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Skimm’d while shopping clean beauty brands
January 28, 2022
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Daily Skimm

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

“It’s still a little hard to believe” — Amy Schneider on her 40-game “Jeopardy!” streak. Who is winner for $1.3 million?

Book Bans

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The Story

Some people are judging a book by its cover. 

What do you mean?

Across the country, schools are banning books about topics like race, LGBTQ, and gender. Think: “The Hate U Give,” “George,” “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You,” and more. They’re being pulled from school bookshelves in states like Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. One Pennsylvania school board tried to ban a long list of books. Now, a Tennessee school board is banning “Maus” — a Pultizer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust — for profanity and an image of a nude woman. 

Tell me more.

For those who’ve bookmarked the critical race theory (CRT) convo, this may not sound surprising. Last year, a number of states (think: Virginia, Oklahoma, and Florida) banned the academic concept from being taught in schools. CRT explores how systemic racism is embedded in the US’s legal systems and policies. Some politicians say it’s damaging for students. Earlier this month, newly elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) signed executive orders banning CRT and set up a tipline.

What are people saying?

Many librarians and teachers warn the book banning trend will continue — even more than it already has. Black authors are watching as their work is pulled from schools — under the pretext they’re teaching CRT. Democrats and civil rights activists are calling it a pointed effort — designed to get progressive ideas out of classrooms. Some parents and conservative politicians disagree. A Tennessee school board member said they “don’t need this stuff to teach kids history.” Texas state Rep. Matt Krause (R) says a lot of these books could cause students “discomfort.”

theSkimm

Many have pushed back against the left for the emphasis on politically correct speech and trigger warnings. Now, the push to ban books from classrooms is coming overwhelmingly from the right. Script, flipped.

Skimm More: Want more on critical race theory? We're breaking down the buzz on CRT and the misinformation surrounding it here.

And Also...This

What's giving "Twilight Zone" energy...

Gas stoves. A new study found that they release an alarming amount of methane and other gases…even when they’re off. Doo doo doo doo. Stanford scientists studied dozens of homes relying on gas stoves. And found that the amount of methane they leak (yup, the same ingredient in cow burps) in the US is equivalent to about 500,000 gas-powered cars. Problem, because it’s the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gases (behind CO2). But wait, there’s more: Gas stoves also release more nitrogen oxides than previously known — which is another issue since the gas can lead to asthma and other respiratory conditions. The good news: if you want to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides, you can use the stove less (hi, air fryer). But for methane, no such luck: the study found it released more gas when it was off than on. 

What we’re paying attention to…

Honduras. Yesterday, Xiomara Castro was sworn in as the country’s first female president. She’s got a lot to address right off the bat. Think: troubled health care and education systems, high unemployment, violence, and corruption. All of the many reasons many Hondurans have fled to the US southern border — as arrests at the border reached an all-time high last year. Now, Castro’s getting ready to lead Honduras. Enter: VP Kamala Harris. She’s been tasked with overseeing the Biden admin’s policies in Central America. And is looking to buddy up to Castro in the hopes that they will tackle immigration problems and “deepening” cooperation between the two nations.

Florida. Yesterday, the Coast Guard called off its search for dozens of missing migrants off the coast of Florida. Over the weekend, a boat carrying 40 people from Bimini in the Bahamas capsized because of severe weather. All but one of the passengers are believed to have perished. Authorities have found a total of five bodies. They suspect the boat was part of a human smuggling operation. 

Who’s been eating their greens…

The US economy. In 2021, it grew 5.7%. Which is big — for reference, it’s the fastest pace since 1984. But interest rates — which the Fed might be hiking up later this year — could slow things down.

While QB Ben Roethlisberger is kicking off his retirement…

NFL teams are still duking it out for the NFC and AFC championships.

How to Skimm Your Life Challenge

Message from future you: TYSM for making that extra payment. For today’s challenge presented by Fidelity, make a student loan or credit card payment to hit your debt with a one-two punch. Because getting rid of the Big D sooner means more money in your budget to spend on things that make you happy. 

PS: Our How to Skimm Your Life Challenge ends on Monday, but you can catch up on whatever you missed (or relive your favorite challenges) here.

In Case You Missed It

Design: theSkimm | Photo: Target, Amazon, Brooklinen

Is it just us or has January seemed to last two years already? Either way, we know that your schedule hasn’t slowed down. And since we’re here to help you shop smarter, we didn’t want you to miss a single product rec. So here are some of our faves from the past month…

Skimm Picks

Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life…

1. How to make your retirement dreams come true. Whether you wanna spend more time beaching, traveling, volunteering, or…anything else. With Fidelity, you can build a free plan online with easy-to-use tools. Not into DIY? They’ve also got investment pros who can help. Get started.*†

2. A fitness kit that’ll help you get the most of your workouts. This roller and stability ball can help you strengthen, stretch, and stay on track with those New Year’s resolutions. Plus you can pay for it over time when you shop right here.*

3. An un-bear-lievably cute way to share what’s in your heart. Pun very much intended. These gift boxes come with everything you need to spoil your valentine. Including a plush bear you can customize with a prerecorded V-Day message. Here’s 10% off with code SKIMM10.*

4. Must-have products from Amazon under $15. Things that'll solve common problems without costing you a ton of money? Enter: this detangling hairbrush and a desktop vacuum that'll double as a charging pad. Want more? Check out our Amazon storefront for more products to hack your everyday life.

*PS: This is a sponsored post.

†Investment fees and costs associated with trading or transacting in your account would still apply. Fidelity Brokerage Services, Member NYSE, SIPC. 1013242.1.0

Skimm'rs

We like to celebrate the wins, big and small. Let us know how your friends, neighbors, coworkers (and yes, even you) are making career moves, checking off goals, or making an impact in the community.

Making moves…Madelyn A (OH). She’s finally starting the law job she’s been working toward for 10 years. Tort-ally impressive.

Food for thought…Connie C (NJ). She’s fighting hunger through her giving-back greeting card company. And has donated over 72,000 sandwiches to those in need. Check it out here.

(Some) Birthdays…theSkimm's Bindu Raj (NJ), theSkimm's Chris Bitting (NY), Charlie Stern (NY), Helene Rasmussen (FL), Dylan Lazarus (CA), Harrie Bakst (NY), Oprah Winfrey (CA), Jessica Berger  (NY), Rachel Brooks (NY), Annie Bryan (NY), Jennifer Jones (PA), Rachel Cisto (NJ), Sherri Zirlin (IL), Leigh Wallis (WA), Becky Musgrove (VA), Jennie Poole (NJ)

*Paging all members of theSkimm. Reach out here for a chance to be featured.

Skimm More

Turns out, feeling happy can be pretty intentional. On our newest ep of “Skimm This,” we talk about burnout, routine, and positive self-talk with Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale professor and expert on happiness (yep, it’s a thing). Hashtag blissed.

And if you’re looking for other smart ways to spend your time...

Skimm’d by Rashaan Ayesh, Kate Gilhool, Julie Shain, and Mariza Smajlaj

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