Table of contents for June 11, 2018 in TIME Magazine

‘i feel bad for POTUS-he goes thru this every single day.’ ROSEANNE BARR, via Twitter WHEN ROSEANNE RETURNED TO PRIMEtime television in March, it was only natural that the title character would be a Trump voter. The Republican won the presidency on the hopes of the small towns and working-class families the iconic ABC series brought to such warm and funny life through nine seasons that ended, the first time, in 1997. A straight talker like Roseanne Conner almost prefigured the candidate who used his very first presidential debate to distinguish himself from ordinary politicians: “When they call, I give. And you know what? When I need something from them, two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me.” There was even talk…

THE OUTRAGE OVER THE DUAL NEWS STORIES was unsurprising. Reports spread that migrant children were being separated from their families at the U.S. border and that Donald Trump’s Administration had lost track of nearly 1,500 kids. That led many on social media to use hashtags like #WhereAreTheChildren and #MissingChildren to demand action. But amid the viral news, confusion also spread and led many to conflate the stories. Recent attention to the issue began at a Senate subcommittee hearing in April, when Steven Wagner, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), testified that his agency had checked up on 7,635 migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border on their own and were then placed with adult sponsors in the U.S. The agency found that 6,075 children…

IT’S PROBABLY FOR THE BEST THAT PHILIP ROTH MADE YOU forget how hard he worked. Although he produced an astonishing canon chronicling life in 20th century America, Roth—who died on May 22 at 85—wrote in such a personal way that it gave the false impression of effortlessness. He made the extreme relatable, the tragic funny and the foreign familiar. Even his alternative history The Plot Against America reads like an intimate coming of age. However, a passage in Patrimony, Roth’s 1991 nonfiction account of his dying father, reveals his extraordinary work ethic. When Roth sneaks into his father’s bathroom, stalling before giving his father the grim news of a brain tumor, he takes stock of the shelf above the toilet. He carefully notes his father’s medications. He lists the…

President Trump and Kim Jong Un’s courtship has been nothing if not fickle. And so as the summit over North Korea’s nuclear weapons veers from on-again to off-again, the world should consider the thinking of three distinguished U.S. military officers—two of whom just took pivotal posts in these turbulent times. I know each of them very well from our decades of service and my time in the Pacific Fleet and as NATO Supreme Commander: General James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense; Admiral Harry Harris, who was officially nominated for U.S. ambassador to South Korea the before day Trump withdrew from the summit with Kim; and Admiral Phil Davidson, Harris’ new successor as commander of the vast U.S. Pacific Command. Together, they own the problem of determining how to return…

This spring is a special one for our family: my daughter will graduate from college just days after my son graduates from high school. Even when I’m not playing the role of proud mom, I tend to be a fan of commencement season. I like hearing from America’s thinkers, doers and builders about their hopes for the next generation. But this year, I’m looking for something more. I want to know what these speakers plan to do to ensure that the future we’ll share has a place in it for every graduate. It’s no secret that the modern American workplace works better for some people than others. There are fewer female leaders of Fortune 500 companies than there are ones named James, and African-American and Hispanic women hold less…

ON MAY 25, NEARLY EIGHT MONTHS AFTER MORE than 70 women accused him of sexual harassment and assault, Harvey Weinstein entered New York’s First Precinct—just a few blocks from his old Tribeca office—and turned himself in. The scene was carefully curated, like something out of one of the former producer’s Oscar-winning films. Weinstein wore a baby blue sweater, a soothing color that evokes the innocence of childhood. He carried books about art and filmmaking to remind viewers he’s an artist first. Later, in court, he pleaded not guilty to raping one woman and forcing another to perform oral sex. The police, too, set up an important shot of their own: the perp walk. Pointedly, a female detective led a cuffed Weinstein out of the precinct. The day offered just…

THE SCREEN Thousands of riders at home can watch and access Arzon’s and other Peloton instructors’ classes from the bike’s 22-in.HD touchscreen THE CLASS In New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, riders take live classes at Peloton’s headquarters and compete for leaderboard dominance with participants at home THE EQUIPMENT Peloton’s bikes feature adjustable seats, handlebars and settings so that multiple family members can enjoy a customizable experience WENDI WEINER LIKES TO START HER day with a workout. After waking up at 6:30 a.m., she has a quick breakfast with coffee and changes into a tank top and capris from Old Navy before taking a 45-minute cycling class. Weiner, a 40-year-old writer and attorney who lives in Florida, had a particularly memorable ride on a Friday morning this past January. The…

LOVE IT A team of scientists attempting to measure dolphin happiness for the first time has determined that in captivity, the marine mammals are in their best spirits when spending time with a familiar human. Korean boy band BTS made history as the first K-pop group to top the U.S. charts after its new album, Love Yourself: Tear, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. LEAVE IT The nonprofit behind Sesame Street is suing the creators of Melissa McCarthy’s upcoming movie The Happytime Murders for referencing its show in the marketing campaign for the raunchy puppet comedy. Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga debuted a $1,290 men’s T-shirt with a long-sleeved button-down shirt attached to the front of it.…

This year, Intel marks its 50th anniversary. As I reflect on our past, two themes that consistently emerge are the accelerated pace of innovation, and how that innovation is changing every facet of how we live today. Technology is at the heart of the smart and connected world. And the advances in technology are happening at lightning speed, unveiling a future that might have seemed like science fiction just a few years ago. From autonomous flying cars to supercomputers that will solve the world’s biggest problems—it’s all happening within our lifetimes. Of all the technologies that Intel has helped to pioneer, drones are among my favorites. So many Intel technologies have had a meaningful impact, inspiring innovation and advancing how we live, work and communicate. But drones can literally…

CORK STAMP Portugal, the world’s largest cork producer, issued the world’s first stamp made entirely from cork in 2007 to honor the country’s famed industry. The 230,000 stamps held a value of one euro each. CHOCOLATE STAMP In 2013, Belgium issued stamps that smelled, looked and tasted chocolaty. A team of experts from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland created the delicious stamps. ANIMATED STAMP Canada Post issued a series of stamps in 2009 that seemed to move. They used technology called Motionstamp to replay famous hockey goals in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens.…

JACK JOHNSON, WHO IN 1908 became the first African-American boxer to win the heavyweight championship of the world, flaunted his defiance of bigotry. “I am not a slave,” Johnson said in 1912. “I have the right to choose who my mate shall be without the dictation of any man.” The U.S. government saw it differently. In 1913, after crossing state lines with a white woman, he was convicted under the anti-trafficking law known as the White Slave Traffic Act. A prosecutor mentioned Johnson’s “misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks.” He ended up serving a 10-month prison term. On May 24, more than 70 years after Johnson’s death, President Trump pardoned him. Senator John McCain, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy…

How it feels to protect the world’s most vulnerable people U.N. peacekeepers—known as Blue Helmets—shared what it’s like to work on the ground in Congo, via a virtual-reality experience. As U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres explains in an introduction, the personnel are regularly targeted for killing. Writing a sermon for the royal wedding Bishop Michael Curry describes how he wrote his address and why he ventured off script. “There’s enormous power—both motivational and transformational power—in love,” he says. “I picked up that cue and took that to the next step.” Two different responses to gun deaths Australia and the U.S. saw mass shootings a mere week apart. The different reactions showed that in Australia, where firearms are heavily regulated, “teasing out the reasons why a person might use a gun…

THINK OF JOHN F. KENNEDY, LYNDON B. JOHNSON OR Richard Nixon. Each, in his own way, is firmly set in a certain era of American history. Yet as vibrant as they were at the peak of their power and influence, none of these men could easily slip into the contemporary political world. Their leadership was unique to their time and place. That does not ring true for my father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was killed 50 years ago. His appearance is ever modern: the shaggy hair, the skinny ties, the suit jacket off, the shirt sleeves rolled. Beyond appearances, what is striking about RFK are the themes he returned to again and again—themes that still energize the debate and resonate in our own time. Think of the headlines over…

IN 2002 AND 2003, ALLISON PEARSON and Lauren Weisberger released novels that shook the lives of women privileged enough to aspire to, well, more privilege. I Don’t Know How She Does It was Pearson’s paean to harried working mothers, with her protagonist Kate Reddy standing in for every woman who has ever tried to juggle three dozen bake-sale cupcakes while clutching a briefcase and teetering on stilettos. Weisberger used the work woes she experienced at Vogue to fashion a monstrous editor in chief for The Devil Wears Prada. Imperious Miranda Priestly, immortalized by a steely-eyed Meryl Streep in the 2006 film adaptation, suffers no fools—especially those wearing the wrong shade of blue. Both authors return with follow-up titles on June 5. Pearson’s How Hard Can It Be? finds Kate…

$18.83 million Amount paid by Spangler Candy Company (maker of Dum-Dum lollipops and Circus Peanuts) for New England Confectionery Co. (Necco Wafers and Mary Janes) at a federal bankruptcy auction ‘I’m getting darn good at uphill battles.’LUPE VALDEZ, Democratic nominee for Texas governor, after becoming the first Latina and first openly gay person nominated by a major party for that job ‘MY ACTIONS ON THAT DAY, IN MY MIND, WERE THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE ACTIONS.’JASON SEAMAN, science teacher, reflecting on lunging at an armed student at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind., on May 25; Seaman was shot three times, and a student was wounded ‘We can find a way, no matter how squeamish people are.’ NILOFER SABA AZAD, oncologist, after the American Cancer Society announced that patients should…

E.U. proposes plastic ban to save the seas The European Union proposed a ban on several single-use plastic items, including straws, cotton swabs and drink stirrers, to help protect marine life and stop trash from spoiling beaches. The May 28 proposal must be approved by all E.U. member states before it is put into action. Study finds Hurricane Maria killed 4,600 A new study published May 29 estimates that Hurricane Maria killed at least 4,645 people in Puerto Rico last year—70 times the official toll of 64. Researchers surveyed 3,300 households to calculate a death rate that suggested Maria was the deadliest natural disaster to hit the U.S. in a century. Malian hero promised French citizenship A migrant from Mali was offered French citizenship and a job as a…

DIED Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon, on May 26 at 86. After his NASA career, Bean became a painter, chronicling the moon landings in his art. REPEALED Ireland’s constitutional amendment banning abortion, by voters in a May 25 referendum. The landslide result was seen as a sharp rebuke to the Catholic Church. RESIGNED Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, on May 29, amid investigations over alleged sexual misconduct and data tampering. He denied criminal wrongdoing but said his resignation would take effect June 1. PLANNED The slaughter of some 150,000 cows in New Zealand, in an attempt to eliminate a disease-causing bacterium. If the plan works, it will be the first time an infected country eliminates the pathogen. STAGED The death of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko,…

NOT SO LONG AGO, U.S. leaders predicted that economic development and the birth of a middle class in China would inevitably move that nation toward democracy. Instead, China’s leadership has profited from a weaker West. It has seized on opportunities created by European fragmentation and political dysfunction in Washington to offer China as an alternative model of stability and development. It’s hard to see how Trump can claim victory without Chinese concessions on tech issues, and it’s nearly impossible that Xi will offer him anything of value Another mistake by the U.S.: lawmakers doubted that China would ever become technologically innovative. They believed that, like the Soviet Union, China’s state-dominated economic system would hit a wall when it came to developing new ideas. Instead, China learned from Soviet…

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I BEEN ASKED IF TRUTH IS DEAD? Or at least if truth as a concept has been hopelessly compromised? Many, many times. (Including by this very publication.) But truth is still with us—no matter how many people might insist otherwise. There is one truth. Untruth, on the other hand . . . The Washington Post recorded 3,001 false or misleading claims made by President Trump in his first 466 days in office. Is this just political in nature? Is it fake news? A gross misrepresentation? Consider Trump’s April 28 campaign-style rally in Washington, Mich. As the Post summarized, throughout the course of his 80-minute speech, the President made a variety of false claims that ranged from stating that Henry Ford invented the assembly line to…

IT SOUNDED LIKE A SCANDAL. IN A SERIES OF late-May tweets, President Trump alleged that the Obama Administration had placed a spy in his 2016 campaign for political purposes. “This is bigger than Watergate!” he wrote. But “SPYGATE,” as Trump dubbed it, was not exactly what he said it was. The FBI had reportedly deployed an informant to covertly question low-level members of Trump’s circle who had been contacted by Russian operatives. The goal, according to Democratic and Republican members of Congress who have seen the intelligence, was to figure out what Moscow was up to, not to infiltrate Trump’s campaign. To James Clapper and Michael Hayden, two long-serving, retired leaders of the U.S. intelligence community, Trump’s tirade was just the latest in a string of politically motivated attacks…

UNIQUE ADAMS GLEE (2012) Actor and singer Alex Newell played Wade “Unique” Adams, a male-to-female transgender student, on Glee— also produced by Ryan Murphy. SOPHIA BURSET ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (2013) With this show, Laverne Cox became the first openly trans person to be nominated for a prime-time Emmy Award. MAURA PFEFFERMAN TRANSPARENT (2014) Jill Soloway’s groundbreaking Amazon series starred Jeffrey Tambor as a trans woman. CAITLYN JENNER I AM CAIT (2015) Caitlyn Jenner’s first years living openly as a trans woman were shown on this E! docuseries.…

‘IT’S A BIT LIKE PUTTING THE FROG IN HOT WATER. IT’S HARD TO SEE THIS CHANGE COMING ’ Why is now the time to write a history of energy? We are undergoing probably the largest energy transition in human history. We are facing the need to decarbonize our entire energy supply. And no one seems quite prepared to take it seriously. Your book recounts multiple energy transitions and calls the current move away from fossil fuels the “ultimate transition.” How is it different? Beginning in the 1950s, the effects of human activity on the environment began to be global rather than local. Before, there was a differential from place to place, and the effects of various energy sources weren’t international. The effects of our human activities are affecting the…