New York City isn’t the only place in the country with a heated mayoral race. Over the summer, a Somerville, Massachusetts, resident jokingly appointed her cat Berry as the city’s official Bike Path Mayor, given the indoor-outdoor feline’s preference for hanging out by the path. That prompted other pet owners to nominate their own furry friends for the position and launch full campaigns, culminating in an election this week. Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville’s human mayor, said the race has captured the city’s “creativity and community spirit.” Meet the cat who unseated Berry.
Must Reads
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the serious work hotels put into hosting NFL teams (spoiler: a lot of quesadillas are involved)
Skin care trends are ubiquitous nowadays, but read this to see what dermatologists actually recommend
Tech
After Nearly 70 Years, Ford Is Moving Its Global Headquarters — 3 Miles Down the Road
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
After 69 years, Ford Motor Co. is moving its world headquarters — but employees may hardly notice a change in their commute. Come November, the carmaker’s new 2.1-million-square-foot building will open just 3 miles away from the company’s current “Glass House” headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. “To attract the best talent, you have to give them interesting problems to work on and great places to work,” executive chairman Bill Ford said in a virtual briefing, per the Associated Press. “We feel they have interesting things to work on, but we didn’t have great places for them to work and now we do. It’s a talent-attraction magnet.” The new four-story hub, which began construction in December 2020, will be more than twice the size of the 950,000-square-foot Glass House and accommodate 4,000 employees (double the current capacity). Described as “state-of-the-art” in a news release, it was designed to be net-zero energy and boasts six design studios, a design showroom, a 160,000-square-foot food hall, and 12 acres of greenspace. See photos of the new building, set for completion in 2027.
Together With Pacaso
Former Zillow Exec Opens Door to $1.3 Trillion Market
Austin Allison sold his first company for $120 million. He later served as an executive for Zillow. But both companies reached massive valuations before regular people could invest. “I always wished everyday investors could have shared in their early success,” Allison later said. So he built Pacaso differently. Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3 trillion vacation home market, earning over $110 millionin gross profit in under five years. No wonder the same early investors who backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay have already invested in Pacaso. The company even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO. Now, after adding 10 new international destinations and securing a $100 million private credit facility, Pacaso is hitting its stride. And unlike with Allison’s previous stops, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company. But your opportunity ends after tonight: Become a Pacaso shareholder before midnight.
This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals.
Health
Struggling With Menopause Symptoms? Here’s the Latest on Hormone Therapy
Anchiy/ iStock
Hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia are just some of the many symptoms of perimenopause, which typically lasts four to eight years leading up to menopause. But that time frame can feel much longer for many women, especially because, historically, there’s been little information on this stage of life and few safe options to make things better. That could soon change, as the FDA is considering removing some of the safety warnings on hormone therapy amid evidence that challenges earlier concerns about the treatment’s risks. Here’s the gist: Hormone replacement therapy (available in pills, patches, creams, and gels) delivers estrogen, often in combination with progesterone or progestin, to help alleviate menopausal symptoms. Right now, these therapies carry black box labels that indicate risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular problems, stroke, blood clots, and dementia, discouraging many from seeking relief — a study published last year found that only 5% of menopausal women used hormone therapy in 2020 despite 80% experiencing symptoms. But new research is shifting the perspective on these long-held fears, finding in an analysis that hormone therapy did not increase heart disease risk in women aged 50-59. “This is a public health priority,” Dr. Mary Rosser told CBS News, noting the risk of getting breast cancer from the therapy has also been “overblown.” Learn more about the treatment, the ideal age to start, and ways to mitigate risks — and as always, check in with your doctor to consult on your unique circumstances.
Science
Scientists Crack Decades-Long Mystery in Iconic Jackson Pollock Painting
Roland Scheidemann/picture alliance via Getty Images
If you look closely at Jackson Pollock’s iconic painting “Number 1A, 1948,” you’ll see an array of hues swirled and splattered across its nearly 9-foot-wide canvas. While researchers had previously identified the reds and yellows, the origin of the turquoise blue remained a mystery — until now. Combining science, art, and detective work, researchers analyzed samples of the blue paint using lasers to scatter light and measure molecular vibrations, per the Associated Press. They verified for the first time that Pollock used a synthetic pigment called manganese blue, confirming long-held suspicions about the source of this vibrant hue. “It’s really interesting to understand where some striking color comes from on a molecular level,” study co-author Edward Solomon told the outlet of the pigment, which was once popular among artists but phased out by the 1990s due to environmental concerns. The breakthrough research not only sheds new light on the materials behind the 1948 piece, which isdisplayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but also aids conservators in preserving his work for future generations. As Abed Haddad, a MoMA conservation scientist, told Artnet: “It offers insights into the development of the artist’s practice and to contextualize the work within the oeuvre.”
In Other News
Over a century after the Titanic’s sister ship, Britannic, sank, divers have recovered artifacts from the wreck (read more)
The world’s oldest-known mummies were discovered in Southeast Asia, according to archaeologists (read more)
A one-of-a-kind golden shark with white eyes was spotted off the coast of Costa Rica (read more)
This new online map identifies the best places to plant trees for maximum climate and biodiversity benefits (read more)
Calling Monopoly lovers! A special 50-pence coin launched in the U.K. to celebrate 90 years of the board game (read more)
Something We Love
Honey-Can-Do Heavy Duty Foldable Laundry Drying Rack Hang drying rather than tossing clothes into the dryer after every wash helps extend their longevity, not to mention reducing energy usage and preventing shrinkage. For those of us who don’t have access to yards (or consistently sunny weather) for line drying outside, this is the absolute best drying rack I’ve found. It folds up super small when not in use and can hold a lot of clothing at once without bending under the pressure. – Ally Mauch, Associate Editor
How can the prison system help incarcerated individuals prepare for reentry? A new pilot program at a correctional center in Massachusetts is looking to bees. More specifically, the program is teaching inmates the science and practice of beekeeping, from caring for hives and harvesting honey to studying the insects and their broader ecosystems. These lessons overlap with supporting personal development after release, volunteer Susan Goldwitz explained: “What makes a good beekeeper is someone who can plan and have impulse control, who can focus, be mindful, calm, and curious.”
Photo of the Day
Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Can’t stop Faith Kipyegon! On Tuesday, the Kenyan runner made history by winning her fourth 1500-meter world title at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, becoming only the second person to do so (retired athlete Hicham El Guerrouj was the first). Kipyegon, 31, crossed the finish line in 3 minutes and 52.15 seconds, handily beating her competitors. Watch the thrilling race.
Take the Road to More Savings With Insurify
Shopping for car insurance isn’t all that thrilling. Insurify makes finding the perfect insurance policy for your car quick and easy — so you can get back to doing things you actually enjoy, while saving up to $1,100. Compare real-time quotes from over 100 insurers and choose your policy to get same-day coverage in just a few clicks.
