Are You Really Overstimulated—Or Did You Just Fall for the Internet’s Latest Buzzword?

Mental-health lingo has peppered conversations for years. Look no further than “gaslighting,” which ushered in a new era of therapy-speak, and its counterparts “trauma,” “toxic,” and “triggered”—all generally used in oversimplified or inaccurate ways. Perhaps you’ve noticed a newer addition while scrolling social media: “overstimulated.” Across the internet, people are reporting being overstimulated by fresh photos of their favorite celeb, weekends packed full of plans, grocery stores loaded with too many choices, and the exhausting demands of new parenthood.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

“I think people mean that there’s too many things going on at once, and they feel overloaded by it—like task paralysis for your senses,” says Dr. Jessi Gold, chief wellness officer for the University of Tennessee System. “It resonates, and it sticks. It becomes almost like a slang word.”

Yet experts say that most of the time, people aren’t experiencing true overstimulation, but something else.

What it really feels like to be overstimulated

In clinical terms, overstimulation—or sensory overload—means your brain is unable to process all the sensory information it’s receiving. That could include loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, unexpected physical contact, or being around too many people in a small space. “You’re experiencing sensations, and you feel them more than they actually are,” says Naomi Torres-Mackie, a psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and head of research at the nonprofit Mental Health Coalition. That makes it different from overwhelm, which is an emotional reaction caused by stress or anxiety—like when your responsibilities exceed your capacity—and isn’t necessarily tied to sensory input. Though anyone can experience overstimulation, it’s particularly common among those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia, she adds.

Imagine you’re body-to-body with strangers on a subway car, for example. While many people would find the experience unpleasant, they’d be able to stick it out until they reached their destination. Those experiencing true sensory overload, on the other, might need to exit sooner than planned. “For somebody with PTSD, ADHD, or ASD, it would feel intolerable,” Torres-Mackie says. “You might feel the need to escape or flee; you might feel restless, like you just cannot calm down; you might have feelings of anxiety. You might experience a panic attack, or feel agitated or angry or rageful, and become highly emotionally reactive.”

Read More: 4 Signs Your Body Is Telling You It’s Time to Take a Break

That’s because your nerves are on edge, she says; if you’re overstimulated, you feel unsafe and, as a result, react strongly. Some people also report physical symptoms, like lightheadedness, headaches, muscle tension, and heart palpitations.

Exactly what triggers sensory overload can vary depending on a person’s underlying mental-health condition. People with PTSD, ASD, ADHD, and anxiety disorders tend to become particularly overstimulated by crowds and loud noises; those with autism are often especially triggered by touch. Schizophrenia can lead to overstimulation around visual and auditory signals: “These can feel so strong and intense that they often get kind of jumbled,” Torres-Mackie says, “and one theory is that’s what leads to hallucinations.”

When people have PTSD, meanwhile, their sensory overload is often tied to traumatic experiences. Being around a person who was present when the trauma happened, or who reminds you of the perpetrator, could trigger a feeling of overstimulation, Torres-Mackie says. Certain smells could, too. “We see this a lot around the Fourth of July,” she adds. “The sounds of fireworks can be triggering if you’ve seen active combat.”

Why the term resonates so much

Caitlin Slavens, a psychologist specializing in maternal mental health in Alberta, Canada, often hears from overwhelmed moms who are drenched in the sensory bombast of modern parenting: rat-a-tat noise, touch, little sleep, and constant demands. “They describe it as ‘overstimulated’ more than any other word,” she says. 

The internet has molded sensory overload into a catch-all phrase for parental burnout, frustration, and exhaustion, Slavens says. Are these moms overstimulated in the technical sense? Sometimes. “Other times, they’re overwhelmed, touched-out, or emotionally drained,” she says. “But ‘overstimulated’ seems to be the most straightforward explanation for how it feels when their systems are maxed out.”

Read More: Do Less. It’s Good for You

Torres-Mackie, who runs a group for new parents at Lenox Hill Hospital, also reports hearing “overstimulated” pop up among those adjusting to parenthood. “There’s so much sensory information or sensory experiences all of a sudden that you didn’t have before,” she says. “It can feel overwhelming.” Of course, Torres-Mackie acknowledges, overwhelm isn’t unique to parents: Most people have days when there’s so much going on, they just want to hide under a heavy blanket. “You don’t have to be a new parent to feel overwhelmed in a sensory way,” she says.

Is it sensory overload or overwhelm?

When Torres-Mackie works with clients who describe themselves as overstimulated, she dives into what’s causing those feelings—and how the person’s day-to-day functioning is impacted. “If you’re feeling really inundated with certain tasks and requests at work, and you’re still able to perform, you may be overwhelmed,” she says. “But if you completely freeze, and you’re not able to perform—maybe you even have a panic attack—then you’re likely overstimulated.”

It can be particularly revealing to ask yourself if whatever’s bothering you is uncomfortable or intolerable. If it’s simply uncomfortable, working on finding a way to adapt to it is key, Torres-Mackie says. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective way to overcome a tendency to simply steer clear of your triggers. “Avoiding something that’s uncomfortable often backfires, because you don’t build the muscle to deal with it,” she says. “If it feels absolutely intolerable, that’s one thing, but if it is somewhat tolerable, I do recommend staying in the discomfort to give yourself the experience of living through it and knowing that you can handle it.” That way, the next time you experience it, you’ll be better equipped with the sense of agency and empowerment you need to persevere, she adds.

What to do if you’re overstimulated

Many of the same strategies are helpful whether you’re overstimulated or overwhelmed. Here’s what experts recommend.

Seek out a soothing space

Slavens teaches people to designate a space of their own where they can seek solace in order to feel more regulated. That might mean plopping down on the bed, taking a whiff of a favorite essential oil, or hugging a pillow for a few minutes. “Deep pressure helps calm the nervous system down,” she says. The goal is to “go from being really amped up to calmer than you were.”

Try grounding strategies

One of the most effective ways to self-soothe is to focus on your five senses. “You’re tapping into the very thing that’s feeling fraught,” Torres-Mackie says. Spend a few minutes noticing what you’re feeling on your body—like the way your fuzzy socks warm your feet—what you see around you, what you hear, and what you taste. Or, you could choose to zero in on just one sense, like scent. When Torres-Mackie is feeling overwhelmed, she lights a woodsy candle that reminds her of happy times. “I also have perfumes I use that are soothing,” she says. If you’re more of a touch person, you might find solace by holding your own hand, or if you find sound calming, you could turn on your favorite relaxing song.

Read More: How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating

Enlist a friend’s support

If you’re struggling in a social situation—maybe a loud dinner party or sold-out concert—let a trusted friend know you might need to go somewhere quiet for a few minutes. You could agree on a gesture you’ll make to indicate that you’re going to step away and will come back when you feel better, Gold says. Use that time to gather yourself on the fire escape or balcony, or even to spend a few minutes practicing deep-breathing techniques in the bathroom. “And if you can’t come back,” Gold says, “then you’ll try it another day.”

Test out noise-canceling headphones

Putting on a pair of noise-canceling headphones can help create a quieter environment and reduce stress caused by external noise. If you’re worried you’ll look standoffish if, for example, you wear them at work, let your colleagues know that wearing them allows you to focus better. 

Talk to a professional

Psychotherapy is effective for both overwhelm and sensory overload. Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are typically considered the gold standard. Sensory integration therapy is also an option, though it’s most frequently used with children. “Psychodynamic and insight-oriented work can be really effective,” Torres-Mackie says, because these approaches help you figure out how to cope with daily stressors.

The most important thing to do, experts agree, is explore what’s going on if you often feel overstimulated. “If you’re really resonating with the word, and want to know what it means about you, you should use that as fuel to go talk to someone,” Gold says. Whether it turns out you’re overwhelmed or overstimulated, it’s possible to achieve both calmness and balance.

source https://time.com/7213816/what-is-overstimulated-definition/

Why Eggs Are So Expensive Right Now

The price of eggs is expected to skyrocket by another 20% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Prices rose from $2.52 per-dozen for large, grade A eggs in January 2024 to $4.15 by that December, a nearly 65% change in just twelve months, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The shell-shocking price increase of eggs is due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, outbreak. Some 23.2 million birds had to be killed in December 2024 alone after contracting the virus, according to USDA, triggering a national egg shortage.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The outbreak is having widespread repercussions across numerous industries. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Feb. 7 that the state would shut down live bird markets after the virus was detected in seven markets in New York City. 

American restaurant chain Waffle House announced they would be adding a 50-cent per egg surcharge to orders due to the egg shortage and rise in prices. “While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” Waffle House said in a statement to the Associated Press. 

And grocery store giants including Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Sprout have placed limits on the number of egg cartons patrons can purchase. 

Here’s what to know. 

What’s causing the egg shortage

While the pandemic and inflation caused the overall price of food to rise, the current egg shortage is tied to the widespread bird flu, which first affected livestock on U.S. turkey farms in 2020, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2024, the H5N1 strain of the virus began to impact goat kids and dairy cows. The first-ever reported cow-to-human spread of the avian influenza virus was also reported last April, though more than 60 humans have contracted the virus overall. 

USDA says that while the national egg supply was “showing some improvement” in their weekly egg markets overview published on Feb. 7, wholesale prices for graded loose eggs will continue to increase in price. HPAI outbreaks remain persistent, with egg supply across the Eastern U.S. in trouble. In the last 30 days, some 149 flocks were detected with the avian influenza, affecting more than 23 million birds. Commercial flocks in Ohio—one of the top states for egg production—and Missouri appear to be the most affected, though they are just two of a slew of states reporting outbreaks.

“For now, shell egg availability remains limited and inconsistent in many retail markets with many affected grocers employing steps to limit consumer purchasing to stretch their existing supplies including limiting or ending promotional activity, placing limits on units purchased per shopping trip, and holding prices at record or near-record highs to dampen demand,” said the USDA.  

source https://time.com/7221173/why-eggs-are-so-expensive-right-now/

Surviving Black Hawk Down Explores the Continued Devastation of the Battle of Mogadishu

Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning 2002 movie Black Hawk Down famously portrayed the story of the Battle of Mogadishu, when Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by Somali forces in 1993.

But the film was fictional, largely focusing on the perspective of U.S. soldiers. Now a new Ridley Scott Associates’ docu-series Surviving Black Hawk Down, out on Netflix Feb. 10, aims to tell an unfiltered story of that battle through the perspectives of not only the American military personnel who were there, but also the Somalis.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Here’s what to know about the Battle of Mogadishu, the most devastating moments in the docu-series, and how U.S. veterans interviewed are grappling with the battle today. 

How the Battle of Mogadishu started

The goal of the U.S. intervention in Mogadishu in 1992 was supposed to be straightforward: feed people starving from a famine. Americans hoped to prevent attacks on UN Relief operations by followers of Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

But U.S. troops encountered a great amount of resistance. As TIME reported in its Oct. 18, 1993, issue, at 3:30pm on Oct. 3, 100 U.S. Rangers and 12 Blackhawk helicopters raided a site where followers of Aidid were meeting. Forty-five minutes later, the Americans captured 19 prisoners and were ambushed by Somali militia members. Black Hawk helicopters came crashing down. Over four days, at least 18 Americans died.

An estimated 200 Somalis died, but the death count has never been finalized. “Americans did not see pictures of the Somali casualties, though,” according to the magazine. “What they did see were ghastly photos of a white body, naked except for green underwear—apparently the corpse of a downed helicopter crewman—being dragged through the street while Somalis kicked and stamped at him, plus TV footage of a terrified helicopter pilot, Michael Durant being questioned by Somali captors.”

Durant was released after 11 days. He told a Red Cross worker and two journalists who visited him in captivity that Somalis “beat me violently with their fists and with sticks” and then ripped off his clothes so they could hoist him naked, blind-folded, hands bound, over the heads of raging crowds.

On Oct. 7, President Bill Clinton announced that all U.S. troops would be pulled out of combat by March 1994. According to the U.S. State Department’s website, “The United States has long had to face the challenge of determining to what degree it wants to participate in global peacekeeping efforts and whether or not U.S. lives should be put at risk for peacekeeping. Events in Somalia between 1992 and 1994 threw that debate into sharp relief.”

TIME reported that it was initially unclear exactly why President George H.W. Bush launched the Somali intervention in December of 1992, a month after Bill Clinton defeated him in the presidential election. As TIME recounted the leading theories back then:

The immediate causes were, of course, ghastly TV pictures of famine in that country and U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali‘s pleas for help to get food past the guns of armed gangs into the hands of the starving in a country that had no real government and practically no order of any sort. In addition, Bush no doubt wanted to go out in a blaze of glory as a world statesman, and subordinates were glad that the move served as a sort of therapy for the funk he was in after his election defeat.

What it was like on the ground during the Battle of Mogadishu

For U.S. military personnel in Somalia, October 3, 1993, was supposed to be a day off. They started the day relaxing on the beach and playing the board game RISK before they were urgently called to work. 

“There were four of us at the beach this morning, and two of us aren’t here anymore,” says Brad Thomas of the U.S. Army Rangers, describing losing two of his best friends in the Battle of Mogadishu. Thomas, who was part of the convoy evacuating casualties, recalls “driving around in circles being shot at.”

Durant, who was taken hostage, appears in the docu-series and describes being hit with something soft and realizing it was the arm of a crew member. “I thought, there’s no way out of here,” he says.

Some of the U.S. military personnel did not agree with President Clinton’s decision to pull American troops out of Somalia. “My friends died,” Tom Slattery of Delta Force says in the doc, “and now you want to pull out? That’s a waste of lives. We’ve wasted our time. We’ve wasted these lives, and I was enraged. Pissed. Pissed, pissed, pissed.”

Americans watching TV news on the homefront in 1993 saw mostly footage of Somalis doing the attacking. But Surviving Black Hawk Down sheds light on the immense suffering that Somali civilians faced during the battle. The series includes footage taken by a man known as Ahmed “Five,” who shifted from filming parties and events to trying to document as much of the turmoil as possible. “The situation needed to be recorded,” he says. Some of the most harrowing frames of the footage showed victims—mostly elders—taking their last breaths, as well as a boy with blood all over his clothes.

When the raid was going on, a Somali woman named Halima recalls being at a nearby school with 20 children huddled on top of her, vomiting and passing out. When the school was evacuated, she says she ran barefoot as helicopters soared overhead. “I lost hope in life,” she says

A Somali woman named Binti Adan appears in the doc with her daughter Ifrah, who lost her eyesight from injuries sustained during the siege. “There’s nothing worse than losing the eyes,” she says, tearfully. “She was just a child.”

U.S. veterans open up

The Battle of Mogadishu may technically be over, but the U.S. military personnel who were there are very much still affected by it.

Thomas, now a musician who contributes his royalties to charitable organizations that help first responders in need, tells TIME he’s glad that the new series includes more voices of survivors. “The movie Black Hawk Down has kind of become the official narrative, and anyone that knows me will ask me, how real was the movie?” he says. “I didn’t have a voice in that story, and now I’ve been able to share my part of the battle and the things that I saw.”

When Slattery came back from the Battle of Mogadishu, he remembers not saying anything on the drive home. Then, when he got to his kitchen, and his wife asked how his deployment was, he broke down. “I just started bawling,” he tells TIME. “It was very devastating to come home and have to try to explain to people what you went through. It’s just impossible.” 

He’s reminded of the battle whenever he goes to the beach because his base in Somalia was by the sea. The smell of bleach triggers memories of cleaning up the blood that was all over the tarmac of the base. 

Nowadays, Slattery is the CEO and co-founder of the All Secure Foundation, which helps Special Operations families recover from post-traumatic stress and reintegrate into American society.
He hopes that Surviving Black Hawk Down will give people a better appreciation for what U.S. military personnel go through. “They’re not Team America. They’re humans. They’re highly trained to do the best they can,” he says. “And when they come home, they’re hit with post traumatic stress that they continue to have to deal with for the rest of their lives. I want people to get the real story of what war does to humans.”

source https://time.com/7216261/surviving-black-hawk-down-true-story/

How to Deal With a Narcissist

Narcissistic personality disorder is relatively rare, affecting just 1-2% of Americans by some estimates. But having some form of a relationship with someone who has narcissism is not uncommon. The disorder—characterized by arrogance, grandiosity, a lack of empathy, exploitativeness, aggression, and a constant need for affirmation and admiration—also has a more alluring side. “We’re attracted to narcissists at first,” says Amy Brunell, professor of psychology at Ohio State University and a prolific researcher of narcissism. “They’re charming, they’re fun, they’re energetic, and then over time, the negative qualities come out more and more.”

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Brunell wrote a recent scientific article on how to understand narcissism and cope when you’re in a relationship with a narcissist. Here’s what she says you should know about how to navigate those relationships.

How can narcissism present?

As Brunell describes it, narcissists are “self-centered, they’re entitled, and very often they think the world should revolve around them.” But they don’t all present the same way.

A large body of work going back decades divides narcissism into three types: agentic narcissism, communal narcissism, and vulnerable narcissism. Of the three, agentic narcissism is the most recognizable—and toxic. Agentic narcissists hold exalted views of themselves, seeing their competence and intelligence as far greater than that of others, Brunell explains. In an effort to maintain that self-image, they will often derogate the talents and temperaments of friends, colleagues, and family members. They are more invested in status and admiration than they are in intimacy. They self-promote tirelessly, harbor grandiose fantasies of their prospects and projects, and often engage in rivalries with people—especially work colleagues—who threaten their sense of primacy.

“Ask these narcissists about themselves [and] they say, ‘Oh yeah, I’m so pro-social and so great,’” says Brunell. “But if you ask their peers about them, they actually see them as being kind of aggressive.”

Read More: Gaslighting, Narcissist, and More Psychology Terms You’re Misusing

Communal narcissists seek out admiration by being exceedingly—often excessively—caring and helpful, sometimes offering assistance when it’s neither needed nor requested. That kind of other-directedness seems inconsistent with the me-first impulses of narcissism; however, the behavior does not come from a place of genuine altruism, but instead from a need to be loved and admired, Brunell says. 

“Communal narcissists are self-enhancing,” she says. “They think they’re the most helpful person—that no one can do as much good as they do.”

The vulnerable narcissist is the most fragile type. Vulnerable narcissists have none of the overweening self-regard that is the province of the agentic or communal narcissist, Brunell explains; instead, they overcompensate for a deep sense of low self-esteem. Often, they can be socially inhibited, defensive, anxious, and depressed—a painful suite of feelings that they try to battle with egotism, arrogance, defensiveness, and self-centeredness.

“Vulnerable narcissists feel bad about themselves,” says Brunell. “They are chronically mad that they’re not getting what they think is due them, so they tend to be more hostile. For a while, I struggled with understanding why vulnerable narcissists are narcissists at all, except they share the core feature of self-centeredness.”

What causes narcissism?

The roots of narcissism are as varied as the types. Some research, including a 2014 study of twins in China, suggests that genetics may play a role, with both grandiosity and entitlement seeming to be shared more by the twins than by other siblings. Other studies comparing adopted children to biological children point to heritability too, with the biological children exhibiting more of the behavior of their narcissistic parents than adopted children.

But the research in this area is not robust. “There is some evidence that narcissism is genetic, though it’s small,” says Brunell. This type of research is also cloudy: “Within families, you’re looking at shared genes, but you’re also looking at behaviors that are learned from generation to generation.” In general, most researchers in the narcissism field lean toward the “nurture” rather than the “nature” school. “It’s pretty easy to answer from the perspective of grandiose narcissism that parents kind of create these little narcissists,” Brunell says.

Read More: How to Relax and Unwind Without Drinking Alcohol

Too much parental praise, Brunell writes in her new paper, can cause the child to “develop an inflated sense of self as ‘special’ that can only be maintained through continual admiration by others.” The same parenting trait can also give rise to communal narcissism, with exalted children growing up to believe that they are uniquely qualified to serve and save the world.

Vulnerable narcissists are created in the opposite way: by parents who dismiss, ignore, or demean. These kinds of starvation rations of parental approval lead the child to look elsewhere for emotional nourishment.

“With vulnerable narcissism,” says Brunell, “a lot of times children are criticized harshly, and they start to experience that anger and that rage at not being seen.”

Can narcissists change?

Narcissism is not typically like other emotional or psychological conditions. The person with a phobia does not want to be terrified of spiders. The person with depression does not want to be so sad. Many narcissists, on the other hand, are sold on the idea of their own uniqueness and often do not want to change, Brunell says—even if they know that their behavior is working against them. 

“There’s a body of research that suggests that narcissists know that other people find them annoying,” Brunell says. “They know that their reputations aren’t great. But they don’t put that awareness to work and change. They still think it’s the other person’s fault. They think that you’re jealous, that you don’t see how great they are.”

Read More: What to Do If Your Doctor Doesn’t Take Your Symptoms Seriously

Still, Brunell points out that people with narcissism generally disapprove of narcissistic traits in others—evidence that they are not incapable of recognizing the downsides of the behavior.

There’s some research that finds narcissism can improve. One 2014 study showed that when people who exhibit agentic narcissism were asked to make and endorse such communal statements as “I am a caring person,” they reported behaving less narcissistically in real-world situations afterwards, though the effect was temporary. The same study showed similar improvement when narcissists were asked to recall a time when they showed concern, love, and acceptance for another person. “The thing is to get them to talk or think more in terms of ‘we,’” says Brunell.

How to cope with narcissism in relationships

When dealing with a narcissistic parent or partner, it can help to be direct about the changes you’d like to see the person make, Brunell says, but to stress that you’re making that request because that person is important to you.

“For a child, if you get a parent angry, they can take away all of your resources,” says Brunell. “I would suggest that rather than necessarily confronting the parent, they can approach them in a way where they say, ‘Mom, I really care about our relationship and making you happy,’ and then try to assert yourself.”

In a romantic relationship, it helps to set up clear boundaries for behaviors that will and won’t be tolerated, but those conversations can often end in grief. “Narcissists tend to be highly reactive and tend to play the victim, so they don’t necessarily handle critical feedback well,” Brunell says. “Still, if you couch it in a way that you care about the other person, you can maybe temper the blow a little bit.”

Things are trickier with a narcissistic boss, because, like a parent, that person may have the ability to deny you something important—in this case, your job. Here Brunell recommends being mindful of what your goals are in any encounter with a narcissistic boss—what you’re trying to get out of a meeting, say—and not getting distracted or rattled by bad behavior.

“Have an agenda for every meeting,” she says. “Know what you need from it, and then set expectations for what you’re going to get and what you’re not going to get.”

When to say goodbye

Often, the healthiest way to handle a relationship with a narcissist is to leave it, Brunell says. When it comes to a romantic relationship, anything that makes a person feel unsafe—any suggestion at all of violence—requires leaving. Those relationships must end. Short of that, things often depend on how much of an effort the partner without narcissism wants to continue to put in.

“If you’ve tried everything there is to try and you’re not getting your needs met, if you’re chronically feeling torn down and not seen, if you’ve tried therapy, if you’ve tried working with your partner, then it may be time to end the relationship,” Brunell says. The stakes aren’t as high in a friendship with a narcissistic, but the same guidelines apply.

Read More: How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone

Then there is the dilemma that can arise when you have a good job with a bad boss—doing work you love for a manager you loathe. In this case, Brunell recommends assessing whether it’s possible to do the same kind of work elsewhere—possibilities you can explore on your own while continuing to work at your present job—and then grab the opportunity if one presents itself. 

When people free themselves of these toxic dynamics, they still have some work ahead of them. It’s important, for one thing, not to let someone creep back into your life who you want out. “If the narcissist calls you and you don’t want to take the call, that can be your boundary,” Brunell says. “I think feeling a little bit more empowered to make those decisions for yourself can be really important.”

Both during the relationship and after it ends, it’s also important to seek out the validation and emotional support you probably haven’t been getting. Friends, teachers, and mentors can all provide these kinds of resources. The point is to remember your own agency. “Sometimes,” says Brunell, “we feel stuck in situations that we’re not actually stuck in. It just feels that way.”

source https://time.com/7213814/how-to-deal-with-narcissists/

Trump Says No Right of Return for Palestinians in Gaza Under His Plan for U.S. ‘Ownership’

President Donald Trump said Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for U.S. “ownership” of the war-torn territory, contradicting other officials in his administration who have sought to argue Trump was only calling for the temporary relocation of its population.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Less than a week after he floated his plan for the U.S. to take control of Gaza and turn it in “the Riviera of the Middle East,” Trump, in an interview with FOX News’ Bret Baier that was set to air on Monday, said “No, they wouldn’t” when asked if Palestinians in Gaza would have a right to return to the territory. It comes as he has ramped up pressure on Arab states, especially U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, to take in Palestinians from Gaza, who claim the territory as part of a future homeland.

“We’ll build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is,” Trump said. “In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent.”

Arab nations have sharply criticized the Trump proposal, and Trump’s latest words were released a day before he is set to host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. In addition to concerns about jeopardizing the long-held goals of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately raised security concerns about welcoming large numbers of additional refugees into their countries even temporarily.

Trump’s comments risked jeopardizing the already tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after 15 months of war, with the existing framework for negotiations calling for the massive humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for civilians in Gaza.

After Trump’s initial comments last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio respectfully insisted that Trump only wanted Palestinians relocated from Gaza “temporarily” and for an “interim” period to allow for debris removal, the disposal of unexploded ordinance and reconstruction.

Trump last week didn’t rule out deploying U.S. troops to help secure the territory but at the same time insisted no U.S. funds would go to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza, raising fundamental questions about the nature of his plan.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s said there is “Arab consensus” on the rejection of the transfer of Palestinians, as Trump continued to press his suggestion of moving Palestinians out of Gaza.

Abdelatty stressed on “the importance of finding a political horizon for the Palestinian cause, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and for the Palestinian people to enjoy the right of self-determination,” the Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.

A senior Hamas official blasted Trump’s latest remarks about the U.S. ownership of Gaza, as “absurd.”

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas politico bureau, said these comments “reflect a deep ignorance of Palestine and the region.”

In comments released by Hamas early Monday, he said Trump’s approach toward the Palestinian cause will fail.

“Dealing with the Palestinian cause with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure,” he said. “Our Palestinian people will thwart all transfer and deportation plans.”

source https://time.com/7216321/trump-palestinians-no-return-gaza/

What Trump’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Are and How They Would Work

President Donald Trump announced on Air Force One Sunday that he would impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, the latest move as part of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and its allies.

Tariffs refer to taxes that are placed on imported goods, or products that come into the country. Importers have to pay tariffs to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which could cause companies to increase prices on their goods to make up for the additional taxes they have to pay. 

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The move is meant to help domestic steel and aluminum companies, but could also cause local companies that rely on foreign steel to struggle. 

The U.S. is the world’s second-largest steel importer, with the top three import sources being Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, although other countries, such as South Korea, heavily rely on exporting steel to the U.S.

Steel and aluminum are heavily used in the automotive and construction industry, but are also used to manufacture goods and appliances. 

The decision mirrors the actions Trump levied during his first Administration, when he enacted a 25% tariff on steel and 10% tariff on aluminum, though some countries, including South Korea were exempt. 

In response to the most-recent tariff announcement, shares of major South Korean steelmakers in the country fell on the stock market Monday morning, while that of U.S. steel companies rose. 

On average, the U.S. imports more than 2 million metric tons of steel mill products per month, according to data by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, but only about a quarter of all steel in the U.S. is imported, as total steel imports have been decreasing year-over-year. 

“You see these empty, old, beautiful steel mills and factories that are empty and falling down,” Trump said on the campaign trail in October 2024. “We’re going to bring the companies back. We’re going to lower taxes for companies that are going to make their products in the USA. And we’re going to protect those companies with strong tariffs.”

The U.S. imports about half of all aluminum it uses from other countries, mostly from neighboring Canada. The International Trade Administration reports that there’s been a significant increase of U.S. imports on aluminum, up 25% from 2015 to 2022. 

Earlier in February, Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on most Canadian and Mexican imports, though he later decided to pause the tariffs for 30 days after negotiations with each country.

Trump also issued a 10% tariff on China which remains in place. The President said he will also charge retaliatory tariffs on other countries. 

source https://time.com/7216312/trump-steel-aluminum-tariffs-impact/

Understanding Trump’s Complicated Legacy With Football as He Attends the Super Bowl

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As a student, Donald Trump played high school football. As a business baron, he owned a team in an upstart rival to the NFL and then sued the established league. As president, he denigrated pros who took a knee during the national anthem as part of a social justice movement.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

On Sunday, he adds to that complicated history with the sport when he becomes the first president in office to attend a Super Bowl.

Trump’s appearance at the Superdome in New Orleans to watch the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles follows the NFL’s decision to remove the “End Racism” slogans that have been stenciled on the end zones since 2021.

Read More: Revisiting Trump and Taylor Swift’s Tense History as They Both Attend the Super Bowl

Trump recently ordered the cancelation of programs that encourage diversity, equity and inclusion across the federal government and some critics see the league’s decision as a response to the Republican president’s action. But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league’s diversity policies are not in conflict with the Trump administration’s efforts to end the federal government’s DEI programs.

Trump, who attended the Super Bowl in 1992, has avoided choosing sides in Sunday’s matchup despite public comments and social media posts that suggest an affinity for Kansas City.

Last week, when asked which team would win, Trump said, “I don’t want to say, but there’s a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner.” That appeared to be a reference to the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.

Trump also posted congratulations to the Chiefs in January after they won the AFC Championship.

The president played football as a student at the New York Military Academy. As a New York businessman in the early 1980s, he owned the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. Trump had sued to force a merger of the USFL and the NFL. The USFL eventually folded.

Read More: What Is DEI and What Challenges Does It Face Amid Trump’s Executive Orders?

Friction existed between Trump and the NFL during his first term as president.

Trump took issue with players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social or racial injustice. That movement began in 2016 with then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner” during an exhibition game in Denver.

Trump, through social media and other public comments, insisted that players stand for the national anthem and he called on team owners to fire any player who took a knee.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ’Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,” Trump said to loud applause at a rally in Hunstville, Alabama, in 2017.

Trump is expected to watch the game from a box in the company of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., among others. Trump won Missouri and Pennsylvania — the states represented in the game — on his way to a second term in November.

His interest in sports extends beyond football. Trump is an avid golfer who owns multiple golf courses and has hosted tournaments. He sponsored boxing matches at his former casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and attended a UFC match at Madison Square Garden weeks after winning a second term.

Trump was playing golf with Tiger Woods on Sunday morning in Florida, where the president spent the weekend, the White House said.

Read More: How Climate Change Is Affecting the NFL

Some NFL team owners have donated to his campaigns and Trump maintains friendships with Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie, who played for the Generals. Trump endorsed Walker’s unsuccessful bid as the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat from Georgia in 2022, and has tapped him to become ambassador to the Bahamas.

Trump signed an order last week that is intended to block transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports by targeting federal funding for schools that fail to comply.

Alvin Tillery, a politics professor and diversity expert at Northwestern University, said in an interview that the NFL’s decision to remove “End Racism” slogans was “shameful” given that the league “makes tens of billions of dollars largely on the bodies of Black men.”

He said the NFL should explain who it was aiming to please. The NFL said it was stenciling “Choose Love” in one of the end zones for the Super Bowl to encourage the country after a series of tragedies so far this year, including a New Year’s Day truck attack in the host city of New Orleans that killed 14 people and injured dozens more.

Tillery wasn’t convinced. “I think they removed it because Trump’s coming,” he said.

source https://time.com/7214165/trump-complicated-legacy-with-football-super-bowl/