The Week Magazine August 1, 2025

After that first frisson of schadenfreude wore off, most of us probably felt a little sorry for the couple caught on the kiss cam at the Coldplay concert. Andy Byron, CEO of tech unicorn Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s HR chief, both married to other people, panicked and tried to duck out of view when their warm embrace appeared on the jumbotron (see Talking Points, p.16). The apparent affair was revealed to the stadium and soon the public, even though it’s really none of our business. Now their anonymity has been shattered, and googling their names will forever return their ethical lapse as the top result. For people of a certain age—like me, and like anyone who would buy a ticket to Coldplay—the idea that you might go viral…

What happened As bipartisan pressure built on the Trump administration to release files on convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, House Speaker Mike Johnson this week abruptly ended the legislative session and sent members home a few days early to avoid having to hold votes on the matter. It was a sharp turnaround for Johnson, who last week declared, “We should put everything out there and let the people decide.” That was an apparent attempt to placate MAGA influencers and GOP lawmakers angered by a Justice Department memo that stated the government had no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a long-rumored “client list” of rich and powerful pedophiles. When Democrats tried to force a procedural vote on a bipartisan measure calling for the administration to release all files on Epstein—who died…

On the defensive, Trump has directed Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony in Epstein’s 2019 New York criminal case, said Michelle Stoddart in ABCNews.com. But unsealing the records “could be a long process.” Grand jury testimony is secret, and a release would require approval by a federal judge, who’ll consider factors including the potential impact on victims. A judge in Florida has already denied a request to unseal Epstein records there. As lawmakers head home for break, we’re about to learn “what kind of legs the Epstein issue truly has,” said Adam Wren and Dasha Burns in Politico. Johnson clearly hopes the issue will lose steam before Congress reconvenes in September. But it may “follow congressional Republicans back to their districts,” yielding “tense town halls.” Rep. Thomas…

What happened The Trump administration accelerated efforts to build a network of massive ICE detention camps across the U.S. this week, even as lawmakers and human rights advocates detailed allegations of shocking conditions at overcrowded immigration jails in Florida. Detainees at three ICE facilities in the Miami area said they had to sleep on the floor in freezing, overcrowded cells. One detainee said they were chained with their hands behind them so they had to “bend down and eat with our mouths, like dogs.” Another said that when inmates demanded medical attention, officers disabled a surveillance camera and used stun grenades on them. With many existing detention facilities well over capacity, the Trump administration has awarded a $1.26 billion contract to build a tent camp at Texas’ Fort Bliss that…

■ While paddling down the Kananaskis River in Alberta, Canada, Anna Gleig and Ava Haddad discovered a baby horse, only a few days old, stuck in the water and pinned against a bridge. The pair managed to paddle the foal to shore but accidentally scared away its nearby herd. So they bundled the 80-pound baby into a life jacket and paddled it downriver in their boat until they were able to contact a local who could return the foal to its mother. “It was a good ending,” said Gleig, “which made it a good day.” ■ Nicholas McCarthy sought to become a pianist at 14 after he heard a friend play Beethoven. He didn’t play any instruments, so he called a music school to inquire about piano lessons—but once he…

We’ve supported him for 56 years, said Rich Lowry in National Review, but it’s time for Big Bird to “make his own way in the world.” At President Trump’s urging, Senate Republicans passed a rare “rescissions” bill last week, “clawing back” some $9 billion in congressionally authorized spending, including about $8 billion in foreign aid and $1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund National Public Radio, PBS, and their local member stations. Liberals howled, and even moderate GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in opposition, but the outrage is misplaced. Institutions like NPR and Sesame Street have huge, loyal audiences that will ensure their survival. And in this age of “media churn,” it’s ridiculous for the government to prop up “a few select…