2018, man – what a ride.

Every year since 1927, TIME has identified the Person of the Year, “recognizing [sic] the person or group of people who most influenced the news and the world — for better or for worse — during the past year”.

The ‘for better or worse’ part is important, because past winners include Adolf Hitler (1938), Vladimir Putin (2007) and Donald Trump (2016).

The final name on that list features amongst this year’s shortlist, too, although the write-up from TIME isn’t exactly effusive in its praise:

The 45th president of the U.S., and TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year, marked his second year in office through navigating crises involving both himself and his staff, attacking an encircling investigation implicating people close to him, and enacting several controversial policies, ranging from separations at the border to an international trade war with China.

We know that he is fond of hanging TIME covers in his properties (even fake ones), so he’s probably pretty stoked with the nomination.

Other nominees include Vladimir Putin, Jamal Khashoggi, Meghan Markle, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, but let’s focus on a few of the other shortlisted parties.

Separated Families

More than 2,000 families were separated at the U.S. border this year under a Trump Administration policy aimed at deterring illegal immigration. Prompting backlash, the “zero tolerance” policy was announced in April and formally ended in June, and resulted in thousands of children being held in federal government facilities while their parents were sent to jail.

Robert Mueller

Featured as a runner up for TIME’s 2017 Person of the Year, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has continued to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as well as key figures involved in the 2016 Trump campaign and administration. The investigation headed by the former FBI Director has already resulted in more than 191 criminal charges against 32 people and three companies.

Robert’s got that “smocking gun” locked and loaded.

Christine Blasey Ford

California psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, 52, became a symbol for survivors of sexual assault as she testified against in front of senators in September about her allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee and now Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

March For Our Lives Activists

After 17 people were killed on Valentine’s Day in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., students from the school organized the #NeverAgain movement and the March for Our Lives demonstrations across America, campaigning for gun-control reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

Sadly, with so many politicians dancing to the tune of the NRA, those activists are fighting a real uphill battle.

We will find out who is Person of the Year later today.

UPDATE: TIME’s Person of the Year is “The Guardians”, a group of journalists, including Jamal Khashoggi, who are fighting the war on truth.

You can read TIME’s full report here.

[source:time]