If you’ve talked to anyone invested in bitcoin lately, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the halving. Some crypto enthusiasts intone the halving like a religious event with near mystical importance: They believe its mechanics are crucial to bitcoin’s continuing price surge. However, detractors claim that the halving is closer to a marketing gimmick.
The halving is expected to take place on April 19 or 20, depending on the current rate at which bitcoins are created. So, what is it, exactly? And is it hard-coded genius, or smoke and mirrors?
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What is the bitcoin halving?
The halving goes all the way back to bitcoin’s origin story, born in the ashes of the 2008 financial crash. The cryptocurrency’s creator—who went by Satoshi Nakamoto, but whose real identity remains unknown—invented bitcoin the following year, and dreamed of creating an international currency that would operate outside the control of governments or central banks. Crucially, Satoshi wrote that there would only ever be 21 million bitcoin, so as to temper its inflation and potentially make each bitcoin more valuable over time.
Whereas the Federal Reserve, in contrast, can adjust the supply of dollars when they deem necessary, bitcoins would be released at a predetermined and ever-slowing pace. Satoshi determined that roughly every four years, the reward to create new bitcoins would be cut in half, in events known as “halvings.” As it became harder to create new bitcoins, each one would become rarer and more valuable, the theory went. Eventually, new bitcoin would stop being created entirely (that will likely not happen for at least another century).
The halving is designed to make bitcoin more scarce, and ostensibly to push bitcoin’s price upward. And for the last three halvings, that’s exactly what has happened. After bitcoin’s first halving in November 2012, bitcoin’s price rose from $12.35 to $127 five months later. After the second halving in 2016, bitcoin’s price doubled to $1,280 within eight months. And between the third halving in May 2020 and March 2021, bitcoin’s price rose from $8,700 to $60,000.
But correlation does not imply causation, especially with such a small sample size. First, it’s possible that the timing of these rises was purely coincidental. It’s also possible that bitcoin’s rise has less to do with the actual mechanics of the halvings as opposed to the halvings’ narratives. With each halving, excitement grows about bitcoin’s potential, leading more people to buy in. That increase in demand causes the price to increase, which causes even more interest in a self-reinforcing cycle.
What will happen to bitcoin during this halving?
The halving will likely not cause a significant movement in price on the day it happens. Part of the economic impact of the halving has likely already occurred, with investors buying bitcoin in anticipation of the event, and the aftershocks of the halving will continue for months or years afterward, experts say.
“Given the previous history, the day-of tends to be a non-event for the price,” says Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at the global investment manager VanEck.
Another factor that makes it difficult to predict where bitcoin is headed post-halving is that this time, the economic circumstances surrounding it are different. It’s the first time that bitcoin has peaked before a halving, as opposed to after—last month, bitcoin rallied to an all-time high of $70,000 before dropping back down. That rally was aided by the rise of bitcoin ETFs: investment vehicles that allow mainstream institutional investors to bet on bitcoin’s price without having to actually buy bitcoin itself.
But there are some pessimists who believe that bitcoin’s big run has already happened, thanks to the ETFs—and that its price will actually decrease after the halving. A big reason for this, they believe, will be the actions of traders embarking on the strategy of “selling the news,” who cash in on their holdings in order to capitalize on a potential gold rush of interested buyers. JP Morgan predicted in February that bitcoin’s price will drop back down to $42,000 after “Bitcoin-halving-induced euphoria subsides.”
“Have we already created the buzz for bitcoin prior to halving—or is the ETF what allows Bitcoin to make similar run ups that we’ve seen in previous halvings?” says Adam Sullivan, the CEO of the bitcoin mining company Core Scientific. “We don’t have to answer that question yet.”
While many bitcoin optimists swear that its price will dramatically increase in the months following the halving, it’s important to remember that bitcoin does not always behave rationally, especially during chaotic global news events. After Iran launched a missile attack on Israel on April 13, for example, rattling the global economy, bitcoin’s price plummeted 7% in less than an hour.
What will happen to bitcoin miners during the halving?
While determining the halving’s impact on average bitcoin investors is challenging, it seems certain that the halving will dramatically change the bitcoin mining industry. Bitcoin “miners” are essentially the network’s watchdogs, who safeguard the network from attacks, create new bitcoins, and get rewarded financially for doing so. After the halving, miners’ rewards for processing new transactions will be reduced from 6.25 bitcoin to 3.125 (about $200,000)—a significant immediate reduction of revenue.
As a result, mining will become unprofitable for many smaller operations. As they fold or sell themselves to bigger operations, like Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. or CleanSpark Inc., the industry will likely consolidate. “People are going to operate in a marginally profitable environment for as long as they possibly can,” Sullivan says. “Those are folks that will probably look to get scooped up, probably in the six-to-12 month timeframe.”
But the bitcoin mining companies that weather the storm and gain market share from those who have bowed out could reap enormous rewards, Matthew Sigel says. “Miners are always the cockroaches of the energy markets; they’re very nimble,” he says. “We think the second half of the year will be very strong for bitcoin miners, as long as the bitcoin price rallies.”
Forget morning coffee. Across the internet, people are broadcasting a different routine: drinking a shot of extra virgin olive oil after they climb out of bed.
But are they pouring on the praise for good reason? We asked experts what they think of drinking a shot glass full of straight olive oil.
The health benefits of olive oil
Everyone needs fat in their diet, despite the bad rap that sometimes swirls around it. It’s an essential way our body stores energy, and it helps us absorb important vitamins like A, D, and E. “Don’t sleep on fats,” says Abbey Sharp, a Toronto-based registered dietitian who often reacts to food trends on YouTube. A completely fat-free diet wouldn’t be healthy. “If you’re eating a big salad with all these beautiful vegetables, but you’re not adding any fat, you’re not going to be utilizing or absorbing all the nutrients.”
The key, she adds, is being mindful of portion size and eating the right types of fats. That includes prioritizing monounsaturated fats, which are found in plant foods like nuts, avocados, and vegetable oils. One of the best choices, experts agree, is extra virgin olive oil, which is the least processed—and healthiest—form of olive oil. “It’s rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols and other antioxidants that can ultimately help reduce the risk of heart disease,” Sharp says. Among them: the antioxidants oleacein and oleocanthal, which are touted for their inflammation-reducing qualities.
According to one study, people who consume more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day have a 19% lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who rarely or never have olive oil. Research suggests it improves cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, while leading to better cognitive function. And a meta-analysis of 13,800 people found that regularly consuming olive oil may be associated with a decreased risk of developing breast cancer or cancer of the digestive system.
But that doesn’t mean it’s time to start chugging. Moderation matters. “Drinking it just absolutely misses the mark,” Sharp says. “We have no evidence that this way of consuming olive oil is any healthier than consuming it in a more enjoyable way—like on a salad or as part of a meal.”
Downsides to drinking it
There are 119 calories per tablespoon of olive oil, and a shot typically consists of three tablespoons. That’s 357 extra daily calories. “The thing people don’t realize is that no matter what type of fat they’re consuming, it all has the same calories,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Mindy Haar, assistant dean at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions. “A tablespoon of lard and a tablespoon of olive oil are equal in number of calories.”
If you’re trying to lose or maintain weight, she adds, it’s best to avoid drinking olive oil. Plus, you’re probably not getting any pleasure out of those calories: Olive oil isn’t exactly known for its can’t-put-it-down taste, which could make you seek out other tasty choices and overeat. While drinking olive oil won’t make everyone gain weight—someone who’s super active and running miles a day might not notice a change, Haar says—it could make a meaningful difference for others.
“I’ve had clients tell me they drink a whole cup of olive oil—and they’re struggling with weight loss,” says Michelle Routhenstein, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York who specializes in heart health. “There’s more to the picture, but a cup of olive oil is really calorically dense.”
Even if you’re not worried about gaining weight, it’s worth noting that those extra calories won’t fill you up, Sharp points out. Let’s say you consume about 100 calories of olive oil: “It’s not very satiating, because there’s just not a lot of food there,” she says. “You can easily clock in the calories without actually having any kind of volume to help you fill up.” You’d be better off consuming 100 calories of a whole-food fat like avocado or nut butter, she adds—both of which supply healthy fats in addition to fiber and other nutrients.
Another potential downside: You might need to account for extra trips to the bathroom each day. Olive oil “lubricates the bowel,” Sharp says, especially for people with sensitive stomachs. People who drink it might experience loose stools and other unpleasant digestive symptoms.
Most importantly, there’s simply no evidence that drinking olive oil confers any special benefits. Take the TikTok-popular idea that it magically improves gut health. “In reality, oil is lacking the most important gut-friendly food component, which is fiber,” Sharp says. “Never in a million years would taking a shot of olive oil be my first recommendation for somebody who’s struggling with their digestion.”
Better ways to get your olive oil fix
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes, consuming 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil per day can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease—but to achieve this benefit, one should use it to replace fats and oils that are higher in saturated fat, while making sure it doesn’t increase the total number of daily calories consumed.
Instead of drinking a shot of olive oil, aim to spread your intake out throughout the day, subbing it in for less healthy choices like sour cream and mayo. You could splash it on top of a baked potato, for example, instead of your usual toppings. Sharp likes using it in salad dressings—like vinaigrettes and marinades—and to improve the texture and flavor of naturally nourishing foods. She sometimes mixes olive oil with fresh garlic and herbs, and then drizzles it over roasted Brussels sprouts or cauliflower. “If some olive oil is going to help you eat your vegetables, add the olive oil to the vegetables,” she says. It can also deliver moisture and flavor to your favorite poultry, meat, and fish.
So put your shot glasses away. Drinking olive oil isn’t dangerous, Haar says, but it also doesn’t make sense. “Once a food rightfully gets a healthy aura, there’s this notion of, ‘Some is good. More is better,’” she says. “But that’s not always the case.”
Eli Lilly & Co.’s weight-loss drug Zepbound improved breathing problems in highly anticipated studies that may convince more insurers to cover the $1,000-a-month treatment.
In two late-stage trials of patients with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition closely linked to obesity, Zepbound reduced the number of times breathing slowed or stopped during sleep by up to 63% from the baseline, Lilly said in a statement Wednesday. The result topped Jefferies analysts’ expectations that the trials would likely show a reduction of about 50% to 55%.
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Patients in the 52-week studies also lost up to roughly 20% of their body weight, Lilly said.
Lilly said it plans to share full results from the trials at the American Diabetes Association conference in June. The drug giant plans to submit those results to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other global regulatory agencies beginning mid-year.
An approval for Zepbound to treat sleep apnea could open the door for more patients to access the treatment through insurance. Weight loss drugs like Zepbound aren’t currently covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and some people on long-term disability.
Regulators’ green light would also help Lilly compete with Novo Nordisk A/S, whose own blockbuster weight-loss medication, Wegovy, will now be covered by major health insurers for certain Medicare beneficiaries with heart-related conditions. Novo has said it may study a next-generation weight-loss drug in reducing sleep apnea, but it’s not currently testing whether Ozempic or Wegovy help with the condition.
While there are medications available to help with the drowsiness associated with sleep apnea, Zepbound has “the potential to be the first pharmaceutical treatment for underlying disease,” Jeff Emmick, Lilly’s senior vice president of product development, said in the statement.
Weight loss is known to help alleviate sleep apnea, which impacts more than 23 million American adults living with obesity, according to estimates from the analytics firm Airfinity. If it were to be widely covered by insurers, Zepbound could help prevent up to 5.6 million cases of the sleep disorder by 2030, the firm said.
Still, Airfinity analysts said it was unlikely Zepbound and other GLP-1 drugs would make the sleep disorder disappear completely.
Lilly’s study enrolled 469 patients with obesity and sleep apnea, some treated with Zepbound alone and others using breathing devices in conjunction with the drug.
Zepbound led to a greater mean reduction in apnea-hypopnea index, or AHI, events per hour in patients using the devices, compared to the group that only got the drug. The index is a measure used to assess the severity of sleep apnea by recording the number of times a person’s breathing shows a restricted or complete block of airflow per hour of sleep.
Patients with sleep apnea typically need to use breathing machines or implants that help open airways. The machines can be costly, ranging in the hundreds or thousands of dollars apiece. Upkeep, service and replacement parts could average another $330 to $900 each year, according to GoodRx.
Zepbound’s approval for sleep apnea would also stand to impact companies that make breathing machines, including ResMed Inc. and Inspire Medical Systems Inc. Weight loss drugs could shrink the market for machines by more than 11% in the next few years, according to Airfinity analysis.
Nike unveiled new Team USA track and field uniforms for athletes to compete in during the Paris Olympic games this summer, but what was supposed to be an exciting first look at the uniforms, turned into a debacle for the company as comments flooded in on instagram criticizing the design.
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“Tell me it was male designers without telling me it was male designers,” wrote professional runner Jessica Hanson in a comment that got over 11,000 likes. “This is clearly a joke 🤣😩….Im someone’s mom, I can’t be exposing myself in such ways. Where are the shorts ?! lol,” commented two-time paralympian Femita Ayanbeku.
The designs, which were unveiled last week, were displayed on a male-shaped and female-shaped mannequin. The male mannequin had a conventional tank top and shorts combination, while the female mannequin was dressed in something that looked more like a one-piece bathing suit and appeared to be especially revealing around the pubic area.
Sinclair Johnson, a Nike-sponsored professional runner, defended the company saying that she had participated in the testing process for the design, and that the image of the mannequin was misleading. “Lolol these comments have me 💀 but, Nike included a number of us in the kit testing process and I can assure you the bottoms don’t look like this on a real human,” she wrote in on instagram.
Nike responded by saying that the designs displayed in the image were just one selection out of 50 possible styles and combinations, and that female athletes had multiple options to choose from, including some with shorts.
“We showcased some of the new Olympic uniforms at the Nike On Air experience in Paris — but, as we are a few months from the Games and working with limited samples in a limited format presentation, not all looks and styles were featured,” a Nike spokesperson told NPR. Nike has not yet responded to TIME’s request for comment.
Nevertheless, many still believe that the female display design being so different from the men’s display design is evidence of sexism.
“Women’s kits should be in service to performance, mentally and physically. If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it,” wrote Lauren Fleshman, a retired professional track and field athlete, on instagram. “This is a costume born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or needed to get eyes on women’s sports.”
Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter Katie Moon, who is also sponsored by Nike, criticized the uniforms but pushed back against the calls to make male and female uniforms as similar as possible. “I personally like the buns because I want as little fabric clinging to me when I’m hot and sweaty (which I am at 99% of meets I compete in). The point is we DO have the choice of what to wear, and whether we feel the best in a potato sack or a bathing suit during competitions, we should support the autonomy,” she wrote on instagram.
A Taylor Swift song is nothing without its bridge. The star’s strongest skills as a storyteller and lyricist are on full display in that critical moment, which marks a noticeable shift in the song, whether it’s in the narrative, tone, tempo, or a combination of the three. And for Swift, the bridge is often what elevates a good song to a truly great one. Over the course of her career, she’s introduced songs with bridges that run the emotional spectrum—some are meant to be screamed at the top of your lungs, while others can be quietly sung through tears.
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With over 240 songs across 10 original studio and 4 re-recorded albums, Swift has a bridge for just about every type of emotional catharsis. We decided to go through her discography to decide on the very best. To determine what makes for a bridge of superior caliber, we each compiled our own individual rankings, taking into account how the bridge fits in with each song, and then we added up those results.
25. “Love Story”
“Love Story,” the lead single off 2008’s Fearless, put Swift in the mainstream. It shot to the top of different Billboard charts and solidified her status as a crossover artist. In the song, Swift invokes Romeo and Juliet to tell the story of a seemingly doomed young couple with the bridge bringing down the tempo to signify her growing apprehension—that is, until Romeo gets down on one knee and the fairytale ends happily.—Moises Mendez II
Best line: “My faith in you was fading, when I met you on the outskirts of town”
24. “right where you left me”
The “evermore” bonus track feels more like a Gothic short story than a song. It tells the story of a woman frozen in time, haunting the restaurant where she had her heart broken. In the bridge, Swift shares what the rumor mill is saying about the “woman who lives in delusion” before changing the pronouns to reveal she’s talking about herself. “Time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it,” she sings, perfectly encapsulating the shame that comes from living in the past while everyone around you moves on.—Samantha Cooney
Best line: “She’s still 23 inside her fantasy, how it was supposed to be”
23. “Mr. Perfectly Fine”
Every major pop star needs a f-ck you anthem dedicated to someone who has done them wrong. When “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” rumored to be about Joe Jonas, reaches the bridge, it sounds like Swift is kicking a door open to a new phase of her life without her Perfectly Fine man.—MM
Best line: “Now I’m Miss Gonna Be Alright Someday, and someday, maybe you’ll miss me, but by then, you’ll be Mr. Too Late”
22. “Back to December”
Closing a chapter with someone you care about deeply is one of the most heartbreaking things anyone can go through, and Swift expertly details that pain in “Back to December,” singing, “It turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missin’ you, wishin’ I’d realized what I had when you were mine”—some of the most tragic lyrics in her entire discography. The bridge only twists the knife even deeper as she sings about how she’d do everything differently if she were given a second chance.—MM
Best line: I’d go back in time and change it, but I can’t. So, if the chain is on your door, I understand”
21. “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
Though this Midnights track is carried by a fast and light beat, the heart of the song, about yearning for and experiencing fame, is quite devastating. The price of celebrity is summed up in the haunting lines of its bridge: “The jokes weren’t funny, I took the money. My friends from home don’t know what to say.”—Annabel Gutterman
Best line: “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. You’ve got no reason to be afraid”
20. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”
Even though it was a bonus track, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” quickly became a standout (if not the best song) of Midnights. Feverish and wild, the song unravels like a thunderstorm, as Swift wades through a toxic relationship over pulsing drums and haunting synths. In the eye of the storm is the bridge—a pleading call to a higher power for rest, followed by an earth-shattering line that further cements Swift’s lyrical genius: “I regret you all the time.”—Rachel Sonis
Best line: “I regret you all the time”
19. “betty”
At the center of the Betty/James/Inez teenage love triangle drawn out in the folklore standout “betty” is the question: “What if?” What if James wasn’t such a boy about things? What if he told Betty how he really felt? What if Inez never spread those “rumors” about James cheating with her on Betty? But in the bridge, where Swift often makes her biggest revelations, the “what if’s” give way to the truth about James’ restless summer spent with Inez, when he was really thinking about Betty. A moment of unbearable release—and of stinging regret.—RS
Best line: “I dreamt of you all summer long”
18. “Enchanted”
This Speak Now song had a resurgence on TikTok last year, with the bridge appearing everywhere, bringing everyone back to 2010. In the bridge, Swift blissfully blends the confidence in her feelings of falling for someone with the insecurity of not knowing if that person is in love with someone else. She perfectly describes meeting someone for the first time and instantly feeling enchanted. That someone is said to be Adam Young, the frontman of Owl City. Swift said an interview around the time the album came out that she wrote the song about a guy she was emailing and when they met, he mentioned being “wonderstruck,” which she incorporated into the tune. In a 2011 interview with Us Weekly, Young said the song is about him and responded to it with a song of his own.—MM
Best line: “Please, don’t be in love with someone else. Please, don’t have somebody waiting on you”
17. “Out of the Woods”
1989—Swift’s first full-on foray into pop music—is surprisingly sparse when it comes to soul-bearing bridges. (Case in point: “Style,” my all-time favorite Swift song, has a lyrically thin bridge). The one exception is “Out of the Woods,” with a bridge that serves as the song’s emotional and musical highpoint. Swift’s voice explodes as she describes a crash, and a snowmobile accident serves as a metaphor for the breakdown of a relationship. Despite the chaos and comedowns (“Remember when you said you couldn’t take the heat?”), the bridge ends with the hope that the relationship can make it, even if only for another day (“When the sun came up, you were looking at me.”)—SC
Best line: “Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in a hospital room”
16. “Treacherous”
This song from Red starts off soft and slow with lyrics that point to how easy it is to be consumed by the promise of love, even if that love is risky. The plucky chorus gives way to a powerful bridge that is most definitely meant to be screamed: “Two headlights shine through the sleepless night. And I will get you, get you alone.”—AG
Best line: “That nothing safe is worth the drive”
15. “You’re Losing Me”
“You’re Losing Me” was released as a vault song off Midnights just a month after it was reported Swift and her longtime boyfriend had split. While the bulk of the song is underwhelming, the bridge ranks among her best-ever, with some of her most emotionally raw songwriting. The lyrics balance righteous anger about not being given attention by a partner (“I’m the best thing at this party”) with anxious resignation about why it ended. It all builds up to the barnburner of a lyric: “And I wouldn’t marry me either.”—SC
Best line: “And I wouldn’t marry me either. A pathological people pleaser. Who only wanted you to see her”
14. “Dress”
“Dress” is Swift’s most outwardly sexy song: the chorus is anchored around the line, “Only bought this dress so you could take it off.” But the bridge reveals the bluff: this is really a song about revealing the worst parts of yourself to someone and still having them want you. It’s all incredibly romantic and intimate.—SC
Best line: “Even in my worst lies you saw the truth in me”
13. “Long Live”
Originally written as a love letter to Swift’s band and fans, the lyrics in this Speak Now song remind us all that there is so much beauty in living in the present, and even more beauty in being able to look back and remember how that present felt. Though much of “Long Live” is a celebration of memories, the bridge coalesces into a striking direct plea from Swift to protect and honor how the past interacts with the future.—AG
Best line: “If you have children someday, when they point to the pictures, please, tell ‘em my name”
12. “champagne problems”
Swift tells the audience at the Eras Tour that she wrote one particular song during the pandemic with the hopes she’d one day hear fans scream its bridge in a stadium. That song is called “champagne problems”—and boy did I have fun screaming “what a shame she’s f-cked in the head” in Philadelphia last May. The song is a soft piano ballad about turning down a marriage proposal, and the bridge swells with scenes of devastation. The bridge’s bittersweet end promises the heartbroken ex will “find the real thing instead.” It’s a cathartic moment in the song—and at the show.—SC
Best line: “She would’ve made such a lovely bride. What a shame she’s fucked in the head, they said”
11. “You Belong With Me”
“You Belong With Me” is the quintessential country-pop song of 2009. It’s the type of song that gets you out of your seat. It begs to be scream-sung at the top of your lungs with your best friends by your side, especially the bridge, which captures the yearning of wanting your crush to see that you’re perfect for him.—MM
Best line: “I know your favorite songs, and you tell me ’bout your dreams. Think I know where you belong, think I know it’s with me”
10. “Death By A Thousand Cuts”
A Taylor Swift bridge ranking would not be complete without one that kind of feels like a rant—and “Death By a Thousand Cuts” is it. A song about an agonizing death of a relationship, what’s most interesting about this bridge is that it’s a stream of consciousness, with every line as cutting as the next, as Swift’s staccato delivery accentuates every dig. While her lover might’ve fired the first shot, Swift is here to deliver the final blow.—RS
Best Line: “Paper cut stings from our paper thin plans”
9. “illicit affairs”
Most of this folklore song is a slow and often unsettling dissection of the true cost of infidelity. But Swift’s crooning turns much louder as she cries out in the bridge how, exactly, this relationship has broken her apart (she literally references needing to scream). It’s these lyrics that really crystallize how confusing it is to love a person who never really belonged to you.—AG
Best line: “You showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else”
8. “Fifteen”
When Swift set to write the devastatingly vulnerable ballad “Fifteen,” she started with the bridge. “I started everything with the line ‘Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind’ and wrote everything else from that point, almost backwards,” Swift said of the song in her track-by-track explanation of the album on Big Machine Records’ website. That line makes not only the bridge, but the entire song—honest and searing, yet overflowing with sisterly love and empathy for her childhood best friend Abigail Anderson, as she goes through a brutal breakup.—RS
Best Line: “Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind. And we both cried”
7. “the last great american dynasty“
Of all the “mad” characters that exist in the folklore universe, Swift’s sharp retelling of American heiress and socialite Rebekah Harkness’ story and her notorious parties at the “Holiday House” mansion in Rhode Island takes the cake. Steeped in fascinating tidbits about her life, Swift recounts how Harkness, who inherited the riches from her oil tycoon husband’s untimely death and even became the richest woman in America at one point, was considered an outcast and a madwoman for her unconventional choices and lavish lifestyle. Swift, of course, is not-so-subtly making connections to her own life here—and really lays it bare in the bridge: Swift bought Holiday House (now called “High Watch”) in 2013, a place where many of her own dalliances have resulted in serious drama, too. A kiss-off to the haters, Swift is the new madwoman in town, and she doesn’t really care what anyone thinks. Rebekah would, no doubt, be proud.—RS
Best line: “Free of women with madness, their men in bad habits. And then it was bought by me”
6. “Last Kiss”
Talk about emotional catharsis! This Speak Now song describes a terrible, consuming breakup, and what it feels like to obsess over the final moments of a relationship. The steady beat swells up at the bridge and suddenly the full intensity of the track emerges as Swift’s voice explodes. The desperation and yearning is palpable—and so is the belief that one day those memories won’t feel so crushing.—AG
Best line: “So I’ll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep. And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe”
5. “Getaway Car”
There’s a reason the behind-the-scenes video of Swift and Jack Antonoff writing the “Getaway Car” bridge has become Swiftie lore. It’s exhilarating to watch Swift and Antonoff compose a cinematic bridge with strong storytelling in real time. The song turns Swift into an outlaw running from the heart she broke. In the bridge, Swift takes some responsibility—but also tells her partner he shouldn’t be surprised she ditched him in a motel bar. Try not to have fun belting this (especially when Swift goes full Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan on “when I switch to the other si-i-i-i-ide).—SC
Best line: “It’s no surprise I turned you in. ‘Cause us traitors never win”
4. “Dear John”
The blueprint for Taylor Swift’s best bridge (more on that later) is all over this Speak Now song, one of Swift’s best breakup anthems, ever. As she unpacks a relationship with an older man (famously rumored to be John Mayer), Swift takes aim at how it feels to be taken advantage of by someone so manipulative and deceitful. In the bridge, Swift crucially reclaims the power she lost, directly calling out this toxic behavior, and rising above it. This is a moment of supreme clarity—impressive for anyone to capture so acutely, let alone from someone so young (Swift was just 21 when this album was released).—AG
Best line: “You are an expert at sorry and keeping lines blurry”
3. “august”
By the time “august” gets to the bridge, there’s an explosion of emotions. It’s the part of the song where, if you’re listening in the car, no matter who you’re with, you turn the volume up to scream, “Back when we were still changing for the better!” The song sounds like a balmy summer day, capturing exactly how it feels to fall in love with someone who makes you feel warm inside, but ends up breaking your heart by slipping away.—MM
Best line: “So much for summer love and saying us, ’cause you weren’t mine to lose”
2. “Cruel Summer”
Is there anything better than screaming the bridge “Cruel Summer” at the top of your lungs? Screaming the bridge while you have a new crush for the summer, maybe. “Cruel Summer” is definitely one of Swift’s sweatiest numbers—a song that is best played on a hot July day as the sun sets and the night has promise of meeting up with someone you’re “just texting,” but that no one knows about yet. The hushed secrets and that hurts-so-good feeling at the start of a relationship is what she’s getting at—that is, until she blurts out her biggest secret of all in the bridge: “I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?” Truly, the Queen of Catharsis.—RS
Best line: “I scream, ‘For whatever it’s worth, I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?’”
1. “All Too Well”
It should come as no surprise that Swift’s magnum opus contains her best bridge (and we’re not talking about the 10 minute version). All Too Well is not so much a breakup song as it is an in-depth postmortem on a past relationship. In cutting specificities, Swift holds to the light the seemingly small, everyday moments that come from sharing a life with someone else, revealing how much love can be derived there. While much of the song focuses on these little flashes of memory (the scarf, the twin sized-bed, the refrigerator light), the bridge takes stock of the damage that’s been inflicted in the aftermath. It’s her best bridge because it’s so vulnerable. Her rage and confusion are crystal clear as she questions how everything came crashing down.—AG
Best line: “And you call me up again, just to break me like a promise. So casually cruel in the name of being honest”
In 2023, Scott Chang-Fleeman—a young farmer like me—put down his shovel. A post on his Instagram read, “Shao Shan Farm, in its current form, is going on indefinite hiatus.” From the outside, the burgeoning farm had the makeup of one that could stand the test of time. In reality, his experience of farm ownership was wrought with challenges.
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A farmer in his late 20s, Chang-Fleeman started Shao Shan Farm in 2019 to reconnect with his roots and provide a source of locally grown heritage Asian vegetables to the Bay Area. He quickly secured a clientele and fan base—two of the greatest hurdles of starting a farm—and became the go-to for San Francisco’s high-end Asian eateries.
But after four years of creative pivots to withstand unexpected hurdles that included financial stress, severe drought, and a global pandemic, Chang-Fleeman made a choice that many young farmers are considering: to leave farming behind. Why he left and what could have kept him on the land are critical questions we must address if we are to have a sustainable and food-secure future.
The USDA Census of Agriculture reported that in 2017, nearly 1 in 4 of the 3.4 million agricultural producers in the US were new and beginning farmers. Many of these new farmers are doing exactly what it seems American agriculture needs: starting small farms. According to the most recent data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) in 2019, farms with annual sales of less than $100,000 accounted for about 85% of all U.S. farms. And though not all of these small-scale farms are necessarily organic, small farms are more likely to grow a diversity of crop types, use methods that reduce negative impacts on the climate, increase carbon sequestration, and tend to be more resilient in the face of climate change.
There has been a growing interest among younger people in recent years in sustainable and organic farming practices, as well as in local food systems. This interest has led people in their 20s and 30s to enter into small-scale farming, particularly in niche markets such as organic produce, specialty crops, and direct-to-consumer sales.
As a result, both congressional Democrats and Republicans have maintained that encouraging young people to farm is of utmost importance in ensuring the stability of our food system. But getting young people into farming may not be the problem. Keeping them on the farm may be the hardest part.
I should know. I quit too.
Chang-Fleeman got his start in agriculture right out of college, where he spent several years working at the on-campus farm. As a third-generation Chinese American, he noticed a distinct lack of Asian vegetables at local farmers markets, particularly those that were grown organically, and suspected there would be a demand should a supply exist. He started trialing some varieties, and his suspicions were quickly affirmed when samples of his choy sum caught the attention of chef Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s, a contemporary Chinese eatery with a Michelin star in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Jew provided some seed funds for what was to become Shao Shan Farm in 2019.
During the first year running his farm, Chang-Fleeman focused his sales on his relationships with local restaurants, while attending some farmers’ markets sales to supplement income. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, he lost all of his restaurant accounts overnight.
Like many farmers at that time, he pivoted to a CSA model, offering farm boxes that provide a household with an assortment of vegetables for the week.
“So literally over a night, I reworked my crop plan” he told me. “Just to get through that year, or through that season, not knowing how long [the pandemic was going to] last.”
As if a global pandemic wasn’t enough, in 2021, California entered a drought, and he lost the ability to irrigate his crops come mid-summer, which meant a hard stop for production.
“I was hoping to hit some sort of a rhythm, and every year felt a bit like starting from scratch,” Chang-Fleeman reflected.
Throughout farm ownership, he worked side jobs to compensate for the slow build of business income and the fact that he could only afford to pay himself a monthly salary of $2,000. He regularly worked 90 hours a week. At the same time, farm expenses were on the rise.
“The cost of our packaging went up like three times in one year and the cost of the produce didn’t change,” he explained. “Our operating expenses went up like 30%, after COVID.”
In four short years, Chang-Fleeman experienced an avalanche of extenuating circumstances that would bring most farm businesses to their knees. But the thing that finally catalyzed the closing of his business was burnout. He relayed the experience of the exhaustion and stress building over time until he reached a breaking point. “If I don’t stop now, it’s going to kill me,” he recalled thinking.
Chang-Fleeman’s burnout reminded me of my own story. In the fall of 2018, I took what ended up being a two-month medical leave from an organic farm I managed in Northern California in order to try to try to resolve a set of weird symptoms that included dizzy spells and heart palpitations. If you know anything about farming, fall is not the time to be absent. It’s peak harvest time and the culmination of all of your work is underway. But as my medical anomaly continued to worsen, I came no closer to getting back to work. After many doctor visits, several trips to the specialist, a flurry of blood tests, and a week of heart monitoring, it took one Xanax to solve the mystery.
The prolonged physical stress that I had been harboring at work had triggered the onset of panic disorder, a nervous system affliction that had led me into a near-chronic state of fight or flight mode, causing a swath of physical symptoms not typically associated with “anxiety.”
For me, this was a wake-up call. I turned to a slew of Western and naturopathic remedies to alleviate my symptoms, but ultimately, removing the stressors of farm management was the thing that allowed me to, mostly, reach a nervous system balance. Even still, six years later, I’m constantly navigating the ‘new normal’ of this diagnosis.
A pilot study conducted by agriculture researcher Josie Rudolphi and her colleagues in 2020 found that of 170 participants, approximately 71% met the criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. By comparison, in the US, an estimated 18% of adults experience an anxiety disorder. Rudolphi’s work indicates that these disorders maybe three times more prevalent in young farmer and rancher populations.
This rang true as I went from farm to farm trying to figure out what so often goes wrong in a new farm operation. Again and again mental health was a through-line. Collette Walsh, owner of a cut-flower operation in Braddock, PA, put it to me bluntly: “I usually get to a point in late August or early September, where there’s a week where I just cry.”
How can we build a farming economy that helps young farmers not only stay, but also thrive on the land? The Farm Bill, a federal package of legislation that provides funding for agricultural programs, is one route. As the reboot of the Farm Bill approaches, it’s a critical time to ask these questions and advocate for policies that support young farmers and the barriers they’re facing in maintaining a long-lasting career in agriculture.
Take for instance, Jac Wypler, Farmer Mental Health Director at the National Young Farmer Coalition (Young Farmers), who oversees the Northeast region’s Farmer and Rancher Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). The organization was established by the Farm Bill in 2018 to develop a service provider network for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers that was dedicated to mental well-being. Through the network of service providers she directs, called “Cultivemos,” Wypler and her colleagues utilize a multi-tiered approach to address mental health in farming spaces. Cultivemos partners provide direct support in moments of stress and crisis as well as peer-to-peer support spaces.
An expanded (and subsidized) program that scales efforts like Cultivemos to a size commensurate with the young work force is clearly needed. But it’s only part of the picture.
“While we believe that it is important to make sure that farms, farmers, and farmworkers are getting direct support around their mental health,” Wypler explained. “We need to alleviate what is causing them stress.”
Cultivemos works to address the structural root causes of stress which can include climate change, land prices, and systemic racism, to name a few. They focus on communities that are disproportionately harmed by these structural root causes, specifically Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color. Finally, they seek to make this impact by regranting funding directly into the hands of these farmers.
“The way I think of regranting is that the USDA and these large institutions are the Mississippi River of funding.” Wypler says. “We’re trying to get the funding into these smaller rivers and tributaries to disperse these funds and shift that power dynamic and leadership dynamic.”
The next Farm Bill cycle will be critical in ensuring this work is continued. In November of 2023, lawmakers signed a stopgap funding bill that allows for a one-year extension on the 2018 Farm Bill. Lawmakers are currently in deliberations over the bill until September when it will be up for a vote. Young Farmers underscores the importance of the appropriations process, which is when program areas that are authorized in the farm bill are allocated funding.
Back-to-the-landism has waxed and waned throughout the last hundred years, booming in the pre-Depression years of the 1930s, dying in the war years and then storming back in the 60s and 70s. When my generation’s own farming revolution came along in the early 2000s, I was similarly swept up. I imagined when I chose to farm that the path would be lifelong. What I hadn’t accounted for, as a determined, starry-eyed changemaker, was the toll that a decade of farming through wildfires, evacuations, floods, power outages, and a global pandemic would take on my mental health.
Don’t get me wrong: I was happy working hard with my two feet planted firmly on the land. In a better world I and people like Scott Chang-Fleeman would have kept getting our hands dirty, making an honest, if modest, living providing good and wholesome food in synch with the rhythms of the planet.
But to borrow a word from the world of ecology, being a young farmer in today’s economy is “unsustainable.” The numbers don’t work economically and, eventually, any mind trying to square this un-squarable circle is going to break. The economic, physical and mental challenges are all interconnected.
It’s hard to find an American, Republican or Democrat, red or blue state resident that doesn’t want more young hands on the land. We all rightly see agriculture as a pathway to personal fulfillment and a way to make our food supply healthier and more secure. But words and intentions can only do so much. We must answer these very real problems with very real subsidy.
If we don’t, my generation might be the last to think of going “back-to-the-land” as something actually worth doing.
The Iranian attack on Israel was historic. For the first time since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Ayatollah regime violated Israeli sovereignty directly without using any of its proxies, such as Hezbollah or Hamas. Iran, in this sense, has created a new equation for its conflict with Israel. Likewise, the ability to counter hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones was also unprecedented, as it resulted from an American-led coalition—which included the U.K., France, Jordan, and other countries—that originated in the Abraham Accords and continued with multiple defense regional agreements. This pivotal moment bore strategic implications that exceeded the sole interest of Israel. Here are the top five.
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First, the response to the Iranian attack on Israel could affect geopolitical relations as we know them.
The Iranian attack on Israel was not only a local or regional event but a multinational one. In an era of a global war where the U.S. is on one side and Russia and China are on the other, the Israeli response will reflect the U.S.’s credibility as the leader of the Western world. In other words, it will define Western assurances regarding any country deeming itself part of the free world.
Indeed, President Biden warned Iran from attacking Israel by declaring yet another important “Don’t.” Well, they did. And now the world is watching. An aggressive response may lead to anarchy and force other players in the arena. A soft—or lack of—response could teach Iran and its allies that acts of aggression could occur without consequences. A restrained reaction to such a violent act of aggression in a world in which Russia had already invaded Ukraine may be one step too far. The secret here, hence, will be to find the right balance for deterring potential chaos agents such as Iran, yet not to accelerate the already sensitive reality.
Secondly, Iran endangered its two most significant investments—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the nuclear program.
The first is an active ongoing project, which embodies not only a core element of the Iranian DNA but also the most significant terror group in the world. The second is an Iranian aspiration that is too close to realization. Israel, which lost substantial portions of its international legitimacy following the continuous war in Gaza, could use the momentum of international support not only to respond to Iran kinetically but to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps diplomatically and legally as a terror group. Moreover, it could encourage the entire U.S.-led coalition to compose a joint plan to counter the Iranian nuclear program just before its completion. A vital element of such a program will have to include the encouragement of the Iranian people to demand their liberty alongside unapologetic and decisive moves driven by the understanding that a nuclear Iran is a threat to the free world.
The third implication concerns the potential misuse of international law to undermine countries’ territorial integrity or political independence.
The Iranian narrative during the attack was fascinating, as was its audacity. Looking at the language it chose to use, it was clear Iran attempted to differentiate itself from its terrorist proxy group and portray itself as a legitimate sovereign state in an act of self-defense. Two unexhaustive indications for that were given while the drones were on their way to Israel. The first was a tweet by the Iranian mission to the U.N., which declared the attack was “conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense.” This article embodies one of the two exceptions—alongside a UN Security Council authorization—for prohibiting the use of force. The second indication was an Iranian declaration regarding its intention to hit military targets only. This is, of course, an act-the language of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Accepting the notion that a country could launch 300 missiles and drones “in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus” undermines the core purpose of the U.N., which is to prevent wars from happening in the first place. Allowing this notion will open the gate for any country to cynically use Article 51 in a reality where the U.N. Security Council is under a near-constant deadlock anyway.
The fourth implication is that normalization between the Saudis and the Israelis is more likely than ever.
The world of October 6th has presented us with the breathtaking possibility of normalization between the two countries. At its core, there was a triangle of interest. Plainly speaking, the Israelis wanted to enjoy a relationship with a regional power; the Americans knew they could place a condition this with advancing a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the Saudis wanted, in return—among other things—a security agreement with the Americans, resembling those with Japan or South Korea.
The Iranian attack on Israel has provided the Saudis with a display of capability of such an agreement, demonstrated against the very same enemy they wish to protect themselves from: Iran. In this sense, the attack on Israel is likely to enhance normalization with the Saudis, not diminish it.
The fifth implication is that Israel must learn that there are no gifts.
Dependence on allies means the Israeli response will not happen in a vacuum. It will have to consider its allies and their domestic, political, and cultural sensitivities. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a strong reaction, but the rope isn’t as loose as Israel would have liked.
Looking forward to the near future, this means the Israeli ability to manoeuvre, literally, in other areas, such as Lebanon or Gaza, will be even more limited. The outcome may force Israel and its allies to (finally) convene into a joint “Day-After” plan. Such a plan must ensure a Palestinian state isn’t perceived as the direct reward for the October 7th massacre and the Iranian attack on Israel. Still, it must ensure the region has a clear path for the next decade or two.
The task of translating these implications into practical action items is now laid on the shoulders of world leadership. The choices they’ll make will determine if the Iranian attack on Israel will be perceived, in retrospect, as a tragedy or as an opportunity.
