We love the arty, prestige films of Oscars season, but nothing hits quite the same as a summer blockbuster. There’s just something about sitting in ice-cold air-conditioning, munching on popcorn, and watching an adventure flick while the sun beats down outside. Thankfully, summer 2025 holds a lot of promise for engaging in that nostalgic experience, from the new Mission: Impossible to the latest Jurassic Park and Naked Gun installments. Check out the lineup here (you’ll also find a list of forthcoming music releases to add to your beach playlist).
Must Reads
A photo of a “forgotten antelope” has been published for the first time, raising awareness of the near-extinct species
One of New York’s Most Popular Hiking Destinations Is Getting an Eco Transformation
Darcstudio
The Breakneck Ridge Trail is one of the most popular day hikes in not just New York state but the entire country — the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference estimated in 2018 that the destination receives around 100,000 visitors each year. That’s partially thanks to its proximity to the Big Apple: It takes under 90 minutes to ride the train north from Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal to the Breakneck Ridge station. But all that traffic, as well as compounding environmental factors like invasive species and poor stormwater management, have taken a toll on the trail and its surroundings in the Hudson Highlands region. “One of the challenges is that, in many ways, the landscape — particularly the Breakneck landscape — is being ‘loved to death,’” Gena Wirth tells Nice News. Wirth, design principal and partner at SCAPE Landscape Architecture, is leading the design aspect of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, which will eventually stretch 7.5 miles from the village of Cold Spring to the city of Beacon. The goal of the project, set for completion in 2030, is to create a single trail that will improve and protect the ecosystem while also solving for overcrowding and unsafe pedestrian conditions. Check out more of the renderings to see how the area will be transformed.
Together With Pacaso
He’s Already IPO’d Once — This Time’s Different
Spencer Rascoff co-founded Zillow, scaling it into a $16 billion real estate giant. But everyday investors couldn’t invest until after the IPO, missing early gains. “I wish we had done a round accessible to retail investors prior to Zillow's IPO,” Spencer later said. Now, he’s doing just that. Spencer teamed up with fellow Zillow exec Austin Allison to launch Pacaso. Pacaso’s co-ownership marketplace is disrupting the $1.3 trillion vacation home market. They’ve already surpassed $110 million in gross profit and $1 billion in transactions. The company also recently reserved its Nasdaq ticker, PCSO. But unlike Zillow, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company. Become a Pacaso investor at $2.80/share before tonight at midnight PST.
This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
Tech
Young People Are Second-Guessing Their Screen Time, Survey Suggests
Daniel de la Hoz/ iStock
We’ve likely all seen studies about the dangers of social media when it comes to young people’s mental health and overall well-being. Now, a new British survey offers some optimism that the younger generation may be logging off,or at least headed in a less online direction. After surveying 1,293 teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 21, researchers found that nearly half would have preferred growing up without the internet. A whopping 68% said they felt worse when they spent time on social media and 50% would be in favor of a digital curfew that would restrict access to certain apps and websites in the evening. This screen-skeptical trend coincides with an uptick in social media de-influencing, as well as digital detox groups like The Offline Club, which encourages people to meet up sans screens. The club’s website reads: “We envision a world in which phone-free spaces and offline communities are the norm.” Time will tell, but that world may be here sooner than we think.
Science
Geologists Discover Hells Canyon Is a Youngster Compared to the Grand Canyon
thinair28/ iStock
The Grand Canyon may get a lot of the attention, but Hells Canyon along the Idaho-Oregon border is more remote and deeper — and it’s been officially confirmed as younger, at a ripe 2.1 million years old. This newfound timeline comes after geologist Matthew Morriss spent years fascinated by Hells Canyon and its age. He eventually embarked on a mission to date the landmark by looking for places where a river might have left behind original sediments, which he and his research team found in a surprising place: inside caves. “Lo and behold, the first cave we went in together, we did find a lot of gravel we were able to sample,” he told NPR. After exploring more than 30 caves and dating sediment samples, the team concluded that the river was likely nonexistent before 2.1 million years ago. “This is younger than the youngest reported age for the Grand Canyon,” he said, adding that the Grand Canyon’s youngest stretches are about 5 million years old. “Hells Canyon’s incision is much more recent.” As for Morriss, knowing the canyon’s age brings a sense of peace — and bragging rights: “It was nice to put that to rest and also be able to email my college professors and say, ‘See, I told you I’d find out how old this was’ and be able to share that excitement with them,” he said. “It was really fun.”
In Other News
The first color images of supermassive black holes are on the horizon thanks to new technology (read more)
A Japanese sumo wrestler earned grand champion status, breaking a 7-year streak of mostly Mongolian winners (read more)
In “a massive win for wildlife,” Florida legally protected all state parks from commercial development (read more)
The supposedly extinct Monte Gordo grasshopper was spotted for the first time in nearly half a century (read more)
A kite-shaped pink diamond believed to have once belonged to Marie Antoinette is going up for auction (read more)
Something We Love
The Artist’s Way This is one of those books that can be life-changing for those in pursuit of a creative path. The morning pages are an enlightening exercise that can drastically shift perspectives, and the artist dates are a great way to check in with yourself. – Kenny Freeman, Director of Partnerships
The Redondo Sunset Champions League is in full swing in California, giving players with physical ailments, disabilities, or challenges a chance to play baseball. It’s all thanks to high schooler Matthew McCauley, who started the inclusive league for one simple reason: “just to do some positive good.”
Photo of the Day
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is underway in Paris. Poland’s No. 5-ranked Iga Świątek — pictured here during her match against Brit Emma Raducanu yesterday — is already through to round three of the tennis tournament. But plenty of other top athletes will have to win today to advance in men’s and women’s singles, including Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Jessica Pegula. Follow the bracket.
Learn Something New With Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is helping curious minds connect with the world — one language at a time. During the Memorial Day sale, get lifetime access to all 25 languages for just $149 (regularly $399). Whether you’re preparing for your next adventure, reconnecting with your roots, or just excited to keep learning, Rosetta Stone’s proven method makes it easy to speak confidently and explore new cultures with joy and purpose.
