More Americans are losing health insurance—and everyone will pay

Plus: Trump's Greenland threats, revisited  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Olivia-Anne Cleary | September 08, 2026     Hello, readers! I’m writing today’s newsletter from a cloudy London, but I’m feeling inspired nonetheless thanks to TIME’s 2026 Trailblazers. From an entrepreneur using 3D printing to tackle America’s housing crisis to the public health researcher showing how smarter home design can prevent deadly diseases, our inaugural list celebrates leaders determined to build a better world. In today’s The Brief, we take a look at why more Americans are losing health insurance and introduce you to the obscure committee that could be at the center of the Trump fight if Democrats win the House this November. And if that wasn’t enough, we have elephants splashing around in water with some sailors for you lower down. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Iran’s warning to the U.S. How the E.U. stepped up for Greenland A health insurance nightmare The committee you need to be aware of 4 valuable paintings An elephant spa day         READ THIS FIRST Iran threatens to target U.S. energy assets in Gulf if U.S. strikes again Atta Kenare—AFP/Getty Images Iran has warned it could target U.S. oil and gas interests in the Gulf if the U.S. launches any new attacks on its assets. Responding to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s warning that “if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Monday: “It’s simple: the oil and gas production chain here is sprawling, accessible, and exposed. American oil and gas companies across these waters and facilities share that exposure.” Ghalibaf’s warning comes as Tehran seeks greater leverage amid Washington’s ongoing economic pressure campaign and stalled efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, told Iranian state TV on Sunday that Tehran has concluded “new strategies must be adopted in the war, in negotiations, and in confronting the blockade.” —Miranda Jeyaretnam         SPONSORED Factor is America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service. Chef-Crafted, Dietitian-Designed Meals Ready in 2 Minutes. Get 50% off your first Factor box. Try Factor Now         THE CONTEXT E.U. extends investment boost to Greenland and vows 'full solidarity' amid Trump’s threats Mads Claus Rasmussen—Getty Images President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a €200 million ($232 million) investment package for Greenland on Monday to strengthen ties with the semi-autonomous Danish territory. The funding boost focuses on “connectivity, clean energy, and critical raw materials.” As she announced the investment plans, von der Leyen reemphasized that the E.U. stands in “full solidarity” with the territory. “Greenland's future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide, no one else,” she said. The public reminder comes against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annex the island. The investment package is a strong “signal” that Europe is committed to Greenland’s growth and security, says Katja Bego, a senior research fellow at think tank Chatham House. “Traditionally, before the situation now with Trump, the E.U. and Denmark itself have been accused of not paying quite enough attention to Greenland, especially not enough to genuinely support economic development there,” Bego tells TIME.—Callum Sutherland         HEALTH CHECK More Americans are losing health insurance—and everyone will pay Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group—Getty Images Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Community Hospital in Los Angeles, already knows what will happen if her hospital closes. All she has to do is remember King Drew, a similar safety net hospital that provided care to a large share of low-income patients in the same neighborhood, that closed in 2007 because of safety and quality problems. As a result, other hospitals in the area saw higher volumes of patients and more uninsured patients; one hospital’s share of uninsured patients more than tripled, from about 13% to nearly 45%, a study found. This redistribution of sick people led to severe overcrowding in other hospitals and higher costs for insured patients.  Now, Batchlor and many other hospital administrators are bracing for this dynamic once again as cuts from H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, ripple across the U.S. health care system. H.R. 1 makes it more difficult for people to stay on Medicaid by introducing work requirements and by demanding that people re-confirm their income and address every six months, rather than every year. It also reduces the amount of state funding hospitals receive through the Medicaid program. Batchlor estimates that her hospital will lose between $80-$100 million a year because of H.R. 1. —Alana Semuels         SPONSORED Slack replies in seconds. Not minutes. Dictate into Slack, email, LinkedIn, or any app and get polished, send-ready text. Wispr Flow strips filler and formats everything. 89% of messages sent with zero edits. Works on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. Start flowing free         IN FOCUS Exclusive: Obscure committee set to be at center of Trump fight if Democrats win House Bill Clark–CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images If Democrats win control of the House in November, party leaders plan to turn the final two years of the Trump era into a barrage of investigations over alleged corruption and contempt for the law. Much of the scrutiny would be expected to come from the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, the traditional engines of congressional investigations. But another, less prominent committee could emerge as an unlikely center of the fight: the House Natural Resources Committee. The 45-member panel has oversight over virtually all federal lands, giving it jurisdiction over a striking collection of controversies that have defined President Trump’s second term. That includes his efforts to remake Washington, D.C. by building a White House ballroom and a triumphal arch, and the troubled renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It also covers the Administration’s efforts to open up national parks to an unprecedented amount of hunting, fishing and drilling, as well as a recent proposal to give a swath of California’s Yosemite National Park to a private developer. “We are no longer a backwater here at the Natural Resources Committee,” Rep. Jared Huffman, the committee’s top Democrat, tells TIME. “You check a lot of boxes with the Natural Resources Committee in terms of some of the most high-profile controversies in this Administration.” Huffman, who is likely to become the committee’s chair in a Democratic House, spoke to TIME this month from his Capitol Hill office. Leading the House Natural Resources Committee has been the ultimate goal for the former environmental lawyer since he joined the House in 2013. “This is the top of the mountain for me,” he says. “This is what I always wanted.” Huffman has a running list of the investigations he would pursue if he takes the gavel. His plans would amount to a striking transformation for a committee more commonly associated with debates over endangered species, grazing rights, and federal water projects.  Huffman says he expects a wave of government employees to approach the committee as whistleblowers, feeling more confident that Democrats will act on their concerns. —Nik Popli         ONE NUMBER 4 Thieves stole four valuable paintings from the Renoir Museum in the south of France early Tuesday, the town's mayor said, but dropped two of the artworks while escaping. SOURCE: CNN         A VIRAL MOMENT Fetch the swimming trunks! USS Abraham Lincoln sailors recharged recharging in Thailand after a challenging nine-month deployment. Here, some of them can be seen gleefully playing with elephants on a day out.         SPONSORED You hire an agency every couple of years. We do it every day. Tell us your budget and category Our experts vet and shortlist You get 3 or 4 agencies worth your time 100% free for brands Get Matched Free       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 IDEAS The Leaders AI Innovation Needs ENTERTAINMENT Lee Chang Dong's Possible Love Is a Delicate Drama of Love and Longing in Anxious Times     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. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe