Morning Brew - ❄️ Sweater weather

Readers, I’m fired up. For a country that boasts being ahead of the curve in technology, education, and health care (although not affordability), the US is sorely lacking when it comes to parental leave. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 26% of workers had access to paid family leave benefits as of March of this year. Paternity leave, in particular, is in an even worse state: These United States are part of a group of 82 other countries without national paid paternity leave.

But it’s not just the government that’s behind on the issue—it’s also our society. Recent news of US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg taking paternity leave to care for his newborn twins elicited criticism from the likes of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan. Surprising? Hardly. Yet writer Danielle Cohen felt compelled to ask what a good amount of us are thinking: “Are We Really Still Arguing About Paternity Leave?”

Apparently so. Buttigieg responded by telling CNN that taking parental leave is something “every American ought to be able to do as they welcome a new child into their family.” He wasn’t the only one crying foul. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian recently shared his 2020 essay arguing in favor of paid paternity leave. Outside of Buttigieg and Ohanian, though, the radio silence from other top leaders on the issue is deafening and an indicator that a push for change from within may not be coming.

Actual progress supporting parental leave has proven sluggish. In its latest negotiations, the Democrat-controlled Congress removed provisions from its spending bill supporting 12—and later four—weeks of paid family leave, which included elder care. Meanwhile, things aren’t looking much better in the private sector, with just 23% of employees having access to paid leave, compared to 89% with unpaid leave benefits.

So where does that leave us? With our heads in the sand. When we don’t support paternity leave on a national level, we leave working women to shoulder the entire burden of family care. And that means a pay cut for all of us.

Prep for the chilly season accordingly with these five commuting essentials.

• A great commute starts with your bag. This one from Away can fit your laptop, chargers, and breakfast. Plus you can use it on your weekend getaways. 
• This Signature shoulder bag was made for the multitasker whose long days are filled with work, the gym, and maybe even a happy hour or two.
• Stop wasting far too much time searching for your keys in your trendy tote bag thanks to this travel pouch trio.
• Flu and cold season has arrived, and I’ll be using this mini spray to sanitize any and all surfaces I come in contact with while on the go.
• You’ll forget all about your morning cup of joe after taking a swig of water from a trendy-but-sturdy water bottle.

Read: Follow along through a yearslong saga that details the stunning story of a murderer living among residents in an unkempt senior housing development.

Listen: Dreaming of frolicking through Central Park before the snow flies? Tune into a playlist that includes all of the best sounds and feelings of New York (minus the garbage, rats, and crowds).

Watch: Vanessa Hudgens’s French-ish Los Angeles abode has topped my list of gorgeous celebrity homes.

Indulge in some seasonal favorites during the last weeks of fall.

• You’ll never have to spend almost $20 on a Sweetgreen salad ever again thanks to Nasim Lahbichi’s pesto parm salad dupe recipe.
• 'Tis the season for my favorite fall kitchen sport, roasting veggies. Avoid a messy kitchen with a set of two baking mats that can replace foil.
• A warm pot of Southern-style collard greens is like a hug after a long, cold day.
• Try roasted cauliflower a new way (topped with parmesan) using an easy 5-step recipe.
• Complete your fall menu with a posh cranberry cosmo.