We’ve all been there: the trip finally makes it out of the group chat, only to become a complete disaster. This week we tell the harrowing stories of two groups that know this pattern all too well: The Donner Party and The Real Housewives of New York City.

How did Lansford Hastings convince James Reed to travel a shortcut he himself had never tried? How did Ramona Singer convince Bethenny Frankel to do Turtle Time for 15 minutes? We’ll explore the terrifying series of events.

Plus: the trials and tribulations of our Hopital Summer.

This week, we tell you the stories of how two iconic foods came to be and the genius minds behind them. Back up against the wall, Chef Caesar Cardini invented the Caesar Salad during a devastatingly FOMO-inducing July Fourth weekend in Tijuana and gave girls everywhere a reason to believe in dinner. Girlboss Sarah Hamouda turned her pregnancy cravings into a global dessert sensation with Dubai Chocolate. Will it stand the test of time the way Caesar’s emergency salad has? We shall see.

Plus: we refuse to buy package insurance, Anneliese’s ex gets engaged (in JOGGERS), and the decades long Brussels sprout smear campaign.

This week we analyze the challenges of parenting in the public eye — especially when a famous parent messes up. We explore the wide range of public reactions to two infamous parenting mistakes: Michael Jackson holding his son Blanket over a balcony, and the drowning of influencer Emilie Kiser’s son Trigg.

The public outrage over both incidents was swift, and we analyze how social media has changed how this outrage plays out. We also consider the grace and leniency given to famous parents that would not necessarily be given to less fortunate parents or other caregivers.

Plus: our summer travels, an official journalistic report from the World Lumberjack Championships, and the great generational divide of being able to sew a button onto a shirt.