FRIDAY ROUNDUP: How dating has been going, Musk for President and epic train rides

Plus, as always, a book giveaway

I scrapped the intro I had planned for this week because honestly, I just want to talk about connection and loneliness and why they matter.

There is a ton happening right now. The budget bill passed, ICE escalations are intensifying, and the Trump regime is moving with the kind of unhinged speed that makes it hard to keep up, let alone process. We will get to it all next week.

But before dive into the meat of this newsletter, I want to focus on some bright spots you might have missed.

A New Hampshire judge blocked Trump’s latest attempt to end birthright citizenship. Run for Something announced that 10,000 people have expressed interest in running for office in the last couple weeks. And in one of the more inspiring acts of protest I’ve seen, scientists held a “science fair of canceled grants” on Capitol Hill, transforming erasure into defiance.

There’s power in choosing action over despair. And in remembering that while the bad news is loud and relentless, the good news is often quieter, but it is no less real.

As you know, I’ve been doing jam girl summer and I came to Maine not knowing a soul. Five weeks later, I have a weekly mahjong group, I’ve been to dinner parties and picnics, and I’ve made real, actual new friends as an adult woman. It wasn’t magic. I just… went places. It’s worth noting that I did the work. Talked to people. Followed up. Asked to hang out again. I asked questions, found common ground, and offered up my real self so it didn’t feel like an interview.

And yet, despite all this social momentum, I haven’t gone on a single fucking date. I’ve tried. I scheduled one from the apps and the guy no-showed (he later apologized, saying he got carried away with grocery shopping). Friends have set me up for IRL meet-cutes where, again, the guy just didn’t show. I’ve messaged with countless men who seem unable to translate texting to meeting an actual human.

I’ve been thinking a lot about loneliness lately. Not just romantic loneliness, but the kind that sits at the bottom of your stomach, the sense that you’re the only one still trying.

We’re in an era where the basic expectations of being a human to other humans are breaking down. People don’t show up. They don’t follow through. They don’t ask questions back. And it so often feels transactional.

Social media was supposed to connect us but I think it’s often done the opposite. I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing women through social media. But we also have to call out that it’s given us the illusion of intimacy without a lot of the real rewards. You can feel like you’re “in touch” with hundreds of people while going months without a real conversation.

All this matters to our politics because when people stop trusting each other to show up, to care, to follow through—that doesn’t just affect dinner parties or dating. It affects democracy. It seems to me, the rise of MAGA and the tearing of the social fabric is not a coincidence.

The far-right thrives in this kind of collapse, not just of institutions, but of relationships. Loneliness is a feature, not a bug. Disconnection makes us easier to manipulate.

This week, I’m thinking about friendship as civic practice. I’m thinking about calling your friend back as a tiny form of revolution. I’m reminding myself, and maybe you, that even when the world feels like it’s falling apart, showing up is still a radical thing we can do.

→ if you’re looking to connect with people in your area, we have location-specific threads now in the EYP chat! You can find that here! (if you use desktop you can search to see if your location has already been discussed!)

Elon Musk Considers a Third-Party (New York Times) - The billionaire says he’s starting a third party though papers haven’t been filed yet. Born in South Africa, he can’t run for President, but with his vasts sums of wealth, power hungry nature and willingness to do bad things, there’s concerns about how he will disrupt the electoral landscape.

This Is Your Climate Emergency Speaking (The Atlantic) - Scientists and engineers are racing to overhaul the U.S. emergency alert system to include extreme heat and climate warnings, marking a new frontier in climate adaptation and public safety.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns (Axios) - After a tumultuous tenure marked by advertiser defections and public clashes with Elon Musk, Yaccarino has stepped down, leaving questions about the future leadership and direction of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Impostor Uses AI to Impersonate Rubio and Contact Foreign and U.S. Officials (Associated Press) - The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates.

These Younger Democrats Are Sick of Their Party’s Status Quo (New York Times) - Majority Democrats, a new group of elected officials from all levels of government, has outsized ambitions to challenge political orthodoxies and remake the party.

Would You Really Be Happier Doing Something Else? A hilarious and strangely comforting essay on the universal desire to completely change our lives and why it might not be as compelling as we think it is. Read it here.

How to Dress When It’s Hot Outside and Freezing in Your Office. Vogue solves the summer dilemma of straddling two climates in one day with stylish, practical layers. Read it here.

What to Pack for a Long-Haul Flight. A smart, realistic guide to in-flight comfort that doesn’t involve packing your entire medicine cabinet or a full-size pillow. Read it here.

A Good Shower is a Simple Shower. TikTok is debating the basics of hygiene—again. Dermatologists weigh in on what you actually need to do in the shower. Read it here.

Pedro Pascal is Everything Right Now. In this intimate and hilarious profile, Vanity Fair goes deep with Pascal on fame, grief, boundaries, and becoming the internet’s reluctant heartthrob. Read it here.

This Brooklyn Brownstone Will Make You Want to Redecorate Immediately. Law professor Tamara Belinfanti turned a historic brownstone into a stunning, personality-filled home full of color, curves, and soul. Tour it here.

The Best Train Rides in the U.K. for Your Main Character Moment. From sweeping coastal views to misty Scottish highlands, these scenic train journeys are giving cinematic drama in the best way. Ride along here.

This Porch Makeover Is a Masterclass in Monochrome. A black-and-white screened-in porch becomes the perfect indoor-outdoor lounge with just the right mix of cozy and cool. See the transformation here.

Hugh Grant Took a Nap at Wimbledon. He snoozed in the stands and went viral. Peak Hugh Grant behavior. Watch it happen here.

I know that the influencer thing to do is to give you new, exciting links every week - but I do want to tell you the things that I’m actually wearing that make me feel great. This summer I’ve been wearing linen on repeat, these wide leg pants (with a stretchy waistband in olive), the button down shirt in mauve, oofos flip flops in navy, and a woven leather crossbody bag. Always wearing my favorite comfy sheer bra (code EmilyA15), and some all cotton underwear without aggressive side-seams (IYKYK).

For Makeup I’ve been wearing: Thrive no-smudge mascara, Laura mercier blush in matte chai, bare minerals tinted SPF (which looks like skin IMO), RMS concealer (code EmilyA20), and a Bobbi Brown eyeshadow stick in golden pink (across the lid) and nude beach (in the crease).

Each week I give away a book to my paid subscribers (U.S. only), and this one is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of starting over—with a passport, a suitcase, and a whole new chapter.

This week’s pick is The View From Lake Como, the latest from Adriana Trigiani, the beloved author of Big Stone Gap and The Shoemaker’s Wife.

It’s a warm, bighearted story about Jess Capodimonte Baratta, a recently divorced Jersey girl who trades her family’s basement and Sunday dinners for the marble mountains of Carrara, Italy. What follows is a second act filled with secrets, sculpture, and a very charming goldsmith named Angelo. (There’s romance. And also a lot of carbs.)

→ Comment COMO below for a chance to win.

*shopping links are affiliate