A New Musical is Shining a Light on Rosalind Franklin's DNA Discoveries

Madeline Myers, a composer and lyricist, was captivated by the story of Rosalind Franklin and her pivotal role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Inspired by the untold story of Franklin, Myers wrote a musical called Double Helix that explores the race to uncover the secrets of DNA and the personal sacrifices made in the process. With a focus on human drama and scientific accuracy, the musical aims to shed light on the remarkable contributions of Franklin and the complex dynamics within the scientific community.

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How the Mariachi Rams Are Changing the Sound of the NFL

At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the pregame roar of 70,000 football fans is punctuated by something unexpected — the opening notes of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” not from a guitar amp, but a trumpet and guitarrón. Perched on the concourse above the field, Crystal Hernández steadies her violin as fans wearing blue-and-gold Rams jerseys pass by. Some wear charro suits and sombreros. A rock guitarist rips a solo while her mariachi ensemble locks in behind her. Phones come out. Fans stop in their tracks. This is what NFL game day sounds like in Los Angeles now. The Mariachi Rams are the league’s first official mariachi band, and they’re rewriting the soundtrack of American football by blending traditional Mexican music with the hip-hop and rock beats that define the city. At any given game, you might hear mariachi versions of Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé — or Tupac. “It’s special because we get to show how versatile mariachi music is to the NFL audience,” said Crystal Hernández, the ensemble’s only female member and the daughter of mariachi legend José Hernández. José founded the group in 2019 after a Rams staffer showed him a video of a mariachi band performing at a soccer match and asked: “Could this work for football?” He didn’t hesitate. Today, the Mariachi Rams are a 10-piece ensemble performing everything from “El Rey” to a brass-heavy take on “California Love.” For Hernández, it’s all about pride and passion — and representing a city with no single sound. “The things that come out of our communities, all of our communities, we all represent each other,” said rapper Xzibit, who performed with the USC Marching Band during halftime of a Rams game against the Buccaneers. “To be brought into something where culture is embraced on that level — that’s when you feel like you’re part of something that matters.” José Hernández’s vision for the Mariachi Rams was about more than just performance. It was about cultural fluency — making sure the sounds of Los Angeles were reflected inside its biggest stadium. “When they see young musicians on that jumbotron at SoFi playing songs they completely connect with, you can’t even imagine the pride they feel,” he said. The band features Santiago Espinoza on vihuela, Mateo Real on guitar, Joshua Gutierrez on guitarrón, Kevin Ramirez and Christopher Rubalcava on trumpet, Crystal Hernández, Adrian Arias, Ricardo Rios, Ricardo Cisneros, and Joaquin Telles on violin. Many of them spend their weekdays far from stadium lights. Some are teachers, graphic designers, bankers, or classical musicians. Several teach at the Hernández family's mariachi academy. On Sundays, they step into the spotlight. “They have careers, their regular jobs during the week,” said José Hernández. “For them to put on that suit and to go to SoFi and to play … you just can’t imagine the pride that they feel.” That pride shows up in the crowd, too. Espinoza, who plays the vihuela and teaches music, says people often stop to tell them it was their first time hearing mariachi live — and that they loved it. “The energy and the vibe that it gives is just electric,” Espinoza said. “Even the players on the field notice… the whole stadium is interconnected. It’s like a big family. We like to call it the Ramilia.” The Mariachi Rams perform three times during home games: once when the gates open, again during the first quarter, and later depending on the game’s pace. They’ve also expanded into community events and team activations around Los Angeles. Earlier this month, they joined the band War for a holiday rendition of “Feliz Navidad” at SoFi. Marissa Daly, the Rams’ senior vice president of studio and marketing, said the band has become so integrated into game day that fans notice when something’s off. “There was maybe one game where we had to cut one of their performances,” Daly said. “It was like, ‘Why did they only play twice?’” Other NFL teams have taken note. The Houston Texans now include mariachi in their cultural programming, but the Rams were the first to build it into the game-day routine. That decision aligns with the NFL’s broader strategy to reach more diverse and global audiences. In Los Angeles, mariachi is more than tradition — it’s part of everyday life. It’s heard at quinceañeras, parades, weddings, and even championship celebrations. Bringing that sound into the NFL wasn’t about importing culture. It was about showcasing what was already there. “Our main logo is the two letters ‘Los Angeles.’ It’s LA, right?” said Daly. “You can’t not celebrate Mexican American culture if you’re an Angeleno.” For Crystal Hernández, the moment is personal. She’s the only woman in the band, and the first in seven generations of her family’s musicians to do it at this level. She says being on that stage is about more than just performing. “It makes people feel seen,” she said. “It makes them feel excited to see that their home team, the Rams, recognizes that and embraces it.” Her father sees it as a starting point. “I think it’s the beginning of a movement in the NFL,” said José Hernández. “If these teams know they have Latino fans supporting them, they’re going to think of bringing mariachi too.”

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Supergirl’ Trailer Teases a Flawed, Gritty Hero—and a Reluctant Journey into Heroism

The trailer for Supergirl just dropped, and DC Studios followed it up with a press conference featuring star Milly Alcock, director Craig Gillespie, and DC boss James Gunn. Together, they broke down what fans can expect when Kara Zor-El arrives in theatres this June—and what makes this version of the character so different from anything DC has done before. For Gillespie, best known for directing Cruella and I, Tonya, taking on Supergirl wasn’t a stretch—it was an extension of the kinds of messy, complicated protagonists he’s always been drawn to. “I was very interested because I love James’s work. I love the tone,” Gillespie said. “I feel a kinship there with a sensibility with what I like to do and what James has done. And the idea that they were going to now take over the studio felt like a huge opportunity.” Gunn and Peter Safran, now co-heads of DC Studios, were the ones who greenlit the project—and it was Kara’s imperfection that sealed it for them. “That’s really what spoke to me, both in the book and in the script,” Gunn said. “A lot of times for some reason, our female superhero leads are just so much more perfect than our male [ones].” But in Supergirl, he added, we meet “somebody who was just so imperfect and such a mess but just really a beautiful soul.” Alcock, best known as young Rhaenyra on House of the Dragon, brings that rawness to the role. She was invited to audition after her breakout performance on the HBO series. And like her character, she arrives in the story with scars. “Supergirl, compared to Superman, she’s had a completely different upbringing,” Alcock explained. “She was brought up on a planet that was dying. Everyone that she’s ever known and loved is dead. She’s got a very big wall up and she’s very skeptical of people. And Clark is the opposite of that. He’s very overtly trusting. He expects the good in people. He’s had a very sheltered life, and he’s also pretending. Kara never pretends. If she’s not feeling well, you will know.” That honesty—emotional and physical—is what Alcock leaned into on set. She recalled people being moved to tears just seeing her in costume. “Not only for myself, but for all of the people who’ve spent years of their [lives] trying to get this film up and made, and what it will mean to other young girls and other young women coming to see this movie,” she said. “Because I think she’s so flawed, and I think we really need a flawed hero.” Gillespie praised Alcock for bringing that balance of toughness and vulnerability. “There’s a real punk quality to it, and Milly just embraced all of it. It’s so effortless for her to dive into that role and do it with a certain sense of compassion underneath, but you can feel the vulnerability; you can feel the fractures in what she’s struggling with, but she still has a toughness to it. And it’s a tricky dance.” The film draws heavily from the Tom King graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, adapted by Ana Nogueira. Gillespie said the screenplay hooked him within the first two scenes. “The adaptation of that was just so beautifully done. And honestly, I read the first two scenes of the film and the extremes of what is happening—it encompasses the whole movie.” Without spoiling too much, Gillespie described Kara’s journey as something far more emotionally weighty than Clark Kent’s. “The script really went to some hard and difficult places for the character, for the audience, and really has a lot of soul-searching involved and surprises you with the dark places that it ends up landing in.” According to Gunn, the film plays with the idea of Kara trying not to be a hero. “It is fun watching the movie because she’s going in and out of these planets with red planets and yellow planets,” he said. “Superman’s powers [and] Supergirl’s powers don’t work on a red planet. They’re just ordinary human beings.” That sense of being human—and wanting to avoid the mantle of hero altogether—is central to Gillespie’s vision. “She doesn’t want the role. When we meet her, she’s, in a very hard way, running away from it and in her own space. And she gets dragged very reluctantly into the world of having to be a superhero.” Even the fight scenes reflect Kara’s emotional state, Gillespie noted. “Where she is in the story dictated a lot of how these fight sequences go. So if she’s in a very angry place, it’s going to be a much more frenetically messy, aggressive kind of camera work. If she’s feeling in the zone, so to speak, the camera work gets more fluid.” For Alcock, Kara’s journey toward accepting herself is what makes this version stand out. “She doesn’t want to be a hero until the end of the movie, and then she’s like, ‘I have to be this,’” she said. “I think that what Supergirl represents for young women, especially, is that you can be flawed. And you don’t have to be perfect in order to come to some internal self-resolution.” Gillespie added that his career has always gravitated toward underdogs, and this version of Supergirl fits that mold. “There’s been this consistency of outsiders as leads that I’m attracted to and underdogs, and Supergirl is all of that. And she doesn’t want to take on the role. She’s got a lot of demons that she’s dealing with. So from a character standpoint, I really related to it. I think she’s doing everything not to be Supergirl.” That makes Supergirl less about capes and punches, and more about identity. And if the trailer is any indication, the team behind it is ready to bring a grittier, more emotionally grounded take to the DC universe. Supergirl hits theatres in June.

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United Nations Recognizes Swiss Yodelling as World Cultural Heritage

Yodelling, the centuries-old singing tradition rooted in the Swiss Alps, has officially been added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement came Thursday during a UNESCO meeting in New Delhi. Switzerland’s culture ministry celebrated the move, calling yodelling “the emblematic song of Switzerland” and describing it as “deeply rooted in the population.” Unlike previous UNESCO bids that involved cross-border efforts — such as the successful 2020 application with France to recognize Jura mountain watchmaking — Switzerland submitted the yodelling nomination on its own. Yodelling is also practiced in parts of Austria and Germany, but it holds a special place in Swiss culture. More than 12,000 Swiss yodellers are registered with the country’s Federal Yodelling Association, which includes over 700 local groups. The vocal technique involves alternating between chest and head voice, using syllables without meaning that often reflect regional dialects. It’s typically passed down within families, community clubs, or music schools, and is just as likely to be taught informally between singers. “Natural yodelling consists of melodies without lyrics,” the ministry said, while “yodelling songs combine verses and refrains and often touch on nature and everyday experiences.” Whether performed solo, in small ensembles, or as part of larger choirs — and sometimes accompanied by instruments like accordions — yodelling remains a vibrant part of Swiss life, featured at concerts, festivals, and singing competitions. These performances are often paired with regional costumes, adding another layer of cultural identity to the music. UNESCO’s recognition is likely to bolster efforts to preserve and promote the tradition, which has long echoed through the Alpine valleys and now finds itself officially protected as part of the world’s shared cultural heritage.

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She Flew 7,000 Kilometres for a First Date — And It Just Might Be Love

The holidays can feel extra lonely when you're still looking for love. But Dallas comedian and actress Theresa Rowley decided to take a leap—and a long flight—to change that. After weeks of online chats and FaceTime calls with Sean Rooney, a man from Longford, Ireland, Rowley boarded a plane and flew more than 7,000 kilometres for their very first date. “Terrified,” she admitted, when asked how she felt before meeting. “But I felt in my gut it was a safe situation.” Rowley, who shares much of her life online with thousands of followers, says that despite her growing platform, fame hasn't exactly made dating easier. “It was difficult, and it was quite lonely,” she said. “So I focused on other things, being creative.” That changed when Rooney sent her a message. “He shot me a message, and it was a nice compliment, in that creative Irish way,” Rowley said. “I’d see Theresa pop up online and I’d think, ‘This girl is funny,’” Rooney recalled. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.” Just in case, Rowley brought a friend along for the trip. But once the pair met in person, the nerves melted away. “He just seemed to understand me,” she said. “I just knew it was going to be something.” Rowley began documenting their relationship online, and the story quickly went viral. It even caught the attention of Ireland’s media and tourism department, which later flew her back for another visit at no cost. Rooney has since made the trip to Texas, sampled brisket and Buc-ee’s, and joined Rowley’s family for Thanksgiving. “The difficult part is not being able to reach out and touch that person,” Rooney said of their long-distance setup. “But it hasn’t prevented us from getting to know each other well.” A 2025 global study found that one in six couples now meet online—a 21 percent increase since 2010. Rowley and Rooney are one of them. For now, the couple is taking things day by day, enjoying what they’ve found and sharing it openly in the hope that others might take the same leap. “We never saw this coming,” Rowley said. “Don’t give up,” Rooney added. “You just have to believe there’s another connection out there for you.”

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750-year-old “mortar Wreck” Takes Center Stage at Newly Reopened Poole Museum

What began as a hunch from a local charter boat skipper has turned into one of the most important maritime discoveries in England’s recent history — and now it has a permanent home at the Poole Museum. Known as the “Mortar Wreck,” the remarkably well-preserved remains of a 13th-century cargo ship were discovered off the coast of Dorset in 2020 by skipper and scuba diver Trevor Small. The site, long dismissed by experts as underwater debris, turned out to be England’s oldest known protected wreck with a surviving hull. Now, the shipwreck is the focus of a brand-new gallery at the Poole Museum, which reopened last month following a multi-million-dollar renovation. Located about 185 kilometers southwest of London, the museum is giving visitors a rare look at life — and death — at sea nearly 800 years ago. “This is the kind of story you can’t help getting sucked into,” said collections officer Joe Raine. “Hopefully [visitors] start to see a little of themselves in those people from 800 years ago.” Dating to around 1250 C.E., the Mortar Wreck was carrying a heavy load of Purbeck stone — including limestone gravestone slabs and grinding mortars — when it sank just a mile from shore in Poole Bay. The vessel is a classic example of a “clinker” ship, built using overlapping wooden planks. Tree-ring analysis shows the wood likely came from Irish oak felled between 1242 and 1265, though its exact place of construction remains unknown. The ship’s demise is still a mystery, but experts believe the heavy cargo may have contributed to its sinking — especially if the vessel ran into stormy weather shortly after leaving Poole Harbour. “It’s close enough to swim to shore, but, in stormy weather, it could have been fatal,” said marine archaeologist Hefin Meara of Historic England. After centuries under water, the Mortar Wreck was protected by layers of sand, stones, and low-oxygen water, which helped preserve the wooden hull and its cargo. Since the discovery, maritime archaeologists from Bournemouth University, including Tom Cousins, have been diving and excavating the site. Among the items recovered are cooking cauldrons, limestone mortars, and two massive gravestone slabs in unusually good condition. One features a wheel-headed cross, popular in early 13th-century England, while the other bears a splayed arm cross design typical of the mid-century. The slabs weigh 154 and 440 pounds respectively and may have been coffin lids or crypt monuments intended for high-status members of the clergy. “They’re remarkably well preserved,” said Cousins. “The 13th century is the heyday of the marble industry — you won’t find a church or cathedral that doesn’t have Purbeck marble in it.” The stone, technically a type of limestone formed from freshwater snail shells, is locally known as “Purbeck marble” because of its ability to polish to a glossy finish. It was widely used in medieval Britain and across Europe in religious monuments and major buildings such as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. The Mortar Wreck has now taken its place alongside other important maritime finds at the Poole Museum, including an Iron Age logboat discovered in 1964 and artifacts from the nearby Swash Channel Wrecks and Studland Bay. The new exhibit also coincides with the wreck’s recent appearance in a new episode of the Time Team archaeology series. As for Trevor Small, the man who first suspected there was something more beneath the waves, his instincts have now helped reshape the historical record. What was once mistaken for underwater “rubbish” is now a centerpiece of national heritage — a shipwreck that not only tells a story of trade, craftsmanship, and tragedy, but also connects today’s visitors with the people and priorities of medieval England.

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Original Star Wars Poster Art Sells for $3.9 Million, Setting Franchise Record

Before Star Wars became a global pop culture juggernaut — before the lightsabers, the droids, and the Force — there was just a painting. A dramatic, airbrushed image of a dark-masked villain and mysterious heroes, hovering over newspaper pages, street billboards, and bus stations in the spring of 1977. That painting, created by artist Tom Jung as the original half-sheet poster for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, has just sold at Heritage Auctions for $3.9 million, making it the most expensive Star Wars item ever sold. Jung’s composition wasn’t just promotional artwork — it helped establish the visual tone of the entire franchise. Using acrylic and airbrush techniques, Jung crafted a carefully balanced piece centered on the towering figure of Darth Vader and the deep blues of outer space. Around that ominous presence, he introduced the film’s key relationships: Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Skywalker with Princess Leia, arranged in precise triangular forms. An arrow-like streak of X-wing fighters added motion, promising the space battles to come. “The composition had to share enough of the story to entice audiences yet remain evocative enough to leave people wanting more,” said Charles Epting, director of consignments at Heritage Auctions. “It draws from classic fantasy illustrators such as Frank Frazetta and is a refreshingly analog take on a high-tech universe. It remains as impactful now as it was nearly 50 years ago.” That impact was immediate. Jung’s poster ran as a two-page spread in newspapers and was plastered across public spaces just ahead of A New Hope's debut. Even before audiences knew what Star Wars really was, this artwork hinted at the depth and drama waiting in George Lucas’s galaxy far, far away. After the film’s release, the painting hung in the California office of producer Gary Kurtz before moving to his family home. It was put up for auction by his daughter, Melissa Kurtz. The bidding opened at $1 million and quickly shot past the previous record for movie poster art: Bob Peak’s Apocalypse Now, which sold for $687,500 earlier this year. It also narrowly surpassed another Star Wars artifact that made headlines in September — a chipped and weathered Darth Vader lightsaber used in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which sold for $3.6 million at Propstore. Jung’s poster taps into the enduring nostalgia and emotional connection fans have with the franchise, Epting said. And that connection, nearly 50 years later, is only growing stronger. “This painting helped introduce the world to Star Wars,” he said. “It was the first image people saw. And for many, it’s still the one they remember most.”

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U.S. Approves First At-Home Brain Stimulation Device For Treating Depression

In a first for mental health treatment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a wearable brain stimulation device designed to treat depression at home — marking a new step toward tech-based alternatives to antidepressant medications. The device, developed by Swedish company Flow Neuroscience, is a headset that delivers gentle electrical currents to the brain using a technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). It targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region long associated with mood regulation and depression. “This is a watershed moment for the treatment of depression,” said Flow Neuroscience CEO Erin Lee. “It’s the first step in moving from pharmaceutical treatments to tech-based therapies with minimal side effects.” The device will be available by prescription for adults diagnosed with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. Flow is currently in talks with insurance providers to determine whether the $500 to $800 device will be covered. While tDCS has been studied for years, results have been mixed. A 2023 study published in The Lancet found the technique no more effective than a placebo. But other research — including a 2024 Phase 2 clinical trial involving 174 participants — tipped the scales in Flow’s favor. That trial found that people who used the headset for 30 minutes a day over 10 weeks reported significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms than those in the control group. In its approval announcement, the FDA described the benefit as “modest” but concluded it was “sufficient to outweigh its probable risk.” Reported side effects included mild skin irritation and occasional headaches. Unlike treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which require clinical visits, Flow’s device is designed for home use — making it a potentially more accessible option for many people. The approval expands the toolkit available for treating depression, which affects more than 20 million adults in the U.S. alone. While antidepressants remain the most common approach, many patients either don’t respond well to medications or prefer non-pharmaceutical options due to side effects or personal preference. The FDA’s decision also signals a growing openness to tech-based mental health tools that prioritize convenience and low risk. Flow’s headset won’t replace other treatments, but it may offer a useful alternative — particularly for people looking to manage their depression without medication. The device is expected to enter the U.S. market in the coming months.

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TikTok Crowns Connie Francis' 1962 Hit "Pretty Little Baby" as Top Global Song of 2025

More than six decades after it was first recorded — and long after it faded into obscurity — Connie Francis’ 1962 ballad “Pretty Little Baby” is now officially the biggest song in the world, thanks to TikTok. The platform named it its Top Global Song of 2025, after the track was used in more than 28.4 million posts, generating a staggering 68.6 billion views. One standout video featuring Kylie Jenner and her daughter Stormi alone drew over 132 million views, helping catapult the song to viral fame. TikTok described the track as “the perfect soundtrack for wholesome videos featuring family members, pets, relationships and flowers.” It surged to the top of the platform’s music charts in May and has remained a fixture in trending audio ever since. The song’s resurgence was as unexpected as it was emotional for Francis, who was 87 when she joined TikTok in early 2025 to thank fans directly. “I’m flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of ‘Pretty Little Baby’ is making all over the world,” she said in her first post, adding that the experience was “truly overwhelming.” In an interview with PEOPLE earlier this year, Francis admitted she had forgotten about the track altogether. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t even remember the song!” she said in May. “I had to listen to it to remember. To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is touching the hearts of millions of people is truly awesome.” She called the moment “a dream come true,” and said she was especially moved that “kindergarten kids now know my name and my music.” Pretty Little Baby was originally released as part of her 1962 album Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits, and was one of 40 songs she recorded during a set of sessions in August 1961. The track never charted during its original release and, until now, had largely been forgotten — even by the singer herself. That all changed in 2025, when the song unexpectedly became Francis’ most-streamed track, earning over 130 million plays on Spotify and landing on both the Billboard Global 200 and the U.K. Official Chart. Multiple official audio versions of the song took off across TikTok, often layered under soft-focus videos of babies, reunions, surprise proposals, and emotional tributes. The viral revival of Pretty Little Baby brought an entirely new audience to Francis, a pop icon who was the first woman ever to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a defining voice of the late 1950s and early ’60s. Francis passed away on July 16, 2025, just two months after her TikTok moment peaked. But not before she had the chance to watch a new generation embrace her voice — millions of people who weren’t born when the song was recorded, but still felt something in it. She called the experience “one of the best surprises of my life.” And for a generation of TikTok users, it was the start of discovering a voice they never knew they needed.

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Leading Team USA as its First-Ever Honorary Coach for the 2026 Winter Olympics: Snoop Dog?

Team USA just got a new coach — and he’s got a lot more swagger than your average sideline presence. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that Snoop Dogg has officially joined as the first-ever honorary coach for Team USA, just months ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The rapper, entrepreneur, and Olympic superfan will bring his signature style, humor, and heart to support U.S. athletes in their quest for gold. “I’m just here to cheer, uplift and maybe drop a little wisdom from the sidelines,” Snoop said in a statement. “Team USA athletes are the real stars. This team represents the best of what sport can be: talent, heart and hustle. If I can bring a little more love and motivation to that, that’s a win for me.” The new role builds on Snoop’s widely praised involvement during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he carried the torch at the Opening Ceremony, performed at the Closing Ceremonies, and brought along his granddaughter to share in the experience. He quickly became one of the most talked-about personalities of the Games, mixing sports commentary with viral moments and off-the-cuff interviews. According to the USOPC, Snoop will also help raise awareness and resources for the Team USA Fund, which directly supports athletes through mental health services, education, training, and career development. The fund also benefits “the team behind the team” — the coaches, medical experts, administrators, and partners who keep the athletes going. “From the moment Snoop met Team USA athletes, there was an instant connection — mutual respect, genuine curiosity and a lot of laughter,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “His enthusiasm for the Olympic and Paralympic Movement is contagious, and we’re thrilled to officially welcome him as a member of the Team Behind the Team.” The committee also cited Snoop’s passion for mentorship and community impact, praising his ability to elevate young people while staying grounded in authenticity. Snoop’s Olympic journey began with a surprise turn as a commentator in Paris, where he charmed audiences with his laid-back delivery, knowledge of the Games, and viral moments with legends like Billie Jean King and Michael Phelps. He also shouted out athletes like Simone Biles and Coco Gauff and was often seen courtside, poolside, or just tying his granddaughter’s shoes between events. “Over the years I felt like I positioned myself for this,” Snoop told People after the Summer Games. “Showing I’m reliable, professional, that I know what I’m doing, and people love to see me.” He also thanked NBC for “taking a chance on somebody like me that’s kind of rough around the edges,” adding, “It’s an advantage to everybody looking at this that come from where I come from.” The USOPC said Snoop is already at work in his new role, helping build awareness for the Team USA Fund and encouraging fans to support American athletes as they prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics and beyond. The Games kick off on February 6 in Milan-Cortina.

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Her Dog Found Her Cancer — Now She’s in a Groundbreaking Trial to Stop it From Coming Back

When Chase Johnson’s dog started acting strangely, she didn’t think much of it. He was anxious, unusually clingy, and one day, pressed his nose into the side of her breast. That’s when she felt the lump. “I wasn’t someone who was good at doing self-exams. I don’t think I would have found it otherwise,” said Johnson, now 36, from Cary, North Carolina. She was 31 at the time and had no family history of breast cancer. In February 2021, Johnson was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease. Unlike other types of breast cancer, triple-negative tumors don’t carry the usual receptors — estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 — that allow for targeted drug therapy. Chemotherapy remains the primary treatment, and recurrence rates are high. Johnson went through four months of intravenous chemo, followed by surgery to remove her tumor and lymph nodes. That was just the start. She then underwent six months of oral chemotherapy and 24 rounds of radiation. Her treatment was successful, but the fear of recurrence lingered. About 40 percent of women with triple-negative breast cancer see the disease return within five years. And in roughly a third of those cases, it spreads to the brain. Other common sites include the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. So when Johnson heard about a clinical trial testing a vaccine aimed at preventing triple-negative breast cancer from returning, she signed up. “I am literally doing anything possible to make sure this doesn’t come back,” she said. “For triple-negative, the resources are so limited; if the traditional treatment methods don’t work, you’re just kind of out of luck.” The early-stage trial, run by the Cleveland Clinic, is testing a vaccine that targets a protein called α-lactalbumin. It’s found on the surface of tumor cells in around 70 percent of triple-negative breast cancers. The idea is to train the immune system to recognize and destroy any future cells that express this protein. Johnson was one of 35 participants in the Phase 1 trial, which was designed to evaluate safety and whether the vaccine triggers an immune response. Researchers presented the findings this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. So far, results are promising. About 74 percent of the women developed an immune response to the vaccine, and no serious side effects were reported. The most common reactions were minor — redness or a small lump at the injection site. “We don’t know yet whether this immune response will reduce the risk of recurrence or prevent breast cancer,” said Dr. G. Thomas Budd, the Cleveland Clinic oncologist leading the trial. “But it’s a step forward.” The vaccine isn’t suitable for everyone. Because women naturally produce α-lactalbumin when breastfeeding, there's a risk the vaccine could trigger an unwanted immune response. Budd advises against enrolling in the trial if a woman still plans to nurse. The 35 women in the trial were split into three groups: those like Johnson who had completed treatment and were cancer-free but at high risk of recurrence; women who still had cancer cells after treatment; and women who had never been diagnosed but carried a genetic risk, such as a BRCA mutation. A Phase 2 trial is expected to begin late next year, and that’s when researchers will start measuring whether the vaccine actually reduces recurrence rates. If successful, future trials could focus on prevention in high-risk patients. Experts say the vaccine’s biggest potential lies in stopping the disease before it starts or before it comes back — not necessarily in fighting tumors that are already present. “Over time, tumor cells can learn how to hide target proteins from the immune system,” said Justin Balko, co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “New cancer cells are less likely to develop this ability.” Dr. Larry Norton of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said that finding reliable targets is key. For triple-negative breast cancer, which lacks the usual hormone or HER2 receptors, chemotherapy has remained the default. He hopes that could change. “There was a time when we would say HER2 is the worst type of breast cancer you can have,” Norton said. “Then along came HER2-targeting therapies and now all of the sudden one of the worst prognosis markers becomes one of the best. This could be the story of triple-negative breast cancer if we find a target for it.” For Johnson, participating in the trial is about hope — not just for herself, but for other women with few treatment options. “I’ve done everything I could with what was available,” she said. “Now I’m doing what I can to make sure there’s more available in the future.”

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