So it’s been a long workweek — maybe a really long one. Today could be the first opportunity you have to get in a workout, but your energy is lacking. Where do you find the motivation to get moving? Physical trainer Bobby McMullen recommends (literally) rolling out of bed and just getting in a few minutes of stretching. That way you’ve done something good for your body right off the bat, and perhaps will even feel inspired to do more later in the day. See some of the stretches he suggests.
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Tech
Middle Schooler Creates 6-Step Plan to Combat Cyberbullying
Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce
Middle school can be a tough time for kids, especially in the digital age, as online bullying presents a major mental health issue. But in Plainfield, Illinois, it was a middle school student who decided to take action to support her peers. At 11 years old, Aisha Chavda made a six-step plan that those who are being cyberbullied can follow to get help, a feat that won her the 2025 Illinois State Civics Bee. For her entry in the competition, which calls on students to share solutions for improving their communities, Aisha created the BRIGHT acronym: Block the bully online, Report the bully online, Ignore the bully, Get an adult, contact a crisis Hotline, and take a Tech break. After she presented it to Plainfield’s mayor, it reached a community engagement police officer, who contacted Aisha about implementing it in her school district. She’s since trained a business on the acronym and plans to continue advocating, with the goal of one day becoming a lawyer. And ultimately, the experience taught her the power of young people to make a difference. “A lot of the time, they don’t really realize that they do have a constitutional right to speak out, to petition, to protest,” Aisha, now in seventh grade, told Today, adding: “Even though I’m only 12 years old, I can change something in my community for the better.”
Together With Quince
Step Into Warm Weather in the Perfect Linen Dress
Does the warmer weather have you dreaming of farmers market mornings, lazy days by the water, and alfresco dinners? Well, you’re going to need something to wear to all of those outings — and Quince’s 100% European Linen Fit & Flare Midi Dress fits the bill. Featuring adjustable straps and a smocked back, the flowy, A-line silhouette will hug your curves in all the right places. And like all of Quince’s linen, it’s soft, breathable, and lightweight, making it the go-to dress for spring and summer.
Scientists Are Uncovering How to Keep Your Microbiome Youthful
Mint Images/Getty Images
This article was written by Bill Sullivan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University, for The Conversation. People have long given up on the search for the Fountain of Youth, a mythical spring that could reverse aging. But for some scientists, the hunt has not ended — it’s just moved to a different place. These modern-day Ponce de Leóns are investigating whether gut microbes hold the secret to aging well. The gut microbiome refers to the vast collection of microscopic organisms — bacteria, fungi, and viruses — that largely inhabit the colon. These microbes aid in digestion and produce molecules that affect your physiology and psychology. The composition of the microbiome is influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, diet, the environment, medications, and age. I’m a microbiology professor and author of Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are, which describes how the gut microbiome contributes to physical and mental health. The discovery that the gut microbiome changes with age has ignited studies to determine whether the Fountain of Youth might be right under your nose, down inside your gut. Learn more about the gut microbiome.
Humanity
High School Friends Have Posed for the Same Photo Every 5 Years Since 1982
John Wardlaw / SWNS
Since going on vacation together 44 years ago, a group of friends has carried on a sweet tradition: posing for the same photo at the same spot every five years. Now 62 years old, pals John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer-Cleary, Dallas Burney, John Molony, and John “JD” Dickson all attended Southern California’s Santa Barbara High School. They’d often spend their weekends together listening to music and making Super 8 movies. After graduation, the teens were vacationing at Wardlaw’s grandfather’s cabin on Copco Lake, a former reservoir on the California-Oregon border, when Dickson set up the first photo of the group sitting next to each other. It was 1982, and they were all about 19. Five years later, Wardlaw had the idea to duplicate the snap when the quintet went on another trip in the same location. “We all liked the photo. I even had a 20-by-30-inch poster of it hung in my house at the time,” Wardlaw, who now lives in Bend, Oregon, told SWNS of that first snapshot. “It kind of went from there.” See more of the pictures from over the years.
In Other News
Renewable energy represented nearly half of the world’s electricity capacity in 2025, per a recent report (read more)
A new Samsung app claims to alleviate motion sickness via sound therapy through your headphones (read more)
Scientists found an Ice Age ecosystem in a Texas cave, including the fossil of a lion-size armadillo relative (read more)
An 81-year-old bottle of wine became the most expensive ever sold at auction, going for over $800,000 (read more)
Snack break: Alice the Asian elephant escaped her enclosure at a New Mexico zoo to sample nearby plants (read more)
Something We Love
Hey Girl Run It’s (not so) scientifically proventhat wearing a matching set makes you run faster. And the bike short-sports bra sets from Hey Girl Run are both affordable and practical, with a compressive feel and plentiful pocket space for your phone, keys, and fuel. The small business also offers free training guides for various levels, from a six-week beginner program all the way up to a full marathon. – Ally Mauch, Associate Editor
You won’t find Doritos or Gatorade at this colorful vending machine in Michigan, but for a couple bucks, you’ll get something better: a small act of kindness challenge. Four years ago, artist Andrea Zelenak repurposed the vintage machine and filled it with prompts meant to create a butterfly effect of thoughtful gestures. “The idea is that when you do one random act of kindness for somebody, it creates ripples of kindness in your community,” she said.
Photo of the Day
Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
Simon Gudgeon’s giant fruit sculptures are beautiful to look at, but there’s a deeper meaning to them as well. The idea behind the artwork “was to make people actually look at what they’re about to eat,” the artist explained. “It goes a little bit back to mindful eating.” Now on display through June 20, “Fruit Platter” is featured in Form, an exhibition at Pallington Lakes in Dorchester, England.
Long Angle: The Only Room Where Nobody Wants Your Money
What do you do when financial questions get complicated, and everyone around you seems to have something to sell? You find people who’ve faced the same thing. Long Angle is a free, private peer group with over 8,000 people with $5 million or more in wealth. There are no fees, no agenda, and no sales pitches. Just a trusted community working through real financial decisions together. Apply now to see if you qualify.
