Daily Skimm Weekend: The Supreme Court issued decisions on student loan forgiveness and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Eyes On: The Supreme Court

Yesterday, before turning on its OOO, SCOTUS issued the last two decisions of its term. Here’s what happened with…

• Student loan forgiveness: In a 6-3 decision, the high court struck down the Biden admin’s plan to eliminate up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for more than 40 million people — a move the admin said it put in place to ease the “financial” harms caused by the COVID pandemic. According to Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion, the plan exceeded President Biden’s authority and would require clear approval by Congress. In response, President Biden called the ruling “unthinkable” and said he’d take “a new path” that’d allow Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to “compromise, waive, or release loans” in certain circumstances. He also announced that borrowers who miss a student loan payment in the first 12 months will not be reported to credit bureaus. Important, since interest will start accruing on existing balances in September and monthly payments are set to resume in October. 

• LGBTQIA+ rights: In another 6-3 decision, the Supremes ruled in favor of Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer who refuses to make wedding websites for same-sex couples, due to her religious beliefs. (Worth noting: It’s unclear if she ever even received a request from a same-sex couple.) In a suit supported by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, Smith ​​sued Colorado over a state law requiring businesses to offer the same services to everyone, which she says violated her right to free speech. The conservative supermajority agreed, with Justice Neil Gorsuch calling the First Amendment “among our most cherished liberties.” But in a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that the court is, for the first time, giving a business “a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class” and warned that the decision could be far-reaching, opening the door for “the exclusion” of other groups. 

...Oh and SCOTUS announced that next term, it’ll review a federal law that bars people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.

Stressed? Anxious? All of the above? The good news is that there are endless glimmers of hope to look for throughout the day. Coined by licensed clinical social worker Deb Dana, “glimmers” refers to small, ordinary moments that spark feelings of happiness and joy — and, consequently, an inner sense of peace. To learn more, we spoke to Dana ourselves. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What was your last glimmer? 

I have a hummingbird that keeps coming to my deck. And I was sitting there this morning with my coffee, feeling a bit overwhelmed by my day, when the hummingbird came by for a visit. He came and went, but that was a glimmer for me. 

Q: How did you come up with the term?

My clinical work was always with trauma survivors. And in therapy, we spend a lot of time working with the activating events — or, the events that bring our clients to treatment in the first place. It’s something which we certainly should be focused on. But it felt like we were missing the moments of okayness or the moments of feeling regulated, which also happen for all of us, even those with the most trauma-saturated lives.

Q: What are some of the benefits of noticing glimmers?

Glimmers are all around us, but we miss them if we’re not on the lookout for them or if we can’t recognize them. I want to be [clear] that finding glimmers doesn’t discount the challenges in your life … It doesn’t [just] take care of all that … But it does help. As we spot glimmers, we have a tendency to look for more of them. They come in, they find a landing spot, and they begin to accumulate … And we begin to have a sense that other things are possible, that maybe the world isn’t as dark a place as I imagine it to be. 

Q: As you probably know, glimmers have become pretty popular on social media. Why is it resonating right now?

It’s something that feels accessible to everyone. It’s not a big, long practice. It’s something that’s easy to find in your world ... Plus, from my 9-year-old granddaughter to my colleagues, glimmers span all ages. So maybe that’s also why — it’s not limited to any group. Not to mention that our world is a pretty challenging place. And there’s [this] experience that anyone can access, regardless of who they are and where they live.

Glimmers abound — as long as you know where to look. To help you do just that, we asked Skimm HQ’rs to share some examples from their own lives...

Katie Ahrens, senior account executive: “The endorphins after a workout.”

Sam Baker, vice president of commerce: “My dog, Basil, just being her funny, weird, loving self.” 

Shannon Corrigan, senior creative manager: “Literally any beach day with a good book.” 

Lisa Dallenbach, chief people officer: “Hearing giggles coming from upstairs when my kids are horsing around with each other.”

Melanie De Lima, Daily Skimm writer: “The sound of your footsteps on gravel, when you’re going on a walk or to a nice location with someone you love.”

Maggie Labonte, controller: “Seeing the wonder and awe of everyday life from my 8-month-old son. Especially by his crib mobile.”

Nina Moll, associate brand strategist: “When a song comes on and everyone sings along. Also, listening to any live music.”

Jen Penningroth, senior product manager: “Keeping my office window open, so that I can randomly hear the birds chirp.”

Michelle Simon, senior director of client services and planning: “Golden hour walks at Hudson River Park.”

Michelle Stabinsky, director of the people team: “The first sip of coffee in the morning.”

Sophie Stone, editorial operations manager: “Calling one of my parents for just a few minutes to say hi. [It] always makes me feel good. Also, setting your phone’s wallpaper to something that brings you joy is such an easy way to lift your mood, multiple times per day.” 

Sarah Title, branded content writer: “Closing my laptop at the end of a long work week.”

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We love a holiday weekend, but planning and prepping can feel more work than celebration. So to help you relax when the vibes are less than stellar, try taking a mental break with some deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing can help slow your heart rate, improve blood pressure, and reduce stress. Phew.

Need to carve out your own quiet corner? The 2023 Escape SUV® is, well, very appropriately named. It’s quite literally an escape for when you need to help mentally (and physically) get away from it all. Then, once you’ve taken a break, it can help you get back to getting it all done. You’ve got this.

Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life…

1. A cooling pillow to help you sleep breezier this summer. 

This gel-infused, memory foam pillow has a breathable cotton shell and ventilated mesh to keep you cool all night. PS: Right now, Skimm’s can save up to 30% plus an extra 20%.*

2. What our editors were obsessed with in June.

We’re sharing a few standout faves from the past month that we usually reserve for the group chat. Thank us later.

3. Our review of Kinfield's bug-repellent products.

From spray to anti-itch patches, we tested multiple products from Kinfield to see if they can really prevent annoying bug bites.