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+ Meet the fresh faces of the new Harry Potter series, and Trump is coming for Harvard’s money (again)

UM HI!!! DO YOU WANT TO BE MY REAL LIFE PEN PAL? BECOME AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIBER AND WE CAN SEND EACH OTHER LETTERS 𓆩♡𓆪

My angels this is not sponsored but I NEED to show you where I stayed last night: IN A GODDAMN DOME:

I saw that one of my friends had stayed out here (it’s Escarpment Domes for anyone wondering) and was honestly sold by the outdoor bath alone.

I got the most UNREAL day to come and stay here, I mean LOOK at this sunset???

And the sunrise:

It was the BEST little night away ever. Literally all I did was sit in the bath and read, do my work, and then lay out under the stars. My dream evening!!!

Trump is coming for Harvard’s money (again)

The Trump administration is now trying to pull around $100 million in federal contracts from Harvard University. Why? Because the White House says Harvard has failed to meet its “standards” - a vague accusation that, in draft letters, includes allegations of antisemitism and discrimination.

This latest escalation is part of a months-long standoff between Trump’s team and the Ivy League institution. So far, it’s involved attempts to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, freeze billions in research funding, and block its ability to enrol international students.

Now, government agencies are being asked to comb through Harvard’s federal contracts and cancel or reallocate anything that isn’t deemed “critical.” This includes research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, infertility, and more - much of it funded by agencies like the NIH and carried out by international scientists who are, as one professor put it, "integral to the lab’s operations and the wealth of the US."

Harvard’s response has been pretty direct. University President Alan Garber said, “Sure, it hurts Harvard, but it hurts the country,” because these grants fund research the government asked for. This isn’t charity - it’s science with national benefit.

It’s not just elite labs at stake. PhD students, grad researchers, and international academics could lose their funding, their visas, and their futures. “If you have the cuts,” said one former alum, “they’re out of a job. It’s as simple as that.”

So why now?

This isn’t about one lab. It’s not even just about Harvard. It’s about power, politics, and culture wars - playing out through education policy.

More on this story here!

Hi bookies!!!

In the (cutest) book club (on the internet), we’re finishing up reading the May book pick, Babel by R. F. Kuang. This weekend Luce and I will be posting our full honest review - breaking it down and analysing all the ins and outs of this magical, educational fantasy novel!! (It may or may not be a bit controversial… eeeek.)

We also asked you to fill out our little book club survey (it’s still open here if you want to tell us what your dream book club looks like!!) and the responses have been SO helpful and SO cute. We love u, we appreciate u, we thank u.

If you missed it - for June we’re reading Margot’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe!!

Become a paying subscriber to get exclusive access to the book club and read along with us!

Book club Abby xxx

Meet the fresh faces of the new Harry Potter series

Ok, so as a person who didn’t grow up with Harry Potter, bear with me as I bumble through this. As far as I know, there’s a new Harry Potter coming - it’s not a prequel, a reboot, or another cursed child. This time, it’s a decade-long HBO series. After a massive casting call, the studio has just announced the fresh-faced trio at its centre: Dominic McLaughlin will don the glasses as Harry, Alastair Stout steps into Ron’s secondhand robes, and Arabella Stanton will bring Hermione Granger back to screen, bushy hair and brilliance included.

These kids are brand new to the industry, and beat out over 30k other kids who auditioned!!

The series is pitched as a “faithful adaptation” of the books, with one season per book, meaning it could be around for... maybe decades. But since it’s Harry Potter, it’s not all wands and rainbows (I know that sucked.)

JK Rowling is back in the mix as an executive producer. And while Warner Bros is eager to keep the story separate from her politics, many fans don’t see it as that simple. Her public statements about trans people have created a deep rift in the fandom - and between her and the original movie cast, who publicly distanced themselves from her in 2020. The internet has been split ever since: how do you love a world that no longer feels like it loves you back?

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PS, if you wanna chat to me about anything I’ve written today, your latest crush, or if you just want a pen pal, reply to this email and we can be friends 𓆩♡𓆪