Must Reads

• ​10 quirky July Fourth traditions you may not have heard of (egg fry, anyone?)
  ​
• The floor is lava! No, really​

Culture

Nature-Loving Toddler May Become Youngest Person to Visit Every US National Park

How many U.S. national parks have you visited? A 16-month-old named Aarya already has 28 under her belt — and while she may not be able to actually count that high, she’s well on her way to earning a world record for the achievement.
​
Aarya’s parents, Akshay Sharma and Aparajita Rai, initially began taking their toddler to the country’s national parks as a way to introduce her to the great outdoors, they told People magazine. It wasn’t until she’d been to 15 that a ranger brought up the idea of a record, and her parents began aiming for Aarya to become the youngest person to visit all 63 parks.
​
“For us, this journey is about much more than visiting all the national parks. It’s about spending meaningful time together as a family, creating memories outdoors, and raising a daughter who feels connected to nature,” mom Rai tells Nice News. The plan is to check off the remaining parks within the next two years, following Guinness World Records’ submission guidelines while continuing to chronicle their journey on social media.
​
Rai says: “We hope our story inspires other families to step outside, explore the incredible public lands around them, and discover that the greatest adventures are the ones shared together.” See more pics of the family’s travels.​

Together With Quince

The Classic Dress That’ll Keep You Cool This Summer

It seems like high temps are here to stay this summer, and while wearing a swimsuit everywhere you go sounds appealing, you probably need some clothes that keep you cool and meet the office dress code. The solution: the 100% European linen shirt dress from Quince.
​
A timeless classic, this shirt dress should be a staple in any wardrobe. It’s made from breathable, lightweight European linen and designed to be versatile, with elegant buttons down the front, and two pockets at the waist. Perfect for work, dinners, beach days, and everything in between.

Sports

Meet the Iconic Soccer Commentator Who’s Been Calling “Goooooooooooal!” for 30 Years

We’ve all heard him, even those of us who don’t watch soccer — Andrés Cantor’s enthusiastic, sometimes 10-second-long cries of “goal!” are the kind of thing that the share button on social media is made for. The sports commentator is a “cultural sensation,” per a recent profile of him in The New York Times.
​
Cantor, who was born in Argentina and moved to the U.S. as a teen, has been working the World Cup for three decades. The 63-year-old has also been turned into a Simpsons character, appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, and starred in a Geico commercial.
​
“It’s pure commentary master class,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, “taking the emotions from the field and transmitting them to a global audience.” And it’s a talent that’s helped turn casual soccer fans into passionate ones: “I think that is my calling,” Cantor shared.
​
Before each World Cup, he meets with a vocal coach to get himself ready for his tournament coverage, which can number over 20 games in a month. But in the heat of the moment, all that preparation can go out the window, Cantor told the Times — like when Argentina won in 2022. Hugging his broadcast partner, his voice cracking, he exclaimed: “Argentina, campeón del mundo! (“Argentina, champion of the world!”). Read the full profile.​

Humanity

US Giving Grew 3% in 2025, Crossing the $600B Mark for the First Time

This article was written by Jon Bergdoll, interim director of data and research partnerships at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, for The Conversation.
​
U.S. charitable giving rose 3% in 2025, surpassing $600 billion for the first time. The $617 billion that Americans gave to everything from churches to cat rescues was the second-highest ever in inflation-adjusted terms, but it fell short of the record set in 2021, when there was a burst of social services giving in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
​
This growth was slightly faster than the long-term annual average of 2.7%, thanks to the nation’s relatively strong — if mixed — economy. As part of my job researching trends in philanthropy and nonprofits, I’ve been the lead analyst for over a decade of this annual report from the Giving USA Foundation, produced in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Learn which categories of donations saw the largest increases.​

Global Good

🇰🇪 Barbers offer patients dignity through haircuts at Kenya’s largest mental health hospital (read more)
​

🇨🇦 Trees now have the rights to “life, growth, and regeneration” in a Quebec municipality, a Canadian first (read more)
​

🇲🇽 A blind women’s soccer team in Mexico City is breaking barriers and creating community (read more)
​

🇮🇳 Trail cam pics of elephants, leopards, and other animals prove India’s new wildlife corridor is a success (read more)
​

🇮🇹 Thousands of Vespa riders paraded through Rome to celebrate the iconic scooter’s 80th birthday — watch (read more)

Inspiring Story

Humanity above politics

​

The members of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, agree on religion — when it comes to politics, though, a person the pew over might see things very differently. “It’s definitely a purple congregation,” explained Rev. John Jackman. But that hasn’t stopped them from coming together on an issue that’s sometimes split along party lines: health care debt. Together, the roughly 200 congregants have raised tens of thousands of dollars to pay off state residents’ medical bills. “We need to look out for one another,” one member said.

Photo of the Day

Earlier this week, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed a stunning flyover of the Hoover Dam, which has been adorned with a 300-by-150-foot American flag since Memorial Day. The flag is illuminated in the evenings with colored lights, a spectacle that will conclude July Fourth — take a look at a night shot of the patriotic display.

Avoid the Afternoon Slump With Organixx

It’s 2 p.m., and once again, you can barely keep your eyes open. You’re slamming coffee, splashing water on your face, eating candy — doing whatever you can to stay awake. The problem may not be late nights or a busy schedule, but a simple mineral deficiency. Organixx Magnesium 7 is the complete solution, with seven highly absorbable forms of magnesium that target every pathway your body uses for relaxation and recovery.

Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡

Up This Weekend

1. Independence Day: Happy almost Fourth of July! You likely don’t need a reminder of tomorrow’s holiday, but don’t forget to prep your pets for the flurry of fireworks going off this weekend
   ​
2. National Cherry Festival: This celebration of all things cherry begins tomorrow in Traverse City, Michigan, and culminates in the coronation of the National Cherry Queen on July 10 (this year is the 100th anniversary of the festival, a fun alignment with America’s 250th)
   ​
3. Calgary Stampede: Outside of the U.S., Calgary, Canada’s famed music festival-cum-rodeo is taking place all weekend long — and next week and weekend, too
   ​

The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.

​

Odds & Ends

🦭 Purple is the new gray for one elephant seal​
​

🧑‍🍳 Feeding a family on just $5? Yes, chef!
​

🍬 Why a doctor recommends seniors eat this candy*
​

👖 The history in the back pocket of your blue jeans

*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.”

– THURGOOD MARSHALL