Wednesday, January 31, 2018
New 'cutting-edge' McDonald's offers table service and 'floating glass garden'
New 'cutting-edge' McDonald's offers table service and 'floating glass garden'
McDonald’s is getting an Instagram-friendly facelift.
Anne Burrell shares her best Super Bowl snack tips
Anne Burrell shares her best Super Bowl snack tips
The Big Game is this weekend, and if you’ve volunteered to host – don’t panic.
Andrew Zimmern shares his go-to Super Bowl chicken wing recipe
Andrew Zimmern shares his go-to Super Bowl chicken wing recipe
Of all the dishes I’ve tasted around the world, this is the one I’m happiest to have brought home and perfected in my own kitchen.
New story in Health from Time: It’s Almost Impossible to Get an Abortion in Poland. These Women Crossed the Border to Germany for Help
It’s Almost Impossible to Get an Abortion in Poland. These Women Crossed the Border to Germany for Help
By ALEXANDRA SIFFERLIN
Photographs by KASIA STREK
Kaja was happy to be pregnant. She had experienced two miscarriages in the past, and was hopeful for her third pregnancy.
But when she started having severe pain, she knew things weren’t going as planned. She was already suffering a host of complications. Her doctor in Poland prescribed her the drug progesterone, meant to fortify the inner lining of the uterus, but Kaja’s pain grew worse. She called her doctor to discontinue the treatment. (Kaja is a pseudonym; the 34-year-old fears legal repercussions.)
Her physician told her she was crazy, says Kaja, and that stopping the medication could harm her pregnancy. Kaja realized that ending the pregnancy was what she needed to do for her own health, but she also knew her doctor could never help her.
Poland is home to some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union. Ireland has similar laws, but the procedure is legal, with some restrictions, in Italy, Germany and Spain. Abortion is legal in France up to 12 weeks from conception, and thereafter for health reasons, with the approval of two doctors. In Poland, the procedure is only permitted if the mother’s health is at risk, there’s a fetal abnormality, or the pregnancy results from rape or incest. Even then, women say it’s extremely hard to find a doctor who will perform the procedure. Women can technically order pills for medical abortions from other countries, since the drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol are on the list of the World Health’s Organization’s essential medicines, but women say packages can be held up by customs and the process is difficult.
“When you are pregnant in Poland, you don’t have a voice,” says Kaja. “Our rights are taken away from us.”
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Kaja visited an online forum for women seeking abortion in Poland, and was referred to Dr. Janusz Rudzinski, a Polish doctor who has been practicing in Germany for over 35 years. Kaja called Rudzinski — known to accept women’s calls at all times of day — and he told her to come to his clinic in Prenzlau, Germany. Despite her pain, Kaja drove around 200 miles from her village in Poland to Rudzinski’s clinic across the border.
“I believe women have the right to choose what they want to do with their own bodies,” says Dr. Rudzinski, who estimates he sees about 20 Polish women every week, including many from Poland. “I don’t think abortion should be a taboo subject.”
Kaja says Dr. Rudzinski put her at ease, assuring her that the procedure would go smoothly and quickly. “If anything happens to me in a future pregnancy, I feel relieved knowing I can always travel to Germany,” she says.
Poland’s abortion laws haven’t always been strict. The procedure was legalized in 1956, due in part to arguments that unsafe abortions were contributing to high maternal mortality rates. Abortion became widely available in public hospitals and private clinics and was subsidized by the government if performed at a government institution. Women often relied on abortions due to a lack of available contraceptives.
After the fall of Communism, Poland passed a new, stringent abortion law in 1993 with the backing of the Catholic Church, which made abortion illegal again, with the aforementioned exceptions. Little has changed since. “This law is a compromise between the Catholic Church and politicians without the participation of women,” says Krystyna Kacpura, the executive director of the Federation for Women and Family Planning in Warsaw, Poland. “Our voices were neglected and ignored.”
In Poland, only about 1,000 legal abortions are performed every year. The exact number of illegal abortions performed is unknown, but reproductive health organizations estimate the figure is between 10 to 100 times higher.
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Dr. Rudzinski says he hears from women in Poland who attempt dangerous abortions on their own. “They will buy drugs from pharmacies that are not controlled,” he says. “Sometimes the drugs they take are for stomach ulcers. They will experience pain and bleeding and think the abortion was successful, but 20 weeks later, they realize it did not work and a regular abortion is no longer possible.”
“The government is extremely conservative, and they have the majority,” explains Kasia Strek, a photographer based in Poland and France, whose pictures here are part of her year-long project documenting the state of women’s reproductive health in Poland. “They are able to change laws and are close to the Catholic Church. I am not sure how far they will go.” (All the men and women in Strek’s photos asked to use pseudonyms for legal reasons.)
Polish women and men have started protesting in historic numbers. In January of this year, Polish politicians rejected a bill that would increase women’s access to abortion, provide free and accessible contraception, offer emergency contraception without prescription, and incorporate comprehensive sex education at school. The bill had received signature support from over 400,000 people (Poland has a population of around 38 million). Instead, legislation is moving forward in Poland’s parliament that would further restrict abortion rights by banning the procedure for fetuses with congenital disorders. On Jan. 13 thousands of people protested in front of Parliament in Warsaw over the rejection of the pro-abortion rights bill and the progress of the anti-abortion bill. The protests continued on Jan. 17 in over 50 different Polish cities.
Right-wing Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński has supported several anti-abortion bills through the years, including the most recent proposal. “We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed, women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptized, buried, and have a name,” Kaczynski said, according to The Guardian.
Many of the recent protests are inspired by the success of the massive crowds that gathered on Oct. 3, 2016, when Poland’s parliament considered a bill that would ban abortion in all cases except when the mother’s life is threatened. The proposed law included prison terms for women and doctors. The bill had strong initial support, but three days before the vote, women’s rights groups organized what is now considered to be one of the largest protests in the history of the country. Women participating in the protests — called the “black protests” or Black Monday — planned to skip work and wear all black. The approach was inspired by similar protests among Icelandic women in Oct. 1975, when an estimated 90% of women refused to work or do house chores to call out wage discrepancies and unfair employment practices in the country. A day before Black Monday in Poland, a video circulated of women in Iceland expressing support for the Polish protests.
The turnout for Black Monday was huge: In Warsaw, 24,000 women and men gathered in Castle Square in the rain. Nationwide, organizers report that 116,000 people participated. “Polish women woke up,” says Kacpura. “This was a really huge protest and the first time that women stood in solidarity with each other.”
“I heard a grandmother tell her granddaughter, ‘Remember this day my dear, I came here for you and your future,’” she adds.
The marches had impact: just three days later, 352 of the 428 lawmakers voted against the bill. “Observing the social developments, we have come to a conclusion that this legislation will have an opposite effect to the one that was intended,” said Kaczynski after the protests. “This is not the right way to proceed.”
The issue remains deeply divisive among women, and even among close family members. Iza, one of the women Strek photographed (above), says that her pregnancy was the result of rape, but that her mother wanted her to have the child anyway. Iza ultimately sought an abortion.
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Justyna Wydrzynska, who runs an online informational forum on medication abortion called Masz Wybor (You Have a Choice), says abortion is more widely discussed in the wake of Black Monday. Wydrzynska started the site after undergoing her own medication abortion in 2006 without any help or education about the drugs.
“I work in small community and so I don’t often talk about what I am doing,” she says. “But now I’ve observed a change, people are talking openly about this.”
The failure of the outlaw bill in 2016 was seen as a success for abortion-rights advocates in the country, though the restrictions remain.
“We feel responsible for all women of the world who are looking to us,” says Kacpura. “Women in Latin America and Ireland are looking to see if Polish women win or if we stop. If we fail, they might feel like they also have no chance.”
But Kacpura says abortion-rights advocates in Poland plan to continue to challenge to the government’s position. “They are afraid of us,” she says. “Solidarity is our main weapon.”
Kaja agrees it’s time to change. “Politicians should not be able to make decisions regarding my health and my body,” she says, adding that she’s thinking of trying to get pregnant again. “The politicians in Poland don’t help women but make everything more difficult and burdensome.”
— With reporting and translations by Sandra Ifraimova
Kasia Strek is a Polish photojournalist based between Paris and Warsaw. Follow her on Instagram @kasia_strek.
Alexandra Sifferlin is a staff writer at TIME. Follow her on Twitter @acsifferlin.
Andrew Katz, who edited this photo essay, is TIME’s Deputy Director of Multimedia. Follow him on Twitter @katz.
Man caught masturbating in Burger King
Man caught masturbating in Burger King
The 24-year-old was arrested for indecent exposure.
Democratic FCC commissioner backs Burger King's net-neutrality message
Democratic FCC commissioner backs Burger King's net-neutrality message
One FCC commissioner evidently agrees with Burger King's message on net neutrality.
Waffle House customer arrested for lashing out about barbecue sauce
Waffle House customer arrested for lashing out about barbecue sauce
'I'll go to f---ing jail over some barbecue sauce!" he yelled.
Salt Bae no longer salting with bare hands amid concerns over NYC health violations
Salt Bae no longer salting with bare hands amid concerns over NYC health violations
It appears Salt Bae has changed his ways — at least in New York.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Bar introduces gruesome 'black margarita' with feral pig eye
Bar introduces gruesome 'black margarita' with feral pig eye
Here’s looking at you, pig.
Man who robbed Pizza Hut delivery driver mocked by sheriffs after getting arrested
Man who robbed Pizza Hut delivery driver mocked by sheriffs after getting arrested
"If you are going to rob a pizza driver at gunpoint and you want to get arrested," here's what to do.
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because it couldn't keep up with rent, report says
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because it couldn't keep up with rent, report says
Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant shuttered at the end of 2017.
Salt Bae's NYC steakhouse might be violating New York health codes
Salt Bae's NYC steakhouse might be violating New York health codes
Eater NY claims that Salt Bae's salt-sprinking and meat-caressing wouldn't be cool with the city's Department of Health.
NEW! Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Dip, Morning Glory Muffins, and More!
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Thieves steal 48.5 tons of chocolate from German industrial park
Thieves steal 48.5 tons of chocolate from German industrial park
The haul is worth almost $500,000.
South Carolina restaurant won't show Super Bowl, any NFL games until league stops 'showing disrespect' to veterans
South Carolina restaurant won't show Super Bowl, any NFL games until league stops 'showing disrespect' to veterans
The owner of a restaurant in South Carolina says he isn’t planning on airing the Super Bowl like other sports bars in the area, but he IS planning an “Honor Bowl” as a show of support to veterans and active military members.
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because Kushner Companies demanded too much rent, report says
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because Kushner Companies demanded too much rent, report says
Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant reportedly closed because of the high rent demanded by Jared Kushner’s real estate company.
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because Kushner's company demanded high rent, report says
Guy Fieri's Times Square eatery closed because Kushner's company demanded high rent, report says
Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant reportedly closed because of the high rent demanded by Jared Kushner’s real estate company.
New story in Health from Time: Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Are Creating a Health Care Company That’s ‘Free From Profit-Making Incentives’
SEATTLE — Amazon, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the New York bank JPMorgan Chase are teaming up to create health care company “free from profit-making incentives and constraints.”
Buffett, in a prepared statement Tuesday, called the skyrocketing costs of health care in the U.S. the “hungry tapeworm on the American economy.”
The ambitious goal, they say, is in the early planning stages, but the seismic nature of the announcement sent a shockwave through the health industry.
Shares of health care companies are falling in early trading.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Couple from viral potpie video parodied in hilarious SNL skit
Couple from viral potpie video parodied in hilarious SNL skit
Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon impersonated the 2012 viral video sensations in a hilarious four-minute spoof.
Funeral home offering pizza to people who pre-plan their funerals
Funeral home offering pizza to people who pre-plan their funerals
Well that's one incentive...
Panera Bread recalls cream cheese over listeria concerns, sparks panic among consumers
Panera Bread recalls cream cheese over listeria concerns, sparks panic among consumers
Panera Bread announced on Sunday it was recalling packets of cream cheese after some samples were found to contain listeria, causing panic among fans of the fast food chain.
Burger contained 'fully-fledged hairy mouse,' claims Australian man
Burger contained 'fully-fledged hairy mouse,' claims Australian man
A man in Australia claims he found a small, hairy mouse inside the tiny little burger he was served on Friday.
Event space in Minneapolis offers deal for Eagles fans: ‘Have a free beer thrown at you’
Event space in Minneapolis offers deal for Eagles fans: ‘Have a free beer thrown at you’
At least one establishment in Minneapolis is willing to offer any incoming Eagles fans a couple of congratulatory drinks on the house — so long as they can be thrown directly into their Philadelphia-loving faces.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Super Bowl snack: Baked buffalo chicken dip
Super Bowl snack: Baked buffalo chicken dip
This Super Bowl, one chef wants to make sure you give your guests what they want – meat, cheese and hot sauce, and plenty of it.
Video of McDonald's 'internal breakdown' goes viral
Video of McDonald's 'internal breakdown' goes viral
The man was waiting for his food in the drive-thru when he captured the event.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Grammy Awards $30,000 gift bags are full of snacks
Grammy Awards $30,000 gift bags are full of snacks
Candy, coffee, and mixology classes are among the goodies.
$30,000 Grammy Awards gift bags are full of snacks
$30,000 Grammy Awards gift bags are full of snacks
Candy, coffee, and mixology classes are among the goodies.
Meal Plan // January Wk 5: Chicken Cacciatori, Asian Tuna Salad, Bison Burgers, and more!
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35+ Family-Friendly Breakfast Casseroles That Will Save Your Holiday Mornings
+A gingerbread waffle recipe for you're really pulling out all the stops. View in Browser 'Tis The Season For Cranberry Bread ...
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(NEW YORK) — New York City’s death toll from the coronavirus may be thousands of fatalities worse than the tally kept by the city a...
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New York City emergency-medicine physician Dr. Cameron Kyle-Sidell sparked controversy when, two weeks ago, he posted a YouTube vid...