We’ve all witnessed — or experienced firsthand — how holidays send some people into creative frenzies, and such was the case for two Texas neighbors who started a viral showdown over their Halloween decorations. It started with a playful sign reading “Is that all you got?” after a 12-foot skeleton appeared in one family’s yard, and evolved into a good-natured competition chronicled on social media. “They’re such great people, and I can already tell this little ‘war’ is going to turn into a lasting friendship,” a member of one of the families told People. Watch the videos, and if you’re so inspired, check out eight simple ways to make the spooky season feel more festive. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
A Bittersweet Challenge: Tips for Cutting Back on Added Sugar (and 5 Healthy Dessert Ideas)
SB Arts Media/ iStock
A decadent chocolate cake drizzled with caramel, a pint of mint chocolate chip Haagen-Dazs, and a crisp can of Coke. No, we aren’t listing the items from someone’s last meal request, but you wouldn’t be surprised if we were, right? Humans love sugar — so much so that American adults and young adults consume far more added sugar than they should: an average of 68 grams a day, or about 17 teaspoons. That’s nearly double the recommended maximum for men and three times what it is for women. Even knowing that, saying farewell to your daily Frappuccino still might feel beyond your ability — that’s just how our brains are wired. “From an evolutionary standpoint, sweet flavors signaled quick energy and safety (since most poisonous foods in nature are bitter, not sweet),” Katie Chapmon, a registered dietitian nutritionist, tells Nice News via email, adding that sugar also lights up reward pathways in the brain. “The modern food environment takes advantage of this wiring, offering highly processed, hyper-palatable foods that make moderation tough.” Tough, but not impossible. Click below for the scoop on added sugar — including tips for cutting back on it and some delicious treats to satiate your sweet tooth. By the end of the article, you may just be reaching for a pear instead of a popsicle.
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This Week’s Top Stories
Humanity
Tiny Home Village Helps Maui Wildfire Survivors Regain Stability, 2 Years Later
HomeAid Hawaiʻi
On a Hawaiian hillside just north of Lahaina is a 57-acre tiny home community with a big mission: Called Ka La‘i Ola, this landmark development provides interim housing for nearly 900 residents displaced by Maui’s 2023 wildfires — specifically those who lost their homes and were ineligible for federal FEMA assistance. Meaning “The Place of Peaceful Recovery,” Ka La‘i Ola is the second-largest village of its kind in the nation. Not only does it offer equipped modular units ranging from studios to three bedrooms,but it hasalso implemented a no-rent policy until 2027, giving residents the gift of time to regain stability. Iuni and ‘One Tuaimei‘uta, who lost everything when the wildfires swept through, said in a video testimonial that the community “has given us a second chance, to know that we can move forward, to know that we can be able to be better. But it’s such a beautiful place to be right now. In a sense, it keeps you humble.” “Ka La‘i Ola represents the very best of Hawaii. It symbolizes our resilience, compassion, and determination as a community,” Gov. Josh Green said in a recent press release announcing the completion of the community. He added: “Every key we hand to a family is a promise that they are not forgotten, that Hawaii stands with them as they rebuild their lives.” Check out the village.
Culture
With Sick Notes and Receipts, Exhibit Offers Peek Into Ancient Egyptian Work Life
It turns out that even ancient Egyptians had to deal with sick days and bills. A new exhibit at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, showcases everyday items from ordinary Egyptians around 3,500 years ago — including receipts, records of worker absences, and, overall, reminders that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The exhibit, titled “Made in Egypt,” sheds light on the day-to-day lives of people living around 3,500 years agothrough “extraordinary objects,” some of which have never been seen before in the U.K., per the museum’s website. Among the artifacts are a note that a craftsman named Panebu would be missing work due to a bite, a message about an entire workforce attending a funeral, and a receipt for decorating a coffin. Though these records may sound like they could be written today, they look anything but modern. The texts were jotted on ostraca, shards of stone or pottery often used as notepads in ancient Egypt. Take a look at some of the artifacts on display at the museum through April 12.
Health
Eating for 2: The Planetary Health Diet Helps Humans and the Environment, Study Finds
Hispanolistic/ iStock
Diets tend to come and go, but a recent landmark study revealed one that could benefit human health for the long haul — and the planet’s health, too. Called the Planetary Health Diet, or PHD, this approach encourages a flexible, mostly plant-based eating plan with moderate animal protein intake. The study authors — an international coalition of experts in nutrition, climate, economics, health, and agriculture — recommendconsuming three to four daily servings of whole grains, at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, and one serving each of nuts, legumes, and dairy. They advise keeping to one serving of red meat, two servings of fish and poultry, and three to four eggs per week. If people around the world adopted the diet, it could yield profound benefits (to say the least), including preventing 15 million premature deaths annually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by more than half, and saving trillions of dollars. “We have a huge body of new literature showing very major health benefits,” said Walter C. Willett, co-chair of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission that released the report, per ABC News. And unlike many diets, PHD is “not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Willett added in a statement. “It allows for cultural diversity and individual preferences, providing flexibility within clear guidelines to achieve optimal health and sustainability outcomes worldwide.” In other words, whether you identify as a vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore, there’s room at the PHD table for you. Learn more about the diet.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
For an epic piece called “11,000 strings,” 50 pianos were tuned so that no two sounded the same: Listen to the effect
“Goth flaneur” Mariana Enriquez has long been fascinated by the inner workings of cemeteries, frequently evading the living to spend time among the dead. But when the body of her friend’s missing mother was discovered in a common grave, the Argentinian author began to think even more deeply about the places our physical forms spend eternity in. In a compilation of essays that blend personal tales with myths, interviews, and “hauntology,” she investigates 21 cemeteries across the world for a memoir that’s “fascinating, spooky, and unlike anything else.”
The Foo Fighters, who first got together in 1994, last released new music in July. Now, they’re back with a six-song live EP recorded during four surprise performances in September. The songs range from a track that frontman Dave Grohl recorded under a different name while he was still in Nirvana to a Grammy-winning tune from 2012. The collection is available exclusively on Bandcamp, and fans can pay whatever they like for it: All proceeds will be donated to organizations fighting food insecurity in the locales where the performances were held. Have a listen at the link above.
This Week in History
Oktoberfest Begins in Bavaria
October 12, 1810
Zangl/ullstein bild via Getty Images
You know about the costumes and libations involved, but do you know when and how Oktoberfest got started? The event’s origins can be traced back to the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Louis and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen on this day in 1810. Per History, the residents of Munich were invited to partake in the wedding festivities, which were held on the fields in front of the city gates, and the celebrations were emulated throughout Bavaria. The decision was made to repeat the gatherings the following year, giving rise to what’s now the annual tradition of Oktoberfest. See how it’s celebrated all around the world, from Germany to Japan — prost!
Take Care of Your Gut With Pendulum
Scientists from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Berkeley, and Stanford figured out that Akkermansia is a beneficial strain for improved gut health. And now, Pendulum has pioneered its use in a probiotic supplement recommended by more than 16,000 medical professionals. This one-of-a-kind formula strengthens the gut lining, improves metabolic health, and boosts GLP-1 production* so you feel your best every day.
