THE BIG STORY
Jan. 6 testimony in Congress highlights the dangerous toll of 2020 misinformation on election workers today |
Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss testifies as her mother, Ruby Freeman, watches during the fourth hearing held by the Jan. 6 committee in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2022. Michael Reynolds-Pool / Getty Images |
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During congressional testimony earlier this week, the Jan. 6 House committee heard testimony from state officials in Arizona and Georgia who spoke about the pressure they faced from former president Donald Trump and his lawyers to install fake electors, "find" ballots that didn't exist, and decertify the valid election results that declared Joe Biden the victor. One former Georgia election officer, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, testified with her mother, Ruby Freeman, on Tuesday that Trump's then-attorney Rudy Giuliani told lawmakers to investigate them after Biden won, based on unfounded accusations that they were tampering with the votes. Ever since then, the two have faced countless death threats, vile and racist comments, and harassment, they testified. "I don't want to go anywhere, I second-guess everything that I do," said Moss, who left her job of more than 10 years at the elections office as a result. "It's affected my life in a major way, in every way, all because of lies for me doing my job — the same thing I've been doing forever." As Rep. Adam Schiff stressed at the hearing, the investigation into Jan. 6 serves not just to hold rioters accountable — it's to underscore the importance of protecting democratic processes. "If the most powerful person in the world can bring the full weight of the presidency down on an ordinary citizen, who is merely doing her job, with a lie as big and heavy as a mountain, who among us is safe?" Schiff said. "None of us is. None of us." |
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STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Ukraine set to join the EU |
The EU-Western Balkans leaders' meeting in Brussels on June 23, 2022. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images |
- Ukraine is set to receive EU status following a European Commission meeting in Brussels, the Guardian reports. The application and approval process usually takes years, but Ukraine will have achieved candidate status within four months.
- Moldova is also expected to join the EU, but Georgia is likely to earn a "European perspective," a tier below EU membership. Both countries applied to join after tensions spilled over from the war in Ukraine.
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The Uvalde schools police chief has been put on administrative leave. Pete Arredondo's removal from active police work comes as the city has also wrestled with how to handle his recent election to the Uvalde City Council. Drake gave his puppy to a dog trainer because of his hectic tour. The trainer told us she's thrilled. "It came down to just a common sense arrangement more than anything." Elliot Page said that he feels joy that he "never really thought possible" since transitioning after he revealed that his Juno fame almost killed him. Page also praised The Umbrella Academy showrunner, Steve Blackman, for incorporating his transition into his character's storyline for the Netflix series.
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SEXUAL HEALTH 🤝 MENTAL HEALTH Why is genital herpes still so stigmatized? |
There's no hiding the fact that genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection, carries a stigma. But there's no reason to hide behind closed doors just because you have a treatable health condition shared by half a billion people — about 16% of all adults — worldwide. About 1 in 6 people ages 14–49 have HSV-2 (as opposed to HSV-1, or oral herpes). HSV-2 is generally contracted from blisters on or near the genitals, although you can still transmit the virus even without any obvious sores on the skin. Some people have few or no symptoms, and many people may not know they have it at all — about 87% of people with genital herpes have never been diagnosed by a doctor. Genital herpes is stigmatized in part because sex education in the US is often misleading, inadequate, or virtually nonexistent, with many people not truly understanding how the virus spreads or impacts personal health. But today, numerous content creators and influencers with herpes are working to break the herpes stigma — one educational TikTok, podcast episode, or YouTube video at a time. "Why as adults are we so immature about something that is really so serious to your health? That's where I want people to connect the dots," Chase Cramer said. Cramer, who goes by @chaseinsexed on TikTok, was inspired to share his experiences with herpes online after facing repeated hospital mistreatment. "It's not about people being dirty. It's about how your sexual health is related to your physical and mental health and how you need to take care of yourself." |
READ READ READ Historical fiction you should read right now |
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh This is a bizarrely addicting novel about the struggles of residents of a medieval town called Lapvona. As their lives collide amidst death, natural disasters, and love, Moshfegh brilliantly skewers feverish religion, capitalist greed, and human nature itself. A twisted read that you can't look away from. Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley Gran Toya was known as a fierce warrior in West Africa, but after being betrayed and sold into slavery, she ends up on a sugar plantation in Saint Dominique. Marie-Claire Bonheur is a free woman of color — thanks to her grandfather's whiteness — who has dedicated her life to helping those oppressed by society. Taking place during the Haitian Revolution, this bold and striking novel follows these very different women as a country fights for freedom. Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott A dazzling blend of history and fantasy, this novel is set in Britain's Dark Ages and follows sisters Isla and Blue as they navigate the dangers of being women in this turbulent time. After their father dies, the sisters must escape their island home to the Ghost City, where they discover a group of rebel women. But this new community won't be enough to fend off enemies — they'll also have to learn how to fight back. Still stuck in the past? More historical fiction recs are available here.
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Today's the birthday of one of my lifelong friends. If something in the air feels extra zesty today, that's probably why, Alexa |
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