In this edition: Trump tests positive for COVID while 90 percent of Americans are still vulnerable, stigma against substance abuse won’t just ‘go away,’ our health on the 2020 ballot, and a rundown of reproductive health wins and losses.
Author: Giselle Hengst
Giselle Hengst recently graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Women's & Gender Studies and Medicine, Health, & Society. She is currently an editorial and social media intern at Ms. magazine.
Equality by Initiative: Ballot Measures to Watch This November
Whether focused on raising the minimum wage or ending cash bail, mandating paid family and medical leave or limiting access to abortion, state initiatives put vulnerable groups’ futures on the ballot this November. Here are some of the measures we’re watching.
Weekly Pulse: RBG’s Impact on Reproductive Care; What’s Going on at the CDC?
In this edition: Honoring the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; a rundown of recent attacks to reproductive health and rights; the U.S. heads into the fall with 200,000 COVID-19 deaths; and what the heck is happening at the CDC?!
Weekly Pulse: Pandemic Updates and the Potential for Positivity
For The Weekly Pulse, we’ve scoured the most trusted journalistic sources—and, of course, our Twitter feeds—to bring you this week’s most important news stories related to health and wellness.
In this edition: Pandemic updates as Trump’s unseemly politicking continues, what you should know about wildfires and the air, the repro rundown, and glimmer of hope with pandemic positivity.
Weekly Pulse: Fires Pose Health Risk Across Western U.S.; Trump Admits to Downplaying Virus Threat
In this edition: Wildfires pose health risks across the Western United States; President Trump admits to downplaying virus threats; talking Title X; and your weekly dose of COVID-19 updates.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
Rather than coordinating a coherent, scientifically-based national strategy to combat the global, COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump is hedging his bets solely on the quick release and acceptance of a vaccine. There are lots of questions surrounding the potential of a COVID-19 vaccine, and some warranted concern for what to expect when options come along: How far are we from a vaccine? Will the vaccine be safe and effective? Will I be able to get the vaccine once it’s approved?
Let’s tackle some of the most common ones.
Weekly Pulse, Aug 30-Sep 4: COVID Cases Still “Unacceptably High”—But Can We Trust a Rushed Vaccine?
For The Weekly Pulse (a revisit of an old Ms. column!), we’ve scoured the most trusted journalistic sources—and, of course, our Twitter feeds—to bring you this week’s most important news stories related to health and wellness.
This week: Trump’s handling of the pandemic remains woefully insufficient; Sen. Cruz is “leading the charge on a Hail Mary plea” against medication abortion; House Dems are looking to challenge Hyde; and your weekly COVID-19 updates.
While Praising the NBA Strike, Don’t Forget How WNBA Players Paved The Way
Headlines last week portrayed NBA players as the activist leaders in the sports world and reduced WNBA players to mere followers of their male counterparts’ actions.
But on the whole, the WNBA has consistently and collectively been on the forefront of social justice issues for years now.
Women’s leadership—particularly Black women’s leadership—in the WNBA is too often left out of headlines about activism in professional sports.
“We know what it was like to stand up, even against public opinion.”
Waiting for Herd Immunity Won’t Save Us
A top White House advisor is reportedly pushing for Trump to adopt a strategy of “herd immunity” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what exactly does that mean?
Weekly Pulse, Aug 23-28: Trump COVID Plan Guided By Politics, Not Public Health; Hurricane Laura’s Aftermath
For The Weekly Pulse (a revisit of an old Ms. column!), we’ve scoured the most trusted journalistic sources—and, of course, our Twitter feeds—to bring you this week’s most important news stories related to health and wellness.
This week: FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn overstates the benefits of the convalescent plasma treatment; CDC silently changes quarantine and testing guidance, against Fauci’s guidance; a five-dollar, 15-minute COVID-19 antigen test; Trump calls for restrictions on medication abortion; ultrasounds required for abortion-seekers in Indiana; less than half of people were taught about birth control; men die due to COVID-19 at a higher rate than women; 463 million children globally are cut off from education due to the pandemic; do video games help cope with the pandemic?; and Hurricane Laura’s aftermath.