All you need for a *leisurely* weekend
Whether you’re heading out on an adventure with friends or staying in for some coveted solo time, your coveted recommendations for what to watch, listen to, and read are just a short scroll away.
This curated list is my absolute favourite thing to put together for your each week, and it’s meant to be shared. Do send the June playlist to your favourite people, or grab a friend for a spontaneous trip to the movies to see Ilana Glazer's gut-busting comedy Babes. Send Anna Wolfe’s essay On Women and Alcoholism to your buds and discuss! Add Miranda July’s All Fours to your book club’s reading list and enjoy coveted time bonding over shared interests.
One more thing: if you're looking for more laughs and intimate conversations, pull up a chair and join us for the silly and smart podcast, Your Weekly Breakdown. It's funny, informative, and crass, with one listener calling it "The Fleabag of Podcasts". You're obviously invited.
📺 Watch
Do I even need to recommend it? Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 3 is out and if it’s your thing, it’s worth panting over. It’s beautiful, it’s mindless, it’s the existential cope we need. (Netflix)
If you’re like, nah, and prefer something with more depth, more crazy, then may I recommend the absolutely bonkers Ren Faire, a documentary about America’s largest renaissance festival and the succession-like drama amongst those who wish to take it over. (HBO)
🎧 Listen
St. Vincent’s album, All Born Screaming, has been out for a few months, but I haven’t had a chance to listen to it in full until this past week. Suffice it to say, this is her most expressive rock album so far. Thoroughly enjoyable and the perfect score to your weekend.
Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna’s Woledto is a captivating mix of Arab pop and R&B that will have you wiggling your hips, whether at the grocery store or as you get ready for a dinner out with friends.
📚 Read
Girlboss—yes, that Girlboss—has changed. Their daily newsletter brings no-BS career advice, pop culture musings and inspired shopping recommendations straight to your inbox every morning. It might just be the one "work" email you'll look forward to reading. Honestly, I love it.
As for books, Enlightenment by Sarah Perry is a must for your summer reading list. From the author of The Essex Serpent (which wound up as a show on AppleTV+ starring Claire Danes), Enlightenment explores love, friendship, and the metaphysical in a story told over the course of twenty years.
What else?
Tech + Work
Hackers got 7 million people’s data from 23andMe, and now it’s being sold online. The DNA and genetic testing company is facing criticism for its handling of the breach and the risks posed to privacy. In turn, the company is pointing its fingers at users, saying it’s their fault. GTFO. (The Guardian)
ChatGPT will soon be “in” Siri. Will this finally make Siri useful? Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its ecosystem. This move positions Apple at the forefront of AI innovation, bringing cutting-edge technology directly to consumers, whether we want it or not. (The Verge)
A.I. is also mixing up the rapidly changing media landscape. OpenAI has partnered with The Atlantic and Vox Media to “enhance its AI capabilities”. These deals will provide OpenAI access to extensive content archives. To be clear, this means they are using journalists’ and writers’ already published pieces to aid in the training of its language models. With the firehose of layoffs in the media space (Vice, Bell Media, CBC, CTV, WSJ, Forbes, Time…the list is endless), these partnerships are a clear indicator that AI-generated content will be very much on the rise, something we should all be paying attention to. (Reuters)
PS If you’re interested in a deep dive on what this means, highly recommend this article about the CNET scandal to better understand the risks.
Women
Indigo founder Heather Reisman has returned as CEO, and Indigo is shifting focus back to books, phasing out non-book items that didn't resonate with customers. Indigo is Canada's largest bookstore chain, and is gearing up for privatization. The company has faced challenges, including low book margins, competition from Amazon, and a recent cyberattack.(Financial Post)
The Republican Party of Texas’ platform will include pushing for the death penalty for abortions, per the 50-page document outlining their platforms and resolutions for the remainder of 2024. The party aims to urge lawmakers to abolish abortion by securing the right to life “equal protection” of all preborn children, writing “abortion is not healthcare, it is homicide.” (Texas Tribune)
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously voted to preserve access to abortion medication mifepristone that is used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S last year. This is the court’s first abortion decision since they overturned Roe. v. Wade two years ago. The 9 justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to use over the FDA’s approval of the medication and the FDA’s subsequent actions to ease access to it. (Associated Press)
Culture
Since 1979, arctic ice has decreased by approximately 13% per decade. Now, in an attempt to refreeze the arctic, a team of scientists are trialing a technology normally used to keep ice rinks frozen. (WSJ)
France has had a wild couple of days in politics. The country’s far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, is seeking alliances to form a government if it wins the upcoming snap election on June 30 and July 7. Although RN leads in opinion polls, it lacks a majority to govern alone. The party aims to establish a national unity government, incorporating hardline conservatives and non-party affiliates. The election follows a significant defeat for President Macron’s centrist alliance. RN's platform includes protectionist policies, reduced immigration, and increased public spending, despite concerns over national debt (Reuters). For my twitter lovers, there is a great twitter thread here if you want to go extra deep.
Arts + Entertainment
Sony Pictures has acquired Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. The acquisition aims to leverage Alamo's unique approach to cinema, which combines movies with dining and special events, to enhance Sony's presence in the entertainment industry. This move reflects a broader trend of film studios seeking direct control over theater chains to create immersive, branded experiences for moviegoers. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Pop music is fun again! With artists like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Cappell Roan dominating the charts, the genre seems to have regained its distinctiveness by embracing individuality and innovation. The shift has led to a revival of unique styles and creative risk-taking, reminiscent of earlier eras in pop music that we all enjoyed so much! (GQ)
Speaking of outstanding women musicians, let’s finish off strong with a must-click: Billie Eilish’s interview with Lana del Rey, which is extra adorable after seeing the footage of two of them performing together at Coachella. (Interview Mag)
As always, I love your thoughts, feedback, and appreciate requests. You can email me anytime - I love it.
Until next week, take good care of yourself!