TODAY IS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

WHAT TO EXPECT

• stories: protect your brain, priority pass launches private airport experience, virtual try-on 2.0
• this week’s watch: escape room
• in collaboration with: Quince
• extra stories
• recent articles: Fall soup recipes
• weekly favorites: home edition
• quote on: misalignment

WELLNESS: THIS ONE HABIT WILL PROTECT YOUR BRAIN LONG-TERM
Dr. Lara V. Marcuse is a neurologist who recommends regularly doing a challenging new skill — something unfamiliar even if you’re not good at it — as a key daily habit for long-term brain health. Learning things like playing a musical instrument, painting, or learning a language forces your brain to form new neural connections, which can protect against cognitive decline and support better memory and processing. Even short, frequent engagement is valuable; it doesn't have to be perfect, just consistent.

TRAVEL: PRIORITY PASS LAUNCHES A LUXURY AIRPORT EXPERIENCE
Priority Pass just rolled out “Priority Pass Private,” an invite-only, luxury airport experience with expedited private check-in/security, a VIP lounge, and a chauffeured ride straight to the plane. Launching across 76 airports in Europe and the Middle East, it’s offered via private banks and wealth managers for high-net-worth travelers—pricing is still under wraps. For everyone else, classic Priority Pass still gets you into 1,700+ lounges and premium cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum include Priority Pass.

FASHION: VIRTUAL TRY-ON 2.0
New AI-powered virtual try-on tools from startups like Alta and Doji are improving photo-realism via digital avatars made from a few selfies. This allows online shopping to feel more personal + visually accurate, not to mention that the brands are essentially building discovery, style recommendations, and emotional engagement into the shopping experience. But there are quite the challenges present also, such as sizing inconsistencies and shoppers feeling reluctant to rely on virtual visualizations in lieu of in-person trials. So the question is, will this tech innovation fundamentally change long-standing shopping behaviors?

We want to hear from you!

You answer (only 2 minutes), we improve—and you could snag a Starbucks gift card for pumpkin-spice latte season.

It’s time to get into the Halloween spirit and if you’re in the mood for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, add Escape Room (now on Netflix) to the queue. Six strangers sign up for a high-stakes escape room, only to realize the puzzles are lethal and the only way out is to outsmart the game—and each other.

Queue it up with snacks you can eat quietly—you’ll want to hear every clue.

IN COLLABORATION WITH

You already love Quince for their elevated essentials at fair prices; well their new wellness line is clean, effective, and (in true fashion) thoughtfully priced!
Recover swiftly, replenish well, and grow more—with Quince.

All made in the USA, produced to the highest standards, and backed by Quince’s 365-day money-back guarantee.

Wellness, simplified.

✌️ Mytheresa to lay off 700 Yoox Net-a-Porter employees

🚗 Waymo approved to start testing rides at SFO

📱 Apple’s creator-centric iPhone 17 Pro will make the vlogging camera obsolete

🍱 Beli is luring away from Yelp

🧘🏻‍♀️Here are gentle ways to stay active if you’re looking for slow movements

There’s something magical about fall. Suddenly, we’re all craving bowls of soup like our lives depend on it. And it’s not just about staying warm — soup is ritual.

This season, fall soups are leaning hard into comfort, coziness, and seasonal goodness. We’re talking silky butternut squash purées that taste like autumn distilled, brothy chicken noodles that feel like a reset button on bad days, and hearty, root-vegetable–loaded stews that make you want to linger at the table a little longer. Some are quick weeknight fixes using seasonal ingredients; others are the make-ahead kind, deepening in flavor overnight so tomorrow’s leftovers are even better.

ON MISALIGNMENT: “It is very hard to show up as the person you want to be when you are surrounded by an environment that makes you feel like a person you aren’t.” — Brianna Wiest

Your surroundings powerfully shape how you see and behave, so when your environment reinforces an old or false version of you, it’s hard to embody the version you’re trying to become. Change the context—people, places, routines—and it gets much easier to show up as your future self.