Great Reads: Funeral Gowns And '60s Pop

We tend to think of older people as devoid of sexual desires. This stereotype can feel particularly scary as we age, especially as we begin to notice sex becoming less and less frequent in our lives. Are we turning into them? Is the era of being youthfully sexual coming to an end? Midlife can be a time of grief as people look back on the gifts of youth and realize that there is something unknown ahead, particularly when it comes to our relationships.

This post contains spoilers for the first four episodes of Bridgerton Season 3 Netflix just dropped the first half of Season 3 of Bridgerton. Like with any installment of the steamy Regency drama, expect another courting season, another romance hindered by a dark secret and/or past trauma, and a resolution that ends—eventually—with yet another Bridgerton baby. Though not quite as complex as the lineage that determines who sits on the Iron Throne, the Bridgerton family tree grows new branches with each season.

As the summer climbing season approaches, local authorities in Japan have announced a new entry fee and daily visitor cap for their popular trail up Mount Fuji in an attempt to reduce congestion around the iconic mountain and curb the damaging effects of overtourism. The paid reservation system, officially unveiled on Monday, kicks in for those wishing to ascend Mount Fuji between July 1 and September 10, and slots can be booked online starting May 20. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] A Yamanashi prefecture government official told CNN in 2023 that “overtourism—and all the subsequent consequences like rubbish, rising CO2 emissions and reckless hikers—is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji.” A booking, which costs 2,000 Yen (or about $13), covers entrance to the Yoshida Trail, which is used by about 60% of visitors and is one of four entrances to the mountain.

NEW YORK — For a last hurrah, it was a Sage decision. A miniature poodle named Sage won the top prize Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, in what veteran handler Kaz Hosaka said would be his final time at the United States’ most prestigious canine event. After 45 years of competing and two best in show dogs, he plans to retire. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Sage notched the 11th triumph for poodles of various sizes at Westminster; only wire fox terriers have won more.

MANILA, Philippines — A flotilla of about 100 mostly small fishing boats led by Filipino activists sailed Wednesday to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s coast guard and suspected militia ships have used powerful water cannons to ward off what they regard as intruders. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The Philippine coast guard and navy deployed one patrol ship each to keep watch from a distance on the activists and fishermen, who set off on wooden boats with bamboo outriggers to assert Manila’s sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal.

OCALA, Fla. — Mexican citizens were among those going to work at a Florida watermelon farm on Tuesday when the bus they were traveling in was sideswiped and crashed, killing eight people, officials said. Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s foreign relations secretary, on Tuesday said via the social media platform X that she was sorry to report that a tragic automotive accident had happened in Florida with Mexican agricultural workers involved.