This holiday season, queer organizers are caring for their communities amid rising hunger and economic uncertainty. A New York City queer collective teamed up with a lesbian bar to distribute food. A Georgia mutual aid group is running a food pantry. Read more:

Thanksgiving mood boost: Across the US, lesbian bars, queer collectives and butch clubs are feeding hungry community members. “When I walked into that space...every single butch or masc in there was ready to work and just wanted to know what they could do,” an organizer told @rewirenewsgroup.com.

This holiday season, between the recent upending of SNAP benefits and increasing economic uncertainty, people are hungry. Queer groups are stepping in to make sure their communities get fed. Really proud of this piece from Priyanka Bansal. I hope you'll give it a read.

Cassidy sat with @punchbowlnews.bsky.social today, where Anna Palmer asked if RFK Jr has abandoned his promises to the senator. Cassidy dodged the question, talking broadly about the tragedy of failing vaccination rates and declining public trust.

We have some incredible news to share: thanks to generous offline donations, we have surpassed our initial EOY campaign goal and raised more than $56,000 so far! We’re blown away by the support—and are raising our total goal to $75,000. Can you help us bridge this final gap of $18,562?

Or the uptick is from tests that Washington has run in connection to the person hospitalized with H5N5. The CDC should be briefing the country on what's happening. It's not.

The CDC tracker now says 960+ people exposed to H5 (usually farmworkers) have been tested since March 2024. So 80 people were tested in the last few days, or the tracker wasn't updating for some time. (I'd guess the latter) Glad to see SOME testing. Unfortunately, the tracker may not be reliable.

People use chatbots as their life coaches and boyfriends, so why not as marriage counselors, too? @hallielieberman.bsky.social reports on the rise of the AI-inspired divorce for @rewirenewsgroup.com

When medical providers can underestimate the pain of forcibly dilating the cervix and sticking a T-shaped device into the uterus, patients fear IUD insertion. Writer Catherine Work got an IUD in 3 different countries and has some advice for American OB-GYNs.

As someone who's lived abroad, I frequently compare the experience of getting health care in those places w/that of the US. So when @rewirenewsgroup.com was pitched a story contrasting the pain & cost of IUD insertion in 3 countries, I jumped to assign it. Wild guess: How do you think the US fares?

The AP tracked down details of some of the people killed in President Trump's military strikes on drug smugglers he describes as narco-terrorists. They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver. apnews.com/article/trum...

To be frank: It’s insulting. Their proposed floor is $8,000 less than what our lowest-paid member makes. They want to wrap up bargaining by December, but we won’t accept less than what our members deserve.

A month ago, we proposed a salary floor of $90k to management, citing our costs of living, RNG’s wage disparities, and the fact that most of us worked second jobs in the last year to make ends meet. Yesterday, management countered—with a salary floor of $60k.

This means an abortion ballot referendum to constitutionally enshrine repro rights will almost definitely be presented to voters next year, as @cameronoakes.bsky.social and o reported last month

“Black pain isn’t enough to stir the nation’s conscience.” @angryblacklady.blacksky.app parses the racial politics of how to harness public anger against this man-made SNAP crisis

🧵Today, voters across the country will cast their ballots in state and local elections— some of which could have serious impacts on abortion access and other reproductive justice initiatives. Here are the races we’re following:

Research finds that cities could dramatically cut childhood poverty with new tax credits:

new from me, @rewirenewsgroup.com is watching races in Virginia, New Jersey, and NYC tonight: rewirenewsgroup.com/2025/11/04/e...

Abortion isn’t on the ballot anywhere today, but it’s a Leo campaign issue in several races. Meanwhile, in NYC, Mamdani’s affordability focus could mean more childcare for New Yorkers who can barely afford to have a family

‘Students Are Terrified’: How Trump’s Higher Education Compact Puts Queer Students at Risk

In news that will shock no one but which everyone needs to hear, abortion bans hurt the speed and quality of medical care across the board—even when treatment has nothing to do with abortion, new study shows

Introducing Natasha Roy, staff editor at @rewirenewsgroup.com #Reproaction

Our webinar, “Trump is Anti-Abortion: His Second Term Agenda" is happening now! Register and tune in: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #Reproaction

New from me ⬇️

Telehealth Improves Abortion Care Experience for Some Trans, Nonbinary Patients—New Research

Virginia is the last Southern state allowing abortion care past 6-12 weeks. This year's gubernatorial & legislative elections will determine whether the South retains regional abortion access. From @cameronoakes.bsky.social & @catesby.bsky.social rewirenewsgroup.com/2025/10/20/v...

New from me and @catesby.bsky.social: Why abortion is still an issue in Virginia this election cycle, even though it's not technically on the ballot rewirenewsgroup.com/2025/10/20/v...

Reporting on my homestate from me and @cameronoakes.bsky.social Abortion is on the ballot in Virginia this election (even though it’s not)

I am so proud of the work my colleagues and I do at Rewire. But by our calculations, management gave themselves $942,817.55 for their 7 salaries, and allotted $464,373.70 for our union's 6. We are so disappointed by this and we want more equitable pay. Details on that below ⬇️

Our union members are proud of the work we do at Rewire, but we’re incredibly disappointed and jarred by the vast pay disparity between management and the unit. By our calculations, mgmt gave themselves $942,817.55 for their 7 salaries, and allotted $464,373.70 for our 6. We deserve equitable pay.

We want to—and do—work hard. We care about Rewire & its mission. But it’s clear to us that management doesn’t see dedication to the cause as enough compensation for themselves. We do not need to make the same salaries as management. But we do need to live decently, and we need to be paid equitably.

“I have confidence in our leadership’s vision and believe together we can create an environment that prioritizes fair compensation for all staff members. This change presents a crucial opportunity to align our values with our actions and foster a culture of collaboration and respect.”

“Without trust & transparency b/w the union & mgmt, how can we expect readers to find that in our coverage? By not paying unit members their worth & not staffing the newsroom adequately, we’re failing in our mission. I hope we can come together to reach resolution & align with our org values.”

“I was told during my annual review, 3 months into our executive director’s tenure, that while I deserved a raise, there was no budget for one. We now know that a member of management received a $24,000 raise this year. It’s inequitable and unethical.”

...We have 7 managers for 6 employees. When management is out the wheel keeps turning. When a unit member is out, the quality of work decreases, projects are dropped, and deadlines are missed even with clear handoff documents.” (2/2)

“I’m disappointed with the income disparity and the routine lack of integrity in management. We claim a culture we do not abide by. Management sidelines and gaslights employees, and refuses to take accountability for poor practices/systems... (1/2)

“I feel like I’m doing work that's important to the org as a whole, but my salary doesn't reflect that. A higher salary would mean I could focus fully on this job instead of piecing together multiple incomes & it would give me the stability to plan for my future without constant financial stress.”

“I’ve been working a second job. Not for extra spending money, not for fun: but to cover the costs of my gender-affirming care. It’s exhausting. And obviously, I’m doing it because this care is necessary for me to live fully as myself in the type of landscape we live in today, as a queer person.”

Here’s more from our members on why the pay disparity between unit members and management is such a problem:

Why does this matter? Unit members are an essential part of newsroom functioning. We make sure RNG’s content is fair, accurate, transparent and accessible to our audiences. And our unit is staffed with queer folks and people of color—communities historically underpaid and underrepresented in media.

So we’re asking for a minimum unit member salary of $90,000. And we’re asking management to forgo COLA for the remainder of the three-year contract. This will bring our members’ salaries closer to moderate income levels in the cities where we live.

Our pay is well below industry averages and median incomes in the areas we live and work.

By our math, one member of management also appears to have been given a $24,000 raise in the last year. Meanwhile, multiple members of the unit have been told there is no budget for pay increases.

The total management salary budget for 7 people is $942,817.55, while the unit salary budget for 6 people is $464,373.70. The average management salary is $134,688.22. Meanwhile the unit salary averages to $77,395.62. It’s only $71,269.67 without the highest-paid unit member, who makes six figures.

Currently there are seven members of management and six unit members at RNG. But management salaries make up 67% of the salary budget (excluding one employee who is neither a member of management nor the unit). Meanwhile, RNG unit members’ salaries account for only 33%.

Since we last shared an update on bargaining, we’ve received additional information about management salaries at Rewire. The TLDR: The pay discrepancy between management and union members is deeply unsettling.

NEW: Planned Parenthood's Manhattan clinic will stop seeing patients as of November 1 as affiliate prepares to sell the building amid budget shortfalls. Sale announced in March Patients told to schedule at Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens (LIC) clinics or virtual www.plannedparenthood.org/health-cente...

Cool job alert! If you are a freelancer looking for 8-10 steady, adrenaline-fueled hours a week, apply to be our new PT newsletter editor at @rewirenewsgroup.com. This is just a short-term gig *for now*, grant-funded through end of year. rewire.bamboohr.com/careers/24

💼 @rewirenewsgroup.com is hiring a *Part-Time* Newsletter Editor to be on a contract through the end of the year. Details below, hmu if you have questions (but please know I am not the hiring manager)! *8-10 hrs/week *$40-45/hour *Weds-Fri morning rewire.bamboohr.com/careers/24