#5SmartReads - May 6, 2022

Abigail on Netflix lay offs, a popular new app, and not moving out of red states

Abigail is the founder of This Needs Hot Sauce, a food newsletter and community. She teaches cooking classes online and in person and loves her local library and oyster happy hour.

I've been a freelance writer for more than four years and I can't even count the number of layoffs I've seen, affecting friends and everyone in this industry. Leaving media for a more stable career path is a difficult and incredibly valid decision and it's so disheartening to see Netflix promise stability and lay off a talented team of writers in such a short time.

Amanda Cohen is running a restaurant with integrity and has been for a very long time (she eliminated tipping year ago). Now, the delicious vegetarian restaurant's spring menu gives credit to the members of the kitchen staff that helped create a dish. Cohen likens it to credits in a Broadway Playbill and I hope more restaurant adopt the practice.

I downloaded BeReal a few weeks ago when my friend told me too and it's become a very fun part of my day. You get a notification once a day to post an in the moment picture (front and back facing camera) and it's gone the next day. It's uncurated and funny and gives me a sense of what my friends are up to.

Food waste (both by businesses and individuals) is a real contributors of emissions and reducing emissions is priority number one in fighting climate change. Corporations need to do their part, but I like to think about what I can do as well and this article has some great tips, from how to store produce to how to shop and substitute ingredients, and how to compost the scraps! It all helps and.

There are people in every state working to help people get access to abortion, no matter what the barriers are. Those of us in states with access can support organizations that center the most marginalized and provide local solutions. These activists know the risks of traveling for an abortion, which is not easy, especially for undocumented people, and can provide support. There are some great organizations to support featured and I love the reminder to uphold people's communities and roots, "“Nobody should have to move to just survive."

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