When I was younger I used to be obsessed with E! News.

Remember Giuliana Rancic delivering her serious BREAKING celebrity news. Whether it was Kim K dropping her award winning single "Jam (Turn It Up)" (I actually really like that song) or Jen and Brad breaking up (I'm still upset about this).

I feel inspired to do my version of E! News. And no, don't worry, I'm not rebranding herbold30s into a celebrity gossip site. I just want to do a little roundup of the videos, articles and reels that have been living in my head. I'm constantly down a rabbit hole of trends, insights and news I find interesting, and I'd love to share where my brain's been living lately.

Here is your herbold30s news!

The Guardian's been digging into something that's been rattling around my head for weeks: the number of people reading for pleasure in the UK is falling, and there's a growing body of research linking heavy AI use to a kind of cognitive offloading. The more we let a chatbot summarise, draft and think for us, the rustier the muscle gets for doing it ourselves.

The UK government has opened a consultation on requiring employers to publish salary ranges in job adverts, rather than the "competitive salary" stuff we normally see. It's not law yet and the consultation runs until late October. It’s also important to note that it's proposing a range or benchmark rather than an exact figure, but it's a real, live possibility. What do you think about this?

This one's been everywhere. On her podcast with Jon Stewart, Michelle said flatly that she doesn't miss Malia and Sasha now they've moved out. Yes she loves them, yes she sees them, but she is thriving on getting her schedule back. I think it’s great! She spent 30 years raising her kids, now it’s her time and we love to see it.

Priya Parker, the conflict resolution facilitator behind The Art of Gathering made a point in this conversation that stopped me mid-scroll: Slack didn't just speed up communication, it turbocharged conflict. It gave everyone a channel to say things in the moment, half-thought-through, without having to sit with the impact first.

Have you noticed this? I’ve always loved slack and felt it really empowered me to be able to work remotely. I’m curious to hear your experience.

Gary's Economics does a proper deep dive into why homeownership in London feels so far out of reach for so many of us. His central argument is that most conversations about it just aren't honest about how people are actually affording it (hint: it usually isn't a first salary and good budgeting).

That's your roundup of herbold30s News for this week. Giuliana I hope I did you proud. If any of these land with you, hit reply and tell me which one. I love receiving messages from you guys.

Can I ask a favour?

If you like this content could you please share with a friend? I’d love to build a real community but I need your help first.

Catch up next week!

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial or legal advice and we are not certified financial advisers or lawyers! This newsletter is strictly educational. Please  consult with an independent financial advisor or lawyer for advice on your specific circumstances.