Times editors have handpicked 11 stories for you to enjoy. Welcome to The Weekender.

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A Jan. 6 Defendant Pleads His Case to the Son Who Turned Him In

The Capitol attacks ruptured their mutual trust. In the weeks before Brian Mock’s sentencing, could he mend the divide with his son?

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Two Years With America’s Elite Firefighters

Hotshot fire crews work on the front lines of the biggest wildfires in the American West. We rode along with them.

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Rosalynn Carter, White House Trendsetter

Her style contribution as first lady deserves a reassessment.

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In Death Valley, a Rare Lake Comes Alive

Visitors normally flock to Death Valley National Park to feel the searing heat. This fall, they’ve been drawn by a different natural feature: water.

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What Endures After a Climate Activist’s Suicide: Grief, Anger and Hope

Five years ago, David Buckel violently ended his life in a public park in Brooklyn. People who knew him were shocked and angry. Yet they refused to give up.

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Is This the World’s Highest-Grossing Photograph?

“Girls in the Windows” wasn’t made by an art world giant, but people keep buying it.

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Jezebel, the Oral History

The site defined an era of feminism for millions of readers. According to its staff, it was also an exhilarating place to work.

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Tea, a Train and an Epic Sunrise at a Summer Retreat of the Raj

A writer fulfilled a childhood dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills.

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100 Notable Books of 2023

Each year, we pore over thousands of new books, seeking the best. Here are the standouts.

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Gift Wrapping That Doesn’t Create Waste

For centuries the Japanese have used furoshiki, beautifully printed pieces of fabric.

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Excuse Me While I Do My Holiday Preset

Some people are pulling back — in socializing, spending, eating — to bolster their mental health.

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Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next weekend.

This edition of The Weekender was edited by Jonathan Wolfe.