The United States is projected to see only minor improvements in life expectancy, rising from 78.3 years in 2022 to 80.4 years by 2050, according to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. This slow growth is attributed to rising obesity rates and persistent drug use issues, despite potential gains from reducing these risk factors. The US is expected to fall in global life expectancy rankings, highlighting the need for new health strategies. Addressing key risks could significantly improve outcomes, potentially adding nearly four years to life expectancy.
Women in the US now outlive men by almost six years, with the life expectancy gap between genders widening since 2010. The decline in life expectancy is attributed to the pandemic and "deaths of despair" such as suicide, drugs, and alcohol abuse. The US healthcare system is in crisis, and the solution lies in making it more accessible and equitable. In the UK, women in England will soon be able to get contraception without a doctor's visit. An ancient stone slab in Spain challenges gender stereotypes, while a Florida teacher was fired for using a gender-neutral honorific. Taylor Swift's influence led to a South American airline waiving change fees, and an Alabama woman with two uteruses is pregnant in both wombs. Dr. Mary Ross Ellingson is finally recognized for her contributions to archaeology, and Russia may label LGBTQ+ activists as "extremist." Anne Boyer resigned as poetry editor from the New York Times magazine in protest against the ongoing bombing of Gaza. One-third of Indian STEM conferences have no female speakers, highlighting gender disparities. Lastly, a street cat named Gacek in Poland gained fame as a top tourist attraction but has now been adopted by a family.
