State Dinner at the White House, April 2026

 

From The Independent:

The full menu for the has been revealed as President Donald Trump and Melania Trump welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla as part of their state visit on Tuesday evening.

The dinner celebrated the relationship and came alongside the King’s speech, which thanked Mr Trump for a “wonderful dinner” and touched on the two countries’ “moments of difficulty”.

The menu contained many classic French dishes, including a Dover sole meuniere and potatoes pave, and elements of the banquet presentation were chosen to reflect “the long and enduring friendship” between the UK and the US. A spring theme was also echoed throughout the dinner, with fresh seasonal flowers on the table that were said by a White House spokesman to have been “inspired by the beauty of English gardens”. First course: garden vegetable veloute, hearts of palm salad, toasted shallots, micro mint.

Second course: spring herb ravioli, ricotta cheese, morel mushrooms, light parmesan emulsion.

Third course: Dover sole meuniere, spring ramps, snow peas, potatoes pave, parsley oil.

Fourth course: White House honey and vanilla bean cremeux, flourless chocolate gateau, almond jaconde, creme fraiche ice cream....(Read more.)

 

 

 

Photos from The White House.

More photos from USA Today.

 From Tatler:

Queen Camilla is no stranger to delivering all-out glamour when the dress code calls for it, and the White House state dinner on Tuesday night was one such occasion.

Arriving on the arm of King Charles III, Queen Camilla gave a masterclass in eye-catching eveningwear, debuting a standout fuchsia pink gown complete with embellishment from favourite couturier Fiona Clare, which she paired with a bespoke handbag from Queen Elizabeth II's go-to accessories designer, Launer London. Although some royal watchers (and those at Tatler Towers) had been hoping to see Queen Camilla follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and showcase one of the glittering heirloom tiara for the most formal night of the US state visit, this was not to be. Camilla chose to leave her most impressive jewels at home, even though the dress code allowed for them....Adorning Her Majesty's wrist were two of the bracelets from the Queen Mother's suite of Art Deco Cartier bracelets. Two of the bracelets are set with all diamonds and the other three pair diamonds with a different precious stone: rubies, sapphires and emeralds. For the White House state banquet, Queen Camilla opted for one of the diamond bracelets on her left wrist, and a ruby bracelet on her right. While these gems are undoubtedly impressive, it was the rare demi-parure on display at her neck and ears that grabbed the most attention. Queen Camilla made her debut in the jewels known as the Kent Amethysts, which are among the oldest suite of gems currently in the hands of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II memorably wore the necklace, earrings and brooch from the demi-parure for her state visit to Portugal in 1985. She also notably wore one of the brooches, featuring three pendants attached to a central stone, during a state visit to the US in 1991. However, one of the subtler brooches, a single amethyst surrounded by diamonds, was a favourite of the Queen's for decades. She often wore it with her vibrant purple ensembles. (Read more.) 

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What Americans Can Learn From China’s Dating Hellscape

 From Chronicles:

In a Substack post titled, “You Are Not the One—Chinese Dating Dystopia,” a writer using the pseudonym Terminally_Drifting describes a dating crisis so deep and extensive that even the word “dystopia” seems like an understatement. The essay centers on a young single man, Wang Wei, an unremarkable worker at an iPhone factory who cannot find a girlfriend and spends his nights (and disposable income) watching an e-girl play on her phone, answering questions from fans, and giving shoutouts to men who send her money.

Apparently, Wei is just one among millions of excess men (sex-selective abortions have resulted in men now greatly outnumbering women in China) who will never have a wife and kids.

Even so, love and marriage should at least be possible for a man like Wei, right? Maybe he just needs to introduce himself to a girl he likes, court her, and persuade her to build a life with him? As Terminally_Drifting  explains, however, romance as such does not exist in China today. Finding a spouse has everything to do with material assets and nothing to do with real affection. This means that Wei will never find a wife “because the price of being considered eligible in his home province requires a car (minimum 80,000 RMB), an apartment (minimum 200,000 RMB down payment), and a caili, a bride price, that in rural Henan currently averages around 188,000 RMB,” and his “annual salary is approximately 42,000 RMB.”

Worse still, Wei’s mother tries to help her son by visiting the People’s Park in Shanghai and posting his personal information on an umbrella, where other concerned parents might look for a match. Sadly, this strategy rarely bears fruit and is undertaken mostly to make mothers feel like they are doing something to help.

For its part, the Chinese government appears aware of this issue and has sought to mitigate it through increased censorship, regulation, and propaganda. Evidently, a nationwide public meltdown threatened to overturn the country when a girl on a popular dating show rejected a guy because he was too poor. The government flew into action, condemned the girl, and set new parameters so that poorer men had a better chance on the show. Additionally, it has imposed restrictions on online gifts to e-girls and the time spent watching them. It even tried shaming women into marriage by warning them about the supposed growing number of old spinsters who regret their decision not to marry—all of which is pure fabrication in China. (Read more.)

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How the Fall of Rome Created the Power of the Medieval Papacy

 From The Collector:

In the Early Middle Ages, after the fall of the Roman Empire left the existing government structures in shambles, the papacy established itself as the preeminent authority in the West. Indeed, in a post-Roman world, where there was no large political structure to ensure stability in Europe, the Roman Church emerged as the only force able to provide some unity. Led by a series of popes functioning as both spiritual and temporal rulers, the papacy came to dominate the intellectual life, political landscape, and culture of the so-called Dark Ages.

In 476, the German chief Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus, ending the succession of Roman emperors inaugurated by Augustus. He then proclaimed himself king. The event is traditionally considered the end of the Roman Empire. By then, the so-called “barbarian invasions,” or the migration of Germanic peoples into Roman-controlled Europe, had already significantly altered the social and political composition of the empire.

In 406, the Vandals, Suebi, Alani, Burgundians, and Alemanni, fleeing from the advance of the Huns, crossed the River Rhine, pouring into Gaul. Some years later, they arrived in Spain. Meanwhile, the Visigoths established themselves in Narbonensis and Aquitania (the territories in Gaul). Though partially successful in regaining control of portions of Gaul, Roman general Constantius was unable to expel the “barbarians” from the country.

In 410, Alaric, at the head of the Visigoths, sacked Rome, pillaging the heart of the Roman Empire for three days. Only the churches were spared, as Alaric had converted to Christian Arianism. In the first half of the 5th century, other Germanic peoples began to establish themselves in the Roman territories. In 435, the Vandals conquered Carthage in North Africa. In 450, Attila and his Huns invaded Italy. Only Pope Leo the Great managed to persuade them not to sack Rome. (Read more.)

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The Lost Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe

 

Marilyn worked very hard to better herself, as an actress and as a human being. She studied at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasburg and while in New York became friends with journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. She was good with money, too. She lived frugally and invested wisely. She was no spendthrift, as some people might think. From Mark Judge at Chronicles:

Marilyn Monroe read books. A lot of them. That’s the revelation of Marilyn and Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe, a fascinating new volume by Gail Crowther. It isn’t a grasping-at-straws attempt to make Monroe a literary figure based on her love of a few good novels. Crowther has done her research, itemizing the books Monroe owned when she died, finding receipts for books she bought at the Ivy Bookstore in Los Angeles, and going through old letters in which Monroe discussed her favorite books. Monroe was a reader, which may explain why she was drawn to one of her husbands, the playwright Arthur Miller—a man who made his living with words.

When Monroe died in 1962, her collection included more than 400 books. “These books,” Crowther notes, “some dating from her childhood, had followed Marilyn around from one address to another.” Crowther describes the collection: 

The scope of Marilyn’s personal library and the number of genres it contained was impressive. She read literature from all around the world, America, England, France, Germany, but certainly favored Russian novels. She enjoyed poetry, politics, psychology, plays, biographies, science, short stories, cookbooks, horticulture, contemporary novels, children’s books, religion, crime, adventure, art, pets, music, reference, and self-help. She was probably one of the few readers in the world whose personal library contained a biography of herself (Marilyn Monroe “Her Own Story,” 1961, by George Carpozi). 

Monroe loved D. H. Lawrence and owned a poetry collection, the novel Sons and Lovers, a collection of his travel writings, Etruscan Places, and a critical study of Lawrence and his works by Mary Freeman. She also owned copies of The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. She owned a first edition of Ian Fleming’s From Russia, With Love, a book that included a chapter titled “The Mouth of Marilyn Monroe.” Monroe loved Russian literature, bonding with actress, columnist, and writer Sheilah Graham over Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekov, Turgenev, and Pushkin.

Monroe also had “an edgy liking for banned books.” This included The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. Monroe’s copy of the novel sold for $3,220 in a 1999 auction. She also owned a 1934 first edition of Ulysses, published after the ruling that the James Joyce novel was not obscene and could not be banned. (Read more.)

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Wes Moore's Key Bridge Mess

 From Direct Line News:

Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge is not just another public works project; it is one of the most consequential responsibilities Wes Moore faces. By any honest measure, it is already veering wildly off course. The numbers don’t add up: either the state’s original cost estimates, once pegged far lower, were wildly unrealistic, or the current bids are spiraling out of control, with contractor proposals reportedly well above the state’s $4.3 to $5.2 billion range.

The state’s decision to walk away from Kiewit Corporation, one of the largest and most experienced infrastructure builders in North America, after failing to agree on price is not a sign of discipline; it is a flashing warning light that Maryland’s management process itself may be breaking down.

Three Failures the Math Cannot Excuse

The first problem is the estimate itself. Releasing a $1.8 billion figure thirteen days after one of the most complex marine infrastructure disasters in modern American history was not good governance. It was financial improvisation dressed up as planning. Officials have since called those projections “rudimentary” and “hasty.” Their words, not mine. The problem is those numbers were used to set public expectations, secure federal commitments, and justify a project management timeline that simply could not hold. When a project more than triples in cost from initial estimate to revised estimate, the initial estimate was not an estimate. It was a placeholder with political utility.

The second problem is the contractor debacle. Maryland selected Kiewit Infrastructure Co. in August 2024, awarding a $73 million initial contract for pre-construction and design services. Kiewit spent months advancing design work to the 70 percent completion threshold. Then, when it came time to price Phase 2, the company’s bids reportedly exceeded $5.2 billion. State officials called that figure unreasonably high. Maybe it was. But this raises an obvious question: what was the procurement process telling Maryland about the market before Kiewit submitted those numbers? Strong contract management does not wait for a bid submission to discover that cost expectations are misaligned. It builds in rigorous interim checkpoints, independent cost verification, and transparent public reporting. Maryland’s project website reportedly went months without an update. That is not transparency. That is a door quietly closing.

The third problem is the rhetoric gap. Governor Moore has repeatedly described this project as the nation’s fastest-moving large infrastructure effort. Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been pressing Maryland on costs since September 2025, offered a considerably more measured assessment. When asked directly about Moore’s claim, Duffy did not validate it. His department’s public communications have instead focused relentlessly on fiscal oversight and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The contrast between state messaging and federal response is not a matter of partisan politics. It is a governance signal. When the entity writing the check does not endorse the project manager’s narrative, the public deserves to know that. (Read more.)

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Shakespeare’s Lost London Home

 From Mental Floss:

History never truly disappears in London. It lingers in forgotten corners and cobblestone crevices until rediscovered, sometimes in unexpectedly poetic ways. For centuries, scholars knew that William Shakespeare had owned property in the city, yet its exact location remained unknown, existing as more of a rumor than an actual record. A recent deep dive into the archives uncovered an overlooked map that transformed four centuries of speculation into fact. Instead of finding a newly built structure or sorting through debris, the discovery revived a piece of the past that had presumably been lost forever. Let's examine Shakespeare's personal life, property, and potential revelations about his later years.

Though his name is synonymous with London's theatrical reputation, Shakespeare's personal life remained rooted in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was born there in 1564 and maintained strong ties to the town throughout his life, even as his career flourished. His wife and children stayed behind while he spent extended periods in London, working as both a playwright and an actor. 

By the late 1500s, Shakespeare had become a familiar presence in the entertainment world, collaborating with fellow performers and writing plays for Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Despite this, he never fully relocated his household to London. Instead, his life traced its arc across two places: one a family home, and the other a stage. (Read more.)

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5 Early-spring Garden Tasks

From Homes and Gardens:

March 20th marks the Spring Equinox, the first day of spring. As sunnier days arrive, our backyards begin to wake up and thaw out. It marks the beginning of long days spent in outdoors, and a reminder there is much to do for us gardeners.

Whether you have already put together a spring gardening checklist or you feel lost with where to get started, there are a few tasks to prioritize for early-spring. Getting your outdoor space prepared for the growing season is key to creating the thriving garden, and there is limited time to get this preparation done.

No matter the spring garden you envisage, horticultural experts say to start by getting these early-spring gardening tasks ticked off. We promise they're all easy to do and will leave you with an immaculate space ready for spring and summer gardening. (Read more.)

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The Politics of Panic

 From Unlicensed Punditry:

I think there is a persistent assumption in American political discourse that voters are simply downstream from ideology—that rank-and-file Democrats believe, in full and conscious detail, the same things their party’s most visible leaders say on cable news or from the Senate floor. That assumption may not hold up, even under casual observation. The average Democratic voter is not a doctrinaire ideologue. They are, like most Americans, busy, distracted, and only intermittently engaged. What they respond to is not a fully formed ideological framework, but a steady emotional narrative—and increasingly, that narrative is built on fear.

This pernicious process sure seems particularly pronounced in the modern Democratic coalition because of how its leadership communicates. Just think about the things the Democrats and their mouthpieces in the national spotlight feel comfortable saying about President Trump and Republicans. They are killing “democracy”, they are pedos, rapists, bigots, and every sort of phobic demon one could conjur. It is war now, war tomorrow and war forever.

This messaging is not about persuading voters toward a set of principles. It is about defining the opposition in the starkest possible terms and stoking resistance, and when you are fighting for survival, nothing is forbidden. The Republican Party is not framed as wrong, misguided, or even flawed, it is framed as dangerous, an existential threat--not just to policy preferences, but to democracy itself, to basic rights, and to personal safety. (Read more.)

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What's Wrong with Modern Dating

 From Elizabeth Stone:

There are many things wrong with modern dating, between the constant need for validation, our inability to wait, our uncontrolled lust, the fact that we treat sex as something casual, and that we use chemistry and feelings as the main guidance for love, you would think these things alone would be enough to explain why so many people feel lost, hurt, detached, and unable to form anything lasting, but honestly, I think there are two deeper things beneath all of it that make the whole situation far worse.

Dating now isn’t just more shallow, dating now has completely changed the way we see people altogether. Somehow, and somewhere along the way we stopped people as someone we want to know, someone to honor, pursue, discern and maybe even possibly fall in love with, instead now we approach others not as a person, but as an experience to be had. I mean even in our language this is obvious, we talk about others like they were some lesson, a story, just a chapter, a fling, an adventure, a waste of time… but the problem is that once another human person becomes just an experience, well it becomes very easy to just consume them and move along.

The second problem is that we have totally inverted the natural order of love, we have given others access to us and our bodies before we even know them, before we are even able to trust them, before commitment before anything that would protect us. We are trying to begin with things that are meant to be the fruit of love, we don’t plant a seed anymore and wait for it to grow, we take the fruit, never plant, and then sit and wonder why nothing ever seems to grow. (Read more.)

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