Marilyn, Meteors and George Washington's Inauguration Coat
A busy week for the first week of June. Between major primary elections and fireballs flying through the sky, we have a lot to catch up on. But first ...👇🏽
One hundred years after Marilyn Monroe’s birth, collectors responded with extraordinary enthusiasm to objects that reveal the woman behind the legend.
Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena, after an auction of Marilyn Monroe items fetched a record price of about $2.5 million. Notable items included her Dior suit she wore on her honeymoon and a handwritten letter from playwright and ex-husband Arthur Miller. Our favorite? A rhinestone bracelet she wore to the wrap party of “Seven Year Itch” that sold for over $100k.
🗣️ Your Conversation Starters:
📨 Essential Elections: This week, several states hosted critical primary elections, with nationwide attention on California’s governor and mayor race.
🎙️ICYMI: Jenna and commentator/analyst Mary Katharine Ham discuss the race for Los Angeles mayor and why it has captured the nation's attention. Former reality star Spencer Pratt entered the race in January after losing his home in the deadly wildfires of 2025.
💻 Remote Roadblock: According to a new study, remote work might be to blame for increasing unemployment rates among young people, since remote companies aim to hire experienced employees over recent college grads.
💥Sonic Boom: People on the Northeast heard a loud boom that was actually a meteorite exploding in the sky last Saturday. NASA says it had the same energy as 300 tons of TNT! See the moment on satellite:
A bolide exploded high above New England in Earth's atmosphere on Saturday afternoon, creating a loud booming noise that was heard across the region.
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) May 31, 2026
The flash of the exploding meteor was detected from the GOES-19 weather satellite's GLM instrument. pic.twitter.com/QHP2FWCucZ
🚗 Rogue Dentures: An item left behind after an Uber ride. Yep ... you read that right. The rideshare company recently released a list of the most random lost and found items, which include an ankle monitor, wedding gowns and George Washington’s hospital discharge papers. The city with the most forgetful passengers? New York City.
🧥“Revolutionary Discovery”: Speaking of George Washington, conservators just discovered his 1789 inauguration night coat was actually the shade of vibrant plum — not the tannish-gold that it appears in preservation. How did it change so drastically? “It’s a vivid reminder that sunlight and time have been among the greatest forces shaping this 230+ year-old textile.”
🇺🇸 Remember This Day: Today marks the anniversary of D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Two years ago, Jenna traveled to Normandy, France, where she walked the beaches and countryside that became the backdrop for one of history’s most consequential military operations. Take a look at some of our unique reporting on the invasion that helped change the course of history (which includes some unexpected finds like the story below!):
🌲Tackling Ticks: ICYMI … last week, U.S. Health and Human Services announced plans to help combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses by investing $2.5 million into research and patient care. It comes as a new Lyme vaccine is in clinical trials and tick bites are on the rise.
🐴 Rare Arrival: A rare and endangered horse was recently born at the Bronx Zoo. Przewalski horses were once “extinct in the wild,” but now roughly 2,000 roam the earth. The foal’s birth is a small but meaningful win for conversation efforts.
😐 Sorry for Saying Sorry: Psychologists explain why gender expectations and societal pressure cause women to “over-apologize” and how to make an apology genuine.
🎓 Sister Surprise: An active-duty service member returned home from deployment just in time to surprise her brother at his high school graduation.
What was supposed to be a high school graduation became something even more memorable when a Milwaukee senior received a surprise he had been hoping and praying for all year: a reunion with his Army sister, home from deployment just in time to hand him his diploma. pic.twitter.com/V1Q4xny5xm
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) June 3, 2026
🎙️ This Week From Jenna:
NEW news on a BIG story. The Department of Justice announced it will NOT pursue the "de-weaponization fund" as part of a settlement between Pres. Trump, his sons and the Trump organization. There's a WHOLLLLLLE backstory to how we got here and ironically that's what I focused on this week during our Monday broadcast. If you're curious about how we got here, and what's next, check out this week's SCOOP boradcast.
🎙️ (SCOOP Insiders can attend this live broadcast once a week and get their news questions answered; they also receive the special video report EXCLUSIVELY delivered to their inbox along with a "cheat sheet" for the week ahead — learn more HERE).
🙌🏽 What We Found SmartHER This Week:
On our recent travels with SmartHER News, I saw some chic east coast girls who have embraced the cat eye sunglasses with a modern twist! I found a few on Amazon that let me try the trend without committing ... and unfortunately, I love them all!
And that's The Weekend Digest!
❤️,
Jenna and the SHN Team
Daily news, interviews, our latest podcasts and more at www.SmartHERNews.com.
