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Miss England 2019 Is Giving Up Her Crown to Fight COVID-19 as a Doctor


Miss England 2019 is hanging up her crown (for now) to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, was a junior doctor specializing in respiratory medicine before competing in the Miss World pageant on behalf of England in December 2019. Although continuing her work at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, after taking home her Miss England sash, she had planned to put her medical career on hold to travel the world for various humanitarian efforts after her latest competition. However, four weeks into her ambassadorship in India on behalf of Coventry Mercia Lions Club, where she donated stationery to schools and gave money to a home for abandoned girls, news broke that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly back home in the United Kingdom.

After Mukherjee started receiving messages from former colleagues about the worsening situation at her hospital, she knew she had to pick up where she had left off. She told CNN she felt she needed to be more hands-on during the pandemic. “When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, you’re still expected to put the crown on, get ready…look pretty,” she said. “I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work.”

“I felt a sense of, This is what I’d got this degree for and what better time to be part of this particular sector than now?” she said. “It was incredible the way the whole world was celebrating all key workers, and I wanted to be one of those, and I knew I could help.”

On April 5, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare address to the British public, thanking health care and essential workers for their tireless effort responding to COVID-19.

“I want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all,” she said. “I’m sure the nation will join me in ensuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times.”

The queen finished her speech with a hopeful message. “We can take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return,” she said. “We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”

On Wednesday, April 6, Mukherjee returned to England but still has to self-isolate for about two weeks before she can return to work as a doctor at the Pilgrim Hospital, where it’s all hands on deck, according to the pageant queen.

“There’s no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need,” she said.



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16 Brands Giving Back to Fight COVID-19: Everlane, Universal Standard, and More


As we continue to social distance to slow the spread of COVID-19, you’re probably logging more screen time than you ever thought possible. Whether you’re falling into TikTok challenge rabbit holes or hosting virtual happy hours, the main medium to keep us entertained and connected right now is the internet. While essential workers are on the front lines of the global health crisis, risking their lives to provide medical care and groceries, unemployment is rising rapidly and people are struggling to make rent or feed their families.

If you’re still getting paid and able to work from home, you might be wondering how to help those in need, and apart from donating directly to organizations like #GetMePPE or Heart to Heart International, one way is to put your dollars toward brands giving back. Whether you’re shopping for home improvement items or stocking up on sweatpants, you can use your buying power for good right now. We rounded up 16 brands donating to charitable organizations to combat the effects of the coronavirus, so read on for retail therapy that will make a positive impact.

Everlane

Send a positive message with Everlane’s 100% Human collection. All proceeds are going to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which provides supplies to food banks across the country.

Purple Carrot

Through May, plant-based meal delivery service Purple Carrot will donate a portion of sales to Feeding America. So if you’re looking for a reason to go vegan, this is it.

Entireworld

The apparel brand known for elevated basics is donating 10% of sales April 2-5 to Doctors Without Borders, an independent humanitarian movement putting medical resources toward helping the most vulnerable communities fight the pandemic. If you’re looking for stylish sweatpants, treat yourself to these.

Entireworld Brushed Back Sweatshirt

Entireworld

$88

Buy Now

Entireworld Organic Cotton Polo

Entireworld

$85

Buy Now

Etsy

Support independent artisans on Etsy, which is investing $5M over the next month to help Etsy sellers continue to have a steady stream of sales. Not sure how to navigate the site? Read our tips for finding the best vintage gems.

Allbirds

Deemed “the world’s most comfortable shoes,” Allbirds has donated over $500,000 worth of Wool Runners to medical professionals. Check out the brand’s Buy a Pair, Give a Pair initiative to donate to doctors and nurses working around the clock.

Otherland

Now is the time to burn candles, sage, or whatever will keep the vibrations high in your home, and we’ve never felt intimidated by a candle’s beauty until we met Otherland. The brand is offering 10% off orders and will donate 10% to Foodbank for NYC with code SUNSHINE.

Otherland Carefree ’90s

Otherland

$36

Buy Now

Otherland Extra Hour

Otherland

$36

Buy Now

Orly

The nail polish brand that coined the original French Manicure in 1975 has reconfigured its Los Angeles factory to produce hand sanitizer spray, with the first 10,000 units being donated to L.A.’s at-risk homeless population. You can shop the spray here. PS: Read up on other beauty brands combatting coronavirus here.

Helix

We’re all spending more time in bed than we ever could’ve predicted, so it might be time to finally upgrade your mattress or invest in a fancy pillow. The sleep brand has donated over 155 mattresses to hospitals and is allowing healthcare workers to purchase them at-cost.

Skims

Update your WFH wardrobe with cozy loungewear from Kim Kardashian’s shapewear line, Skims, which is donating 20% of profits from the Cotton Collection to Baby 2 Baby’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Program, which provides families with diapers, formula, and basic hygiene products.

Skims Cotton Rib Thermal Legging

Buy Now

Tula

If you’re taking this time to mask regularly, 100% of the proceeds from Tula’s Nourishing and Brightening Hydrogel Mask go toward more masks for NYC’s COVID-19 healthcare workers through April 30.

Riley Home

Getting good sleep can help you better manage these stressful circumstances, and quality bedding is the first step. Riley Home is partnering with Robin Hood and Women In Need, and will donate a Riley Jr item for every purchase made. It’s the best reason to get your family a cozy throw or a crisp set of sheets.

Universal Standard

The brand making size-inclusive fashion we actually want to wear added a buy-one-give-one option to its Foundation page. Buy anything from the collection of soft and layerable tees, bodysuits, and tanks, and automatically donate one piece to a medical worker on the waitlist (they’ll split the price with you).

Universal Standard Give One Foundation Bodysuit

Universal Standard

$90

Buy Now

Universal Standard Give One Foundation Tank

Universal Standard

$60

Buy Now

Mansur Gavriel

You may not be thinking about investing in a luxury handbag right now, but Mansur Gavriel is donating 10% of sales of any size Bucket Bag to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, which supports immediate and long-term relief within vulnerable communities.

Aurate

The sustainable fine jewelry brand is offering 20% off all orders with code BETTERTOGETHER, and will donate 20% of proceeds to the NYC Government COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Try this dainty diamond necklace or a chic ear cuff, and check out more small businesses giving back via the Better Together initiative.

Dyson

Keep your home clean and your hair healthy with Dyson products to support the company as they produce 15,000 CoVent portable ventilators, designed specially to treat COVID-19 patients.

Greats

If you need a sleek sneaker to walk to your mailbox in, Greats has versatile low-tops that will quickly become a wardrobe staple. Keep it classic with all-white or venture toward Tiger King with an animal print style. $15 of every order will be donated to City Harvest to feed New Yorkers in need.



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Ralph Lauren Just Donated $10 Million to Fight the Coronavirus


On March 27, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation announced that the company will donate $10 million to aid coronavirus relief—split between the Emergency Assistance Foundation, the World Health Organization’s COVID- 19 Solidarity Response Fund, and other organizations

Furthermore, the brand says it will provide financial assistance to its employees “facing special circumstances, like medical, eldercare, or childcare needs.” The company previously announced that select Ralph Lauren stores are closing temporarily but assured workers that they will still be paid. Ralph Lauren also plans to utilize its “U.S. manufacturing partners” to produce medical-grade protective materials, including 25,000 isolation gowns and 250,000 masks.

“Now more than ever, in this time of need, supporting each other has become our mission. Together we move forward with patience and optimism in the face of uncertainty,” Ralph Lauren’s full statement on this issue reads. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the global community. Our hope is to be a beacon of optimism and unity as we navigate this unprecedented time. It is in the spirit of togetherness that we will rise.”

Included in the $10 million relief effort will be an inaugural gift to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Vogue Fashion Fund to help support the American fashion community.

Ralph Lauren, of course, is not the only fashion brand committed to helping those in need during the coronavirus outbreak. Brandon Maxwell, Prada, and a continually-growing list of fashion houses have promised to use their resources to make masks and gowns for hospitals facing shortages. Christian Siriano has already produced 1,000 masks with his team.

Meanwhile, luxury brand companies, like LVMH, are also writing checks and retooling their perfume and cosmetic factories to create more hand sanitizer. We truly love to see it, and hope other major companies (fashion and otherwise) follow suit.



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Kristen Bell Says She and Dax Shepard Had the Most Intense Fight Recently


Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are well known as one of the most relatable couples in Hollywood. They often share hilarious parenting moments with their two daughters, like this video of Bell listening to her husband talk about the middle finger. Or the time the kids walked in on them having sex.

But anyone who’s ever been in a long-term relationship, let alone a marriage, knows that it’s not all sunshine and roses. Bell recently opened up about one of the couple’s fights and why they’re so up-front about their relationship—and, honestly, it makes them even more endearing, if you can imagine that.

“Something happened with Dax and I early on where we decided we were never going to not be asked about our relationship,” Bell told fellow actor Justin Long on his podcast, according to People. “So if we were going to talk about it, let’s make sure we show the good, the bad, and the ugly and how we handle it. Let’s not make it saccharine, and we really try hard to not make it saccharine, and we talk about the fact that we do fight, we do go to therapy, we dislike each other a lot sometimes.”

The fight in question began simply enough, over stuff that needed to get done around the house. “It was about the things around the house that I felt I needed help with. We have a relationship where you are supposed to be able to say, ‘I need your help with this,’” she said. “For those of you listening, I’m telling this from my perspective. He’s not here; he can’t defend himself.

“I left a note and I was like, ‘Hey dad! Would you mind taking the two towels in the dryer and folding them’ and then, like, one other thing. I thought, That’s 10 minutes of work, I can say that,” she continued. “At that point the house [work] was getting to be a lot for me. The keeping up with the mom stuff, the shoes being outgrown, all of that. So I left this note and I came home on Sunday—everything was fine. Monday night we’re laying in bed and…he goes, ‘When you leave me notes, yeah, I feel really controlled,’ and he launched into how he felt about it.”

The Good Place actor says she took a beat. “And I said, ‘Okay, I totally hear you. It will never happen again. If I need something to be done around the house, what is a way I can do it that you’d be okay with hearing?’” But the calm emotions did not prevail.



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Kim Kardashian Is Releasing a Documentary About Her Fight for Criminal Justice Reform


In 2018, Kim Kardashian turned her massive platform toward an unexpected cause: criminal justice reform. That year, Kim Kardashian petitioned President Trump to commute the prison sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman who’d been incarcerated since 1996 for a nonviolent drug charge. Kardashian’s lobbying led to Johnson’s full pardon, but her fight for criminal justice reform hasn’t stopped since then—and audiences will soon get a much closer look at her work.

The reality star is releasing a documentary, Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project, that will take viewers behind-the-scenes of her work in criminal justice reform. Viewers will follow Kardashian and a team of legal experts as they examine four cases in which prisoners may have been unfairly sentenced. The two-hour documentary premieres on Oxygen on April 5 at 8 p.m.

“There are a lot of people who deserve a second chance, but many do not have the resources to make it happen,” Kardashian said in a statement released by Oxygen. “I want to help elevate these cases to a national level to effect change, and this documentary is an honest depiction of me learning about the system and helping bring tangible results to justice reform.”

From what we’ve seen so far, the documentary is a revealing look at the effort that goes into pardoning unfair sentences, and how far Kardashian has gone to learn about the issue. In the trailer, the KKW mogul speaks with prisoners who had been handed life sentences for nonviolent offenses. She also lobbies public officials and collaborates with legal teams to facilitate earlier releases. (You’ll have to watch to find out if she’s successful.)

The documentary is only two hours, but it covers a life-changing experience for Kardashian. “I went into this knowing nothing, and then my heart completely opened up,” she says in the trailer. “People deserve a second chance.”

This documentary won’t be the last we see of the star’s work in criminal justice reform. In an interview with Vogue last April, Kardashian revealed that she plans to become a lawyer and will take the bar exam in 2022. She made the decision to pursue law after seeing a “really good result” with her work on Johnson’s case. “I’ve always known my role, but I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society,” she told Vogue. “I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more.”

Watch the trailer for Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project below.



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The Women of the WNBA Just Scored a Historic Victory In the Fight for Equal Pay


This summer was huge for the fight for equal pay—thanks largely to the very high-profile crusade of the US Women’s Soccer Team leading up to and following their World Cup victory. But the battle for equal pay and playing conditions isn’t just happening in soccer. It’s sweeping the world of sports—and the women of the WNBA just won big.

For over a year, the players have been fighting for fair pay and play—bigger paychecks and better benefits—and today, thanks to a new eight-year collective bargaining agreement, they’re about to see it starting with the 2020 season. “The 2020 CBA features significant investments by the league and its teams aimed directly at increasing player salary and compensation, improvements to the overall player experience, resources specifically designed with the professional female athlete in mind, as well as a commitment to implement an integrated marketing plan league-wide,” the league said in a press release.

First, there’s the straight-up salary situation. There will be 53% increase in total cash compensation, which is made up of base salary, performance bonuses, prize pools for new in-season competitions, and league and team marketing deals. Under the new agreements, the top players will be able to earn over $500,000, which is triple the number of the previous deal. Other players will have the chance to earn between $200,000 and $300,000.

This is historic. As the release notes, the women of the WNBA will average a six-figure salary for the first time in league history.

But this isn’t just about the money, though that is obviously important. The CBA also guarantees a better player experience when it comes to travel, guaranteeing an individual hotel room for each player and an upgraded class of plane travel. It’s an issue that’s plagued women across sports as male athletes get the first class treatment and female athletes are on the ultra-budget plan. (Can you imagine asking Steph Curry or LeBron James to bunk up with someone on the road or cram into a coach seat on the way to a game? No, you cannot and these elite athletes should not be forced to do so either.)

The WNBA will also institute new maternity and child care policies. For example, players will receive their full salaries while on maternity leave, a new annual childcare stipend of $5,000, safe and private spaces for nursing mothers, and an up to $60,000 reimbursement for veteran players to offset the costs of adoption, surrogacy, egg freezing or fertility/infertility treatment. Players will also have access to enhanced mental health benefits, education and counseling related to domestic/intimate partner violence, and career development support that could include off-season job opportunities with league partners.

These changes still don’t amount to equality, but they’re a huge an important step—one that could be a model for female athletes across sports. In negotiations between the players and the WNBA, “we found common ground in areas that confirmed the league’s and the players’ intentions to not only make meaningful improvements in working conditions and overall professional experience, but also to improve the business with strategic planning and intentional marketing that will keep the WNBA front and center year-round,” said Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA Players’ Association.

Let this be a sign for more progress for all women in the workplace in 2020.



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