Science

A New Frontier for Cancer Treatment 

What’s going on: In late 2020, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine showed how mRNA technology could be used to treat other illnesses. That list now potentially includes melanoma. On Wednesday, Moderna and Merck released the results of a late-stage experimental cancer vaccine trial that shows how their newly developed mRNA vaccine can act as a kind of tailored cancer therapy. It does this by teaching tumor cells in patients' bodies how to attack the cancer. The trial included 1,100-plus individuals, who already were undergoing treatment and had tumors removed. And results were quite positive: Patients lived longer without any melanoma recurrence and were less likely to see existing cancer spread.

That’s good, right?: While other trials have tried the same approach with different cancers, Moderna-Merck’s is the most advanced. One pediatric oncologist who was not involved in the trial summed it up to The New York Times: “It’s a big deal.” The news is also making waves financially. After losing $2.8 billion in 2025, Moderna could eventually be back in the black with its new cancer vaccine. Following yesterday’s news, Moderna shares more than doubled, and Merck’s stock soared more than 10%. Last month, one analyst believed the therapy could generate $3 billion by 2035 from treating melanoma. On the heels of its flu vax getting the green light by the FDA, Moderna hopes this new cancer treatment could be next. 

Related: Trump’s Nominee for FDA Commissioner Has Stood by the President’s Vaccine Policies (The Associated Press)

Climate Change

Weathering the Storm

What’s going on: The subscription model industry is officially offering up climate solutions. As hurricane season kicks into high gear, people are buzzing about a new company that launched in Florida this summer called PriorityEvac. For $1,250 per year, Floridians can get up to two prearranged evacuation flights per hurricane season, which runs June through November. The company uses forecasts from the National Hurricane Center to plan evacuations and aims to get everyone who uses its service out before storms make landfall. Members can fly from one of six Florida airports into Atlanta, and can even bring along a small pet. This isn’t the Titanic sequel we asked for. 

On the first flight out: PriorityEvac bills itself as an “affordable alternative” compared to private charter flights, but it’s still out of reach for many Floridians. In a 2021 survey, nearly 43% had less than $1,000 available for emergencies, and more than half lacked an evacuation plan. It’s not just Floridians fighting over the first proverbial lifeboat — California billionaires made headlines last year for hiring private firefighters during wildfires. One expert told CNN that these measures are just an expensive Band-Aid for very real weather emergencies, warning that if more climate solutions like this pop up, it could detract from the need to improve public systems for everyone. Plus, this is all happening against the backdrop of Trump's cuts to FEMA and NOAA. The impact of extreme weather has always been uneven for the poor and the rich (ahem: Hurricane Katrina). That gap will only widen as climate change worsens. 

Related: Rich People Are the Worst Climate Offenders, and It’s Not Even Close (Nature)

Student Loans

Your Payment Is Due (Forever) 

What's going on: When they said, “You’re going to be paying your student loans off for the rest of your life,” they really weren’t kidding. Earlier this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) proposed a bill that would prevent senior citizens’ Social Security checks from being garnished to pay off defaulted federal student loans. (Yes, the bills can keep coming even after you retire.) He plans to formally introduce the Stop Social Security Garnishment Act when the Senate returns from summer break in September, backed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Ed Markey (both D-MA). “In the richest country in the history of the world, no senior should have their Social Security payments taken away from them to pay back student debt,” Sanders said in a statement.

Wait, can this really happen?: Yes, but loans were intermittently put on hold for more than five years, thanks to a COVID-era pause that kept getting extended. That pause has now expired, but as of July, the Trump administration hadn’t yet begun garnishments. If it resumes involuntary collections, the government can withhold up to 15% of monthly benefits for those with defaulted federal student loans, as long as their monthly Social Security payment does not fall below $750. About 452,000 of the 3.2 million seniors who still hold federal student loan debt have defaulted, and many may be at risk. Unless something changes, plenty of millennials may find themselves in similar situations in a few decades: The two age groups with the biggest share of federal student loan debt are 35- to 49-year-olds and 25- to 34-year-olds, who owe over $1 trillion collectively. That’s a lot of avocado toast.

Related: The National Debt Is Now Over $40 Trillion (CNBC)

Quick Hits

✨ Feeling blah? It’s time to embark on a side quest, experts say. 

🐣 Kourtney Kardashian, Didi Pickles, and Mother Teresa walk into a baby shower. No, this isn’t a weird pregnancy dream, it’s one woman’s genius idea for a costume party.

🎤 Madonna is up for 11 MTV Video Music Award nominations this year. It’s like a little prayer has been answered.

🧺 When was the last time you washed one of these seven common household items? We'll plead the Fifth when it comes to our pot holders. 

👯 Joanna Gaines shared a video of herself on vacation with her teen daughters, and we’ve never been filled with so much hair envy. 

🍇 Dietitians are on your mom’s side: Chewing your food thoroughly before you swallow is likely better for your health than a big detox. 

Things I’m Buying

Ali, Senior Commerce Director, here. I’ve been particularly low-key when it comes to summer spending, but as the last few weeks of August fly by, I’m eyeing a few things to take into September with me:

• This square-neck, long-sleeve top that’ll be the perfect transitional layer

• A T-shirt bra with good coverage and a wide back band

• The one sunscreen I will wear into the cooler months (it’s also tinted for light coverage)

• A pair of Sambas for my nephew to kick off his back-to-school season

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Samantha Darby, Jessica Prois, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone.