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A Love Letter to the Caregivers of COVID-19


Staying inside is the biggest thing people can do. Don’t have play dates with your neighbors, because right now we don’t really know if children could be asymptomatic carriers, or even adults. Just because you feel okay doesn’t mean you don’t have it. Stay as isolated as you can. But, we always like food. People are sending in pizzas, cookies, things like that to emergency rooms. I think that’s a great idea because it is a strange time. Whenever we can sit around a table and maybe have a slice of pizza, it’s a break from the reality. You feel like you’re back in your normal life.

I use this fitness app called Obe for self-care. I’m now four months postpartum, and it’s helped me trying to get back in shape after the baby. These days, I’m either locked in my house or at work, so it’s been nice because the workouts are just 30 minutes. I feel like a human again, and it’s a little escape. I even use it sometimes while I’m at work on a break. It’s really the one escape from reality I have right now.

I want everyone to just stay positive. This is going to be a long stretch, but we will get through it. We’ll see the other side and stay strong.

—Bridget, an ER pharmacist at a pediatric hospital in Colorado

“The most important thing is social distancing.” —Kathleen, ICU nurse

“COVID-19 is beginning to hit our area hard, and it’s already starting to overwhelm healthcare providers. A lot of infected patients are requiring ICU care, which requires ICU nurses and ICU doctors. There are only so many specifically trained. We have already started to ration masks in preparation for the inevitable. This past weekend I received one mask for my two weekend shifts and was given a brown paper bag to place it in. The number of masks and eye shields are already dwindling in our ER. We are anxiously waiting for supplies to completely run out, and then what happens? How do we protect ourselves and our families when that happens?

The most important thing is social distancing. It’s really upsetting to be driving to the hospital and see groups of people having picnics outside or getting their nails done at the local salon despite the closure of non-essential businesses. So please, please practice social distancing and stay home! As COVID-19 continues to spread, consider donating any unused, new, and sealed gloves, masks, and goggles to your local hospital.

For us on the front line, there aren’t many moments to take break but staying well hydrated, trying to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, lots of Vitamin C, and taking a moment to just turn off our brains for a second are key. This is an unprecedented time, and our priority is to the patients. Unfortunately, as a result our own health is on the back-burner.

As nurses, we signed up for being there for our patients, their families, and the general public no matter what. We having been training for moments like this our entire careers, but only with the proper safety equipment in place. I love my career, and I am thankful to be surrounded by an amazing group of healthcare professionals.”

—Kathleen, an ICU nurse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“If we lose work, who will pay our bills?” Lee, careworker

“There’s a stigma that if you wear a mask it means you have the virus. It’s very dangerous for the elderly to be exposed. At the assisted living facility where I work, I had to have my temperature taken before entering the building. If your temp is over 100 degrees, you are sent home. When we are sent home, that means no work and no pay.

It’s really depressing for us as home care workers. Just like with nannies and house cleaners, if we lose work who will pay our bills? We have to be strong, take care of our own health, and figure out how we can make a living in other ways. We can also get referrals from other friends who might need our help.”



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Princess Diana’s Butler Shared the Sweetest Letter She Wrote About William and Harry


It’s been almost 23 years since Princess Diana tragically died in a car accident at the age of 36, and yet there’s still so much we don’t know about the woman known as the People’s Princess.

One thing has always been certain: Her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were the most precious things in the world to her. Now a new never-before-seen letter is proving just that once again. Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler, has often spoken to the press about the princess in the years since her death, much to the chagrin of some who’d prefer to keep her secrets…secret. But the new correspondence he released this week is simply very sweet.

Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images

“As Harry, Meghan and Archie embark on a new life, I am reminded of some poignant words which Princess Diana wrote to me many years ago,” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a black-and-white photo of the three royals. “They are a mother’s words of unconditional love, which are as appropriate today as they were when she wrote them over 24 years ago.”

The note was apparently written not long before Diana died in 1997. “I love my boys to death and hope that the seeds I’ve planted will grow and bring the strength, knowledge, and stability that is needed,” she wrote to Burrell. The words could apply to almost any mother talking about her children and her hopes for their futures.

Of course, we’ll never know what Diana thinks of her sons’ paths in life, but many commenters thought the note gave insight into how she would have reacted to Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal life. “You offer the most sober, loving reminder that Diana provided the Princes with the finest grounding and love for service to humanity. She would want @sussexroyal to find their way to that, in their own, authentic fashion,” one user wrote.



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Meghan Markle Just Wrote a Powerful Letter About Access to Higher Education


“I am proud to be patron of the ACU and all that it stands for, as we champion those seeking a higher education and commit to making this world a better place – together,” Markle wrote.

Education access has been an important cause for the Duchess of Sussex, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2003 with a double major in theater and international relations, since well before she became a royal. She has spoken publicly about it on a number of occasions since marrying Prince Harry in 2018. In January, she met with students from one of the ACU’s 500 university members:

“As a university graduate, I know the personal feeling of pride and excitement that comes with attending university,” she said in a speech during the couple’s royal tour in Fiji. “From the moment you receive your acceptance letter to the exams you spend countless late nights studying for, the lifelong friendships you make with your fellow alumni to the moment that you receive your diploma, the journey of higher education is an incredible, impactful, and pivotal one. I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included.”

You can read Meghan Markle’s entire letter here.



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Meghan Markle Is Suing a Tabloid for Publishing Her Private Letter


Meghan Markle is taking legal action against the tabloid Mail on Sunday for publishing one of her private letters, Prince Harry announced Tuesday, October 1, on the Sussex Official website.

A legal spokesperson representing the Duchess of Sussex offered some specific details on this case to Prince Harry, which were published in his statement:

“We have initiated legal proceedings against the Mail on Sunday, and
its parent company Associated Newspapers, over the intrusive and
unlawful publication of a private letter written by the Duchess of
Sussex, which is part of a campaign by this media group to publish
false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her
husband. Given the refusal of Associated Newspapers to resolve this
issue satisfactorily, we have issued proceedings to redress this
breach of privacy, infringement of copyright and the aforementioned
media agenda.”

It’s not explicitly said in the statement what letter caused this lawsuit, but the Guardian reports it’s one that Markle wrote to her estranged father, Thomas, after her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

In a lengthy statement, Prince Harry explained why he and Markle decided to sue Mail on Sunday. (It’s rare for the royal family to give any sort of attention to the press, let alone take legal action. Here’s a brief history of times they got lawyers involved.) The Duke of Sussex cited what happened to his mother, Princess Diana, as a big reason for going this route.

Meghan Markle in South Africa this week

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Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, and Other Celebs Sign Powerful Open Letter to Latinx Community


More than 200 Latinx celebrities, activists, and other prominent public figures—including Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, and Eva Longoria—joined forces to sign and publish an open letter to the Latinx community on Friday following ongoing ICE raids, the continuing separation of families at the U.S./Mexico border, and the recent mass shooting in El Paso.

The letter, titled “Querida Familia Latina,” or “Dear Latinx Family,” and written in both Spanish and English, was published in The New York Times, El Nuevo Herald, El Diario, and La Opinión, on Friday, August 16. According to a press release, it was authored by actresses America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Diane Guerrero, and Olga Segura, director Alex Martinez Kondracke, and activist Mónica Ramírez. Their overall message is one of love, solidarity, and action, and they call on the public to speak up against hate, donate resources as possible to organizations that support the Latinx community, and “hold our leaders accountable.”

“If you are feeling terrified, heartbroken and defeated by the barrage of attacks on our community, you are not alone,” it begins. “We have been smeared by political rhetoric and murdered in violent hate crimes. We have been separated from our families and have watched our children caged. We have been targeted with mass shootings and mass ICE raids meant to terrify us, squash our hope, and break our spirits.”

“But, we will not be broken. We will not be silenced. We will continue to denounce any hateful and inhumane treatment of our community,” the letter continues. “We will demand dignity and justice.”

The letter addresses the Latinx community directly before calling upon its allies for support. “Though real pain and fear are sweeping through our communities, we remain powerful. The indignities and cruelty we have endured will never change the truth that the contributions we make to this country are invaluable. Our humanity must be respected. And, we won’t stop organizing for ourselves, our children, and for the soul of this nation.

“To our allies who feel our community’s pain, we need you. We cannot make change without your voices and action. We call on you to speak out loudly against hate, to contribute your resources to organizations that support our community, and to hold our leaders accountable.”

It closes with a vision for the future: “We ask you to join us in building a better country where we are all safe and valued. May we turn this time of despair into a time of action. May our love for one another be the guiding light in these dark times.”

Signatories include Rosario Dawson, Salma Hayek Pinault, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Zoe Saldana, Wilmer Valderrama, Diego Luna, Ricky Martin, as well as activists Dolores Huerta and Teresa Romero.

Brooklyn 99 star Melissa Fumero also signed.

As did Jane the Virgin‘s Gina Rodriguez.

On Friday, Ferrera also appeared on MSNBC to discuss why it’s important to come together right now, despite what can seem like a constant barrage of terrible news.



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In Open Letter, More Than 100 Models Urge Victoria’s Secret to Take a Stand Against Sexual Harassment in Fashion


A new petition urging Victoria’s Secret to take a stand against acts of sexual harassment and violence has been signed by more than 100 models, many of whom have worked with the brand in the past.

In an open letter written by the Model Alliance and addressed to Victoria’s Secret CEO John Mehas, current and former runway stars call on the company to take a role in remedying sexual harassment, citing “numerous allegations of sexual assault, alleged rape, and sex trafficking of models and aspiring models,” as several photographers associated with the company have been accused of misconduct, plus the links between various L Brands executives—including company head Leslie Wexner—and convicted sex offender and former financier Jeffrey Epstein. (Sara Ziff, the founder of Model Alliance, has written about Epstein in the past.)

It has already been signed by Christy Turlington Burns, Doutzen Kroes, Milla Jovovich, Gemma Ward, Carolyn Murphy, Caitriona Balfe, Karen Elson, among others. Time’s Up has also co-signed.

“In the past few weeks, we have heard numerous allegations of sexual assault, alleged rape, and sex trafficking of models and aspiring models. While these allegations may not have been aimed at Victoria’s Secret directly, it is clear that your company has a crucial role to play in remedying the situation,” the letter reads. “From the headlines about L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner’s close friend and associate, Jeffrey Epstein, to the allegations of sexual misconduct by photographers Timur Emek, David Bellemere, and Greg Kadel, it is deeply disturbing that these men appear to have leveraged their working relationships with Victoria’s Secret to lure and abuse vulnerable girls.”

In the letter, the Model Alliance pointed to the position Victoria’s Secret holds in the industry and its platform as a means to combat abuses in the industry: “We are calling on Victoria’s Secret to take meaningful action to protect its talent and those who aspire to work with the company. Victoria’s Secret has the opportunity to be a leader, to use its power and influence to bring about the changes that are urgently needed in our industry. Every day, fashion brands, publishing companies, and agencies set the norms of what’s acceptable and what’s not in fashion. If Victoria’s Secret were to take a stand against these abuses and commit to meaningful change by joining the RESPECT Program, this would go a long way in helping our industry chart a new path forward.”



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