#5SmartReads - June 24, 2022
Hitha on the Supreme Court, sleep, and saving childcare centers
Opinion: How liberals should rethink their view of the Supreme Court (CNN)
So…yeah, the Supreme Court is in the headlines again.
While most of them are focused on the rulings they’ve just delivered, I decided to look back at history to a time when there was a liberal majority, and the philosophy they adopted in their own rulings.
While today’s conservative justices have embraced originalism as their judicial philosophy, the liberal justices in the last century embraced judicial restraint, which upheld state and federal laws rather than overturning previous precedents.
How did it play out? See for yourself:
“A decade later, the court struck down many of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs as exceeding the power of the federal government. After Roosevelt won a second term and proposed expanding the number of Supreme Court justices in 1937, the court overruled Adkins and upheld the constitutionality of minimum wage laws as well as Roosevelt's New Deal programs, including Social Security.”
As heartbreaking as this week has been for so many with SCOTUS’ rulings, I encourage you to look at the big picture and know that the actions you take today - voting in every election, calling your representatives daily to voice your support for the laws you want to see passed - will dictate our future.
In the words of my friend Meena, ‘no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Let’s do those somethings.
Mighty Natalie Portman: How She Emerged From the Marvel Sidelines to Wield Thor’s Hammer (Variety)
Going back to the movie theater (in my KN95 mask and during matinee hours) has been a joy in the past month. And you better believe I’m planning a day date at iPic to see Thor: Love and Thunder.
Yes, Taika Waititi’s writing and directing of the Thor films is brilliant. But I’m especially excited for the return of Natalie Portman to the franchise.
For as much as I am a Marvel fan (especially now! I’m obsessed with Ms. Marvel), I’m also a fan of Portman, both on and off the screen. And this is one of the rare celebrity profiles that goes beyond the actor’s onscreen work and delves deeper.
America has a sleep problem (Axios)
How are you sleeping?
Sleep is a major priority for me, and most nights and weeks it’s pretty good (averaging 7 hours, an hour of no screens before I go to sleep). But sometimes (like this week) it’s awful, and I’m really feeling it today.
Apparently I’m not alone, with 15% of Americans struggling to get a good night’s rest and specifically having trouble to fall asleep. Which is troubling, as good sleep is so important for your overall health.
If you’re struggling to get some good sleep, here are my recommendations:
tuck your phone in bed hours before you tuck yourself in bed. This can be putting your phone away and on airplane mode, or you can literally tuck your phone in this charging bed (which I do by 9 pm every night)
be smart about sleep supplements. I try to stay away from melatonin based products (unless I’ve had a stretch of poor sleep), but Equilibria’s sleep gummies have CBN and other compounds to help support your body’s own production of melatonin are amazing and taste delicious. I have mine by 8:30 pm.
Even though I read on my Kindle at night, I turn off the backlight completely and use this amber-hued reading light to eliminate any blue light from my eyes right before bed, which also helps maintain good melatonin production in your body.
We Have to Save Family Child Care Providers Like Christina (Mother Honestly)
Group childcare centers are the lifeblood of so many communities, especially those that are independently owned and operated.
And these childcare centers are among the hardest hit because of the pandemic/inflation/rising rents. And while the America Rescue Plan earmarked funds for centers like these, state and local authorities are slow to release the funds or applying for them can be difficult.
“A report by Child Care Aware of America found that 6,957 licensed family child care (FCC) programs (like Christina’s) closed in 36 states from December 2019 to March 2021. Those programs often provide care that is closer to home and more affordable than center-based options. That means many thousands of families lost access to convenient care in their price range. A big chunk of those working parents likely left the workforce completely, costing the American economy billions.”
The first step in figuring out what we can do is to understand the issue better. Take some time to read this really important piece.
Disclosure - I’m an advisor to Mother Honestly
Vice President Harris Launches New Task Force To Address Online Harassment And Abuse (Essence)
The Vice President would know a thing or two about online harassment and abuse, given that she’s been one of the biggest targets of it.
And this task force has an ambitious goal in a short period of time.
“Within 180 days of its launch, the task force will develop recommendations for how the federal government, state governments, technology platforms, schools and other public and private institutions can better combat online harassment and abuse. Proposals will focus on increasing support for survivors of online harassment and abuse, expanding research to better understand the problem, enhancing youth-focused prevention, and strengthening accountability for offenders and online platforms.”
Not that I needed another reason to admire VP Harris…but her ability to take her own terrible experiences and spearhead policy to make life better to everyone affected by it.
Well, that’s what doing something about it - and not doing it half-assed - looks like.
If you haven’t picked up your copy of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris yet, please do! Request it from your library or purchase a copy here.