This week opens on a serious note. The Cornell sexual assault case is unfolding in real time — a former student is suing seven fraternity members and the university, and Cornell's own survey found that 35% of undergraduate women reported non-consensual sexual contact since arriving on campus. In Delhi, thousands of college students are marching over an alleged gang rape by men posing as police. Two countries, same playbook. We talk about what women do every day just to feel safe and why the burden keeps falling on us.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, the RAINN hotline is available at 1-800-656-4673 or online at rainn.org.
Then the tone shifts. Sara takes Erica through NYC's line culture explosion — hours-long waits for bagels, frozen yogurt, restaurants that don't take reservations. They debate what's actually worth the wait (Taylor Swift floor seats? A sample sale? Four AM for a Cronut?). The answer: it depends on your hunger level and your relationship with patience.
Erica read Derek Thompson's Atlantic article "You Are No Longer Invited to Dinner" and the stats are wild: the share of Americans who host friends at home monthly fell from 42% in 1975 to 12% in 2026. She's on a mission to bring back the dinner party and made bulgogi beef for friends last weekend to prove it's not that hard.
Sara walks Erica through Amazon's viral "About You" feature that builds a profile from your purchases, searches and Alexa conversations. Sara's says she makes sourdough and her dog likes rain. Erica's says she's "good at hunting." She has never hunted. Alexa has some explaining to do.
The Elizabeth Holmes documentary drops October 16 — she invited cameras into her home 34 days before reporting to federal prison. Nathan Fielder directed. It runs almost three hours. We are not waiting for streaming.
Gossip Girl this week: she's been the host of her friend group for six years. Not once has anyone had her over. One friend has a pizza oven and has posted about it on Instagram 40 times. She's never eaten a single pizza from that oven.
It's Sara's birthday. She's celebrating with a flu shot and ice cream. An investment in health and happiness.
Woman Killing It: Victoria Beckham. Her company just reported its first operating profit in 18 years after she brought in an external CEO and consolidated from two clothing lines to one. She showed her spring/summer 2027 collection at Paris Fashion Week with A-listers in the front row. Not just a Spice Girl.
This week on At the Brink: Merrick Walter on living with chronic illness for ten years and choosing joy when your body won't cooperate. He almost joined the CIA because he knew Russian. Tune in.
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