Table of contents for August 1-8, 2025 in Newsweek

CHINA’S POWERFUL CENTRAL Military Commission has shrunk to its smallest size in decades under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, a Newsweek analysis shows, with analysts saying it highlights the personalization of his control—and efforts to make the military combat-ready. The changes come at a critical time for China as it rivals the United States in military and economic terms amid the ever-present question as to whether it will seek to take over democratic Taiwan, which Communist Party leader Xi has repeatedly said he wants to incorporate as what he sees as an integral part of China. Yet scores of changes in security and other political positions, including in the country’s top military leadership, have also brought the dismissal of persons seen as Xi loyalists, raising speculation among some China-watchers…

EVEN BEFORE THE FOUNDING Fathers declared that all men are created equal, one truth was already self-evident in the blossoming United States of America: The people need their mail. Established during the Second Continental Congress on July 26, 1775, the United States Postal Service has kept Americans connected for 250 years—from transporting letters on horseback to delivering e-commerce in green trucks. And over the years, some of America’s most recognizable figures—including actors Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman—delivered mail before they made their big break. The 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln earned his famous moniker “Honest Abe” while postmaster in New Salem, Illinois, and aviator Charles Lindbergh became the famous “Lucky Lindy” as an airmail pilot. Even Walt Disney delivered mail before Mickey Mouse graced the silver screen, and a whole…

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY THAT HOLLYWOOD HANDS THE keys to an epic, large-scale historical drama over to an Indigenous creative team, but with Apple TV+’s Chief of War, Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett seized their opportunity and built a breathtaking cultural monument. The sweeping nine-episode saga, premiering August 1, centers on the unification of the Hawaiian islands at the turn of the 18th century, an era fraught with tribal warfare, political upheaval and the looming threat of Western colonization. At its heart, Chief of War is more than a story about battles won or lost. It’s a reclamation of cultural identity, told through the eyes of Polynesian people by Polynesian people, in their language. “It’s mind-blowing to be able to tell this incredible story of my ancestors and to…

The sun sets over the Grand Canyon National Park as visitors look on from the south Rim on July 16, following a much-needed rainstorm after devastating fires. the North Rim, which was closed to visitors after the fires started, had been engulfed in flames—fueled by strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures—days earlier, after the Park service allowed two initially smaller wildfires to continue in a controlled burn. this decision was scrutinized after the fire got out of control and destroyed the historic grand Canyon Lodge.…

WHEN CASEY MCPHERSON became a father, his purpose became clear. He needed to raise his daughter, Rose, to be loving, courageous, healthy and strong. He needed to protect her. So when the pediatric neurologist told McPherson that Rose had a rare genetic disease—so uncommon that it didn’t even have a name—parental instinct kicked in. And when the doctor said: “There’s nothing we can do,” that instinct sharpened. “Rose was being attacked, but there wasn’t a monster for me to kill or a car for me to throw myself in front of,” McPherson told Newsweek. “It was just one little nucleotide in the gene. And if that’s the monster for me to kill, then that’s the monster I’m going after.” Rose, now 9, and McPherson, 46, fight against that “monster” disease…

“THE OLD JOKE WAS YOU COULD NOT BECOME A CEO in the U.S. if you are Indian,” Eric Garcetti, then U.S. ambassador to India, remarked last year during an interview in New Delhi. “Now the joke is you cannot become a CEO in America if you are not Indian.” The stunning global business success of the Indian diaspora is no joking matter. Satya Nadella runs Microsoft, Sundar Pichai leads Google, Leena Nair heads Chanel, Raj Subramaniam pilots FedEx and, until last year, Laxman Narasimhan led Starbucks. All told, on this year’s edition of the Fortune 500, 11 companies are led by CEOs with Indian heritage who oversee enterprises with a combined market cap of more than $6.5 trillion. The transformation behind the joke’s punchline was at first gradual, then sudden.…

WHEN JEAN SMART FIRST READ the play Call Me Izzy, she had one response. “I just had to do it.” Smart is taking a break from winning multiple Emmys for her portrayal of Deborah Vance on Hacks to tackle a 12-week, one-person Broadway show about Isabelle Scutley, a Southern woman trapped in an abusive marriage who, despite it all, finds her voice through writing and humor. Naturally, we’re left wondering how she keeps up the stamina. “Check with me in a few weeks,” she jokes in an exclusive interview with Newsweek. “I’ve relaxed into it, I feel very confident about the words, all 75 pages. So that’s a load off my mind. The hardest part, I suppose, even just physically and vocally, is that I’m voicing all the other characters.”…

U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S TRIUMPHANT strides back into the White House put NATO’s European countries, as well as Canada, on edge. His historic skepticism about the alliance was one thing, but military planners in countries buying U.S. hardware began questioning whether the F-35—the world’s most expensive weapons program—had been the right choice. The Lockheed Martin-made F-35 is the only real option for Western militaries outside the U.S. to get hold of a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, and many of the 20 nations operating or buying them are NATO members. Fifth-generation planes are the most advanced currently in operation, with sixth-generation aircraft in the early development stages. As Trump settled back into the Oval Office, rumors of a “kill switch” started floating around in defense circles. There was—according to the whispers—effectively…

FOR MORE THAN HALF A DECADE, Evelyn Webster was a dedicated SoulCycle rider, the bike becoming not only a mainstay of her fitness regimen but also a sanctuary where she could leave the chaos of the world behind. Now, Webster has pedaled out of the saddle and into the seat that matters most: CEO of the indoor cycling company. “It’s difficult for SoulCycle to be my escape now because I work there,” she chuckled. “It’s my everyday.” Webster is still a regular at SoulCycle’s spin classes, but decompresses by reading before bed and listening to podcasts while walking around New York City. Her wellness routine also includes strength training, Pilates, eight hours’ sleep (“I will prioritize sleep over getting out of bed to workout”) and lots of protein. She munched…

FOR WORKING PARENTS ACROSS AMERICA, the ability of a company to respect and support their needs is a vital factor in determining where they choose to grow their career. Ultimately, businesses that strive to incorporate better practices for parents and families have proven to be more desirable places for them to work. The KPMG Working Parents Survey, conducted in 2025, found that working parents have listed enhanced paid parental, medical and sick leave as the most important policies that their workplace could offer them. Also significant are additional resources that allow parents to maintain a work-life balance. That is why Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group are proud to present America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families 2025, highlighting 1,000 U.S. companies that have demonstrated some of the best practices for supporting…