Hump day recommendations 10/18/2022

Watch: "The Patient." What would you do if you were kidnapped by a serial killer to be his ... therapist? I'm absolutely hooked on this Hulu miniseries, with great performances by Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson. You probably know Gleeson from “Harry Potter,” but I just found out he's the son of the iconic Irish actor, Brendan Gleeson. Don't miss it. — Carlos

Listen: Parcels. Australia has lots of solid exports – Vegemite, flat white, Blundstone footwear. But Parcels, an electro-pop band that started in the hipster beach haven of Byron Bay, New South Wales (now based in Berlin), is a lesser-known brand in some circles. Their poppy music also fuses soul and disco. It’s soothing and chill but also carefree and fun. – Gabrielle

Bake: a GBBS pie. “The Great British Baking Show” is halfway through its 10th season. I don’t often get inspired to try one of the featured bakes, but when I learned that judge Prue Leith’s favorite dessert was lemon meringue pie — one of last week’s assignments — I had to have a go. My first attempt? Well, I’m not in line for star baker, but it was pretty tasty. – Tracy

Watch: a journey through the fog. Last week Willis recommended the timeless Soviet children’s cartoon Cheburashka, so this week I’m following up with the classic 1975 Soviet animated film “Hedgehog in the Fog (Yozhik v Tumane),” a tender little story about a hedgehog who journeys through a dark, foggy forest to have tea and count the stars with his friend, a bear. It’s a 10-minute odyssey of fantasy, fear, and wonder. Here it is with English subtitles. – Alex

More from GZERO Media

Syrian forces head to Latakia

Syrian forces head to Latakia after fighters linked to Syria's ousted leader Bashar Assad mounted a deadly attack on government forces on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

Nearly 50 people were killed on Thursday in the deadliest clashes Syria has seen since the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Pro-Assad militants attacked security checkpoints around the western coastal town of Jableh, a stronghold of the former regime.

The Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy, chartered by the US government, takes Iranian oil from Iranian-flagged Lana (formerly Pegas) as part of a civil forfeiture action off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece, in May 2022.
REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File Photo

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a strategy to disrupt Iran’s oil exports by stopping and inspecting Iranian oil tankers at sea. The US would use the Proliferation Security Initiative, established in 2003 to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, as a legal justification for the inspections.

Donald Trump issues a proclamation from the Oval Office
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US presidents don’t typically talk to organizations the US government has labeled terrorist groups, but Donald Trump is not a typical US president.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol on March 4, 2025.

Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

You didn’t need to sit through all 99 minutes of Trump’s peroration to know that he gave himself an A++ on his first six weeks in office, writes GZERO Publisher Evan Solomon. But if Trump gets to grade himself, maybe it’s time for a more objective report card — one that looks at two criteria: Trump as a dealmaker and Trump as a manager.

The Energy Security Hub at the 2025 Munich Security Conference featured in-depth discussions on energy innovation, security, and market viability. Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, discussed growing global energy demand, especially the rapid rise in electricity outpacing overall growth. He noted electricity demand is projected to increase six times faster than total energy in 10 years, underscoring the need for electrification and grid expansion. As energy systems become decentralized and digitalized, the CEO of E.ON, Leonhard Birnbaum, said: “You’re either fully digitized – or you’re done.” Key takeaways: Energy security requires developing and securing electricity grids Technological openness is a unifying element for getting to net zero Bridge the “Valley of Death” to scale markets New global partnerships will help Europe stay competitive Public acceptance will strengthen democracy You can read the full Executive Summary from the BMW Foundation here.

a crowd of people outside of a white building

In a 5-4 split decision, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to disburse nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds for work completed by contractors and grant recipients under the US Agency for International Development and the State Department. Does this tell us much about how the top court will handle future Trump-related cases?