This One-Year-Old Just Met the Stranger Who Donated an Organ to Save Her Life

A 1-year-old girl named Emma Murphy who was diagnosed with a life-threatening liver condition shortly after birth has been able to meet the woman who saved her life. Last November, an anonymous donor stepped forward and donated a piece of her liver to Emma. Emma's donor was Lori Seitz, a stranger to the Terao-Murphy family who became a second-time donor when she gave a piece of her liver to Emma. The two recently met for the first time on Seitz's birthday, and Seitz was able to hold Emma,

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This Girl Got a Hero's Welcome Home After 975 Days In Hospital Following a Successful Heart Transplant

After nearly 1,000 days in the hospital, five-year-old Sienna Barton finally came home to Utah last week, welcomed by a town that turned out in pink and purple to celebrate her return. Sienna, from Saratoga Springs, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital condition where the left side of the heart fails to fully develop and cannot pump blood effectively. According to Intermountain Health, she endured two open-heart surgeries but later went into severe heart failure. To keep her alive, doctors implanted a mechanical device to help circulate her blood while she waited for a transplant. That wait lasted more than two years. Her family eventually moved to Texas to be near Texas Children’s Hospital, where she underwent her long-awaited heart transplant in June. “We flew there May 28 and she got her heart transplant June 25,” her mother, Francesca Barton, told ABC affiliate KTVX. “And then we were required to stay 90-100 days in Texas post-transplant.” All told, Sienna spent 975 days in the hospital. “She was two years old when she went into the hospital and now, she’s five,” her dad, Fano Barton, told NBC affiliate KSL. When she finally came home, neighbors lined the streets with streamers, balloons, and handmade posters. “We knew we had a big village of support, but I didn’t expect it to be so many people,” Francesca said. “So many people have been behind us helping our family.” After nearly three years of waiting, surgeries, and setbacks, Sienna’s return marked a joyful ending to a long ordeal, with her entire community celebrating the milestone right alongside her.

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Connecticut Woman Makes 'Wheel Of Fortune' History With Record $1 Million Win

Christina Derevjanik just spun her way into game show history. The Stamford, Connecticut native became only the fourth person ever to win the $1 million prize on “Wheel of Fortune,” and the first to do so since Ryan Seacrest took over as host. Her total haul on Tuesday’s episode reached a record-setting $1,035,155, the most money ever won in a single game. It wasn’t an easy start. Derevjanik lost both opening toss-up puzzles, but her fortunes changed when she landed on the coveted $1 million wedge in the very first round. She solved the puzzle, pocketed $10,556, and picked up a trip to Montana. Her momentum continued later, adding $5,350 plus a trip to Tokyo during the third puzzle, which brought her total winnings to $27,505. By the time she advanced to the bonus round, she had banked $35,155. That’s where the real drama began. Because she had carried the $1 million wedge through the game, the standard $100,000 prize card in the bonus round was swapped out for the million-dollar envelope. Before spinning, Derevjanik joked to Seacrest that her boss was in the audience and, if she won, she “may be putting in [her] two weeks.” She spun, landed on the ampersand slot, and faced a puzzle in the “Living Things” category. The answer: “Pack of coyotes.” She nailed it. Seacrest opened the envelope and revealed the words everyone dreams of: “One Million.” Confetti poured down, and the audience erupted as Derevjanik hugged Seacrest and Vanna White. “You won a million dollars!” Seacrest shouted. “You’re shaking. I’m in tears.” Derevjanik laughed that she and her boss would “have a discussion” about her job when she returned home. Her win puts her in rare company. Only three others have ever claimed the million-dollar prize since it was introduced in 2008, and she is the first to do so under Seacrest’s hosting tenure. What began as a shaky night of missed toss-ups ended with Derevjanik walking away a millionaire and writing herself into the record books of America’s longest-running game show.

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U.S. Solar Set To Surpass Wind In 2025, Leaving Coal Behind

Solar power is rapidly solidifying its role at the center of America’s energy future. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S. added 16 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity through July this year, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the 21.5 GW of overall electric generation brought online in 2025. That makes solar the dominant force in new power generation, slightly ahead of last year’s pace when 15.7 GW had been added over the same period. Wind came in second with 3.2 GW of additions, while natural gas followed with 2.2 GW. That gas figure is nearly double what developers added by this point in 2024, underscoring its continuing role in the grid despite renewable momentum. In terms of the current mix, natural gas still leads by a wide margin, making up 42 percent of U.S. electricity. FERC reports 567 GW of natural gas capacity is active, compared with 198 GW from coal, 158 GW from wind, and 153 GW from solar. But that balance is shifting quickly. Based on deployment rates, solar is set to surpass wind as the third-largest electricity source and could overtake coal within a few years. FERC forecasts no new coal projects in its “high probability additions” outlook through mid-2028. Instead, 63 coal plants are scheduled to retire, cutting coal’s share by 25 GW and leaving around 173 GW. Solar, meanwhile, is projected to add more than 92 GW over that same period, pushing installed capacity to about 250 GW. If realized, that would leave solar 44 percent larger than coal. The acceleration comes as electricity demand itself is finally rising. Grid Strategies LLC estimates demand will climb 16 percent over the next five years after remaining flat for much of the last decade, creating more room for renewable growth. July alone saw 46 large-scale solar projects switched on, totaling 1.18 GW of new capacity. Dozens of smaller projects also came online across New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, and Texas, highlighting how distributed development is broadening solar’s footprint nationwide. With coal receding and natural gas additions steady but modest, the numbers point to solar as the fastest-growing source of new capacity in the U.S. energy sector. If current trends hold, it will not only reshape the grid but also mark a turning point in the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

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Study Confirms Pianists’ Touch Creates Distinctive Tone Colors

For more than a century, pianists and teachers have debated a deceptively simple question: can touch actually change a piano’s timbre, or tone color, mid-performance? A new study says yes — and it backs it up with hard data. A team led by Dr. Shinichi Furuya of the NeuroPiano Institute and Sony Computer Science Laboratories has published the first scientific evidence that pianists’ key manipulations directly shape timbre. Their research, released in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2025, shows that subtle differences in how keys are pressed can produce timbral shifts listeners can reliably perceive. The breakthrough was made possible by a custom-built sensor system called Hackkey, which can record movements of all 88 piano keys at 1,000 frames per second with microscopic precision. Twenty internationally recognized pianists were asked to play with expressive intentions — such as bright vs. dark or light vs. heavy timbre — while the sensors captured every nuance of key motion. In listening tests, 40 participants, both musicians and non-musicians, were able to distinguish the timbral differences, even when volume and tempo were controlled for. Pianists in the group showed especially fine sensitivity to these distinctions. Analysis revealed that a small set of motor features was key to shaping timbre, including acceleration during the escapement (when the hammer disengages from the key) and the degree of hand synchronization. When researchers isolated just one of these features in playback, listeners still perceived a timbral change — offering the first causal proof that movement translates directly into tone color. “This novel documentation of blue pigment use during the Upper Paleolithic has significant implications for understanding artistic behaviors during this period,” wrote lead author Izzy Wisher in a related context. For pianists, the implications are equally transformative: what was once seen as ineffable “touch” is now measurable, teachable, and scientifically grounded. The findings carry wide significance beyond piano pedagogy. They highlight how precise motor control creates higher-order perception, showing how artistic experiences arise from body-brain integration. Potential applications extend to rehabilitation, skill transfer, and even human–machine interface design. For music education, the results offer a roadmap for evidence-based teaching. By visualizing the exact movements linked to timbre, instructors could help students practice more efficiently, avoid mislearning, and reduce the risk of injury. “The manipulation of timbre through touch cultivated by artists is not a mere sensory metaphor but a scientifically backed skill,” the researchers concluded. Future work will focus on expanding this knowledge into training methods and exploring the brain mechanisms behind timbral perception. As Furuya’s team notes, music education has long lagged behind sports and medicine in applying science and technology. This research may help close that gap, creating what they call “dynaformics” — a new science of performance grounded in body use, expression, and creativity. For pianists, it means that what they’ve long believed, that a note can be colored, not just struck, is no longer a matter of faith, but of fact.

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This Massive Ancient Fish is Making a Big Comeback In Missouri

In the rivers and lakes of North America, a fish that swam alongside the dinosaurs is making a quiet but remarkable comeback. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), a freshwater giant that can grow up to 2.4 meters long and weigh more than 135 kilograms, was nearly wiped out by the early 20th century. Overfishing, habitat destruction, and the construction of dams that blocked spawning routes pushed the species to the brink, especially in places like Missouri’s Osage River. By 1974, Missouri had listed the species as endangered. Now, decades of conservation work are showing results. Biologists in Missouri and other states are reporting evidence of natural spawning in rivers where the fish had disappeared, suggesting that reintroduction efforts from the 1980s and 1990s are paying off. “You will see these large fish thrashing around on the rocks, and that's the actual spawning that's going on,” said Travis Moore, a fisheries biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), who has spent more than 30 years monitoring the species. For him, watching sturgeon reproduce in the wild — not just in hatcheries — is a sign of success. Lake sturgeon are evolutionary survivors, with a lineage stretching back 150 million years. MDC calls them “living links to the past” and points out that while dinosaurs disappeared, sturgeon endured. But their recovery has been slow. Females don’t reach maturity until they are 20 to 30 years old, and even then, they don’t spawn every year. That means population growth takes decades. Crowd-sourced science projects and formal surveys have both confirmed sightings of spawning activity near St. Louis and elsewhere in the Mississippi River basin. For conservationists, this is a milestone: proof that restored populations are not just surviving, but reproducing naturally. Lake sturgeon remain rare and endangered in many states, but the progress shows that long-term efforts to rebuild habitats, limit overfishing, and reintroduce fingerlings can turn the tide for even the most ancient of species. The hope, Moore said, is that one day these prehistoric fish will no longer be considered endangered — just another part of the rivers they have always called home.

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Jim Carrey Set to Receive France's Prestigious Honorary César Award

Jim Carrey is set to receive one of France’s highest honors in cinema. The French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques announced that the actor and comedian will be awarded the Honorary César at the 51st César Awards, scheduled for February 27 in Paris. The award, regarded as France’s equivalent of an honorary Oscar, recognizes artists who have made outstanding contributions to film. Carrey, 63, first broke out in stand-up comedy and television, with his energetic performances on In Living Color paving the way to a Hollywood career that blended slapstick, satire, and surprising emotional depth. His early films, including The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, showcased his elastic physical comedy and unforgettable characters. “In these films he creates exuberant, unrestrained and unforgettable characters that have become a core part of popular culture,” the French Academy said, according to Variety. Carrey later earned acclaim for dramatic roles in The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He won two Golden Globes for his performances as Truman Burbank and comedian Andy Kaufman. The Academy praised him as “one of the most original voices in modern cinema,” noting his range from Hollywood blockbusters to auteur films, as well as his sensitive turn in Showtime’s Kidding. Beyond acting, Carrey has been the focus of the Emmy-nominated documentary Jim & Andy, published a bestselling novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, and exhibited his work as a visual artist internationally. “His career embodies a constant audacity, constantly pushing the boundaries of art and performance,” the Academy said, adding that his work demonstrates how cinema “can question, move, and even enlighten.” Though Carrey has stepped back from acting in recent years, he reprised his role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and has hinted he might consider sequels to The Mask or How the Grinch Stole Christmas. At last year’s César ceremony, Julia Roberts received the honorary award. Other past honorees include Christopher Nolan, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, and the late Robert Redford. For Carrey, the upcoming honor cements his status not only as a box-office icon but also as an artist whose work continues to resonate far beyond Hollywood.

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This New Plaque is Honoring a Trailblazing Pianist at Her Former London Home

A blue plaque has been unveiled in London to honor pianist Winifred Atwell, the first Black artist to score a UK number one single and the only female instrumentalist to do so. The plaque, placed on Atwell’s former home at 18 Bourdon Street in Mayfair, was revealed by pianist and broadcaster Jools Holland. He described Atwell as “a piano inspiration to both Sir Elton John, myself, and many others.” Atwell was born in Trinidad in 1914 and moved to London in the 1940s, where she built a groundbreaking career in music and television. English Heritage, which runs the blue plaque scheme, called her an “internationally renowned pianist, television personality and trailblazing entrepreneur.” She became famous for switching between her Steinway concert grand and her “other piano,” a deliberately out-of-tune upright that became her trademark sound. Between 1952 and 1960, she spent 117 weeks in the UK charts, fronted her own shows on ITV and the BBC, and appeared on more than 100 BBC radio programmes. Alongside her musical career, Atwell also ran a hair salon in Brixton, using her training as a chemist to cater specifically to Black hair care needs. “Winifred Atwell is very important in British cultural and musical life,” Holland said. “She is one of the first women, and certainly one of the first women of Afro Caribbean heritage to become a mainstream figure in 1950s British entertainment. It is a tremendous personal honour to be involved in the blue plaque unveiling.” Musician and broadcaster YolanDa Brown also paid tribute, calling Atwell “a dazzling performer and a true trailblazer.” She added that Atwell had “opened doors for black artists” and that the plaque serves as “a tribute to a woman who deserves far greater recognition in the story of British music.” Atwell’s influence, both as a performer and as an entrepreneur, continues to be celebrated more than six decades after her peak, with the blue plaque cementing her place in the history of British culture.

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This Moms-Only Dance Party is Sweeping The Nation, Offering Stress Relief And Selling Out Fast

Motherhood can be exhausting — but one grassroots group wants to remind moms that they deserve time to let loose, too. Moms Feelin’ Themselves (MFT), a Denver-based company founded in 2023, has been giving mothers a space to dance, de-stress, and reconnect with themselves. Now, the group’s signature event, The Mom Dance Party, is heading on its first multi-city tour with stops this fall and winter in Boston, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. “We created Moms Feelin’ Themselves and The Mom Dance Party because we were craving a space to just be together as women again — to laugh, move, have fun and blow off steam from the pressures of motherhood in a healthy way,” co-founder Elizabeth Wellington, a perinatal psychotherapist, told People. Wellington says the inspiration came from remembering the carefree nights many millennial moms once spent dancing with friends. “As millennials, some of our best memories were made out dancing with our friends — that sense of freedom, spontaneity and joy. We wanted to recreate that energy in a way that fits our lives now.” The events often draw hundreds of women singing along to throwback hits from the early 2000s and beyond. “Our resident DJ, Destiny Shynelle, knows exactly how to put together a playlist that makes every millennial mom scream, laugh and remember every lyric from back in the day,” Wellington said. The vibe is less about technical dance moves and more about release. “It’s not about being a ‘good dancer’; it’s about dancing as release, as therapy, as joy,” Wellington explained. Moms can dance freely, sometimes with professional dancers or other attendees leading from the stage, but always with the goal of connection over performance. Since its debut, MFT has quickly grown in size and demand. Early events in Denver sold out at 125 capacity, prompting a move to the 550-seat Bluebird Theater. Wellington says the most meaningful part has been hearing how much the parties have impacted women’s lives. “They tell us they feel more like themselves again, that it’s helped them prioritize their own happiness and friendships, and that they walk away feeling like more present, joyful moms,” she said. “Some have even said they’ve made lifelong friends on our dance floors.” The group often collaborates with partners like baby formula company Bobbie to add extra touches to events, from brand activations to surprises for attendees. “The whole vibe is pure celebration and connection,” Wellington said. With a sold-out track record and growing demand, MFT is already planning more cities for 2026. For Wellington, the mission remains simple: to give moms a space where joy and community take center stage.

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A Cleveland Bakery is Representing America In The 'Bread Olympics' In France

For the first time in nearly a decade, the United States is back in one of the world’s most prestigious baking contests — and the country will be represented by a small Ohio bakery. On the Rise Artisan Breads, based in Cleveland Heights, has been chosen to compete at the Mondial du Pain, known as the “Bread Olympics.” The biennial event, held in Nantes, France, brings together bakers from 20 nations to test their skills on everything from baguettes and croissants to elaborate bread sculptures. Brian Evans, head baker and owner of On the Rise, will lead Team USA later this month. “Our baguette is just flour, water, yeast and salt, and trying to get the perfect baguette out of the oven every day is the kind of challenge that keeps me going in this industry,” he said. Evans, a self-taught baker who trained under On the Rise founder Adam Gidlow, wakes at 4 a.m. daily to start fresh batches of bread. He’ll compete alongside junior baker Val Kertesz, under the guidance of coach Louis Volle, a James Beard Award semifinalist and past Mondial medalist. The contest is exacting: bakers must prepare 18 products, including brioches and artistic bread displays, within strict time limits. “When we present [the baguette] to the judges, it needs to weigh exactly 250 grams and be exactly 55 centimeters long,” Evans explained. The team will have two and a half hours to prep and eight and a half hours to bake. The Mondial du Pain was launched in 2007 by the French group Ambassadeurs du Pain to preserve traditional bread-making while inspiring innovation. Judges look for technical mastery, creativity, and respect for artisanal methods using natural ingredients. For Evans, the competition is as much about pride as it is about performance. “My hope is that I can be the first baker that restarts our US involvement in this competition and that I can build excitement within the US baking community,” he said. The Bread Bakers Guild of America selected On the Rise for the honor, praising the bakery’s technical skill and community focus. Founded in 2001, On the Rise is known locally for its European-style breads, pastries, and sandwiches, with shops in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. After the competition wraps on October 22, Evans said many of the recipes developed for France will likely appear back on shelves in Cleveland, a chance for neighbors to taste a bit of Olympic-level baking at home.

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UAE Moms Create AI Teddy Bear To Help Neurodivergent Kids Communicate Better

At first glance, it looks like a regular teddy bear with soft fur and bright blue eyes. But hidden inside is a tool designed to help children express themselves in ways they might struggle to with parents or teachers. The bear, called OnKaru, uses artificial intelligence to understand speech, respond to children, and even detect emotions. Its creators say it was built with neurodivergent children in mind, offering comfort while also acting as a bridge between kids and adults. “I wanted to make something for my child, because she is too introverted and I knew that there are some issues in her head that she's not sharing with me,” said Fatemeh Jahedpari, who first came up with the idea. “So, I couldn't find someone trustful that can intermediate between me and her.” Jahedpari, who has a PhD in computer science from the University of Bath with a focus on AI, worked on the project for two years before turning it into a startup with fellow educator Nafiseh Gharavi. Together, they founded OnKaru as a way to create a safe AI-powered toy for children who process the world differently. Neurodiversity is a broad term that includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, ADD, and dyslexia. For many children, traditional communication can be difficult, which is why the two founders wanted to build a tool that could listen without judgment and alert parents when help might be needed. The bear is fitted with a device that reads emotional cues from a child’s voice and behavior. It responds with age-appropriate, filtered replies, while also sending information to parents through a companion app. If the AI detects recurring signs of sadness or anxiety, parents receive discreet alerts, giving them the chance to step in. “Children want to have access to AI, and you cannot stop them. But it's not safe to let them to know everything,” Gharavi said. “With this toy, children have access, but the responses will be filtered based on their age.” The project is still in its early stages. Jahedpari and Gharavi hope to officially introduce OnKaru at Expand North Star, a major tech startup event set for October 12 to 15. For now, the two co-founders are presenting their creation as both a cuddly companion and a trusted go-between, offering parents a way to better understand their children while giving kids a safe place to share what is on their minds.

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