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"265 days to learn to read"

— Lea Michele, ahead of Barbra Streisand's memoir release. What a Funny Girl.

Top Story

Oh Baby

The Story

China has an idea to ramp up the baby making.

Oh?

Last week, the government's healthcare system announced a plan to get insurance to cover fertility treatments nationwide. The announcement — which will involve gradually rolling out the changes across China — is designed to cut costs for expensive treatments like IVF. Good news for citizens trying to conceive, since right now those interventions can run them a minimum of about $4,500.

Why are they doing this?

China's population is aging out. Last year, it fell for the first time in over 60 years. Its birth rate also plummeted, with only 6.7 births per 1,000 people. All of this can be traced to China's decades-old "one-child" policy, which it only started to ease down on in the 2010s. Meanwhile, marriage rates are at a historic low. A reported 40 million people struggle with infertility. And the high cost of IVF and other treatments aren't exactly making it easy for the average Chinese family to seek help.

What's so bad about not having kids? The girl with the list says...

We know. But fewer people can mean a shrinking workforce and less economic growth. It also means less money to fund the country's pension system for its fast aging population. That could place pressures on a Chinese government that doesn't tolerate dissent well. And the government doesn't have to imagine what could happen when pensions are at stake: just look at France.

theSkimm

When China launched the "one-child" policy in the 1970s, the goal was to get the population in check and reduce strain on public resources. But decades later, China's disproportionately small population of women is delaying marriage, with many opting out of having kids altogether. Now, it's the government clock's that's ticking.

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Who's tweeting out an apology…

Twitter. Yesterday, three former Twitter execs appeared before Congress and admitted the company made mistakes with the Hunter Biden laptop story. In 2020, weeks before the election, Twitter blocked a New York Post article on emails from the younger Biden's business dealings. At the time, Twitter said it was conforming with policies against hacked materials. Now, the execs are saying 'we messed up.' But that the decision was entirely the company's — and informed by efforts to reduce 2016 levels of disinformation. It wasn't the only topic of conversation: execs revealed that the Trump White House had asked the company to remove tweets, including one by model Chrissy Teigen calling Trump a "p*ssy a** b****." The exec said the company refused, calling government requests like that a "slippery slope." And said it's a level of interference Twitter didn't have to field from the Biden admin.

What sounds fun...

A vibrating pill. This week, doctors are able to start prescribing Vibrant. Approved by the FDA last year, the drug-free pill could help an estimated 9-20% of Americans who suffer from chronic constipation. And, what would you know, women could be at least 1.5 times more likely than men to deal with it. The disposable capsule vibrates once it hits the large intestine, stimulating the nerve cells and helping nudge the muscles that move food along. And then passes through once it's done making its way through the old pipes. But yes, we can imagine other uses for it. So definitely talk to your doctor before wobbling and gobbling.

Who could be going gender neutral…

God. Yesterday, the Church of England said it's launching a project this spring to explore whether to refer to God in a "non-gendered way" during worship. The Church says it's to reflect the fact that "Christians have recognized since ancient times that God is neither male nor female." But as of right now, it says it has "absolutely no plans" to cut or significantly change the liturgies.

What's better than a twofer...

A threefer. Just ask the Los Angeles Lakers.

What's not having people feel so fabulous...

Fabuloso.

When you're kicking yourself for making a mistake at work...

Take it from Google: it could be worse.

Thing to Know

Together with

2x

That's how much a baby's brain grows between birth and their first birthday, according to the National Institute of Health. Yep, it doubles in size. Wrap your brain around that.

A baby's rookie year is filled with developmental milestones. And what you feed them plays a big part. Enter: Aptamil, Europe's #1 formula brand. It's being sold in the US to support families during the formula shortage. And it's full of good stuff like expert-recommended DHA (which is key for brain development), dual prebiotics to support digestive health, and key vitamins and minerals found in breast milk. Plus, it's inspired by 50 years of early life science. So you know your little one's getting the complete nutrition they need. Stock up.

Skimm Picks

Here are today's recs to help you live a smarter life…

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3. Products that'll help hydrate and repair dry, dull hair. We've rounded up a few of our fave hair care products to restore and protect your strands throughout winter and beyond — from shampoo to hair masks, oils, and more.

4. Unique anniversary gifts under $100 for your S.O. Celebrating an anniversary? Lots of fun. Getting your partner something sweet that they'll actually use? Kinda stressful. We're here to help.

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On Our Radar

20% off sitewide at Kitsch with code VALENTINES. Grab the infamous heatless curlers we tried and loved. Bouncy locks are only a click away.

Skimm'rs

We like to celebrate the wins, big and small. Let us know how your friends, neighbors, coworkers (and yes, even you) are making career moves, checking off goals, or making an impact in the community.

The good kind of clickbait…Jared Z (CO). His company Flylords launched a new series supporting local fly shops across the Rocky Mountains. Check them out just for the halibut.

(Some) Birthdays…Caryn Riley (MN), Cheyanne Beck (MI), Jessica Hall (TX), Melanie Wyman (TX), Rachel Hughes (IN), Nadeer Fatadin (VC), Komal Harjani (UK), Agraj Rathi (ON), Clare Carr (MO), Tyler Pao (CA), Aliza Selter (NY), Jessica Brown (TX), Alexandra O'Brien (VA), Elise Kim (NY), Thom Moore (OK), Liesel Reussner (VA), Amy Loving Austin (NY)

PS: Paging all members of theSkimm. Reach out here for a chance to be featured.