Morning Meeting

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It was almost a year ago that a young man named Thomas Crooks tried to assassinate Donald Trump. Yet, all this time later, he and his motives remain essentially a mystery. Our writer Rich Cohen has been looking into Crooks’s life and death and is here with a revealing report. Then, everyone knows Burt Reynolds as the wry, handsome star of such 1970s hit movies as Deliverance. But as Josh Karp writes, Reynolds also had a dream: to open a dinner theater next to a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. And finally, if you are looking to get away to Italy this summer, you might want to check into one of our favorite places, Il Pellicano, which just celebrated its 60th birthday. Marie-Louise Sciò, the C.E.O. of this magnificent property, will join us to tell us all about what makes it so magical.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Ashley Baker reports on why London is a steal if you want to live abroad. Then, James Sikura tells us how famed Hollywood producer Robert Evans was behind the making of one of the most star-studded—and least effective—anti-drug specials of all time. And finally, Linda Wells, the Editor of Air Mail Look, has what we all need to look healthy and glowing this summer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Mitchell Prothero joins us with his report on why Jared Kushner is pursuing a multi-million-dollar development deal on an uninhabitable former Cold War air base in Albania. Then, many of you are no doubt watching Outrageous, the new series on BritBox that charts the dazzling and controversial lives of the Mitford sisters. Well, our colleague George Pendle reveals that the glamorous sisters' lives were more complicated than we knew, filled with suicides, Nazi-esque orgies, and a classic P. G. Wodehouse character with a radioactive legacy: British Fascist Oswald Mosley, the second husband of Diana Mitford. And finally, Michelle Mone, the scandal-plagued lingerie hawker known as "Baroness Bra," has become a pariah in her native United Kingdom. Now she's trying to start fresh in—where else?—Florida. Stuart Heritage will join us from England to give us the story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It may feel like the world is going to hell, but for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, it’s a Bonfire of the Vanities moment. In a little less than two weeks, the billionaire and his fiancée will take over Venice for the wedding that will be a three-day party, and Stuart Heritage tells us what we can expect. Then, speaking of the ultra-rich seizing control of beautiful destinations, Joseph Bullmore reports from the Cotswolds on how Stephen Schwarzman, the billionaire chairman and C.E.O. of Blackstone, has ruffled feathers among locals. And finally, there might have been no fashion designer more beloved in New York City than the late Kate Spade. The company’s co-founder, Elyce Arons, has written a book about her, and she’ll discuss how Spade went from being a broke student in Kansas to the name on every New York woman’s purse.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto has starred in films ranging from American Psycho to House of Gucci. Now he stands accused of impropriety and grooming by 10 women. Our writer Elena Clavarino has her report. Then our correspondent in Moscow, Katya V., joins us to discuss the mood in Russia as Putin seems strangely vulnerable. Later, George Pendle reveals how one of Africa’s richest men did the impossible—made Trump shut up. And finally, Gracie Wiener explains why the popular crafting site Etsy has become the place for people to find … a witch.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.