The furniture rows at the heart of modern breakups, screentime swaps and the ‘catnomics’ of Japan’s feline fixation

1. The strange surveilled life of Piper Rockelle: why did a former child influencer decide to go on OnlyFans?

Piper Rockelle. Photograph: Jessica Pons/The Guardian

Before meeting her, I felt more anxious than I usually would about an interview, uncertain about how to write about Rockelle without inadvertently casting shame on her; promoting the amount of money that can be made on OnlyFans; or advertising her accounts to more men.

Amelia Gentleman interviewed the former child influencer who made millions as a tween and teenager by posting clips of herself and her friends on YouTube. Then the business collapsed amid acrimony. What does her subsequent success in the adult industry, at 18, say about surveillance, social media and sexualisation?

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2. Who gets the sofa? The furniture rows at the heart of modern breakups

Illustration: Vaso Michailidou/The Guardian

At a time when many young cohabiting couples can’t afford to buy property or have children, furniture can end up being the only thing to fight over at the end of a relationship. And, as the cost of living rises, having to replace furniture after a breakup can have a huge impact on people’s finances. Lucy Knight wrote about how to navigate this emotional and financial minefield.

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3. ‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant 

Lesley Groff Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty

No one’s name appears in the Epstein files more than that of Lesley Groff, his assistant. Reading the thousands of emails, a troubling question arises: what did she know? Sophie Elmhirst looked through them in this Guardian Long read.

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Illustration: Nathalie Lees

As concern around screen time mounts, the instinctive response has been to demonise it. The reality, however, is more nuanced. 

Many of us are trying to kick our addiction to our digital devices. But according to experts, not all screen time is created equal. Hannah Coates spoke to some of them to learn about healthier ways to spend time online.

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5. ‘There is profound disappointment in him’: mood in Russia turns against Putin

Putin at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, Russia on 9 May. Photograph: Alexander Nemenov/EPA

Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings are slipping, the economy is under mounting pressure, and even pro-Kremlin bloggers who have rarely criticised the president are beginning to speak out. Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker spoke to several people in the orbit of the Russian leader, as well as sources in the Russian business world and western intelligence officials, about the increasingly isolated president. While fears of an imminent coup are exaggerated, there is little doubt that Putin is entering the most challenging period of his long rule. 

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6. ‘Catnomics’: how Japan’s feline fixation has become an industry worth billions

Cats surround a local woman on Aoshima Island in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

Their influence is evident in every corner of society, the imperial family owns some, and Tokyo even has its own “cat town”. Justin McCurry wrote about how the global boom in Japanese literature has helped turn the cat into a marketing juggernaut, with a recent report crediting them with generating an expected ¥3tn ($18.8bn) in value to the Japanese economy this year. Then phenomenon has been dubbed “catnomics”. 

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