5SR - April 19, 2024
Hitha on elections, pirates, and Sue Bird's legacy and potential
A quick refresher - I’m Hitha Palepu, the founder of #5SmartReads. If you’d like to connect with me elsewhere, I’m most active on Instagram and write a weekly newsletter about smart, random things (check out the most recent issue).
California news nonprofit CalMatters acquires tech news nonprofit The Markup (Axios)
News, as an industry, has transformed out of survival. And for a lot of local and nonprofit outlets, it’s meant being acquired (for better or worse).
Billionaires, corporations, and major holding companies have been acquiring these outlets. I’m personally a fan of the rise of the nonprofit news model (news is a public service!), and to see consolidation among nonprofit news outlets to build bigger newsrooms is really heartening.
Not much will change about The Markup under the CalMatters brand, but I look forward to seeing how the two outlets complimentary styles will boost and benefit each other, and help drive growth of new tools and products.
As a news nerd, seeing outlets get stronger through acquisition (versus weakened or negatively impacted) makes me very happy.
The Revenge of the World’s Most Famous Female Pirates (Pocket)
Someone call up Keira Knightly and tell her to grab her sword and pirate’s hat, because this story is the rightful continuation of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, with her at the helm.
It’s a long read that reads like a juicy novel. Get a cup of tea before you dive into this salacious, fun read.
Need a new book to read this weekend? I read (and loved!) How to End a Love Story, really enjoyed the Fly Me To The Moon series, and currently can’t put down Private Equity (a brilliantly written memoir).
India kicks off elections lasting 6 weeks. Here's what to know (NPR)
It’s a consequential year for global elections. In India, voters are going to the polls to elect their lower house of parliament and some local and state elections (depending on where the voter lives).
And while Modi and his BJP party are expected to win a majority handedly, certain issues in India have persisted - or worsened - under their leadership.
Income inequality has widened, religious tensions have heated, and there have been crackdowns and censorship of the press. And even with these issues, there’s no unified opposition against the BJP (which has its own minor scandals as it pertains to campaign fundraising).
Democracy appears to be on the decline all over the world. But in India, it appears to be by design - and with the support of its citizens:
“…criticism that India is sliding toward authoritarianism seems to make little difference.
A recent Pew Research survey holds clues on why: It found 85% of Indians think military rule or an authoritarian leader would be good for their country.”
It All Started With Sue Bird (Harper’s Bazaar)
When I’m feeling a bit low and uninspired, I’ll put on an artist or athlete’s documentary to remind myself that we’re all human and we are capable of great things.
Watching Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm was one of my favorite things about attending UW. The tickets were affordable for my student budget, the stadium easy to get to, and it was thrilling to watch a championship team in a relative lull for Seattle’s sports teams (and a frustrating stretch for my Eagles).
Sue Bird: In The Clutch is a new addition to my documentary re-watch list, and one I plan to watch with Rho this weekend. It brought back so many of my own memories watching Sue, and was the swift kick in my butt that I needed to push through the ick I’d been feeling about work.
Sue’s legacy in basketball is indelible (and if you’ve been swept up by the WNBA draft, you’ll love the documentary for the basketball history alone). I believe the best is yet to come from Bird, as an entrepreneur and producer and leader. And I’ve never needed that reminder more than I do now.
Election workers are committed to 2024 — despite threats, harassment and turnover (The 19th*)
There are a number of ways to practice citizenship. Voting is the most essential - every election, every time. Working as a poll worker is another necessary, urgent way to participate in our democracy.
Emphasis on necessary and urgent in this election cycle.
“The concerns over harassment and political violence comes as election administrators also face a shortage of poll workers, a temporary workforce that springs up before an election — and who have not been immune to election threats. Available data shows women also outnumber men as poll workers.
Power the Polls, a nonpartisan organization that helps recruit poll workers, said it’s tracking nearly triple the number of election jurisdictions that are reporting an increased need for poll workers, said Marta Hanson, Power the Polls’ national program manager.”
I’ve signed up to volunteer at the polls this election, inspired by my friend
. I hope you join me - Power The Polls is a great resource to help you get started.