Spring ushers in foxtail season, which cues us to remind all dog and cat owners to be watchful of your pets around the spiky plant. Foxtails have a “barbed structure” that can cause external and internal injuries to our furry friends. “The most common thing we see is when the barbed portion of the plant works its way between toes or into ears and noses,” explained San Francisco SPCA Hospital Medical Director Melanie Ellis. Read the organization’s guide to spotting and preventing foxtail injuries.

Must Reads

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Culture

Naples, Florida, Tops List of the Best Places to Live in the US

U.S. News & World Report is well known for its rankings of everything from top colleges to retirement hotspots, and its latest is in. Earlier this week, the publication released its annual list of the best places to live in the country, with Naples, Florida, taking the No. 1 spot.

The ranking looks a little different than previous years due to methodology changes — rather than using metropolitan area-based data, the 2024-2025 edition relied on city-based data, resulting in more Midwestern and Southern locales moving up the list.

U.S. News also put more weight on a city’s value and job market this year, citing “rising concerns about career prospects, housing affordability, and increased cost of goods and services,” reporter Erika Giovanetti explained in a press release.

Naples, with a strong job market and an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of April, clearly fits the bill when it comes to economic considerations. And its Gulf Coast location and temperate weather make for easy living. The locals put it best: “I love seeing sunshine almost every day,” Mark Danni, a resident of 22 years, told the Naples Daily News. Check out the rest of the cities that made the top 15.

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Sports

“It Feels Surreal”: Caitlin Clark Signs Historic Deal With Wilson

© Steven Garcia/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy Stock Photo

Caitlin Clark remains in her history-making era. The breakout basketball star, who graduated from the University of Iowa this month and began her WNBA career, has broken numerous records on the court — and now she is changing the game yet again off the court (or rather court adjacent).

The Indiana Fever guard signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with sporting goods company Wilson, becoming the first athlete to do so since Michael Jordan in the 1980s and the first female athlete to have her own signature collection with the brand. “It feels surreal to have my own basketball collection, and to affect what that means for future generations of athletes,” Clark said in a statement.

Later this year, the company is set to roll out a signature collection of items featuring — and creative-directed by — Clark. She will also act as a brand ambassador and test, advise, and provide feedback on a range of basketball products. The first product drop, which launched Tuesday, includes a series of limited edition white and gold basketballs to commemorate her inaugural season with the WNBA.

Environment

International Court Rules in Favor of Small Island Nations Affected by Climate Change

This week, an international maritime court delivered a unanimous opinion legally obligating many large governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions — a win for the small island nations that are most affected by climate change despite contributing relatively little to it.

“Today’s judgment is a massive victory for our ocean communities impacted by climate change, and science in general,” Sarah Cooley, a director with the Ocean Conservancy, told Grist.

The opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was requested last September by a group of nine Caribbean and Pacific island states facing severe climate impacts. In its ruling, the court classified emissions as marine pollutants, explaining that state parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (including China, India, the European Union, and Russia) must take measures to “prevent, reduce, and control marine pollution.”

Nikki Reisch from the Center for International Environmental Law said the result is “a testament to the persistent courage and leadership of small island states that have really been at the forefront of the struggle for climate justice and accountability and the forefront of legal developments.”

In Other News

Tennessee will be the first state to cover baby diaper expenses through its Medicaid program.
Blood proteins could predict cancer risk more than seven years before diagnosis, according to two studies out of Oxford.
The Flower Moon will be at its fullest tonight. Find out when to look up and what makes May’s full moon special.
Bring your own binoculars: A rare, blue bird caused quite a commotion in the U.K., with wildlife lovers sleeping in cars just for a glimpse.
Venus Williams and eight other athletes will have Barbie dolls made in their likenesses as Mattel looks to celebrate women’s sports ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Something We Love

Bite Daily Habits Kit

Bite is rethinking dental care products though an eco-friendly lens, replacing the traditional plastic tubes of toothpaste with “bits” that come in a reusable glass jar. The Daily Habits Kit — with a jar of toothpaste bits, jar of mouthwash bits, floss bottle, bamboo toothbrush, and travel tin — has everything you need to go plastic-free and keep those pearly whites clean.

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Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.

Inspiring Story

Like grandfather, like granddaughter

Nearly six decades ago, Ronald Yancey broke barriers as the first Black graduate of Georgia Tech. Fast forward to this month and he presented his granddaughter with her diploma after she followed in his footsteps and graduated from the same university with a master’s in engineering.

Photo of the Day

Per the BBC, this garden was deemed the most biodiverse entry in the history of the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show — and naturally, it won the show’s gold medal. Curated by a Welsh climate charity, it was designed in the shape of Wales and features 300 different plant species. See more photos.

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