The Week Evening Review
Trump edges toward authoritarianism, Harris' future in California, and OnlyFans' profits

 
TALKING POINTS

Is Trump's troop move authoritarian or for order?

First the National Guard, now the Marines — President Donald Trump says deploying troops to California is about establishing law and order in the face of anti-ICE protests. His critics say the move is more reminiscent of strongman politics. 

The showdown in Los Angeles represents a "perfect opportunity to fuse power, politics and spectacle" for an "unrestrained" Trump, said Axios. Trump is "edging closer" to invoking the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that offers him the "most extreme emergency powers available" to respond to the protests. "We're going to have troops everywhere, we're not going to let this happen to our country," he said. Critics say he's "manufacturing a crisis," said Axios.

'Overreach'
"This is what autocracy looks like," said Michelle Goldberg at The New York Times. Some of the protests against agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been "violent" and should be condemned as "immoral" and "counterproductive." But the idea that Trump is sending troops to L.A. because "riots were spinning out of control" is "pure fantasy." Trump may be trying to pose as a "champion of law and order bringing criminal mobs to heel," which is why it's important for others to "denounce the administration's authoritarian overreach." 

Anti-ICE protesters "picked the wrong time to riot," said Dan McLaughlin at the National Review. Polls show the public likes border enforcement, although people are also "uneasy with how Trump is going about it." Trump benefits from casting the "other side of that debate as the aggressors" in the immigration discourse. He sees the L.A. demonstrations "against federal authority, and under foreign flags, as a gift." 

Not backing down
The demonstrations are spilling out beyond Los Angeles to "New York, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and elsewhere," said NBC News. That may invite a broadened response from Trump. The presidential memorandum enabling the troop deployment is "in no way limited as to time or place," said Bill Kristol at The Bulwark. That suggests Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth can send troops "anywhere he wishes" within the U.S. 

L.A. might be Trump's "first beachhead in a national campaign," said Edward Luce at the Financial Times. The president has already "trampled over more laws and ripped up more precedents" than his predecessors. So "do not expect Trump to back down."

 
 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

Does Kamala Harris have a future in California?

Kamala Harris came close to being elected president in 2024, and she could make another try in 2028 or instead run for governor of California. Democrats are still not sure what her next move is or should be.

Observers across the political spectrum believe Harris would have "better odds running for California governor" than making another presidential run, said The Associated Press. But it's not a certainty that she would win. Harris is a "highly polarizing figure," said San Francisco Democratic consultant Eric Jaye.

What did the commentators say?
Harris is "not right for the job" of California governor, Tad Weber said at The Fresno Bee. The right candidate "must prioritize pocketbook issues central to the lives of the middle class," but it will be difficult for Harris to make that case. She, after all, served in a Biden administration that "brought high inflation back to America" despite economists' warnings. 

"Of course, Harris should run for governor," Stephanie Finucane said at The Sacramento Bee. She's not a perfect candidate, but her resume is "unmatched by any of the dozen or so serious candidates" who have already thrown their hats in the ring for the 2026 election. The gubernatorial field "will be stronger if her name is on the primary ballot."

What next?
While Harris is "still on the fence," other candidates are already working for support, said Politico. The potential field includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and Stephen J. Cloobeck, a big-spending entrepreneur. Some of those candidates are "sure to clear the way for Harris" if she does run, and she would "instantly hold front-runner status if she does."

However, there are signs that Harris' electoral support is tepid. A recent Emerson College survey found "half of those polled would prefer she not run," said The San Francisco Standard. That makes it clear that Harris has "some vulnerabilities," said Jason McDaniel, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University. Even if she gets into the race, it's "not going to be a cakewalk."

 
 

Statistic of the day

686,061: The number of births in Japan in 2024, according to new government data. This represents a 5.7% drop from the prior year and marks Japan's lowest birth rate ever, falling below 700,000 births for the first time since record-keeping began in 1899. The country has long been dealing with a population crisis.

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'Sly was a giant not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note.'

Music- and filmmaker Questlove honoring the legacy of funk and soul musician Sly Stone, who died yesterday, adding that his music "looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same." Questlove's documentary about Stone, "Sly Lives!," was released earlier this year.

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

OnlyFans: record profits and wary investors

OnlyFans' owner has been in talks about a potential sale of the platform for $8 billion. But it could be worth much more, said the Financial Times, if the social media site, on which "creators" post mostly sexual content for paying subscribers, could shift from being "not safe for work" to being "less edgy." Its business model, which takes a 20% fee from videomakers, is versatile and scalable, much like others that trade in user-generated content, such as Reddit and Roblox. 

'Betting on reinvention' 
OnlyFans was founded in 2016 and grew rapidly during the pandemic. In the year up to November 2023, it generated $6.6 billion in revenue. But tighter regulation of adult content in some states has made investors wary. Any buyer would be "betting on reinvention or at least diversification," a transition that OnlyFans is attempting by luring chefs and fitness influencers to post, said the FT. 

A stock market flotation is also being considered. But it doesn't change the platform's reputation, with reports of child-abuse material and nonconsensual pornography being posted on the site. 

'Fame equalizer' 
Some noncelebrity creators defend OnlyFans for giving them autonomy and the opportunity to earn millions, although the average annual payout is about $1,300 per creator, according to Mashable. This potential is explored in Rufi Thorpe's comic novel "Margo's Got Money Troubles," in which a single mother turns to OnlyFans as a creatively fulfilling and financially rewarding lifeline. The platform represents a "way out" for the characters, said Nick Hornby in The New York Times. 

And the platform is a "fame equalizer, allowing unknown individuals to rise to prominence and build a large fanbase," said The Independent. But OnlyFans also normalizes the "commodification of a person's body, sexuality and privacy," with creators becoming "globally known for performing sexual stunts that, until recently, would only have been conceived of in the farthest extremes of pornography."

 
 

Good day 😄

… for smiling. Cracking a smile appears to be more effective than Botox at boosting attractiveness, according to a study from the Netherlands. Researchers asked 3,000 people to rate before-and-after images and found that Botox increased perceived attractiveness by 0.07 points on a seven-point scale, while swapping a neutral expression for a smile led to a 0.4 point increase.

 
 

Bad day 🪓

… for lasting mergers. Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans to split itself into two companies by mid-2026, separating its streaming and studios divisions from its linear television businesses. The move is meant to help "maximize the potential" of its portfolio of brands, according to the company.

 
 
Picture of the day

Demanding justice

A protester sits in front of Kenyan police officers guarding the entrance to the Central Police Station in Nairobi. Demonstrators are rallying over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody after being arrested following a defamation complaint filed by senior officer Eliud Kipkoech Lagat.
Luis Tato / Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

Take a load off this season by attending a comedy show. You could reminisce about the seeming innocence of the '80s and '90s with Weird Al. You could hark back to the comparative good vibes of the '00s with Marlon Wayans. Or you could enjoy the here and now with the strange musings of Kate Berlant.

Kate Berlant
Actor-comedian Kate Berlant rose to fame following her collaboration with John Early on the A24/Peacock comedy special "Would It Kill You to Laugh?" Berlant is a "thinking woman's comic," said Alexis Soloski at The New York Times. "To put it a little more precisely, she's a comic for all the girls out there who think too much." ("Kate Berlant Live!," now through July 25)

Marlon Wayans
In Marlon Wayans' span of aughts comedy blockbusters, he was silly and unafraid to play the fool. But the actor-comedian has done a lot of evolving. Still, Wayans hasn't lost all the goofy of old. The description for his current tour pledges, rather ominously, "You'll laugh (a lot) … you'll cry (maybe a little) … you might even piss (sh#t) your pants!" ("Wild Child," June 12-December)

'Weird Al' Yankovic
Best known for his irreverent music parodies, unruly hair and interminable Hawaiian T-shirt collection, Weird Al is now 65 (feel old yet?) and about to begin "his fastest-­selling, biggest-grossing tour yet," said Billboard. The five-time Grammy winner is set to sing all his iconic hits, plus some never-performed-live-before fan favorites. ("Bigger and Weirder," June 13-Sept. 25)

 
 

Poll watch

There's a gender gap of 20 percentage points among Americans who see themselves as pro-choice on abortion, according to a Gallup survey. The poll of 1,003 adults found that 61% of women consider themselves pro-choice compared to only 41% of men. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, this gap was never more than 10 points. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Get ready to hear a lot more about your mitochondria'
Hannah Seo at The Atlantic
Mitochondrial health is "poised to become a pillar of the MAHA movement," so the American public can "expect to hear a lot more about mitochondria," says Hannah Seo. When mitochondria are "defective, people do indeed suffer." But the "mitochondrial approach to wellness carries risks, too." Zooming in on mitochondria "might offer a reassuringly specific and seemingly scientific explanation of the many real ills of the U.S. population," but MAHA is "only helping obscure the big picture."

'Despite military purges, China's next war "could be imminent" and spread fast'
Gordon G. Chang at The Hill
America "needs to urgently prepare for war," as war is "coming to East Asia, and Taiwan" is a "target of Chinese aggression," says Gordon G. Chang. The U.S. and its partners "have to be ready for anything at any place and at any time." China's regime, which is "mobilizing all of society for war, is now unstable." It's "not clear who, if anyone, is in charge," so the regime could "take us by surprise."

'I play a doctor on "The Pitt." Real health care workers need our help.'
Noah Wyle at USA Today
HBO's "The Pitt" is "grounded in real stories, shaped by medical advisers who have lived them and delivered with reverence for the professionals we are honored to represent," says Noah Wyle. Without a "supported, protected and fairly treated workforce, there's no patient care." Whatever "other important issues are being debated, this has to be a priority." When our health care professionals are "burned out, buried in paperwork or forced to leave the field altogether, we all pay the price."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

pleiotropy

A condition in which a single gene or genetic variant impacts multiple phenotypic, or observable, traits in an individual. Researchers have discovered that eight different psychiatric conditions share pleiotropic genetic variants, which might allow scientists to "develop treatments targeting these shared genetic factors," which could then help "treat multiple psychiatric disorders with a common therapy," said the study's lead researcher, Hyejung Won.

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Genevieve Bates, Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, and Anahi Valenzuela, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Shutterstock; Mario Tama / Getty Images; Loic Venance / AFP via Getty Images; Rosalind O'Connor / NBC / Getty Images