When I wrote about long-haul coronavirus, I got a *lot* of messages telling me to look into ME/CFS—a disease that sounds almost identical but gets a lot less attention
Long COVID patients, advocates, and doctors say the pandemic is the largest mass-disabling event in history—and argue the government isn't doing nearly enough about it.
In July, Robert Chelsea became the first African American face transplant recipient in history. It was an honor to spend the last year following his story—one that could have an enormous cultural impact on medicine
I spent months talking to executives at Juul, learning about the inner workings of the company and the future of an industry that risks being "regulated out of existence." The result is my first cover story (!) for
@TIME
For weeks, I've been struck by how differently people are acting now—with the U.S. outbreak worse than it's ever been—compared to this spring. I wrestled with why that's happening in this week's cover story:
.
@ScottGottliebMD
kindly took the time to explain his proposals for COVID-19 recovery, and even more kindly did not hang up when I asked multiple questions about his chickens and his old tweets
Andrew Huberman's podcast episodes are very long, very dense, and VERY popular. I tried to figure out how a neuroscientist became one of the biggest podcasters in America (spoiler: even he doesn't really know)
I spent some time with the founders of
@PartnersClinic
, who are doing whatever it takes—including buying a 1990s ultrasound machine on Craigslist—to get a new, open-to-all abortion clinic open in Maryland this fall
Some news I've been sitting on since the Before Times: I'm writing a book about Juul and the e-cigarette world for
@HenryHolt
! And it's being adapted into a docuseries! Everything is extremely surreal!
Wondering how to exercise/eat well/stay social/de-stress/generally be okay when you're mostly at home? I was too, so I asked a bunch of very smart and thoughtful people!
This is one of the most personal things I've ever written (gross!) so I am promoting it here (also gross!) in hopes that it speaks to someone else even a little bit
The Word document that lived on my computer for a year becomes a real book today! THANK YOU to the many, many people who helped make this wild ride possible. Now, I'm sorry, a little obligatory promotion:
I got a $493 bill for a COVID test I thought would be free. Turns out the lab didn't code it as COVID (??) so my insurance didn't cover it. Get tested—but check your claims! Call your insurer! Don't let them charge $493 for a test that takes 5 seconds! This has been my TED talk
If you've been to the doctor lately, you know that it's often, uh, bad. I wrote about how the slog of long waits, short appointments, and high prices is leaving patients burned out and ready to turn their backs on health care
Almost every single person with Long COVID who I've ever interviewed has described a wildly convoluted path to treatment. That's a big problem, and one that could last years to come
However you want to label it, (sober curiosity, mindful drinking, elective sobriety...) many Americans are drinking less. But the biggest surprise is that Big Alcohol doesn't mind
If you happened to be born after Jan. 1, 2000, you will never be able to buy tobacco in Brookline, Ma.—not when you're 25 or 50 or 100. The goal is to slowly phase out legal tobacco, not just in Brookline, but (someday) everywhere
Front Page Awards 2020:
@Jamie_Ducharme
at
@TIME
is the recipient of our Magazine: Feature Front Page Award for her heart-breaking and heart-warming story, "Face of Change"!
#FPA2020
there's no feeling quite like returning to a piece of writing you were struggling with, and realizing you were just tired and dumb yesterday and it's actually not that hard today
Personal news: The Brookfield Place Equinox has promised to start stocking hair elastics in the women's locker room because of ME. Chase your dreams, kids
In 2020, I learned that
@ayshakhoury
had been suspended from her medical school teaching role after leading a discussion on racism in health care. This past winter, I got a tip that there was even more to the story. Eight months later, here we are:
Robert Chelsea is such a kind and special person (even if he does like to roast my driving abilities/snack preferences) and I'm thrilled his story is resonating. Thank you,
@deadlineclub
!
Two different doctors I interviewed today about the Delta surge have described our call as "a therapy session." Truly hard to imagine how burnt out they're feeling after 18 months of this.
Researcher, to me: Imagine if humans had to eat for 9.5 hours per day to sustain themselves
Me, speaking: Mmm yes, very interesting
Me, thinking: That is my dream life
#LawrenceAcademy
’s 2020 J. William Mees Visiting Scholar has been chosen!
@Jamie_Ducharme
is a talented, up-and-coming journalist for
#TimeMagazine
who, most impressively -- and within the last three months -- has authored two covers for
@Time
. Can’t wait to have her on campus!
The pandemic has made even small decisions—like "should I go for a walk with a friend?"—feel impossibly complicated. It's exhausting! Hopefully this helps a little?
Truly thought I'd be the "looking nice at home makes me feel good" type. Regretfully, I am in fact the "inconsistent showers and changing from leggings to sweatpants at night" type
Say what you will, but women's magazines made me love journalism. They tell stories that other pubs can't or won't. (They also convinced me that stilettos would be a much bigger part of my adult life, but you can't win 'em all)
Even for young, healthy people with "mild" cases of coronavirus, debilitating symptoms can last months. If nothing so far has made you take coronavirus seriously, perhaps this will finally do it
sometimes when you ramble incoherently about something long enough,
@mandyoaklander
will shut you up by telling you to write about it. friends, here is that piece
My book is out in roughly two months and I would be delighted if you considered pre-ordering! Critics are calling it "a whole entire book" and "a small miracle that it was finished during a pandemic"
Big thanks to
@maddie_sofia
and co for doing an episode on the always-lovely Robert Chelsea and his path to becoming the first African American face transplant recipient (and also for indulging my ramblings)
the apple watch people probably didn't INTEND for the hourly "stand up" reminder to make me get a snack every single hour, but you know what, that's innovation
TIME Union is prepared to walk out for one day on May 23, the day
#TIME100
is released, one of our tentpole franchises that would not exist without our labor—unless
@time
management agrees to a fair contract.
A month ago,
@madelinebilis
described this outfit as “what a cartoon character would wear every day.” Today, after accidentally wearing it again, I am forced to admit I am a cartoon character
Spending a day in pediatric COVID wards gave me new appreciation for health care workers' energy and resilience. But it also made clear that they're exhausted and frustrated by this new—largely preventable—phase of the pandemic
PSA: we published this story 10 days ago, when many, many things were different! I will be forcing my roommate
@Mollersaurus
to do virtual yoga, rooftop calisthenics, laps of our apartment, etc and I suggest you do the same!
Spotify is really playing us by re-packaging songs we already know we like and pretending it's a cool new thing, she thinks as she sits down to listen for the next six months
Last year, I celebrated my birthday by developing chronic heart burn. Today, I celebrated by needing 87 takes to shoot a single TikTok. Like ok I get it world, I'm in my late twenties!!!!
Brought to you by someone whose purse, at any given time, contains: snacks, workout clothes, tupperware, a magazine, a laptop, chapstick, 3-5 pens, and 87 receipts
These semi-vaccinated times are introducing a whole range of social dilemmas: family drama! vaccine-only weddings! dating app disclosures! I set out to explore a few of them
So honored to receive a
@NYPressClub
award for my Long COVID reporting! But it really belongs to the many people who pushed through pain, fatigue, brain fog and more to share their stories
Congratulations to all of the winners in this year’s
@NYPressClub
Awards for Journalism. We had a record number of entries this year! Here’s the list of winners:
Tip: Quarantine cooking is way better if you pretend you’re on Chopped. WHAT CAN I MAKE WITH 18 GRAINS 4 KINDS OF BEANS AND A SWEET POTATO IN 24 MINUTES QUICK GO
I'm delighted to tap into my NH roots with a virtual book launch event
@GibsonsConcord
with the one and only
@jeffreykluger
! Come chat about vaping, space, and everything in between
Hello, Time is launching a COVID-specific advice column! Would you like me and
@TaraLaw27
to ask experts about your very specific pandemic-related problems? Email us at covidquestions
@time
.com
My friend group's running joke this year has been that we have either zero news to report, or have decided to change our entire lives. I wrote about why we're doing that
It's very hard to thread the needle of communicating that personal choices matter during the pandemic, but the real failures are of leadership. This piece by
@JuliaLMarcus
does it beautifully