Weekend Reads for March 15, 2025

Weekend Reads

A surge in bee deaths is hurting Texas beekeepers — and could affect the price of produce. (Texas Tribune)

Trump official tasked with defending DOGE cuts posted fashion influencer videos from her office. (CNN)

What's going on in your brain during menopause? An expert explains. (Women's Health)

Donatella Versace steps down as Versace’s Creative Director after 27 years. (British Vogue)

I never thought of M.M.LaFleur for jewelry, but I got these hoops, and they're so badass and artistic and weigh hardly anything.

Dawn Robinson of ’90s group En Vogue reveals she has been living in her car for three years. (NBC News)

Researchers identified a gene that seems to help slow brain aging in women, and studied links between hormone therapy, menopause and Alzheimer’s. (New York Times – gift link)

Young conservative women build an alternative to the manosphere. (Semafor)

How a global online network of white supremacists groomed a teen to kill. (ProPublica)

We're doing AI generated smear campaigns now. (User Mag)

AGI is suddenly a dinner table topic. (MIT Technology Review)

Leopard, and denim, and wide widths… love!

How to become an ungovernable woman. (The Female Body Politic)

Why democrats are losing GenZ. (The Nation)

‘The essential ingredient is openness’: Curtis Sittenfeld on the deep joy of midlife friendship. (The Guardian)

Convenience culture is destroying lives. (Sustainable Minimalists)

“[N]o one is pushed to the brink like a menopausal woman. And no one can fight for her life like her either.” (Crime Reads)

Are you unemployable if you're not on Instagram? (My Goodness! From Jo Elvin)

LA’s housing crisis is trapping domestic violence survivors. (The 19th)

Two carnivores walk into a vegan Sichuan joint. (Grub Street)

Sale Alert and Style Inspo

One of the many reasons I love partnering with Talbots is that it is a company that gives back. For well over a decade, Talbots has partnered with Dress for Success and each Women's History Month, Talbots offers a select item where 30% of the proceeds will go to Dress for Success.

This year, it is the Hope Blazer, which is a relaxed-fit blazer that looks great with a blouse and trousers at work or thrown over a Breton or graphic tee for the weekend. Through March 16th, in-store and online, your purchase of the Hope Blazer will help other women feel good inside and out through Dress for Success. Some styling suggestions for the Hope Blazer, which comes in red and navy:

• Pair the Hope Blazer with the Wide Ankle Fresh Poplin Pants for a springy suit and two pieces that will be great as separates
• I love this short-sleeved sweater, which would look great under the red Hope Blazer. Pair it with white or dark wash jeans.
• Talbots is one of my favorite places for high-quality classic Breton striped tops; the navy Hope Blazer would look so chic over this top. Pair with white jeans or pants.

Through the end of the month, Talbots stores are collecting donations for Dress for Success; visit this link for more information!

See/Hear/Read

Zero Day (Netflix) is a six-part political thriller with an all-star cast (Robert De Nero, Angela Bassett, Joan Allen, Connie Britton, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Modine). De Nero plays a beloved former president, Bassett the current president, and what happens after a zero-day cyberattack on the United States.

The concept is fantastic and scary. Cell service, electricity, and even backup generators in the U.S. are shut down for one minute. After the minute, all phones boot back up with the same haunting message: “This will happen again.” Zero Day will scare the eff out of you showing what could happen with just one minute of these resources lost.

What happens next is… fine. I am glad I watched Zero Day, and it did bring up some interesting conversations with my family and those I know who also saw it. But like many Netflix original pieces, it feels rushed and surface and the lack of depth is trying to be hidden by a blockbuster cast.

De Niro is living a quiet life in upstate New York with his wife, who is looking be a federal judge. He ran in 2008, didn't seek a second term, and is beloved by American citizens and politicians on both sides of the aisle. When a protest occurs after the blackout, De Niro's character, President George Mullen, makes a speech that calms the crowds and brings unity. The country trusts him, and so he is made in charge of a commission to find out who caused Zero Day.

Angela Bassett is wasted playing the president. The role is so thin that any schmoe could have played it. Matthew Modine plays the Speaker of the House, and he is so cliche that I could practically see him deviously twisting a mustache and raising one eyebrow. Lizzy Caplan plays AOC, though they never say it exactly.

Connie Britton plays Mullen's Chief of Staff, but really all she does is give faces of disappointment, concern, and disagreement. Bill Camp plays what Bill Camp always plays; if you saw A Man in Full (Netflix), you too may be growling “saddlebags” each time he's on the screen.

Jesse Plemons does well playing a total douche, but each time I “get” his character, the script disappoints me. Joan Allen is the true star of Zero Day, playing Mullen's wife and a total calm, cool, collected badass who is also a wonderful wife, partner, and parent.

Zero Day is a show my mom would have enjoyed. It's one that can be appreciated by many generations, and folks will enjoy seeing familiar faces playing political roles. The finale is open enough that a Season 2 could happen or we can just be satisfied with six episodes. I hope it's the latter.

For Your Entertainment

Ecca Vandal was born in South Africa to Sri Lankan Tamil refugee parents. When she was little, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she still resides. Vandal released her first EP in 2017, gaining fame and press each year. This summer, she will be supporting Limp Bizkit on their UK and European tour.

“Cruising to Self Soothe” is Vandal's latest single, though she wrote the song back in 2018. She admits the song is inspired by listening to Ritual-era Jane's Addiction and Fugazi. The video was filmed at Knox Skate Park in Knoxfield, Victoria.

“This song is about cultivating your inner strength when navigating life on your own, even when it feels a bit isolating,” Vandal says. “It’s about that pivotal moment when you recognize that you’re stronger without the people who were weighing you down, and there’s a real sense of empowerment in that for me. It captures the feeling of breaking free and moving forward, no matter the challenges that come. Even when others are waiting for you to fall, you’re still rising — stronger than ever.” (source)