Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Paid Leave, Facebook, the Planet

First up: So much for paid family leave. Democrats unveiled a more than $1 trillion spending bill this week, but it’s leaving a lot of people disappointed. We’ll catch up with one Capitol Hill reporter to find out why.

Next: We’ve got the latest on Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for kids under 12, the coup in Sudan, the U.N.’s scary climate report and the U.S. asking passport holders: is your gender M, F or X?

ICYMI: The midterm elections aren’t until 2022, but Election Day next Tuesday could set the tone for next year’s midterms. We’ll break down what to look out for.

Then: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. We’ll explain what miscarriages are, and we’ll ask two fertility specialists: what are the best things to say to someone who’s going through one?

Let’s talk biz: A bunch of companies announced their Q3 earnings this week, and plenty of them announced more price increases for consumers. We’ll explain what’s driving that.

Plus: Facebook has had so much bad press lately, but the headlines are barely making a dent in the company’s profits. We’ll talk to one reporter about Facebook’s handling of the “Facebook Papers” scandal.

Finally: If the “nature is healing” memes got you through some dark moments last year, now there’s actual science to show you’re not alone. Literally, memes are good for our health. We’ll get into just why that is.

P.S. We’ve got resources for anyone dealing with loss or grief after a miscarriage here.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

• Alice Miranda Ollstein, healthcare and Capitol Hill reporter, POLITICO
• Keach Hagey, investigative reporter for media and tech, The Wall Street Journal
• Dr. Natalie Crawford, fertility physician
• Dr. Temeka Zore, fertility specialist and board-certified OB/GYN
• Jessica Myrick , professor of media studies, Penn State University

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Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Luke Vargas, and Ciara Long. Additional support from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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