Good morning, Quartz readers!
Even with a few races yet to be concluded, one clear winner emerged from the latest US election: representation. Specifically, female representation. Nearly 4,000 women ran in federal and state races—an unprecedented number.
In the House, 102 women have already been confirmed, with seven more still in the running. In the Senate, 23 women will serve (the same number as now), and one more might join them—24 would set a new record. The potential is for near-25% female representation in Congress—not nearly enough, granted, but nevertheless outstanding. Plus there will be at least nine female governors (possibly 10, depending on the result of Georgia’s election).
Meanwhile, of the 138 elected or appointed men who were accused of sexual harassment in the last election cycle, more than 100 have left office, overwhelmingly in the wake of #MeToo. Of them, three were voted out this past election. Two lost to women.
Among the women emerging victorious this week are Sharice Davids and Debra Haaland, the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar (a refugee from Somalia) are the first two Muslim women to be elected to the House. Angie Craig will be the first openly gay mother to join Congress.
It isn’t just America where such progress is being seen. In New Zealand this year, prime minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth while in office. And in London this week, 120 female politicians from around the world gathered in the House of Commons to mark 100 years since women won the right to vote—and run for office—in the UK. They came from Gambia, Afghanistan, and over 80 other countries.
The accomplishments of such women are more than incremental gains for their respective parties. They are the evidence of change. Political progress toward equality is as incremental as it is relentless. One battle at a time, the war is being won. —Annalisa Merelli
Five things on Quartz we especially liked
The fountain of youth is real. We’re living longer these days—but what can we do to ensure that our added years are happy ones? The answer, according to Jenny Anderson, lies in intergenerational friendships. While contemporary culture conspires to keep the young and old segregated from one another, initiatives in places like Singapore and London are creating opportunities for them to connect over shared meals, reading lessons, and dance parties.
Big pharma invades the world of psychedelics. Magic mushrooms are on the cusp of becoming legal for medical use. Olivia Goldhill investigated one controversial company, led by a millionaire couple, that is taking steps to control the market. Leaked documents and interviews with former collaborators, who now regret having helped the company’s founders, suggest that Compass Pathways is prioritizing profits over patients.
An Indian wind farm is changing the color of lizards. Renewable energy may be greener than fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect the environment. As Maria Thomas writes, a biodiversity hotspot in India is already beginning to change because of the country’s push toward alternative sources of energy.
Victoria’s Secret’s outdated, ineffectual fashion show. Once a great publicity tool, today the annual event is exactly what Victoria’s Secret doesn’t need, explains Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. At a moment when the brand’s sexy image has become a liability, and more women keep turning to competitors promoting body diversity and positivity, a glitzy parade of professionally toned, half-nude models only reinforces how out-of-touch the company has become.
A risky ramp-up. US Border Patrol is going on a Trump administration-approved hiring spree, but the math on new recruits and attrition suggests it will be extremely difficult to meet staffing targets. The precedent doesn’t bode well: Last time the Border Patrol swelled its ranks, under US president George W. Bush, incidents of corruption among agents rose sharply. Justin Rohrlich looks at what might change this time around—and what mistakes could be repeated.
Five things elsewhere that made us smarter
Every city should have a toy library. In the 1930s, the idea of the “toyery,” a public place for children to play with toys, gained some traction in the US. For the Atlantic, Alexandra Lange explains their history and argues for more of them, noting: “Spaces in which to play, and a constantly renewable source of things to play with, are essential to improving early childhood outcomes.”
Workers are increasingly baffled by their telephones at work. With smartphones everywhere, why is the office telephone still a fixture in so many businesses? Jennifer Levitz explores the mystery for the Wall Street Journal (paywall), noting that many workers find the relics clunky, annoying, and complicated—yet often impossible to get rid of.
What if the placebo effect isn’t a trick? The list of conditions that respond to placebos—as well as they do to drugs, in some patients—is long and growing. As Gary Greenberg writes for the New York Times (paywall), new research is zeroing in on a biochemical basis for the placebo effect—possibly opening a Pandora’s box for Western medicine.
Pipeline vandals are reinventing climate activism. In 2016, environmentalists activated an oil pipeline’s shut-off valves in Minnesota, temporarily cutting off crude oil being sent from Canada’s tar sand deposits. Getting arrested was part of the plan. The real goal of such “valve turners,” as Dean Kuipers writes for Wired, is to create a legal precedent that would put a powerful new tool in the hands of eco-warriors.
The tricks stores use to make you spend more. In the US, the months of November and December can account for 30% of a brand’s sales, with Americans spending about $720 billion on pre-Christmas sales, Black Friday deals, and the like. Writing for Vox, Chavie Lieber describes the subtle techniques retailers use this time of year to persuade shoppers they’re scoring time-sensitive deals.
Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, toy collections, and effective placebos to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day, or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Weekend Brief was edited by Steve Mollman.