Circle Time // 5.7.26
Baby bunnies, the TLDR on hantavirus, some summer workout staples, and a book and show to laugh and cry over.
Circle Time is our weekly huddle / digest every Thursdays, in which I share the things bringing me joy, current events to stay informed, recommendations, and thought starters!
I’ve removed the paywall from this week’s issue, so all subscribers can read the full newsletter. If you have the means and would like to support my work by becoming a paid subscriber, I’d be grateful to have you:
Packed issue this week (you may need to click ‘view entire message’ to read this full newsletter!)— let’s get to it!
Proud of this video I made with my BESTIE Liz Warren 😆 In all seriousness, if only we could enact this wealth tax. Onto midterms we go!
We have a little nest of baby bunnies in our backyard! J and I have yet to to catch a sighting of the babies, but we have seen brave mama guard her nest. We’ve named her Brenda, and her bunny daddy, Carl. We know which is Brenda and which is Carl, because Brenda is brave and stands her ground to protect her babies even when we get close, whereas Carl flees like lightening as soon as we open our door. Men.
The other morning as we fed Benny his morning allotment of a couple blueberries and a strawberry split into two, I marveled at how delightfully in awe I am of this magical little creature’s behaviors every day and that they somehow feel novel, despite it being a routine. They say that the feelings of “awe” in daily life boosts longevity and happiness, so this boy is truly responsible for any extra years his dad and I get—he is truly the funniest being with such a distinct personality. I’m so happy to never know what it’s like to be a human that thinks a dog is just a dog, because I’d miss out on so much magic!
Iran War:
Oil is at almost $100/barrel, and we are in a bated breath situation during what Trump named “Project Freedom,” where we are essentially forcing vessels through the Strait of Hormuz bodyguarded by our military. Iran is less than thrilled and calling it a violation of the ceasefire, so tensions are high and the ceasefire may be over pending escalations on either side. Trump announced he was pausing Project Freedom on Tuesday, and then an American fighter jet shot out the rudder of an Iranian oil tanker yesterday.
Hantavirus updates:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise vessel. It has killed 3 people and sickened 5 others, with a confirmed total of 8 cases as of today. One man who was on the cruise and now in Switzerland is also confirmed positive.
South African health authorities identified the Andes strain, a rare variant capable of human-to-human transmission through close contact. Hantavirus traditionally is transmitted to humans via exposure to rodent feces via droplets and airborne particles, with most unable to transmit human-to-human. The Andes strain is an exception.
WHO is monitoring the 150 people who are still aboard and headed to the Netherlands. Contact tracing is underway, and the overall public risk remains low, subject to change as the incubation period for hantavirus is up to 8 weeks.
Important to note, as I covered in my Instagram video yesterday: The U.S. is no longer a part of WHO, as of January 2025, thanks to this administration and is no longer a part of coordination information sharing and critical response to outbreaks like these.
RFK Jr.’s FDA blocked the publishing of studies that showed that the Covid and Shingles vaccines are safe and effective. These are studies that were funded by our taxpayer dollars with years of data. Covid vaccines are some of the most studied vaccines in history, and the Shingles vaccine also has the added benefit of lowering dementia risk.
RFK Jr. announced his agenda to curb SSRI usage, to “curb psychiatric overprescribing.” This is a man who has said that Black children with ADHD are just by standard put on adderall, benzos, and should be put somewhere to be reparented. I cannot express enough the hellfire of disgust I have for this brainworm’s cemetery.
Last week, a federal ruling tried to ban mail-order mifepristone. Then SCOTUS temporarily stayed the order. Abortion pills are not illegal, despite them trying to make it sound that way.
I highly recommend following Jessica Valenti’s Substack, Abortion, Every Day for all repro rights and abortion news, as we navigate the waters with a Republican party hellbent on stripping access on everything from mifepristone to birth control pills.
FBI searched Virginia Senate leader, L. Louise Lucas’s office for a “corruption investigation.” Lucas was a key Democrat that helped lead the state’s recent redistricting win and is a vocal Trump opponent.
Honestly, the only Met Gala commentary I needed was Bess Kalb’s commentary on Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
Governor Josh Shapiro is taking Character.AI to court, after they were found to have a chatbot presenting itself as a licensed psychiatrist in the state of Pennsylvania, and even provided a fake license number.
On a related note, please do not listen to people like Mel Robbins and upload any sensitive medical, identifying, or financial data of yours to any AI chatbot.
Athleta is having a 40% off summer essentials sale, with tons of their signature pieces included. I rounded up all my tried-and-true favorites, but have to give a special shout-out to these shorts I LIVE IN during the hot weather that come in 5 different colors.
READ
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About by Isabel Klee.
If you’re a dog and/or animal lover, you’ve probably seen @simonsits on Instagram and TikTok, and even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard about Tiki, Isabel’s foster dog last year that went viral. I’ve loved Isabel’s page and what she also shares about having a medical high-needs dog (her dog Simon has severe epilepsy) and fostering. Her book was a very feel-good read, a thoroughly enjoyable memoir of a girl in her 20’s finding herself in more ways than one— highly recommend!
WATCH
Rooster (streaming on HBO)
I mentioned this show in my Circle Time a couple weeks ago, but J and I finally got around to starting it this week and it’s fantastic. If you enjoy any of Bill Lawrence’s other recent shows like Ted Lasso, or Shrinking, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Steve Carell’s character reminded both J and I a bit of his character in Crazy, Stupid, Love, in a wonderful way, and it’s a great feel-good watch.
I’m also rewatching House of the Dragon (HBO), because season 3 is premiering on June 21st! The first season is truly one of my favorite seasons of televisions, ever.
A must-read: “I miss my old life: one year after my ICE abduction, I still watch my back every day,” by Mahmoud Khalil. You are probably familiar with Mahmoud’s story, arrested without a warrant at his home on Columbia University-owned housing for speaking up about the genocide in Gaza. He missed his child’s birth, and was detained for 104 days. This quote will stay with me:
“I am now described everywhere as an “activist.” Nothing angers me more. The word flattens me. Worse still, it implies a version of me who was not already shattered by a life of exile, refuge, and resistance. As if this began with something I did. I did not advocate for Palestine because I wanted to be active. I advocate because I have no choice. From the moment I was born Palestinian, my existence was political. What choice does a Palestinian refugee, deprived of basic rights, have but to resist the forces that seek to erase him?”
Our longing for inconvenience. This topic is also what I talked about in my essay about discomfort—reinforced by a life no longer containing the small barriers to entry when it came to any entertainment or obtaining most things.
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