Time Magazine International Edition

conversation

WHAT MACRON MEANS RE “EYE OF THE STORM” [Sept. 30]: Having read your article on my country’s President, I find it difficult to imagine a more shockingly partisan piece. Emmanuel Macron is described as leading a “revolution” against the “old system.” Labor regulations were described as “labyrinthine,” the civil service as “bloated” and the state pensions as “hugely costly.” That labor regulations can protect workers, that civil servants provide quality public service, and that state pensions can be earned after contributing for decades does not seem to occur to you. This kind of article provides nothing to the reader to understand why so many people in France hate Macron and his policies.Jacob Maillet, PARIS FRENCH CITIZENS ARE trying regain their authority, showing the world that a government should be controlled by its…

for the record

‘Negotiations have taken a turn for the worse.’TERRY DITTES, UAW vice president, in a message to members of the union; 49,000 GM autoworkers have been on strike since Sept. 16 241 Number of Microsoft email accounts, including some linked to a U.S. presidential campaign, that were targeted by Iran-linked hackers, the company confirmed on Oct. 4; four accounts were breached ‘I know I will be assassinated, but it’s not them I’m afraid of.’ZARIFA GHAFARI, one of Afghanistan’s only female mayors, speaking to the New York Times for an Oct. 4 story, on death threats from the Taliban and the Islamic State‘I’VE LIVED A GOOD LIFE, A FULL LIFE, AND I’M NEARING THE END OF THAT LIFE. I KNOW THAT.’ALEX TREBEK, Jeopardy! host, discussing the progress of his treatment for pancreatic cancer in an…

impeachment politics and the fight for 2020

IT’S STANDING ROOM ONLY IN EDDY’S KITCHEN, a tiny deli with mismatched floor tiles and laminated menus in North Plainfield, N.J., when Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski begins explaining why he supports the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. “What is the difference between the United States of America and Russia? What is the difference between the United States of America and Venezuela?” he asks. American politicians, he says, “put their duty to their country, to their people first—ahead of their duty to themselves.” Trump, Malinowski charges, broke that pact when he asked the Ukrainian President in a July 25 phone call to do him a “favor” by investigating one of his political rivals: “Not ‘us, America’ a favor,” he says, “but ‘me’ a political favor.” As Washington gears up to judge…

trump retreats ahead of turkish operation against u.s. allies in syria

IN A MAJOR SHIFT IN U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, President Donald Trump ordered troops to vacate part of northeast Syria on Oct. 6, making way for a Turkish military operation against the Kurdish forces that control the region. Defending his decision, Trump said it was “time for us to get out” and let others “figure the situation out.” But critics accused the President of abandoning the Kurds, U.S. allies whose forces were pivotal in the battle to defeat ISIS in Syria. REPUBLICAN REBELLION Lawmakers in Trump’s own party criticized the President’s unexpected move. “We have sent the most dangerous signal possible—America is an unreliable ally,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close confidant of Trump’s. His fellow GOP Senators Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney highlighted the risks of ceding…

news ticker

Protests ahead of Bolivian election Hundreds of thousands of people marched in protest against left-wing Bolivian President Evo Morales, calling for a stronger response to recent forest fires in the country. With elections scheduled for Oct. 20, polls show Morales may be forced into a runoff vote against a right-wing rival. School districts sue Juul Three school districts across the U.S. sued Juul on Oct. 7, saying the e-cigarette maker marketed its devices to children and left districts with the resulting costs. Facing a public backlash over vaping health concerns, Juul’s CEO stepped down on Sept. 25, and the company suspended all U.S. advertising. U.S. diplomat’s wife flees U.K. after crash On Oct. 7, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for Anne Sacoolas, wife of a U.S. diplomat, to return to Britain for questioning about…

how could louisiana’s scotus case affect abortion in the u.s.?

WHEN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ANnounced on Oct. 4 that it plans to take up its first abortion case since the appointment of two new conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, the news gave some court watchers déjà vu. The case, June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee, is about a Louisiana law that requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. In 2016, the court reversed a Texas case involving admitting privileges in a 5-3 decision, saying reducing the pool of doctors permitted to conduct the procedure exerted an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to have an abortion. In the wake of the Texas ruling, the Supreme Court refused to hear similar challenges involving laws from Wisconsin and Mississippi but has agreed to consider a…