Mediating Magnetism

This week President Joe Biden welcomed President-elect Donald Trump back to his old home at the White House. This magnanimous act runs in stark contrast to the cold reception Trump gave Biden in 2020 when the roles were reversed, breaking with the tradition of an amicable—not to mention peaceful—transfer of power. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Biden’s White House welcome to Trump versus Trump’s snub of Biden four years ago is matched by lack of reciprocity in the economy each gifted the other.

The 1.5 million Americans estimated to have the autoimmune disease lupus already have plenty to manage—what with the pain, fatigue, hair loss, and heart problems the condition can cause. So, the last thing they need is to feel stigmatized or shamed because of their weight. But that’s exactly what has happened to celebrities with lupus like Selena Gomez. In February 2023, the actor and singer shared with her social media followers that she tends to gain weight while taking certain medications to manage her condition and lose weight when she can stop taking those meds. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] This side effect is just one of several ways lupus (also called systemic lupus erythematosus) is linked to changes in weight.

The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “The dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for,” Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, said in a statement provided by his lawyers. The Onion acquired the conspiracy theory platform’s website; social media accounts; studio in Austin, Texas; trademarks; and video archive.

Merle Bombardieri learned she was a micro-celebrity in 2020, when she happened to Google her own name. Her search led her to a Reddit group of “fence sitters”—people who aren’t sure whether they want to have children—where she is a very big deal. Post after post mentions her book The Baby Decision: How to Make the Most Important Choice of Your Life and its power to help people get off the fence, one way or the other.

Climate leaders from around the world gathered at TIME’s COP29 Impact Dinner in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 13 for a celebration of the TIME100 Climate leadership list. Nations are currently attending the annual U. N. COP29 climate summit in order to continue pushing the world to meet its goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, including working to unlock the necessary tools and financing to achieve progress. “No one of us is going to solve this challenge alone, and we need leadership in all of its forms if we’re going to have a chance at accelerating climate action and climate progress,” said Shyla Raghav, TIME’s Chief Climate Officer, who began the evening by speaking about the importance of celebrating and elevating different forms of leadership when it comes to climate action. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The TIME100 Climate list celebrates decision makers, executives, researchers, and innovators shaping business and climate action.

In 2019, rapper Cardi B opened up about the postpartum depression she experienced after giving birth to her first child. “I thought I was going to avoid it,” Cardi explained, noting that her doctor warned of the possibility. “But out of nowhere,” she said, “the world was heavy on my shoulders.” She recovered with support from her mother, and by taking time off from touring. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] When she recently had her third child, Cardi’s postpartum health again made headlines.