— What Drake’s new necklace is made up of representing all the girls he didn’t propose to. Truly…His Loss.
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Some Good News for Once
The Story
Researchers are taking big steps against cancer.
Tell me.
This week has seen encouraging updates in the fight against one of the world’s leading causes of death. That includes…
A possible vaccine…Yesterday, pharma giants Moderna and Merck released results on a cancer vaccine. Skin cancer kills 7,500 Americans each year — and impacts tens of thousands more. Now, Moderna’s using the same mRNA tech as its COVID vaccine to develop a possible solution. It analyzed post-surgery tumor tissue from each of the study’s 157 patients. Then, individualized vaccines helped train the patient’s immune system to recognize and fight mutations. In a mid-stage trial, the process — paired with Merck’s own immunotherapy — cut risks of death or recurrence by 44% over the immunotherapy alone. Next up: Phase III trials begin next year. If successful, the tech might be able to be used for lung, bladder, or even types of breast cancers.
Base editing…In the UK, doctors used a new gene editing approach to fight leukemia in a 13-year-old girl. Base editing — a technique developed only six years ago — is apparently an even more precise form of gene editing than CRISPR. In this case, a girl with treatment-resistant leukemia got immune cells from a donor. But since bone marrow transplants and other interventions failed, researchers tweaked the donated cells so her body wouldn’t attack them. The girl — who had no other treatment options — has been cancer-free for over six months. And is the first person in the world to get this treatment. Now, 10 more patients are being enrolled to try it.
These seem like big updates.
They could be. Biotech companies working on cancer vaccines just saw their stocks go up. And there’s growing interest in the potential of base editing — especially since the type of cancer involved in this girl’s case is one of the most common forms of pediatric cancer. It comes amid encouraging (but early) info on another gene editing approach that may help with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
theSkimm
Cancer kills almost 10 million people around the world — accounting for almost one in six deaths. But humanity is fighting back. And there are reasons to be optimistic about our trajectory.
Sam Bankman-Fried. Yesterday, US prosecutors charged the FTX founder with eight criminal counts, including wire fraud and campaign finance violations. Federal prosecutors accuse Bankman-Fried of using “tens of millions of dollars” of stolen customer money to make illegal political donations to both Democrats and the GOP. Publicly, Bankman-Fried was the Democratic Party’s second-largest donor. But since the FTX fallout began last month, he’s said that — behind closed doors and via dark and undisclosed donations — he gave equally to Republicans. Officials say it was part of Bankman-Fried’s strategy to “influence the direction of policy and legislation” on the crypto industry. Now, as he’s expected to fight extradition from the Bahamas, a House hearing, and a (ahem) laundry list of investigations and criminal charges, he’ll have to deal with the wrath of both sides of the aisle.
Next up: Bankman-Fried's extradition hearing is set for Feb 8th. And since a judge denied him bail, he'll be held in the Bahamas Department of Corrections until then. He faces 115 years in prison if convicted.
What could be switching gears…
Inflation. Yesterday, the most recent Consumer Price Index report showed inflation might (again, might) be slowing down. The CPI — which measures the average change in prices for a variety of goods and services over time — rose 0.1% last month. That’s the smallest annual inflation increase in nearly a year. The report had Wall Street celebrating (sorta, kinda) as investors figured it could mean less aggressive interest rate hikes from the Fed today. Fingers crossed.
Who took the stand…
Megan Thee Stallion. Yesterday, the Grammy-winning artist — whose real name is Megan Pete — testified against rapper Tory Lanez. In 2020, Lanez was charged with assault after allegedly shooting at Pete's feet. Now, during the trial, Pete told the court that Lanez said to “dance” before allegedly shooting at her and that he offered her $1 million to keep quiet. Pete also implied that reporting the attack has damaged her career. And that she'd rather have been “shot and killed” than go through “this torture.” It's unclear if Lanez — who pleaded not guilty to felony assault charges — will also take the stand. He faces up to 22 years in prison.
What could be housing discrimination…
Airbnb. Yesterday, a study by the global vacation rental company found that people have more trouble booking stays if hosts think they’re Black. The study — which is part of the company’s initiative to uncover and fix race-based discrimination on its platform — showed that users perceived to be white saw a 94.1% booking success rate compared to 91.4% of users who were thought to be Black.
Who said ‘I do’...
President Biden. Yesterday, he signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. The law doesn't make same-sex marriage legal across all 50 states. But it does require all of them to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed in other states.
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The Shoppes at Skimm Ave.
Ring the sleigh bells — you’ve got less than two weeks to buy those holiday presents. If you’re still searching for a few items, look no further. We’ve rounded up gift ideas across all categories. We’re talking…
2. A cozy, loungey sweater to get (gift) wrapped up in. Calling all blanket-wearers. You’ll wanna grab Athleta’s deliciously soft Restore Wrap ASAP. It’s the perfect layering piece (and last-minute gift). Order by 9 pm PT Monday, Dec 19 to get it by Dec 23. Wink.*
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Skimm'rs
We like to celebrate the wins, big and small. Let us know how your friends, neighbors, coworkers (and yes, even you) are making career moves, checking off goals, or making an impact in the community.
Doodles for dollars…Stephanie S (FL). She gained popularity on social media for her “Doodles for Donations” — raising over $30,000 in the past three years. She recently illustrated a kids book, “The Giving Giraffe Jude,” and will be donating 100% of proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
(Some) Birthdays…theSkimm's Katie Boes (CO), theSkimm's Andrea Torres (NY), theSkimm's Monica Perry (NY), Nancy Schulman (NY), Danielle King (PA), Kari Dombroski (NJ), Cindy Sale (IA), Paige Button (IN), Emily Hayden (IN), Emily Drewry (NY), Joanna Humphrey Flynn (MA), Kristen Friel (NJ), Hunter McAreavy (MO), Aline Hilford (CT), Heather Knight (KY)
PS: Paging all members of theSkimm. Reach out here for a chance to be featured.
Skimm More
Whether you need a song for strutting down the street, a pump up while getting ready for work, or a tune for chilling on the couch, Meghan Trainor has the beat. Watch our video as she shares (and sings) her song picks for every mood. Bet we made you look — check it out.
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