5SR - September 22, 2023

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.

McCarthy struggles to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a shutdown as others look at options (Associated Press)

The year that the government is not on the verge of a shutdown is a year I sincerely look forward to. This near-annual drama is as consistent as the doomed engagements we watch on the finales of The Bachelor and Bachelorette, that Housewives are going to fight about stupid things like cheese, and that someone will bring up the one time Philadelphia Eagles fans booed Santa Claus.

While I understand just how difficult Speaker McCarthy’s job and particular position is (his razor slim majority means he needs virtually every vote), it’s frustrating as a citizen and as someone working in life sciences (we interface with FDA regularly, and a shutdown can delay our development).

There are some glimmers of hope, with centrist Republicans and Democrats in the House working on a continuing resolution to keep the government open, and senators across the aisle preparing to negotiate with the House on a bill that can pass both chambers and get on the President’s desk for signature.

I’m hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and wishing Congress could get it together and prevent us from having to live this Groundhog’s Day every single year.

Why This Black Woman Running For Congress In Oregon Could Be A Gamechanger (Essence)

If we want Congress to function better (or in general), it starts with electing more doers to the House. And we would be lucky to have Janelle Bynum in the chamber representing Oregon and skilled leaders everywhere.

When I get frustrated by the status quo of politics and the news, I look for the people who are rolling up their sleeves and digging into the problems, versus pointing the finger at someone else or incessantly tweeting instead of writing a bill. I hope you join me in supporting those who do - like Bynum and 5SR contributor Kate Slater (who’s running for school board in her town).

Fiber is a dietary superhero. Are you eating enough of it? (NPR)

Protein consumption has been the nutritional rage lately (and a big driver of cottage cheese’s renaissance). But how much fiber are you eating?

Me? Not enough, as I learned in this read.

I think we often associated high-fiber foods with what’s marketed as “good carbs” (whole or multigrain products that typically tout a “high in fiber” sticker on the packaging). But if you eat more fruits, vegetables, and seeds/legumes - you’re giving your body the phytonutrients AND the fiber it needs.

Is there anything truly groundbreaking in this article? No - but we all need reminders to do the fundamentals (eat whole foods, drink water, move our bodies, rest, and manage our stress) - so consider this your reminder for today.

Biden Lets Venezuelan Migrants Work (The Atlantic)
link is gifted via my subscription to The Atlantic

The poor headline aside, this is one of the most nuanced, well-reported articles I’ve read about the rise of asylum seekers from the Northern Triangle that I’ve read in a while.

The TL;DR - the administration extended Temporary Protected Status to allow almost half a million migrants from Venezuela to live and work legally in the country, for the next year and a half.

Some may decry this as taking away jobs and resources from American citizens. Others may question the administration’s timing and wonder why they didn’t do it sooner. And most of us likely fail to understand that the Venezuela’s displacement crisis is on par with Syria and Ukraine, but lacks the Western support of the latter.

There are a lot of quick, one-dimensional takes about immigration that parrot hyper-partisan lines and fail to unpack the incredibly complicated, long situation that has resulted to where we are today. I have some hope for the bipartisan Dignity Act in Congress to make its way through committee (as long as the government doesn’t shut down), and I think this administration has done more than previous presidents and has also made some mistakes in granting asylum or helping refugees (in true 5SR form, it’s both/and).

What I know for sure is that we need more reporting like this to better understand this complicated issue - it’s detailed, comprehensive, nuanced, and compassionate. If there’s one thing you read today, please make it this piece.

Stacey Abrams on Her Reissued Novel ‘The Art of Desire’: It Pushes Readers to “Be Curious” (Shondaland)

President of Earth in Star Trek: Discovery is my favorite Stacey Abrams.
Romance novelist Stacey Abrams (also known as Selena Montgomery) is a close second.

We celebrate and honor our fellow multi-hyphenates here, and Abrams is basically my queen and role model. She didn’t just write a novel while studying for her law degree - she helped redefine an often-insulted genre by writing wickedly smart, Black protagonists who are quietly saving the world from destruction.

Rules of Engagement is my particular favorite, if you’re looking for one to jump into. I also very much enjoyed her legal thriller While Justice Sleeps - it felt like it was written specifically for me.