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Daily Edition • June 18, 2025
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In good news for the Pacific Northwest, the wildfires burning in Oregon appear to be near containment. And in good news for animal lovers everywhere, a sweet wildlife story has emerged from the fires. On Saturday, a team of firefighters saw a baby deer come out from the smoke along U.S. Route 30. “It was so tiny, and I was like, ‘We’ve got to do something,’” firefighter Jennifer Colton told The Oregonian. So she and the rest of her crew rinsed the small animal with water and brought it to a forest clearing unaffected by the fires — providing a much-needed morale boost for the team. See photos from the heartwarming rescue.
Must Reads
Question of the day: Can all of Manhattan be photographed in just one shot?
Your Breathing Is as Unique as Your Fingerprints, New Study Finds
Super Scout/ iStock
Inhale, exhale. You do it every day, all day, and although you don’t see it, the way you breathe is as unique to you as your fingerprints, according to a new study. “In a way, we’re reading the mind through the nose,” co-author Noam Sobel told Nature. He explained that because breathing is connected to the brain and no two brains function in the same way, his team hypothesized that breathing patterns are also unique. To test that, researchers monitored the breathing of 97 people over 24 hours via a wearable device that recorded breath duration, the time between breaths, and the amount of air passing through each nostril. Using a machine learning program, the scientists analyzed the breathing patterns and found they were able to identify individuals with 96.8% accuracy, as well as glean other health insights, such as anxiety and depression levels and body mass index. Looking ahead, the team suggests that long-term breath monitoring could aid in the diagnostic process and management of certain conditions. “We intuitively assume that how depressed or anxious you are changes the way you breathe,” Sobel said in a statement. “But it might be the other way around. Perhaps the way you breathe makes you anxious or depressed. If that’s true, we might be able to change the way you breathe to change those conditions.” While we’re on the topic of inhales and exhales, why not take 60 seconds to do a quick meditation?
Together With Pacaso
The Real Estate Star Opening $1.3 Trillion Doors
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Humanity
Slavery-Ending Documents Signed by Lincoln Could Rake in $17M at Auction
Courtesy Sotheby's / SWNS
Two era-defining documents that ended slavery and reshaped United States history are going under the hammer. The copies of the 13th Amendment (estimated at $8 million to $12 million) and the Emancipation Proclamation (estimated at $3 million to $5 million) are both signed by President Abraham Lincoln — and the landmark documents, rarely seen together, will headline Sotheby’s Fine Books and Manuscripts auction in New York on June 26. They offer collectors a rare glimpse into the enduring legacy of Lincoln’s vision for the legal abolition of slavery. While the Emancipation Proclamation introduced partial emancipation, the 13th Amendment was the first instance in which abolition was enshrined in U.S. law. The latter’s ratification in 1865 also marked the first change to the Constitution in 60 years. According to Sotheby’s, the documents are considered the most valuable copies of their kind ever to reach auction. Their appearance together at the event commemorates a pivotal moment in the nation’s history, as well as Lincoln’s commitment to ending slavery — an act he considered his greatest achievement as president.
Environment
The Beaver Makes a Comeback in Portugal, 500 Years After Disappearing
CreativeNature_nl/ iStock
In today’s installment of animal comeback stories, we’re talking about the beaver. For the first time in more than five centuries, the large rodent species, which disappeared from Portugal in the 1400s due to habitat destruction and hunting, has been spotted roaming about the Iberian nation again. “We’ve been on the lookout for this breakthrough for a few years now, and now we’re thrilled to confirm its return,” Pedro Prata, a team leader at Rewilding Portugal, said in a statement. The organization is behind a photo-trapping program that has confirmed the presence of a young adult beaver in Portuguese territory — a welcome addition that’s thanks to two decades of population restoration efforts in neighboring Spain. “The return of the beaver to Portugal is a symbol of hope and change. It shows that if we give nature space and time, it will respond,” said Prata, noting the “ecosystem engineers” build dams, help restore river health, and play a vital role in biodiversity. “It’s now up to us to ensure that this return is well received and protected.”
In Other News
The ESA created its first artificial total solar eclipse in orbit — and the images are striking (read more)
Mobile doctors are bringing vital care to the streets, helping unhoused residents in their later years (read more)
Lorenzo, a 110-year-old lobster, was freed from a New York eatery’s tank on Father’s Day (read more)
“It’s bright, it’s open, it’s lively.” A vacant Boston school was transformed into housing for LGBTQ+ seniors (read more)
Check out the star-studded tennis duos set to compete in the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament (read more)
Something We Love
Lion Brand Yarn’s Instaknit Lion Brand is on a mission to make knitting easy and fun — and InstaKnit delivers just that. Designed with preformed loops, InstaKnit takes the guesswork out of getting started. Try it while watching your favorite show, during a lunch break, or over morning coffee. With more than 20 vibrant colors and six beginner-friendly patterns designed just for this yarn, there’s no limit to what you can create with InstaKnit. What will you make?*
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Inspiring Story
Healing through horses
As part of a pioneering equine therapy program at a Texas county jail, inmates who are also U.S. veterans form powerful bonds with horses, learning valuable lessons from the sensitive animals. “Working with the horses has helped me recognize when I’m starting to struggle and it’s helping me understand that I have to regroup. I got to breathe, I got to center myself,” said Ashley Davis, an inmate and Navy vet. “It’s giving me some tools in my toolbox that I can take with me to apply later so that I don’t sabotage my life again.”
Photo of the Day
Jeff Schear/Getty Images for James Beard Foundation
In case you missed it, the James Beard Awards took place in Chicago Monday night, bringing together the country’s top chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, and bartenders. The latter category was particularly on display this year, as three new bar-related awards were given out: best new bar, outstanding professional in beverage service, and outstanding professional in cocktail service. Edrick Colon and Stephen Alonso (pictured), who run Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, won best new bar — see the full winners list.
Amazon Prime Perks That Should Be on Your Radar, Courtesy of Brad’s Deals
Free shipping is great — but Amazon Prime is packed with even more perks. Free music and podcasts, access to exclusive lightning deals, and Whole Foods discounts are just some of the many lesser-known incentives that your membership has to offer. And the experts at Brad’s Deals have compiled 9 underrated Prime perks to help you get the most out of your membership.
