sustain a concussion, nor did he suffer from any other more serious conditions, such as a heart attack or stroke.

“But,” McConnell said, “I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”

“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time,” he continued. “And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet. But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you.”

He went on to say that part of the reason he decided that he would retire in January, when his term comes to an end, “was being honest about the demands of Senate work.”

The Kentucky Senator has had several health scares before this one, including [multiple falls](https://time.com/article/2026/07/13/mitch-mcconnell-breaks-silence-with-statement-and-photo-amid-questions-about-health-status/) in recent years

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt625bae78a97c1f50Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:56:15 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Chantelle Lee\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Why Tensions Are Mounting Between Trump and Republican Senate Leader Thune\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/trump-thune-senate-republicans-save-america-act/<!\[CDATA\[Politics\]\]><!\[CDATA\[A long-simmering conflict between President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune is breaking out into the open as the upper chamber approaches its August recess.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and President Donald Trump arrive at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3dd449bbfd1b016/6a6799df07823722d94d984d/Trump-Thune.jpg?branch=production)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and President Donald Trump arrive at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. —Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images

A long-simmering conflict between President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/donald-trump/) and Senate Majority Leader [John Thune](https://time.com/7342123/trump-congress-john-thune-venezuela/) is breaking out into the open as the upper chamber approaches its August recess without making progress on a restrictive voting bill the President has underlined as his [top legislative](https://time.com/article/2026/03/10/trump-save-america-act-republicans-congress-voter-ID-senate-john-thune/) [priority](https://time.com/article/2026/06/24/trump-housing-bill-save-america-act-voting-restrictions/).

Trump reiterated his festering frustrations with Thune on Monday.

“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!” Trump said in a [Truth Social post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116992066632190700). 

“The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership,” he continued. “Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!”

Tensions have been mounting between the President and the Republican Senate leader for months over the stalled SAVE America Act, a contentious piece of legislation that would impose stricter voter identification requirements around the country. Trump has [aggressively promoted](https://time.com/article/2026/03/10/trump-save-america-act-republicans-congress-voter-ID-senate-john-thune/) the bill, even [vowing](https://time.com/article/2026/03/10/trump-save-america-act-republicans-congress-voter-ID-senate-john-thune/) not to sign any other bills into law until Congress passes it. But forward momentum on the bill, which [passed](https://time.com/7378333/voter-id-requirements-house-bill-trump-democrat-cuellar/) the House in February, has come to a halt in the upper chamber, where Thune [said](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5927978-senate-thune-save-america-act/) that Republicans don’t have enough votes to pass it.

Trump has repeatedly encouraged Senate Republicans to [end the filibuster](https://time.com/7330524/what-is-a-filibuster-trump-fights-to-terminate-it/), which gives the minority party the ability to delay or block legislation by dragging out debate, effectively requiring a 60-vote threshold for most bills to pass the upper chamber. But many Republican lawmakers have [objected](https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/trump-filibuster-senate-republicans-dhs-shutdown-tsa-airports-save-america-voting-bill/) to the idea of ending the filibuster—including Thune, who [previously said](https://time.com/7330288/government-shutdown-trump-filibuster-republicans/) it would be a “bad idea” and that the filibuster “has protected this country.”

The Senate Majority Leader has also indicated that Republicans in the upper chamber don’t have the votes to pass another measure Trump has pushed, a $95 billion budget proposal that would help fund the President’s war in Iran and other White House priorities.

“As I’ve said before, you got to get to 50, and I can’t count to 50 right now on a budget resolution,” Thune [told](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5989270-thune-faces-trump-pressure/) reporters last week.

The situation has provoked the President’s ire—and, now that the Senate is set to go on recess at the end of next week, Trump has been renewing his pressure on Thune. Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the President wants to have “as much of the SAVE America (Act) passed as possible” before senators go on recess.

“His patience is running out,” she said during the White House press briefing on Thursday.

The day before, Trump slammed the Senate during a rally in Georgia, calling the upper chamber “a place that you send things when you want them to die.”

“Everybody call John Thune,” Trump continued. “He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved.”

Thune fired back at the White House on Thursday: “Maybe she,” he said, referring to Leavitt, “or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes.”

“Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats," Thune told reporters. “And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone. Let’s get them to ‘yes.’”

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blte68e793b35551cc8Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:57:03 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Chantelle Lee\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The U.S. Is Now At Its Worst Level of Wildfire Preparedness. What Does That Mean?\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/us-wildfire-preparedness-level-5-what-that-means/<!\[CDATA\[Climate\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Here's what that means.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Tayfun Coskun—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[A view of burning area as crews battle with wildfire named as 'Mines Fire' in Santa Clara County, Calif. on July 26, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt465d3b4e18be35e6/6a6786c9eceabdf376d20586/fire-prepardness.jpg?branch=production)

A view of burning area as crews battle with wildfire named as 'Mines Fire' in Santa Clara County, Calif. on July 26, 2026\. —Tayfun Coskun—Getty Images

Federal officials have moved the national [wildfire](https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/france-spain-wildfire-heat-wave-europe-climate-change/) preparedness level to its [highest level](https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/information): a five out of five. That means that, as we approach peak [fire season](https://time.com/7299284/age-of-mega-wildfires-climate-change/) in the U.S., federal agencies might not have enough resources to address every new fire. 

## What are U.S. wildfire preparedness levels?

A number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Weather Service, are responsible for allocating federal resources for tackling wildfires, like helicopters, airtankers, funding, or firefighters. The [wildfire](https://time.com/collections/davos-2026/7345660/wildfire-prevention-investment/) preparedness levels, which range from the lowest, 1, to the highest, 5, help the agencies track what resources are available. “It’s a framework for determining resource allocation,” says Craig Clements, director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University. “As the fire season progresses, those resources are used around the country by different agencies. When we get to level five, that means that resources are running low because there's so many incidents ongoing.”

## What does a national preparedness level 5 mean for wildfire risk?

At level 5, national resources are already committed to fighting fires around the country. “The fire hazard is at its greatest, and the resources are at their most strained level,” says Peter Sunderland, professor of fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland. 

That means that federal agencies might not have the resources to respond to new fires. “If there are existing fires, they won't pull anybody off those fires,” says Sunderland. “But as new fires arise, the state managers can't expect the same level of service that they'd get at level one through four. In other words, they may say we just can't help with that new fire.”

That presents a new challenge, since fires are easier to put out in the first few hours after they start, a period of time known as the “initial attack.” “\[Firefighters\] try to get helicopters and crews on as soon as possible, so that way it doesn't become a big fire,” Sunderland says. “Once it becomes bigger and larger, it takes a lot more resources to contain that fire, and it takes a lot more time.” 

Wildfire season in the U.S. usually lasts from May to November, peaking in the summer. It’s not uncommon for the U.S. to reach level 5 in July. “This is pretty typical,” Clements notes. “It’s almost August, so we are in the prime time of fire season.” The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) previously [declared](https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/pl-month/07) a level 5 preparedness level in July of 2018, 2021, and 2024\. 

## Does wildfire preparedness level 5 affect me if I don't live near a fire?

If you don’t live near an area at risk, you might not be directly impacted by a fire. However, as wildfires in Canada earlier this summer proved, smoke can travel a long distance from the initial blaze, impacting air quality for people thousands of miles away. 

## Why is this year such a dangerous wildfire year?

Much of the country has seen dry, hot conditions this year, setting the stage for an active wildfire season. This past winter was the second-warmest in U.S. history, with 19 states—including Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas—all experiencing one of their 10 driest winters on record, according to [NOAA](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202602).

This year has already set a record for the number of fires. So far in 2026, the U.S. has seen 41,779 fires—the most one season has seen in the last [10 years](https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn). 

## How long does wildfire season last and how is climate change impacting wildfires?

  
“We are seeing more and more climate extremes,” says Sunderland. “Generally we're having drier summers and higher winds.” That creates the perfect conditions for wildfires to spread.

Fire season is also lasting longer than in decades past thanks to climate change. While wildfire season might once have lasted around four months, they can now stretch on for [six to eight ](https://wfca.com/wildfire-articles/how-long-do-wildfires-last/)months in some areas. 

The fires we see now are also more severe than those of a decade ago—in no small part due to climate change. A recent study led by researchers at the [University of California, Los Angeles](https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/why-are-wildfires-getting-worse) found that forest fires now burn 10 times as much acreage annually as in 1985, while high-severity fires alone increased thirtyfold in California between 1985 and 2024.

## What should you do if your area is under high fire danger?

If you live in a fire-prone area, make sure you know your evacuation plan well before you need it. Listen to authorities and evacuate while it is still safe to do so. There are steps you can take to protect your home ahead of time—like clearing out brush, clearing your gutters, and staying up to date on fire code. Nearly nine in 10 wildfires are human caused, so be vigilant about accidental fires when camping outside, says Clements: “As long as we can limit the amount of ignitions, we can get out of this problem.”

Deadly Wildfires in Western Europe Force Hundreds of Thousands to Evacuate

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltb1c12d641fe3628dMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:01:27 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Simmone Shah\]\]><!\[CDATA\[What We Know About the Seattle Food Festival Shooting\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/seattle-shooting-food-festival-suspects-victims/<!\[CDATA\[U.S.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[One suspect is in custody and another remains at large following the Sunday shooting, which left three people dead and four others wounded.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[David Ryder—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Police officers walk on patrol at the scene of a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival in Seattle, Washington, on July 26, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte9ed5a51e12e1ba6/6a678033a3531f5118bd2822/GettyImages-2287184823.jpg?branch=production)

Police officers walk on patrol at the scene of a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival in Seattle, Washington, on July 26, 2026\. —David Ryder—Getty Images

One suspect is in custody and a second remains at large after a shooting at a food festival in Seattle on Sunday evening left three people dead and four others wounded, according to police. 

The shooting took place near Seattle’s Space Needle at Bite of Seattle, an annual food festival that draws more than 350,000 people, according to its [website](https://biteofseattle.com/). 

The victims and suspects have not yet been publicly identified. A search continued for the second suspect on Monday. Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said at a press conference following the shooting on Sunday that there is “no outstanding threat to the community.”

“What happened here today at the Seattle Center was an unbelievable tragedy, a horrific act of violence,” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said. “My heart right now is with the victims and their families, and with everyone in our community who is reeling from what happened here today.”

Here’s what we know about the shooting so far. 

## What happened? 

Authorities on Sunday began responding to reports of a shooting at the Seattle Center, a public arts and entertainment area north of downtown Seattle, around 6 p.m. local time. 

Two of the people killed in the shooting died at the scene. Four others were injured, including a toddler, and taken to Harborview Medical Center to be treated for their injuries. One patient who was taken into surgery in critical condition later died as a result of her injuries, police announced late Sunday.

Investigators believe the two suspects in the incident were shooting at each other, Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a Monday press conference. One suspect surrendered to police at the scene, while the other fled. Wilson on Monday said that “no police weapons were discharged” at the scene. 

“Our officers were there within seconds,” Davis said on Sunday. “They performed emergency aid to the wounded until the Seattle Fire Department was on scene. Simultaneously, officers launched a search for the people responsible for this senseless violence.” 

Police also recovered two firearms at the scene. Wilson said Monday that camera footage from the Seattle Center is in the process of being recovered. 

As of Monday morning, police have not publicly discussed a potential motive for the shooting.

“I don't know if it's gang activity, but certainly group activity,” Barnes said on Monday when asked if the shooting was gang-related. “We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other, and in our city, 0.01% of the population is connected to 52 percent of our shootings, most of which are young people.”

## Who are the victims?

The names of the victims have not been made public. Wilson on Monday said that their official identification will come from the King County Medical Examiner's Office.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) described the deceased as a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman. 

One of the four wounded victims was a 2-year-old boy, according to police. The others were adults.

All four “remained in stable condition at local hospitals” as of Monday morning, the department said in a [news release](https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2026/07/27/gun-violence-at-seattle-center-takes-three-lives/) shortly after 1 a.m. Officials noted later Monday that the two-year-old was in “satisfactory condition” at Harborview Medical Center. 

## Who are the suspects?

Little information has so far been released about the person in custody, or the suspect still at large. Wilson said at the press conference on Monday that the detained individual was a “a 15-year-old juvenile in connection with the shooting.” 

He was set to make his first appearance in a court hearing Monday afternoon, she added. 

Davis said “there may be more” suspects, stating that "we're still trying to figure this out.” He encouraged people who were at the scene to come forward and help the department locate other potential suspects.

“There are witnesses. They're not coming forward,” he said. “We need people to be brave, to reach out to us. You can do so anonymously. We know that we have people who probably have evidence or have information that they can share with us.”

Barnes said that “it is possible” when asked if one of the deceased victims was Sunday’s suspected second shooter. “But we do not know that that is the case until we do the investigation,” he said. 

## What officials are saying

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, whose district includes Seattle Center and who attended Sunday’s press conference, said that she was “absolutely horrified” by the shooting. She added that Seattle was “coordinating across all levels of government,” when asked about the federal government’s knowledge of the shooting.

“My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and our whole Seattle community,” Jayapal [said](https://x.com/RepJayapal/status/2081631383408292243) on X. 

Wilson commented on the high incidence of gun violence in the U.S. after the shooting. 

“We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country, and we’re coming off of a week in Seattle where we’ve had three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days,” she said. 

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said at the news conference that “our hearts go out to everybody who’s impacted by this.” 

“I can’t imagine being the parent of a two-year-old toddler, for example, who’s injured in a shooting like this,” he said.

The state’s Sens. Maria [Cantwell](https://x.com/SenatorCantwell/status/2081599186408255882) and Patty [Murray](https://x.com/PattyMurray/status/2081734086758896083) also expressed their condolences to the victims and gratitude to authorities. 

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt5e6c7a08f0c92c14Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:05:12 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Connor Greene\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Republican Lawmaker Breaks Ranks With Trump Over U.S.-Saudi Arabia Nuclear Deal\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/republican-senator-kennedy-breaks-ranks-trump-us-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal/<!\[CDATA\[Politics\]\]><!\[CDATA\[“We're bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we're signing a deal with another country,” said the Republican Senator.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Saul Loeb—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[President Donald Trump (C), alongside (L/R) Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Rick Scott, Sen. John Barrasso, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt92d1f31d65f626a6/6a6777670876016c92642dda/GettyImages-2282602324.jpg?branch=production)

President Donald Trump (C), alongside (L/R) Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Rick Scott, Sen. John Barrasso, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2026\. —Saul Loeb—Getty Images

President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/7280106/trump-interview-100-days-2025/)’s civil nuclear deal with ‌Saudi Arabia has sparked debate among not only Democratic lawmakers, but also within the GOP.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana raised issue with Trump’s proposed arrangement, firmly answering “no” when asked if he was comfortable with it, insisting it’s “just not good timing.”

“Maybe someday, but not right now,” Kennedy [told](https://youtu.be/aWaexVm3M8o?t=16) _Face the Nation_ on Sunday, pointing to the [resumed Iran war](https://time.com/article/2026/07/20/iran-war-us-service-members-killed-trump-democrat-lawmakers-response/) as a key point of his opposition.

“We're bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we're signing a deal with another country,” he said. “I know it's a commercial agreement, but that the world perceives, as possibly, someday, leading to a nuclear weapon.”

Kennedy referred to the moment as a “hair trigger,” pointing to the conflicts [in Ukraine](https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/russia-drone-missile-attack-kyiv-ukraine-death-toll/), the Middle East, and [America’s strained relationship with Europe ](https://time.com/article/2026/05/01/trump-threatens-to-withdraw-us-troops-italy-spain-europe-iran-war/)as examples of the tense political climate that has left people “scared.”

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced they had reached a civil nuclear agreement on Wednesday, in addition to signing an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement.

The U.S. Department of Energy [described the deal](https://www.energy.gov/articles/united-states-and-saudi-arabia-reach-historic-nuclear-cooperation-agreement) as “a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement” that “provides great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program, benefiting American industry, workers, and supply chains while helping to meet Saudi energy needs.”

However, the day after the agreement was signed, Trump added a condition—stating the deal is dependent on Riyadh recognizing Israel under the[ Abraham Accords.](https://time.com/7318734/future-of-abraham-accords/)

“The civil nuclear deal (there will be no enrichment of material) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Trump [declared](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116969149016233329) via Truth Social.

In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump reaffirmed his stance and told reporters that he had not spoken about the accords with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright before the cabinet member signed the deal with Saudi Minister of Energy His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

“We didn’t talk about it, but it was always understood, and Chris knew and Saudi Arabia knew, that if they didn’t join the Abraham Accords… I’m not going to do the deal,” Trump [said](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbMNPbzirbW/).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed support for the idea, [saying](https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/2080281833376284704) “Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.”

Trump’s demand for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel placed further doubt on the deal for some, including Sen. Kennedy.

“I don't think it's going to happen, anyway, because the President's conditioned it on Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel, and they're not, they're not going to do that,” he said.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the add-on condition to the deal, but Riyadh officials have long maintained they would not recognize Israel without a clear pathway toward a Palestinian state.

The post-signing condition has also prompted a response from Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who called it a “complete whiplash.”

“The Saudis have been very clear that they will normalize relations with Israel when we’re on a clear path toward developing a Palestinian state, living side-by-side—security for both Palestinians and Israelis,” Van Hollen [told](https://youtu.be/lrJxyk4NKQs?t=331) _This Week. “_That has been the Saudi position. And so, what the Trump Administration did was a bait-and-switch scheme.”

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte43e8d5c142cd25b/6a677816b9b3271a0585c15e/GettyImages-2275852353.jpg?branch=production)

Sen. John Kennedy asks questions during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026\. —Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images

### What happens now?

The U.S.-Saudi Arabia civil nuclear deal—commonly known as a 123 agreement—needs to be transmitted to Congress for approval.

Congress has 90 days to review and, if desired, raise votes to object to the deal. If Congress does not pass a resolution to block the deal, it goes into force.

There would need to be a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. As lawmakers across party aisles have raised concerns and questions about the deal, the road ahead is uncertain.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltb251240586ca354eMon, 27 Jul 2026 15:50:09 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Olivia-Anne Cleary\]\]><!\[CDATA\[15 Habits Infectious Disease Experts Swear By to Avoid Getting Sick\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/habits-infectious-disease-doctors-avoid-getting-sick/<!\[CDATA\[Health\]\]><!\[CDATA\[They follow surprisingly simple rules to prevent illness.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Javier Zayas Photography—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d5c178bda7c508f/6a6767400876016e5b642bdb/GettyImages-1419249548.jpg?branch=production)

 —Javier Zayas Photography—Getty Images

Dr. Daniel Griffin doesn’t like to get sick. The first reason why is obvious—the congestion, the aching, the cough that overstays its welcome, the unpleasant [stomach symptoms](https://time.com/article/2026/03/23/digestive-symptoms-never-ignore-gastroenterologist/). 

The second is a matter of professional dignity. "It's almost like a gardener with dead plants," says Griffin, chief of the division of infectious disease at Island Infectious Disease Medical in Long Island, N.Y. and president of [Parasites Without Borders](https://parasiteswithoutborders.com/). "I really don't want to be sick—because then the infectious disease doctor got sick.”

So what do [infectious disease doctors and experts](https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/cyclospora-outbreak-food-safety-experts-lettuce/) like him do differently than the rest of us when it comes to preventing illness? Not as much as you'd think. Infectious disease specialists aren't [disinfecting every surface](https://time.com/7377726/bleach-cleaner-how-to-use/) or hiding from the outside world. Instead, they've built a collection of practical habits into their daily lives—simple routines that reduce risk without making life less enjoyable.

We asked six infectious disease experts which habits they never skip.

## **Set up your kitchen so cross-contamination can't happen**

Jill Roberts tries to take the guesswork out of food safety. "One of the major causes of foodborne illness is cross-contamination," says Roberts, a molecular epidemiologist and professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. "It's when you have something that's raw and you get microbes from the raw thing into the ready-to-eat thing." 

Her favorite solution: color-coded cutting boards. Meat always goes on the red one; vegetables never do. "If your meat is always on the red cutting board, you're never gonna have your salad stuff on your red cutting board,” she says. 

Order matters just as much. She makes the salad first, puts it in the refrigerator, and only then brings out the red boards and raw meat. Once she starts handling meat, she’s vigilant about sanitizing any surfaces she may have contaminated—from the counters and sink to the faucet handles and refrigerator door.

## **Wash your produce under running water—not in a bowl**

Some people think rinsing produce means filling a bowl with water and letting everything soak. But that's not the best approach. "What you actually need is that little bit of friction to break the surface," says Dr. Heidi Torres, an infectious disease physician and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. About 30 seconds under running water, while gently rubbing the produce with your hands, does far more than a passive soak.

The problem with a bowl is that you're washing everything in the same water. "If you have one piece that's contaminated, that water could contaminate the other vegetables," Torres says. Running water washes germs away instead of moving them from one piece of produce to another. It won't remove everything—[_Cyclospora_](https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/cyclospora-outbreak-food-safety-experts-lettuce/), for example, doesn't simply rinse off—but it does reduce bacteria, viruses, and even some pesticide residue. 

## **Microwave your kitchen sponge**

A sponge is a nearly perfect habitat for germs: damp, warm, and studded with food particles, sitting next to the counter where you just set down raw chicken. "Sponges and wet dishcloths are really good at growing bacteria," says Kelley Steury, a clinical associate professor in the school of public health at the University of Nevada, Reno, who specializes in veterinary preventive medicine. Her routine: Rinse her sponge until no food particles come out, then microwave it for 20 seconds. Just make sure it's wet. "If you did it when it was pretty dry, you could start a fire,” she says.

## **Brush your teeth like it's infection control**

Most people brush their teeth to prevent cavities. Torres brushes hers to prevent infections. 

"At least 25% of infections that I see are related to dental disease," she says. Here's why: Every day, small amounts of bacteria slip into your bloodstream, and a healthy immune system clears them without you ever noticing. Cavities and gum disease change the equation. They allow more bacteria—and more aggressive bacteria—to leak into the blood, which Torres describes as "a highway to all your organs." In some cases, she says, doctors can trace an infection back to the mouth because the bacteria involved simply don't live anywhere else. 

That makes brushing about much more than fresh breath. "Rinsing alone wouldn’t replace it, because you really need that mechanical brushing to break down that film of bacteria," Torres says. Hospitals have even started treating basic oral care as a form of infection prevention, she says—which is a pretty compelling reason to take it seriously at home, too.

## **Rethink the rug in your bathroom**

Your bath mat outside the tub should be washable, hung to dry between uses, and tossed in the laundry about once a week. "We don't leave the wet stuff on the floor, because that's gross," Roberts says. A damp bath mat can also spread athlete's foot from one person to another.

As for the old-fashioned rug wrapped around the base of the toilet? Roberts would get rid of it altogether. Rubber backings don’t often hold up well in the wash, which means it probably doesn't get cleaned as thoroughly as it should. "Especially if you have kids, they don't aim well," she says. "You have splash-overs." In other words: Nothing around the toilet should be soaking anything up.

## **Leave your shoes at the door**

Shoes pick up a lot more than dirt. Every sidewalk has been shared with other people, their pets, and whatever else has passed through. Dr. Cesar J. Figueroa Ortiz, an infectious diseases specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, would rather not track any of that across the floors where his family walks and spends time—so shoes come off at the door.

His job reinforces the habit. Hospitals are meticulously cleaned, but there's always "the risk of bringing pathogens with you on your shoes," he says. 

## **Open a window before company comes over**

Before guests arrive, most people wipe down the counters. Chin-Hong thinks they should be paying more attention to the air. "I respect air more than surfaces," he says. "You're probably going to have a bigger bang for your buck when you think about ventilation."

His solution is simple: crack a window. If the air conditioning is running, make sure it's bringing in fresh outdoor air rather than recirculating the same indoor air all evening, he adds.

## **Wash your hands like you're not in a hurry**

Even infectious disease doctors don't always practice perfect hand hygiene. Griffin has watched colleagues race out of a public restroom because they were about to miss a lecture at a conference. "They're so anxious to get back out because they're missing whatever the lecture is, and they're not really doing proper hand hygiene," he says. "Even the people that should know better are rushing back out."

And when people do wash their hands, they're often rushing through that, too. "Nobody's singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to time themselves," Griffin says (besides him). 

His other rule is knowing when soap and water beat sanitizer. (Basically always.) Alcohol-based hand sanitizer doesn't kill everything: Norovirus—the highly contagious stomach bug behind many cruise ship outbreaks—is particularly resistant. Soap and water keep you safe, though, so if someone around you is vomiting or has diarrhea, Griffin says, head for the sink.

## **Use your shirt tail**

Steury will happily look a little strange to save herself a bout with a germ. "Someone might look at me and think I'm crazy, but I'll use the bottom of a shirt, like my shirt tails," she says—or the hem of a cardigan, whatever's handy—around her hand when she has to touch certain surfaces.

She's selective about when she does it. What worries her are high-touch surfaces that are indoors and out of the sun: elevator buttons, soda fountain dispensers, and the door handle to a medical clinic, for instance. And if she does touch one of those surfaces directly, she waits until she can wash her hands before touching her eyes, nose, or mouth. 

## **Decline the grocery-store sample**

Before you accept that free cube of cheese, think about the cart you're pushing.

"I always think about what happened to the grocery cart before you got there," Roberts says. "Somebody picked up raw chicken. Somebody picked up raw seafood. And all of that is on the cart. It's on the handle."

Then someone offers you a toothpick with a sample. "I'm supposed to take my hand off this dirty cart and then take that food and put it in my mouth?" she says. "There's no way."

## **Wear sandals in every locker-room shower**

At the gym, Torres worries less about the person coughing on the treadmill than the surfaces her bare skin touches. Benches, mats, and other shared equipment can harbor MRSA and fungi like ringworm—even at the nicest gyms. She wipes equipment down before using it, not just afterward, and if there aren't disinfecting wipes available, she puts a towel between herself and the bench.

The locker-room shower gets its own rule. "It's this wet, damp floor, walking around the locker room, walking around the joint showers," she says. "I always recommend bringing a pair of sandals." Foot fungus is the biggest concern, and some infections can be surprisingly difficult to get rid of.

## **Wash any cuts before reaching for the antiseptic**

Most of us instinctively reach for the antiseptic after nicking a finger. Chin-Hong heads for the sink instead. "The more important thing is to rinse it well with running water and soap, which is more important than the aggressive disinfectant," he says. Disinfectants don't kill everything, but running water can physically flush away germs before they have a chance to cause trouble.

His reasoning comes down to one simple idea. "Running things are better than stagnant things," Chin-Hong says. "We get infections when things are in stasis rather than in movement." It's the same reason standing water becomes a mosquito breeding ground. 

## **Pack a pair of tweezers**

Torres never leaves for a weekend in tick country without packing a pair of tweezers. It might sound excessive, she admits, but after years of treating tickborne illnesses, it's become second nature. "This is a little unusual—maybe my colleagues don't do this," she says, "but whenever I go away for a weekend, I always pack a pair of tweezers."

These days, that means much of the country: the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, and parts of the West Coast. After spending time in tall grass or wooded areas, [do a full-body tick check](https://time.com/6983994/tick-bite-what-to-do/), paying special attention to places they like to hide, like under the arms and behind the knees. 

It matters more than you might think. "Most people that develop [Lyme disease](https://time.com/7295491/lyme-disease-symptoms-arthritis-brain-fog/) or tickborne illness have no recollection of ever being bitten by a tick or ever seeing a tick," Torres says. She's also vigilant against ticks to try to prevent [alpha-gal syndrome](https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/ticks-alpha-gal-red-meat-allergy/)—the tick-triggered allergy to red meat that has become increasingly common.

## **Reapply bug spray like it's sunscreen**

Bug spray is a permanent fixture in Chin-Hong's travel bag. "I respect mosquitoes," he says. "They actually kill more people than any other animal." It's West Nile season, and dengue keeps extending its reach into new parts of the U.S., so he travels with insect repellent as a matter of course.

The biggest mistake people make, he says, is treating bug spray like a one-and-done product. "It's like sunscreen. You don't get away with just applying it once." If you're outdoors all day, reapply at least every six hours. He also recommends choosing a repellent with about 20% to 50% [DEET](https://time.com/5347546/is-deet-safe/)—or 20% picaridin if you prefer to avoid DEET—and remembering that the mosquitoes most likely to spread disease are busiest from dusk to dawn.

## **Rinse your toothbrush with bottled water when traveling abroad**

Most travelers remember to avoid the tap water in destinations with questionable water supplies. Griffin worries about the toothbrush. "We tell people to be careful of ice cubes and tap water and all the rest," he says. "But then people brush their teeth with the tap water."

He calls what often follows "third-day sickness." By then, your toothbrush has been rinsed repeatedly in tap water and left to sit in a warm, humid bathroom—giving any lingering microbes plenty of time to multiply before the brush goes right back into your mouth. His solution takes just a few seconds: rinse your mouth and toothbrush with bottled water, too.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt827b4280306315ffMon, 27 Jul 2026 15:38:38 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Angela Haupt\]\]><!\[CDATA\[ICE Reportedly Set to Ramp Up Operations Against Haitian Migrants After TPS Ruling\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/haitian-immigrants-ice-operations-temporary-protected-status/<!\[CDATA\[U.S.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The potential crackdown follows a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Trump Administration to end Haitians’ Temporary Protected Status.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Michael M. Santiago—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Haitian flags are displayed on a store in the Little Haiti neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City on June 25, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd31b91681a713abb/6a67449284956062f9e46ba2/haiti.jpg?branch=production)

Haitian flags are displayed on a store in the Little Haiti neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City on June 25, 2026\. —Michael M. Santiago—Getty Images

More than [300,000](https://forumtogether.org/article/temporary-protected-status-fact-sheet/) Haitian immigrants are set to lose their ability to legally live and work in the U.S. on Monday, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly preparing to escalate its operations to arrest and deport some of them.

Those expanded operations could start as early as this week, according to reports from [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/us/ice-prepares-major-operation-targeting-haitians-losing-tps-after-supreme-court-ruling) and [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-haitian-migrants-arrest-deport-temporary-protected-status/), which cite unnamed federal sources. Ohio will reportedly be heavily targeted, particularly Springfield, where President Donald Trump had, in 2024, falsely accused Haitian migrants of eating residents’ pets.

A potential crackdown on Haitian migrants follows the [Supreme Court’s June ruling](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-1083%5Ff204.pdf) that allowed the Trump Administration, for the time being, to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for those fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria. The binding mandate of that ruling is expected to be transmitted to lower courts on Monday.

It remains unclear how aggressive the reported ICE campaign will be, and if Haiti can successfully reintegrate an influx of returnees. But Jean Négot Bonheur Delva, director-general of Haiti’s National Office of Migration, [told local media](https://haitiantimes.com/2026/07/21/us-informs-haiti-of-upcoming-deportations/) earlier this month that following a conversation with the U.S. embassy in the country, Haitians should expect weekly deportation flights carrying about 250 former TPS status grantees.

The court ruling and its expected implementation have [stirred anxiety](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1BwyGMt9qo) among Haitians in the U.S. who could lose their livelihoods and may be sent back to the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation. It could also have a profound impact on the U.S. economy. A January 2026 [fact sheet](https://www.fwd.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Haiti-TPS-Fact-Sheet%5FJanuary-2026.pdf) from immigration advocacy group FWD.us estimates that about 200,000 Haitian TPS holders are in the U.S. workforce, including 15,000 agricultural workers, 13,000 nursing assistants, and thousands of others in various industries.

In a statement to CBS News, DHS said it “does not discuss ongoing or future operations,” adding: “What we would say now is it’s closing time which means you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here… The good news is it's not too late to get a $2,600 check and a free flight home.”

## Conditions in Haiti still severe

During his first-term Administration, Trump targeted TPS, a program since 1990 that has allowed migrants from designated countries with unsafe conditions—such as armed conflict, natural disaster, epidemics, or other extraordinary conditions—to reside and work legally in the U.S.

In his second-term Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate TPS designations for several countries, including [Ethiopia](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-announces-the-termination-of-temporary-protected-status-for-ethiopia), [Myanmar](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminating-temporary-protected-status-for-burma), and [Yemen](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminates-temporary-protected-status-for-yemen). In many announcements ending those protections, then-Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized that TPS was designed to be temporary, and she argued that the living conditions in many of the countries with TPS designation have improved. Any extension to the TPS designations for those countries, the department said, would be “contrary” to the “national interest.”

Persons who lose their TPS status must find another lawful basis for staying in the U.S. or depart the U.S.; otherwise they may be removed. 

But these TPS rescissions and terminations have been legally challenged. In February, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Administration’s termination of Haiti’s TPS designation, though the Trump Administration appealed, eventually leading to the Supreme Court ruling.

Haiti [first received a TPS designation in 2010](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/01/21/2010-1169/designation-of-haiti-for-temporary-protected-status) after a [magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck](https://time.com/3662225/haiti-earthquake-five-year-after/) the country in January that year, leaving more than 300,000 people dead and displacing over a million others. Since then, the country has been a TPS designee: the first-term Trump Administration’s planned termination was delayed mainly due to court injunctions and other rulings, and the succeeding Biden Administration renewed and extended those designations.

As DHS Secretary, Noem [reviewed Haiti’s TPS designation](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/28/2025-21379/termination-of-the-designation-of-haiti-for-temporary-protected-status#footnote-14-p54735) and her department found that there were no “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevented Haitian nationals from returning safely, and that even if there were, allowing them to stay longer in the U.S. went against national interest.

The State Department, however, notes that conditions in the country are not that safe: as of July 10, it holds the [highest-level travel warning to Americans](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/haiti-travel-advisory.html), urging them not to visit. A state of national emergency has been in effect since 2024 because of gang-linked criminality and violence: an [estimated 26 gangs](https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167732), at times heavily armed, control 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas, and the nation’s government has had a hard time putting the situation under control. 

According to the latest [report](https://dtm.iom.int/reports/haiti-information-sheet-displacement-situation-round-13-may-2026?close=true) by the International Organization for Migration, the violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 1.5 million persons, of whom more than half are women and girls.

## ‘A huge mistake’

Some Republicans have opposed the Trump Administration’s plan to end the TPS designation for Haiti. 

In April, the GOP-controlled House [passed legislation](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1689/all-actions) that would require the Homeland Security Secretary to redesignate Haiti to TPS until a few months into 2029, with 10 Republicans siding with Democrats. The legislation is now pending in the Senate, where the latest attempt to pass it was blocked [on July 22](https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-blocks-democrats-attempt-to-continue-mass-migration-scheme/) by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R, Mo.). But even if the bill passes both chambers, the White House [earlier said](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SAP-HR1689.pdf) that the President’s advisers would recommend vetoing it.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R, Fla.) told [CBS News earlier this month](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j65vA4nhRE0) that while Haiti is a “failed state,” he thinks “deporting Haitians that are under TPS right now, back to Haiti, would be a huge mistake.”

Markwayne Mullin, who took over for Noem as DHS Secretary in March, defended the decision to end Haiti’s TPS designation. Speaking to [CNN in June](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s97O41pwqUE), Mullin said that those staying in the U.S. under TPS have “had plenty of time” to explore other options to legally stay in the U.S. long-term, instead of banking solely on what was intended to be a temporary measure.

Asked about whether Haiti qualified as “safe,” Mullin told CNN that such a qualification “isn’t quite just that simple,” and he argued that the State Department travel advisory had Americans in mind and not Haitians. 

“There isn’t a more generous country in the world than the United States,” Mullin said of the TPS designation, “but we don’t want people to take advantage of it.”

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt926f654b045d619dMon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:09 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Chad de Guzman\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Hulu’s Riveting Revenge Thriller Furious Is Going to Haunt You\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/24/furious-review-hulu/<!\[CDATA\[Entertainment\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Hulu's riveting revenge thriller interrogates the psychology of victimhood and the myth that the justice system protects the vulnerable.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Sarah Shatz—Disney\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Emmy Rossum, left, and Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Furious\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd51ba57b0300140f/6a6377d6053ec26537a6d239/178916_0501_V1.jpg?branch=production)

Emmy Rossum, left, and Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Furious —Sarah Shatz—Disney

Midway through the Hulu thriller series _Furious_, it’s the middle of the night and two female FBI agents are on their way to investigate a lead when one notices the other’s bruises. “Who did that to your face?” demands Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who leads some of the Bureau’s most horrific sex crimes cases, as she pours liquor into her coffee cup. When Alice (Emmy Rossum), a rookie agent who worked as a Brooklyn homicide detective until her abusive, alcoholic cop boyfriend ([Jake Lacy](https://time.com/6076867/the-white-lotus-review/)) ruined her police career, confesses that she met a man on the internet and asked him to hit her, she’s surprised to find her superior unfazed. “You think I’ve never let someone take a few whacks at this piñata?” Nora cracks. They both cackle. 

If you find yourself laughing along with them—or can, at least, imagine why two women who have chosen to professionally immerse themselves in nightmarish sexual violence might seek a consensual version of it and also find the humor in that proclivity—then it’s likely you’ll be able to get on _Furious_’ wavelength. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether ([_Dying for Sex_](https://time.com/7271754/dying-for-sex-review/), [_New Girl_](https://time.com/21320/new-girl-feminist-lean-in/)) and premiering, with three episodes, on July 27, the series is more straightforward in its plot than the typical convoluted crime thriller but also more complex in its layered, often contradictory ideas. Its cat-and-mouse setup resembles that of [_Killing Eve_](https://time.com/5228977/killing-eve-isnt-your-average-mystery-series/): a troubled, underestimated female agent chases an eccentric, possibly psychopathic female killer. As its title suggests, one of its subjects is women’s rage. Yet, at its core, _Furious_ is a haunting interrogation of the psychology of victimhood, the logic of revenge, and the myth that the justice system exists to protect the vulnerable, andits conclusions aretoo messy to resolve into a pat fable of empowerment or healing.

Although stickier questions of guilt and accountability arise, Meriwether doesn’t waste time on an initial murder mystery. Only after we watch a girlish woman in a cat mask ([_Say Nothing_](https://time.com/7174152/say-nothing-review-fx/)’s Lola Petticrew) administer a lethal injection to an incapacitated man, in between fetching candy for Brooklyn trick-or-treaters, do we meet the agent who will soon be on her trail. Having entered FBI training after her domestic violence allegations against Lacy’s Marshall made her a pariah at the precinct, Alice is pulled off desk duty at the Bureau to help investigate the Halloween murder. Behind that request is Dan ([Scoot McNairy](https://time.com/3980486/review-halt-and-catch-fire-season-2-finale/)), the only NYPD detective still speaking to her and someone with whom she has quite a bit of history. (There aren’t many uncomplicated relationships in this show.) When the ad-hoc partners notice telling similarities between their new case—whose victim is the son of a billionaire, and whose female suspect has yet to be identified—and a year-old unsolved murder, Alice develops a theory that the two targets were involved in a child sex-trafficking ring and that their killer was one of the girls they trafficked. 

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc57308afd4ddee5a/6a63784e0b2ea759f97393f3/179483_0257_V1.jpg?branch=production)

Lola Petticrew in Furious —Sarah Shatz—Disney

She’s right, though that doesn’t make her investigation any easier. The murderer, whose name is Catherine but who goes by many other aliases, has a one-track mind set to revenge. Moving between domestic violence shelters and subsistence scams, she manipulates kindhearted nonprofit workers, nepo babies who fetishize her sex-worker past, and people who fall closer to the middle of the good-evil spectrum—whatever it takes to keep crossing names off her hit list. The collateral damage of Catherine’s quest can be devastating. Yet it’s hard to hate her. She’s clearly not a sociopath. She cares about children and is capable of authentic tenderness even when it serves no strategic purpose; when she harms innocent people, it palpably hurts her.

Just as Catherine is willing to inflict pain in the service of vengeance, Nora has resigned herself to absorbing it in the potentially fruitless service of justice. When Alice, who had previously asked to be assigned to Nora’s team, seeks her help on the case, the weary agent is locked in her office reviewing child sexual assault materials. “Why do you want to work in the basement on sex crimes and crimes against children?” Nora asks Alice. “Do you hate yourself? Don’t answer that.” By the time she playfully compares their heads to piñatas, we know that both women would, at least on some days, respond in the affirmative. 

Nora harbors no illusions of heroism, which might explain why she drinks so much. Toward the end of the premiere, she dissects Medusa’s origin story for Alice, explaining that the mythical hag’s snakey mane was a punishment—imposed by [Athena](https://time.com/article/2026/05/12/christopher-nolan-odyssey-interview/), no less—for the crime of being raped by Poseidon. “She’s a victim,” Nora says. “But it doesn’t make her a good person. It turns her into a monster.” Like Catherine. “Juries want to believe that women who are victims of violence,” she continues, “but in my experience being a victim of violence just makes you colder, more calculating. Victims of violence are the _most_ violent.” Also? Justice is an impossible fantasy. “Anything you do, the ones who are really to blame don’t get caught. Never.”

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e4e315406ab203c/6a63793d341cc41be1df9209/179062_0418r2.jpg?branch=production)

Emmy Rossum and Scoot McNairy in Furious —Sarah Shatz—Disney

Speeches like this often come at the end of today's bleaker crime dramas—”[Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown](https://nofilmschool.com/chinatown-final-line-explained),” but for viewers so distracted or dense, they need dialogue that spells out why Chinatown is a lost cause. Meriwether, whose best work interprets the motivations of apparently incomprehensible women like [_The Dropout_](https://time.com/6153051/dropout-review-hulu/)’s [Elizabeth Holmes](https://time.com/6153335/elizabeth-holmes-the-dropout-true-story/) and, in _Dying for Sex_, the real terminal cancer patient turned sexual explorer [Molly Kochan](https://time.com/7274388/dying-for-sex-true-story/), is doing something different. By placing Nora’s monologue so early in the series, then sending her all the way down the rabbit hole with Alice anyway, _Furious_ is showing us a very smart person who has consciously committed to a lost cause. It’s also warning us against expecting the satisfying resolution, with villains punished and institutions redeemed, that draws so many people to detective stories. 

In the seven episodes that follow, Meriwether piles on complications and thematic filters. There are parallels to the [Epstein saga](https://time.com/tag/jeffrey-epstein/); tensions between an insular, blue-collar police force and federal agents with elite educations; systemic corruption; office politics. Bitter irony abounds, as when Nora, who is Black, attends a workplace mental health seminar in which a white, male supervisor who once mistreated her pretends to care about employees’ trauma. “What about anger?” she asks. Gender and race aren’t the only vectors of oppression the show considers. While wealth disparity plays pretty much exactly the role you’d expect, nuanced depictions of disability—particularly by [_Ramy_](https://time.com/5745386/best-tv-characters-2019/) actor Steve Way—challenge easy assumptions about personal agency in ways that relate to but are never conflated with the multiple abuse storylines.

As Nora’s speech and Catherine’s kind moments suggest, characters’ actions don’t consistently reflect their overall moral stance, which is often based on misunderstandings and falsehoods, its validity unknowable even to them. Being a woman, a survivor, or a person with physical differences doesn’t make a person righteous. Everyone you might consider a hero of this story will, at some point, do something abhorrent. “We become evil to fight evil,” says Nora, but if the most pernicious evildoers of all are uncatchable, how can the ends justify the means? Oscar contenders like [_Promising Young Woman_](https://time.com/5929346/promising-young-woman-review/)and [_Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri_](https://time.com/5016723/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-review/)have also asked whether revenge, specifically as a response to sexual violence, can rebalance the moral universe, or if it’s ultimately suicidal. But both movies were glib thought experiments that distanced us from their characters to argue their points. _Furious_ takes advantage of its longer runtime to get close to these people in pain. It never reduces them to cartoons. 

At the very center of its tangle of experiences and identities, objectives and conflicts, is Alice. She, Catherine, and Nora are all mirrors for one another, similarly obsessed with righting wrongs and punishing abusers of people and power as they are. (All three performances are Emmy-worthy, but my favorite is Bernstine’s. The Tony nominee and _Power_ franchise alum brings the right mix of humor and defiance to animate a character who might otherwise come off as just a hypocritical sad sack.) Nora and Catherine have committed to opposite paths. But Alice doesn’t know what she wants—the pursuit of justice through legally prescribed channels or bloody revenge exacted by any means necessary. What is she even doing in this investigation, chasing a serial killer or trying to bring down a sex-trafficking ring? Putting Catherine in prison or helping her vanquish the men who hurt her? Does she want Marshall to apologize or change or be punished or fired or die? Why is she voluntarily taking on work that reopens her old wounds when she could start healing them with a decent man and a safe desk job? For _Furious_, there are no right answers. And if there were, they would be no match for the demands anger makes. 

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltbdc24de8a8aa7c3cMon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:08 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Judy Berman\]\]><!\[CDATA\[6 Easy Ways to Move More While Working from Home\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/how-to-move-more-while-working-from-home/<!\[CDATA\[Health\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Even a little activity during the remote workday can help you focus, improve your mood and energy levels, and relieve stress.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[John Lamb—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltff1645db300581d7/6a62330de8ee9621cc49a660/GettyImages-1041896946.jpg?branch=production)

 —John Lamb—Getty Images

At most desk jobs, you’ll be [sitting down](https://time.com/5613814/sitting-at-work-study/) for the majority of the day. But remote work creates a particularly [sedentary environment](https://time.com/5502042/sitting-exercise-move/). There’s no need to [walk](https://time.com/7306018/maximize-health-benefits-walking/) from your front door to the car or train station. There are no aisles of cubicles to maneuver on your bathroom break or colleagues to stand around with at the water cooler. “We're just sitting there in front of the screen [by ourselves](https://time.com/article/2026/05/05/longevity-nation-book-excerpt-michael-clinton/),” says Mary Jayne Rogers, an exercise physiologist based in Albuquerque, who’s on the certification advisory board of the American Council on Exercise. 

This immobility has real downsides. “Prolonged sitting can [increase the risk](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9671590/) of [heart disease](https://time.com/article/2026/04/13/heart-disease-is-preventable-sadiya-khan-essay/) and high blood pressure, even if you're otherwise active,” says Amy Bantham, past president of the [Physical Activity Alliance](https://paamovewithus.org/). It also makes our fascia—the connective tissue that supports every structure, from our [muscles](https://time.com/article/2026/04/20/how-to-tell-if-you-are-losing-muscle/) and bones to our nerves and organs—stiffen up, causing [ripple effects throughout the body](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11346343/) that can impact our [heart](https://time.com/7316703/heart-health-at-every-decade/), lungs, [gut](https://time.com/5556071/gut-health-diet/), and even our [brain](https://time.com/article/2026/07/21/dementia-risk-factors-you-can-change/), she says. 

While giving yourself some adult recess during the work day might seem indulgent, it can actually make you more productive. Even a little activity can [help you focus](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11205001/), [improve your mood and energy levels](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10026784/#Sec21), and [relieve stress](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6064756/). “You will feel better almost immediately,” Bantham says. 

Fortunately, remote work means there’s no one around to give you side-eye for doing jumping jacks between emails. Here are a few simple ways to move more when you’re working from home. 

## Create your own commute

During the time you’d otherwise spend commuting, Bantham suggests taking a walk. She runs her own consulting business from home and likes to go for a stroll and call a friend before work. Similarly, Lindsey Bomgren, a personal trainer based in Minneapolis, gets in her steps each morning while using her phone’s talk-to-text app to draft emails and write herself notes. “I can start my day out walking, wrapping my head around my to-do list,” she says. 

Then, at the end of the day, Bomgren makes a point to do active errands around the house before her kids get home. “I’ll run up and down the stairs three times just to get laundry in, [clean up](https://time.com/article/2026/04/01/declutter-by-category-not-room/), set out stuff for dinner,” she says. This gets her moving and helps her transition from work mode to mom mode.

## Find ways to move while you work

Over the past few years, [walking pads](https://time.com/6983148/walking-pads-health-benefits/) have become a popular way to boost your step count while at a computer. Some people, like Divya Balakrishnan, a yoga instructor in New York City, find the slow, rhythmic movement helps them stay focused and less stressed. “When something comes up, I'm a little bit more stable and able to handle it,” she says. Under-desk bikes and mini steppers are other options.

Another strategy is to use phone calls to go for a [walk outside](https://time.com/article/2026/05/05/walking-mistakes-how-to-fix/), pace the room, or simply stand up. “Even just standing extends your hip flexors, engages your glutes, engages your core,” Bomgren says. 

If nothing else, Rogers suggests changing your posture throughout the day by shifting forward then back in your chair, or moving how you place your legs underneath you. Even bouncing your feet can increase circulation and move the joints a little. “The more you can keep things flowing, the more energy you're going to have at the end of the day,” she says.

## Have an exercise snack

Taking a five-minute walk every hour has been shown to help [offset the harms of sitting](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2026/06/16/bjsports-2025-111221). Bantham says any quick movement break is worthwhile. “If you have two minutes between meetings, use those two minutes because it all counts,” she says. 

That could look like a quick set of jump squats or crunches. It could mean running up and down the stairs as fast as you can. Or, for something even simpler, Rogers recommends standing up and sitting down 10 times. 

Even gentle movement can help balance out hours of sitting, but if you’re using these “[exercise snacks](https://time.com/92972/exercise-snacking-how-to-make-1-minute-of-exercise-work-like-30-minutes/)” in place of traditional workouts, Bomgren recommends making them hard enough to fatigue your muscles or become breathless. “You have to create enough external stress that it actually challenges you,” she says. She suggests aiming for about an eight or nine out of 10 difficulty level. If you push hard enough, research shows that short bursts of high-intensity movement can [improve your cardiometabolic health](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12380701/#s5) and reduce your [risk of several chronic diseases](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag168/8537159?redirectedFrom=fulltext).

## Schedule a lunchtime workout

One benefit of working from home is having a shower and a change of clothes handy. If you have the flexibility to do an online workout video or go for a run during your lunch hour, your afternoon might benefit. “It's like starting all over for the second half of the day so you've got less of that 4 p.m. lag where you feel like, ‘I need some coffee,’" Rogers says. Getting active shortly after lunch can also help [regulate your blood sugar](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4). 

## Stack habits

It’s easy to get caught up in emails and video meetings before realizing you haven’t budged in hours. To avoid this, Bomgren recommends pairing movement with things you do regularly during the work day. Maybe that’s getting in 10 push-ups anytime you fetch a cup of coffee, or stretching whenever you switch tasks. 

Bantham says some of her clients intentionally schedule meetings to end five minutes before the top of the hour. That’s a natural chance to get up for a bathroom break and do some arm circles or calf raises—whatever your body is craving—before settling back down for the next call.

## Don’t feel like you need to sweat

Rogers emphasizes that moving your body during the work day doesn’t need to be “exercise.” Even simple movements can encourage healthy blood flow and keep fascia from stiffening up. For instance, Balakrishnan suggests counteracting our hunched-over-the-keyboard posture with stretches that expand the chest (by reaching your arms overhead and back so your shoulders roll open), twist the spine (by grabbing one knee with the opposite hand), and open the hips (by laying one ankle across the opposite knee and reaching the chest forward). “You can do all of these from your chair, which makes it very hard to find an excuse to not do it,” she says. Although this won’t replace a workout, it can help break up sedentary hours. 

The key is to find movements you enjoy enough to do consistently. “If you absolutely hate squats, don't choose squats to be the thing that you do between meetings,” Bantham says. Instead, maybe try a mini dance party to your favorite song, or release tension with a few deep breaths and neck rolls. It all helps. “Any activity is better than no activity,” Bantham says. 

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltd322b764e1ff0e6cMon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:06 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Jennifer Heimlich\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Jason Crow's Road From Paratrooper to Democratic Power Player\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/jason-crow-power-player/<!\[CDATA\[Politics\]\]><!\[CDATA\[When he's not facing death threats, he's helping House Democrats recruit candidates\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Jemal Countess—Redux\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) speaks to the media on Sept. 26, 2024 in Washington D.C..\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0b729aaa83b3903/6a6774e9ad0518da2d613fdd/jason-crow-time-01.jpg?branch=production)

Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) speaks to the media on Sept. 26, 2024 in Washington D.C.. —Jemal Countess—Redux

The death threats arrived almost immediately. 

Representative Jason Crow, along with five other [Democrats](https://time.com/article/2026/06/08/exclusive-democrats-set-in-motion-plan-to-redraw-house-districts-in-as-many-as-13-states/) in [Congress](https://time.com/tag/congress/) with national-­security backgrounds, had recorded a video last November reminding those working in military and intelligence roles that they [did not have to follow illegal orders](https://time.com/7336802/trump-military-orders-mark-kelly-democratic-lawmakers-video/). A message careful to stick to the letter of the law prompted [President Donald Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/07/17/trump-speech-elections-china-save-act-takeaways/) to call for its makers to be arrested and charged with treason. “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!” read a social media [post](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2p2dz9zk2o) that Trump publicly shared. A federal grand jury in Washington [declined](https://time.com/7377620/doj-grand-jury-slotkin-goodlander-kelly-indictment-illegal-orders-trump/) the Justice Department’s effort to indict the lawmakers. That victory hasn’t mitigated Crow’s anger at how he believes the President’s response put his family’s safety at risk.

“I’m really bad at sitting in a foxhole and having people lob grenades at me,” Crow, a former paratrooper and Army Ranger, tells TIME on a June afternoon at Democratic National Committee headquarters. “I’m going to lob them back.” 

The fallout from the viral video placed Crow, 47, in the strongest national spotlight since 2019, when he was a House freshman tapped to be a prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment trial. In the interim, his stature on Capitol Hill has steadily grown, as Crow emerged as a go-to voice for his party on national security. The midterm elections could further elevate his standing, as he’s helped lead candidate recruitment for House Democrats, prioritizing veterans and others with backgrounds in national security. 

In Crow’s mind, these elections will show voters that Democrats have learned how to run effectively on national-­security issues, while still hammering Republicans on the twin tentpoles of cost and corruption. At the same time, Crow says his party is in need of a hard reset before 2028—though, like many, he is still workshopping ideas for what might work. 

“There is actually an opportunity to build something new—not rebuild, not go back, not try to reconstitute what once was, because Americans don’t want that,” he says.

Should Democrats take the House this fall, Crow is in prime position to be a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee’s ­majority. Should a Democrat reclaim the White House in 2028, his name is likely to come up on the short lists for Cabinet positions. He also has his eye on Colorado’s Senate seat, and is not shy about a possible White House run down the line.

First, though, Crow has to navigate this tricky political moment, one that has Democrats feeling ascendant but still staring down low approval ratings. It’s not entirely unfamiliar terrain for Crow, who rode an earlier anti-Trump wave while vowing to stand up to party leaders he viewed as failing to meet the moment. Only this time, he’s on the inside.

## Impeachment and Iran

Eight years ago, Crow was one of House Democrats’ top recruits—a lawyer and veterans’ advocate who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even still, he was far from a sure thing when he challenged Representative Mike Coffman, a fixture in Colorado Republican circles since Crow was in middle school. “This was an unwinnable race, remember?” Crow recalls with a smirk.

To show he wasn’t running against just Trump, but Washington writ large, Crow vowed not to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if Democrats won a House majority, which they did. When it came time for the vote, Crow defied the most powerful Democrat in Washington by casting his ballot for Tammy Duckworth, a fellow veteran representing Illinois in the Senate.

“I explained that this was not personal. This was part of a larger effort to usher in that next generation,” Crow recalls.

Ten months later, when it became clear that the Trump impeachment train was leaving the station for its first go-round, Pelosi rang up her former detractor. It was, Crow said later, “like being called into the principal’s office.” Pelosi needed someone with his skill set and temperament to convey the stakes of Trump’s attempts to pressure Ukraine without coming off as a partisan hack. While the House voted to impeach, the Senate declined to convict.

For Crow during that period, death threats became routine. He had an armed guard outside his house. A security detail walked his kids to school. Which brings him to last year. The security had to be called back. His “illegal orders” video brought about another round of threats—including some from Trump that Crow’s office referred to the Capitol Police, according to an email obtained by TIME.

Crow’s national-­security background has helped propel his reach in Congress, where he’s a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee as well as the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee’s spy panel. When House Democrats needed someone to run point on a panel investigating the failed assassination against Trump in Butler, Pa., they tapped Crow. Last week, Crow and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, forced [a House vote to halt the war in Iran](https://apnews.com/article/iran-congress-war-powers-resolution-vote-0ba2387a476fe08de0bfd6281adb9639), with the measure passing 214-208\. 

## Recruiting "streetfighters" to Congress

But it’s his work helping Democrats win back the House that may win him the most chits. As a leader in candidate recruitment for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Crow has his hands in just about every contested race in the country, and is making a point of finding people he believes voters will view as “street fighters.”

“The oath of service I took doesn’t expire,” says JoAnna Mendoza, a retired Marine Corps drill sergeant and Crow recruit who is taking on Representative Juan Ciscomani, an Arizona Republican, in one of the top toss-up races in the country.

Mendoza has the support of Crow and the DCCC well before her primary. It’s a different story in some House races in other states where the DCCC either professed neutrality or backed a different candidate from whomever Crow endorsed through his political action committee, Service First.

Crow’s theory is that some of his preferred candidates—Marine drill sergeants, federal prosecutors—are more likely to excite those who are down on both parties.

The DCCC's chair, Rep. Suzan DelBene from Washington state, is hardly trying to curb his instincts.

“Jason brings a servant leadership ethos and a soldier’s discipline to the job. He knows that voters want fighters who put their local communities first, not undying loyalty to partisan ideology," she tells TIME. "His tireless work at recruiting, mentoring, and raising money to support candidates has been essential in our path back to the majority.”

If his instincts prove right, Crow may bring a whole raft of newcomers to Congress who are loyal to a mentor who helped get them there. Whatever Crow’s future ambitions, a cohort of fellow street fighters might come in handy.

“I have an independent streak to me,” he concedes. “But, you know, when we win, people will be pretty happy about that.”

**Correction, July 27**

_The original version of this story misstated Crow’s rank on the House Intelligence Committee. He is a top Democrat there, but not the top Democrat on that panel._

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt8218091bf3eda3f3Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Philip Elliott\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Chalk One Up for Ukraine\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/defense-innovation-drones-ground-robot-army-ukraine/<!\[CDATA\[Ideas\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Ukraine has built a defense sector at an astonishing speed and emerged as a global player in military innovation.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Nina Liashonok-Ukrinform-NurPhoto via Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[A Ukrainian military ground drone travels along a road protected by anti-drone nets in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on June 20, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6935740bd1dfab61/6a6653fd95a2f0e90c69eef9/GettyImages-2282241946.jpg?branch=production)

A Ukrainian military ground drone travels along a road protected by anti-drone nets in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on June 20, 2026\. —Nina Liashonok-Ukrinform-NurPhoto via Getty Images

It is often hard to know who is winning the war in Ukraine. The front lines scarcely budge. The air war brings regular Russian missile strikes**—**the most recent ones have hit Kyiv**—**and Ukrainian attacks that have battered Russian oil refineries and reached as far as Siberia. Ukrainian officials say the tide is turning their way; the Kremlin insists it will win a war of attrition. 

In one significant way, Ukraine has already won. Some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nations—the United States included—are now turning to Ukraine for military assistance. Ukraine has built a defense sector at an astonishing speed and emerged as a global player in military innovation. “Ukraine needs NATO, but NATO needs Ukraine as much as the other way around,” [remarked](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/07/ukraine-won-war-russia-nato-alexander-stubb-finnish-president.html) President Alexander Stubb of Finland, which joined NATO in 2023\. 

Beyond its implications for the war, this is a stunning achievement that will serve Ukraine well long after the guns fall silent. In President Donald Trump’s parlance, Ukraine now has a powerful “card” to play, a card it dealt itself.

### **From garage tech to global powerhouse**

When Russia invaded Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for foreign military aid from the West and exhorted his countrymen to build makeshift weapons for the resistance. For a time, Kyiv was grateful for pledges of American support, [Bayraktar drones from Turkey](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/16/the-turkish-drone-that-changed-the-nature-of-warfare), and whatever cheap weapons emerged from Ukrainian garages and warehouses. 

Four and a half years later, American aid is drying up, Ukraine has [replaced Bayraktar drones](https://www.businessinsider.com/turkeys-bayraktar-tb2-drones-ineffective-ukraine-war-2023-5) with more effective weapons of its own, and the country’s weapon designers have moved well beyond their low-tech garages. Ukraine’s defense technology sector is now [a $7 billion industry](https://institute.kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/the-ukrainian%5Fdefense%5Ftechnology%5Fmarket%5Feng%5Fmarch%5F2026.pdf?%5Fgl=1%2A1yovchi%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AOTE3NzI1NDU5LjE3ODQ5NzUwOTc.%2A%5Fga%2ANzU5MTU4MzIxLjE3ODQ5NzUwOTc.%2A%5Fga%5FQPXTNGJE3B%2AczE3ODQ5NzUwOTckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQ5NzUxNDIkajE1JGwwJGg5NjQ3OTg2Njc.), with many [global customers](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukraine-continues-remarkable-rise-from-aid-recipient-to-security-provider/) and a projected [annual production capacity](https://www.rnbo.gov.ua/en/Diialnist/7360.html?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) estimated at $55 billion.

A short list of made-in-Ukraine successes includes the [FP-5 Flamingo](https://kyivindependent.com/flamingo-missile-deploymentreports-may-signal-ukraines-shift-toward-heavy-deep-strike-capability-experts-say/), a cruise missile with a range of more than 1,800 miles; tens of thousands of [robots](https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2026/05/08/ukraine-ramps-up-ground-robot-production-to-spare-soldiers-haul-ammo-and-rescue-grandma/) designed for frontline logistics and combat operations, which are minimizing risk for soldiers and are [increasingly used](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/world/europe/ukraine-ground-robots.html) for holding ground, firing on the enemy, and even taking prisoners; drones [launched from](https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2026/04/23/in-first-ukrainian-unmanned-vessel-launches-interceptor-to-knock-out-shahed-drone/) unmanned boats to [intercept](https://x.com/usf%5Farmy/status/2045758784614576297?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2045758784614576297%7Ctwgr%5Eef797bd77298b78cb615a06bf01af92f90ab3067%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fukraine-teams-up-sea-interceptor-drones-first-time-against-shahed-2026-4) and destroy Russian Shahed drones; and the [“Lima” ](https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-lima-electronic-warfare-system-jam-russian-ballistics/)electronic warfare system, which spoofs satellite navigation signals, sending incoming missiles astray.

What began as a frantic request for outside help and garage-style innovation has evolved into a manufacturing juggernaut, large enough to support the resistance and to sell to other nations.“I’ve been arguing for many years that Ukraine would eventually become a net exporter of security,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, [remarked](https://x.com/McFaul/status/2048637283881066816?s=20) in April. “That day is coming faster than I imagined.”

### **How the Iran war has helped Ukraine**

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran hurt Ukraine by shifting global attention away from Russia’s aggression, but that war has also been a boon for Kyiv. Gulf states, and even some American military bases in the region, turned out to be poorly prepared to fight Iranian drone and missile attacks. Ukraine had built the technology that could help.

Ukraine’s edge involves what some [have called](https://abcnews.com/International/irans-low-cost-long-range-shahed-drones-wreaking/story?id=130995895) the “Ford-versus-Ferrari” problem in air defense. The U.S. and its allies in the Gulf have relied on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense _(_THAAD) and Patriot missile defense systems, which can knock almost any incoming weapon out of the sky. But those systems were designed to counter heavy missiles, and they are expensive. Each Patriot missile costs roughly $5 million. Using these against $50,000 Iranian drones is, as many have noted, akin to racing a Ferrari against a Ford. Rep.Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, compared it to [“throwing Ferraris at frisbees](https://semafor.com/s/TX6w1DVJSL?email=tgnagorski@gmail.com).” 

Enter Ukraine, with its battle-tested counter-drone systems, which have beaten back barrages of Russian and Iranian drones at a fraction of the cost of THAAD systems and Patriots. To extend the metaphor, these are “Fords.” And they work. Zelensky has made this case to the rest of the world with great effect. In the past few months, he has signed [defense export agreements](https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/2045927283492344288?s=46&t=NunfteyE2Fxq3NyCHGXHNQ) with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, wealthy nations that typically turn to the U.S. for military hardware. 

Washington has gone from dismissing Zelensky to seeking deals of its own with Ukraine. After an Iranian [drone attack](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pentagon-identifies-4-of-6-u-s-soldiers-killed-in-iran-war-by-drone-strike-in-kuwait) killed six American soldiers in Kuwait in March, the Trump Administration turned to Ukraine for help. At Washington’s request, Ukraine set up its Sky Map air defense system at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, home to more than 2,000 Americans. Two months later, Army Secretary [Dan Driscoll](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-23/army-sets-one-year-deadline-to-start-making-cheap-interceptors) said he was pushing American firms to develop low-cost air defense interceptors within a year, and encouraged them to learn from the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

At a White House meeting last August, [according to Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/03/10/us-ukraine-anti-drone-offer), Zelensky presented a plan to exchange Ukrainian counter-drone technology for American aid. His PowerPoint included a scenario that would turn out to be prescient: Iranian drone attacks on the Gulf states and American military bases in the region. The White House rejected the offer. Even in March, Trump was [dismissive](https://www.politico.eu/article/us-donald-trump-snubs-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-drone-help-middle-east/), saying: “We don’t need their help in drone defense.” 

Though Ukraine still cannot envision a path into NATO, it is now selling its weapons and expertise to NATO countries and advising the alliance on military matters. During NATO exercises on Sweden’s Gotland island in May, Ukrainian drone teams [overwhelmed](https://apnews.com/article/russia-sweden-nato-gotland-trump-sabotage-europe-a50cec79865d7a85e913b7aca30b1fb5) Swedish forces, and warned the alliance that it was unprepared for modern drone warfare. 

Ukraine has opened ten [weapons export](https://www.euronews.com/2026/02/09/ukraine-to-open-battlefield-tested-arms-export-centres-across-europe-zelenskyy-says) centers across Europe. On July 15, the European Union and Ukraine [signed](https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-seals-deal-drone-production-with-ukraine-2026-07-15/) a drone-production partnership. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland [announced](https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/04/27/poland-announces-plans-for-drone-armada-to-be-developed-with-ukrainian-expertise/) a deal under which Ukraine would help his country build a “modern drone Armada.” Ukraine and Germany have [signed](https://kyivindependent.com/german-defense-minister-visits-kyiv-to-discuss-arms-production/) an agreement focusing on drone production and battlefield technology integration. And Kyiv has signed drone deals with Norway, Denmark, and the Baltic nations. Even Japan is getting in on the Ukrainian boom: its Terra Drone company [has partnered](http://v/) with a Ukrainian developer to scale up interceptor drone systems.

### **A powerful card**

None of this guarantees Ukraine a victory over Russia, or even success at the negotiating table. What it does do is boost the odds that, when the guns finally fall silent, Ukraine will have a viable future and a powerful post-war “card” to play. 

Were the war to end tomorrow, Ukraine would have lost territory but gained military partnerships and significant investments, along with a new engine for its security and economic future. Russia, meanwhile, would struggle to reassemble an economy that has been badly battered, one that relies almost solely on the fickle oil market and the war economy itself. 

All of which is to say: chalk one up for Ukraine. These aren’t just wins for Kyiv’s coffers, or for its ability to wreak fresh havoc on Russian targets. They are also a valuable asset that isn’t going anywhere, no matter what happens on the battlefield. For a country that will need every possible resource to rebuild, that is not just a card. It is an ace.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt4927786b157f417cMon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Thomas Nagorski\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The Contradiction at the Heart of Disability in America\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/the-contradiction-at-the-heart-of-disability-in-america/<!\[CDATA\[America loves seeing disabled people. It doesn’t want to pay to keep us alive, writes Steve Way.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Zack Birthday\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The author in Washington, D.C. on July 24, 2025.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt341c1484f35d230e/6a58df8aa1fc06849cf836b4/steve-way.jpg?branch=production)

The author in Washington, D.C. on July 24, 2025\. —Zack Birthday

I’m an actor. I also use a motorized wheelchair and a ventilator, and both of them run on [Medicaid](https://time.com/7298772/medicaid-big-beautiful-bill-health-insurance/). The machine that pushes air into my lungs, the chair that moves me across a room, and the aide who gets me out of bed so I can do my job and be on television are all paid for by Medicaid. Without that coverage, I wouldn’t have a career. Instead, I would have a massive life crisis. 

I’ve spent this year in a split-screen. On one side, I’ve had the best professional run of my life. On the other, a law that’s starting to take shape is threatening to make people like me suffer and disappear. 

That contradiction ultimately comes down to how much our country believes a disabled person is worth.

On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act](https://time.com/7300177/trump-signs-big-beautiful-bill/). By the Congressional Budget Office’s own accounting, its Medicaid provisions cut around [$1 trillion](https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-across-the-states-enacted-reconciliation-package/) in federal spending over a decade, and will leave an estimated 7.5 million more people [uninsured by 2034](https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/08/14/new-cbo-health-coverage-estimates-of-budget-reconciliation-law/). Count the rest of the law’s health provisions, and the coverage loss climbs to an estimated [10 million](https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-one-year-after-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-millions-have-lost-health-coverage-and-food-assistance/). The Center for American Progress notes the spending cuts almost exactly match the law’s other half: about $1 trillion in tax cuts flowing to the top [1% of households](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/1-trillion-in-medicaid-cuts-1-trillion-in-tax-giveaways-for-the-richest-1-percent-the-one-big-beautiful-bills-budget-math/), nearly half of that to roughly 200,000 households making more than $2 million a year. 

Approximately a trillion dollars taken from the care of poor and disabled people, and roughly a trillion handed to the richest households in the country. 

Then, there’s the cost no budget table ever lists. Before the bill reached its final, larger form, three physician-researchers published a [peer-reviewed analysis](https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00716) in the _Annals of Internal Medicine_ projecting what the cuts would do to actual lives. Their mid-range estimate:16,642 additional preventable deaths a year. 

If the losses fall hardest on disabled, high-cost enrollees rather than spreading evenly, the cuts could go even deeper. In a law built to find savings, the most expensive bodies to keep alive are the most efficient place to look. The math suggests that I cost a lot, and the bill was written by people looking for things that cost a lot. 

We must not trade disabled peoples’ lives in exchange for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. And we must not sacrifice all of the progress the U.S. has made. 

On July 26, 1990, a Republican president signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for disabled people, and a law older than me. George H.W. Bush stood on the South Lawn and promised disabled people “independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the [rich mosaic of the American mainstream](https://www.archives.gov/research/americans-with-disabilities/transcriptions/naid-6037492-remarks-by-the-president-during-ceremony-for-the-signing-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-of-1990.html).” 

Yesterday marked its 36th anniversary. The show I’m proudly in, [_Furious_](https://press.hulu.com/shows/furious/), premieres today. 

The ADA said disabled people have a right to live in America. The new law cuts the exact funding that helps many of us live, including the [home-based services ](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-truth-about-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-acts-cuts-to-medicaid-and-medicare/)that keep disabled people like myself out of nursing facilities and in their own homes, which is the precise independence the ADA was written to protect. 

Representation has quietly become a consolation prize. Even though [the percentage is still low](https://inevitable.foundation/greenlightreport), there are more disabled people on television than ever, and I’m grateful to be one of them. But the applause and the cuts are happening simultaneously, to the same people, and almost no one with power experiences that as a contradiction. 

You can be celebrated on a streaming service and defunded by a signature in the same summer. The issue: being seen is not the same as being kept alive. 

Many people genuinely believe those are the same thing. Visibility is a form of protection and a society putting disabled people on television would surely not also strip away the thing that gets them out of bed. It’s a comforting belief, but in modern America, it is false. Visibility is cheap. It costs the country nothing. Care is what costs, and care is what was cut. 

America has gotten very good at the gesture of inclusion and very comfortable with the substance of abandonment. Too often, we perform the first loudly enough to drown out the second. 

Disabled people see this gap with clarity. I’m telling you what it looks like from here because the view is unobstructed, and because I am, for now, still in a position to describe it. 

I’ll spend this month promoting a television show, marking 36 years of a promise, and watching my own healthcare coverage get more precarious, doing the arithmetic on my care in the back of my mind while I smile for cameras. I’ve got some great red carpet one-liners lined up. 

I’ve built a career on finding the joke in exactly this kind of absurdity, and I have to find it here, because the alternative is worse.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt4d094399ba324b54Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:00:03 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Steve Way\]\]><!\[CDATA\[House of the Dragon Just Unceremoniously Killed Off a Main Character. It Was the Right Move\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-6-criston-cole-death/<!\[CDATA\[Entertainment\]\]><!\[CDATA\[And his death was as unceremonious as they come\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Theo Whiteman—HBO\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Heading into battle in Episode 6 of House of the Dragon Season 3.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb42ca7bc5f7e2a81/6a62725bce0a0fe18a494838/fabien-frankel-freddie-fox-.jpg?branch=production)

Heading into battle in Episode 6 of House of the Dragon Season 3\. —Theo Whiteman—HBO

**_Warning: This story contains spoilers for Episode 6 of_** [**_House of the Dragon Season 3_**](https://time.com/article/2026/06/17/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-1-recap/)**_._**

After two seasons of cementing himself as one of the most hated characters in Westeros history (which, as [_Game of Thrones_](https://time.com/5591754/game-of-thrones-series-finale-review/) fans know, has no shortage of reprehensible monsters), [Ser Criston Cole](https://time.com/6984986/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-explained/) (Fabien Frankel) ultimately went out with little more than a whimper in Episode 6 of _House of the Dragon_ Season 3.

Following his declaration in Episode 5 that he intended to die a warrior's death by leading his men on a suicide mission into the path of Team Black's massive army of Rivermen and Winter Wolves, Cole was erased from the board within the first 10 minutes of Sunday's installment. The episode opened with Cole and his remaining Greens falling into a trap set by young Lord Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) and Lord Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan) that saw a host of Rivermen play dead in order to lure their enemy into battle. Although Cole's forces triumphed in the scuffle, they soon realized the real trick was that they were surrounded by the full strength of the Black army.

Cole attempted to bargain for his men's lives by promising surrender and, when that offer was refused, put forth a bid to decide the battle by facing Oscar and Roderick in two vs. one combat. But Team Black obviously had no plans of letting Cole go out in the blaze of glory he so greatly desired. Without waiting for either lord to even deign to respond, archer Alysanne Blackwood (Annie Shapero) let loose three arrows that struck Cole down, unceremoniously killing him. Their army then advanced on his men to slaughter them.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bc0b908ffca8790/6a62277f3e33ba49f0c3e49d/HotD-S3-E6-Criston-Cole-Death.jpg?branch=production)

Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) makes his last stand in Episode 6 ofHouse of the Dragon Season 3\. —Theo Whiteman—HBO

Those who have read George R. R. Martin's _Fire & Blood_ will recognize this event as the massacre known as the Butcher's Ball. And in the book, it's made abundantly clear Team Black meant for Cole to die as undignified a death as possible. As one Riverlands knight bluntly remarks to Cole's dead body, "I'll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker."

In _House of the Dragon_, it was ironically Cole himself who set the scene for his anticlimactic demise—because really, how often does a character in the _Thrones_ universe actually get what they want? "I am the realm's greatest warrior," he told Ser Gwayne (Freddie Fox) in Episode 5\. "And I will die as such. Clear-eyed. Unbent. Glorious in battle. And not in their service, finally. But in my own. And they will sing songs of it. And Queen Alicent herself will hear them." 

Despite proving himself to be the Dance of the Dragons' most hypocritical player, by shifting his allegiance to Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and the Greens back in Season 1, Cole managed to convince himself he was walking the path of righteousness. No matter how deplorable his actions were, in his mind, everything he did was to uphold honor, duty, and the law. But after witnessing the devastating power of dragonfire firsthand at the [Battle of Rook's Rest](https://time.com/6994538/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-rhaenys-aegon-dead/) in Season 2, Cole's view of the conflict began to spiral into nihilism. In the end, the only way he felt he could leave his mark on the world was to go down swinging in battle.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c700209cf3bfa1a/6a622684feea47f4fd4361be/HotD-S3-E5-Criston-Cole.jpg?branch=production)

Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) readies his men for a final march in Episode 5 of House of the Dragon Season 3\. —Theo Whiteman—HBO

"Criston Cole started as a soldier before the 20-year stretch that he spent at King’s Landing—that’s how he started, and that’s how he wants to finish," Frankel told [_Variety_](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/house-of-the-dragon-fabien-frankel-criston-cole-suicide-mission-butchers-ball-1236815984/) of his character's motivations in Season 3\. "In his mind, the only honest version of himself is the soldier. Everything else is pretense; the diplomat is pretense; the Hand of the King, there’s a level of pretense; Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, there’s a level of pretense. I suppose they’re all psychological, brain-led jobs. He isn’t that way, he’s very much led by his sword and his fighting instinct. The idea that that’s how he will be remembered, I think, feels honest."

But Cole doesn't get the poetic, honorable last stand he thinks he deserves, reinforcing the futility of common soldiers fighting a war of nobles and stripping him of the fantasy of a worthy legacy in his final moments. Seems like Alicent will never hear those songs, after all.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt6dbb142b2413f591Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:00:03 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Megan McCluskey\]\]><!\[CDATA\[What to Know About the Deadly Wildfires in Western Europe\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/france-spain-wildfire-heat-wave-europe-climate-change/<!\[CDATA\[World\]\]><!\[CDATA\[More than 300,000 people were evacuated because of wildfires in France and Spain, with fire crews battling the blazes for several days.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

More than 300,000 people were evacuated and at least one person killed because of wildfires in France and Spain, with fire crews battling the blazes for several days.

The two countries are facing massive wildfires that began last week amid [successive heat waves in Europe](https://time.com/article/2026/06/23/heatwave-europe-record-high-temperatures-deadly-extreme-heat-stress-safety/) that produced record high temperatures in several countries and led to [thousands of excess deaths](https://phys.org/news/2026-07-excess-deaths-europe-june.html).

**Read More:** [_Europe's Heat Wave Fuels Fears of a Record-Hot Year_](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/europe-s-heat-wave-fuels-fears-of-a-record-hot-year/)

In France, a major fire broke out in Saumos in Gironde last Wednesday, and a separate fire began near Biscarrosse in the Landes department the next day. Several fires broke out in Spain last Wednesday, including one in Toledo that spread into Madrid’s Villa del Prado and another in Ávila. Fires in Madrid, Castellón, and Manises broke out in the following days.

Both countries had already faced deadly wildfires earlier in the summer.

Here’s what to know about the wildfires affecting France and Spain.

## What has been the impact?

Fire crews were dealing with a 280-km perimeter of fire covering 77,000 hectares across Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo, Spain’s Secretary-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies Virginia Barcones told state broadcaster TVE.

The Spanish regions of Madrid, Ávila, and Valencia were among the worst affected areas. The government declared a national emergency in Madrid and Ávila on Thursday evening, extending it to Toledo on Saturday. It was Spain’s first such declaration over wildfires and only the second overall, after the nationwide blackout in April 2025\. The government deployed 1,200 and 400 vehicles to fight the fires in Madrid and Ávila, respectively. At least 37 sections of road were closed to traffic on Sunday morning because of fires across seven provinces or regions.

Spain recorded its first death from the latest wildfires on Saturday when a 78-year-old man was killed in a fire in Manises, near Valencia. The victim, who [reportedly](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20260725/muere-hombre-atrapado-coche-incendio-forestal-manises/17169151.shtml) had reduced mobility, was found dead in his car.

Several major fronts of the wildfires affecting Madrid and Ávila were contained by Sunday morning, according to Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit, although the fires remained active. The wildfire risk also remained high in the eastern and southern parts of the country, according to Spain’s meteorological agency, Aemet. That risk is expected to go up in the coming days as the temperature warms this week, Aemet said.

In France, around 55,000 people were ordered to evacuate villages near Bordeaux, including Le Barp, Marcheprime, Biganos, Mios, and Cestas, overnight on Saturday. In total, more than 250,000 people in southwestern France were forced to evacuate in recent days.

In Gironde, at least 240 homes were destroyed as of Sunday, officials said. The fire spread to within 15 km from the edge of Bordeaux’s metropolitan area and around 25 to 30 km from the city center. Bordeaux officials said they are evaluating the situation but that there are no immediate plans to evacuate the city.

Wildfires in France have also [disrupted the Tour de France](https://time.com/article/2026/07/26/wildfire-disruptions-to-the-tour-de-france-show-how-climate-change-is-shaping-sports/), as organizers [shortened its final stage](https://time.com/article/2026/07/21/europe-extreme-heat-tour-de-france/) from [133 km to 89 km](https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2026/change-to-the-route-of-the-final-stage-1/1355402) so security personnel can be redeployed to affected areas.

France’s meteorological agency warned that wildfire danger remained high across many departments despite a slight improvement over the weekend, especially as another heat wave is expected to worsen fire conditions in the coming days.

## How is climate change exacerbating wildfire risks?

Much of Europe has been affected by successive heat waves that have raised the risk of wildfires. With temperatures expected to rise again and little rain forecast in many fire-affected areas, that danger is only expected to increase this week.

Global warming has made heat waves more prevalent and more intense, with Europe warming at twice the global average rate since the 1980s. The extreme heat increases evaporation and plant water loss, worsening drought and drying out vegetation which creates more fuel for wildfires.

Spain recorded 32 major forest fires so far this year. That’s a significant increase from last year, when the country recorded seven over the same time period.

“I’d once again like to urge people to take utmost care and to stay up to date,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday. “The Iberian Peninsula is suffering the effects of the climate emergency.”

Heat waves also make it more difficult to contain fires, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told [_La Tribune Dimanche_](https://www.latribune.fr/article/la-tribune-dimanche/politique/12689058310873/laurent-nunez-ministre-de-linterieur-le-feu-sera-long-a-combattre) on Sunday. Dry weather, high temperatures, and dense ground vegetation make the fires spread rapidly once they begin.

Earlier this month, other deadly wildfires struck France and Spain. At least 13 people were killed in the Los Gallardos fire in southern Spain and a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter died while battling a vegetation fire in Savoie, France.

## How to stay safe

People in affected areas should follow official instructions and evacuate immediately if ordered.

Anyone in the E.U. who suspects a new fire should call 112 if it is safe to do so, and move away from the flames toward an area with little vegetation. If smoke or ash is present, residents should limit outdoor activities.

**Read More:** [_How to Safely Lower Your Body Temperature In Extreme Heat_](https://time.com/article/2026/06/25/how-to-safely-lower-body-heat/)

The Madrid regional government [said](https://efe.com/espana/2026-07-26/incendio-madrid-evolucion/), as of Sunday, 2,468 evacuees were receiving assistance at 15 temporary shelters, where local authorities supplied meals, beds, and basic hygiene products.

French municipalities have also opened temporary shelters. Bordeaux officials [said](https://www.sudradio.fr/sud-radio/incendie-en-gironde-3-500-personnes-evacuees-accueillies-a-bordeaux-metropole) around 3,500 evacuees were staying at its exhibition center shelter on Saturday morning.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltb1d082664645732fMon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Miranda Jeyaretnam\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Wildfire Disruptions to the Tour de France Show How Climate Change Is Shaping Sports\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/26/wildfire-disruptions-to-the-tour-de-france-show-how-climate-change-is-shaping-sports/<!\[CDATA\[Sports\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Tadej Pogačar's fifth Tour de France victory came after last-minute course changes due to wildfires, underscoring how climate change is influencing major sporting events.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

What should have been a standout moment in the world of sports was almost overshadowed on Sunday as 27-year-old Slovenian cyclist [Tadej Pogačar](https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/tadej-pogacar/) took home his fifth [Tour de France](https://time.com/article/2026/07/21/europe-extreme-heat-tour-de-france/) amid a last-minute course change in response to [wildfires](https://time.com/article/2026/07/17/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-canada-fires-forecast/) raging in the country’s southwest region. The disruption is one of a growing number of examples of extreme weather forcing changes to global sporting events.

For the final stage of the world’s most prestigious cycling race, what was meant to be a 133-kilometer (82-mile) ride was shortened to 89 km (55.3 miles). Riders were presented in Thoiry before being transported by team buses to Paris, where the race consisted entirely of circuits around the French capital, including two additional laps of the Champs-Élysées.

The change was [announced](https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2026/change-to-the-route-of-the-final-stage-1/1355402) late Saturday. Officials said it wouldallow emergency first responders and security personnel to shift their attention from the race to the wildfires. 

"In a spirit of national solidarity with the areas and communities affected, it was decided to adapt the route for the final stage," the event's organizers said in a [statement](https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2026/change-to-the-route-of-the-final-stage-1/1355402).

The disruption was just the latest in a series of extreme weather events that have altered this year’s competition. Earlier in the race, stage nine was shortened by 30 km (18 miles) due to [extreme heat](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7438742/2026/07/11/tour-de-france-weather-stage-9-shortened/).

A number of the participants commented on the [impact of extreme heat](https://time.com/article/2026/07/21/europe-extreme-heat-tour-de-france/) this year, including Pogačar, who suggested having cyclists race earlier, when the heat is less intense, or altering the race calendar. 

“If I had the power I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places,” he [said](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/12/tadej-pogacar-tour-de-france-2026-heatwave-calendar-ninth-stage-mathieu-van-der-poel-cycling). 

The race director replied that such a schedule shift would [never be possible](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tour-de-france/its-not-possible-the-tour-de-france-is-july-race-director-rejects-tadej-pogacars-wish?utm%5Fsource=twitter&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=dhtwitter&utm%5Fcontent=null), as it could impact critical factors of the event, from obtaining government authorizations to negatively impacting viewership—and therefore the revenue—when the race is aired by broadcasters.

**Read More:** [How Europe's Extreme Heat Waves Have Impacted the Tour de France](https://time.com/article/2026/07/21/europe-extreme-heat-tour-de-france/)

As of Saturday [night](https://x.com/SebLecornu/status/2081075555202384013), dozens of wildfires were burning in the southwest of France, near Bordeaux. Over 197,000 people had already been evacuated throughout the country, while its neighbor, Spain, saw some 80,000 evacuated.

Research shows climate change is fostering the conditions that allow wildfires to spread rapidly, as hotter temperatures and drier vegetation make many landscapes more flammable. In the last four years, the amount of land burned by wildfires across Europe increased by 57%, [according to new data](https://news.cision.com/who-regional-office-for-europe/r/wildfires-up-57--across-europe-in-four-years,c4377470) from the World Health Organization. 

In Spain and Portugal alone, the number of wildfires has more than [doubled](https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168013) since last year.

Europe, which is [warming faster](https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/european-state-of-climate-extreme-events-warmest-year-record?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) than any other continent, is in the midst of a particularly dry, hot summer, creating ideal conditions for wildfires. Following a heatwave in June, data showed that France [recorded](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/france-recorded-5700-deaths-usual-historic-june-heat-wave-rcna588775) at least 5,700 excess deaths during the month. 

Two weeks later, at the start of this year’s Tour de France, the [average temperature](https://x.com/ProCyclingStats/status/2079097271627501970?s=20) along the course was 87.4°F—far surpassing the previous record of 78.6°F in 2022.

## Climate Change Is Forcing Sports to Adapt

The Tour de France is not the only sporting event that’s been forced to contend with the impact of climate extremes. 

“Recent years have been a turning point for sport, just because so many sporting events have been impacted by climate change,” says Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of Sport Ecology at the University of Toronto. In 2020, tennis player Dalila Jakupovic collapsed on court during the Australian Open due to poor air quality because of wildfires. Soon after, the Tokyo Olympics saw athletes sweltering in 90°F temperatures. 

Extreme weather has become impossible to ignore—and organizers are being forced to adapt. 

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, FIFA began mandating three-minute “[hydration breaks](https://time.com/article/2026/07/17/what-the-world-cup-hydration-breaks-really-tell-us/)” as games across North America carried on amid high temperatures and humidity. The tournament's final was [threatened](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/nyregion/smoke-world-cup-final-nyc.html) by hazardous wildfire smoke drifting over New York from hundreds of fires burning in Ontario, Canada, as well as northern Minnesota.

The NFL is [increasingly](https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/nfl-stadiums-domed-8d73f24b) favoring roofed and domed stadiums, with nearly two-thirds of league venues expected to see updates by 2030—to the tune of billions of dollars in construction. And in June, a “[heat hazard](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/explained-what-does-the-austrian-gp-heat-hazard-declaration-mean-and-how-are-the-drivers-affected.6gn3KIPTusK31IKGa5aoKQ)” went into effect for Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix, meaning that drivers would be required to have a “driver cooling system” in place in order to compete.

While the organizations behind some of sports’ most popular events are looking to counteract the effects of climate change, athletes are also forced to [adapt](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/heat-training-benefits-risks-exercise-hot-weather) their training to better acclimate to heat. In the Tour de France, some teams prepared [ice baths](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/12/tadej-pogacar-tour-de-france-2026-heatwave-calendar-ninth-stage-mathieu-van-der-poel-cycling) for riders to utilize immediately after completing a portion of the race. Laura Schifter explained in a [recent opinion piece](https://time.com/article/2026/07/17/what-the-world-cup-hydration-breaks-really-tell-us/) for TIME that even children’s sports will likely be impacted, reshaping the lifelong habits and mindsets young athletes develop.

And the changes ultimately affect those who attend the sporting events. There’s the added strain of [attending](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/8/how-extreme-weather-and-heat-could-affect-players-at-world-cup-2026) outdoor sporting events in extreme weather—which often involves long lines leading into the events and long hours in the sun in the stands. There may also be financial consequences, as investments in new facilities or weather adaptations can increase operating costs, which in some cases wind up passed down to fans. Or they might not get to attend at all: Earlier this month, spectators were asked [not to watch](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7423603/2026/07/05/tour-de-france-wildfire-stage-three-changes/) the last 40 km (25 miles) of the third stage of the Tour de France to reduce the demand on security personnel and free up more resources for the wildfires.

Adaptation measures are only going to become more common in our warming world, experts tell TIME. 

“This is the coolest summer that's going to be in our lifetimes,” says Samuel Hampton, senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute. “It's only going to get hotter and hotter for the rest of our lives, and I think the \[Tour de France\] is already straining in terms of how it can deal with this heat.”

“It's only going to become more challenging,” he added.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltec21bf43fd86c2a8Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:52:15 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Simmone Shah\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Berlin Pride Attack Suspect Dies in Police Confrontation After Daylong Manhunt\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/26/berlin-pride-attack-suspect-dies-in-police-confrontation-after-daylong-manhunt/<!\[CDATA\[World\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Berlin Police shot and killed the suspect who allegedly rammed his vehicle into a crowd at Berlin Pride on Saturday night, leaving one dead and dozens injured.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Ebrahim Noroozi—AP\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Emergency personnel and police gather in Berlin on July 26, 2026, following a deadly attack at the annual Christopher Street Day festivities.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06c6f61d0adef29d/6a6662b5ad05188181611fce/AP26207020466787.jpg?branch=production)

Emergency personnel and police gather in Berlin on July 26, 2026, following a deadly attack at the annual Christopher Street Day festivities. —Ebrahim Noroozi—AP

Authorities shot and killed the suspect believed to be responsible for a deadly attack at Berlin Pride on Saturday, according to police. The suspect, identified Sunday as Abdul Ballout, allegedly [plowed a vehicle](https://time.com/7288733/liverpool-car-vehicle-ramming-attacks-trend-prevention-what-to-do/) into a crowd of revelers, leaving one woman dead and at least 29 injured. Officials have said that the attack was likely motivated by Islamist extremism.

“According to current findings, he is said to have rushed toward our emergency forces with a stabbing weapon, after which police firearms were used,” the Berlin Police said in a [post on X](https://x.com/polizeiberlin/status/2081431515632751084), confirming that the confrontation occurred at approximately 6 p.m. local time Sunday. It went on to say that resuscitation efforts at the scene proved unsuccessful.

## Suspect Believed Responsible for Deadly Attack on Berlin Pride

The confrontation followed a nearly daylong manhunt. Alexander Dobrindt, the German Interior Minister, [said](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbQlOH%5FlMRy/) at a press conference on Sunday that “large-scale” search operations spanned train stations, airports, and the borders, as officials searched for the man seen fleeing the scene following the previous evening’s deadly attack. 

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. local time, promptly ending the remainder of the scheduled events for the nation’s annual Christopher Street Day celebration. The LGBTQ+ event, also referred to as Berlin Pride, is named for the New York City street that hosted the 1969 Stonewall riots—widely credited for launching the modern gay rights movement. The festivities included a concert on Saturday evening near Tiergarten, a large park in the center of the city.

As hundreds of thousands gathered, a white minivan plowed through a side street adjacent to the park, striking pedestrians before crashing into a tree. The driver exited the vehicle and may have continued his assault on foot before fleeing the scene. Authorities believe he wielded a stabbing instrument, due to the nature of the injuries sustained by several passersby after the suspect exited the van.

“Everything we are seeing here indicates an Islamist terror attack,” Dobrindt said early Sunday.

**Read More:** [_Why Car-Rammings Are on the Rise—and So Hard to Prevent_](https://time.com/7288733/liverpool-car-vehicle-ramming-attacks-trend-prevention-what-to-do/)

A Berlin Police spokesperson told reporters in the immediate aftermath of the attack that there had been coordinated security measures in place for the Pride event.

"We meticulously prepared this event together with the organizer. We have an incredible number of personnel deployed,” he said, noting that extensive access barriers had been set up to prevent vehicles from entering the event grounds.

A Berlin Fire Service spokesperson told media outlets at the scene that at least 11 victims suffered life-threatening or serious injuries. None of the victims have been publicly identified.

“Berlin is the city of freedom—and our freedom has been attacked in the most horrific way today,” Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said in a [statement](https://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2026/pressemitteilung.1697454.php) Sunday, while promising that authorities were responding to the suspected terror attack with “utmost urgency.”

Later that evening, Wegner confirmed to German broadcaster _rbb_ that the suspect “had been apprehended.” 

"The fact that the Berlin police have the suspect within 24 hours is a major success for the investigating authorities," he said.

## Who Is Abdul Ballout?

Police on Saturday released [a photo of the suspect](https://www.berlin.de/polizei/polizeimeldungen/2026/pressemitteilung.1697457.php) who was originally identified only by his first name and last initial, in compliance with German privacy laws. “Abdul B.” was described as a 21-year-old German-born citizen. Police described him as having a slim build, with black hair, and standing approximately 1.9 meters tall (6-foot-2). He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with white pants, per the police report.

Dobrindt said on Sunday that “the suspect has in the past come to the attention of authorities.”

“He has committed various crimes. He has been radicalized in the past. He belongs to the Islamist scene,” Dobrindt [continued](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1071498298563318).

The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office released [additional details](https://www.berlin.de/generalstaatsanwaltschaft/presse/pressemitteilungen/2026/pressemitteilung.1697484.php) Sunday evening, upon taking over the investigations. It said that Ballout had been found guilty of assaulting a victim in a schoolyard in 2019 and of robbing an individual, along with an accomplice, in 2020\. He was then convicted of assault and robbery in juvenile court in 2022.

Ballout allegedly “developed the desire to join the armed struggle of ISIS” in 2025, the press release continued.

He traveled to Lebanon and allegedly attempted to contact ISIS there, it said, but was arrested and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for “incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.” 

According to prosecutors, he returned to Germany after his release and was placed under arrest. The court had “found it proven” that he had published Islamic State propaganda on his Instagram account in 2024\. In May 2026, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. The court considered suspending the sentence because of the time he had already spent in pretrial detention and in prison in Lebanon. He was released under probation supervision while a final decision on the suspension was delayed for six months.

“The Public Prosecutor's Office had requested a longer, non-probationary sentence for the juvenile and the continuation of the arrest warrant,” its press release on Sunday evening said.

Police searched his address on July 3 upon suspicion of a Weapons Act violation, but only discovered a toy gun, so “the case was subsequently dismissed,” the statement continued.

That same residence was searched following the Berlin Pride attack early Sunday, but the suspect was not on the premises. 

## Is the Attack Part of a Larger Pattern of Extremist Terrorism in Germany?

The threat level in Germany remained at its recently declared “[high threat level](https://www.welt.de/newsticker/dpa%5Fnt/infoline%5Fnt/Politik%5F%5FInland%5F/article6a5b3321340ecb5e694f5556/dobrindt-warnt-vor-anschlagsrisiko-in-deutschland.html)” on Sunday. It was [established](https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/SharedDocs/publikationen/EN/reports-on-the-protection-of-the-constitution/2026-06-brief-summary-2025-report.pdf?%5F%5Fblob=publicationFile&v=2) after intelligence pointed toward potential attack plans, according to the Interior Ministry. 

Investigators had not determined whether Ballout acted alone as of Sunday evening. Police said they had not ruled out additional suspects.

“According to the current state of the investigation, there is at least one suspect,” the Berlin Police department posted while seeking public assistance. Dobrindt also commented on Sunday, “We cannot rule out the possibility that further terror attacks and such terrible acts might take place.”

The heightened threat level aligns with assessments published in the June 30 publication of the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) [Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution](https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/SharedDocs/publikationen/EN/reports-on-the-protection-of-the-constitution/2026-06-brief-summary-2025-report.pdf?%5F%5Fblob=publicationFile&v=2), which states that "the threat posed by Islamist terrorism in Germany remains high." The report is part of a greater effort by the intelligence organization to “raise awareness about the level of threat posed to state and society.”

Its data shows that while the Islamic extremist following in 2025 was composed of 28,645 individuals (up from 28,280 the year prior), approximately 9,110 of them were “violence oriented” (down from 9,540 in 2024).

German intelligence has long warned that hostility toward LGBTQ+ people is "an integral part of all Islamist extremist ideologies," though the motives for the Berlin Pride attack have yet to be determined.

The BfV report explains that extremists see tolerance toward sexual and gender diversity as an imported Western value “which allegedly aims at destroying the Islamic community.”

“Against this backdrop, Islamist extremists spread hate propaganda and systematically exploit this topic as an additional field of agitation in their fight against supposedly morally ‘misguided’ Western values,” it continued.

Government representatives sought to reassure the public later that day in light of the latest assessments.

“Let us not be afraid,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a [public statement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSUJFV96GOg) on Sunday afternoon. “These actions have one aim. They want to divide our society. They want to take away from us our most important assets: our openness, and our freedom.”

He also expressed support for the victims and their families and gratitude toward first responders on the scene, assuring that authorities would move quickly to capture the suspect.

“There are more of us, we are stronger, and we will stay together,” he said, addressing his countrymen. “That is the most important thing in such a difficult hour.”

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt33b96d37f93651edSun, 26 Jul 2026 19:53:32 +0000<!\[CDATA\[T. Michelle Murphy\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn on AI, User Motivation, and Expanding Beyond Languages\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/26/duolingo-ceo-luis-von-ahn-interview/<!\[CDATA\[Business\]\]><!\[CDATA\[TIME spoke with Luis von Ahn about Duolingo’s story, user engagement, and how he’s approaching AI integration.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Courtesy Duolingo\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb2687db8e221848c/6a662e8a7f56dc72ccb575f9/Luis_von_Ahn_2.jpg?branch=production)

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn —Courtesy Duolingo

When Luis von Ahn was 8 years old, growing up in Guatemala City, his mother bought him a computer. He was upset because he actually wanted a Nintendo, he recalls. “But you know, it changed my life because I learned how to use a computer.” Developing that skill eventually led to his creation of the educational app [Duolingo](https://time.com/collections/time100-companies-2025/7289606/duolingo/), which is used by millions around the world to learn languages, and now other subjects, such as math and music. The company went public in 2021 and is currently valued at $5.7 billion. 

“[Education](https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/worlds-top-edtech-companies-2026/) has always been a big thing for me,” says von Ahn, 47\. His mother, a doctor and single parent, didn’t earn much, but spent any spare money she had on ensuring von Ahn had access to the best education in Guatemala, he says. “The other kids in my neighborhood probably went to public school. It was very clear that I was years ahead of them in terms of what I was learning, and that always stuck with me,” he says. “And that's probably the biggest reason why we started Duolingo. The idea is to try to give education to everyone, regardless of whether you don't have a lot of money or you have a lot of money, you can use the same system.” Von Ahn believes the app has achieved that goal, and says its users range from across the socioeconomic spectrum. 

TIME spoke with von Ahn in May about Duolingo’s story, user engagement, and how he’s approaching AI integration. 

_This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity._

**Tell me a bit about the evolution of Duolingo.**

We started very small in 2011\. We wanted to do something that would give equal access to education to everyone. At first, we didn't want to teach languages. At first, we thought we wanted to teach math, but we decided to teach languages, and the reason for that was because of English. In almost every country in the world, if you know English, you can make more money. There are a little under 2 billion people in the world learning English. Math has a billion people learning it. So English is basically the most learned subject that I know of in the whole world. So we thought, OK, let's do a thing that teaches languages for free. We launched it. It was very successful from the minute we launched it. It became the most downloaded app in the education category, and it has been since then. And we reached all kinds of really amazing numbers relatively early on. For example, at some point, there were more people learning languages on Duolingo in the U.S. than there are people learning languages across all U.S. high schools combined, and now that's true in most countries in the world. Not in every country—particularly in China, it's not yet true—but in most countries we teach more people languages than the public education system. So we're very proud of that. 

For the first four or five years, we made no money. We didn't have any ads. There was no subscription. Nothing. It was just free. Then we started monetizing around 2017, but one of the crazy things that happened is that we had hired all these people, and they had come to work at Duolingo to give free education. And when I said to everyone, we need to make money to sustain ourselves, there was a revolt. People did not want to—most of the employees were like, “Why? Why do we need to make money?” Which is crazy if you think about it, but I had to explain to them that you actually have to pay salaries, and that's how we have to make money, etc. But eventually, we found a good way to make money, which is our freemium model: everybody can use Duolingo entirely for free. But if you don't pay, you have to see some ads, and if you don't like ads, you can pay to subscribe, and it gets rid of the ads.

That worked, and then after that, we started at least being self-sustaining. At some point, we became profitable. We're now a publicly traded company, so we're very happy with that. The other thing that has happened over time is we've added more subjects. We started with just languages, but now we have math, music, and chess, and we're very happy with those. I'm particularly excited about math. I think over time, hopefully, it'll become almost as large as languages. Languages are much larger, but I'm hoping that math at some point will become as large as it.

**Is English the most popular language?** 

Yeah, for sure. Half of our users are learning English.

**And where is it most used?**

We have users in every single country in the world. The largest market is the U.S. in terms of number of users. Second is China, and then third \[place\] oscillates between Brazil, the U.K., and Germany. 

**Are there complications to operating in China?**

Yes. We're fine now, but China has a lot of regulation, and we have to go through that, but we're happy. China's not the number one fastest growing country, but it is relatively fast growing, and our expectation is that within one or two years China will be our largest market. It's just growing really fast. There's just a lot of people in China, also a lot of people who want to learn English. So you keep growing.

**How many languages have you learned, or are you learning?** 

I got pretty good at French to the point where I can watch TV shows in French. My pronunciation is not particularly good, but I can watch TV shows pretty well. I am currently learning Swedish because my wife is Swedish, and now Swedish is an excellent language. It just turns out not a particularly useful language to learn because all Swedes seem to know English. But I am learning it because my wife is Swedish. I'm not as good as I am at French.

**I have to confess I don't use Duolingo, but I did speak to some friends who use it and got some feedback. A couple of things that I heard a few times were that they don't like the guilt-tripping constant reminders, and also the need to pay to progress…** 

You don't need to pay to progress. You need to pay to turn off ads. And if you don't pay, you sort of cannot do too much per hour. That's basically it.

**But there's also the AI function…** 

Oh yeah, as in, you have to pay if you want to do the practicing conversation with AI. You have to pay because that also costs us money. Yeah.

**I'm sure you hear similar feedback. How do you take that on board and how do you integrate that into improving the app?**

Well, a couple of things. In terms of the guilt-tripping, we try a lot of things. The thing about learning something by yourself—and this is really what has made us the most popular education app in the world—the hardest thing about learning something by yourself is staying motivated. It's just really hard to stay motivated. Most people will tell you that they want to learn something, but their actions don't say the same thing. I mean, their actions are \[that\] they're going to go to Instagram or TikTok or whatever. One of the main things I've learned here at Duolingo over the last 15 years is what people say, what people do, and what people think—completely different things. So people will tell you they really want to learn something, etc. But it's very hard to stay motivated to learn something like a language. To learn a language to a relatively good point takes hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. That is just the case. There's no faster way to do that. Your brain needs that many hours to learn it. So we need to find ways to get people to continue doing it, and we just try everything we can. We try to make it fun. Try to make it as gamified as possible. We send you reminders. Some of the reminders are guilt-tripping, and it just turns out this works. And that's the idea. The idea is to try to get you to be motivated to continue working. I mean, learning.

**It sounds like your workforce is very passionate…**

Mission driven. Yes. 

**There was a story about assessment of employees based on AI usage, which was** [**rolled back**](https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/duolingo-ceo-luis-von-ahn-ai-usage-requirement-employee-performance-evaluations/)**. What happened and what did you learn from that experience?**

Last year I sent a memo internally that, honestly internally it was not controversial. I mean, it was like, “Hey, we’ve got to use AI in as \[many\] places as we can.” There was one part that, at the time was not controversial, but we have since flipped, which is we're going to assess people's performance based on their use of AI. That's not going to be the only thing, but one of the things I look at is are you using AI or not? Because we really do believe that AI can make you a lot more productive. I sent that memo. Externally, people read that memo and thought that I was going to fire all our employees. This is actually not what happened. We didn't fire anybody. We in fact hired more employees last year, and part of the reason is it's just now an employee is way more valuable than before because one employee with AI can just do way more than a single employee before AI. So I want to keep hiring, but internally, what we learned over the last year was that there were people who did their job, and they had a lot of impact. But they're like, “AI doesn't really apply to my job. Do you want me to just use AI for no reason?” And they had very good arguments. So, we've gone back to just, your performance is based on the impact you have on the company, regardless of what you do. So yeah, we shouldn't have done that, but we did.

**You talked about offering something to users that isn't Instagram or TikTok. There are people who are also thinking about how they use AI and even not wanting to use it. How do you balance improving the app using AI integration against keeping those loyal users who like using Duolingo because it's not social media or ChatGPT?**

Ultimately, our goal is to teach you things that take a long time to learn. That's our goal. It turns out AI can really help us teach you those things much better. A really good example is conversational practice. Before AI, there was no way for you to practice conversation on Duolingo, and the only way we could have done it before AI was to pair you up with another human. But this is one of those cases where people say they want to talk to another human in a language that they are not comfortable with, but people do not actually talk to another human in a language that they're not comfortable with. We tried many times. I believe about 5% of humanity's population is willing to do that, and the other 90% to 95% doesn't actually want to. Even though they say they do, they don't actually want to do that because it just requires too much. People are ashamed. Before AI, we simply could not get you to practice conversation. It just was a hole in your learning. Now with AI, you can actually fully practice conversation, and that you learn the language better. So, for our usage of AI, we have this golden rule internally in the company, which is we are only going to use AI for the benefit of our learners, and so that's it. In fact, the overwhelming majority of our usage of AI is either in speeding up our development process or in teaching better. And so, I understand that some people may not love using ChatGPT, etc. But you know, ultimately, we're just trying to teach you better.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt9fc00700265ac026Sun, 26 Jul 2026 16:07:11 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Ayesha Javed\]\]><!\[CDATA\[‘Cockroach Movement’ Forces Out India’s Education Minister\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/25/cockroach-movement-forces-out-india-education-minister/<!\[CDATA\[World\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday in response to rising pressure from student-led protests.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Elke Scholiers–Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrate following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25, 2026 in New Delhi, India.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcf8ded991e3e8f93/6a6508d2f03c22c4130aea20/GettyImages-2287615120.jpg?branch=production)

Supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrate following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25, 2026 in New Delhi, India. —Elke Scholiers–Getty Images

Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid mounting pressure from the “[Cockroach Movement](https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/india-cockroach-janta-party-protest-movement/),” which demanded major government reforms—starting with his departure. Student activists accused Pradhan of failing to safeguard a competitive medical school exam, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), after authorities concluded that its contents had been leaked online.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) started as a [parody account](https://www.instagram.com/p/DYaWZc6Rbpv/) on social media after Indian authorities invalidated the annual medical school entry exam in May. Its name alludes to a comment made by Chief Justice Surya Kant during an unrelated hearing the same month, in which he [compared](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jobless-cockroaches-attack-the-system-cji-surya-kant/articleshow/131127870.cms) young unemployed people to "cockroaches” and “parasites.”

However, the CJP quickly established itself as a formidable movement as anti-government sentiment erupted in the wake of the NEET scandal. The page gained millions of followers, and its founder began organizing protests in late June. 

**Read More:** [_What Is the Youth-Led ‘Cockroach Movement’ Staging Mass Protests in India?_](https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/india-cockroach-janta-party-protest-movement/)

## How a Leaked Exam Sparked a National Movement

Over 2 million prospective students had taken the three-hour exam, according to the [_BBC_](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy0gjqv783o). However, an exam coach noticed that a “guess paper”—or practice test—being circulated online seemed to closely match the exam itself, prompting an investigation. Police ultimately [concluded](https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-cancellation-anatomy-of-a-leak-a-paid-whatsapp-group-a-whistleblower-under-cloud-and-a-guess-paper-that-spread-like-wildfire-10686438/) that the questions had been leaked. They also discovered that some individuals paid as much as 5,000 rupees (about $52) to access the “guess paper” on WhatsApp, the _Indian Express_ [reported](https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-ug-cancellation-anatomy-of-a-leak-a-paid-whatsapp-group-a-whistleblower-under-cloud-and-a-guess-paper-that-spread-like-wildfire-10686438/).

News that the exam results had been voided distressed many of the test-takers. The medical school system in India offered fewer than 130,000 slots for the undergraduate medical program this year, according to [India’s National Medical Commission](https://www.nmc.org.in/information-desk/for-students-to-study-in-india/list-of-college-teaching-mbbs/), making the selection process extremely competitive. The stakes are considerable, especially for those with limited financial resources. After the exam was discredited, at least 20 students died by suicide, according to [_Agence France-Presse_](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260725-betrayal-the-young-victims-of-india-s-exam-leak-scandal). Protesters blamed the deaths on what they described as systemic failures in India's education system, and directed much of their anger toward Pradhan.

In a statement posted to social media after he stepped down, Pradhan said that the government would be switching to a computer-based testing model in the future to help prevent fraud and confirmed that a replacement exam had been successfully completed in June.

“India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation,” he [wrote](https://x.com/dpradhanbjp/status/2080938216505667663). 

Without accepting fault, he explained that he had agreed to step down in order to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the upheaval. 

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, celebrated the resignation with fellow protesters in New Delhi on Saturday.

“It's a victory for the people of India,” Dipke [said](https://x.com/ANI/status/2080953372195340788) to the crowd. He later [posted](https://x.com/abhijeet%5Fdipke/status/2080959084954521912) an image of India’s Constitution on social media, with the caption: “Thank you.”

## How the Protests Forced the Government to the Table

Despite police orders not to march on Parliament, tens of thousands of protesters attempted to do so last week and clashed with local authorities. The following day, they escalated their efforts by attempting to block public transportation, setting up barricades at the entrance of key metro stations and disrupting travel for millions of daily commuters. The police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters, sparking public [outrage](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/india/india-cockroach-party-protest-anger-intl-hnk). 

Activist Sonam Wangchuk was then [forcibly taken to hospital](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do) after 26 days of a hunger strike meant to bring attention to protesters’ demands. He [told local media outlets](https://x.com/Wangchuk66/status/2080471599237702014?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2080471599237702014%7Ctwgr%5E72a918ac234f76a423d7aeac8deb187913061c67%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Findia-news%2Fend-of-hunger-beginning-accountability-sonam-wangchuk-why-he-called-off-fast-cjp-jantar-mantar-protest-jp-nadda-jitendra-101784859900592.html) that he concluded his campaign after receiving assurances that the “issue of accountability” for the failures of the exam would be discussed by Parliament.

Upon hearing the news of the Education Minister’s resignation on Saturday, he told reporters that he welcomed the move.

"This is a victory for democracy that we witnessed today,” he [said](https://x.com/ANI/status/2080990905708970123?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2080990905708970123%7Ctwgr%5E0c02f7e38ba89b188f0ee34524e0f09b40605b67%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Findia-news%2Fnation-not-built-by-resignation-alone-need-reforms-sonam-wangchuk-after-cjp-ends-protest-11821273). “I congratulate and thank our CJP team who first raised this issue, as well as the volunteers who supported them, the students, youth, and elders from across the country who stood up for democracy.”

"I hope we maintain this peace and that no wrongdoing occurs anywhere in the future. We need to work on reforms. A nation isn't built by resignation alone," he added.

On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian President Droupadi Murmu [appointed](https://presidentofindia.nic.in/press%5Freleases/press-communique-35) Pralhad Joshi—who already oversees the ministries of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, along with New and Renewable Energy—to oversee the Ministry of Education “in addition to his existing portfolio,” which is a typical arrangement in India following a Cabinet vacancy and does not preclude a later permanent appointment.

Joshi addressed the exam leak in May, saying, “The reforms are needed, we are bringing them, but they cannot be done within a year. By next year, technology-driven examination will be there."

CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das said in an [interview](https://x.com/ANI/status/2081041959108641078) with local media ANI following the president’s announcement that the party members will be meeting the new education minister “very soon.”

“Whoever becomes the Education Minister should know that the youth are watching. They will demand accountability,” Das said. “So, when the time comes, work in the interest of the youth. Stop paper leaks.”

## What Comes Next for the CJP?

The CJP established its [list of demands](https://www.instagram.com/p/DYbZbjHNEp8/) on May 16\. In addition to calling for Pradhan’s resignation, the CJP asked for compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student who died by suicide following the leak**.** 

They alsosought greater legislative oversight of the educational system, gender equity in government roles, a fully independent media, and certain reforms to the electoral and political system—such as creating a 20-year ban on politicians switching parties before seeking election.

Adding to those mandates, the CJP last week asked that the central government drop any potential charges against protesters, after [claiming](https://x.com/ZiddiNaagrik/status/2080402213806223579) that several had been “illegally detained” by police. 

Following Pradhan’s resignation, representatives from the CJP met with officials from the Indian government to discuss the rest of the party’s demands. In a press conference following the meeting, Das [said](https://x.com/ANI/status/2080988013937733813?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2080988013937733813%7Ctwgr%5E7aca0e44d9b7bb691c75157135d9a4cafa551728%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news18.com%2Findia%2Four-demands-have-been-accepted-cjp-ends-delhi-protest-after-third-round-of-talks-with-centre-10233350.html) on Saturday that the negotiations had been successful.

"All our demands have been accepted,” he said, without elaboration. “We request the protesters to withdraw immediately and return home peacefully."

The CJP [added](https://x.com/ANI/status/2080986888069083181) during the press conference on Saturdaythat representatives from the movement would meet with officials again in four weeks to work on broader reforms. Its spokespersontold [local media](https://x.com/ANI/status/2081027248010990063) that the fight for a transparent educational system is far from over. 

He said that members of the CJP conveyed to officials that if the issues are not addressed, the protesters will reconvene “and demand accountability.” 

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blte49babd1d8496b3eSat, 25 Jul 2026 20:17:50 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Philip Wang\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Understanding The Fraught Politics Of Powering AI\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/24/understanding-the-fraught-politics-of-powering-ai/<!\[CDATA\[Climate\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Growing anxiety over electricity bills, on the rise in part because of the AI-driven infrastructure buildout, has quickly become a liability for industry and politicians alike\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Photo by Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event about the Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C. on July 23\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9043bbf28f3bf52d/6a63b7af2f7abe0f284677b2/trump_ratepayer_protection_pledge.jpg?branch=production)

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event about the Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington D.C. on July 23 —Photo by Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images

Sitting at the Environmental Protection Agency with a mix of CEOs and cabinet officials, President Trump [announced](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/climate/trump-ai-data-centers.html) this week that a group of more than 200 stakeholders including governors, utility companies, and data center developers had signed up for his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, vowing to protect consumers from the [rising costs](https://time.com/7355839/why-are-electricity-prices-high-2026/) of electricity.

The announcement is an attempt to hold off the growing anxiety over electricity bills, which are on the rise in part because of the AI-driven infrastructure buildout. The anxiety has quickly become a [liability](https://time.com/7311613/ai-electricity-bills-georgia-politics/) for industry and politicians alike.

  
But there’s also little doubt that the pledge, which is voluntary with no enforcement mechanism, is just tinkering around the edges of the issue. And the slower policymakers are to take decisive, substantive action, the more likely it becomes that today’s targeted fixes give way to demands for wholesale restructuring.  

Two days before Trump launched his updated pledge, I moderated a panel at the Aspen Ideas Climate summit in Chicago addressing issues of rising electricity costs and reliability issues on the grid. The most interesting exchange came over the needed scale of solutions. 

  
Allison Clements, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, argued that states and utilities should move quickly to insulate customers from the cost of data centers, citing a range of regulatory tweaks. University of Chicago economist Michael Greenstone pushed back, suggesting that instead policymakers should use this moment to rethink the country’s fundamentally inefficient electricity system, reimagining how rates are designed to begin with and giving federal regulators greater authority to build transmission. “One should not waste a crisis,” he said.   

In today’s political environment, Greenstone’s call for bold thinking can seem a bit out of touch. Congress can barely keep the government open. It’s hard to imagine the body taking on the extremely complex and politically fraught job of reforming the country’s power system. And yet there is a case for thinking bigger—or at the very least laying the groundwork for bigger thinking. 

  
Right now, the affordability agenda is[ front of mind](https://time.com/7313069/energy-bills-us-climate-action/) and elected officials are responding. In PJM, the Mid Atlantic part of the U.S. grid, officials have implemented a price cap when utilities bid for electricity, even as critics warn the move could discourage new investment. In Indiana, the governor removed the head of the state’s public utility commission after it approved a rate increase. Across the country the political incentive is to keep bills down today even if doing so complicates tomorrow’s reliability challenge. 

The system is holding together now. But it’s easy to imagine extreme weather—whether a catastrophic heat wave or deep winter freeze—creating more demand than the system can handle. If demand outstrips supply, rolling blackouts would create a new wave of political anger. 

  
“I can tell you with absolute certainty that if a grid operator has to choose on the hottest day of summer, whether to send power to a data center to run AI 24/7 or to a residential household that needs air conditioning, it's going to that data center,” says Neil Chatterjee, a former FERC commissioner. “And that's where the pitchforks come out.”

  
As alarming as pitchforks may be, they also create an opening for a big picture rethinking of how we produce and distribute electricity in the U.S. Indeed, major infrastructure reforms are more likely to happen because the status quo is intolerable than because someone diligently explained the benefits. 

With that in mind, a crisis could unlock much-touted but still elusive permitting reform that makes it easier to build energy infrastructure. It could make the case for a muscular FERC. And I’ve even heard the suggestion that the present moment creates an opportunity to revise the bedrock federal laws that have created challenges in this moment, including the Federal Power Act, the century-old law that governs interstate power transmission. 

  
The implications of such a move are dramatic. If done right, such reform could be a win for efforts to tackle climate change, given how much clean power has been hampered by a lack of transmission. (And climate advocates could end up being a powerful part of a reform coalition). It would also threaten the utility business model, long dependent on monopolies and state policy. It could be a boon for AI companies that want to move faster, though obviously not everyone would support that.   

A true crisis may be coming soon. It’s unclear who is ready to use it.

  
_To get this story in your inbox, sign up to TIME's Future Proof newsletter_ [_here_](https://timefutureproof.beehiiv.com/subscribe).   

  
\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt965197d4c0bfc574Sat, 25 Jul 2026 12:00:03 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Justin Worland\]\]><!\[CDATA\[What Octogenarian Pop Divas Show Us About a Life Well-Lived\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/25/what-octogenarian-pop-divas-show-us-about-a-life-well-lived/<!\[CDATA\[Ideas\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Cher, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick, all in their 80s, show us that conviction outlasts fashion, writes Debbie Millman.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Stewart Cook—CBS/Getty Images; Jason Kempin—Getty Images; Kevin Mazur—BSB/Getty Images; Frank Hoensch—Redferns/Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Cher, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a12313296ee22c8/6a5fa1b48abf5b90ca96cc92/Octogenarian_Pop_Divas-001.jpg?branch=production)

Cher, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick —Stewart Cook—CBS/Getty Images; Jason Kempin—Getty Images; Kevin Mazur—BSB/Getty Images; Frank Hoensch—Redferns/Getty Images

On May 20, Cher turned 80 years old. Beyond a celebration of one spectacular career, her birthday is an occasion to consider what it means for a woman to maintain [long-term relevance](https://time.com/4341151/cher-best-looks/). It opens a larger question about endurance, public scrutiny, and what it takes to live a long, authentic life.

Cher, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick, all now in their 80s, were criticized for qualities that made them distinctive: being too country, too Jewish, too outspoken, too ambitious, too artificial, too stubborn. Rather than soften those edges, they built careers around them. The traits that once made them targets of ridicule eventually became their signatures.

In a culture that prizes constant reinvention, these octogenarian pop divas suggest another path: longevity through self-definition. They evolved, certainly, but without surrendering the core identities that made them recognizable in the first place.A life well-lived, they remind us, is not the life that pleased the most people, made the fewest demands, or aged into quiet respectability. A good life is one lived on its own terms, refusing every invitation to become smaller, softer, or less fully oneself.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf56d0a633fc66156/6a5fa2534e70b2315a4fe1ce/Octogenarian_Pop_Divas-cher.jpg?branch=production)

Cher in 1972 and 1988 —Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Bob Riha Jr.—Getty Images

Cher has spent more than six decades in the public eye, moving through music, television, film, fashion, tabloid culture, political commentary, heartbreak, reinvention, ridicule, camp, glamour, and triumph. She’s won a [Grammy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/cher/10931/), an [Emmy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/cher), an [Academy Award](https://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/060-3), [three Golden Globes](https://goldenglobes.com/person/cher/), and is the only artist to have a number one single on a Billboard chart in [seven consecutive decades](https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cher-no-1-song-billboard-chart-seventh-decade-dj-play-a-christmas-song-1235518147/).

She has been [labeled](https://time.com/archive/6846716/cher/) too artificial, too outrageous, too sexual, too blunt, and too much. In the 1970s, her collaboration with Bob Mackie produced dresses that seemed designed to violate every rule of respectable female presentation: sheer, beaded, feathered, midriff-baring, [unapologetically theatrical](https://people.com/cher-recalls-loin-cloth-oscar-outfit-and-jane-fonda-s-reaction-8749411). In 1975, she appeared on the [cover of TIME magazine](https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19750317,00.html) in what was referred to as designer [Bob Mackie’s “naked dress,”](https://time.com/4341151/cher-best-looks/)and in 1986, after being passed over for an Oscar nomination for the movie Mask despite winning [Best Actress at Cannes](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/p/cher/), she arrived at the Academy Awards in a black Mackie ensemble with a towering feathered headdress, a bare midriff, and enough defiance to overwhelm the room. 

The criticism intensified when Cher refused to separate glamour from sexuality as she aged. In 1989, the video for [“If I Could Turn Back Time,”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n3A%5F-HRFfc) filmed aboard the USS Missouri, placed her in a sheer black bodysuit, fishnets, leather jacket, and little else, performing for a cheering crowd of sailors. [MTV initially banned the video](https://parade.com/entertainment/cher-1989-hit-music-video-banned-added-to-mtv-after-hours) and later aired it only after 9 p.m. The Navy, which had expected something more conservative, [was reportedly embarrassed](https://www.military.com/off-duty/television/2024/11/20/how-chers-turn-back-time-music-video-made-even-navy-blush.html) by the result. What the controversy revealed was not merely discomfort with a costume, but discomfort with a woman in her forties presenting herself as erotic, funny, commanding, and entirely in control of the spectacle.

Through all of it, she never seemed remotely interested in becoming more palatable. At one point in the late 1980s, her body was so scrutinized that [there was a debate](https://www.allure.com/story/rib-remodeling) as to whether or not she [had several ribs removed](https://katiecouric.com/entertainment/movies-tv/cher-rumors-real-name-plastic-surgery-engaged/). ([She didn’t](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/getting-waisted/).) Cher has [acknowledged some cosmetic surgery](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/14/cher-at-74-there-are-20-year-old-girls-who-cant-do-what-i-do), denied the more lurid inventions, refused the premise that her body required public adjudication, and [defiantly stated](https://www.tiktok.com/@stefanocher/video/7222300432951938347), “If I want to put my tits on my back, it is [nobody’s business but my own](https://abcnews.com/Primetime/story?id=132108&page=1).” 

Cher’s dexterity shows up beyond how she survived being mocked for excess. It is revealed by how she transformed excess into architecture. Her costumes, wigs, cosmetic surgery, her public romances, the one-name fame: they constitute the visual and emotional vocabulary she has deftly controlled. Spectacle has never been a mask Cher has hid behind; it is the medium through which she insists on being seen.

This refusal has become Cher’s version of authorship. She has never disappeared into the trope expected of aging women. Instead, she made “too much” the unmistakable, driving force of her power.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt771e7883dcca112a/6a5fa25db7c46c26e12197e1/Octogenarian_Pop_Divas-dolly.jpg?branch=production)

Dolly Parton in 1970 and 1976 —Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Andrew Putler—Redferns/Getty Images

Dolly Parton, also 80, spent years being [deemed](https://time.com/archive/6714271/gossip-pssst-did-you-hear-about/) too country, too buxom, too rhinestoned, too blonde, too much of an exaggeration to be taken seriously. Late-night hosts and interviewers repeatedly treated her body as public property and her appearance as a punchline. Johnny Carson [joked about her breasts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2W8ZC7pkM) on _The Tonight Show_; countless others followed the same overly trodden path. 

Parton’s genius was that rather than avoiding the joke, she took control of it. She understood, earlier than almost anyone, that being underestimated could become its own form of power. 

Long before she was appreciated as a national treasure, Parton knew who was really in control of the performance. When she [joked](https://x.com/DollyParton/status/91306847855853568) that, “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” she playfully named the labor, money, intelligence, and craft inside the caricature. Her blonde hair, acrylic nails, high heels, rhinestones, waist-cinching silhouettes, and curves were not accidents of taste. They were the materials of a persona she built deliberately, then protected ferociously. 

Parton turned exaggeration into authorship through repetition and scale. On album covers like [_Jolene_](https://shop.countrymusichalloffame.org/products/parton-dolly-jolene-lp), she presented mountain-girl glamour as a code. In the film _9 to 5_, [she transformed the image of the underestimated secretary](https://www.austinfilm.org/2020/12/celebrating-40-years-of-the-radical-feminist-comedy-9-to-5/) into a working woman with wit, strategy, and rage. At [Dollywood](https://www.dollywood.com/about-us/), which opened under her name in 1986 near the Tennessee mountains where she was raised, she converted her story into infrastructure: a theme park, a regional employer, a monument to Appalachian storytelling, craft, music, and belonging. What might have been dismissed as kitsch became an [economic and cultural engine](https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/07/30/dollywood-pushing-big-bucks-into-tn-economy), directly employing approximately 4,000 people, creating more than 23,000 jobs in the region, and contributing [$1.8 billion](https://www.tasp2040.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TASP-Case-Studies%5FSpecial-Events.pdf) in annual economic impact to Tennessee.

In the process, Parton became one of the most accomplished songwriters, performers, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs in the world. She has written thousands of songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter becoming a rare song that [defined two different eras](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68543777) through two different women’s voices. Parton has been inducted into the [Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame](https://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry%5Fid=5030), the [Country Music Hall of Fame](https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/dolly-parton), the [Songwriters Hall of Fame](https://www.songhall.org/profiles/dolly-parton), and the [Rock & Roll Hall of Fame](https://rockhall.com/inductees/dolly-parton/). Her [Imagination Library](https://imaginationlibrary.com), founded in 1995 in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write, has now gifted more than 300 million books to children. The program began in her home county in Tennessee and has grown across multiple countries. 

What makes Parton’s endurance so instructive is that she never abandoned the mountain-girl mythology from which she first emerged. She expanded it. She made it capacious enough to hold country music, film, children’s literacy, [vaccine philanthropy](https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286075/dolly-parton/), theme parks, [baking mixes](https://www.bakingwithdolly.com/), fashion, and business. The rhinestones were never a distraction from the seriousness of her work. They were part of the strategy.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82d2830c13c646d8/6a5fa26b42e57e87a053c164/Octogenarian_Pop_Divas-barbara.jpg?branch=production)

Barbra Streisand in 1969 —Bettmann/Getty Images; Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

The starmaker machinery has long depended on a narrow definition of beauty and controlling the behavior of women. Barbra Streisand, now 84, was told early and often that the things that made her unmistakable were liabilities. She was [too Jewish, too nasal, too Brooklyn,](https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/streisand-barbra) too ambitious, too controlling, too unwilling to be remade into someone else’s idea of a star. 

From the start of her career, people told her to fix her nose. In 1964, [even this magazine reported as much](https://time.com/archive/6813475/broadway-the-girl/). In her memoir, she recalls being told by several people [that she should get a nose job](https://www.today.com/popculture/books/barbra-streisand-recalls-pressure-get-nose-job-didnt-rcna124020) and have her [teeth capped](https://people.com/barbra-streisand-feared-nose-job-would-impact-voice-8387431). But she feared that changing her nose might change her voice, and refused, certain that her talent should be enough. 

It was enough, but not before the culture made her pay for it. When Streisand fought to make _Yentl_, the 1983 film she co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in, [she spent years](https://people.com/barbra-streisand-was-rejected-for-15-years-trying-to-make-yentl-11983248) trying to persuade Hollywood that she could direct it. The film itself is about a Jewish woman who refuses the limits imposed on her mind and disguises herself as a man in order to study, and the parallel was impossible to miss. 

For that insistence, [she was often described as “difficult](https://time.com/4142667/barbra-streisand-hollywood-double-standard),” a word that frequently means a woman has declined to pretend she has no standards. Streisand [has spoken directly about that double standard](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/barbra-streisand-hollywood-double-standard-6804506): a man who asks for a shot to be changed is treated as committed; a woman who asks for the same thing is treated as obsessive. But the very qualities that made her controversial—precision, control, refusal, an almost forensic relationship to detail—also made her work possible.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdc25d6e04de52d30/6a5fa273a46225b6a391e395/Octogenarian_Pop_Divas-dione.jpg?branch=production)

Dionne Warwick in 1975 and 1964 —Steve Herr—Radio Times/Getty Images; Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Dionne Warwick, now 85, offers yet another version of endurance on her own terms. She has been criticized as too direct for those who prefer female softness, too dry for those who mistake composure for distance, and, at various points, [judged through racial expectations that flattened the sophistication of her achievement](https://www.wbgo.org/music/2022-12-30/dionne-warwick-on-her-rich-and-vibrant-life-in-music). In 1963, the European record cover featured [a white model on the cover of her album](https://www.discogs.com/release/2284519-Dionne-Warwick-This-Empty-Place-?srsltid=AfmBOooM0kWjjiuFNN2ILu%5FKf4S6cLlKp4wZ4up5JANf9eTpABqGN9y3), _An Empty Place_. Her crossover success with Burt Bacharach and Hal David brought her an enormous white audience, but it also exposed her to criticism that her sound was too polished, too restrained, and not sufficiently aligned with [what some listeners expected](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/dionne-warwick-presenting-dionne-warwick/#:~:text=Southern%20Black%20audiences%20didn't%20always,helped%20to%20win%20them%20over) from a Black female singer. 

Warwick’s first hit already contained a declaration of self-possession. In 1962, after learning that “Make It Easy on Yourself,” a song she had hoped would become her first single, had been given to Jerry Butler, she snapped at Bacharach and David, [“Don’t make me over.” ](https://www.songfacts.com/facts/dionne-warwick/dont-make-me-over)They turned the phrase into a song. It became Warwick’s first solo hit and, in retrospect, a thesis statement.

Her power has always resided in composure. In songs like “Walk On By,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “A House Is Not a Home,” Warwick sang with elegance, intelligence, and restraint. “Walk On By,” released in 1964, is a devastating song precisely because she refuses to overperform devastation. The lyric asks an old lover to keep walking if they see her breaking down; Warwick sings it as though dignity itself is the last remaining shelter. In her performances, she commanded the room by withholding exactly enough.

In recent years, Warwick has also become beloved by younger generations for the [directness that has defined her public persona](https://www.jdjournal.com/2026/06/19/dionne-warwicks-twatter-post-led-to-music-magic/). On Twitter (now X) she began asking questions with the kind of plainspoken authority that felt almost radical in a culture addicted to irony. Why, she asked Chance the Rapper, did he need to include “the Rapper” in his name if he was [very obviously a rapper](https://people.com/dionne-warwick-reveals-how-she-got-into-twitter-chance-the-rapper-collab-12001868)? She [wondered publicly](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/12/dionne-warwick-twitter-chance-the-rapper-the-weeknd-instagram) about The Weeknd’s spelling. The exchange with Chance the Rapper eventually led to [a collaboration](https://open.spotify.com/track/1HL24HlhtGArbKYH9Xrs4x), but the larger revelation was that Warwick had not become newly direct. New audiences had simply discovered the clarity that had always been there.

She does not appear to be chasing relevance so much as allowing new audiences to catch up. That distinction matters: there is a difference between remaining visible because one is desperate to be relevant and remaining visible because one is confident in their own skin. Warwick’s authority comes from that confidence.

None of these superstars survived and thrived by becoming less themselves, and this is what makes their continued cultural relevance so instructive. They teach us that to age successfully and gracefully, we need not reinvent ourselves, but rather to know who we are and to evolve. 

Make no mistake; these octogenarians have certainly evolved. Cher moved from folk-pop duo to television star to Oscar-winning actress to dance-floor futurist to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and memoirist. Parton moved from the Porter Wagoner Show to pop crossover to film to Dollywood to global philanthropy. Streisand moved from nightclub singer to Broadway phenomenon to film star to director, producer, and author. Warwick moved from the Scepter Records years to global pop elegance to activist, survivor, internet oracle, and elder stateswoman of direct address.

But for each of these women, adapting to new stages and industries has been conducted on their own terms, without compromising the essence of who they have always been. Their careers were built on deepening their commitments to themselves until the very qualities once deemed excessive became iconic.

Women are often instructed to age by diminishing. They are instructed, both explicitly and implicitly, to gracefully accept less attention, less power, less sexuality, less ambition, and less contradiction. They are praised for aging gracefully (which usually means aging quietly and out of sight). They are expected to become wiser but not louder, visible but not vain, accomplished but not demanding, and well-preserved but not provocative. Even admiration can become a form of containment, turning older women into monuments rather than allowing them to be monumental. 

Cher, Parton, Streisand, and Warwick have resisted these strictures. They have not aged into neutrality. Pop divas in their 80s show us that conviction outlasts fashion. They made new work, took risks, changed formats, survived failures, and were undeterred. They did so without compromising the traits that made them singular. 

At a moment when many people feel pressured to change themselves to meet the expectations of others, these octogenarian icons offer a different model of a life well-lived: one built not on perpetual reinvention, but on the courage to remain unmistakably oneself.

A life well-lived, they remind us, is not the life that pleased the most people, made the fewest demands, or aged into quiet respectability. A good life is one lived on its own terms, refusing every invitation to become smaller, softer, or less fully oneself.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blted0f487649c6e641Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:00:04 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Debbie Millman\]\]><!\[CDATA\[What Is Pickaxe Mountain, Iran’s Underground Nuclear Site That Trump Is Threatening?\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/24/iran-pickaxe-mountain-underground-nuclear-site-trump-threat-strikes/<!\[CDATA\[World\]\]><!\[CDATA\[An expert tells TIME why the underground facility is at the center of much debate.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Vantor via Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Vantor satellite image shows an overview of Natanz nuclear site and adjacent Pickaxe Mountain mining area in Isfahan Province, Iran, on Nov. 14, 2025.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8e48d047403da93/6a6353191b920c89e5887178/pickaxe-mountain-satellite-nov14-25.jpg?branch=production)

Vantor satellite image shows an overview of Natanz nuclear site and adjacent Pickaxe Mountain mining area in Isfahan Province, Iran, on Nov. 14, 2025\. —Vantor via Getty Images

Amid the resumption of the Iran war, President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/7382697/trump-iran-war/) has again threatened to attack sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program.

Last week, Trump was asked if he believes Iran has moved [nuclear centrifuges](https://time.com/7294133/iran-israel-nuclear-program-attack/) into Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site near one of the country's primary enrichment facilities.

“They may have, we don’t have it on record,” Trump [told](https://youtu.be/jhmCmegisD8?t=1412) reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. “It doesn’t mean anything unless they have the material \[uranium\]. We follow the material, that’s where the action is.”

“We’ll be hitting that area, probably pretty soon, and there’s not a thing they can do about it,” he added. "Any site where they’re even thinking about nuclear, we’ll be hitting it [very powerfully."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1069&v=jhmCmegisD8&feature=youtu.be)

Trump had previously threatened the Iranian facility during a July 13 podcast interview when he [declared](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=973&v=Ts2BWrzBdD0&feature=youtu.be): “We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready."

The President received vocal support for his renewed focus on the site over the weekend. Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana [said](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kennedy-louisiana-senator-face-the-nation-transcript-july-26-2026/) during a TV interview he thinks the U.S. "ought to bomb Pickaxe Mountain and try to reach what's underneath it."

The [resumption](https://time.com/article/2026/07/08/us-iran-ceasefire-over-trump-strikes-strait-of-hormuz/) of the Iran war on July 7, just weeks after the signing of the interim [cease-fire agreement](https://time.com/article/2026/06/15/america-iran-peace-agreement-prevent-next-war/), has largely focused on the continued struggle over the [Strait of Hormuz,](https://time.com/article/2026/03/17/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-global-trade-oil-flow-iran-war/) a vital trade passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. But there is also renewed focus on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, as Trump has [repeatedly stated](https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/03/74-times-president-trump-has-made-clear-that-iran-cannot-have-a-nuclear-weapon/) that Tehran must never be allowed to build or procure a nuclear weapon.

Amid the escalating threats and tensions, here’s what to know about Pickaxe Mountain, known in Iran as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La. 

### What is Pickaxe Mountain?

The underground site is situated around 220 km (140 ‌miles) south of Tehran and 2 km (1.2 miles) from the [Natanz](https://time.com/5302600/iran-centrifuge-enrichment-plant-natanz/) nuclear complex.

In June last year, the U.S. joined Israel in [launching strikes](https://time.com/7296469/u-s-strikes-iran-nuclear-trump-war/) on three key Iranian nuclear sites—an action Trump said had “completely and totally obliterated” the targeted facilities.

Natanz was among the facilities hit, as it was believed to house highly-enriched uranium. The entrances to the nuclear site were targeted again in the early days of the Iran war which started on Feb. 28.

During last year's 12-day war, the nuclear facility outside the city of Isfahan, about 80 miles away, was also bombed. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [has said](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-site-isfahan-airstrikes-spared.html) tunnels at that facility is likely where a cache of some [970 pounds](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/03/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-uranium.html) of enriched uranium are being stored.

According to the U.S.-based[ Institute for Science and International Security](https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/what-to-know-about-pickaxe-mountain) (ISIS), the tunnel facility under construction at Pickaxe Mountain has not been previously targeted in either June 2025 or the 2026 war, “aside from the destruction of a vehicle on a nearby spoil pile, which we believe was most likely associated with air defense.”

Construction of the Pickaxe Mountain facility started in 2020, after a fire at Natanz, which Iran's nuclear body argued had been caused by an act of [sabotage](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53884701).

Iran at the time said the underground halls were intended to replace the destroyed above-ground advanced centrifuge assembly facility at the Natanz site, according to ISIS.

“It's a very deep facility. We don't know exactly how deep, but it's very likely at least 100 meters deep,” James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tells TIME. 

The highly-fortified site would be a difficult target for the U.S., experts say.  
  
“There's just no way to destroy this facility. The best one can do is try to collapse the tunnel entrances," explains Acton.

### Is Pickaxe Mountain a functioning site?

Trump [said](https://youtu.be/Ts2BWrzBdD0?t=169) earlier this month that the U.S. is watching Pickaxe Mountain “closely" and doesn't see any activity there.

ISIS’ [assessment](https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/what-to-know-about-pickaxe-mountain), based on satellite imagery, is that the facility is not yet operational, but construction continues.

The think tank said it “remains unclear when Pickaxe Mountain could be operational… It is also unclear if Iran still plans on installing a large-scale assembly facility, given the destruction of Iran’s centrifuge program, including Iran’s ability to make centrifuge components needed for an assembly plant.”

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has said there is no nuclear action at the site, insisting any of Iran’s nuclear activities have “been fully declared to the IAEA, in accordance with its safeguards obligations.”

“Washington’s obsessive focus on Kolang Kouh, where no nuclear activity is taking place, is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage,” he [said](https://x.com/IRIMFA%5FSPOX/status/2079881070493786271) on July 22.

If Iran starts to rebuild its centrifuge manufacturing capability, “it could plan to install a smaller centrifuge assembly facility in Pickaxe Mountain able to serve a nuclear weapons program,” according to ISIS.

Acton tells TIME it remains a "legitimate concern” that Pickaxe Mountain could potentially be used for “more than just secure storage.”

“The concern is, whether or not it was developed as an enrichment plant, the fear is now that it would be used as one,” he says.

[Rafael Grossi](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/rafael-mariano-grossi/), chief of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog IAEA, [told](https://youtu.be/f96OlQdovg8?t=501) PBS in March that Iran had previously “announced its intention to have nuclear activity” at Pickaxe Mountain, referring to it as “part of their quite systematic intention to put their most sensitive facilities underground.”

Grossi said the IAEA inspectors had not been granted access to the Pickaxe Mountain site.

Additionally, the nuclear watchdog has been [unable to independently verify](https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/gov2026-33.pdf) Iran’s centrifuge capacity and production since 2021, so Tehran may have reserves despite strikes over the last two years.

With the destruction of Iran’s other centrifuge related facilities, “the Pickaxe Mountain complex is a potential candidate site for any Iranian reconstitution of its centrifuge program, from centrifuge component production to centrifuge assembly to uranium enrichment,” ISIS [stated](https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/comprehensive-updated-assessment-of-iranian-nuclear-sites-five-months-after-the-12-day-war) in November 2025.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltef78c7b12d54a8f3/6a63be53f450842cbcf02114/Pickaxe-mountain-location-map.jpg?branch=production)

### Trump's nuclear row with Iran

Shortly before the U.S. military conducted its 13th consecutive evening of strikes against Iran on Thursday, Trump again [accused](https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080364605994316214) Tehran of having “evil intentions” and insisted “we cannot let them, ever, even think about having a nuclear weapon.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in April [vowed](https://time.com/article/2026/04/30/iran-war-nuclear-capabilities-trump-deal-strait-of-hormuz/) to protect its nuclear and missile capabilities in direct defiance of Trump. He said his country will defend its “fundamental and modern technologies—from nano and bio to nuclear and missile—as their national capital and will guard them like their maritime, land, and air borders.”

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is “[peaceful](https://youtu.be/aAPSEyEwfmU?t=298),” but concerns remain among Western leaders.

  
[The Memorandum of Understanding](https://time.com/article/2026/06/17/us-iran-peace-deal-agreement-leaked-draft-text/) signed on June 17 asserts that Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon—a promise the regime has made in the past. The agreement states that the U.S. and Iran will address Iran’s existing stockpile of enriched material, “with the minimum methodology to be down blending on site” under the supervision of inspectors with the IAEA.

It also said both countries had “acknowledged the critical importance of the nuclear issues… and expressed their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.”

The interim agreement laid out the terms of an extended[ 60-day cease-fire](https://time.com/article/2026/06/19/iran-united-states-agreement-nuclear-program-war-israel-lebanon/) to allow time for technical talks to take place. That deadline is set to expire in mid-August, but the resumption of the war has brought the entire deal into question.

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=blt937893a034b42421Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:27:29 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Callum Sutherland and Olivia-Anne Cleary\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Trump Will Give ‘Unifying Yet Vicious’ Speech at Rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner, White House Says\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/24/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-speech/<!\[CDATA\[U.S.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[After the shooting at the April event, Trump revealed that he had intended to rip into the media during his speech, but would now likely not do so.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[President Donald Trump speaks at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, on July 22, 2026.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadb04a5cbd170540/6a63cb94c5f05474d3b55c9d/Trump-WHCA.jpg?branch=production)

President Donald Trump speaks at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, on July 22, 2026\. —Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images

President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/donald-trump/) will be giving a “unifying yet vicious” speech at the [rescheduled](https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/white-house-correspondents-dinner-rescheduled-shooting-trump/) White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday evening, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed.

“The President’s speech will be a combination of unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious, all at the same time, if you can imagine that,” Leavitt told [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-remarks-shooting-rcna589049). “One thing I can assure you, it will be entertaining.”

Last month, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced that it was rescheduling its annual dinner to July 24, after its event in April was [disrupted by a gunman](https://time.com/article/2026/04/25/trump-rushed-off-stage-after-shots-fired-at-white-house-correspondents-dinner/) who charged a security checkpoint at the venue and exchanged fire with law enforcement before he was apprehended.

“The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has served as a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century,” WHCA President Weijia Jiang said in a [letter](https://whca.press/2026/06/02/whca-announces-summer-dinner/) to association members last month. “When gunfire interrupted this year’s event, it further clarified the WHCA’s mission to advocate for the freedoms that are protected in the First Amendment.”

“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word,” she continued.

Jiang said at the time that the July dinner “will feature significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures,” and that the event “will be a more intimate gathering.”

The WHCA also [announced](https://whca.press/2026/07/21/whca-to-honor-secret-service-officer-hilton-staff-for-their-service-during-april-dinner/) earlier this week that it will present an award to Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales, who the Secret Service said "heroically engaged the armed suspect, placing himself directly in harm's way” and ended up being “struck in his protective vest.”

“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely,” Jiang said in a statement. “His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”

The WHCA said that it would also award the staff of the Washington Hilton, the venue for the April dinner, with the same special recognition at the rescheduled event.

“Even after the men and women of the Washington Hilton experienced a harrowing situation, they continued to take care of guests,” Jiang said. “The WHCA appreciates their professionalism and commitment to service, which was on full display on April 25th. Every member of the team deserves to be recognized for their dedication.”

Trump applauded the WHCA last month for rescheduling the event, [calling](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116681778563640531) it “a sign of Strength and Fortitude,” and added that he had once again been invited to speak. The April dinner that was interrupted by gunfire was the first time that Trump, who has had a contentious relationship with the press, had attended the Correspondents’ Dinner as President.

After the shooting in April, Trump revealed that he had initially intended to rip into the media during his speech at the event, but that he would likely not do so now.

“I don’t know if I could ever be as rough as I was going to be tonight,” he [said](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-officials-blame-democrats-media-political-violence-whca-dinner-rcna342381) after the Washington Hilton was evacuated the night of the shooting. “I think I’m going to be probably very nice. I’ll be very boring the next time, but we’re going to have a great event.”

After the WHCA announced the rescheduled dinner in June, Trump again suggested that his speech may not be as harsh as the one he planned to deliver in April.

“I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out,” he said on [Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116681778563640531). “In any event, it will be a ‘HOT’ ticket!”

\]\]>https://time.com/?p=bltbf2ff513db6998a3Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:41:08 +0000<!\[CDATA\[Chantelle Lee\]\]><!\[CDATA\[How to Know If You’re Eligible for a Piece of the $2.5 Billion Amazon Prime Settlement, and How to File a Claim\]\]>https://time.com/article/2026/07/24/amazon-prime-settlement-eligibility-how-to-file-claim/<!\[CDATA\[U.S.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[The deadline to submit a claim for compensation under the historic settlement is fast approaching.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images\]\]><!\[CDATA\[Low-angle view of the side of a blue trailer semi truck with the logo for Amazon Prime in San Ramon, California, on October 8, 2018.\]\]><!\[CDATA\[

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04f0fdf0ba538746/6a63c691197656457783978d/GettyImages-1053227024.jpg?branch=production)

Low-angle view of the side of a blue trailer semi truck with the logo for Amazon Prime in San Ramon, California, on October 8, 2018\. —Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

The deadline is fast approaching for eligible Amazon Prime subscribers to file a claim to receive a portion of a historic $2.5 billion settlement the company reached with the Federal Trade Commission.

Amazon agreed to the deal last September to settle a [lawsuit](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc%5Fgov/pdf/amazon-rosca-public-redacted-complaint-to%5Fbe%5Ffiled.pdf?hubs%5Fcontent=thehustle.co%2F08042020-google-adt&hubs%5Fcontent-cta=blog-hustle-header-author-name) over allegations that “millions of customers into “unknowingly” enrolling in its paid Amazon Prime service and then made the subscriptions difficult to cancel. 

The [settlement](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-secures-historic-25-billion-settlement-against-amazon) requires Amazon to stop those alleged practices and pay heft fines—as well as offering “full relief for the estimated 35 million consumers impacted by unwanted Prime enrollment or deferred cancellation.”

Amazon has denied any wrong-doing. 

"Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,” the company said in a [statement](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-response-on-ftc-agreement) following the settlement announcement. “We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world.”

The deadline for submitting a claim for compensation under the settlement is July 27.

Here’s how to know if you’re eligible for a portion of the settlement, and how to file a claim. 

## Who's eligible?

To be eligible for a refund under the settlement, you must be an AmazonPrime customer in the U.S. who “unintentionally” signed up for the service through a “challenged enrollment flow” or attempted to cancel your subscription but were unable to between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025\. 

According to the [FTC](https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/amazon-refunds), the challenged enrollment flows include the universal Amazon Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, and the Prime Video enrollment flow. The agency noted that customers do not have to determine for themselves whether they signed up for Prime through one of those flows; Amazon will make that determination.

You are also only eligible for the settlement if you have used no more than three of Prime’s benefits, such as Prime Video or Prime Music, within any 12-month period after you enrolled in the service.

## How to submit a claim

Eligible Amazon customers should have received a notice to file their claim by email or mail, according to the settlement [website](https://www.subscriptionmembershipsettlement.com/frequently-asked-questions.aspx). 

Using a “Claim ID and PIN” included in the notice they received, customers can also access their [claim form](https://veritaconnect.com/subscriptionmembershipsettlement/?v=1) via the settlement website. There is also an option to file a claim through the website without those details contained in the notice. 

The claim form asks customers to provide their name, current address, and zip code, and to specify whether they were "unintentionally enrolled” in Prime or were unable to cancel during the designated time period. 

No documents are required to answer those questions, nor to prove whether you used Prime benefits during a 12-month period. 

Unlike private settlements, customers do not have the option to opt-out of government settlements like this one. 

The website advises customers to contact [admin@SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com](mailto:admin@SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com) for further support. 

## How much compensation will claimants receive?

Eligible Prime customers will get a refund of their Prime fees, up to a maximum of $51.

Amazon expects to send out payments in late 2026.

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