Welcome back to The Weekend Press! Today, Natan Sharansky remembers the book that saved his life in a KGB prison. Joe Nocera sits down with Ken Feinberg, who 25 years ago helped distribute billions of dollars to the families of 9/11 victims. Robert Mass explains why old age is no excuse to stop learning. And more!

But first: Farewell, Gloria Steinem.

This week, Gloria Steinem passed away at the age of 92. For decades, Steinem has been the face of second-wave feminism. A self-described “entrepreneur of social change,” she co-founded Ms. magazine in 1971, a publication that championed equal rights and banded legions of women together in that fight.

Most of the country remembers Steinem for her tireless activism, her style, or the time she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny; but few had the privilege of knowing what truly made Steinem exceptional behind the scenes.

Phyllis Chesler is one of them. An 85-year-old author and activist, Chesler was a friend of Steinem’s for more than half a century. In early 1971, she attended the very first meeting that led to the founding of Ms. magazine, and over the decades that followed, the two collaborated frequently, including on an anthology of Wonder Woman comic strips.

“Gloria had a way of making herself ‘liked,’ ” Phyllis writes today. “She was polite. She listened. She asked for advice.” But Steinem didn’t fit easily into a box. She frequently provoked the ire of fellow feminists. She worked with the Central Intelligence Agency. And later in life she advocated for positions that Phyllis believed represented a departure from Steinem’s “own feminist principles.”

“But you, too, were only human. Yes? And you were, first and last, a political being,” Phyllis writes.

Today, Steinem’s old friend pays tribute to the woman she knew, and reflects on the movement she leaves behind.

Phyllis Chesler • Culture and Ideas My Friend Gloria Steinem

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Joe Nocera • Two Drinks

Two Drinks with . . . the Man Who Compensated 9/11 Victims

How much money is a loved one’s life worth? It’s an impossible question—but in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, answering it became Ken Feinberg’s job. Over 33 months running the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Feinberg helped distribute more than $7 billion to grieving families, in exchange for their agreement not to sue the airlines, the government, or anyone else. It was a challenge unlike anything he had faced before. “Mr. Feinberg, this is blood money,” he recalls some families telling him. As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Feinberg tells Joe Nocera what he learned about helping families navigate the unimaginable—and how the experience reshaped his understanding of the value of a human life. Read story ›

Natan Sharansky • Things Worth Remembering

Natan Sharansky: I Found Socrates in a KGB Prison

At age 29, Natan Sharansky was sent to a KGB prison on fabricated charges of high treason. For months, he faced interrogations, the threat of hard labor in the gulag, and the possibility of a death sentence. But the prison also contained an unexpected gift: an extensive library of classic literature, filled with books confiscated from Moscow’s intelligentsia. “And this is how,” Sharansky writes, “within the confines of Lefortovo, I had my second meeting with one of the world’s first philosophers: Socrates.” In this week’s Things Worth Remembering, Sharansky reflects on reading Plato’s “Apology” in prison, and the message he found in its pages that helped him keep his inner freedom. Read story ›

Robert Mass • Ancient Wisdom

Ancient Wisdom: Age Is No Excuse to Stop Learning

Earlier this summer, when Robert Mass earned his PhD, there was one thing that set him apart from his fellow recipients: He was 73 years old. After a successful career as a lawyer and businessman, Robert finally had the freedom to devote himself to what he’d wanted all along: “to learn for the sake of learning.” And so he did. Many people, once they reach retirement, assume their opportunities to learn, experiment, and build are behind them. But in this week’s Ancient Wisdom, Robert argues the opposite. His advice? “Get out of the house.” “Build something new.” And never be afraid to “say yes.” Read story ›

Second Thought

This week, former congressman George Santos was given a lifetime ban from the prediction market Kalshi, after allegedly making $17,000 betting on whether he would go to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. (He never made it; though he blames bad weather and travel mishaps.) But Santos isn’t going down without a fight. “You can burn me, but you can’t get rid of me, because I’m like the phoenix. I come right back, bitch,” Santos said during a special on-air call on this week’s episode of Second Thought. He then told Suzy Weiss and Dan Ahdoot that he plans to fight the ruling: “I’ll see you in court, Kalshi.”

Click below to watch their full call with Santos. Plus, Suzy and Dan break down John Galliano’s cancellation, the killer who confessed on a podcast, and some of the strangest stories you may have missed in popular culture this week.

We’ve published lots of other pieces worth catching up on this week, including River Page on the environmentalists who won’t let an Alaskan town have a road, Arthur Brooks on why the boomers won’t grow up, Caitlin Flanagan on Lindsay Clancy’s cult following, Rod Dreher’s farewell to Wendell Berry, and more . . .

​​Knock Knock, It’s Cupid!

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How should you spend the rest of your weekend? We asked our Washington, D.C., correspondent Audrey Fahlberg for her recommendations . . .

📚Read . . . Looking for a fun thriller to kick off back-to-school season? Read The Secret History by Donna Tartt, a spooky novel about a murder involving a quirky cohort of classics students at a small liberal arts college in Vermont. I’ve read it twice and couldn’t recommend it more!

🍸Mix . . . Espresso martinis have always been a transitional end-of-summer-beginning-of-fall cocktail for me. But D.C. is still a swamp this time of year, so the frozen element is a requirement this Labor Day weekend. For a twist on everyone’s favorite caffeinated cocktail, simply pour some cold brew/espresso into an ice tray. Combine those coffee ice cubes into a blender with your favorite coffee liqueur, your preferred vodka, and a dash of simple syrup, and voilà, you have the perfect farewell-to-summer cocktail slushy. Add a splash of half-and-half or flavored creamer for a frappé feel. (Pro tip: Trader Joe’s has a solid and affordable espresso martini mix if you don’t feel like trekking out to your local liquor store to buy all the fixings.)

📺Watch . . . Martha Stewart specials on YouTube. Call me crazy, but as soon as the calendar hits the “-ber” months, I start pulling out my pumpkin-themed pillowcases and brainstorming fun ways to make the next few months as festive as possible. There’s no one better to usher in the autumnal spirit than Stewart. Yes, Martha is type A as can be and rarely smiles. But the woman has taste, and enough ghost-themed cookie recipes to last you a lifetime. My mom and I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole the other day watching her Halloween specials and had an absolute blast. (Oh, and if you haven’t seen the Martha documentary on Netflix, that’s a must-watch, too.)

Last but not least: Feast your eyes on this poster of James Dean, from the film adaptation of East of Eden. And, while you’re at it, click here to read the book with Free Pressers worldwide today!

That’s all, folks! Have a great weekend.

The Free Press earns a commission from any purchases made through all book links in this article.