Royals & a Run for the Roses
250 years after America’s break from Britain, the King of England paid a visit. More on that below — plus, keep scrolling for what to know about today’s Kentucky Derby.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla traveled to the U.S. this week for a state visit. One of their first stops: a tour of the new White House beehive. Located on the South Lawn, the hive expands a beekeeping program launched in 2009. During peak summer months, the hive populations can reach up to 70,000. Read more on what happens with the 200+ pounds of honey they produce.
King Charles and Queen Camilla also share a love of beekeeping and honey production — carrying on a long-standing tradition within the British royal family.
During their visit, the royals participated in an arrival ceremony in their honor, attended a White House State Dinner, and visited New York City. King Charles III also addressed a joint session of Congress, where he described the Founding Fathers as “bold and imaginative rebels with a cause” in a message marking America’s 250th anniversary. Jenna has you covered on what to know in her latest podcast (and you can grab her "Dream Team" tee here) ... 👇🏽
WATCH ABOVE OR BY CLICKING HERE. You can also listen on podcasting platforms everywhere (Apple, Spotify).
🗣️ Your Conversation Starters:
🎞️ New Video: The Justice Department released new video of the would-be attacker during last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner. ICYMI: Jenna interviewed an eyewitness, author and podcast host Mary Katharine Ham, who provides unique perspective, not only from inside the ballroom that night, but on the media coverage that followed.
📰 News Bargaining Incentive: Proposed legislation in Australia would tax major tech companies like Meta, Google and TikTok to support journalism. Australia’s PM calls the contribution “critical to a healthy democracy,” while Google argues it’s a “government-mandated transfer of wealth” for certain industries.
📱 Digital Services Act: The European Unions says Meta has failed to adequately prevent users under 13 from accessing its platforms, while the company points to efforts to detect and remove underage accounts.
✈️ ‘Freedom to Fly’: Southwest Airlines marks America’s 250th birthday with the debut of Independence One, its newest patriotic aircraft. The jet joins two others in the airline’s American-themed fleet: Freedom One, flying since 2021, and Liberty One, a newly introduced plane featuring a U.S. flag design.
🇻🇪 Speaking of Freedom to Fly: The first commercial flight between the U.S. and Venezuela in seven years landed in Caracas on Thursday — another step in the two nations restoring diplomatic relations.
Credit: U.S. State Department
🔔 Hidden History: “Bell hunters” travel the country searching for Liberty Bell replicas distributed nationwide during a 1905 U.S. Treasury Department campaign. At the same time, several states prioritize restoring their bells ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
👱🏽♂️ AI Reconstruction: Archaeologists in Pompeii use artificial intelligence to reconstruct the face and final moments of a man killed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
✨ "A miracle drug”: What former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse credits with giving him “extended time” following a terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Sasse recently sat down with 60 Minutes to share his thoughts on “faith, family and the future of America.” If you enjoy the clip below, you may like the extended version.
🎵 Swiftie News: Taylor Swift has moved to trademark her voice and likeness, following recent high-profile cases of AI-generated content falsely using her image and vocals. In other news, she recently sat down with The New York Times to discuss her songwriting process and the stories behind some of her greatest hits.
🗣️ Oversharing or Connecting? According to experts, opening up can either strengthen or strain relationships. They say it all comes down to context, timing, and intent.
👀 Skeptical Studies: A neuroscientist uses a recent study on coffee and dementia to show why headlines don’t always tell the full story — and why reading the actual research (including its limits) matters.
🙌🏽 What We Found SmartHER This Week:
You're loving our Mother's Day gift guide! Based on your feedback, we added a few more items. Hurry — there's just one week left!
THIS WEEKEND: America's Longest Continuous Sporting Event
Here’s a roundup to get you ready for the “Run for the Roses” (aka The Kentucky Derby) ~ from how the horses got their names (one is named after Albus Dumbledore!) to the latest scratches like Silent Tactic and Fulleffort, a how-to for making a mint julep at home, and a look at the history of the race, hats and royal visits.
And that's The Weekend Digest!
❤️,
Jenna and the SHN Team
Daily news, interviews, our latest podcasts and more at www.SmartHERNews.com.
