We’ve lost count of the number of weeks of WFH, but we are counting down to the end of June (11 days to go!!). It is also Juneteenth - read more about its history here. We wanted to get today’s rundown in your inbox early, so we’ll get right down to it:
Things you should read:
150 years later, Americans have a chance to fulfill the legacy of Juneteenth.
Supreme Court blocks Trump’s bid to end DACA, a win for undocumented ‘dreamers’.
Amy Klobuchar urges Biden to choose a woman of color as his running mate.
Things to do for #BLM:
Keep the momentum of the #BlackLivesMatter movement going. h/t Madison
Shop online at Black-owned bookstores.
Donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Things people are doing in their backyards:
Google searches for bird binoculars are up 550% since March. You can get some here.
This ex-NASA engineer built the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder.
This rube goldberg basketball move.
Things you didn’t learn from elevator or water cooler chats:
Elephants can get drunk. We didn’t know that, but now we do, and we thought you should, too.
There’s a babushka pageant annually in Brighton Beach. (h/t for these tips: M.M.LaFleur)
Things to make you say aahhh:
This peacock.
These ducklings.
This local artist is starting a collaboration where she will be offering high~quality curated art prints by professional female artists, because she believes that everyone deserves to have beautiful and interesting images adorning their walls.
It’s Friday, so it must be time for 20 Questions with MAA Person of the Week! This week, we bring you Haley Brown, Senior Associate who works with MAA on the Blue Dog PAC, Future Forum and California State Society. Haley joined MAA in January 2019 and we don’t know what we’d do without her!
Haley and her twin sister flew home to Ohio on Tuesday to surprise their mom for her birthday!
Who is your hero?
Hillary Clinton. Especially after watching her documentary on Hulu.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
DC. I love it here!
What is your biggest fear?
Failure.
What is your favorite family vacation?
Disney World with my Grandparents. We are hopefully going in August!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Getting my Master’s Degree at the (GW Graduate School of Political Management) while working full time.
What is your favorite book to read?
Where The Crawdads Sing is my most recent favorite read but I’ve never re-read a book.
What was the last movie you went to?
Birds of Prey at Angelika pop up theatre.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Taco Bell – the shredded chicken burrito and triple layer nachos.
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
1980 – so I could live through all of the 80’s.
If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Mind reading.
If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Michelle & Barack, RBG and Chrissy Teigen.
What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas.
What's your favorite family recipe?
Tuna noodle casserole.
What's your favorite movie?
Heathers.
What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Everything I ate in Taiwan.
Do you collect anything?
My plants – I have around 30 and I think of them more as my children.
If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce?
Everyone would have to say what they are thinking. No sugar coating. Say what you mean, mean what you say.
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
No filter.
What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
Ariana Grande.
Tell us something we don’t know about you!
I have a twin sister! Her name is Kinsey and we are fraternal twins, but we look pretty similar, so people are always confusing us. I just wave back when people think I’m her. It’s pretty funny.