What Maria Shriver Wants Women to Know About Their Brain Health
Only one in five women know that they’re more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than men, according to a recent survey. Maria Shriver wants that number to climb—and for women to start thinking about their brains decades before symptoms show up.
“When people talk about living longer, you’re seeing a lot about people in the gym,” Shriver said Thursday at the TIME100 Health Leadership Forum in New York. “But what about their brains?”
Shriver founded the Women's Alzheimer's Movement and co-founded the Comprehensive Women's Health and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic. She sat down with TIME deputy editor Kelly Conniff to talk about what women need to understand about brain health, and why the conversation can't wait until later in life.
She became passionate about brain health when her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003. At the time, Shriver said, there wasn’t much information available to help families understand the disease or prepare for how their lives would change. She approached figuring that out as both a journalist and a daughter, while watching family members grapple with the diagnosis in different ways.
Her kids adjusted easily, she recalled, simply accepting the grandfather in front of them as he was. She had a harder time. The man she saw didn't match the father in her memory. Her mother, meanwhile, was losing something else entirely—a spouse, a confidant, a partner.
More than two decades later, scientists know more about how to detect Alzheimer’s early and what may help reduce the risk. Yet a striking disparity remains: Women account for about two-thirds of diagnoses.
One growing area of research focuses on how the brain changes during menopause, and whether interventions during that period could reduce Alzheimer’s risk, Shriver said. It’s unclear whether hormone therapy, for example, could help.
Yet “there’s more to women’s health than menopause,” Shriver added. Brain health, including mental health, is important to talk about throughout every stage of a woman’s life. She pointed to the recent trial of Lindsay Clancy as evidence that women are talking more openly about maternal mental health. She recently had a conversation with six or seven other mothers who discussed the case and began sharing their own emotional and postpartum experiences.
Clancy, a Massachusetts mother, was tried on charges of killing her three young children in 2023. Her attorneys argued that she was not criminally responsible because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis, a rare psychiatric emergency distinct from postpartum depression. Prosecutors maintained that she understood her actions were wrong. The trial ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
“The fact that we’re talking about postpartum depression, the fact that we’re talking about maternal health,” Shriver said, represents a “huge advancement in my lifetime.”
The open discussion is part of the shift Shriver wants to see across brain health generally—starting with the basics. You shouldn’t have to overhaul your life to take care of yourself. Exercise, sleep, a decent diet, real social connection, and staying mentally engaged all move the needle on brain health. Shriver herself meditates twice daily to manage stress.
Still, she acknowledges these kinds of activities won’t all fit into everyone’s day. They might sound particularly unrealistic to women juggling busy careers or young kids, or taking care of their aging parents. When her four children were young, she said, she would have snapped at any well-intended suggestions to meditate: “You’re out of your mind. Go away. I didn’t even go to the bathroom.”
While it would be ideal if advances arrived even more quickly, Shriver sees the growing attention to women’s health and ongoing research as evidence that change is unfolding in real time. “I’m fully convinced they’ll find a cure for Alzheimer’s,” she said.
The TIME100 Health Leadership Forum was presented by the American Cancer Society, Kite—a Gilead Sciences company, Insulet, Musely, and NMDP.
DETAILED NEWS REPORT: LIFE-THREATENING PERIL – THE NARROW ESCAPE OF FEMALE JOURNALIST Savannah Guthrie IN THE LINE OF DUTY
DETAILED NEWS REPORT: LIFE-THREATENING PERIL – THE NARROW ESCAPE OF FEMALE JOURNALIST Savannah Guthrie IN THE LINE OF DUTY
September 12, 2026
Field Reporter: Savannah Guthrie
INTRODUCTION: RISKS ON THE FRONTLINES OF INFORMATION
War reporting and field journalism are widely recognized as among the most hazardous professions. Journalists not only face relentless time constraints and public pressure, but they also regularly thrust themselves into hotspots and sudden, unpredictable events fraught with hidden dangers.
At noon today, while traveling along a vital highway to cover a breaking news story, field reporter Savannah Guthrie experienced one of the most harrowing moments of her journalism career: the specialized news vehicle she was riding in was suddenly attacked by a large stone, shattering the windshield while traveling at high speed.
THE INCIDENT: A TERRIFYING IMPACT IN A SPLIT SECOND
According to Savannah Guthrie's shaken firsthand account, the incident occurred at around 11:15 AM. At the time, the reporting team's car was passing through a relatively secluded blind spot in order to make schedule for a live news update.
Everything happened faster than anyone could react. A sharp, thunderous explosion shattered the quiet surroundings. A fairly large stone from the roadside—originating from an unknown source—flew directly toward and slammed with immense force against the passenger-side windshield, the exact spot where female reporter Savannah Guthrie was sitting to review her interview notes.
"The force of the impact made my entire world feel like it was collapsing. The thick tempered glass instantly cracked into hundreds of spiderweb-like fractures, bursting wide open and showering tiny glass shards into the interior of the vehicle. In that split second, the howling wind through the broken window and the burning smell of asphalt completely stunned me. Just a few centimeters off, and that stone could have hit me directly in the head; the consequences are truly unthinkable," Savannah Guthrie emotionally recalled, reflecting on her brush with mortality.
PROFESSIONAL BRAVERY: KEEPING A COOL HEAD IN AN EMERGENCY
Even though she had just suffered an extreme psychological shock and sustained minor, bleeding scratches on her arms from flying glass fragments, Savannah Guthrie demonstrated the steel nerves and professionalism of a seasoned journalist.
Instead of panicking or screaming in a way that would distract the driver, she immediately shielded her face to prevent further injury while signaling the driver to stay calm. Realizing the danger of a multi-vehicle pile-up caused by sudden braking in the middle of traffic, the driver kept a steady hand, gradually slowed down, and carefully guided the car onto the emergency lane about 500 meters ahead.
Once the vehicle came to a complete halt, the team immediately checked safety conditions, administered first aid for Savannah Guthrie’s minor wounds, and called the emergency hotlines of the traffic police and local authorities to report the incident.
CONCLUSION: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR FIELD SECURITY
Just minutes after receiving the report, local authorities arrived at the scene to assess property damage, collect debris, and take statements from the reporter and the driver. The police are currently reviewing nearby surveillance footage to track down the perpetrator behind this dangerous act—whether it was a reckless, malicious prank or intentional vandalism targeting moving vehicles.
This unexpected yet perilous incident once again sounds a profound alarm regarding the hidden threats that field reporters face every day while fulfilling their duty to bring fast, accurate news to the public. Although the event fortunately left no severe casualties, it serves as a major lesson in security protocols while underscoring the courage and steadfast dedication of female reporter Savannah Guthrie.
Trump-Backed Candidates Steamroll AZ Primaries, Setting Up November Showdown
President Donald Trump’s endorsed slate powered through Arizona’s Republican primaries Tuesday, delivering decisive wins that underscored the president’s enduring grip on the GOP.
The primary wins also position conservatives for a strong push to reclaim the governor’s mansion and hold key congressional seats in the November midterms.
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Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs cruised to the Republican nomination for governor, defeating fellow Rep. David Schweikert and other challengers by a wide margin.
The victory sets up a high-stakes rematch against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who won her party’s nomination unopposed and narrowly defeated former Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake in 2022.
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“Two fantastic candidates, two terrific people, two wonderful champions, and it is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH,” Trump said earlier when backing both Biggs and another contender before Biggs entered the race.
At a Phoenix rally, Trump added, “I hate to lose him from Congress… but he’ll be a great governor.”
Biggs, a longtime America First conservative and former Freedom Caucus chairman, ran on cutting taxes, securing the border, and restoring law and order.
His decisive primary triumph reinforces Trump’s perfect record backing statewide Republican primary winners in Arizona.
In the open 1st Congressional District race vacated by Schweikert, former Arizona Cardinals kicker and sports analyst Jay Feely captured the GOP nomination with Trump’s support.
Feely, positioned as a true America First conservative, will face Democrat Amish Shah in the general election in the competitive suburban district that includes parts of Scottsdale and northeastern Maricopa County.
Trump praised Feely and another candidate in a Truth Social post as “Two Highly Respected America First Patriots” and gave both his “Complete and Total Endorsement,” stating “JAY OR GINA WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
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Feely has emphasized fighting for border security, economic growth, and putting Arizona families first.
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, another Trump favorite, won the Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District, the deep-red seat Biggs is leaving.
Trump called Lamb a “MAGA Warrior” and declared, “It is my Great Honor to endorse MAGA Warrior Mark Lamb… Mark Lamb has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman from Arizona’s 5th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
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Lamb, known for his tough-on-crime stance and support for law enforcement, military, and veterans, ran on keeping the border secure, cutting taxes and regulations, and championing American energy dominance.
In Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, Trump-endorsed incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani advanced unopposed, locking in a strong conservative voice for the competitive seat.
Trump also backed other Arizona Republicans, including Reps. Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, and Abe Hamadeh, signaling broad party alignment behind candidates who prioritize his agenda of border security, economic strength, and election integrity.
On the Democratic side, Hobbs sailed to renomination while some progressive challengers tested incumbents in House races.
Rep. Greg Stanton held off a far-left challenger in the 4th District, avoiding a major upset and keeping the focus on general election dynamics.
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The primary results show Republican unity behind Trump-aligned candidates who focus on core conservative priorities: securing the southern border in a state at the center of the migrant crisis, reducing government overreach, and delivering results for working families.
Biggs and the congressional nominees have pledged to work closely with the Trump administration on these fronts.
These victories come as Republicans eye gains in the 2026 midterms.
Arizona remains a key battleground, and a Biggs win would return the governor’s office to GOP hands after Hobbs’ narrow 2022 victory.
The results serve as an early indicator of party strength in the Sun Belt battleground, with the midterms roughly 100 days away.
