Good Morning!

It's Thursday, October 16, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• What is happening to our voting rights?

• ‘Human design’ is the new it-girl astrology.

• The best time to have dinner!

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

What’s Happening To Voting Rights?

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled this week that it may significantly weaken, or even dismantle, a central pillar of the Voting Rights Act — Section 2, which for decades has safeguarded minority voters from discriminatory redistricting. The case, Callais v. Louisiana, challenges the creation of a second majority-Black district, with conservative justices questioning whether race played too central a role in the map’s design.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh voiced concerns about using race indefinitely as a redistricting tool, while Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito pressed lawyers on the limits of race-conscious mapmaking. Civil rights advocates, led by Janai Nelson of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, warned that curbing Section 2 would be “catastrophic,” eroding decades of progress and minority representation across the South. Key takeaways from the hearing.

A ruling against Louisiana’s map could reshape congressional districts nationwide, potentially reducing the number of Black- and Latino-majority districts and handing Republicans a structural advantage before the 2026 midterms. With Kavanaugh likely the pivotal vote, the decision — expected by June 2026 — could redefine the legal boundaries of race and representation in American democracy.

US News

Pentagon Journalists Depart Amid New Reporting Rules

Dozens of Pentagon reporters turned in their press badges on Wednesday rather than sign new guidelines they say would severely restrict independent coverage of the US military. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the rules would limit how journalists could gather information and threatened “potentially severe consequences” for unauthorized disclosures, raising alarms among press advocates and major news organizations.

As the deadline approached, journalists packed decades of work — boxes of documents, books, and personal mementos — from the Pentagon’s media rooms. Many expressed concern that restricted access would slow reporting, reduce accountability, and chill communications both for reporters and military officials. Veteran correspondents warned that coverage of fast-moving developments abroad would suffer, though several pledged to take a more aggressive approach to maintain rigorous reporting from outside the building.

Nearly every major US media outlet, from ABC and CNN to the New York Times and NPR, refused to sign the guidelines, while only a few conservative outlets, including One America News, agreed. Press associations called the move a “dark day for press freedom” and warned it undermines transparency, public accountability, and First Amendment protections. Journalists said they remain committed to covering the Pentagon, determined to find ways to continue their work despite losing in-house access.

Women

As Return To Office Mandates Kick In, Women Take Significant Pay Cuts

In 2023, Courtney Clements made a dramatic career shift, leaving a senior executive role with a $30,000 pay cut to work from home recruiting IT workers in Atlanta. The move allowed her to spend more time with her daughter but underscored a broader economic trend: the gender wage gap is widening for the first time since the 1960s. In 2024, women earned just 80.9 cents for every dollar earned by men, down from 84 cents in 2022, while men’s median income rose 3.7 percent.

Experts point to several drivers, including women leaving jobs due to strict return-to-office mandates, limited child care options, and labor-force shifts post-pandemic. Research on more than three million finance and tech workers found women are almost three times as likely as men to leave their jobs in response to office requirements, often taking lower-level roles in new industries. This “motherhood penalty” and caregiving responsibilities continue to erode earnings over a lifetime, with lost wages and retirement savings estimated at nearly $300,000.

As companies such as Amazon and AT&T push in-office policies for cultural reasons, women are increasingly forced to prioritize flexibility over pay. While journalists, researchers, and HR professionals note these decisions often come at a steep cost, many women see no viable alternative, highlighting persistent structural barriers to workplace equality.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🛋️ Your therapy didn’t work? You might not be at fault, this could be the reason.

🇫🇷 French government teeters as PM Lecornu faces two no-confidence votes.

🇺🇸 For the first time ever, US droped out of top 10 list of most powerful passports.

🐘 White House, JD Vance brush off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat.

💔 We knew male ego was fragile, and now it's causing divorces!

🇻🇪 Trump says he authorized CIA covert operations inside Venezuela.

🍽️ This really is the best time to have dinner and your gut will be thankful.

🛂 Trump administration strips visas over Charlie Kirk remarks.

💼 Are you a ‘glue employee’ at work? It might be time to ask for a promotion.

🧬 Forget astrology, ‘human design’ is the new way to dissect your life!

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🏋️‍♀️ Power up your workout with the perfect kettlebell swing — your glutes, core, and cardio will thank you. Here’s how you can master it.

🧠 Forget “a drink a day”: study shows any amount of alcohol, even moderate, can harm brain health and raise dementia risk.

💰 Big changes are coming to your Medicare plans in 2026. Higher costs, reduced benefits — what all do you need to do!

💡 Want your brain to stick around longer? Neurologists dodge these common habits that quietly sabotage your grey matter.

💊 Women chasing menopause relief via testosterone pellets are finding more than mood boosts and sometimes irreversible body changes follow.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

👗 The new runway obsession? Cinched waists! This season, designers obsess over the tiniest waist with cinched cuts, exposed midriffs, and runway drama aplenty.

🦇 Soft goth meets ethereal allure: Monster’s Muse makeup is trending and its all flushed cheeks, blurred lips, and haunted radiance.

👢 From prairies to pavements: Western boots are the unexpected star of street style. Here’s how to style them without going full cowgirl.

💎 Pearls, chains, gemstones, and unexpected combos make 2025’s jewelry the season’s ultimate fashion accessory rebellion.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎤 Kim Kardashian discusses Kanye West divorce, co-parenting struggles on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.

🇨🇦 Why Justin Trudeau could be the perfect next boyfriend for Katy Perry.

👯‍♀️ One industry advice Taylor Swift gave Selena Gomez which she’ll “never forget”.

🎬 Gwyneth Paltrow says she didn’t know co-star Timothée Chalamet was dating Kylie Jenner.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

ChatGPT, but make it sexy? Sam Altman says OpenAI will soon let verified adults use ChatGPT for erotica — part of a plan to “treat adult users like adults.” The move comes after tighter mental health restrictions made the chatbot “less enjoyable” for some. But as AI flirts with intimacy, critics question where the line between innovation and irresponsibility lies.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” 

– George Eliot