The "Up A Tree" Edition
Folks,
Here, just east of New York City, it’s probably the nicest weekend of the summer. In an effort to stop curating and start swimming in the smooth-as-glass-perfect-temperature-Atlantic-Ocean, I’ll keep it short.
Yay, Olympics. I have been to four: Torino, Beijing, Vancouver, London. The invitation to two others —Athens in summer 2004 and Sochi in 2014— turned into “VIP/client trips” due to various political and terror-threat situations. I’m really, really happy I got luxury-schlepped to the all of them. And even the Nike swag from ‘06 is still goin’ strong!
With all due respect to the NBC Olympics team — who are unparalleled in any sports coverage — seeing the sports in person are unreal. It is simply incredible to see, for instance, Usain Bolt’s 9.63-second world record in London. Don’t look away! It sure happens fast!
The insanity of Beijing Opening Ceremonies. A thousand people drumming without even a split-second’s asynchronousness. Don’t want to think about how the other 500 people in robot suits with boxes on their heads didn’t pass out in the 100-degree heat, 100-percent humidity Bird’s Nest Stadium. We nearly did.
Sports you cannot believe are so compelling until you see them in person. Forget freakin’ pros playing pickleball highlight reels. It’s all about Badminton! If you click on anything today, watch this clip.
If for some reason you don’t feel like watching the Olympics, I believe there is a new House Unamerican Activities Committee that is monitoring all viewing for the next 19 days, but if you want to risk it, please watch this super-under-rated Zac Efron/Nicole Kidman rom-com on Netflix (okay, it’s imperfectly paced in the back half but I lolled and lolled for the first half and absolutely wanted to see how it resolved). So funny. Maybe close to home/have seen it all IRL from actors and their assistants, but it’s a good one.
It was an Olympic effort to tear myself away from the sunshine to bring you all the most important stories from politics, business, health, the arts, and pop culture. Please mentally award me a gold medal.
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See you next week from deep in the…Hamptons!
The Pic(k) of the Week:
The Thrill Of Taking A Huge Risk On Kamala Harris via The Cut
Republicans Call Kamala Harris A ‘DEI Hire’ As Attacks On Her Gender and Race Increase via On The Media
POLITICS:
’Hillbilly’ Women Will Get No Support From J.D. Vance via The Atlantic
CharlieXCX Has Crowned Our Coconut Queen via Slate
THE ECONOMY:
Higher Prices On Tampons, Pads, Prompt Hard Choices For Americans via The Wall Street Journal
HEALTH & WELLNESS:
Breast Cancer Study Reveals A Paradox Of Double Mastectomy Surgery via STAT News
CAMPUS CLIMATE:
Female Scientists Are Leaving Academia Mid-Career. Why It’s Important and What We Can Do About It. via Forbes
THE ARTS & POP CULTURE:
Netflix’s Best Documentary Show Arrives With A Perfect 100% Critics Score via Forbes
Review: Fizzy With Romantic Intrigue, ‘Widow Cliquot’ Raises A Glass To A Woman Innovator via The Los Angeles Times
The Summer Of Girly Pop via The New Yorker
Book Review: The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America 1963-1973 via Kirkus Reviews
Why Some Women Cheat When They Hit Middle Age via The Cut
New Worlds: Women To Watch 2024: A Peek Into the Future of Art via The Wall Street Journal
OBITUARIES—HAPPY POETRY MONTH:
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Champion Of Progressive Causes, Dies At 74 via The New York Times
Bernice Johnson Reagon, A Musical Voice For Civil Rights, Is Dead At 81 via The New York Times
…AND WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT…?
The Refugee Olympic Team: 120 Million, 13 Reasons To Hope via The Cut