#5SmartReads - January 5, 2023

Hitha on the Speaker of the House, the latest on abortion pills, and your new favorite show

January 05, 2023

If you missed the news, Tuesday was the first time in 100 years that a Speaker of the House failed to be selected by the incoming Congress after a single ballot. Three ballots were brought forward on January 3rd, and all three ballots failed to elect the Speaker.

And while I found the popcorn GIFs and VEEP comparisons amusing, it also is just a sad day in American history and life that this is who we elected to run the country for the next two years.

And there are ramifications to not electing a Speaker quickly. Until a Speaker of the House is elected by the body, the incoming members of the House of Representatives cannot be sworn in, the body cannot set the rules to govern itself, and it cannot consider legislation.

And if the incoming majority can’t come together for this simple vote, expect this same chaos and dysfunction for the next two years. And while this would be endlessly amusing on an episode of VEEP, it’s just sad that this is our reality when we’re living in such turbulent times and need strong leaders to actually lead.

This is just my opinion, but I think Asians do dating shows better. And Netflix is paying attention.

I binged Single’s Inferno while on vacation and I’m fully obsessed. Part Survivor, part The Bachelor, and part classic Korean Variety show (and part something brand new), it’s just a delight that you will watch in a single sitting and be itching for a new episode.

Also, THE FASHION. This is the best dressed dating show ever.

This article explains everything you need to know about this gooey, cheesy show that I adore. Read it. Watch it. And enjoy.

I’ve been waiting for new guidance from FDA on the fight for reproductive rights. And I’m very heartened by this news in particular.

Mifepristone is the first of two drugs used in medication abortions, and previously it could only be dispensed in person (during COVID, this rule was waived and the Biden administration announced last year that it would no longer enforce the in-person rule). This rule change - which is done after a thorough scientific review by agency staff and an advisory board meeting with leading physicians in this space - makes this permanent.

Could this rule be reversed under a different administration? There is always a chance that it could happen, but it would have to be an overhaul of the rules change process at FDA (and that is incredibly unlikely - this process is well-documented and transparent and requires significant clinical data before a rule change can be proposed by a sponsor). Though we have a lame duck Congress right now, I expect to see a lot of expansion of reproductive healthcare to be between industry and the FDA - over-the-counter birth control pills, a rule change for misoprostol to expand access, and hopefully clinical studies for fully reversible vasectomies (there are two companies developing gels injected in the vas deferens to block sperm from leaving the ejaculator in human clinical studies).

I expect the anti-choice movement to continue their fight against reproductive healthcare rights and access in the courts

My old blog was very much a hobby that gave way to a second career. I couldn’t have predicted that it would happen, but I’m thrilled and grateful that it did.

But it does have me incredibly protective over my hobbies and my random obsessions.

I don’t track or rate the books I read every year, aside from sharing reviews of books I’ve finished on my newsletter. My finished needlepoint projects live in a box in my closet. I only pick up my crochet hook and yarn when there’s a new baby in my life, and honestly only care to crochet little hats. And as much as I love F1 and the Philadelphia Eagles, working in those worlds would not be my dream job.

This essay explores the importance of hobbies, and more importantly how to keep them hobbies and resist the allure of capitalism in our ever-sharing world. I’ve long been thinking about the importance of hobbies and random obsessions (however fleeting they may be) in our lives, and this piece spoke to me in so many ways.

I hope this piece helps you carve out some time to play - even if it’s just 5 minutes.

“By banning women from working for NGOs, they are denying essential, life-saving services to women and children. Almost all the large aid agencies have suspended operations and the United Nations has paused some “time-critical” programmes. Major world powers have urged the Taliban to immediately reverse their “reckless and dangerous” decision, while UN agency chiefs described female staff as key to every aspect of the humanitarian response.

In many cases, these staff – who number in the tens of thousands – are also the only breadwinners in their households. Denying them their salaries ensures that women, children (and, incidentally, men too) will starve.”

If the Taliban’s endgame is to have nothing to govern, then their current policies and movements are in service of that. What we are allowing to happen in Afghanistan is a human rights tragedy, and that the US and UK are not expediting asylum visas to those who served along our troops and are seeking survival is both horrific and unsurprising.

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