Daily Skimm·

In Case You Missed It: Pasta Can Make You Feel Better, Caitlin Clark Sets a New Record, and More Good News

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Monday. Skimm HQ is off for Presidents Day, but we’re still here to keep you informed. So here are three things to know to start your week, plus some good news to text your friends about — like the fact that between now and April 1, we’re apparently in a period of “astrological smooth sailing.” Other things I’m celebrating? This group of South Korean grannies turned rappers. These Latina cosplayers giving main character energy. And the friend group of my dreams: The Sugar Hill Sisterhood, 16 women who have found a way to meet at least once a year, for 50 years.

Rasheeda Campbell / News Writer / Chevy Chase, Maryland

Three things to know
Woman standing next to car holding cup

In addition to helping accelerate the global adventure tourism industry, women 65 and over apparently represent the greatest increase in solo travel between 2019 and 2022 — going from 4% to 18%.

...Oh and speaking of women hitting the road, 79-year-old Luisa Yu is now being called “one of the world’s most-traveled people,” after achieving her goal of visiting all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations. Need her packing secrets ASAP.

Bowls of pasta

Look at science confirming what we already knew — which is that eating a big bowl of pasta can make you feel better. That’s according to a study conducted by an Italian university, where lucky participants ate noodles, listened to their favorite songs, and watched a sporting event, while researchers measured their physical and neurological changes. Of the three, eating pasta was best at generating positive emotions, leading one professor to conclude that, “pasta and happiness are one.” Though, this is probably where we should mention the study’s limitations, like its small sample size and the fact it hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. But also, who are we kidding, we’re convinced.

Women on US quarters

🪙 File this under things that make a lot of cents: Starting this month, five new female faces are coming to US currency, thanks to the US Mint’s American Women Quarters Program. They include Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Zitkala-Ša, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, and Celia Cruz — all of whom played an important, yet often overlooked role in shaping American history.

🏠 Just in case you’re thinking about getting your own Barbie Dreamhouse, you’re in good company. Single women own more homes than single men, and overall homeownership is now majority female.

💰 The pay gap between full-time working women in the US and their male counterparts is now the smallest on record. Which is great. But also, there’s still a pretty big gap

Our Super Bowl.

Last week, Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark said ‘I’m not throwin’ away my shot’ — and became the all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball. Slam dunk.

Something worth flipping out over: Later this month, Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas will return to competition for the first time in nearly eight years. It’s the first step in what she hopes will be a path to the Paris Olympics.

Last month, Amber Glenn won her first national title at the US Women’s Figure Skating Championships — becoming the first openly LGBTQIA+ woman to do so. So chill.

Sleeping Polar Bear

Because animal photos are always a good thing, here is the winner of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award: “Ice Bed” by photographer Nima Sarikhani. The annual contest is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London.

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