The Weekender: Dating an A.I. chatbot, the greatest breakfast sandwich and a long lost jewel
Plus, is it normal to wake up in the middle of the night to pee?
The Weekender
November 8, 2025

Welcome back to The Weekender, where you’ll find a batch of the week’s top stories about culture and the way we live today.

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Jasmine Mitchell of “The Great British Baking Show” — a front-runner to take home the coveted cake stand. (Warning: The interview contains spoilers!) She was as kind and charming as you would expect, and we talked about her incredible run in the competition and her experience with alopecia, including why she no longer wears wigs. Tuck in with a sweet bread or pastry and give it a read.

In other food news, the restaurant critic Pete Wells has revised his earlier impassioned ode to the bacon, egg and cheese to declare a new king of bodega breakfast sandwiches. And in other style news, our reporter Gina Cherelus sat down with Michelle Obama to talk about her new book and the restrictive beauty standards of being the first lady.

All of that is below, plus a diet that can lower your cholesterol (which I will be trying — after my pastry). See you next weekend(er).

— Kellina

A stack of books sits on a table with notebooks, pens and bits of paper.

Yuki Sugiura for Booker Prize Foundation

HAVE YOUR SAY

Which of these six novels should win the Booker Prize on Monday? →

Jasmine Mitchell, the winner of the latest season of “The Great British Baking Show,” smiles while wearing a long apron and holding a blue mixing bowl.

Netflix

LOVELY BAKES, NO WIG

A popular contestant on this season of “The Great British Baking Show” doesn’t define herself by her alopecia. →

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Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times

LEGENDARY

The Florentine Diamond resurfaces after 100 years in hiding. →

Vicky Szuflita, smiling and wearing a sequined purple dress, sits in a room filled with racks of colorful dresses and stacks of numbered bags.

A GOOD DEAL

A beloved clothing store closed. A customer bought all 4,500 items. →

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Cole Saladino for The New York Times

HOLD THE BACON

The greatest breakfast sandwich may not be the one you think. →

Michelle Obama, wearing a long-sleeved ecru blouse with an ornate floral pattern of embroidered stems and blossoms, all the same shade of emerald green, flashes a dazzling smile as she stands in front of a microphone.

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

FIRST LADY FASHION

In the White House, Michelle Obama quickly learned which element of her appearance would be most politicized. →

A middle-aged woman wearing glasses and a yellow sweater vest sits in a children’s playroom, surrounded by toys and books, looking into the camera.

THE WAY WE LIVE NOW

They fell in love with A.I. chatbots — and found something real. →

A bathroom with a toilet and corner shelving.

Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

CLEANING TIPS

We’ve got three (somewhat unexpected) ways to get your bathroom sparkling. →

An illustration of a bridge over a pond filled with water lilies, in the style of Monet.

Isabella Cotier

CLOSE READ

When you’re sick of doomscrolling, turn to this poem. →

A portrait from the chest up shows a woman in a strapless black top resting a cheek in a tattooed hand. The other hand, also tattooed, rests on her shoulder.

REINVENTION

Ariana Grande still has surprises in store. →

A block of tofu sitting on a jar of dry oats and a dried bean pod sitting on the top of a cut eggplant.

Heami Lee for The New York Times

HEART HEALTHY

This little-known diet can actually lower your cholesterol. →

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The New York Times

WHAT'S NEXT?

If you have to ask … you’ll never know Gen Z. →

An illuminated night light is plugged into and outlet on a gray wall.

Eric Helgas for The New York Times

ASK WELL

Is waking up to pee normal? Experts weigh in. →

Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here, and be sure to check out more lifestyle stories from The Times.

This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore.

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