Winning an election without Putin in the work
+ Olivia Rodrigo tried to give out Plan B at her shows and we ruined it!
Morning my angels! I’m feeling incredible because Bel and I are handing in our FINAL DRAFT of Make It Make Sense today and I’ve honestly loved every last second of this final editing process. As you may know, I’ve not been in my zone for a while, but this week I well and truly was. So thank you for sticking with me during this final push, and thank you for (hopefully) reading it when it’s out!!!
In other incredible news, I am currently making my way through the INSANE number of draft
pieces sitting in my inbox! I love being an editor and publishing you!!! I think it may well be what I was born to do…See u in the news cycle xxxx
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ IN THE NEWS⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
Putin won another election without Putin in any work
Vladdy Pootz has just claimed another landslide victory over in Russia in a “stage-managed election that could have only one winner.” Need I remind you that Putin has been in power since the year 2000 and at 71, he is “the longest serving Russian leader since Josef Stalin.”
Noon against Putin
Thousands of Russians joined Navalny-inspired 'noon against Putin' protests both in Russia and outside of it, where they gathered outside polling booths to either spoil their voting papers or write late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s name on them.
The queue to vote at the Russian embassy stretched for more than half a mile along Kensington Gardens on Sunday as hundreds of Russians arrived at midday as part of a worldwide act of protest to show their opposition to Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
It took a quarter of an hour to walk to the end of the queue past people bearing signs that read: “These ‘elections’ are fake”, “My president is Alexei Navalny” and “Vladimir Putin, go fuck yourself”.
But, alas, Putin ‘won’ in a landslide
Despite the protests, and even the US stating that this election was “obviously not free nor fair”, Putin won 87% of the vote “according to exit polling published by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center and the Public Opinion Foundation.”
Olivia Rodrigo tried to give out Plan B at her shows… we ruined it
By now you’ve probably heard about it - if not from other people, from me because my post about it is currently sitting at over 100k likes - Plan B pills and condoms were handed out at Olivia Rodrigo shows in Missouri (where abortion is banned) as part of her Fund 4 Good campaign.
Madelyn Ritter expected to leave the St Louis date of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour with merch – she didn’t expect to also go home with some free emergency contraception.
But that’s just what she saw upon entering the stadium. There, right by the women’s bathrooms, was a table where concertgoers could donate to abortion funds and pick up free condoms and morning-after pills, sometimes referred to as Plan B. - The Guardian
I’m obsessed with this. I’m obsessed with artists doing what they can with what they have and speaking up about things they care about (woah, who would have guessed.) The world was too - this was picked up by almost every major media outlet, Olivia was applauded on social media, and Gen Z was going nuts for it. Unfortunately, conservatives were going nuts over it too, just not in a good way.
This just in! Young people are having sex!
With much media attention comes much scrutiny, and a day after we posted it, we had to print a retraction - that actually no, Olivia Rodrigo would no longer be distributing Plan B at her shows.
According to abortion organizations cited by Variety, Rodrigo’s “team” became concerned about the messaging and insisted groups no longer pass out lubrication, condoms and the emergency contraceptive pill known as Plan B because “children are present at the concerts”.
Despite the fact that they will no longer be handing out lube, condoms and the emergency contraceptive pill, there will still be a dedicated table for abortion funds at each show of the tour, Rodrigo is still donating to local aboriton funds, and this whole thing has certainly created awareness for reproductive rights, because god, it’s brutal out here.
So many of us have grown up having everything available and accessible to us all the time - which is AMAZING for so many reasons, but there is a cost to free things - even if you can’t see it.
In a world that feels more mystifying by the day, where journalists are constantly being laid off, and misinformation spreads faster than a leaked Harry Styles song, finding media that you trust, understand and actually want to read is so important.
I know you value what I do - so many of you email me saying how much you love the newsletter, thanking me for explaining topics you might not have heard of, and telling me how much it means to you that you’ve got a friend on the other side of this thing (🥺🥺🥺) If you believe in paying for the media (or the person???) you love, then please consider becoming a supporter.
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This:
This: Why the **** does everyone swear all the ******* time?
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I was so impressed by Olivia having those resources available but unfortunately not surprised in the slightest that conservatives would have such a problem with it.