Introducing Count Binface, Britain's political satirist

Plus: The state of maternity care in America  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Ruairi Arrieta-Kenna | August 12, 2026   Hi! Today in The Brief, we have a Q&A with the self-described “intergalactic space warrior” taking on British right-wing politician Nigel Farage. We’re also looking at the state of maternity care in America and a major climate case on the Supreme Court’s docket. Plus: A stunning stat from Afghanistan and today’s Linked below. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Maternity care deserts Minnesota Republicans make their pick Climate in court Roots at 50 Meet Count Binface The Taliban’s ban Election breakdown     READ THIS FIRST More than one third of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe—Getty Images In the last eight years, women living in counties in one-third of the country have faced an abysmal reality: they live in a maternity care desert, which means a place where there are no hospitals or birth centers or even any obstetric clinicians. That reality has persisted: in its new 2026 report on women’s access to ob-gyn services, released on Aug. 11, the March of Dimes found that 34.6% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts, and that more than half of U.S. counties lack a hospital with labor and delivery services. That’s relatively unchanged since 2016, the report found. But the situation is likely to soon get even worse, experts say, as H.R. 1, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, is expected to dramatically cut payments to Medicaid as well as introduce burdens that make it more difficult for people to stay on Medicaid, and the expiration of subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans have led to more uninsured patients visiting emergency rooms, challenging some hospitals’ financial status. —Alana Semuels     PRESENTED BY Not All Private Real Estate Is Structured the Same Lightstone DIRECT gives accredited investors access to select private real estate opportunities alongside the owner/operator. No blind funds. No intermediaries. Just institutional discipline and meaningful alignment. Explore Opportunities This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Any such offer or solicitation will be made exclusively through the definitive offering documents. All investments involve risk of loss, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Any targeted returns or projections are forward-looking statements, are based on current assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially.     NEED TO KNOW Trump and the Republican Party backed competing candidates in Minnesota’s governor primary. Both fell short Richard Tsong-Taatarii—The Minnesota Star Tribune/Getty Images Minnesota Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth has won the Republican primary for governor in her state, beating out the GOP-endorsed and Trump-backed candidates in the race. The Associated Press called the race just before midnight on Tuesday as Demuth was leading with more than 43% of the vote to Mike Lindell’s less than 33%, of the ballots counted. However, Lindell is refusing to concede, alleging irregularities in the vote totals. President Donald Trump last month publicly offered his support to Lindell, a Trump loyalist better known as the “MyPillow Guy” who garnered national attention in the aftermath of the 2020 election as a prominent election denier. The state Republican Party, meanwhile, opted to endorse Kendall Qualls, a businessman and Army veteran, at a state convention in May. Despite earning neither endorsement, Demuth remained competitive in the race—and ultimately pulled out the win. She now heads to the general election in November, where she is expected to face an uphill battle against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. —Connor Greene     THE CONTEXT The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a major climate change case this fall Andrew Harnik—Getty Images The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments this fall in a landmark case to determine whether local and state governments can sue fossil fuel companies for climate-related disaster costs.  The case, Suncor v. Boulder, will be heard on Oct. 5, when the court returns from summer recess. The decision—which will likely come months after the case is heard—will set a precedent for some two dozen other climate accountability cases that have been brought forward by states, counties, and cities. A win for the plaintiffs could pave the way for local authorities to seek compensation from the biggest emitters. However, a loss in the U.S. Supreme Court could put a halt to the many other local cases seeking damages from fossil fuel companies. —Simmone Shah     THE VIEW The meaning of Roots at 50 Anne Haley and her uncle Alex Haley as he signs copies of Roots How does a single book at once condemn and captivate a nation? Fifty years ago this August, Roots did just that. In 1976, the bicentennial of the United States of America, Alexander Murray Palmer Haley saw the story he had carried since childhood, then researched and written over 12 years, sit atop the New York Times best-seller list for 46 weeks, spending 22 at No. 1. A U.S. Coast Guard veteran and freelance writer had dispelled any notion of it having been born the land of the free that its anthem professed, and the entire country, it seemed, was now on notice. Alex Haley was my father’s older brother, and a significant presence in my life. He called me his “beloved niece” and “Little Bertha,” the second a loving attribution to his mother. He flew in for ballet performances and piano recitals, sent flowers for a good report card, and bought me my first car. He delivered the commencement speech at my high school graduation, and sat front and center at my college and law-school graduations. I adored him.  And now, all of those conversations around the Thanksgiving table had finally come to fruition. At 14, I innocently felt that his accomplishment was mine too. I had been raised on this story that was now the world’s to know. This was my family. And this is my love letter to him.  Read Anne Haley’s essay here.     PRESENTED BY Get 15% Off Coffee Pods Roasted Days Ago Angelino's roasts, grinds, and seals 50+ specialty coffees in-house at their LA roastery, then ships within days. Mix and match to unlock up to 34% off — and new customers get 15% off on top, applied automatically. No code, no subscription required. Get 15% Off Today     IN FOCUS Introducing Count Binface, Britain’s political satirist who is standing against Nigel Farage Ryan Jenkinson—Getty Images Satirical candidates are a long-standing tradition in British politics, but few have made as much of an impression as Count Binface.  The self-described “intergalactic space warrior” wears a garbage can on his head and has become a regular name on election ballots across England over the past decade. In the upcoming Clacton by-election, he’s emerged as the main rival for Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK party and a long-time ally of President Donald Trump. Ahead of the polls opening on Thursday, TIME’s Richard Hall caught up with Count Binface. True to form, the comedian, whose real name is Jon Harvey, stayed in character throughout the conversation.  TIME: Our readers from all around the world may not be familiar with the peculiarities of British politics or your political platform. Can you introduce us to Count Binface, the candidate? Count Binface: I am an intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX, and a part-time democratic politician on Earth. My hobbies include invading star systems, dominating species, and watching the Lovejoy box set. That won't mean anything to most of your readers, but it should. It’s the greatest art your planet has produced. Well, that and the Sistine Chapel. You have stood in a number of elections, sometimes in different forms. Can you tell us what drew you to this one in Clacton? Clacton is where the election is. If I’d gone elsewhere, it would have been less effective. Dare I say it, we wouldn't be talking now. You've stood in many elections, and lost them all. This time people appear to be taking you a bit more seriously. They think you may be able to improve on your previous personal best of 308 votes. Why do you think that is? I have lost my previous seven elections on Earth, but only numerically. Let's look at my past opponents. Theresa May, remember her? Thought not. Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, they’re all on [the] scrapheap of history, something I know a lot about. And yet I am going stronger than ever. I'm playing the long game.  Read the full interview, here.     ONE NUMBER 2.4 million The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said Tuesday that an estimated 2.4 million girls remain barred from secondary school in Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power five years ago. SOURCE: UNESCO     A VIRAL MOMENT Kornacki cam NBC News’ Steve Kornacki, famed for his real-time breakdowns of electoral maps on election nights, appeared to be broken down himself as the vote-counting for Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary went late into Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning following a delay in tabulating Milwaukee’s ballots in the razor-thin contest.     PRESENTED BY Short on cash? Get up to $750, no credit check. Access up to $750* from your upcoming paycheck within minutes for a small fee, or wait 3 days and get it for free. No credit check. No late fees.  Get Started Now *Not all users will qualify. Advances range from $25–$750; average advance is $170. Express transfer fees may apply.     Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW     ALSO WORTH YOUR TIME HEALTH The Simple Trick That Can Help You Understand Your Emotions TV The 50 Most Underappreciated Shows of the 21st Century POLITICS Meet Will Scharf, Trump's New White House Counsel Who Shares an Interesting History With the President   EMAIL US: thebrief@time.com   More Newsletters from Click to sign up. D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +HEALTH MATTERS +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME +   Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. 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