Photographs by Tony Luong O n a Friday afternoon in mid-April, Gladys Vega received a disturbing message: A woman hospitalized with COVID-19 needed food for the 11-year-old daughter she’d left at home. Worried that the girl would go hungry, Vega rushed out of her office and into the tangle of downtown Chelsea, Massachusetts, a 1.8-square-mile city across the Mystic River from Boston. The 52-year-old Vega, wearing a black tracksuit, a highlighter-yellow T-shirt, and a little bit of matching eye glitter, jumped out of the car so quickly, I could barely keep up. She approached a narrow brick apartment building and asked the people on the stoop to open the front door. “You don’t have to worry; I’m not immigration,” Vega said in Spanish. “Let me in.” Vega was accustomed to convincing fearful Chelsea residents to trust her. More and more restrictive federal immigration measures had motivated some locals—day laborers, food-factory workers, janitors, and other employees now deemed … [Read more...] about How Fear Spreads the Coronavirus
Health care
How Kate Middleton paid hidden tribute to women with infertility
Kate Middleton honored women with infertility on a recent visit to maternal healthcare organizations accompanied by Princess Anne. The royal wore a dress embellished with lace panels in shapes reminiscent of pineapples, the symbol adopted by infertility groups and identifiers. Kate has developed her personal style since becoming a member of the royal family in 2011, and has demonstrated over time a keen awareness of the symbolism and emphasis placed on what members of the royal family wear. Since the engagement which saw Kate and Anne appear for a rare joint visit to the headquarters of the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Kate has announced her patronage of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, which aims to help new and expectant mothers. For the visit Kate wore a tailored crepe midi dress from the designers at Self Portrait. The brand has been a proven favorite of Kate's as well as sister-in-law Meghan Markle , who wore a … [Read more...] about How Kate Middleton paid hidden tribute to women with infertility
Telling kids they’re overweight leads to them piling on pounds later in life
Telling children they are overweight actually leads to them growing up carrying more weight, MPs have heard. Experts said there is zero evidence that weight loss diets work in the long term and they lead to children piling the pounds back on eventually. Psychologists told the Health Select Committee that stress and stigma have negative health impacts that increase the risk of weight gain over a lifetime. Experts said the National Child Measurement Programme - which takes the weight and height of all children in reception class and Year 6 - is contributing to Britain’s obesity epidemic. MPs were told that the goal of losing weight should be replaced with a focus on children’s self esteem and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits, such as cooking from scratch and exercise. Dr Angela Meadows, of University of Essex, said: “The long term effects of weight loss tends to be weight gain. “Telling children that they’re overweight, it has been tried. It tends to have the opposite … [Read more...] about Telling kids they’re overweight leads to them piling on pounds later in life
Furious Brits working 3 jobs blast out-of-touch minister as they share harrowing reality
Tory minister Rachel Maclean yesterday sparked fury in a car crash interview where she suggested Brits struggling for money should work more hours or get better paid jobs. As the cost of living continues to increase, putting more pressure on everyday people to pay for the bills, the “tone deaf” sentiments were slammed by Brits and the opposition party. Talking to Sky News, she said: “I think what we need to focus on now is over the long-term. “We do have these short-term pressures on us that we're all aware of. But over the long-term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better, whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better-paid job.” Rachel Maclean sparked fury in the Sky News interview on Monday ( Image: Sky) The Prime Minister's official spokesman waded into the row, adding the Home Office Minister was clear “people’s circumstances may vary”. Despite the PM’s support, the comments … [Read more...] about Furious Brits working 3 jobs blast out-of-touch minister as they share harrowing reality