Considering the big news of the weekend with President Biden stepping down as the 2024 Democratic candidate for president (can we PLEASE have a break from big news?!), we thought today we'd round up some articles about Vice President and likely Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. She's maintained a low profile during her time in office, to say the least, so let's dig in.

(We've tried to include good articles that look at her personal story and rise — if you have any to share, please list them in the comments!)

Here's an excerpt from a recent CNN story to start things off:

As recently as last year, some Democrats were worried that negative views of Harris could hurt the ticket, prompting prominent Democrats to urge the party to stop undermining her.

But in the weeks since Biden’s June debate performance, Harris has settled into a groove, becoming a key surrogate for Biden’s reelection campaign on reproductive health as the campaign put it, the threat Trump poses to democracy.

Harris allies have argued that much of the criticism is a result of racism and sexism against the country’s first woman of color in such a position. Now, they say, the country is seeing in Harris what her allies have seen for years.

“Oftentimes Black women are not seen until they’re needed,” said LaTosha Brown, a co-founder of Black Voters Matter, a progressive group that works to boost Black voter turnout. “We’ve seen her constantly berated, marginalized, questioned. I think that the shift is because there’s a need.”

“Kamala Harris: Everything you need to know about the new vice president [ABC News, 2021]

This 2021 article shares some of Harris's personal background and policy positions. It details her careers as a U.S. senator, and prior to that, the first woman, first Black person, and first South Asian American person to serve as California's attorney general, (2011-2017). Before that, she served from 2004-2010 as district attorney of San Francisco, the first Black woman in that position. In 1990, right after law school, she joined the Alameda County DA's office.

“Biden endorses Kamala Harris: What her California years reveal” [CalMatters, 2024]

This story shares detailed aspects of Harris's California years, including her focus on victims of sexual abuse and exploitation; her (controversial) efforts to reduce truancy rates; her “Back on Track” program, which “redirected first-time, non-violent drug offenders into supervised education, job training courses, therapy sessions and life skills classes”; and more. It also notes that she has been (almost) always opposed to the death penalty.

“Is Kamala the One?” (article preview/excerpt) [The Nation, 2024]

The Nation will publish a thorough profile of Harris in its August issue, but after Biden stepped down yesterday, editors decided to publish an excerpt immediately. It notes that her current task is one that “no vice president or vice presidential nominee has ever been asked to fulfill” (hmm, surprise surprise, a seriously daunting job has been assigned to someone who is Black and a woman); looks at her outreach to a diverse group of constituencies, including Black voters; reviews her criticism of the Israeli government; and mentions her speeches on reproductive rights.

The excerpt also includes this key quote from California Senator Laphonza Butler, Harris's friend: “I see a Black woman who got sick and tired of trying to please everybody and just said, ‘F*** it. I’m not gonna make everybody happy. I just have to be me.'”

Podcast episode: “Is the Bodily Autonomy in the Room With Us?” — includes interview [American Fever Dream, 2024; no Spotify account required]

In February 2024, Harris made an appearance on the podcast American Fever Dream. In her interview with V. Spehar, she spoke about threats to reproductive rights, including fears around IVF accessibility, and expressed support for the queer community in the wake of Nex Benedict's death. The interview starts about 49 minutes in.

“How pro-LGBTQ+ is Kamala Harris?” [Advocate, 2024]

This week, Advocate took a look at Harris's views on LGBTQ+ rights. It noted that during her California career, she established a hate-crimes unit in the DA’s office; conducted marriages for same-sex couples after they became legal in San Francisco; prominently opposed Prop 8, which revoked marriage equality in California; and worked hard to abolish gay and transgender “panic” defenses in criminal trials — and much more.

By the way, GLAAD's Biden Accountability Tracker includes Harris's work to advance LGBTQ+ rights, health, and so on (very long page — ctrl+F is your friend here).

“A Guide to Kamala Harris’ Views on Abortion, the Economy, and More” [TIME, 2024]

Get quick facts about Harris's views on crime, immigration, the economy, gun control, and several more issues.

Readers, do you have any helpful links about Vice Pres. Kamala Harris (not necessarily “But can she win?” articles)? Bonus question: Do you think the typical way of referring to her as “Kamala” rather than “Harris” is a potential indicator of sexism/racism (not to mention the common mispronunciation of her name)? We've seen some interesting conversations about this online.

Photo via Wikipedia / By The Circus on SHOWTIME – YouTube, CC BY 3.0

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Whether or not the current issue of separating immigrant families at the border has contributed to your outrage fatigue or spurred you into taking action (and/or brought you to tears, as it did even for an on-the-air Rachel Maddow), you may be looking for small political actions to take each week to make your voice heard — no matter what party you're in.

In the meantime, you might find it helpful to read our posts on the benefits of meditation, how to relax after a stressful day, how to take a partial social media break, how to focus on work (when other things are going on) … and, for very simple stress relief in general: coloring books for adults. If you want to get even more involved, check out our resources for women running for office.

Here are four websites that make it easy to learn about small political actions to take each week — plus one bonus site that helps you make a difference in other ways. If you know of any other groups with small political actions to take weekly or daily, we'd love to hear about them!

Daily Action

This site, which was created by the Creative Majority PAC (which is run by artists, musicians, and writers and assisted by MoveOn.org) sends daily action alerts by text to its subscribers — and they aren't solely requests to call your representative. To start receiving them, text the word DAILY to 228466 (or just sign up on the site). One recent example: Call a company that's in the position to profit from the separation of immigrant children from their families and tell them you won't support them until they stop contributing to ICE's actions.

Americans of Conscience Checklist

Writer Jennifer Hofmann puts together a non-partisan weekly email with actions to take on issues such as voting access, equality for all Americans, respectful treatment of immigrants, and so on — with the philosophy that “We're Americans first and party second.” This week's email suggests actions like asking your elected officials to hold town halls in July, or thanking the five Democratic and Republican senators who “mov[ed] to curb executive branch overreach by limiting President Trump's authority on tariffs ” — along with many other things to do.

5 Calls

This site is an open-source project made by volunteers that encourages people to go beyond easy online efforts (retweeting, etc.) and call their representatives. You can sign up to get weekly email alerts that give you a phone number and short script regarding key issues such as “Demand Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Neilsen's Resignation” and “Protect the Affordable Care Act and Its Protections for Preexisting Conditions.” You don't have to sign up to get information on actions like these, though — just check the site and click on a particular issue that's important to you.

My Civic Workout

I really like the mission of this site (which is run by a small team): “to help those feeling overwhelmed, daunted, and disheartened to engage in meaningful civic activism.” (Really, how many of us does that apply to?) You can sign up to receive a few emails a week that offer 5-minute, 10-minute, and 30-minute activism “workouts,” meaning you may be encouraged to educate yourself on a key issue, call your representative, attend a political rally, etc. Here's a recent example.

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator's tagline is “Your Guide to Intelligent Giving,” and we linked to it in our post on how to help charities by donating money, time, or something else. If you want to take action but your time and/or mental energy is significantly limited, you can use this site to help you decide where to donate (according to an organization's financial health, accountability, and transparency). Find a particular charity's score or use the site's Giving Basket tool, which allows you to donate to multiple charities at once, give anonymously (if you prefer), and get a single tax receipt. This is a good option if you want to make a donation without ending up with piles of unsolicited mail (really, who needs more return address labels?), because you can choose how much personal information, if any, to share with each charity. (Here's a general donation tip: Money given to a 501(c)(3) is tax-deductible on your federal return, while money given to a 501(c)(4) is not.) By the way, you can also try GuideStar, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and CharityWatch. 

Have you found a good way to learn about small political actions to take each week? Have you signed up for email or text alerts that share them? Have you limited your consumption of news or stopped using social media because of outrage fatigue or other reasons? What are your favorite non-partisan organizations that are taking political and community action in ways you admire? 

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Have you ever considered running for office? Maybe you were spurred into action by the outcome of last November's election (NPR says it's created what seems to be “a level of intense interest not seen in at least a quarter century”), or maybe you've always wanted to get involved in politics. It can seem overwhelming, but there's actually a lot of guidance out there — including a bunch of organizations that teach women how to run for office. So today, we thought we'd round some up of the best resources for women running for office.

(Psst: In the past, we've talked about what to wear while canvassing (and how to dress like Selina Meyer in Veep!), as well as discussed the business etiquette surrounding political talk at the office and feeling pressured (or pressuring coworkers) to contribute to charitable causes at the office — but we've never discussed resources for women running for office, whether it's the school board, city council, Congress … or the presidency.)

{related: small political actions to take weekly}

Here are some of the best resources for women running for office, with a closer look at five organizations that teach women to run for political office (and to those of you gearing up for a run, GOOD LUCK — you can do it!):

1. She Should Run

Who it's for: She Should Run is non-partisan.
What it offers: An online community of like-minded women; access to experts and women leaders; advice and guidance; the She Should Run Incubator, which is a set of free online courses for women and girls interested in running for office.
How to get involved: Nominate a woman to run for office or nominate yourself, volunteer, join the incubator, or donate.

2. EMILY's List

Who it's for: EMILY's List recruits and trains pro-choice Democratic women to run for office.
What it offers: In-person training sessions, webinars, and other resources through Run to Win.
How to get involved: Sign up to learn more about running for office, sign up to help a woman run, attend the We Are EMILY conference, or donate.

3. Women's Campaign School at Yale

Who it's for: The Women's Campaign School at Yale University (not officially part of Yale) helps women with “some political campaign experience” run for office.
What it offers: A “grueling” training consisting of five 12- to 16-hour days of learning how to run for office: 80 students “eating, breathing, and talking about the political process and how to get ahead.”
How to get involved: Apply for next year's summer session (applications have closed for 2017), donate.

4. Emerge America

Who it's for: Emerge America helps Democratic women run for office.
What it offers: “The only in-depth, seven-month, 70-hour, training program” (currently in AZ, CA, CO, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NV, NJ, NM, OR, PA, TN, VT, VA, WA, and WI) plus a supportive network of women in politics. (Trainings in the works: AL, CT, GA, LA, NY, RI, SC.) Women meet one weekend a month for seven months to receive training on topics such as ethical leadership, public speaking, fundraising, and campaign strategy.
How to get involved: Nominate a woman to run for office, apply to a program in your state, donate.

5. VoteRunLead

Who it's for: VoteRunLead is non-partisan.
What it offers: A three-part web series that teaches you to “articulate your experience as expertise, demystify the campaign trail, identify roles for your current squad, expand your local network, and outline your path to political leadership.”
How to get involved: Sign up for the three-step process: (1) watch the web series, (2) join the Facebook group, and (3) schedule a one-on-one coaching session. Donate, ask a woman to run, or nominate yourself.

A few other resources for would-be politicians:

• Political Institute for Women
• National Federation of Republican Women
• Running Start
• Right Women, Right Now
• Ready to Run
• Off the Sidelines
• Victory Fund (not women-only) — supports LGBTQ candidates
• 314 Action (not women-only) — supports STEM-trained candidates

Have you ever run for office, or have you held office? Are you considering a run, or are you ready to find out how to run for office? Why (or why not)? Have you gotten involved in one of the programs above that teach women how to run for political office? What office would you consider/are you considering running for? If you have experience in politics and campaigns, what advice would you give to other women on how to run for office? If you've run, what were the most helpful resources for women running for office?

More Resources for Women Running For Office:

• Keys to Elected Office: The Essential Guide for Women [Barbara Lee Family Foundation]
• The Problem for Women Is Not Running. It's Deciding to Run [NYT]
• I Ran for Office and Won [Slate]
• Candidate College: 10 Essential Tips for Running for Office [Huffington Post]
• Women Should Go Local To Break The Glass Ceiling [Bustle]
• If You Want to Run for Office (and You Should), Start With These Resources [Slate]

Picture credit: Pixabay.

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Something I've noticed a LOT of friends doing lately is backing away from social media. I've been doing a partial social media break, since as a blogger I can't really take a total break — but I've definitely modified my consumption.

So let's talk about it: What are you doing with the extra time if you're on a break? Where are you getting your news and intel if you're on a TOTAL break? What other ways are there to take a partial social media break? (In related news, we've also talked about how to focus on work when current events are stressful.)

Some options I've heard of or have done myself for a partial social media break:

1) Modify your news feed so you don't see people, groups, or news sources that are stressing you out. I regularly do this trick with people I'm “friends” with on Facebook for some historical reason, but don't want to see every hourly thought from — for example, that guy who sat behind me in English class in 11th grade. I will also admit that I did this with groups like Pantsuit Nation and Lawyers for Good Government, particularly in the days before the inauguration where I felt like I kept seeing frenzied posts containing bad information.

{related: how to limit your screen time}

Here's how to hide posts from friends: Click the dropdown arrow and then choose “Unfollow ____.” You'll stay friends but stop seeing posts.

And here's how to unfollow news sources and groups — click the dropdown button and you can “hide all.”

(As I note below, since the election I've “liked” a lot of conservative news sources on FB — but I'm obviously still getting partisan news from my side of the political spectrum as well!)

2) Limit your sources. There's been a lot of talk of fake news, reliable news sources, etc. (Here's a handy chart, although it is not without criticism.)

I just don't open anything from sources I consider to be “bad” news. (If it really seems urgent I'll head to The New York Times to see if they're covering it.)

(As a former journalist and media lawyer, a minor plea: Please support good journalism where you can! The Washington Post is having an amazing deal for Prime members; the NYT is also pretty affordable. The Wall Street Journal is a bit more expensive, but I always enjoy their stories! We also had a whole discussion on how to follow current events a few weeks ago.)

3) Expand your sources. This may be counterintuitive, but I've found it kind of helpful. After the election results, I tried to start following a lot of reputable, conservative news sources on Facebook so I would get a more balanced view of the world.

Sometimes it's been like Bizarro World (particularly as Obama's administration ended), but lately everyone seems to be on the same page — and I find it oddly comforting that no one seems particularly happy with the way things are going right now.

{related: where do you find your quiet?}

4) Limit your viewing time. I've talked before about my love of browser extensions that help you minimize distractions like Morphine, and I have strict viewing limits on Facebook.

This doesn't help, though, if you're the type to go into Facebook and click on 3-5 news articles you see in your feed — the extensions will block you from Facebook itself after the time ends but you'll still waste time on those 3-5 news articles.

5) Don't check Facebook at times you're prone to anxiety. I SHOULD be doing this, but I do not. I check Facebook right before bed, in part because I'm on my phone or iPad and am not time-limited like I am on my computer (thanks to the different extensions mentioned above).

6) Develop a calming routine after you check Facebook. It may sound crazy, but I've found it's helpful — I'm kind of binge-reading brain candy books right now as a necessary step before bed, since I tend to check FB at the end of the day.

7) Double down on kitty pictures. There are a number of extensions that help fill your news feed or other parts of the web with kitty pictures, let you remove all politics from Facebook, and otherwise “fix” your feed.

Ladies, have you considered taking a social media break for a while? Have you done it cold turkey, or done a partial social media break like I've done?

(Oh, and full disclosure: I still own stock in Facebook.)

2021 updated images (someone crossing out the Facebook logo) via Stencil.

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2020 Update: We still stand by this post on how to improve your focus at work when other things are going on — whether it's the U.S. election or pandemic quarantines, these are good tips! 

So: it's been almost a week since the U.S. election. Like many of you, I'm finding it hard to focus on work in the wake of the election results, and I thought it might make a great open thread today. (As I noted earlier, politically I'm left of center, but all of my friends, on both the right and the left, seem to be having these problems focusing.)

How DO you focus when you've got heavy things on your mind? We've talked before in general about ways to improve your focus and how to deal with heavy personal things like post-interview anxiety, as well as miscarriage and infertility — but this feels different to me. So — if you're feeling less than laser-focused these days, what are you doing to focus on work?

{related: our best executive functioning tips and tricks}

Some thoughts:

Step away from Facebook — particularly friends who may be posting triggering things. Check the sources you trust, too, on FB — fake news exists on both the left and the right.

Prioritize. Pick three things that absolutely need to get done today, and cross them off the list one by one.

Work on paper, or in a place you don't usually work. For the grad students reading, now is the time to pick a new cubby at the library. For those in the workforce, it may mean taking your work to a conference room, or even just picking a new place within your own office, like working on the opposite side of your desk where visitors usually sit. (Bonus points if you can get away from your computer.)

Psst… stay tuned for some of our favorite tools to help us manage our time, focus, and otherwise stay productive!

Commit to focusing in short bursts of time. My preferred time management tactic is the Pomodoro method, where you break the day into chunks of 25 minutes followed by 5-minute breaks, but there are lots of other systems out there. I'm also trying to focus on completing the tasks in front of me — if I start a project, instead of letting myself get wrapped up in research paralysis, I'm trying to finish it. Reward yourself with each completed project or focused block of time by taking a quick walk around the office or the building.

Practice self care when you're not working — but recognize what you need. As commenter Shots.Shots.Shots noted on Friday, alcohol may just make you even more sad. Personally I've found that “relaxing” things where I normally multitask (like watching TV while I surf the Internet) haven't been helpful, but totally absorbing, 100%-focus things (like reading a book) are better. I just finished Eligible and would recommend it, particularly if you're an Austen fan.

A corollary to self-care: focus on what you can do. Maybe it's donating money or time to causes you believe in — maybe it's getting involved in local politics. Readers have had a ton of great ideas in recent days.

Ladies, how's your focus these days? What tips and tricks do you have to focus on work and get things done in a timely fashion?

Originally pictured (green lasers): Pixabay. 2020 updated images (colorful lasers): Stencil.

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Do you ever choose to boycott companies due to their political contributions, religious values, or business practices? When a corporation steps into political or religious debates, it usually makes headlines and often faces significant negative consequences; companies like Ben & Jerry's are the rare exception. Here are a few examples that led customers to boycott companies taking a stand:

1. In September 2012, the evangelical Christian owners of Hobby Lobby filed a lawsuit contesting the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers pay for emergency contraception. The issue was resolved in June 2014 with a 5-4 Supreme Court decision stating that the ACA violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by requiring “closely held” private corporations to cover certain forms of birth control in their health care plans. Some customers said they'd shop at Hobby Lobby more often; others said they'd boycott the chain.

2. After the Southern Baptist founder of Chick-fil-A donated $5 million (through his WinShape Foundation) to groups that oppose same-sex marriage and support conversion therapy (and made public statements denouncing same-sex marriage in June/July 2012), many customers decided to boycott the chain while others gave it more business. In September 2012, the company announced it would no longer give funds to organizations that promote discrimination.

3. Fashion designer and entrepreneur Ivanka Trump has stayed pretty quiet regarding her father's presidential campaign (except, of course, for her speech at the Republican National Convention). Partly because of that strategy, and partly because her brand isn't as high-profile as #1 or #2 above, there hasn't been much in the news about boycotting her fashion line (although some people boycott companies connected to Donald Trump). Still, several Corporette commenters have mentioned not wanting to buy or wear her products. (Other challenges Ivanka has faced this year include a lawsuit accusing her of copying Aquazzurra's designs and a recall of her scarves for not meeting flammability standards.)

4. Earlier this year, Lands' End managed to offend customers on both sides of an issue when their website and catalog featured Gloria Steinem. Because of Steinem's support for reproductive rights, the retailer received many customer complaints, leading it to apologize and remove Steinem from its website (as well as any mention of donations to the ERA Coalition’s Fund for Women’s Equality). The backtracking simply angered those on the other side. A few days ago, CEO Federica Marchionni, whose decision it was to feature Steinem, left the company after less than two years at the top.

Do you boycott companies that do things you disagree with? Or do you simply not pay attention to news stories like those linked above? What about issues like animal testing, avoiding fast fashion, sustainability, or working conditions for employees? Would you cross a picket line as a customer? Do you ever visit websites like OpenSecrets.org or Leaping Bunny, or use apps like Buycott? And: when do you forgive/forget and end your boycott? 

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