positive spin

here's all the good news you may have missed this week

Thank you so much for being part of this community with me this week. I’ve had so much fun with you and I’m so glad you’re here.

I wanted to try something special today and do a round-up of some of the good news we got this week. It’s easier to focus on the negative because our brains believe this protects us (spoiler: it really doesn’t!) so consider this our own collective gratitude practice. You can let me know if you want me to do this every week by leaving a comment, on getting in touch here or here.

There’s a new reason to be hopeful about abortion rights

Abortion could become a whole lot easier as a new study has confirmed the safety of abortion pills and the FDA is making unnecessary restrictions on them, ancient history. A silver lining of the pandemic is that some of those outdated rules like having to see a doctor in person to get access to the medication were lifted and now the FDA has ruled that they’re not coming back. This could make abortion far more accessible, especially for women in rural areas, and give them the ability to do it within the privacy of their own homes. The drug which is called mifepristone can be used up to 10 weeks’ gestation, which is when the majority of abortions occur. Red states are proactively trying to pass laws that would ban these pills being received by mail, but pills are a lot harder to regulate so good luck you guys!

Care workers could get a well-deserved raise 

Thanks to a new bill called the “Fair Pay for Home Care” introduced in Albany, home care workers in New York could get a raise from the minimum wage to $22.50 per hour. My fancy friend Kathleen Downes has cerebral palsy and requires the help of a home care worker and was interviewed by CBS New York where she argued that her health aids should get pay raises similar to those given to fast food workers this past summer. “An increase for them and not for home care workers sort of gives the impression that human life is not worth as much as a hamburger,” Downes said. “The long term care system is beyond broken and the condition it’s in is my biggest fear. But we can’t lose heart!” she told me. Here she is rocking a tie-dye on the right, at the Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary celebration we had this summer. 

Forbes highlights badass women over 50 

For the very first time, Forbes launched a list of 50 women *over* the age of 50 who have achieved success and made an impact on the world later in life. It featured indefatigable powerhouses like indigenous rights activist Winona LaDuke, Shonda Rhimes, relationship expert Esther Perel and the woman who made vegan cheese actually good, the founder of Miyoko's Creamery, Miyoko Schinner. I got the exclusive from my pal Sharon Lavigne, the founder of the environmental justice group RISE St.James who I met while reporting on her fight against a petrochemical plant in Cancer Alley. She got invited to the snazzy event, hosted by Dr. Jill Biden and texted me this photo last night. She told me she didn't get to meet the First Lady because of “heavy security” but based on that fit alone, it’s only a matter of time.

Sharon Lavigne

Chewing gum could help slow the spread of covid

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have developed a gum from lettuce protein that could potentially trap the SARS-CoV-2 virus in saliva making it significantly less likely to spread to others. The report was published in the journal Molecular Therapy, and while the research is still in its infancy lead researcher Henry Daniell at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine says it’s promising. “SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the salivary glands, and we know that when someone who is infected sneezes, coughs, or speaks some of that virus can be expelled and reach others,” he told Penn Today. “This gum offers an opportunity to neutralize the virus in the saliva, giving us a simple way to possibly cut down on a source of disease transmission.”

Please go hug a scientist today!