Ukraine's Future Looks Uncertain Ahead of the Trump-Putin Summit

What's Happening

International

Ukraine's Future Looks Uncertain Ahead of the Trump-Putin Summit

What's going on: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with President Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska — Putin’s first visit to the US in nearly a decade. On the agenda: ending the Russia-Ukraine war after more than three years of fighting. Putin is expected to bring a long list of demands, including for Ukraine to cede land in the eastern Donbas region — a concession that Trump suggested is possible. One person who won’t be there: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has warned that talks without Kyiv will “bring nothing,” and vowed that Ukraine wouldn't “gift their land to the occupier.” As the meeting approaches, the European Union called on the US to give Ukraine a seat at the negotiating table. A last-minute invite is possible, but don’t bet on it.

What it means: Some analysts say it’s unlikely that a deal will be reached on Friday, pointing to how far apart Moscow and Kyiv remain in negotiations. Others say Friday’s meeting will test whether Russia is actually serious about making peace. The stakes are high for Trump, too. He once vowed to end the war within 24 hours of his second term — but nearly seven months in, the fighting drags on, and his patience with Putin is wearing thin. It also doesn’t help that Trump and Zelenskyy can’t seem to see eye-to-eye (especially since that tense Oval Office meeting) on territory concessions. Now, Trump’s latest attempt at ending the war will be on display, with the world watching and Ukraine hoping it’s in the room where it happens.

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Health

Jury Duty's Tolls Don't Always End When the Trial Does

What's going on: When many of us think of jury duty, we imagine ourselves slouched (Ronald Gladden-style) in a government building, bored, and silently hoping our name isn’t called. But for some, jury duty is more than an inconvenience — it can be a life-changing event in the worst possible way. Jurors who serve on deeply disturbing cases about murder and abuse can leave the courtroom with secondary traumatic stress disorder, also called “vicarious trauma.” Their mental turmoil can last long after the verdict. One study showed symptoms such as anxiety, despair, and sleep issues occurred in up to 50% of jurors who served on difficult cases, sometimes following them for months or years. Experts say not being able to discuss what they see in court until a trial ends can compound emotional despair.

Tell me more: In the past, jurors have received little to no support for their civic duty, save for piecemeal efforts from sympathetic judges. But some states and cities have expanded mental health offerings. This spring, Philadelphia rolled out a post-trial counseling program, and North Dakota’s senate passed a bill to provide similar help. All told, Alaska, parts of California, Massachusetts, and Texas have programs to help jurors cope with trauma. Those who’ve sat in the box for harrowing trials say any of these programs would be a worthy step in the right direction. After all, as one former juror with PTSD told The New York Times, she got “nothing but a ‘Thank you for your service.’”

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Culture

The Soundtrack-less Summer

What's going on: This time last year, we could all (mostly) agree on a few things: It was “brat summer,” sleepless nights could be blamed on “that me espresso,” and pop culture crowned official Songs of the Summer — with hits from Charli XCX and Kendrick Lamar ruling the airwaves (and our headphones). But in 2025, there is no such song, at least if you ask Google Trends data. The closest contender? A capitalism-coded TikTok bop: the Jet2 holiday jingle, which isn’t even from this year. It’s a 2024 ad for the British budget airline, featuring a song Jess Glynne put out in 2015, “Hold My Hand.” If that doesn’t scream “musical drought,” Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart will.

What it means: Experts say a perfect storm of factors has left us in a pentatonic pop purgatory: Listening habits have changed (the LimeWire days feel like eons ago), streaming algorithms have pushed listeners out of their genre bubbles, and, of course, the music industry’s current “AI slop” problem. Music consumption is more fragmented than ever — no more shared MTV countdowns or calling into radio DJs — much like American society itself. As divisions widen, some analysts say the music is reflecting our times. Without a shared summer song (even one that annoys us to our core), we’re all just strangers with headphones, scrolling in opposite directions. 

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Settle This

This famous chain is back with a new location two years after filing for bankruptcy and shutting down. Which is it?

Game Time

Wake your brain up this Monday with a game of Flipart. Just rotate the pieces to fit within the frame and get ready to feel the rush when they all fall into place. Get into it.