

Morning Meeting
Air Mail
Welcome to Morning Meeting, where AIR MAIL’s Ashley Baker and Michael Hainey take you inside the stories people are talking about this week—and tip you off to the ones the editors are talking about for next week. We cover the people shaping your world that you want to know more about (and more often the stuff they don’t want you to know about). And we talk with friends of AIR MAIL—writers, reporters, and style-setters. So listen in every Saturday as Morning Meeting brings you what’s new and exciting from the world of AIR MAIL.
Episodes
Mentioned books

6 snips
Sep 13, 2025 • 33min
Episode 261: How Funerals Became the New Social-Climbing Scene
Join John Moucherie, a musical aficionado, as he dives into the legacies of composers John Williams and Leopold Stokowski, revealing their vastly different public personas. The discussion also shifts to Gen Z's refreshing approach to dating, opting for in-person connections over apps, sometimes even at unconventional venues like funerals. These events have evolved into social spectacles where fashion and status play crucial roles, blending personal loss with a modern twist, all infused with humor and insight.

Sep 6, 2025 • 36min
Episode 260: Prince Andrew's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Moment
If you’re a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm—and who isn’t?—you are surely a fan of Susie Essman, who played Susie Greene on the show. And this week she joins us with a rather Curb-like story about her encounter with Prince Andrew. Then our colleague James Wolcott discusses the return of perhaps the sharpest cultural and social satire going these days: South Park. And finally, Linda Wells remembers Giorgio Armani.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 30, 2025 • 35min
Episode 259: How a Rupert Murdoch Scandal Could Cripple "The Washington Post"
This week, Nick Davies reveals his new findings about the phone-hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch that rocked the U.K. in the 2010s, and what it could mean for The Washington Post. Then Gracie Wiener tells us how Diaper Diplomacy has become social media’s new fixation. And finally, Carolina de Armas reports on the obsession of the summer: Bad Bunny’s residence in Puerto Rico.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 23, 2025 • 33min
Episode 258: Billionaires Behaving Badly—The Summer Edition!
This week, Clara Molot reveals how Yale has managed to escape the wrath of Trump and his war on America’s universities. Then William D. Cohan has all the dirt and drama about how the 75 billionaires who take over Nantucket each summer are more than living up to expectations with their very bad behavior. And finally, Hayley Peppin joins us in a conversation about the newest trend in home design. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 16, 2025 • 35min
Episode 257: Why George W. Bush Is Gen Z's New Obsession
Donald Trump’s attack on Harvard has gotten a lot of headlines, but his skirmish with the University of Virginia has become a major political battleground between two possible presidential rivals, J. D. Vance and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin. Greg Easley takes us inside his reporting. Then, speaking of politics, did you know that Gen Z has recast former president George W. Bush as America’s most lovable grandfather? It’s a trend that’s been dubbed “Bushcore,” and Carolina de Armas and Paulina Prosnitz break it down. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 9, 2025 • 30min
Episode 256: Love in the Time of Content Creators—How Gen Z Ruined Wedding Proposals
Cazzie David, a columnist and author, dissects how Gen Z's influence has transformed marriage proposals into a spectacle often lacking sincerity. Andrew Lownie, a historian, sheds light on the tangled financial dealings of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, revealing shocking ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Jonathan Mahler, a journalist, reflects on the chaotic vibrancy of late 1980s New York City and its implications for the current political climate. Together, they explore the intersection of tradition and modernity in relationships and society.

Aug 2, 2025 • 36min
Episode 255: Inside the Great Canadian Gold Heist
This week, Elena Clavarino reports from Italy on how a pasta king is in hot water thanks to his plans to build a Las Vegas–like spa at Lake Garda. Then Sarah Ditum looks at why viewers can’t quit reality-TV dating shows. And finally, Harold von Kursk has the incredible story of how a group of first-time crooks pulled off one of the most audacious heists ever, stealing $40 million worth of gold bars from a warehouse at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 26, 2025 • 37min
Episode 254: Inside the Gwyneth Paltrow Book—Triumph of a Mean Girl?
This week, Ashley Baker tells us what she learned reading the book on Gwyneth. Then Rich Cohen shares what he’s learned about Jennifer Dulos since writing his new book about her tragic murder. Later, George Kalogerakis looks at the biggest Attention Whores of the week. Who made the list? Take a guess! Then Ezra Chowaiki shares a wild tale from the art world, involving forged masterpieces and the Nazis (maybe); it’s a story that needs to be heard. And finally, Harold von Kursk reveals how a gang of thieves in Canada managed to steal millions in gold bars without firing a shot.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 19, 2025 • 32min
Episode 253: What Trump Could Learn About Deceit from J.F.K.
This week, Stuart Heritage reports from the U.K. on why The Salt Path, the inspirational best-selling memoir by Raynor Winn, now seems to be a hive of untruths. Then, on the subject of deceit, J. Randy Taraborrelli, the author of a new book on John F. Kennedy, discusses why the former president spun so many lies—and why, in the last year of his life, he had a reckoning with himself. And finally, Linda Wells tells us everything we need to know about the latest in beauty and wellness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 12, 2025 • 34min
Episode 252: When Your Friend Is a Fraud—the Mystery of a High-Flying New York Player
This week, author Jane Boon recounts her friendship with Matthew Pietras, a dashing, handsome fixture on the New York social scene who worked for the Soros family and whose life now seems to have been an enormous grift. Then Elena Clavarino reports from Italy on how some of the country’s most cherished artworks may in fact be smuggled Mafia booty. And finally, Clint Eastwood has dominated Hollywood for longer than most anyone else, all while containing countless contradictions. Shawn Levy has written a new biography of the 95-year-old director, and he shares his insights. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.