“What happened during emancipation with … the idea of ​​mutating the tip from an additional bonus in addition to wages to wages itself – as a substitute for wages – really cannot be understood as anything other than a devaluation of life and black people become women’s work. “- Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage

If you’ve paid attention to the news, you’ll find that there has been a lot of talk about the federal minimum wage lately.

Today Uncle Sam sets the minimum wage $ 7.25 per hour However, some states have their own minimum wage laws that allow workers to earn a little more than federal law.

But if you’re a restaurant worker who deserves tips, this is it The minimum wage is $ 2.13 an hour and has been on hold for decades.

Today in America Forty-three states have minimum wages for tipped workers, while only 28 of those states have state minimum wages above $ 2.13. This means that in 15 states and Puerto RicoTipped restaurant workers take home an hourly wage just enough to buy a pack of chewing gum.

The $ 1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, which was previously the talk of the town, was first introduced with a minimum wage of $ 15 per hour. It also eliminated the tilted $ 2.13 minimum wage. Oh, Senate officials closed the proposed minimum wage increase down, but politicians and advocacy groups continue the $ 15 battle.

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Saru Jayaraman is one of those warriors.

As President of A fair wage Jayaraman, director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley, works to ensure that workers in restaurants are paid fairly with tips. The lawyer and professor reminds us that the legacy of tipping in the United States is based on a legacy of slavery.

How it works: In the United States, tips became widespread in the 19th century after the Civil War. Emancipated black men often worked as Pullman porters on trains, while black women worked in restaurants. And although both groups were liberated, they were first exploited and denied what they rightly deserved.

“The idea of ​​changing the tip from an additional bonus on top of wages to wages itself – as a substitute for wages – really cannot be understood as anything other than a devaluation of black lives and women’s work,” says Jayaraman.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II has been fighting for economic justice and other equality issues for decades. He is the national co-chair of the Campaign of the Poor and says that racism goes beyond racial slur and violence.

“Racism is not just police brutality.” Rev. Barber continued, “Racism also happens when you use public order to discourage people from receiving health care and they die. In this particular epidemic, the majority of the people who died first, who went to work first, got infected first, got sick first, died first, were poor people with little wealth. “

Learn more about tips, minimum wages and the fight for justice in this episode of Unpack That.

Photo: Youproduction (Shutterstock)

With more of us getting vaccinated and focusing on a slightly more normal summer, you may think a good old-fashioned road trip is in order. It is also possible that while you were incarcerated for a year, you forgot how to survive after being trapped in a vehicle with young children for several hours. Whether you’re traveling to the beach or a national park, or visiting a family in another state, the journey of a road trip is almost as important as the destination.

Prepare to leave

As someone who has been on many road trips as a parent – and as the parent who is usually responsible for making sure we are ready – it is important to me to point out that your planning the trip and packing all of your things are efficient and effective requirements both critical and time consuming. I start packing a week before we leave for our week long beach vacation because of all of the clothes, linens, food, and beach necessities I have to remember. (And I still forgot my swimsuit for a year.)

However, there are a few ways that we can streamline the process, involve the rest of the family, and make it easier to find what you need both during the journey and when you arrive. Here’s how – with links to more information and advice on each tip:

Assign one person to each task

There are plenty of things to do when it’s time to plan a trip, from booking the Airbnb to planning the route to taking care of the pets and charging all of the electronics required. Assign each task to someone – usually split it up between you and your partner, but also involve the children when they are old enough to manage it.

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Send baby items to your destination

If you have young children you will be at your destination for a considerable amount of time, and it is logistically possible that by shipping diapers or formulas in advance you can save valuable trunk space that quickly fills up with all of the equipment they need, while you’re gone This is a blast if you’re visiting a family, but some hotels also accept packages for guests in advance – just give them a call to make sure and give them a hint.

Wrap up those items that you may not have thought of

You will likely remember the basics (unless you are me, apparently without a swimsuit on the beach), but there are a few things you may not think of that can make your experience a little easier, including baby wipes (though they have potties), a kid’s water bottle, non-sticky snacks, and large ziploc bags.

Use a visual packing list to help your child pack their own bag

From a young age, I hired my son to pack a bag of things to keep himself entertained on the trip (and then helped him repack when he inevitably picked toys he’d never played with, a book that he didn’t particularly like how and a stuffed animal from the bottom of his toy container). You can also teach them to pack their own suitcases with the help of a visual packing list. (They have yet to double-check, of course, but it is good practice for them to hone a skill they may need later.)

Pack the things in laundry baskets

Packing clothes or other items in a laundry basket is my favorite road trip hack. It’s perfect for items that you need while traveling or on your arrival that you don’t have to dig out of the depths of a suitcase. And once you’re set up, a laundry basket is the natural place for any used clothing or bedding that builds up during your vacation. When you get home the dirty things can go straight to the laundry room.

Be ready for car sickness

Have I ever told you about the time my puppy and child took turns vomiting on a seven hour drive to visit my family in Ohio? Ah, memories. It was the first (but not the last) time my son got auto sickness and I wasn’t prepared for it. Learn from my mistake. Be prepared for the possibility.

Food on the way

Eating is usually an important activity on a road trip. Everyone is bored, so they want to have a snack to pass the time. You will likely need to stop for at least one meal, but you don’t want to extend the adventure any longer than necessary.

You probably already know that you need to wrap lots (and lots) of snacks for everyone – and wrap more than you think you need because you need more than you think. But there are a few other tricks you can use to try to make dining on a road trip a little more enjoyable.

Delight them with this homemade travel snack

If your child gets hungry for a snack just minutes after setting off on a trip, hand them a small bag full of Cheerios that they will devour far too quickly. Or you could surprise them with a homemade Cheerios or Froot Loop necklace – and pull the experience out. Just lace up an O-shaped granola, tie it in a knot at the ends, and let them carry their snack. (You’ll likely need to vacuum the car when you get home, but it’s worth it.)

Keep road trip meals in a shower trolley

Also, if you know you are driving through a driveway for a quick meal on the go, you are probably wondering how to deal with this situation without someone spilling ketchup on the front of their shirt and dropping all of the french fries on the floor. The answer, of course, is a shower trolley.

(You can also use a shower trolley to store your snacks. They prevent chips or crackers from smashing, while also making it easy for you to see all of your options. Shower trays are very versatile.)

Have ice cream for dinner

If you are not near your destination yet and at some point in the late afternoon you get grumpy, explain that you will stop having ice cream for dinner. This 1) is faster than a break for a full meal, 2) will be very exciting for them, and 3) is just an illusion – you can give them a “big snack” (their actual dinner) when you get there, wherever You are going.

They entertain

That’s the big thing, isn’t it? Children are we there already? isn’t just a pop culture cliché, it’s one thing they all do and it’s very annoying. (My son’s personal twist was asking how many minutes left? When we pulled back from the house and drove many hundreds of minutes ahead of us.)

Once they’re old enough to bury their face in an iPad or smartphone for hours, life becomes a lot easier. But while they’re little parents need to be prepared to entertain them so they don’t all melt together in the car. Here’s what you can do:

Introduce them to “Backpack Time”

Between their snack times and the screen time you allow them, they can have “backpack time”. You just grab an old backpack for any kid and fill it with a variety of fun activities including coloring books and crayons, wriggling toys, action figures, window clips to decorate the window, spiral notebooks and stickers. It’s all stuff they probably already own but have overlooked or forgotten long enough that when presented to them in a new way, it suddenly gets exciting again.

Introduce them to podcasts

If your kids have never been exposed to podcasts, now is the time to do so. There are lots of great podcasts out there for kids of all ages, and finding a pair they like can take a huge chunk of the time.

Surprise her with a new toy every hour

A backpack full of things is ideal for entertaining many children on long journeys. However, if your kid is the type to blow through everything in that backpack for the first 20 minutes before declaring they’re bored, then spreading the fun is a better tactic for you.

I’m not suggesting that you buy hundreds of dollars’ worth of new toys in hopes of keeping them happy on a long drive, but you could buy some new activity books or sticker sets at a dollar store and get involved some of their favorite books and travel games or toys. If you are the custodian of the activities, you can help them speed up their entertainment throughout the trip.

One of the hottest trending topics on Twitter this week comes from a man who claims to have found shrimp tails in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Jensen Karp, author, podcast host and comedian, is the man behind the now infamous debacle that caught media attention The New York Times and prominent food websites like eater.

When the saga began, Karp appeared to be the victim of a nefarious plot of manipulation. Now, however, with the stratospheric reach of his thread, he sees himself as the latest version of Bean Dad: it’s been pointed out that Karp has a list of marketing credits, is married to actress Danielle Fishel, has been accused of being a “manipulative gas lighting narcissistic ex-boyfriend, ” in addition to being a downright liar.

Karp reveled in the spotlight, trumpeting other users’ claims that this whole caper looks a bit lazy.

Maybe this is all a perfect viral marketing storm staged by an actor who doesn’t seem inclined to quit. Karp’s full story is probably not true, despite the defense that grain manufacturer General Mills used to get rid of guilt didn’t help the situation much.

That means: this is probably a bit of stupidity. What are the actual chances of two pieces of faulty shrimp ending up in a bag of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Muesli bought by a man who has a knack for joke writing and a large platform to swing them?

However, Twitter’s freshest non-drama spawns other food myths that permeate culinary folklore and junk food folklore. Let’s look at some of these again so we don’t fall victim to the next Shrimp Tail Guy.

Is Mountain Dew Really Lowering Your Sperm Count?

Middle- and senior school-aged boys trembled over the green elixir when rumors spread about the food coloring Yellow 5 – also known as tartrazine – which lowered sperm counts. When it comes to Mountain Dew or any other FDA approved beverage that contains Yellow 5, there is never enough of the actual food coloring to affect sperm count.

How Medical news today explains that yellow 5 has no effect on fertility; It is one of the most widely used food colors on the market. The only side effects people can encounter are eczema, hyperactivity, and asthma, although they are extremely rare.

Is Taco Bell’s meat really … not meat?

Taco Bells meat is meat, at least under the US judicial system. A 2011 class action lawsuit filed against the chain alleged that Taco Bell’s beef did not contain enough beef to be classified as such. Plaintiffs, represented by Beasley Allen law firm in Alabama, alleged that the beef in question contained too much oatmeal, fillers, and condiments to meet USDA standards. NPR reports.

The company threw in the towel four months after Taco Bell launched a public relations offensive, but was still a little reluctant to release their official beef Ingredients on his website for the first time. Technically, it’s still beef.

Is chewing gum sticking to you?

First of all, if you’ve ever believed this I wish the answer was yes, but just for you specifically. But it’s not true.

Of the Mayo Clinic::

Although chewing gum is intended to be chewed and not swallowed, it is generally not harmful if swallowed. Folklore suggests that if you swallowed gum, it sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But that’s not correct. When you swallow gum, it is true that your body cannot digest it. But the gum doesn’t stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.

Do Twinkies Really Never Expire?

The notion of indestructible Twinkies persists, even though it’s wrong. The actual shelf life of a Twinkie is somewhere in between 26 and 45 daysEven with all the preservatives that might lead you to believe they are impervious to rot.

Does chocolate milk contain cow blood?

Chocolate milk remains hidden in various urban legends for some reason. Some people might insist that it is less nutritious than white milk (not correct), or that it comes exclusively from brown cows (that would be unbelievable but unfortunately it is wrong).

Another, far more unpleasant rumor about chocolate milk is that it is leftover milk that was too full of blood and pus to be regular milk and is therefore mixed with chocolate. This is also wrong.

How Snopes writes::

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration oversees the safety of food. Strict standards have been set for all consumer dairy products, including chocolate. It is significant that this agency’s specifications do not include allowances for the use of blood-contaminated milk. Dairy products (and other foods) that do not meet the agency’s criteria will not receive FDA approval and therefore cannot be sold to consumers.

First choice: Gibson Soho Lounge dinnerware set | $ 50 | Amazon

When you’re just starting out in a new home and setting up your own business, finding everything you need for a kitchen can be a daunting task. You never really know what you’re missing until you need it in the middle of a recipe … unless you read our guide first before you go shopping. This is where you can find kitchen utensils that are overlooked because they are so obvious. Let’s cook.

Crockery and cutlery

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

The most obvious thing you need is a basic set of dishes. Plates, bowls and cups are important because what are you going to eat? You can find sentences that This includes a couple of coffee cups, or Basic meal sets that doesn’t include cups at all if you prefer Buy them separately. And don’t forget it Grab a set of cutlery, also. If you don’t prefer to eat with your hands, that’s cool.

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pots and pans

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

While you could spend a ton on fancy cooking utensils like cast iron cookware If you really wanted to, you don’t necessarily have to if you’re just starting out. ON simple set of non-stick pots and pans is enough to prepare most dishes. Some even come with some of the basic utensils you will need serve like spoons and ladles.

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A good set of knives

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

You don’t have to wait for your high school friend to slip into your DMs with an MLM to get a set of knives. For a starter kitchen, you can get one simple knife block. They usually come with steak knives, a bread knife, utility knife, and the other basic knives you’ll need in the kitchen. Like many items on this list, you can also find knife sets that come with other essential kitchen utensils. like measuring cup and spatula.

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Cutting boards
Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

You probably won’t want to use those shiny new knives right on your countertop. Get a cutting board instead. You can usually find it a range of different sized cutting boards whatever you have without spending a ton of money.

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Measuring spoons and cups

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

At some point you have to measure out some ingredients for a recipe. This is where measurement tools can be useful. For small amounts of spices or liquids, Take a set of measuring spoons and cups. For liquids up to two cups, you may need a larger cup. like this one with an angled surface that lets you see how full your cup is from above.

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Mixing bowls

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

One of the most satisfying ways to make your new apartment smell like freshly baked cookies is by baking cookies. Imagine. And at some point during the biscuit baking process you will need it some mixing bowls. Probably for a few other things as well. If you want to cross a few items off your list at once, give it a try Take a number of bowls with utensils and measuring spoons.

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spatula

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

Once you finish baking the cookies, there is a lot of valuable, delicious cookie dough left over. You could spend all evening scraping the batter out of the bowl with your finger and eating it – although you probably shouldn’t, this is not super good for you-but if you Take a set of spatulasyou can scrape out that extra batter and make a few more cookies. You can use the spatula on eggs, stir-fries, and other foods too, but none will top the biscuits.

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kitchen utensils

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

If you managed to work through all of the previous items on this list without throwing some paraphernalia in for free, you can find some here. To like this batch That comes with gymnasts, ladles, tongs, and even a container to hold them all.

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A sieve

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

When you start to cook pasta, you need to strain the water. That’s why you need, well, a sieve. And when you’re in a small apartment – so many of us often when we start –collapsible plastic sieves are a very useful way to save space in your kitchen.

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A can opener

Graphic: Eric Ravenscraft

Of all the tools you will miss when you don’t have one, few can be as frustrating as not having them A can opener. Buy one before you get desperate enough to open your can with a concrete parking stop.

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Photo: PRO Stock Professional (Shutterstock)

Products containing CBD are often marketed for pain relief, but there is no solid evidence that they actually make a difference. In fact, the FDA recently warned two companies that specifically make CBD products for pain relief.

What is CBD again?

It is cannabidiol that comes from cannabis. It’s not that part of the plant that gets you up, and the 2018 Farm Bill opened a void that somehow, somehow – maybe – technically allows it to be sold, even if cannabis is otherwise illegal. When the CBD market later boomed, The compound has been added to everything from lotions to slats, with implicit promises of relaxation, pain relief, and general healing from whatever makes you sick.

Does CBD Help Pain?

It’s really hard to say. The way it is marketed, one would think that pain relief is a well understood use of CBD. There are versions of the product that you can swallow or inhale, but there are also tons of ointments and lotions that are aimed at making you feel better about rubbing it on a part of the body that hurts. But the truth is, nobody knows if it works.

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A few months ago I wanted to write about CBD products that are being marketed to athletes for “recovery” and muscle pain. I have received samples of CBD gels and roll-ons from various companies and tried them. I interviewed the CEO of a CBD company and a supplement expert who was skeptical of the claims. I’ve read a couple of studies. In the end, all I had to say was a big old shrug. I couldn’t feel the themes working, and I couldn’t find any solid evidence that CBD relieves pain or promotes recovery – outside of a possible placebo effect. On the other hand, I haven’t been able to find solid evidence that this is not the case.

There is research on CBD, but the makeup of the studies only vaguely relates to the scenarios in which people use over-the-counter CBD products. Sometimes the studies give a massive dose of CBD that is outside the average person’s budget for regular use, or they test CBD / THC combination products – and even then, the results aren’t necessarily clear. The studies often also look at patients with cancer or certain medical conditions, rather than people who want to treat everyday pain. This 2020 Review Paper on CBD for Chronic Pain summarizes the state of science:

During this [CBD + THC] Products have shown some promising results in treating chronic pain, the effectiveness of CBD must be questioned as the product contains both THC and CBD. Additionally, the safety profile of current CBD products, especially non-pharmaceuticals, should be questioned due to their false advertising and the variable amounts of CBD in the product. Hence, doctors and patients should carefully select a CBD product to ensure that patients are taking a good quality product. Despite these concerns, CBD remains a promising area for the management of chronic pain, and more studies need to be conducted to evaluate the role of CBD in the management of chronic pain.

Does the FDA have anything helpful to say about this?

A drug made from CBD called Epidiolex is an FDA-approved drug used to treat a certain type of epilepsy. Otherwise, CBD falls into one very bizarre legal gray area.

CBD is not approved as an over-the-counter drug, so consumer products that use it for pain relief are believed to be selling unapproved drugs. But because the FDA knows that CBD is a drug, companies can’t get away with including it in their “inactive ingredients” or calling it a supplement and making either of these statements: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA … “Disclaimer on it.

Rather than cracking down on every product that contains CBD, the FDA sends out warning letters to the specific companies it believes are causing the greatest harm. This month’s letters contain one to a company that sells Elixicure CBD pain relief products, and Another to a company that markets a variety of undetected products as if they were pharmaceuticals, including products containing silver in addition to CBD. Both companies also failed the factory inspections.

But what if I like my CBD lotion?

If you’re using a CBD product and you think it works, I’m certainly not going to tell you to stop. But the FDA can eventually come for the manufacturer.

In the meantime, it might help to ponder the inconclusive science: if CBD were a potent drug, it would be much easier for studies to find results. So if it works, the effect is likely to be small. It can be worthwhile to think about what else you are doing to relieve pain. For example, does a hot bath help your sore muscles? Or do you like a non-CBD liniment as much as an expensive one containing CBD? It may be worth experimenting just to expand your possibilities.