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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. December 19, 2028:
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INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING CHAIR KEN JENKINS RECAPS REDISTRICTING METHODS COMMENTS ON THE COURT OF APPEALS DECISION
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From New York State IRC CHAIR KEN JENKINS. December 16, 2023:
STATEMENT OF NEW YORK INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION CHAIR JENKINS AND COMMISSIONERS COLLADO, CUEVAS-MOLINA, FLATEAU, AND FRAZIER ON COURT OF APPEALS DECISION
New York Independent Redistricting Commission (“IRC”) Chair Ken Jenkins, and Commissioners Yovan Collado, Ivelisse Cuevas-Molina, John Flateau, and Elaine Frazier, welcome the Court of Appeals’ decision holding that “the people of New York are entitled to the” IRC “process set out in the Constitution, for which they voted,” and are eager to re-commence the process to submit proposed congressional districts to the Legislature.
We heartily thank all members of the public who submitted comments and participated in the IRC process. In its December 12, 2023 ruling, the Court of Appeals stated that the IRC need not conduct any further solicitation of public commentary beyond what the IRC has done previously.
We are proud of the historic and robust public participation in the IRC process. The IRC engaged in nine public listening sessions between July and August 2021. After releasing its draft maps, the IRC then conducted the constitutionally required twelve public hearings in the cities of Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and White Plains, as well as Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. The IRC also held three additional public listening sessions that sought input from the Southern Tier, the North Country, and the State as a whole.
In all, from July 2021 through January 2022, the IRC conducted not only the twelve constitutionally required public hearings, but also an additional twelve listening sessions throughout the State. During this time period, the IRC heard testimony from over 630 speakers, and received over 2,100 written submissions from New Yorkers concerned about their communities and how those communities would be represented.
Moreover, Chair Jenkins, and Commissioners Collado, Cuevas-Molina, Flateau, and Frazier, invited the public to submit any additional input on congressional districting while the Court of Appeals’ decision was pending.
Between October 2, 2023 and the issuance of the Court of Appeals’ decision on December 12, 2023, more than 2,700 written submissions were received.
We thank the members of the public for these additional comments.
As the process now turns to the IRC’s submission of proposed congressional districts to the Legislature, the submissions@nyirc.gov email address will no longer be actively monitored.
All submissions that were received on or before the Court of Appeals’ decision on December 12, 2023 have been made available to all Commissioners and staff. Thank you.
STATE OF AFFAIRS DEC 19: OBSERVED BY YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST UP! UP! UP!
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It’s mid-December! Which means shopping, cooking, Santa, school performances, trying to keep sane andddd respiratory illnesses.
Here is your state of affairs.
Influenza-like illnesses: Increasing
The climate of respiratory health in the United States (coined “influenza-like illnesses” by CDC) continues to increase.
This is not surprising, given the holidays and colder weather. What is surprising is that it’s stubbornly creeping up instead of growing exponentially, as it typically does once we pass the epidemic threshold. This should change soon—although I’ve been saying this for weeks.
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Source: CDC; Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE
There are certainly regional differences in respiratory health. Two Southern states have turned “purple,” but many others remain “green” for now. In other words, more people in the South are feeling crappy than in the North.
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(Source: CDC)
Our kiddos and older adults are feeling the brunt of severe illnesses.
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Hospitalization Rates for Viral Respiratory Illness, by Age (Source: CDC; Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE)
Here’s a deeper dive into each virus.
Covid-19: High with potential to increase
On a national level, Covid-19 transmission is “very high.” After the post-Thanksgiving springboard upwards, wastewater levels have plateaued. But don’t get too excited. We have consistently seen this pattern in previous years.
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National SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels (Source CDC/ Annotated by Katelyn Jetelina/YLE)
I expect transmission to continue increasing in the weeks to come. Two reasons:
- Holidays. Our social networks expand as we travel and visit with people we don’t normally see. This allows the viruses to find more places to spread.
- Subvariant JN.1 is coming onto the scene. Which one is JN.1 again? It’s the child of BA.2.86, which was discovered in summer. BA.2.86 was concerning because it came out of nowhere with 35 mutations on the spike protein. This is an insane amount of change at once; it’s as big of an evolutionary jump as Wuhan → Omicron. While BA.2.86 was a dud, it quickly mutated to gain one additional spike change (i.e., JN.1). This additional change greatly impacted the viruses’ properties— making it more immune evasive.
JN.1 has become the fastest-growing variant in the past two years. In the U.S., JN.1 is reaching dominance. But, in other countries where JN.1 is already dominant, like Europe, wastewater is uniformly and exponentially increasing, as shown below. This is even the case in Australia even though it is summer there.
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Covid-19 wastewater trends across parts of the world, annotated by KKJ/YLE
The big question is if and how hospitalizations will follow wastewater trends, especially in places like the U.S., where vaccination rates are low. The U.K. and Singapore, which have high vaccination rates, are seeing a steep increase in hospitalizations now that JN.1 has taken over. Last week, CDC warned about the potential impact of low vaccination rates in the U.S.
There is considerable scientific debate about whether JN.1 should be given a new name (next in line would be “Pi”) or if it should still be considered “Omicron.” The Greek naming system was born during the pandemic to help with global scientific communication. However, I’ll be honest: The naming criteria are very unclear. If 35 changes to the spike, lab data showing immune evasion, and associated epidemiological increases don’t qualify for a name change, I’m not sure what will.
RSV: High and… peaking?
RSV decided to surprise many epidemiologists and continue to increase nationally. Hospitalizations have increased 60% over the past four weeks. For our kiddos’ sake, I hope this peaks soon.
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RSV test positivity rate United States (Source: CDC)
Flu: Moderate and increasing
Hospitalizations among all age groups increased by 200% for influenza in the past four weeks but remain below Covid-19 and RSV hospitalizations. Flu hospitalizations also remain far below last season’s peak for now.
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Hospitalization rate for Covid-19 and Flu, U.S. (Source CDC/ Annotated by KKJ/YLE)
Bottom line
There is a lot of sickness going around, and it will only increase in weeks to come. To improve your odds of staying healthy for the holidays, this is the time to tighten up— wear a mask indoors, get that air moving, and certainly get vaccinated if you haven’t already. And please keep the holiday shopping online if you’re sick.
We can minimize sickness in order to maximize family time coming up.
Love, YLE
In case you missed it:
- It’s the holiday season! Here are simple steps to navigate viruses
- Novavax is here!
- Don’t be surprised if masks come back to hospitals and nursing homes.
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, data scientist, wife. During the day, she works at a nonpartisan health policy think tank and is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:
HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR COVID UP 14% IN NY. FLU UP IN NY. RSV ON RISE: THE NORTHEAST OUTBREAK OUTLOOK
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Welcome to the Northeast edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe Now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin Respiratory diseasesInfluenza-like illnessInfluenza-like illness activity continues to rise in the Northeast, with 4.2% of visits to the doctor for fever and cough or sore throat, up from 3.8% the week prior. Flu season has been underway for quite a while now, and will likely peak either this month or next. Northeast Region: ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
 New Jersey and New York stand out as having high levels of activity at around 6%. Please use caution if you are in those states. Connecticut and Massachusetts have middling levels of activity at around 3%, though activity in CT is declining. The other states in the region have quite low levels of ILI activity, at around 2% or less. Northeast Region: Change in ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
 Covid-19Covid-19 activity is also increasing across the region, though this wave remains fairly modest compares to previous winters’. The number of new weekly hospitalizations is now at 8 per 100,000. Wastewater concentration is quite high though, second only to the Midwestern region—and concentration continues to rise. This tells me that further increases in Covid-19 activity are likely in the weeks ahead. Last winter’s high was 18, for context. Northeast Region: New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Rate per 100,000 population
 At the state level, every state is seeing sizable increases. Connecticut is most heavily affected, followed by Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Only Rhode Island has low levels of activity. Northeast Region: Change in New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Weekly new hospitalizations per 100,000
RSVRSV is still holding roughly steady in the Northeast, at about 13% PCR test positivity. The picture in individual states is mixed. Several states are showing continued week-over-week increases, including New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut. However, test positivity is declining in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Among the two states in the region reporting hospitalizations for RSV – New York and Connecticut, hospitalizations appear to be decreasing, though the data are preliminary. Northeast Region: RSV Activity
Test Positivity, Percentage
 Other Respiratory + Stomach BugsI’m monitoring several other respiratory viruses and stomach bugs.
Northeast Region: Norovirus Activity
Test Positivity, Percentage
 Food recallsThe following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items: New this week:
Previously reported:
In Other News
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A CHRISTMAS GUEST
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DECORATING THE LAST OF THE TREES. EASILY THE TALLEST OF TREES WE HAVE EVER HAD AND BRENDA STARR HAS PERFECTING A 30 MINUTE PROCESS FOR STRINGING THE LIGHTS COMPLETING THE PROCESS IN RECORD TIME NOW– FOR THE BULBS.
AMODIO’S NURSERY WHEN I WENT OVER TO PICK OUT A TREE YESTERDAY, THEY ONLY HAD 3 LEFT! AMODIOS TOLD ME THEY HAD BROUGHT IN 250 TREES ON THANKSGIVING AND HAVE SOLD ALL BUT 3.
THIS 9 FOOT TREE IS THE TALLEST AND AS I SAY EVERY YEAR ABOUT EVERY TREE WE HAVE EVER HAD (52 TREES) i ALWAYS SAY, “THIS IS THE BEST TREE WE HAVE EVER HAD!”
IT JUST STOOD OUT. REGAL. PROUD STANDING AS TALL AS CHRISTMAS ITSELF.
HE WAS A NATURAL.
MARCH OF THE CHRISTMAS COOKIES-A HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHT
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AN “ANASTASIA” YOU’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER FINDS DESTINY AND LOVE–THE COMPLETE PACKAGE
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MYSTERY-AMBITION- LOVE CONFLICT AGAINST BACKGROUND OF DANGER. IT’S THE TOP. NON-STOP!
The “Item” Couple: Anya (KATHERINE LINDSLEY) and Dmitry (Coleman Cummings) Reunited? Or Forever Parted? A Timeless Romance that will break your heart–AND HEAL IT AGAIN!
WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Review by John F. Bailey. December 16,2023 UPDATED WITH PRODUCTION NOTES, 2 PM EST, December 17, 2023.
The overflow crowd at White Plains Performing Arts Center Anastasia opening last night got it all:
They see Katherine Lindsley in her WPPAC debut, as proud Russian girl Anya, suffering from amnesia, during the post Russian revolution in the 1920s..
KATHERINE LINDSLEY, ANYA IN SEARCH OF HER PAST WITH THE GHOSTS OF THE ROMANOVS AT A BALL IN THE WINTER PALACE OF THE CZARS IN ST.PETERSBURG. (Notice how the LED recreation of the Ballroom at The Winter Palace resembles the real ballroom pictured below) All Photos courtesy of White Plains Performing Arts Center, by Adam Honore,Lighting Designer
She delivers the classic Russian woman, perfectly made up with high cheekbones sensitive expressive eyes that go from blazing ire, to downcast sensitivity, to melting you with devotion. And she’s a belter. Her portrayal last night evokes the loyalty and sensitivity of the fictional Sonya, the heroine of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
Sweeping streets in Moscow, she is singled out by enterprising entrepreneur Dmitry (Coleman Cummings) and an aristocrat, Vlad who have hit on a scheme to support themselves by finding a girl to train to impersonate the missing Anastasia. The “con” here is to win acceptance by the expatriate Dowager Empress (Patricia M. Lawrence) living in exile in Paris– that the bogus Anastasia is her surviving granddaughter. But is Anya just acting, or is she the real Anastasia?
The real Winter Palace in St. Petersburg Russia. 2015. (Photo, WPCNR)
We learn their deep relationship in the touching duet between Ms. Lawrence and Tala Simon (Little Anastasia) in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg Russia in the opening ballad Once Upon a December. Grace Adeline Flynn alternates with Ms. Simon over the next 14 performances.
The actual ballroom in The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, 2015 (Photo by WPCNR)
The pompous aloofness of the Romanov family is highlighted by the first of many dance numbers, the Last Dance of the Romanovs when during the ball a series of flashbacks demonstrates the Bolshevik fatal attack on the Romanovs.
Meanwhile, the impersonation is not going right for the two conspirators, but when they spot Ms.Lindsley’s charisma even with a broom fighting off a mob of attackers – they try her out. As she shows them her natural royal manner, they think, maybe she’s the one Dmitri (Coleman Cummings) say’s “she’s a natural,” (and she is!)
In the delightful training, her mentors and Ms. Lindsley sing Learn to Do it. During the training, Cummings and Lindsley’s growing infatuation is a titillating promise of romance.
Gleb (Drew Becker), the soldier pursuing Anya sings one of the signature songs of the show The Neva Flows. It sets the tone of this fiery dangerous romance with electricity between Lindsley and Cummings.
Why dangerous? The relentless Bolshevik, Gleb is after them!
The Bolshevik regime under the ruthless rule of the Bolshevik Secret Police head, Gleb (played with menace and agonized conflicted passion by Becker) is searching for imposters pretending to be the Grand Dutchess Anastasia Nikolaenvna Romanov, thought to be still alive.
Gleb warns Anya repeatedly her involvement in being rumored to be the lost Anastasia is dangerous for her. Gleb, though is falling in love with her himself. Ahh, the torture of forbidden love. The suspense mounts. Gleb’s duty conflicts with his passion.
The three Dmitri, Vlad and Anya are forced to flee for Poland to escape the Secret Police.
Then the Set Design team of Christopher and Justin Swader pulls out the stops! They seamlessly, spectacularly throw and thrill you with mood lighting, LED moving pictures evoking place and time all too real and moving. You the viewer are drawn into the show with rapt attention!
The double edge sword of romance, deception, guilt and the pursuit, convinces Anya, Vlad and Dmitry to flee the authorities. Using a series of moving landscapes on an LED screen,the halls and vaulted arches of the old Winter Palace portray and give the audience a feel for the magnificence the distant past in search of a memory of old Russia that has never been forgotten by Russians today.
The fleeing trio board a train and and take flight to the border thanks to the LED moving visuals, the train rolls down the tracks through the autumn Russian countryside– the rail car even turns when tracks meet a curve. It’s wizardry LED state of the art in context!
The three on the run are about to be apprehended they jump off the train. An outstanding special effect! Trooping across country they eventually reach Paris and the Eiffel tower looms up.
Anya delivers a marvelous solo at the close of act one— in her tremulous sympathetic and compelling contralto, Journey to the Past
ACT TWO opens with more special effects by pictures and moving landscapes on the projection screen as the people of 1927 Paris promenade along.
Anya meets the Dowager Empress and how does that turn out? I cannot spoil this ending for you. Patricia M. Lawrence as the Dowager Empress provides a touch of superior royalty and humor and her interaction with Ms. Lindsley in two different scenes at the finale is the key to selling this fantastic tale.
Ms. Lindsley gave this part all she had. She delivered the goods the greats-to-be have to deliver: the emotions of a young woman the confidence and courage singing lyrics plaintive, hurt, pleading, melancholy, righteous, touching your heart because she’s feeling it. She carries it, ladies and gentlemen!
The audience sees the splendor of Paris. The audience sees watching the very theater they are watching this show in majestically turn into the Paris Ballet complete with balconies and a performance of Swan Lake (truncated but perfect–it got an ovation!)
A Russian émigré’ hangout brings Count Vlad together with Countess Lily, an old flame of his, (now the Dowager Empress’s companion). The Vlad-Lily attraction is aflame again (after a frenetic dance number featuring 1927 dances is a smash and very amusing). Vlad(John Treacy Egan)) and Countess Lily (Caroline Huerta) carry off coy romantic commingling and nail it coquettishly coy~tasteful!
Meanwhile as Anya attends the Paris Ballet she is target of the relentless Gleb. (The atmosphere recalls that of The Fugitive.
Vlad (John Treacy Egan) center at a news conference with Countess Lily, as Anya who has been confirmed by the Dowager Empress as being the missing Anastasia.
Is Anya the real Anastasia? What will happen or will Gleb her pursuer from the Secret Police eliminate her? Audience is on edge with tense suspense.
The Dowager Empress holds the key. In fact Patricia M.Lawrence with her dead solid perfect calm manner with Anya “sells” the ending of this show. Both Ms. Lindsley as Anna and Ms. Lawrence interactions are dramatically effective leaving the audience spellbound at the end of this cliffhanger of emotions, uneasy to the end.
A hint: keep your eye on the music box.
Post Production Notes from John Bailey.
This show was directed by Frank Portanova, a veteran director who has directed 8 WPPAC directions and is also theater mentor at Stepinac High School. He has the distinction of directing what I feel, though I have not seen all the WPPAC shows, is the most demanding, effective, and creative production I have seen there. The cast pulled this complex ambitious performance off in just two weeks as Mr. Portanova mixed the state off art of tech with a talented professional cast and created an appropriate success worthy of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.
And a word about LED–
–The use of LED in Anastasia, creates a context for the production that is better and the best I have seen.
It is another compelling actor in this cast.
The designers using the giant LED wrap around screen, seamlessly fits the LED context of place and feeling into the to the sky, towering side sets of multi role arches and towers to the sky , and by doing so, have masterfully given a new role for LED screen in entertainment, it is part of the ensemble.
LED in Anastasia, instead of being just “holy cow-what an effect wowcandy” for the audience, has created a new role, advancing to seamless creativity and interaction with the actors, by the set designers and the LED master–Brad Patterson, Video Designer of this breakthrough WPPAC production
The WPPAC is not just now Westchester’s theatre!
It’s the theatre of the future–a writer’s extra member of the cast because LED in this production of Anastasia gives creators LED as a new creative tool to reach out and grab the audience’s imagination and perception with more real feeling.
You’re in the Czar’s palace, You’re on a train to freedom. You’re in Paris.
Creators of plays and musicals should see this and write LED that “acts” into their shows.
I do not know how actors feel about this, but if your senses feel the magnificence of The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, if you and your lead actor feel you’re walking in Paris. You’re in Paris. What a high the LED effects must have brought to the actors in this show. The perspectives the LED gives the audience and the actors gave the impression the proscenium had been rebuilt and expanded.
The actors gave it all they had. It was them and the LED magic creating new theatre magic.
Anastasia will have 13 more performances. Go see it.
Is a Hit, mon! Go to www.wppac.com for dates and times.
The grand entry grounds of The Winter Palace, Home to Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Czar Nicholas I, as it looked when I visited it in 2015. The production of Anastasia recalls the heritage and heartbreak of the Russia of memory. (Photo by WPCNR, 2015)
WHITE PLAINS WEEK TONIGHT THE FRIDAY DEC. 15 REPORT 7:30 PM EST ON FIOS CH 45 COUNTYWIDE, IN WHITE PLAINS, OPTIMUM CH 76 AND WORLDWIDE ON WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
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NY COURT OF APPEALS RULES LEGISLATURE MUST REDRAW NY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS FAIRLY KEN JENKINS IN CHARGE
MAYOR OF ARDSLEY ON THE VILLAGE RESPONSE TO NYC MIGRANTS HOUSED AT ARDSLEY MOTEL
COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER ON THE 2024 COUNTY BUDGET,
CROSSING FINGERS SALE TAX RECEIPTS WILL REBOUND IN NOV DEC
JOHN BAILEY DOES THE MATH — NOT PRETTY AT THIS TIME.
DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS PREPARES FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NY RESDISTRICTING AMERICA HAS EVER FACED– THE CONTROL OF CONGRESS IS AT STAKE. WHERE IT STANDS NOW
DR. KATELYN JETELINA, “YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST” ON THE REAL STORY BEHIND TRAVELING FOR AN ABORTION
DR. CAITLIN RIVERS ON NORTHEAST HEALTH TRENDS–RSV AND FLU RISING. COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS UP IN THE REGION INFO ON HOW TO GET VACCINATIONS THE NEXT WEEKS IN WHITE PLAINS AND YONKERS HEALTH CLINICS. COUNTY STRESSES THE NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF
LAST 2 DAYS OF THE WPBID HOLIDAY MARKET THIS WEEKEND
JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK FOR 22 YEARS
FOUNDED 2001 A.D.
TONIGHT AT 7 ON WPTV CH 45 FIOS AND CH. 76 OPTIMUM AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORGJOHN IORIS AND STEPHEN FERRY-ON WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 20 YEARS BEGIN 20TH SEASON WITH ANASTASIA FRIDAY NIGHT
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JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS STEPHEN FERRY AND JOHN IORIS ON 20 YEARS of WESTCHESTER’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL EQUITY THEATER TALKING ABOUT THEIR SEASON THAT OPENED FRIDAY NIGHT WITH “ANASTASIA” at the WPPAC AT THE CITY CENTER. See John Bailey’s Review!
TRAVELING FOR ABORTIONS: THE UNTOLD STORY FROM YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST
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Public health touches all aspects of our lives, not just during a pandemic. Thanks to your feedback, this newsletter will continue with Covid-19 updates and address other public health topics, too. To choose what topics land in your inbox, click HERE.
This week, Kate Cox got an abortion. She joined more than 9.3 million Americans who got a legal abortion in the past 10 years, of which 8,300 (0.9%) got one after 20 weeks of gestation.
I’ve seen many on social media wonder: What’s the big deal? She found the healthcare she needed after all, right? And this cross-state journey is rare, right?
Forced abortion travel has doubled following Dobbs. And if you’re one of the lucky few who can travel, this journey isn’t without very real challenges that may not be apparent to the unseen eye.
The journey
The journey for an abortion looks very different depending on who you are. In general, though, many challenges could be prevented if we, as a society, accepted abortion as healthcare.
First, many people’s journeys stop before they begin:
- It takes a lot of cash—plane tickets, rental car, hotel rooms, food, and procedure. This adds up to about $10,000-$30,000. As you can imagine, many people can’t afford this, and often, insurance doesn’t cover it.
- Half of all abortion seekers live below the Federal Poverty Level—an income of less than $13k/year.
- This is especially true for adolescents and teens (who make up a big number of later abortion patients), undocumented people, and parents.
If they make the journey, it’s not without other hard realities:
- Pain meds are available. For those later in pregnancy, though, it doesn’t do much. You may not have access to an epidural, depending on the state’s regulations, because you’re at an outpatient clinic. This is unimaginable pain—in all senses of the word.
- Your partner can’t be there to support you during labor, like hold your hand, or coach you through pain. You can’t have a phone, either. Tight security is required at abortion clinics. In the same vein, you walk past protesters yelling at you every morning and every night for a week. You wish, with all your heart, you could enjoy the same level of ignorance.
- Recovering in a hotel room means a cold, unfamiliar place. Without your slippers, without your bed, without your cat, and without access to the comfort food you crave. All you want to be is at home.
- The journey means needing time off from work and getting your FMLA form signed by a physician in another state. All you hope is that your employer won’t ask questions because you don’t have any energy to explain.
- The journey may include carrying the baby’s ashes on an airplane. This requires holding back a flood of emotions in public—exhaustion, grief, anxiety, pain, a strong desire for privacy.
- People who have abortions are no more likely to struggle with mental health than the people who do not—in fact, not getting a needed abortion has been found to increase anxiety and depression in the first 12 months. But there are emotional costs in needing to travel, and much of that is driven by stigma and ostracization of abortion care. Also, recognizing when you need help (remember you don’t have a follow-up appointment with your OB) and finding the right clinician or therapist, given the unique circumstances and the trust required, is hard.
Two things help:
- The confidence in making the right decision: 95% of people who have an abortion say it was the right decision for them. The most common emotion reported afterward is relief.
- The healthcare workers—literally angels on earth—at the abortion clinic ensure moments of human connection, empathy, and support. You feel cared for, which helps tremendously. And the rare souls you trust with your story like family, friends, and clinicians thereafter also help tremendously.
Travel for abortions is increasing
This journey is becoming more common. Before Dobbs, 1 in 10 women having abortions had to travel. Now it’s double— 1 in 5. We see increased travel from many angles:
- While the number of abortions across states has greatly shifted post-Dobbs, the national average hasn’t budged.
- Calls to the National Abortion Hotline for travel services, like hotel rooms and plane tickets, have tripled post-Dobbs and remain high.
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National Abortion Federation. Source here.
- Scientists who measured distance to abortion facilities found travel time increased, on average, by three times post- Dobbs. In Texas, for example, the new travel time to the nearest abortion facility increased by almost a full workday.
This speaks to why we see increases in self-managed abortion (i.e., medication abortion). It’s also why colleagues in Latin America, for example, have been supporting people to self-manage with pills up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, which is safe and effective.
Bottom line
An increasing number of women are traveling out of state for reproductive healthcare. This journey isn’t without very real obstacles. The most tragic part is much of the associated trauma is preventable if we just had access to local healthcare.
It may be hard to understand, but it’s harder for people to live through. Trust women. Listen to their stories. Trust their voices. It is, after all, their lives and their livelihoods.
Love, YLE
If you want to support travel for abortions, here are some great options.
- The Brigid Alliance supports people who are traveling for abortions at 15+ weeks.
- National Network of Abortion Funds a collective of over 100 abortion funds across the United States.
- Jane’s Due Process funds abortion and practical support for Texas teens traveling for abortion care
A big thank you to Dr. Heidi Moseson — a reproductive epidemiologist— who helped immensely with much of the piece’s research.
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, data scientist. During the day, she works at a nonpartisan health policy think tank and is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below: