Latest news with #MedicalAidinDying
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Who was Anita Wright? Beloved Canadian TikToker and cake artist announces own death by physician-assisted suicide
Anita Wright, a New West-based TikTok influencer, announced her own death in a heartbreaking video. Known fondly as the 'cake lady' and 'TikTok Nana' online, Anita died on May 7 after a battle with ovarian cancer, her daugher revealed in the caption of the video. She died using Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), also referred to as physician-assisted suicide or death with dignity. Who was Anita Wright? Beloved Canadian TikToker and cake artist announces own death by physician-assisted suicide (GoFundMe) 'I posted this on TikTok yesterday. Just incase you are not aware. This is our mom's last message to her followers who were so very important to her. She died May 7th with MAID. Thank you all for your support,' the caption reads. In the video, Anita told her followers that she has already passed away. Anita revealed that she used MAID to die because she did not want to suffer any longer. 'It wasn't scary,' Anita said in the video. 'It wasn't scary at all.' However, Anita acknowledged that her death is 'hard for everybody that's left.' Anita said that she does not want her decision to make other cancer survivors lose hope. She 'honored' her followers and stressed that she wanted everyone to know how much she loved being one of their influencers. 'Some of you have given me great advice,' she added. 'I love you all.' Who was Anita Wright? A resident of Queensborough, Anita was primarily a cake artist who documented her art and baking videos on social media. In October 2022, she was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She broke the news in a TikTok video while decorating a unicorn cake. She then started using social media to raise awareness about ovarian cancer. A GoFundMe page previously launched for Anita said that despite the diagnosis, 'she has continued to move forward with the same positive and strong attitude that she displays in all aspects of her life. Anita has brought joy to so many with her fun and ever helpful posts, live stream videos as well as her delicious, beautiful cakes, sweet treats and unique pieces of art.' 'Anita, being a senior, is an entrepreneur who lives in her rented condo. She does not have any additional healthcare coverage. With all the treatments and extra expenses, it is our hope that we can all join together and help out in any way we can to alleviate the extra pressure all of this can add to her life.' the page added.
Politico
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
State lawmakers take final swipe at Lawler as they head home
ASSEMBLY HEADS HOME: The state Legislature officially wrapped up its regular session for the year when the Assembly gaveled out at 12:38 Wednesday morning. New York Democrats ended their formal business in 2025 by offering a preview of what's sure to be one of their favorite activities in 2026: screwing with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. The session's final big debate was over a bill to change a longstanding law that lets county party leaders seek to purge any registered voters who are 'not in sympathy with the principles of such party.' It would allow a party's state leadership to assume that role if a county-level structure doesn't exist. The bill effectively applies only to the Working Families Party, as New York's other three parties each have affiliates in nearly every county. It was directly motivated by Lawler's House race last year in which a couple hundred Rockland County voters enrolled in the WFP shortly before the primary, paving the way for stalking-horse candidate Anthony Frascone to win the WFP line over Democrat Mondaire Jones, 287-197. The tactic ensured that the left split its vote in November. Republicans were apoplectic over the bill. 'This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard,' said Assemblymember Chris Tague. 'We have people that are starving that can't clothe and feed their children ... Where the hell are our priorities?' 'This isn't about democracy, this isn't about freedom of elections, this is about a certain congressional seat that another party has been smarter and worked harder in the last two election cycles and won,' Tague said. 'What a shame. What an absolute shame.' The measure, Lawler said, is an example of Democrats 'disenfranchising voters who don't agree with them ... how democratic.' Party raiding seems to have become more common in New York in recent years, and Assembly sponsor Dana Levenberg said the bill was designed to 'level the playing field' with other parties that have an easier time ousting hostile members. 'We know the Conservative Party has effectively purged people from its registration rolls,' she said. The bill was one of 856 that passed both houses of the Legislature this year. They included high-profile measures such as Medical Aid in Dying, new prison oversight rules and a bill to help ween the state off gas — as well as plenty of notable lower-profile bills. One would have the state rename the four 23-story agency buildings in Albany's Empire State Plaza. All of them now have comically boring names: Agency Building 1, Agency Building 2, Agency Building 3 and Agency Building 4. They'll soon be named after the state's most famous rivers, as determined by a commission. 'When names are done right, they can really honor and give you a sense of history,' said Sen. Pat Fahy, whose district includes the Capitol. She personally prefers the Mohawk and Hudson as potential namesakes for Albany's skyline over, say, the East River. There have been various proposals over the decades to rename the buildings after famous New Yorkers, but there's an advantage to going with waterways: 'At least with rivers we don't have to do the historical research to see if they've done anything terrible in their lives,' Fahy said. Other bills that passed in the frenzy of recent weeks would require ad agencies to disclose when they're using artificial intelligence to create 'synthetic performers,' launch a study on how recess works at schools throughout the state and let bars buy a few bottles directly from liquor stores when they're in danger of running out before a wholesaler can arrive. There will be one constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot this year. It would allow the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex near Lake Placid to use land in the Adirondacks to modernize its Nordic skiing and biathlon trails. — Bill Mahoney FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL MAMDANI BROADCASTS AOC SUPPORT: Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is putting up six figures in the final stretch of the mayoral race to promote his endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 'New York City we need a new day; we deserve a chance,' Ocasio-Cortez says in the ad, which will appear on cable. 'Elect Zohran for mayor.' The 30-second clip features Ocasio-Cortez's on-stage speech at Mamdani's highly -attended Saturday night rally, where she also urges the crowd to 'fill out the entire ballot' and 'not rank Andrew Cuomo.' The ad also claims that Cuomo has received 'millions from Trump donors.' Playbook reported last week that Cuomo has gotten nearly $400,000 from GOP or Conservative Party donors. While a super PAC supporting Trump has raised $500,000 from prominent Trump donor and billionaire Bill Ackman, other high-profile supporters of the PAC — like former Mayor Michael Bloomberg — have not donated to the president. Mamdani's campaign could not immediately provide evidence backing up the claim. — Jason Beeferman A CHAOTIC DAY ON THE TRAIL: With more than 130,000 New Yorkers already casting their ballots for the tightening Democratic primary, the leading candidates are scrambling to the finish line. Mamdani spent this morning celebrating the endorsement of 2021 mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, a leading progressive who came in third place in the Covid-era election. Wiley unveiled her full ballot slate at a press conference with the Mamdani camp, ranking him, Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Sen. Zellnor Myrie, and former Rep. Michael Blake. At the presser, Mamdani got emotional describing the harassment and death threats targeting him and his family on Islamophobia grounds. 'Part of this is the very sad world of what it means to be the first Muslim candidate,' Mamdani said, with tears in his eyes. 'It pains me to be called an antisemite as if I am somehow in opposition to the very Jewish New Yorkers that I know and love.' Mamdani's anti-Israel stance undergirds some of that criticism, which has been prevalent in a litany of mailers from a pro-Cuomo super PAC. Cuomo began today denouncing Mamdani's recent comments on The Bulwark podcast, in which he didn't condemn the chant 'globalize the intifada,' a popular slogan in the pro-Palestinian movement. 'I know people for whom those things mean very different things,' Mamdani said on the podcast, pointing to the word's use in an Arabic translation of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising exhibit in the U.S. Holocaust Museum. The museum responded in an X post this morning, writing that 'Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize 'globalize the intifada' is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors.' Cuomo was quick to pile on his leading competitor. 'All leaders or those running for office must condemn the use of this battle cry,' he said in a statement. 'There are no two sides here.' Six days out from the Democratic primary, the Cuomo campaign also celebrated the endorsements of the Staten Island Advance, the borough's only daily newspaper, and amNY. Elsewhere in the city, City Comptroller Brad Lander basked in the glow of national attention a day after he was detained by ICE agents. Lander made his rounds on local television stations to describe the incident, joined the Worker's Justice Project rally against GrubHub and touted the endorsement of former City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. — Amira McKee FROM THE CAPITOL PACKAGING FALLOUT: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie pushed back on criticism from environmental advocates over his conference's failure to pass a sweeping packaging reduction measure. Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator, accused Heastie of bowing to special interests and blocking the packaging bill and other environmental priorities from getting a vote. 'There has always been special interest opposition to effective environmental bills, but this year, Speaker Heastie let those special interests win by not allowing the packaging-reduction bill to come up for a vote and blocking every major piece of environmental legislation,' she said in a statement. Heastie said in a statement that he personally supported the bill, but that it did not have enough votes to pass according to his tally. 'What should be gone are the days of lazy advocacy that expect a top down approach from the Speaker,' Heastie said in a statement. 'Instead of spending time attacking me and my character, I suggest Ms. Enck put in the work to gain the necessary support for her bills. Contrary to popular belief, I am the most accurate vote counter in the Assembly, so I have three words for Ms. Enck: 'Continue the work.'' Environmental advocates have been frustrated with the Assembly blocking their priorities for years. The Senate typically passes far more environmental bills, but they falter in the Assembly. This year, that included several bills to limit PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' a more aggressive gas transition measure, a moratorium on spreading biosolids on farmland, and more. Heastie said the Assembly has passed several environmental bills in recent years, including the 2019 climate law, the environmental bond act and a pollinator protection bill. He also listed the Build Public Renewables Act, which passed as part of the 2023 budget after having previously passed in the Senate, and the All-Electric Buildings Act, which the Assembly pushed to weaken. 'Any suggestion that the Assembly doesn't take protecting the environment seriously is ridiculous and counterfactual,' Heastie said. — Marie J. French IN OTHER NEWS — DR. PHIL, ERIC ADAMS AND ICE: The celebrity psychologist played a key role in elevating Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry to a liaison between the city and the Trump administration's immigration efforts. (The New York Times) — DINAPOLI'S CHALLENGER: Drew Warshaw, who is challenging comptroller Tom DiNapoli in a 2026 primary, has vowed to return $20 billion to the public. (New York State Focus) — BANNED FROM ICE: Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler were barred from visiting immigration court in Lower Manhattan one day after Lander was arrested there. (THE CITY) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Hochul's review now pending on Medical Aid in Dying Act
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – The New York State Senate has passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act for the first time since the legislation was introduced in 2016. The bill allows terminally ill adults with incurable diseases and six months or less to live the ability to make the decision to peacefully end their lives through a prescription. If signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York State will join 11 other U.S. states in legalizing the end-of-life option. News 8 heard from those in support of and against the legislation, as it now goes to the governor's desk for signature. Andrea Calloway serves as executive director for the Sunset House, which is Irondequoit's only comfort care home for terminally ill patients. The Sunset House has been offering end-of-life care, supported by donations, for over 35 years. 'Here at the Sunset House, we allow the resident to be in control of decision making, as long as it's safe. I believe, personally, people should have the right to their own decisions of what will work best for them,' said Calloway. New York State Assemblymember Josh Jensen has opposed the bill from the beginning and led the debate on the state Assembly floor before it passed. 'What was really prevalent in the Assembly debate is it's not a partisan issue and not a conservative issue, it's a question of morality. It's a question of life or death. I think that was shown not just through opposition of people like me, but I think 21 Democratic no votes and six Democratic no votes in the Senate last night. Certainly, there was bipartisan opposition, but not bipartisan support,' said Asm. Jensen. From the perspective of hospice care, Calloway adds it's unclear what the future of this option might look like for providers like the Sunset House, should it become law. 'It's a jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces. There's a lot of moving parts here. There's family involved, friends involved, a doctor involved, and the individual person involved. [It's a question of,] 'Do you have everything in order before you make this decision to do this?' There's lots of pieces involved,' said Calloway. Assemblymember Harry Bronson also weighed in, saying the bill offers a 'compassionate choice.' 'While I understand and respect the concerns of those who object, I believe the Medical Aid in Dying Act is fundamentally about offering a compassionate choice to qualified patients who wish to die on their own terms. This legislation represents a careful balance between providing end-of-life autonomy and maintaining essential protections to ensure that this profound decision is made voluntarily by those who are truly facing the end of their lives.' As the legislation goes before Gov. Hochul for review, the president of the New York State Bar Association issued the following statement to encourage her approval: 'Medical Aid in Dying offers both dignity and compassion to those experiencing a terminal illness. It ensures that New Yorkers have a full array of end-of-life options and provides them with the autonomy to make their own choices to avoid needless suffering. We commend the legislature for passing this important bill and will continue to offer our support and advocacy in encouraging the governor to sign it into law.' More information about the Sunset House and ways to support their care can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
New York State Senate To Allow Terminally Ill People To End Their Lives Peacefully
The New York State Senate passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Monday by a vote of 35-27, giving legal rights to terminally ill people to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs. The bill, which was approved in the State Assembly 81-67 in April, will head to Governor Kathy Hochul for final approval. Once it gets final approval and becomes a law, the Medical Aid in Dying Act will allow terminally ill adults, who are mentally capable with a prognosis of six months or less, to end their lives peacefully using a prescription. The prognosis should be confirmed by two doctors. New York will join other states, including Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, New Mexico and New Jersey, to legalise medical aid in dying if the governor signs the bill. It's also legal in the District of Columbia. "It's been a long road but thanks to the dedicated activists from groups like Compassion & Choices and Death with Dignity we have built the broadest coalition ever assembled of doctors, nurses, patients and legal advocates from across New York to support this bill," Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Senate Sponsor of Medical Aid in Dying, said in a press release. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Westchester Democrat who leads the body's Health Committee, first introduced the bill a decade ago. It was personal for her as she had watched her sister die after a battle with cancer the year before. "After more than a decade of advocacy, we are finally on the brink of giving terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy and dignity they deserve at life's end. This legislation is about easing needless suffering and honouring deeply personal choices," Paulin said.
Politico
12-05-2025
- Health
- Politico
Medical Aid in Dying passes Assembly, awaits Senate vote
Beat Memo Democratic Lawmakers and advocates are closing in on the votes needed to pass Medical Aid in Dying, a long-lingering measure that would allow doctors to prescribe euthanizing medication to people with terminal illnesses. The legislation passed the Assembly at the end of April, but 32 votes are needed to pass the measure in the Senate. The Senate has 26 co-sponsors on its bill, but state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who is sponsoring it, said he is hopeful they will be successful in securing the remaining votes to pass the chamber. If it passes into law, New York would become the 11th state to legalize some form of assisted suicide. The Catholic Church and other religious groups have strongly opposed the measure. Republicans sided with them, arguing that legalizing prescriptions for suicide is a slippery slope. Advocates for and against the measure visited the Capitol last week, aiming to either strike down the measure or secure the final votes needed to pass. Hoylman-Sigal said he wasn't surprised by the presence of advocates lobbying against his bill. 'No one thought we would be a year ago, much less a few weeks ago,' Hoylman-Sigal told POLITICO. 'This issue isn't going away, just like terminal illnesses are not going away, and death itself impacts all of us.' 'If you don't want to end your life in a planned sequential process that involves ingesting medication when you've been given a terminal illness of six months or fewer with your family and friends surrounding you as you head off into the other world, then don't do it,' Holyman-Sigal said of the opposition. The Assembly's final vote was 81-67, with no Republicans supporting the bill. A sizable majority of Democrats expressed support, but some religious members and others who spoke about a lack of equitable access to health care joined the opposition. ON THE AGENDA: — Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Drug Utilization Review Board will meet. MAKING ROUNDS: — Sandra Scott was appointed CEO of One Brooklyn Health by the health system's board of trustees, and Arthur Gianelli will serve as president and chief transformation officer. Scott has served as interim CEO since January 2024. Gianelli previously served as president of Mount Sinai Morningside hospital and chief transformation officer. — Joseph Tomaino has joined the board of the Nassau Health Care Corporation. He is currently CEO of Grassi Healthcare Advisors, LLC. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@ and Katelyn Cordero at kcordero@ Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. What you may have missed — A citywide doula initiative spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams is showing promise in the fight against racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, POLITICO Pro's Maya Kaufman reported. Black and Hispanic women in the doula initiative saw lower rates of C-sections, preterm births and low birth weights than nonparticipants citywide, according to an audit conducted by city Comptroller Brad Lander's office, which was released Friday. No maternal deaths were identified among the initiative's clients between March 2022 and June 2024. ODDS AND ENDS NOW WE KNOW — Tying U.S. drug prices to those abroad could have unintended consequences. TODAY'S TIP — A doctor shares his science-backed formula for aging better. STUDY THIS — Via NPR: Many common beauty products contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, according to a study of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles. WHAT WE'RE READING — State bets on Medicaid payment shift to fund city public hospitals. (Crain's New York Business) — Uproar over surgeon general pick exposes MAHA factions among RFK Jr. allies. (Washington Post) — From pandemic preparedness to precious frozen spit, NIH contract terminations cut deep. (STAT) Around POLITICO — Conservatives fret HHS cuts, worrying it undercuts the president's agenda, Amanda Friedman reports. — Trump transforms congressionally mandated health offices into ghost towns, via Alice Miranda Ollstein and Sophie Gardner. MISSED A ROUNDUP? Get caught up on the New York Health Care Newsletter.
