5SR - January 24, 2024

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

New York joins cities erasing medical debt (Axios)

I’m of the belief that medical debt should not exist in civil society. I see it as a sign of inhumanity and excessive capitalism, and we should be considering how to eliminate current and future medical debt while being able to deliver care.

This is one of my nerdy Roman Empires. And while I have a lot more to say about this issue, I have to give my city some credit for this initiative to purchase $2B in medical debt for up to 500,000 New Yorkers.

The cost? About $18M.

Medical debt can exacerbate the medical conditions that caused that debt in the first place or cause new ones, with the anxiety of holding said debt affecting one’s physical and emotional health while they’re healing.

How Venita Aspen Changed Southern Charm (ESSENCE)

Reality television is one of my most effective mental release valves. And Southern Charm delivered on all fronts this season, especially in centering more on the women and less on the Peter Pans that cause so much of the drama (with the exception of Craig and Rod).

I especially loved seeing my girl Venita shine this season with her giant heart, sharp observations, and her impeccable style. Getting to this season was a difficult, emotional journey that many didn’t see or recognize, and I’m thrilled to see her get the respect she’s more than earned (and a safer filming environment with a new showrunner this season).

She embodies “the first but not the last” responsibility and mentality with such grace - more than I certainly could.

Keep shining, my friend.

Congress has failed for more than two decades to reform immigration — here's a timeline (NBC News)

There is nothing more American than immigration. It is the constant thread woven in our country’s history, weaving through our greatest and most cruel moments alike.

So why is it so controversial right now, and why haven’t we been able to create a policy that serves the country and world where we currently are, versus where we’ve been.

Politics, baby. It’s all political - and in making it increasingly so, we’ve lost our humanity and empathy in remembering each of us have an immigration story in our American identity.

With Congress curently negotiating an immigration/foreign aid bill and a record number of migrants continuing to enter through our southern border, immigration is at the top of everyone’s mind. What Congress will eventually push through will be a short term measure that will fall short of addressing the root causes and near-term needs in a meaningful way. And if you wonder why, this primer of immigration policy efforts over the past 20 years will explain it all.

The One Piece of Jewelry I Change Every Week (Megan’s Substack)

I really admire the way Megan Alida Strachan has built Dorsey (whose lab-grown tennis bracelets & necklaces have been shared by so many folks, myself included). She melds sustainability, luxury, and storytelling in such a seamless way - the latter via her Substack (which I recommend subscribing to).

Come for Meg’s streamlined style (with some unexpected sparkle, always), and stay for her grandmother Dorsey’s wisdom on everything from marriage, grandparenthood, style, and jewelry.

Especially her advice on jewelry. It’s no surprise why Meg named her company in honor of her grandmother.

Cancer vaccine with minimal side effects nearing Phase 3 clinical trials (ABC News)

Cancer has impacted every person on this planet, directly or caring for someone who’s been diagnosed with it.

I will never forget losing my godfather Tomas to leukemia when I was 12 years old, and asking my dad (who was working on Topotecan with Uncle Tomas) if we would ever cure cancer.

If the TLPO cancer vaccine makes it through Phase III trials and FDA approval, we will be making a giant leap in cancer treatment towards a real cure, in the form of a vaccine. And it will be a gamechanger for healthcare in general.

I’m doing my best to curb my excitement until the Phase III trials are concluded, having experienced and seen the heartbreaking failures between these studies in prior development programs. And I sincerely hope Dr. Thomas Wagner, the inventor and founder of Orbit Health Solutions, is able to raise the necessary funding (about $100M) for this study and the next phase of development.

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