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A sign sits on the ground during the final day of the 2016 Republican National
Convention in Cleveland. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)
BUCKING CONVENTION
On Monday, President Donald Trump threatened to pull the Republican National Convention out of Charlotte, North Carolina, where it is slated to be held in August. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel told The 19th during a conversation on Friday that convention plans were going “full-steam ahead.”
- “It’s much harder to put a whole convention together with 50,000 people than to scale it back,” McDaniel told The 19th’s Amanda Becker on Friday.
- Under RNC bylaws, she said, they have “no option other than to do an in-person convention.
- McDaniel said that by the end of June or July, the RNC would take stock of the state’s reopening process, but that ultimately much of how the convention proceeds would rely on guidance from the North Carolina governor and mayor of Charlotte.
- She said the party is working with a safety expert “to put the safety of our convention goers first and foremost.”
But then Trump threatened to uproot the convention if there are no guarantees from Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, that it can’t be held at full capacity, adding uncertainty to the party’s plan.
- McDaniel told Fox and Friends Tuesday that Cooper — who she noted was up for reelection — “hasn’t given us the assurances we need. We need to be able to move forward in a concrete way.”
- Cooper told NPR that the state has asked for a plan from the Republican Party on how they would safely hold a convention.
At our second Live with The 19th, McDaniel also discussed the need for bipartisan solutions for the economic chaos of COVID-19 — she expects Congress will pursue another aid package — and the state of child care and schooling. You can watch the full conversation here.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will be joining us for our next Live with The 19th on June 15. Watch our future newsletters for more details.
CHECKING IN
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as people continue to grapple with uncertainty and instability, new studies show the importance of women taking time to check in on themselves — and each other.
- Three recent studies — which zeroed in on mental health effects during the pandemic in Canada, Spain and the United States, respectively — found that women were more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- The study out of Spain also found that women are more likely to have symptoms of PTSD.
- Across all three studies, young adults were identified as a high risk group.
Earlier this month, the United Nations warned in a policy briefing that the pandemic “has the seeds of a major mental health crisis.”
- In that report, women were also flagged as an at-risk population.
- The UN urged countries to incorporate mental health into their COVID-19 response.
Experts have offered advice for staying centered:
- Establish a routine. Daily life may look different than they did before, but creating and sticking to a routine can bring a sense of order.
- Get exercise and eat right. This doesn’t require an Instagram-ready kitchen or workout routine. Good food and exercise can be simple mood boosters.
- Make sure to get enough sleep. Many people are reporting that their typical sleep patterns have been disrupted, but getting up and going to bed around the same time each day can help.
- Mental Health America has rounded up numerous resources for facing depression and anxiety during COVID-19.
And, as always, reach out to people if you need help.
- Friends and family can be a critical support system during these times — even if those interactions are telephonic or virtual.
- Professional help is also accessible. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a guide to seeking help — and even some free, app-based resources — here.
— Abby Johnston
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BABY BUST
The birthrate in the United States fell to a 35-year low in 2019, dropping 1 percent to 3.75 million babies born in 2019. However, though birth rates fell for almost all groups under age 34, they rose among women in their 40s.
The numbers, released in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report last week, can partly be attributed to low-paying, unstable jobs. The report authors say it is unclear what effect the pandemic might have.
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 What we're reading
On being a trans woman, and giving up makeup. “When I began transitioning, I perceived the reality of womanhood only from outside and felt the need to embody an idealized femininity to feel like a woman among women. But over time, I’ve come to realize that every woman — whether transgender or cisgender — evolves a unique perception of herself, one that need not conform to any specific model of what a woman should be.” (New York Times, May 26)
Tennis star Naomi Osaka passes Serena Williams as top-earning female athlete. From June 2019 to June 2020, Grand Slam champion Osaka raked in $37.4 million from endorsements and prize money, edging out Serena Williams by $1.4 million. And still, she only ranks 29th on Forbes’ annual list of the 100 top-earning athletes. (ESPN, May 22)
Birth control gel approved as first no-hormone option in decades. It’s been 27 years since the FDA has approved a completely new, no-hormone option for birth control. This new gel, which is only used when you need it, will be marketed to the 17 million women who identify as “beyond hormone.” (Bloomberg, May 22)
Surviving it all. The extraordinary life of Marga Griesbach: She survived the Holocaust, and, at 92, set off for a cruise around the world. (The Cut, May 26)
🎧 Listen: Reveal and PRX explore how a legacy of racism has impacted maternal health in the United States, from the complicated legacy of the “father of modern gynecology” to a calculator that could be leading black women and Latinas to have C-sections they don’t need.
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