Your entertainment tips for a weekend of social distancing

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March 20, 2020

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Rep. Tulsi Gabbard drops out of the presidential race, Nikki Haley resigns from Boeing’s board in protest of a federal bailout, and we share your entertainment recs ahead of a weekend of social distancing.
– Quarantainment. As the weekend approaches and ‘social distancing’ directives remain in place, you may find yourself with some time to kill and a deep desire for a distraction.
Broadsheet readers answered our call for ideas on ways to stay entertained. Today we’re sharing them so you can bolster your passing-the-time agenda.
Let’s start with a screen-less option:
E.L. suggests her fellow Broadsheeters “revisit their old journals, notes, and books.” She says: “just as important as consuming new information, it’s also impactful to realize how far you’ve come from seeing your previous reflections, or reinforce previous learnings in your notes and books.”
R.K. is using this time to undertake the “digital cleanse ” she’s been putting off. “I have made a conscious decision to stay less online, [tweet] less, unfriend many people on Facebook (many of whom I don’t even know), watch no news and exit WhatsApp groups that overload me with information. I have also gone through my LinkedIn contacts to read about people who I want future connections with.”
Now is definitely the time to cross off long-languishing to-do list items and prune your digital network.
For more traditional means of entertainment, T.C.B. says she’s hooked on Bon Appetit’s Gourmet Makes with Claire Saffitz. “Every single video is just a pleasure to watch. They are wholesome and put a smile on my face—every time. I especially love her recent one where she is recreating the famous Girl Scout cookies.”
A.B. says she’s “walking around my block and listening to the podcast Women Belong in the House. “It’s never been more apparent how much we need strong leadership that can navigate us through these unchartered times,” she says. “And the stories of resilience and overcoming adversity from the women running for office are so heartening.”
The Broadsheet team also wanted to chime in with some suggestions of its own:
Emma points you to Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, the adaptation of Celeste Ng’s book starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. “It’s a little stressful to watch Witherspoon play an even more intense version of her Big Little Lies character, but I’m enjoying it so far!”
Another Emma suggestion is Younger, also on Hulu; she calls it “extremely fun, 0% stressful, and very distracting.” Sold!
Kristen is plugging AMC’s Better Call Saul, specifically the fifth season. “The show is a prequel to Breaking Bad, so the milieu and many of the characters will be familiar to fans of that series. While Breaking Bad may have left a bad taste in the mouths of some because of how certain fans reacted to female characters like Skyler White (played by the glorious Anna Gunn), I’m happy to say that BCS’s super lawyer Kim Wexler hasn’t faced the same fate—Rhea Seehorn’s performance is my favorite part of the show,” Kristen says.
My recommendation isn’t a specific movie or show but a method of deciding what to watch. Rather than scrolling through titles for hours, pick a list—maybe it’s the Best Picture winners from the past decade or President Barack Obama’s 2019 favorites—and make your way through it. That way film or television viewing feels less like binging and more like completing a mission.
We haven’t featured your book suggestions yet, but we plan to soon. Send your favorite quarantine reads our way—Broadsheet@fortune.com—and we may feature them in a future Broadsheet.
And one editor’s note: yesterday’s newsletter mentioned Shine’s partnership with Mental Health America to create a mini-site dedicated to helping people manage their COVID-19-related anxiety. The correct link for the site is: virusanxiety.com Hang in there! Claire Zillman
claire.zillman@fortune.com
@clairezillman
Today’s Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Stock selling scandal. Along with other Senators, newcomer Kelly Loeffler (R–Ga.) is under fire for the sale of stock following a private, all-senators meeting on the coronavirus that's since hammered U.S. equities. She and her husband, who's chairman and CEO of NYSE, made 29 stock transactions in mid-February; all but two were sales. One of the purchases was stock in Citrix, a teleworking software company. On Twitter, Loeffler said the attack was "ridiculous and baseless" since she doesn't make investment decisions for her portfolio. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D–Calif.) is drawing scrutiny as well for selling stock in Allogene Therapeutics on Jan. 31 and Feb. 18. Daily Beast
- Pandemic parenting. Earlier this week, we wrote about Broadsheet readers' experiences with childcare and remote work so far . Emma has another story about working parents' experiences working and parenting amid a pandemic. From the two families splitting mornings and afternoons of childcare (after agreeing not to socialize with anyone else) to the couple stuck in a two-bedroom apartment with twins, everyone is navigating this difficult time differently: Fortune
- Goodbye, Gabbard . Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ended her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, meaning there are officially no women left in the race. Gabbard is not running for re-election to the House of Representatives; she also endorsed Joe Biden. Fortune
- Standing down. Nikki Haley resigned from Boeing's board of directors after less than a year because she says she opposes the aircraft manufacturer's attempts to secure government aid during the coronavirus crisis. "I cannot support a move to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout that prioritizes our company over others and relies on taxpayers to guarantee our financial position. I have long held strong convictions that this is not the role of government," Haley said. CNBC
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: New Media Ventures hired SumofUs founder Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman as president.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- First (family) responders. Ivanka and Melania Trump are both responding to the coronavirus pandemic in their own way. Ivanka shared the hashtag #TogetherApart with ideas for family quarantine activities, prompting criticism considering the failures of the White House's coronavirus response. Melania will appear in nationwide public service announcements about social distancing and personal hygiene.
- Eurozone economics. At the International Monetary Fund, managing director Kristalina Georgieva has a new No. 2: Geoffrey Okamoto, a U.S. Treasury official. At the European Central Bank, president Christine Lagarde is overseeing $820 billion in bond purchases to attempt to defend the eurozone from the coronavirus economic crisis. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary action," Lagarde said.
- Childcare obligations. Kasey Edwards, founder and CEO of the childcare startup Helpr, writes for Fortune about the need to compensate childcare workers—even when a family member is pitching in last minute. The coronavirus crisis has clarified that employers should pay for subsidized backup care for their employees' families, which allows employees to stay productive under difficult circumstances, she writes. Fortune
- Triumph over tragedy . Laura Hutfless, FlyteVu co-founder and a member of Fortune's MPW community, launched Triumph Over Tragedy, a program to provide support for survivors of and those affected by mass trauma and shootings. "When we experience tragedies, we have a choice. We can build a wall around ourselves ... or we can choose to open ourselves and walk in the journey of grief and healing," says Hutfless, whose partner, Austin Eubanks, was a survivor of the 1999 Columbine shooting and died of an overdose last year. The Tennessean

ON MY RADAR

The coronavirus is a disaster for feminism The Atlantic
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How Peloton’s head coach is powering me through the pandemic Gen

PARTING WORDS

"I am certain we are up to that challenge."
-Queen Elizabeth, giving the U.K. a pep talk about social-distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak