Concerns are growing that the Russia-Ukraine war may be shifting into a new and more punishing phase, as Kyiv faces repeated drone strikes and almost continuous air raid alerts. Increasingly, the attacks are coming in broad daylight, extending beyond the overnight barrages that residents of the Ukrainian capital have come to know all too well.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired nearly 1,500 drones in just four days, with more than half of them jet-powered, accusing Moscow of trying to exhaust Ukraine and break the morale of its people. The strikes have repeatedly disrupted Kyiv’s metro network and upended daily commutes, Reuters reported Aug. 31, as residents are again being driven into shelters during daytime air raid warnings.

For Ukrainians trying to reclaim a measure of routine at summer’s end and prepare for the new school year, the renewed wave of Russian drone attacks is forcing weary Kyiv residents back underground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has simultaneously intensified attacks on Ukraine’s warehouses and logistics network, damaging distribution centers used by major retailers and disrupting food deliveries.

Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region stretched into a fifth consecutive day Monday, with strikes damaging warehouses, a retail outlet and residential buildings in the Kyiv region.

The attacks are part of a broader campaign against Ukrainian commercial and logistics infrastructure. Reuters reported Aug. 28 that Russia had targeted warehouses belonging to major supermarket chains, Ukraine’s largest private postal company and home-goods retailers.

Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi that roughly 90% of the food logistics infrastructure operated by retail chains had been destroyed.

“As of today, roughly speaking, 90% of food logistics operated by retail chains have been destroyed, but that doesn’t mean Ukrainians will be left without food,” Vysotskyi told reporters in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform. He said retailers would shift logistics and use alternative methods of delivering food.

Ukrainian outlet TSN reported Aug. 30 that some NOVUS locations in Kyiv were short of bread, potatoes, apples and oatmeal, while supermarket chain ATB had introduced limits on how much of certain products customers could purchase.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has expanded its own campaign against Russian economic infrastructure. Ukrainian drones have targeted oil facilities as well as warehouses connected to major Russian online retailers including Wildberries and Ozon. Reuters reported Monday that a logistics hub in Yekaterinburg was also struck by a drone.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, a former USAF assistant vice chief of staff, told News Media that he believes the military momentum has increasingly shifted toward Ukraine, particularly because of Kyiv’s expanding use of long-range drones.

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“My sense is the momentum has swung in Ukraine’s favor over the last year or so,” Newton told News Media. “The Ukrainians have shown tremendous resolve and capability to push back against Russia.”

Newton pointed particularly to Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia against “energy production capability, logistics supply chains, and so forth,” calling their use of drone warfare “quite remarkable.”

He cautioned, however, that Ukraine faces a critical vulnerability as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign.

“The current challenge facing Ukraine is the shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors,” Newton said, noting that the systems are also in heavy demand elsewhere around the world.

The escalation comes amid new reporting about Putin’s calculations over how — or whether — the war can end.

The Economist reported Aug. 30, that Putin fears ending the war without Russia achieving even what he considers a minimum objective — control of all of Donbas — could threaten his position and potentially his physical safety.

“They will hang me,” Putin reportedly told people around him at some point during the war, according to an unnamed insider cited by The Economist. News Media has not independently verified Putin remarks.

The Economist also reported that dissatisfaction with the war is growing among ordinary Russians and that the mood among parts of Russia’s elite is even more pessimistic, with one source arguing that nearly five years consumed by the war represents a failure regardless of its eventual outcome.

Newton argued that the intensifying confrontation makes NATO cohesion increasingly important.

“In my view it’s more important now for NATO to remain firm perhaps at any time since the end of the Cold War,” he said. “A weakened NATO emboldens Putin and Russia not only against Ukraine but the entire alliance.”

Lionel Messi’s last appearance for Argentina came on soccer’s biggest stage: this year’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium.

The 39-year-old football icon announced Monday that he is stepping away from the Argentina national team following the country’s defeat to Spain in the final. The decision comes four years after Messi lifted the World Cup trophy with Argentina, cementing one of the defining chapters of his legendary career. In an Instagram post featuring a handwritten note spread across three sheets of notebook paper, Messi said he had written the message on July 21, two days after the loss to Spain.

His retirement announcement also arrives a little more than three weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died at 68 after battling an illness.

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“Today, after what happened with my dad, I am more convinced than ever,” Messi wrote in Spanish.

Messi, who continues to play club soccer for Inter Miami in MLS, leaves Argentina as the national team’s all-time leader in both goals, with 125, and appearances, with 207.

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts to my core, but I understand that it’s the right time,” Messi wrote in Spanish. “I swear that I always gave my all, not only in the last few years when we won everything, but also before, and I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentinian through football.

“There’s not much time left, and chapters are closing, and this is one that hurts me a lot. I love, loved, and will always love being on the National Team. I’ve given everything; I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.”

Dear Jane,

I recently went away for my best friend’s bachelorette celebration, and, as these trips often go, the drinks were flowing a little too freely.

During one especially chaotic night out, our group walked past a tattoo studio and, caught up in the excitement, decided that tiny matching tattoos would be the perfect way to mark the occasion.

By the next morning, however, the fun of the impulse had completely worn off, and I was overwhelmed with regret.

The problem isn’t the tattoo itself — it’s just a small heart on my wrist — but the fact that, in my drunken haze, I somehow forgot how much my boyfriend absolutely hates tattoos.

Whenever we see someone in public who has them, no matter how small, he always makes a comment about how they’ve ‘ruined’ their body. He’s repeatedly said he’s so glad I don’t have tattoos myself because he thinks they’re ‘hideous.’ He’s gone so far as to say that he’d even break up with me if I ever got a tattoo.

So, ever since I got back from the trip, I’ve been trying to hide my new ink.

I’ve been wearing long sleeves or stacking multiple bracelets on my wrist to keep it out of sight.

But I don’t know how much longer I can hide this secret. It’s exhausting. I just worry how he will react when I tell him what I’ve done – and how I’ve lied about it.

Sincerely,

Tattoo Regret

Dear Tattoo Regret,

I’m afraid that as much as your boyfriend may loathe tattoos, it is your body, your life and your choice. 

You have done absolutely nothing wrong in choosing to get a tattoo without his knowledge or permission. 

You are not his chattel, nor his possession. And frankly, if he decides to break up with you because you went ahead and made a decision that you know he would disapprove of, I would say it’s a very lucky escape indeed.

We don’t get to dictate what our loved ones do or do not do. The most we can do is express an opinion, then, if we are emotionally mature and healthy, accept when our partners make a different choice.

For what it’s worth, my former husband also hated tattoos. I knew that if I had let him know I was getting one, he would have prevented me and I didn’t want to continue giving my power away. So, I didn’t tell him. I took a girlfriend with me and got a tattoo, showing him when I got home. Was he disappointed? Yes. Did he accept it? Yes. 

Because he was emotionally mature enough to recognize that he did not have dominion over me.

The thing is, Tattoo Regret, no-one has dominion over you. That means no-one holds supreme authority or control over you. And generally, when someone does, it’s because we have unconsciously given them that power.

Wear your tattoo proudly and, when he asks, tell him. If he reacts as badly as you think he might, I promise you, you will be better off without him. 

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Dear Jane,

My boyfriend and I have been together for years and it was finally time we started talking about marriage.

We’ve been discussing it for months, going ring shopping together and talking about our future.

I had always envisioned a very specific kind of engagement ring and at all of our appointments had shown him exactly what it was I wanted.

But when it came time for him to pop the question, he pulled out the ring box and inside was a ring nowhere near close to what I had shown him.

Of course, in the moment, I said yes. I wasn’t about to let a ring get in the way of marrying the love of my life.

But in the weeks since, I cringe every time I look at my hand.

While it is beautiful, it didn’t feel like ‘me.’ It’s gold, not silver – and I am strictly a silver girl – and the diamond is an oval rather than the pear shape I had picked out.

While I am disappointed that it isn’t what I wanted, I’m more so concerned that he just didn’t listen to what I wanted and completely went off script. Honestly, it felt disrespectful and rude that he had ignored me.

This isn’t the ring I want for the rest of my life – nor even the rest of the month – but I fear that telling him would hurt his feelings. 

Should I just suck it up until it’s time to upgrade after we’re married, or do I break it to him that I can’t stand the ring?

Sincerely,

Wrong Ring

Dear Wrong Ring,

First of all, congratulations on the engagement – ring, no ring, even wrong ring, it’s still a lovely thing to celebrate.

And while your fiancé didn’t hear what you were telling him, let’s assume that rather than him deliberately ignoring you, or choosing not to hear you, he was perhaps busy, or thought you would love the ring he chose.

Whatever the case, I doubt very much that he intended to give you a ring that would make you cringe, nor do I think he has deliberately done something that is disrespectful, or rude.

Look at this as your first big test. Marriage, after all, is a series of tests, which means you do need to tell him that you would like to change the ring. As always when delivering news that may be difficult to receive, sandwich the bad news between two bits of good news. 

Start by telling him how much you love him, how excited you are to be married to him, then slide in the fact that you are a silver girl. That you had your heart set on a pear shape and perhaps add that you feel a little hurt that he didn’t recall after you had talked about it so much. 

End by asking if the two of you can go together to look at exchanging it and finding something that you know you will love forever.

Millions of Americans could soon face a painful hit to their monthly income.

Social Security, the federal safety-net program that sends monthly checks to eligible retirees, disabled workers and surviving spouses, is facing mounting financial pressure. More than 71 million Americans depend on Social Security benefits, which often serve as a crucial replacement for income after retirement, disability or the death of a partner.

According to the Social Security Administration, if Congress does not act, the program’s trust fund reserves are projected to be depleted by 2033. After that point, the agency would be able to pay only about 78% of scheduled benefits — a shortfall that could cost the average recipient roughly $500 per month.

“This train wreck is going to happen,” Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) told Politico, warning that lawmakers cannot afford to wait. “So as early as six years from now, we’re going to have to have a plan. And of course, I’m a big believer that we need to deal with it now, or we need to start the process of dealing with it now.”

With anxiety rising among beneficiaries and policy experts, members of Congress have introduced a wave of proposals aimed at strengthening Social Security’s long-term finances. So far, however, none of those bills have made it across the finish line.

In July, the Promise Act — bipartisan legislation from eight senators — would create a process for Congress to develop a plan to keep Social Security solvent for at least 50 years. 

“I won’t pretend there’s consensus on how we solve this, but the math is unforgiving: the longer Congress waits to act, the fewer good options remain, which is why I am proud to support this legislation,” Senator Thom Tillis, who co-sponsored the bill, said.

Just before that, the Bipartisan Social Security Commission Act was introduced in June by two representatives which would also establish a committee to develop solutions.

The Social Security 2100 Act was also introduced back in June and would increase benefits while shoring up Social Security’s finances by making higher-income Americans pay more into the system.

According to the bill — which was first introduced back in 2017 — all current and new beneficiaries would see a 2% benefit increase, it would change how COLA is calculated and make other switches to benefit structure.

The new minimum benefit would change to 125% of the Federal poverty line, and switch the COLA calculation to the CPI for the Elderly (CPI-E). 

The CPI-W currently calculates Social Security COLAs. It tracks the spending of working-age people — specifically wage and clerical workers. But it also tracks the cost of food, housing, energy, transportation and healthcare. 

Meanwhile, the CPI-E is another measure for folks 62 and older, offering more information on expenses that directly impact seniors. Some advocates believe that this change would be more beneficial to Social Security recipients as it’s a “senior-focused” inflation measure instead of “working-person-focused.”

However, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) — a non-partisan advocacy group that makes very accurate COLA projections — fear the chance of the bill passing is slim to none.

“Although the Social Security 2100 Act is unlikely to pass in the current Congress, it should. The bill is the gold standard for Social Security reform and accomplishes the majority of changes older Americans want to see for the program,” TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton said.

A Southern California family suddenly became a party of seven after welcoming a rare set of naturally conceived triplets, an arrival doctors described as highly uncommon.

Nyla Craft said the surprise came during a doctor’s visit earlier this year, when she learned she was carrying not one baby, but three.

“Earlier this year, I went to the doctor and I saw like two different sets,” Craft said. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m having twins.’ And she was like, ‘No, there’s three.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, triplets.’”

For Craft, the news was shocking, but not entirely without precedent: multiples run in her family.

“My mom’s a twin, and there are triplets in the family,” she said. “They’re all boys as well. So it skipped a few, but it came to me.”

Her husband, Marco Bernal, recalled his reaction to the news.

“I was like, freaking out,” Bernal said. “I was like, we have two right now. Then five from 2 to 5 was insane, you know?”

The newborns join older sister Naya and older brother Maceo. According to their parents, Naya has eagerly embraced her role as a big sister.

“She’s been excited. She wants to come help,” Craft said.

Maceo, however, has been less interested in the babies.

The family said they received extensive support from medical staff throughout the pregnancy and delivery.

“Amazing care. Everyone was just so caring and, you know, making sure I was OK,” Craft said.

Quynh Vo-Hanser of Kaiser Permanente South Bay said the pregnancy was especially unusual.

“This is a really rare event,” Vo-Hanser said. “This is what we would refer to as mixed triplet. This is a spontaneous pregnancy, which meant that it was achieved naturally. And within this triplet set, there’s an identical twin set, and then the fraternal sibling.”

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Vo-Hanser emphasized the rarity of the birth.

“Within the United States, there’s 3.5 million deliveries and about 2,400 are triplets. And even more rare than that are these special triplets,” she said.

“The other thing is that they’re all the same sex. I have never seen this, all these conditions within the triplet, in my three decades.”

Gina Renteria, chief nurse executive, said the delivery required a significantly larger medical team than a typical birth.

“We had three NICU nurses, one for each of the babies. We had two doctors for the babies, doctors for the mom, an extra nurse for the mom,” Renteria said. “There were about 15 people in the delivery room when we normally have about five.”

Dr. Rohit Passi, chief of neonatology at Kaiser Permanente South Bay, said Craft’s care reflected a broader effort to support mothers facing pregnancy-related challenges.

“We know that Black moms have a higher mortality rate and other complications within pregnancy,” Passi said. “We adopt a holistic approach and equity lens to really meet patients where they are at in elevating their voices. And Nyla’s case is a perfect example of that.”

Passi added that Craft’s experience was particularly meaningful because of challenges she had faced earlier in life.

“You know, she shared her story of having struggles early on. She wasn’t even sure she would be able to become pregnant,” he said. “And it’s our job as healthcare providers and as a healthcare organization to elevate their voices, particularly of moms like Nyla, because they are truly inspirational.”

For Bernal, the arrival of the triplets also carries a personal significance.

“How can you forget your kids’ birthdays if they’re on your birthday, you know?” he said.

Craft said she is grateful for the family she now has.