#5SmartReads - August 3, 2022

Bipartisan compromise bill would restore abortion rights (Associated Press)

Much of the reporting on this topic is focused on the near-zero chance it has of gaining the 60 votes required to close debate and bring it to a vote. And I won’t lie - this chances of this bill passing is extremely slim.

HOWEVER, it’s not zero. And I hope Senator Schumer does bring it to the floor for the inevitable failure to close debate, if only to get on the record those who oppose basic reproductive healthcare access.

When this motion fails (and it will - that’s politics and the makeup of our Senate right now), it’s an opportunity to push Senators Collins and Murkowski to push for an exception to the filibuster on this bill, given that they voted to confirm Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett respectively, largely due to what they said about Roe being settled law. It’s a very long shot, but it is a narrow path to getting federal protection of abortion and contraception access, and in a bipartisan way (which is no small feat).

We can do hard things. Call your senators to vocalize your opinions on these bills. Sharing Emily’s earlier script to help you make those calls:

Pelosi’s expected Taiwan trip highlights her long defiance of Beijing (The Guardian)

Speaker Pelosi has been one of the most consistent legislators in her policy towards China - and her expected trip to Taiwan is just one example of that.

In 1991, during a tour early in her congressional career, Pelosi ducked out of our hotel with some of her colleagues to walk to Tiananmen Square, proudly hold a pro-democracy flag, and be photographed by local press and their own photographer.

photo credit: Speaker Pelosi | Medium

Pelosi has been consistent in opposing free trade with China, calling for their human rights violations to be addressed before trade opened up during her tenure in Congress and in opposition to both Republican and Democrat presidents.

While this trip is seen as mostly symbolic, it is also consistent with Pelosi’s longtime position on how to deal with China. It’s helpful to understand the context of any situation before processing the current state of events, and that’s even more so in this case.

The One-Eyed African Queen Who Defeated the Roman Empire (Narratively via Pocket)

You may think that this queen is the inspiration behind The Woman King (which looks incredible, but is actually based on the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey).

Queen Amanirenas is a different badass woman in history, and one who went head-to-head with Caesar Augustus over the Roman occupation of the Kingdom of Kush. Though Roman forces had occupied the city, Caesar quickly agreed to a surrender-designed-as-a-peace treaty - something out of character of the conquering emperor.

I need her inclusion in all the ancient Western history chapters, a 1000+ page fictionalized retelling of her life, and a major motion picture about the Candace. But for now, I’ll take this really satisfying read. Grab a fresh beverage before digging into this one.

Controversial Vogue Profile of Ukraine's First Lady Is a Typical Anna Wintour Story (Back Row)

I was trying to gather my very erratic thoughts on the Vogue feature of Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine. I find her incredibly inspiring in her resilience and strength in keeping her country together, and I’m heartened to see how effective her recent visit to the United States was (the US announced another $500M in aid just this week, and the Russian blockade was been paused for agriculture trade - more on that coming).

Press is vital to telling your story on a global stage, particularly when your country is under attack by one who wants to conquer and impose its ways on you. And yes, Vogue is reaching a group of people who haven’t thought about the invasion of Ukraine since it happened.

But something still didn’t sit right with me about First Lady Zelenska’s Vogue profile, even though the reporter and photographer traveled to Kiev for the piece and they took care to document what was happening in Ukraine as much as they did the First Lady.

Thankfully, Amy Odell’s thoughtful analysis of this feature - and how it differs from a traditional celebrity profile - and the sexism, elitism, and what these profiles say beyond the words and the pictures that Anna Wintour mandated.

The first Ukrainian grain ship leaves Odesa after months of Russian blockade (NPR)

There is some positive news coming out of Ukraine - food exports have resumed from Ukraine, thanks to negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations.

Ukraine is finally able to export its agricultural products (which has been about 45% of their general income), which is necessary to stabilize their economy. And through the deal, Russia will begin exporting grain and fertilizer to Turkey - items that were affected by Western sanctions.

Now, security guarantees and investments must be made to guarantee the success of these plans (and the Odesa port has sustained shelling damage since this deal was signed). But it gives us a reason to hope that we may see a stabilization in the region.