Must Reads

• A helpful explainer on what to do with old plastic bags (hint: don’t put them in the recycling bin)
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• For the first time in over a century, a gray wolf was spotted in California’s Sequoia National Park

Humanity

Hope Is Rooted in Small, Everyday Acts, Poll Finds

Last week, we shared a poll about kindness in America — and today, we’re looking at a similar survey focusing on its close cousin: hope. Conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the study aimed to shed light on how hope functions in the United States and identify ways to foster it.
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It found that the vast majority of the 2,501 participants believe hope is important and couldn’t imagine a world without it. Roughly 9 out of 10 said they express hope by helping others. Likewise, the two things that made people feel the most hopeful were acts of kindness and daily moments of joy, edging out personal goals and achievements.
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The results suggest that small, community-focused actions best fill the “hope cup” for most participants. “What we see in the data is that hope is not abstract. Hope is a practice,” Samantha Maltin, with the fundraising and awareness arm of St. Jude’s, said in a statement. “It’s built through everyday actions, small acts of generosity, and the connections people create with others.” Check out the full report.​

Together With TribeTokes

This Wellness Brand Is Obsessed With Helping You Rest

TribeTokes is giving away a free pack of CBD/CBN Sleep Gummies with every order over $35 — because 50 to 70 million Americans aren’t sleeping well, and the available solutions aren’t cutting it.
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The TribeTokes co-founder was part of that statistic, so she built the gummy she couldn’t find anywhere else: CBD, CBN, Vitamin B6, and L-Tryptophan, all in one. It’s now one of the brand’s bestsellers, with hundreds of reviews raving about sleep improvement. No fog. No dependency. Just sleep.
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Culture

Words of Wisdom Abound This 2026 Commencement Season

It’s graduation season, which means it’s also commencement speech season. It’s a time when words of wisdom make their way to grads on the cusp of a new chapter and, thankfully, those of us at home, too. There’s already been a bevy of notable speeches so far — Harrison Ford asked students to find their purpose and enact change, country star Eric Church used guitar strings as a moving metaphor, and Hilary Duff’s ended with a surprise sing-along.
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A few more recent standouts: At Emerson College, alumnus Henry Winkler encouraged grads to trust their guts and dream big. “I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude,” he said. “Tenacity will get you where you want to go, and gratitude will make you enjoy the journey, no matter how bumpy.”
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And over at Fordham University, former Today host Hoda Kotb urged the audience to persevere through rejection, seize opportunities, and find a “Stan” (aka, a mentor — hers was a man named Stan Sandroni). She also added something a little more tangible that we can all implement, maybe even starting tomorrow morning. “Don’t use your phone as an alarm clock,” she said. Read Kotb’s full speech, containing nine life lessons.

Health

Let’s Talk About It: Organizations Work to Increase Therapy Access for Black Men

In recent years, there’s been a concerted effort to reduce the stigma around mental health care for men in the U.S., and specifically Black men — a population that’s more likely to experience emotional distress and yet less likely to receive mental health treatment.
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Organizations like Black Men Heal are on a mission to provide more accessible and culturally sensitive care for those seeking a safe place to talk and let go of trauma. The nonprofit provides free therapy to men of color and pairs them with Black and brown therapists.
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One of those therapists is Dwayne Speaks, who went to school for psychology after benefiting from therapy himself. “When you start releasing that stuff, and you start talking about it, it’s like a release,” the Baltimore-based professional told CBS News. “And once you start releasing it, then you start making progress.”
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Research backs that sentiment up: Studies show that psychotherapy reduces disability and mortality, lowers hospitalization risk, and improves work functioning — and that even short-term treatment can provide long-term benefits. Bookmark more resources for Black men’s mental health.

Global Good

🇬🇧 Art on Your Doorstep: A U.K. initiative is bringing reproductions of famous masterpieces to town centers (read more)
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🇨🇴 Tech-savvy avian enthusiasts are flocking to Colombia, home to the most known bird species (read more)

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🇨🇵 An iconic French landmark was recently captured from a stunning angle by a Utah photographer (read more)
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🇦🇷 Jaguars are making a historic comeback in Argentina, 70 years after the species was driven to near-extinction (read more)
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🇰🇭 To honor “guardian spirits,” hundreds of Cambodians held a colorful, centuries-old ceremony this week (read more)

Inspiring Story

Porch pantry

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In the Whitehall neighborhood of Pittsburgh, AJ Owen has turned his front porch into a food pantry. He previously used the space to support families when SNAP benefits were cut, and now he’s shifted his mission to feeding kids over summer break. So far, he’s gathered nearly 50,000 servings of drinks, snacks, and meals — and more is on the way. “No one is going hungry this summer in Pittsburgh,” Owen said.

Photo of the Day

And that’s a victory for Victoire! The Montreal Victoire became the first Canadian team to win the Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup on Wednesday. In a shutout performance, Victoire clinched the championship in Game 4 with a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Charge. Watch the match’s final moment.​

Cash App: What If Saving Felt as Easy as Your Morning Routine?

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Up This Weekend

1. Vivid Sydney: Today through June 13, Sydney will come alive at night with immersive light shows, musical performances, art installations, and more
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2. Indy 500: The iconic Indianapolis auto race has been held on this May long weekend since before Memorial Day was even called Memorial Day (it used to be Decoration Day) — learn how to tune in to Sunday’s event
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3. French Open: Qualifiers for this Grand Slam tournament, also known as Roland-Garros, have been going on all week, but the first official round of play begins Sunday
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The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.

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Odds & Ends

💋 Meet the new Betty Boop​
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🍫 Enticing news for chocolate lovers
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📈 Track net worth, investments, and forecast cash flow with Quicken (and get 50% off)*
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🎓 Congrats to Sadie the service dog!

*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“I believe that dreams … are likely to lead to the betterment of the world.”

– L. FRANK BAUM