A Little Good News
The feel good links we all need right now & a health update
Health update
This week I was able to go to Mayo Clinic and meet with the doctors there. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to get an appointment and can afford to fly there etc. It remains wild to me that this was necessary and in retrospect I’m pretty livid at some of the doctors I’ve seen. But the good news is, Mayo figured out my problem, I don’t need brain surgery (which was a running theory!), and they think I can cut down from almost-dying to nearly-almost normal.
In the wellness world of tik tok I have seen lots of content over the years about cortisol face and adrenal insufficiency and the supplements you must take. What I can tell you is that if you have clinically low cortisol, you will feel like a shell of a human whose brain does not work. When you go into an acute adrenal crisis you have less than 24 hours to live and your body absolutely knows it. They think I’ll be back to not feeling catastrophically bad in a few months - which for me is fantastic news. I am genuinely elated.
News
First a little bit of breaking news. As of yesterday Matt Gaetz is out as an AG candidate.
"There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General," Gaetz wrote in a post on X. "Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1."
He’s since told Charlie Kirk he does not “intend to” return to Congress next year. (Such an odd turn of phrase he keeps using, but it seems settled.)
Trump nominated Pam Bondi as his replacement AG. Bondi is a former Florida Attorney General (2011-2019) who has the right kinds of experience and no history of statutory rape, which means she’s highly likely to be confirmed. She is a chair at America First Policy Institute, the Trump admin holding ground, aka the conservative think tank founded by former Trump staff members.
I’ll have more on all of Trump’s cabinet picks next week, but I also wanted to check in - are you taking care of yourself? I’m trying to as best I can. Today I am launching a gratitude chat thread for paid subscribers. Let's chat about how we are grounding our hope this holiday season. Also maybe we can commiserate over holiday stresses! And let me know your cranberry sauce recipe!! Join me there!
Some Nice Things
Brands are embracing our utter exhaustion with a slew of new products and gear to allow us to stay in bed for the next four years. Amy Odell has a great piece on her substack today on therapeutic laziness.
And in honor of bed rotting and checking out we will have a massive cozy gift guide for you next week for subscribers. And a giveaway for paid subscribers!
Betty White will finally be gracing an official postal service stamp in 2025.
I really enjoyed this article about a town in Oregon that is tapping into the ocean for energy, gift link.
Annie Andrews is a doctor who ran against Nancy Mace for Congress, and she’s started the #NancyMaceRainbowFund to encourage people around the country to donate to local LGBTQ+ groups in Nancy Mace’s name/honor, after her hateful, bigoted attacks on Sarah McBride–the nation’s first trans person ever elected to congress–this week
My friend @thespacegal went TO SPACE! Influencer, scientist, nicest human alive, and now astronaut. Emily Calandrelli is living out a lifelong dream of launching into space today on Blue Origin. She was the 100th woman ever in space.
Love this piece from Ebony. Kamala Harris is the Archetype of a Political Icon Beyond All Definition.
“As the first Black woman to hold the second-highest office in the land, she has shattered glass ceilings and led with purpose. Her legacy is already one of action: securing $17 billion in funding for HBCUs, championing maternal health equity and fighting to protect our fundamental freedoms. She’s proven that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about delivering for the people who need it most.”
A toy called the fart-blaster is topping holiday wish-lists and that seems to really sum up the vibe right now.
Thanksgiving lasagna sounds like something I could get behind. Gift Link.
Cecile Richards received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
MIT has announced that undergraduates from families with annual incomes below $200,000 will receive tuition-free education. Families earning under $100,000 will pay nothing for the full cost of attendance.
Good things are happening in the world every day and I know that it can be hard to remember that. Over the next month I’ll be sending out a lot more of these good news links along with more ways we can take care of ourselves and each other. We should all take this time to rest and reboot. Your cup must be full to be able to fill others.
Emily! I’m so so happy that your trip to Mayo was worthwhile and hopefully will allow you to not go to the doctor as much soon. That’s such great news. 💗
So happy to hear you are on a path to healing!
My gratitude moment—I dressed my 18-month old daughter in a “women in science” toile patterned dress for her daycare picture day. That evening at pick-up, one of her teachers chased me down in the hall to ask where I got it and if it came in adult sizes. She said she had spent her whole lunch break Googling all the women so she would know their accomplishments and contributions to society. I myself am a women in science and this eased so much guilt and worry—to know my daughter has this kind of educator in her very young life who notices, is curious, and is modeling that for my daughter.