Why did suicide rates drop in 2020?
 NOVEMBER 15, 2021 THE BIG STORY
After a steady climb, suicides dropped during the pandemic — but not for everyone  Molly Snee for BuzzFeed News The suicide rates in the US have been on a steady climb for decades. But In 2020, rates and numbers dropped by 3% overall, according to a report released in November from the National Center for Health Statistics.
In the US, the declines were mostly driven by a drop in suicides among certain groups. The biggest drop was with women between the ages of 45 and 64 (who are at the highest risk for suicide among women of any age group). And while there was a 10% drop in white women and a 3% decline in white men, suicide rates stayed the same or increased among Black, Latinx, and Native American men.
To understand 2020's drop in suicide (which may come as a surprise to some given the year's economic uncertainty, job loss, reckoning with systemic racism, contentious election, and pandemic), health experts offered one hopeful possible explanation: When people engage and connect during troubled times, they may learn about resources and support that they otherwise might not have known existed.
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
Britney Spears is finally free from her conservatorship  Britney Spears in 2019 Mario Anzuoni / Reuters On Friday, a Los Angeles judge terminated Spears' conservatorship effective immediately, freeing the 39-year-old pop star from the legal binds that allowed her dad and his team to make decisions about her work, who she could have contact with, and how to spend her money since 2008. Now, Spears can live on her own terms.
Spears' legal team is still continuing to investigate her father's administration of her affairs. They've already raised objections to a number of payments Jamie Spears made in recent years, including using her money to pay a former business manager's legal bills. They're also looking into reporting by the New York Times that the pop star's security team monitored all communication on her phone and bugged her bedroom.
This ruling comes nearly 14 years after Spears lost power over her personal affairs and multimillion-dollar fortune, and follows years of scrutiny into the conservatorship by the #FreeBritney fan movement. In an Instagram post thanking her fans, Spears wrote, "I can't freaking believe it !!!! Again … best day ever !!!!" SNAPSHOTS
Queen Elizabeth II missed another public event after spraining her back. The 95-year-old royal, who herself served during World War II, had planned to attend a ceremony honoring fallen veterans for Remembrance Day.
"We're extremely disappointed": Climate negotiations ended with a deal that some nations say is not enough. Also, the US and European Union are largely blamed for shutting down the talks on financial reparations for countries that are already reeling from climate impacts but did little to cause the crisis.
A teen in Australia was incorrectly identified as one of the Astroworld victims. Amelyun Nguyen told BuzzFeed News she found out through an Instagram post that people thought she had died at the concert. Meanwhile, Travis Scott fans are divided over who to blame for the Astroworld deaths. JAN. 6, STEVE BANNON, AND "EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE"
A federal grand jury indicted Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress Steve Bannon, the longtime close adviser to former president Donald Trump, was indicted Friday on two counts of contempt. Bannon had refused to comply with a congressional subpoena issued by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He was scheduled to appear before the panel, but instead his lawyers sent a letter claiming Bannon was "exercising executive privilege" per the instruction of Trump's lawyer.
Each misdemeanor count carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a minimum term of 30 days behind bars. A date hasn't been set yet for Bannon's first court appearance.
IF YOU NEED TO FILL THE SQUID GAME VOID
TV shows we can't get enough of  Apple TV+ Dr. Brain Dr. Sewon Koh (Lee Sun-kyun) is a brilliant neuroscientist who has discovered a method of transmitting memories from one mind to another. When a suspicious accident affects his family, he uses the technique to follow every breadcrumb that might explain what really happened.
The Shrink Next Door Based on the gripping podcast by the same name, this show stars Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell in roles you've never seen before. At the behest of his sister Phyllis (Kathryn Hahn), Marty Markowitz (Ferrell), an extremely shy man, goes to see Dr. Ike Herschkopf (Rudd) to seek help. But the relationship between therapist and patient quickly begins to morph into something else, as the doctor begins to transgress boundaries.
Love Life (Season 2) The new season of Love Life centers on Marcus (William Jackson Harper), a Black thirtysomething book editor married to a white woman, who has been feeling unfulfilled in his career and in his relationship. A chance encounter with a Black woman named Mia (Jessica Williams) at a wedding helps Marcus realize just how unhappy he is and precipitates an unfolding disaster. Surprisingly frank about race and the realities of dating in a city like New York, Love Life's second season breaks new ground.
Our full list of TV recs is here. Don't miss it. Relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and take a deep breath, Alexa 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Alexa Lee and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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