Table of contents for January 18, 2016 in TIME Magazine

The disruption of commerce, consumption and pretty much everything else is the story of our age. In this issue, we share the results of a poll we conducted with Burson-Marsteller and the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative on attitudes about the gig economy. We explored who is offering services--rides from Uber, food delivery from Postmates, rooms from Airbnb--who is using them and why. This same dynamic--essentially, cut out the middlemen--applies to our politics, which is a theme David Von Drehle explores in his cover story. Donald Trump has defied every convention and conviction about how politics works and has surfed atop the polls for five months. Whatever the outcome in Iowa and beyond, he has already changed the game, and David explores what this means for his party and…

President Obama announced on Jan. 4 that he will take executive action to combat gun violence, sidestepping a Congress that has thwarted his legislative attempts. Will his orders endure? Here's how similar situations played out in the past. IMMIGRATION REFORM After Congress failed to pass a comprehensive bill, Obama directed his Administration in 2014 to grant temporary legal status and work permits to over 4 million undocumented immigrants who are the parents of legal residents. Status: stalled. A judge issued an injunction on the order while mostly Republican-led states challenge it in court. MILITARY DESEGREGATION After Southern Senators threatened to filibuster related bills, President Harry Truman on July 26, 1948, signed Executive Order 9981, which banned segregation in the U.S. armed forces. Status: successful. Although the military initially resisted the…

Natalie Cole was the most un-star-like superstar you could ever meet. She was someone you could confide in, with a sympathetic ear and generosity of heart. We shared countless hours together in the studio and touring the world. Sitting behind the piano while she commanded the stage provided the best view of how quickly she connected with her audience. She knew how to establish an immediate rapport, as though she were singing to each listener individually. Producing "Unforgettable" was so musically gratifying, and that the public responded with such enthusiasm was the cherry on top for us both. Hearing her voice blend with her dad's--the brilliant Nat "King" Cole--was a moment I'll cherish. Natalie is one of those rare artists who don't just perform songs--they inhabit them. I use the…

BERNIE SANDERS COULD HELP PICK THE GOP NOMINEE The largest bloc of voters in New Hampshire is registered independents, who can vote in either the Republican or the Democratic primary. That means Sanders' viability after Iowa will help determine the size and makeup of the Republican electorate. If he is competitive with Hillary Clinton, strategists expect less support for GOP populists; if he fades, a conservative swing in the Granite State should follow. It's an only-in-America mind bender. IT'S THE TUITION AND PILLS, STUPID! Despite stagnant wages and terrorist attacks, the political debate in early states has been dominated by once tangential issues: the rising cost of college and the opioid-addiction epidemic. Democrats and Republicans have gone all-in on both issues, promising more federal help for struggling families. Grassroots democracy…

As R.E.M. once sang, everybody hurts, and in Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's Anomalisa, an obsessive drama about suffering and isolation featuring stop-motion-animated figures, that goes for puppets too. Michael (voiced by David Thewlis) is a successful motivational speaker on a business trip to Cincinnati. He's also, it turns out, cracking up, having become so distanced from other humans--and from himself--that he can barely function. His demeanor shifts when he meets a shy young fan, Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh, whose guardedly cheerful presence gives the movie some soul). They connect in a scene that, particularly for puppet sex, is staged with remarkable tenderness, but it's clear this bliss can't last. Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York) and Johnson (TV's Moral Orel) work hard to make us feel something for this shell of…

When you watch movies, are you easily scared? I'm a bit of a wimp, to be honest, when it comes to horror movies. When I was a girl and someone would bring the latest slasher film to a sleepover, I was the one hiding in my sleeping bag. I'm not into violence for gratuity's sake--pornographic violence. It has to inform the story. What surprised you about filming horror? There's a choreography and precision to horror that I didn't expect. The way you set up the scare--it's almost like setting up a joke in comedy. There's the setup, the timing, the punch line. With horror, it's all about setting up the suspense and then timing it right so the audience jumps when you jump. What was it like visiting the forest…

Why did you decide to write a book about other people's success stories? At some point in your life, don't you sort of wonder if you're in the right space? Sometimes I feel like decisions just happen to you. I wanted to meet some people who had their hands on the steering wheel. When have you had moments like that? I'm still having them. I actually think I'm supposed to be with kids somehow. I thought I would have kids, but circumstances happen, illness and divorce, and all of a sudden you're sitting here going, What happened? I know it's not in the cards in this moment, but it's something I'm looking toward, whether it's teaching or opening a camp. That being said, I did hard-news journalism for a long…

'I see a concussion movie every Sunday.' Richard Sherman, star cornerback for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, on why he doesn't need to watch the new film Concussion $500 million Investment GM made in Uber competitor Lyft, as the carmaker looks to break into the self-driving-car business $760 million Gross domestic box-office sales for Star Wars: The Force Awakens as of Jan. 6, overtaking Avatar as the biggest domestic movie ever; it has grossed more than $1.5 billion globally 'God's hand of retaliation will grip the neck of Saudi politicians.' Ayatullah Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, after Sunni-controlled Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric inflamed tensions between the two countries 'The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine.' Kristina Ruehli, one of dozens of women who have…

A "hymn" by Germany's far-right Pegida movement controversially shot to the top of Amazon's sales charts in Germany in December, prompting the online retailer to announce it would donate the profits to a charity supporting refugees. Pegida is one of several political groups to rally support with original tunes: CHINA The Communist Party released an English-language music video about its latest five-year plan (shi san wu) in October. Various cartoon characters rap to listeners: "If you want to know what China's gonna do/Best pay attention to the shi san wu." RUSSIA Andrei Ivantsov, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, released the song "Crimea!" in honor of Russia's annexation of the peninsula in April 2014. In the music video, the parliamentarian sings in snowy woods and by the seaside. SOUTH…

Every January, tech companies flaunt innovations at CES in Las Vegas, offering a preview of upcoming trends. Here's a look at some breakout products: SMARTER DRONES Parrot's high-speed Disco can launch and land without a pilot. CONNECTED CARS Faraday Future is building customizable electric cars (right); Amazon's voice assistant aims to start cars from the living room. HIGH-TECH FRIDGES A camera in Samsung's Family Hub allows for a peek inside while out shopping. --Lisa Eadicicco NEW GOVERNMENT FOOD GUIDELINES The 2015 dietary guidelines, which offer advice on healthy eating while also influencing countless nutrition and food programs, were issued on Jan. 7. The recommendations, which for the first time put a cap on added sugars, are bound to be the topic of much discussion--and debate. THE BASIC ADVICE According…

In theory, breast-feeding is free--an intimate interaction between mother and child exempt from the market. But it has also emerged as something people may not expect: a billion-dollar business. The shift started about 10 years ago, when electric breast pumps became a standard feature of breast-feeding. But it really took off after 2013, when the Affordable Care Act was reformed to require insurance companies in the U.S. to cover the cost of breast pumps for new mothers, driving unprecedented demand. Medela, a leading manufacturer in the U.S., stepped up production by 50% to keep up--and annual industry sales are on track to hit $2.6 billion by 2020. (That's on top of the already ample market for breast-feeding accessories, which include clothes, pillows and supplements.) The widespread use of pumps in…

The Big Dog is getting old, and a little scruffy. Bill Clinton returned to New Hampshire, a natural adrenaline boost in the past, on the first working day of the new year and could barely be heard, despite the amplification. His voice, never a reliable instrument, had abandoned him. He was gaunt and gray, with salmon skin, dressed in a brown tweed jacket and V-neck sweater over a checked shirt, looking very much like a retiree. He descended the steps from the stage at the Exeter town hall gingerly. A vegan now, he seems desperately in need--spiritually, at least--of a cheeseburger. He is still brilliant, of course. He can still cut through the most complicated policy snarls and make them comprehensible--especially to what political scientists call "low information" voters, the…

Tessa Hadley has the natural bent of a short-story writer, given to careful description and the kind of feinted closure that pushes uncomfortably past happily ever after. If her new novel, The Past, reads like a long short story, that's not a bad thing. The Crane siblings and their progeny have gathered at their grandparents' English country home to decide whether to sell it. As the three sisters and brother work through their ties to the house, they also take stock of one another and the twists life has handed them. Commingling with their past selves and the memory of their mother, the siblings seem to stagnate in time, the soporific effect of the countryside but also of nostalgia. Hadley builds to a dramatic climax by Michael Bay standards--crash, bang--but…

LOVE IT Channing Tatum donned a Princess Elsa costume to perform "Let It Go" on Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle. Celine Dion covered Adele's smash hit "Hello" to rave reviews. Pixar revealed two new characters from its forthcoming Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory. Destiny the whale shark (voiced by Kaitlin Olson) Bailey the beluga whale (voiced by Ty Burrell) For the first time, the Library of Congress chose a graphic novelist to be the 2016 national ambassador for young people's literature: American Born Chinese scribe Gene Luen Yang (illustrated at left). Will Smith's 17-year-old son Jaden modeled Louis Vuitton women's wear for a campaign. Time's weekly take on what popped in culture LEAVE IT Kellogg Co. has started selling hot-dog-flavored Pringles at select Walgreens stores. George R.R. Martin revealed that…

It's been a jarring start to the year, with a spat between Saudi Arabia and Iran and plunging financial markets in China. But the Eurasia Group, the political-risk consultancy I founded and oversee, believes the top risk for 2016 centers on the erosion of a relationship that has been a cornerstone of global stability. 1. THE HOLLOW ALLIANCE The transatlantic partnership has been the world's most important alliance for nearly 70 years, but it's now weaker and less relevant than at any point in decades. The U.S. no longer plays a decisive role in addressing any of Europe's top priorities. Russia's continuing intervention in Ukraine and the conflict in Syria will expose transatlantic divisions. As U.S. and European paths diverge, there will be no one to play international firefighter--and global…

Tools, language and controlled fire are often cited as critical advancements in Homo sapiens' evolution. But in his new book, neuroanthropologist John S. Allen argues that our move into dwellings may be just as important--if not more so. Beyond providing protection from the elements and predators, homes created spaces where complex social interactions could take place and mates and offspring could become families. They also enabled early humans to sleep securely and soundly, which has been shown to increase brain functions like learning and memory formation. Dwellings are "critical not only for resting but also for thinking," Allen writes. "By removing us from the distractions and stimuli of the outside world and providing a wholly predictable environment," they give us "an opportunity to use our mental powers to better deal…

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)--a type of depression most prevalent in colder, darker months--affects roughly 15 million Americans each year. We asked Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a SAD expert and the author of Winter Blues, for tips to thwart it. EAT SMART Foods like legumes, oats and almonds--which have a low glycemic index--will give your body a long-lasting energy boost. MAKE PLANS In addition to talking with a therapist, which has been shown to relieve SAD symptoms, making plans with friends is a great way to avoid feeling isolated. FIND LIGHT Rosenthal suggests going for a 20-minute walk early in the morning, when natural light is brightest. There are also special light-therapy boxes that can illuminate an office or a cubicle. STAY ACTIVE Several studies have found that exercise can alleviate and…