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

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Matthieu Ricard is an ordained Buddhist monk and an internationally best-selling author of books about altruism, animal rights, happiness and wisdom.

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As large numbers of American tourists visit Europe during a record-hot summer, their efforts to stay cool are running up against cultural norms.

PFAS lurk in so much of what we consume and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they affect health — and what to do about them.

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Xuxa was once Brazil’s biggest television star. Now, many are wondering whether a thin, blond white woman was the right idol for such a diverse country.

At 17, Donnell Drinks was one of many young men in Philadelphia who went to prison for life without parole. Then came a ruling that could change things for hundreds like him.

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For more than 100 years, a painting of three white children held a secret: The figure of an enslaved child had been painted out. But who was he? And why was he erased?

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Much about Ozempic, Wegovy and other drugs remains shrouded in mystery, but they could change how society thinks about obesity.

For more than 20 years, he has taught generations to let loose on the dance floor. He’s not stopping anytime soon.

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The cover of Vogue’s September issue has ignited a new debate about beauty standards.

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It had barely a dozen followers, but the discovery of its racist posts turned a Bay Area community against itself — and changed students’ lives forever.

Street food and medieval churches meet natural wine bars and compelling new museums in Sicily’s capital.

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Thanks for reading.

This edition of The Weekender was edited by Jaclyn Reiss.