In case you missed it, we launched our latest seasonal fundraiser earlier this week, benefiting Every Mother Counts. This nonprofit is working to ensure that the entire maternal health journey, including childbirth, is safe, respectful, and equitable for all mothers, all around the world. The good news is that most maternal deaths are preventable, and you have the opportunity to support that prevention. Help us reach our goal.
A 6-Step Challenge to Help Prevent Dementia, Starting Today
PM Images—DigitalVision/Getty Images
It may sound cliché, but small everyday habits can really go a long way toward preventing cognitive decline. Research shows that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed with the help of some simple behavioral changes. Getting started with those changes, though, can be a battle in itself. A recent survey by the Alzheimer’s Association found that nearly 99% of adults believe maintaining brain health as they age is very important — but a similar majority of those surveyed, nearly 91%, said they didn’t know how to maintain it. To help change that, the nonprofit launched the “(Re)Think Your Brain 6-Step Challenge” to guide participants toward healthier lifestyle choices, like moving more and spending time with loved ones. Rest assured, this challenge isn’t about overhauling your life or striving for perfection. Alzheimer’s Association CEO and President Joanne Pike told CBS Mornings it’s about taking “easy, actionable steps every day to maintain and grow your brain health.” Up for it? Sign up for the free challenge and get started anytime.
Together With FinanceBuzz
25 Things to Cut When Money Gets Tight
Prices are going up. Your money is getting tight. And figuring out what to cut back on can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there are resources out there that can help. The experts over at FinanceBuzz compiled a list of 25 money-saving strategies, from making sure you’re not overpaying for car and home insurance to losing those mindless recurring expenses for services you may not actually need (No. 11 on the list often gets overlooked). You don’t have to change everything overnight — even doing just one can help you breathe a little easier.
A Filmmaker Recruited Her Dad to Rescue a Calf — And Documented the Journey
Cow Trip / Joanna Zelman LLC
When a male calf is born on a dairy farm, he’s typically separated from his mother and sent away to be raised for meat. But one calf named Mickey, born at a Vermont dairy, got lucky — a farmworker arranged for him to go to an animal sanctuary instead. The only problem was that his new home was roughly 600 miles away in Maryland, and he needed a way to get there. That’s where filmmaker Joanna Zelman came in. After learning about Mickey, Joanna took it upon herself to drive him south, and she had the perfect road trip companion in mind: her “burger-loving dad,” Jared Zelman. Joanna documented their journey of bringing Mickey (and, in a twist of fate, another male calf born nearby named Moose) all the way to Maryland. The result of that footage is a short film released yesterday called Cow Trip. The documentary covers the bumps in the road — Mickey coming down with a fever, misplaced cellphones — as well as the triumphs, not the least of which is Jared and Joanna’s loving father-daughter relationship. “The most rewarding part of this experience has been sharing it with Joanna, whose ethics are seamlessly woven into both her work and daily life,” Jared tells Nice News. “Through it all, there has been laughter, awe, and love.” “I hope viewers will walk away willing to stretch their humanity a bit more, whether that’s by approaching strangers with compassion or seeing how animals are capable of emotions and relationships that we value,” adds Joanna. Click here to watch the short film, which begins with Mickey’s birth and ends with … well, we won’t spoil it.
Culture
The Key to Better Teamwork? Sing Sea Shanties, Study Finds
E. Dean—Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
Have you been on #ShantyTok? A few years ago, the TikTok trend brought old-school sea shanties, like “Wellerman” and “Hoist the Colors,” to the viral forefront. In addition to inspiring some quirky new riffs, the resurgence of shanties prompted researchers to investigate the potential psychological benefits of these work songs — and it turns out the catchy tunes may actually help with overall team coordination. In a recent study, participants were put in pairs and tasked with tapping along with a metronome at a specific interval and then continuing when the metronome was turned off. Some pairs had one person saying “one, two, one, two” along with the beat, approximating the effect of singing a shanty. In these “work song” groups, the vocalizing helped stabilize a team’s collective timing and prevented individual members from accidentally speeding up during rhythmic actions (a phenomenon called “joint rushing”). “What was striking in this study was that, just by having one person count in a specific way, joint rushing was not only reduced, but statistically speaking, it was completely eliminated,” study co-author Thomas Wolf told Phys.org. The takeaway: Even simple vocalizations can enhance group coordination and keep momentum on point. Researchers note the findings offer potential insights for applications beyond the study’s scope, such as in sports, emergency responses, and other high-stakes situations requiring teamwork.
Global Good
🇨🇳 China’s Great Wall is being restored by construction workers on a mission to “repair old to keep old” (read more) 🇰🇷 The Healing Boat: An autonomous, solar-powered ferry in South Korea can purify the water mid-ride (read more) 🇲🇼 Expanded electricity access in Malawi is fostering economic growth and better living standards (read more) 🇨🇵 In a unanimous decision, the French Parliament passed a law to streamline the restitution of looted artifacts (read more) 🇵🇹 Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary is ready for arrivals — see the Portuguese site (read more)
Inspiring Story
Night to remember
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provided a different type of care to some patients this month: a prom night, complete with a limo ride, red carpet, and special virtual appearance from a country singer. “It gives us all a hope to just be normal and to just have an amazing time,” said 16-year-old Presli, who has Hodgkin lymphoma. See the prom pics.
Photo of the Day
Nationals Communications
Meet the newest member of the Washington Nationals! The MLB team announced the darling 8-week-old golden retriever and Labrador retriever mix as its official dog on Monday, sharing that he’ll make his big game debut at tonight’s matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Over the next 18 months, Natty will work with trainers and make appearances at select home games and community events — and then he’ll become a service dog. Check out his new Instagram account, filled with pics and videos cute enough to make anyone love baseball.
A Place for Mom: Is It Time to Consider Senior Care?
Caring for a parent or loved one is an act of love, and comes with the overwhelming desire to get it right. A Place for Mom offers support to families navigating senior living and home care options. Helpful tools and expert resources make it easier to plan for a smooth transition. Best of all, this personalized guidance is offered at no cost to families.
Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡
Up This Weekend
FA Cup: England’s Football Association Challenge Cup was first played in 1872, making it the oldest national football competition in the world — learn how to watch Chelsea face off against Manchester City tomorrow
Rochester Lilac Festival: This upstate New York flower festival may not be as big as the FA Cup, but it is nearly as old, dating all the way back to 1898 (and we bet it smells better than a soccer match)
Eurovision Song Contest: The grand final of Europe’s iconic song contest takes place tomorrow in Vienna, Austria, which is hosting this year after winning the top prize in 2025
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.
