The leaked draft opinion, obtained and published by Politico, detailed the Court’s majority decision to remove nearly 50 years of federal constitutional protections of reproductive rights set by Roe v. Wade  and upheld by the 1992 decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey. 

 “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision…” 

 If repealed, access to abortion would not undergo a federal ban, but instead would grant individual states the ability to heavily restrict or outlaw the procedure.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks to abortion rights supporters at Foley Square in New York City on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Abortion rights activists hold signs protesting the leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade in New York City on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Hundreds of abortion rights activists gather in New York City’s Foley Square Abortion to protest the leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Abortion rights activists hold signs protesting the leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade in New York City on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Abortion rights activists hold photos of the Supreme Court Justices that voted to abolish Roe v. Wade in New York City on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

An abortion rights activist holds a sign protesting the leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade in New York City on Tuesday, May 3. Photo by Julia Bonavita

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Giuliani appeared outside of the New York Democratic State Convention alongside 2021 mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, New York Young Republicans Club President Gavin Wax and Senate candidate Stefano Forte on Thursday, Feb. 17. Armed with homemade signs and a handful of staged supporters, the candidates spoke with limited members of the media and addressed constituents via livestream. 

“The message we want to send today is very simple,  Kathy Hochul, Hillary Clinton [are] bad for New York, bad for America,” Giuliani said.

The men joked that they did not receive an invitation to the Midtown Manhattan convention, which featured speaking appearances from over 40 elected officials and public figures  including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). 

Instead, Giuliani, Sliwa, Forte and Wax took to the pavement, touting their conservative campaign platforms and attempting to draw attention from the convention taking place just steps away. However, the men failed to draw a crowd and relied on their online audience to bear witness to their emotionally charged conference. 

“It’s not the Democratic State Convention, we should call it the ‘Nobel Convention’, the ‘Defund the Police Convention,’ the ‘Defund Prisons Conventions’, because almost everybody in there, they’re all partisan with that,” said Sliwa. 

According to the latest  poll data , Giuliani is neck-and-neck with rival Lee Zeldin. The two appear to be tied as Republican frontrunners, with the majority of Republican voters still undecided. But  Hochul  holds a 19 percent lead over  Guiliani in the polls, according to the data.

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Guiliani speaks with Fox News outside of the New York Democratic State Convention at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

A campaign staffer live streams Andrew Giuliani’s press conference, held outside of the New York Democratic State Convention on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

A handmade sign reading “Hillary Bad 4 America, Bad 4 NY” is held behind Andrew Giuliani during his press conference outside of the NY Democratic State Convention on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Guiliani hosts a press conference with staged supporters holding handmade signs outside of the NY Democratic State Convention at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Guiliani addresses supporter via livestream outside of the New York Democratic State Convention at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

A sign reads “New York, Giuliani, Governor 2022” during a press conference hosted by GOP gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Giuliani outside of the NY Democratic State Convention on Feb. 17, 2022. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Founder of the Guardian Angels and former NYC mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa speaks with members of the press while campaigning for Andrew Giuliani in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday, Feb. 17. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Andrew Giuliani and Curtis Sliwa shake hands while speaking to members of the media on Thursday, Feb. 17. Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, endorsed Guiliani’s bid for governor in December 2021 and has vowed to campaign for Giuliani throughout the election after his own failed mayoral candidacy. Photo by Julia Bonavita

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Hinge, Bumble and Tinder reported record usage throughout the pandemic. In March 2020, Tinder experienced 3 billion swipes in a single day – its highest number in the app’s history. 

In 2020, Match Group, the company responsible for over 45 dating brands – including OKCupid, Hinge and Tinder – reported a 15% increase in its second quarter earnings when compared to pre-Covid downloads and subscriptions. Tinder, the company’s most popular app, experienced an increase in downloads by  2.2 million during lockdowns. 

The rise in dating app downloads can be attributed to hesitancy – or the inability – to meet new people in the real world.

“I was trying to meet people in person the year before the pandemic started,” said Erika Sauer, a 21-year-old college student from Cape Coral, Florida. “But once all the businesses and bars started closing, I wasn’t able to meet that many people. Plus, being in quarantine got really lonely since I was locked in a dorm with my roommates. I needed to branch out before I went insane.”

Sauer met her boyfriend, Michael Morales, on Tinder in January 2021. The two planned virtual dates consisting of FaceTime and playing Minecraft together. After a few weeks, they decided to meet in-person, choosing a local restaurant for their first face- to-face date. 

“Considering that most places that people socialized before the pandemic were closed down, dating apps became the only option for people to meet – outside of chance encounters at grocery stores like Hallmark would have us believe,” said Morales. 

Sauer and Morales will celebrate their anniversary in 2022.

“I downloaded the app to look for a meaningful relationship, and sure enough I did,” said Morales.

Bumble’s Covid Preference setting allows users to choose their preferred method of meeting new dates amidst the pandemic. The selection is then displayed on each user’s profile.

Online dating platforms have pivoted to more Covid-friendly features within their platforms. Hinge, a self proclaimed “dating app designed to be deleted” founded in 2012, gives users the option to display their vaccination status on their profiles. Similarly, Bumble’s Covid-19 feature allows swipers to set their pandemic dating preference, with public display options indicating if a user prefers to meet virtually or IRL – in real life – on the first date.

Addison Worthington, a 24-year-old Florida-native living in Brooklyn, joined Hinge in April 2020, one month after lockdowns began.

Worthington’s profile states that he is vaccinated against Covid-19, alongside his occupation, political party and height measurement, a new norm in online dating amidst a pandemic.  

“In the beginning [of lockdowns], I was very isolated,” said Worthington. “I felt like it was a good way to meet people, since all other forms of in-person mingling were effectively gone.”

The rise in online dating has challenged pre-pandemic stigmas surrounding people who utilize online sites to meet people. 

“I believe more people definitely tried dating apps over the pandemic because everyone was more alone than ever before,” said Sauer. “I think this pandemic tested a lot of relationships and whether they were strong enough to last through isolation. This could be a motivator to get a dating app, even if it’s only for a night.”

According to Pew Research Data, 12% of Americans are married to or in a long-term relationship with an individual they met online, while three in 10 adults report utilizing apps to meet potential partners. 

While public perception continues to evolve surrounding meeting romantic partners on the internet, the data suggests that younger demographics are more likely to engage in online dating. Forty- eight percent of 18-to-29 -year-olds have reported downloading a dating app, with a 10% decrease in usage within 30-to-49-year-olds. 

“I think [dating apps] are becoming more normalized, even if the stigma wasn’t all that bad to begin with,” said Worthington. “Ultimately we all want to meet people and find individuals who we like to hang out with, either for long term relationships or friendships. They’re great ways to facilitate meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise have overlap with, and I’ve met some very good friends here.”

As Covid-19 restrictions begin to loosen throughout the country, the fate of dating apps remains unknown. However, it appears that young singles have chosen to “swipe right” on online dating. 

“ It sucks that [Michael and I] didn’t have a ‘meet cute,  but I’m happy to give it up and be with the perfect person for me,” said Sauer. 

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Tree Riders NYC, a local Christmas tree shop, is open for business with their colorful string lights carving a path for pedestrians through their inventory of fir trees. The shops’ homemade, wooden storefront invites onlookers to stop, but eager holiday shoppers are greeted by the sticker shock of rising tree prices threatening to dampen the season. 

But this year like so much of the goods consumers want and need, Christmas tree prices have soared.

The recent increase of supply chain issues driven by the Covid-19 pandemic looms over buyers and sellers, threatening the availability of trees.  

“We had to go above and beyond,” said owner Erika Lee Sengstack.  “I’d say about five times more work than we usually do just to find trees, which is a huge amount of effort for us. For the first time in five years, we had to raise our prices.”

Tree Riders NYC has increased their prices by 25% to compensate for the rising cost of lumber, inventory and generic decorations for the business, while remaining in-step with heightened demand and fair pay for staff.

Last year they sold out of trees, and this year may be no different. 

Shoppers choose their Christmas tree from Tree Riders NYC, a local Christmas tree store located outside St. Mark’s Church on Thursday, Dec. 9 in East Village, Manhattan.Photo by Julia Bonavita

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 13.9 million Christmas trees will be sold this year – a notable 400,000 increase from 2020. 

“I think there was a big demand because people were hungry for some sort of normalcy, and a lot of people were home for the holidays that wouldn’t have been home otherwise, Sengstack said. “So this year, we planned for about the same amount of business as last year and we’re seeing some pretty similar patterns. People are definitely out -buying trees this year.”

According to a report by the Associated Press, the cost of trees is 10-30% higher this holiday season. The rise in prices is also the result of the 2008 recession and a record-level of demand for live trees.During the recession, fewer households were purchasing live trees and tree farms were experiencing a loss in employment, resulting in smaller crop sizes. Since fir trees take approximately 10 years to grow, tree farms are now experiencing the results of harvesting less trees, making it harder for Sengstack to acquire inventory. 

In past years, Sengstack and her team would make an annual trip to North Carolina with 26-foot trucks, load the trees and drive them to Brooklyn. The trees would then be trimmed and taken to Manhattan

 “We got trees this year from upstate and the Vermont area,” she said. “Those were trees that we hadn’t gotten before, we had to piece together our order because we couldn’t get them off of one farmer.”.

She also acquired trees from Pennsylvania. Sengstack has also experienced difficulties purchasing tree stands for her store, since the plastic resin needed for the stands is in short supply. 

“We’ve had a shortage of resin to make the stands the tree stands,” said Sengstack. “There’s an international stand company called Cinco Plastics. But we had a hard time securing the number of stands that we needed, because [Cinco] wasn’t able to make them because they couldn’t even get the plastic supply shipped to them.”

Tree stands, manufactured by Cinco Plastics Inc., are sold alongside trees at Tree Riders NYC on Thursday, Dec. 9 in East Village, Manhattan. Due to the supply chain shortage, resin used to manufacture the stands is limited, leaving shops like Tree Riders NYC with low inventory. Photo by Julia Bonavita

The dramatic price increase has forced consumers to seek other ways to inject trees into their holiday season. 

“We have a real tree that we cut from our yard,” said Angela Rawdon, a thrift store assistant manager from Ava, N.Y. “It’s the size of my two-year-old son. We had to put off getting a full-sized tree until next year because they’re so expensive.” 

Others are just using fake trees, enticed by the glossy, plastic perfection that could only be man made and the promise of an easy annual assembly – no rooftop ties required. 

“It’s just the ease of it,” Katie Chin, a Los Angeles native currently living in Stanford, Connecticut. “You just get to store it, you don’t have to worry about tossing it out and buying a new one every year.” 

Despite the rising cost of the holiday season, those who choose to add a Christmas tree to their festivities agree that the memories made are priceless. 

“We were unable to decorate for the last two years, so being able to do it this year has really made my family’s Christmas,” said Rawdon. 

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Approximately 33,000 runners – 20,000 short of 2019’s total due to pandemic restrictions – flooded the streets for the 50th running of the marathon today. 

  The largest marathon in the world tipped off on Staten Island, spanning 26.2 miles to the finish line at the south end of Central Park. Two million spectators are expected to line the streets to witness the return of the race, which began at 8 a.m. 

Runners enter Brooklyn after completing the first mile of the NYC Marathon at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.Photo by Julia Bonavita

NYC Marathon runner Pablo Madriz celebrates completing the first mile of the race, passing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Runners in the 50th Annual NYC Marathon pass over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

Weerapon Noothae gives a thumbs-up while crossing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

The second wave of runners in the 50th Annual NYC Marathon pass over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

Prateek Shukla poses while passing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the NYC Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Hannah Gavios greets spectators after completing the first mile of the NYC Marathon by passing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

Kristen Langston passes over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the NYC Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

Members of security for the NYC Marathon cheer on runners passing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday, Nov. 7 in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Julia Bonavita

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 “I am pledging my support to the new mayor, Eric Adams because we’re all going to have to coalesce together in harmony and solidarity if we’re going to save this city that we love,” said Sliwa in an emotionally charged speech. 

Sliwa was viewed as a longshot candidate since the beginning of the race, raising a mere $1,177,599 in campaign donations and taking out $5,551,432 in loans, according to the most recent report from the New York City Campaign Finance Board. His monetary assets paled in comparison to Adams’ $19,487,280. 

Sliwa’s campaign party began on a promising note, with 80’s disco blaring from the speakers and an impressive buffet for attendees at Midtown Manhattan’s Empire Steakhouse. But as polls closed at 9 p.m. on , Sliwa trailed Adams by nearly 90,000 votes within minutes. 

The red beret-wearing leader of the Guardian Angels campaigned on a platform against city-wide vaccine mandates while promising the implementation of no-kill animal shelters and additional security throughout New York City’s streets. 

Sliwa relied heavily on debate theatrics and headline-grabbing antics to remain relevant throughout his campaign, often making boisterous claims regarding his opponent. 

“But tonight is a night where we offer our friendship and our solidarity with our new mayor ,” Sliwa said. “He’s going to need it.”

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He  arrived at the Frank McCourt High School in the Upper West Side to vote with his wife, Nancy and four-week-old rescue cat, Gizmo , one of 17 rescue animals he owns. But the kitten was not a welcome sight to elections workers who refused to let Sliwa take Gizmo to witness his big  moment.

And it went downhill from there.

After handing Gizmo to campaign aide, election workers  asked him to remove his “Curtis Sliwa for NYC Mayor” jacket stating it was considered electioneering, but he refused to take it off and instead challenged them to arrest him, which they did not.

“So one hour and 20 minutes, we’re being told first we couldn’t have Gizmo,” said Sliwa. “And obviously the garb. We wore this garb last Saturday when Nancy voted, no problems, we were in and out.”

Next he had problems casting his vote.

After Sliwa inserted the first page of his ballot, the voting machine jammed and an error message stating the ballot had been counted, but not deposited appeared. Repairmen spent over one hour restoring the machine and Sliwa’s ballot was successfully counted.

“You see the incompetence and the inefficiency, and if it was just directed at me I could understand,” said Sliwa. “I’ll be going to polling locations all day until the final tally at nine, and I will hear stories from Democrats, Independents and Republicans that their name wasn’t in the book even though they voted in the presidential election. They were told to go to another polling location and then were shuttled around, or their ballot was not properly received by the scanner.”

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa speaks with members of the press with his four-week-old rescue kitten, Gizmo, outside Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Sliwa was barred from entering the polling location with Gizmo due to election site rules.Photo By Julia Bonavita

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s wife, Nancy adjusts his mask before entering Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Photo By Julia Bonavita

The media and onlookers surround NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s wife and his wife  Nancy  as he prepares to vote at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Photo By Julia Bonavita

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa was asked to remove his “Curtis Sliwa for NYC Mayor” jacket while inside Frank McCourt High School on the grounds of electioneering in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Photo By Julia Bonavita

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa fills out his ballot with his wife, Nancy at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Photo By Julia Bonavita

An error message is displayed on the voting machine Sliwa used to cast his ballot at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The machine became jammed before Sliwa could submit the second page of his ballot, stating the ballot had been counted but not deposited.
Photo By Julia Bonavita

New York City Commissions of Elections President Fred Umane addresses reporters after Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa ran into multiple issues while trying to vote at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

A mechanic from the NYC Board of Elections repairs a voting machine after technical issues failed to clear Sliwa’s ballot. Photo By Julia Bonavita

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa inserts the first page of his ballot into the polling machine at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The machine counted, but failed to deposit, Sliwa’s ballot due to mechanical issues and took over an hour to recover.
Photo By Julia Bonavita

NYC Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa and his wife, Nancy address reporters after voting at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, NY on Tuesday, Nov. 2.Photo By Julia Bonavita

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Tens of thousands of parade goers packed the streets of Greenwich Village for the return of NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31. Photo by Julia Bonavita

A Swamp Monster walks in NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

A giant skeleton walks in NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Revelers in NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Revelers in NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Attendees of NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade show off their costumes on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

An undead trumpeter marches down 6th Avenue during NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Revelers in NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

An Easter-loving parade-goer marches throughout NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

Costumed revelers march through the streets of NYC’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Greenwich Village, NY. Photo by Julia Bonavita

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Thirteen percent of women in college have reported being stalked with 80% of survivors stating that they knew their stalker, according to Know Your IX, a project of Advocates for Youth.

   “Sometimes at night, I would feel scared to go out to my car at my old apartment complex. But now that I moved to a house, I feel a lot safer,” said Caitlin Rendel, a junior at Valencia College and Orlando resident. “I normally try to avoid being out places late at night by myself and if I am, I’ll make sure I carry pepper spray with me when I go, which makes me feel a little bit safer. At my house, my roommates and I have bats that we keep in our rooms.” 

  According to a report published by UN Women, approximately 736 million women have been victims of intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.  Seventy six percent of women murdered by an intimate partner were initially stalked, with women aged 18-24 reporting the highest rate of stalking victimization. 

“I wouldn’t say domestic violence has gotten better or worse, but I will say that I feel people speak out against it more often now,” said Rendel. “We have a long way to go but I do think it’s a good start.” 

The body of Marcano, a Valencia College student, was found eight days after her initial disappearance from her apartment in Central Florida. 

 The Orange County Sheriff’s Department believes Armando Manuel Caballero, a maintenance worker at Arden Villas, is solely responsible for Marcano’s death. According to deputies, Caballero utilized a master key fob to access Marcano’s apartment and was waiting inside when she returned home. 

 “It’s critical to raise awareness around topics like domestic abuse and other forms of trauma, so we can support victims who reach out for our help,” said Nina Mendes, communications assistant at Valerie’s House, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling for grieving families in Naples, Florida.  “We can always work to better our understanding of grief and learn new ways to assist victims. Cases like these bring loss and bereavement into the spotlight.”

 The murder of Miya Marcano follows the death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, whose body was found in Wyoming after her disappearance while on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé. The stories of both young women’s deaths sparked a resurgence in discussions regarding women’s safety within the country.  

  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and universities throughout the United States continue to implement new security protocols to protect their student population. 

 “Personally, my roommates and I have agreed to let everyone in our apartment know when we put in any maintenance requests, so we have a good idea of when people who work in our building should be entering and exiting our unit,” said Cassidy Batts, a junior at the University of Central Florida. 

 Mandatory sexual assault training, campus-wide safety buttons that summon university police and an increase of accessibility to Title IX resources have become commonplace throughout the country’s colleges, all serving as methods to protect young adults. 

 “A lot of people aren’t sure what to say or do in these types of situations,” said Mendes.

“By shedding light on these sensitive issues, we can provide various avenues of support to ensure lasting recovery and healing.”

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