Olé! After years of planning and anticipation, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially here — the first opening ceremony will kick things off in Mexico City this afternoon, followed by a match between co-host Mexico and South Africa. And a couple hundred miles west in Guadalajara, South Korea will face off against the Czech Republic. With three countries hosting for the first time and more participating teams than ever (including more than a few promising underdogs), it’s bound to be an exciting five weeks. Learn how to watch Shakira at the opening ceremony and check out the tournament schedule.
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Reading and Math Scores Are Trending Up for Younger Students, Report Finds
10’000 Hours—DigitalVision/Getty Images
New federal test scores, released yesterday, show that younger students are gaining ground in both reading and math after years of decline. The data comes from the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ long-term trend tests — exams students across the nation take every few years and which contain many of the same questions as when they were first given out in the 1970s. The most recent tests were taken by more than 30,000 9- and 13-year-old students between October 2024 and March 2025. The biggest bright spot was that 9-year-olds returned to pre-pandemic reading levels and made notable improvements in math compared to 2022. A report notes that these students were only 4 at the start of the pandemic and didn’t begin school until in-person learning resumed in most places. “It is just so encouraging,” Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, told NPR, calling it an “optimistic release.” The report still showed plenty of room for improvement, particularly among the older students, so here’s hoping this is just the beginning of a long upward trend.
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Experts Tested 17 Hearing Aids — This Is Their No. 1 Pick
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Parks Yield a 300% Return on Investment for Local Communities
Sascha Kilmer—Moment/Getty Images
You can’t put a price tag on a nice day at the park — but you can measure the financial boon parks provide. A recent report from the Trust for Public Land found that for every $1 invested in parks and recreation, communities get back at least $3 in local economic benefits each year. “You really do get so much goodness out of them,” Will Klein, the organization’s director of parks research, told Grist. “People are healthier, people connect with each other. They drive business activity, especially for small businesses.” Beyond bolstering nearby shops, parks can also boost property values and even help people save on health care spending by providing a place for residents to get active and breathe fresh air. And they serve as third places, where people can bond outside (for free!) among a landscape of trees, grass, swings, and perhaps a basketball hoop or two. “Just playing on the playground, talking to neighbors, having barbecues — all that stuff allows people to afford that higher quality of life,” Klein said. Read more about the many perks of parks.
Sports
Golf Program Gives Incarcerated Individuals a Shot at a New Perspective
Washington State Department of Corrections
At the Cedar Creek Corrections Center outside of Olympia, Washington, a unique program is seeking to drive positive change by teaching incarcerated individuals the ins and outs of golf — and, bigger picture, life skills that apply far beyond the course. “Initially, when it started, it was not about golf at all. It was about programming, idleness reduction, keeping people busy, bringing diverse groups together,” former superintendent Tim Thrasher, who launched the initiative in 2024, told ABC News, adding: “The rules of golf are the rules of life — you know, the ethics, the etiquette, having to do things right when nobody’s watching.” The men are on track to be released within the next few years, so the aim is for the program to help set them up for a successful reentry after leaving the minimum-security prison. “It’s definitely changed me. My anger had led me to where I’m at now, and being able to learn other ways to vent that anger and release it and not dwell on it [has helped],” said Mike Helmer, one of the dozen participants.
In Other News
A new sunscreen ingredient was approved by the FDA for the first time in decades (read more)
Kendi, a rhino at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, can see clearly again after undergoing a rare cataract surgery (read more)
Little bundles of (FIFA) joy! NICU babies in some Texas hospitals got all geared up for the 2026 World Cup (read more)
Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe through the ages is on display in a new exhibit at Buckingham Palace (read more)
Geology club MVP: An 11-year-old on a field trip in Kansas found an 85 million-year-old sea creature fossil (read more)
Inspiring Story
A wrong number gone right
A phone number mishap turned into an unlikely (but very lovely) friendship between 24-year-old Lauren Stevens and 72-year-old Wernher Krutein. Read about their friendship meet-cute that has since turned into a moving fundraiser.
Photo of the Day
CFOTO—Future Publishing/Getty Images
Hello from the Huapao Festival! The centuries-old Chinese tradition celebrates unity with a parade and firecrackers — as seen in this shot from a celebration that dazzled Hemu Town, a remote destination known as “the first village in China.”
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