Daily Skimm Weekend: You belong among the wildflowers

"Cornflakes … with orange juice"

— "The Last of Us" star Bella Ramsey's breakfast of choice. Whatever floats your oats.

theSkimm With

Dr. Colleen McNicholas

Last night, a federal judge in Texas issued a highly anticipated ruling to suspend the FDA's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. That's the first of two medications used to end pregnancies — since the "abortion pill" is really two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol. In a 67-page opinion, he sided with anti-abortion plaintiffs who argued the FDA quickly approved the abortion medication and chose "politics over science" decades ago.

The ruling wouldn't go into effect for seven days — so mifepristone is still available. In the meantime, the DOJ and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories quickly said they'd appeal. And, a bigger twist: Less than an hour after the Texas ruling, a federal judge in Washington ruled in a different case involving mifepristone — and ordered the opposite result by directing the FDA to "preserve the status quo" in the 17 states (plus DC) where Dems had sued to keep the pill on the market. Now, the conflicting rulings make it more likely that the issue will make its way to the conservative-leaning SCOTUS — and that the future of the US's most popular abortion method is in limbo.

Last month, we spoke to Dr. Colleen McNicholas — Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri — about the Texas case. Here's what she had to say.

Q: How could the Texas ruling impact people across the country?

In these states where abortion has been banned or even further restricted, clinics that were holding down the fort for folks have been forced to close. We have a huge number of folks who are trying to navigate logistics to get to so few clinics … One of the consequences of this decision is that if folks are unable to access medication abortion, those [in-person] wait times will continue to go up even further.

Q: What happens to the abortion pill if mifepristone is pulled from the market?

If that medication is no longer available, we would be forced to move to a medication abortion regimen that consists of only one medication, misoprostol … So we are now talking about a huge number of people who either won't have access to their preferred method or the most effective method for medication abortion. They will then be forced to choose, do I want to continue with a medication approach — misoprostol only — that, although it is safe, is slightly less effective? … Or, do I now have to choose the approach to abortion that wasn't my first pick and choose procedural abortion? I think [the ruling] has the potential to have some pretty dramatic impacts on access.

What's Happening

😀 In culture…

Plans for a live-action adaptation of "Moana" are setting sail and The Rock's back to singing 'You're Welcome.' Ali Wong and Steven Yeun are working through some big "Beef." And while the movie industry is game for anything (see: "Dungeons & Dragons," "Tetris," and "Super Mario Bros Movie"), Showtime is benching Ziwe and her iconic guests. On the fashion front, big bows are knot what they used to be, in a good way. Puffy clothes and accessories are continuing to blow up. And Pop-Tarts came out with a sweet way to keep fans feeling toasty. Let's raise a Parmesan Espresso Martini to that.

🗣️ In adulting...

After decades of work, work, work, work, work, some are seeing what it's like to work less. But if you can't do that, maybe try knitting, which some say is key to avoid unraveling during meetings. Meanwhile, if your dating life is feeling unbearably stale, you might be experiencing "rust-out." And if you and your partner are struggling with the 'What are we?' talk, you're not alone. Perhaps working on your inner child might help — since that's apparently the solution for any and every problem these days. Oh and there's one more thing for parents to add to the new baby checklist: securing their social media handles. Because, priorities.

🔬 In science...

At 126.5 inches, California's snowpack is expected to be one of the biggest on record. If you're wondering what nearly 11 feet of snow looks like, it's a chilling sight, in more ways than one. Another thing you might be curious to see? Scientists fin-ally caught the "world's deepest fish" on film — more than 27,000 feet under the sea. Also, a new bipartisan Senate bill wants to help save dwindling wildlife populations, including the less glamorous ones. And some research you might want to take a peek at: Infertility may be more common than you think, according to WHO data. While other studies say a glass of red wine a day may not keep the doctor away — but a prescription for spending time outside might.

Skimm Reads

"Romantic Comedy" by Curtis Sittenfeld...You've heard it before: Gorgeous female celebrity hosts iconic late-night sketch comedy show, starts dating non-famous male writer on said show. But what if, for once, the reverse happened? Enter: this delightful novel from one of our all-time favorite authors. It follows Sally, a sketch writer and self-declared regular-looking person, as she gets to know Noah, an objectively hot and famous musician. It's thoughtful, smart, and just the right amount of seriously sweet. Prepare to fall in love.

SKIMM MONEY

Together with

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Skimm Picks

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Weekend Escape

*Slams laptop shut until Monday.* We know the feeling. And we've got some tips for escape.

April showers may bring May flowers — except that in some parts of the country, everything's already coming up poppies, lupines, and lilies. That's particularly true in places like Arizona and California, where some speculate that a very wet winter could spur another super bloom, like in 2019, when California's coasts and foothills were covered in bright flowers. Or, at the very least, "a good to better-than-average wildflower bloom." Wherever you live, you can get in on the flower power. Here's how.

If you live in the West, there are plenty of places to get your wildflower fill: In California, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Carrizo Plain are great spots for seeing poppies, desert sunflowers, and baby blue eyes — all of which are already in bloom. (Pro tip: To ensure you'll see the best and brightest blossoms, call the Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline, which provides weekly updates on locations statewide.) In Arizona, check out the brittlebush at Lost Dutchman State Park and the poppies at Catalina State Park. And in Oregon, don't miss the trilliums at Tryon Creek and the rhododendrons at Crystal Springs.
If you live elsewhere, chances are, there are equally beautiful blooms in your area. Just a few cross-country examples: the bluebonnets in Texas, the pasque in South Dakota, spring ephemerals in Tennessee, and yellow trout lilies in Pennsylvania. To find a picture-perfect spot nearby, start with local gardens or parks. But you could also enter "wildflowers near me" in any search engine and see what pops up.
Perhaps even better? Skip the crowds entirely and grow your own garden — no matter how big or small your patch or pot may be. While picking the right flowers often varies by location, some common recs include Black-eyed Susans, Tickseed (aka Coreopsis), and blanket flowers (aka Gaillardia). Just make sure you have soil, seeds, water, a rake and shovel, and, of course, a sunny spot.

News Quiz

Let's see how well you kept up with the Daily Skimm this week.

Which luxury skincare brand is L'Oréal acquiring?

A. Caudalie

B. Aesop

C. Tatcha

D. Augustinus Bader

Check back tomorrow for the answer. But if you just need to know, you'll find what you're looking for here.