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The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade takes away far more than the constitutional right to a safe abortion. This decision strips women of the right to make decisions about their own bodies; further marginalizes Black women; puts the lives of thousands of women at risk; and effectively threatens every American's right to bodily autonomy. With this decision, the Supreme Court is undoing more than a century of progress for women's rights. It's truly a moment I never thought I would experience in my lifetime, and it is only deepening divides across an already polarized country. As this NYT op-ed puts it, "the decades-long fight to reverse Roe was not an effort to restore democracy but instead an attempt to change how American democracy works—one that, now realized, will touch areas of life well removed from reproduction."
We cannot be quiet about this. Overturning Roe v. Wade has introduced the possibility for other civil and personal rights to be taken away, including marriage equality. Our team has identified a few resources for those who want to donate, find reproductive care, show their support, or learn more: Center for Reproductive Rights, The National Network of Abortion Funds, Planned Parenthood, Shout Your Abortion, I Need an A, Jane's Due Process, National Advocates for Pregnant Women and the ACLU.
No more single-use. That's the bold position Canada is taking with its nationwide ban on single-use plastics, announced last week. Starting in December 2022, the manufacture and importation of single-use plastics will be banned, and sale of these items will banned beginning in December 2023, to give businesses time to deplete existing stock. Canada will also ban exportation of single-use plastic by 2025. This sweeping action, which is aimed at addressing climate change, is estimated to eliminate more than 1.3 million tons of plastic waste and more than 22,000 tons of plastic pollution.
Washington Post: Canada to ban single-use plastics to combat pollution, climate change
Government of Canada: Canada delivers on commitment to ban harmful single-use plastics
Children outgrow a lot of things — including their toys. While some formerly-beloved playthings become hand-me-downs or get donated to local organizations, far too many toys end up in landfills. Toymaker Mattel is expanding its PlayBack program to give new life to unwanted, broken, or outgrown toys. Not only does the PlayBack program provide an environmental win for consumers and the company, but it is inspiring innovation in how old toys are recycled and reused at Mattel.
Triple Pundit: Giving Toys a Second, Third, and Fourth Life with Mattel
Businesswire: Fisher Price joins Barbie, MEGA, and Matchbox in Mattel PlayBack
Nearly 90% of people won't survive a sudden cardiac event that occurs outside a hospital setting. Avive, a medical startup, is working to address that sobering statistic with its small, grab-and-go portable AED (automated defibrillator). The tiny device was specifically designed to be sleek, small, and easy to find and carry both at home and away. Avive's AED also has a community alert system built in, which (if approved by the FDA) will notify users when nearby 911 calls involve cardiac arrest. The idea is that anyone with an Avive unit could be a first responder and save lives.
Traditional therapies and treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder can be harmful when improperly applied. Finding the right treatment and provider can also be a challenge for many parents, who often face a lack of available data as well as cost barriers. SpectrumAI, a health tech company founded by the mother of an autistic child, aims to better connect insurers, providers, and parents/patients. Ultimately, the company is working to leverage data to improve ABA (applied behavior analysis), the leading therapy for individuals with autism.
FastCompany: How a tech startup is using AI to find better treatments for autism
SpectrumAI: Autism Innovation