Hi, I'm Dan Premack, and welcome to Axios Recap, where we dig into one big story.

Today is Thursday, June 24th.

Stocks are up.

The New York City mayoral candidates are being winnowed down, and we're focused on Britney Spears' conservatorship.

Yesterday, pop superstar Britney Spears told a California judge, quote,

I just want my life back.

It's been 13 years, and it's enough.

During a hearing about a conservatorship, she's been under since 2008, which she also called

abusive.

This was the first time she'd ever personally addressed the court,

having previously let her attorneys do the talking. That included last November when her lawyer said

that his client was afraid of her father, Jamie, who allegedly controls everything from his

daughter's finances to her birth control. Why it matters is this is a case that's captivated

much of the country, particularly since last month when the New York Times published a documentary film titled Framing Britney Spears.

This story obviously involves celebrity, but really it's more about mental health, the power of courts, and our rights to self-determination.

Four things to know. First, the conservatorship began after Britney Spears was twice taken via ambulance

to hospitals for involuntary psychiatric evaluations due to concerns about her behavior and substance

abuse. Two, over the years, her father, Jamie, has said that Brittany could end the conservatorship

whenever she wants to, but that everyone felt it was working well. The New York Times, though,

reports that her lawyer first told the court seven years ago

that Brittany wanted to explore having her father removed.

Three, those who support Britney's emancipation, including the increasingly mainstream fan movement

...