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Calling All Dollys: Parton is Looking for Someone to Play Her in a Broadway Musical
Dolly Parton is searching for the perfect person to play her in a Broadway musical about her incredible life. The 11x Grammy winner is writing music and co-writing the book for Dolly: An Original Musical, set to hit the stage in 2026. Parton has called for talented performers to bring her story to life on stage and invited them to audition online with #SearchForDolly. This celebration of her journey will feature original songs as well as fan favorites, promising laughter, tears, and plenty of fun at the Grand Ol' Opera!
Score (96)
Swedish Pharmacy Launches "Friend Care" Trial to Combat Loneliness Among Employees
A major pharmacy chain in Sweden is testing a small but potentially powerful idea: give employees 15 minutes a day to connect with others, and see if it helps reduce loneliness. Apotek Hjärtat, one of the country’s leading pharmacy chains, has rolled out what it calls a “Friend Care” initiative across its locations. The premise is simple—each staff member gets one hour per month, or 15 minutes a day, to do something that builds or supports friendships. That could mean calling a friend, planning an event, stepping out to meet someone, or even chatting with a colleague on shift. The program comes on the heels of a national report on loneliness, commissioned by Sweden’s government, which revealed that 8 percent of adults in the country don’t have a single close friend. Apotek Hjärtat’s CEO Monica Magnusson told the BBC the idea was sparked by a previous company initiative that trained pharmacists to recognize signs of loneliness in their customers, especially seniors. Staff were encouraged to ask subtle questions to check in on people who might be isolated. But that got Magnusson thinking about the wellbeing of the staff themselves. “We wanted to do more for our own people,” she said. So the company launched “Friend Care,” or vänvård, a wordplay on friskvård, the Swedish term for health and wellness benefits. Many companies in Sweden offer friskvård as a way to support things like gym memberships or massages. Apotek Hjärtat’s twist puts the focus on social connection instead of physical fitness. To sweeten the deal, the company also offers employees the equivalent of 100 US dollars a year to support activities that promote friendship—anything from hosting a dinner to attending a group class. Yasmine Lindberg, an employee at the pharmacy, said the benefit has already helped her. After separating from her partner four years ago, she found herself often alone, especially on the weeks her teenage kids were at their father’s house. “I often come home from work too tired to do anything or see anyone,” she told the BBC. But the 15-minute allowance, she said, gave her the push she needed to start making plans again. Daniel Ek, a Swedish psychologist also interviewed for the BBC piece, explained that social isolation in Sweden often has more to do with cultural norms than a lack of opportunities. “The Swedish mentality is like, you shouldn’t disturb others. We value personal space a lot, and we have a hard time breaking the ice,” he said. That cultural hurdle makes something like “Friend Care” especially meaningful, according to Ek, because it helps people overcome that initial hesitation to reach out. The pilot program is still in its early stages, but Magnusson says early feedback has been positive. It’s part of a broader rethinking of what workplace wellness can look like in a post-pandemic world—especially in countries where social interaction may not always come easily. For Apotek Hjärtat, the bet is that a few minutes of social connection, built into the workday, could make a lasting difference.
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Colombia Bans New Oil and Mining Projects in Amazon, Urges Neighbors to Follow Suit
Colombia is drawing a firm line around its share of the Amazon, declaring it off-limits to new oil drilling and large-scale mining in a sweeping move to protect one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. Acting Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres announced in November that the country will no longer approve new extractive projects in the Amazon biome within its borders — halting 43 proposed oil blocks and 286 mining applications. The decision, she said, is meant to preserve forests, rivers, and biodiversity while upholding Colombia’s environmental commitments. “This declaration is an ethical and scientific commitment … It is a life-or-death decision,” Vélez Torres said during a climate summit in Brazil last fall, according to Mongabay. The Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating climate at both regional and global scales. But its resilience is under threat. Deforestation, pollution, and extractive development risk pushing parts of the biome past ecological tipping points. The World Wildlife Foundation has warned that if the forest's health continues to decline, it could create a feedback loop where rising temperatures and reduced rainfall accelerate the loss of more trees, endangering ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. A 2023 report by InfoAmazonia estimated that 55 million hectares of Amazonian forest are at risk if strong protections aren’t put in place. That risk motivated Colombia’s decision — and it’s encouraging other Amazon countries to adopt similar bans. The policy shift marks a major departure for a region historically reliant on resource extraction. While critics have raised concerns about the potential economic impact, the government sees an opportunity to pivot toward renewable energy, sustainable farming, and ecotourism — all of which can create long-term jobs without degrading the environment. Globally, other communities are making similar moves. In the Netherlands, The Hague banned advertisements in 2024 for gas suppliers, gas-powered vehicles, airlines, and other high-emission industries. In Alberta, Canada, authorities are grappling with how to expand renewable energy while protecting farmland and rural ecosystems. These shifts reflect growing recognition that economic development must be balanced with environmental stewardship — and that protecting ecosystems like the Amazon is essential to long-term climate stability. Colombia’s decision may not reverse decades of damage overnight, but it signals a clear direction: prioritizing life, water, and forests over short-term profits. For Vélez Torres and others pushing for similar policies, the Amazon isn’t just a natural resource — it’s a living system, critical to the planet’s future.
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Score (97)
Astronomers Use JWST to Create The Most Detailed Dark Matter Map Ever Made
Astronomers have taken a major step toward mapping one of the universe’s most elusive ingredients—by charting what can’t be seen. Using images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have unveiled the most detailed map to date of dark matter in a patch of sky known as the COSMOS field. Dark matter isn’t visible, doesn’t emit light, and hasn’t been directly detected. But its presence is unmistakable. It outweighs normal matter five to one and acts as a kind of invisible scaffolding, shaping galaxies and clustering across the cosmos. Now, a new study published in Nature Astronomy traces its ghostly outlines by measuring tiny distortions in the shapes of distant galaxies. “We can see the influence of gravity on galaxy formation,” said Diana Scognamiglio, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-lead author of the study. “It’s a way to trace, really, the backbone of the universe.” The researchers analyzed images from JWST's deep-sky survey of the COSMOS field, one of the most intensely studied regions of the night sky. Their goal was to identify patterns in how dark matter distorts light from faraway galaxies—a phenomenon called weak gravitational lensing. Though invisible to the naked eye, this lensing slightly warps the path of light as it passes through clumps of dark matter, similar to how a warped piece of glass distorts a view. The effect is so subtle that until about two decades ago, it was considered nearly impossible to detect. “People were saying that there’s absolutely no way you can measure a 1 percent distortion with everything else going on,” said Catherine Heymans, professor of astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s astronomer royal. Heymans and others proved otherwise, launching the field of weak lensing and building the first dark matter map of the COSMOS field using the Hubble Space Telescope. Now, Scognamiglio and her team have updated that work with JWST’s more sensitive instruments and deeper reach. The new map covers a relatively small portion of the sky—roughly twice the size of the full moon—but with far greater precision. It pinpoints smaller blobs of dark matter that were invisible to Hubble, and it reaches farther back in time, to about 10 or 11 billion years ago, when the universe was rapidly forming stars and galaxies. “It’s super exciting just because of the sheer number of galaxies that they can use,” said Zoltan Haiman, an astrophysicist at Columbia University. By observing how dark matter influenced young galaxy clusters during this era—known as “cosmic noon”—astronomers hope to better understand how galaxies formed and evolved. The next step is to make the map three-dimensional by calculating the distances of each structure. Even in its current form, the map offers a rare glimpse at one of the universe’s most critical but hidden components. “Before we only had dark matter simulations, and I always wanted to be able to see it,” Heymans said. “What I love about weak lensing is: it allows us to see the invisible.” That work is far from over. New telescopes like the European Space Agency’s Euclid (now in orbit) and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (launching later this year) will use weak lensing to study dark matter and the expansion of the universe. Ground-based observatories like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Dark Energy Survey are also contributing data on cosmic structure. Two decades after the first map, Scognamiglio says this project builds on that legacy—and she hopes the future will go even further. “I like this continuity,” she said. “I hope that, 20 years from now, my student will be able to make an even better map.”
Score (98)
Hull City Winger Surprises Bullied Young Fan With Heartwarming Gift
Six-year-old Ronnie, known online as Tiny Tiger, had a week he wanted to forget. After being bullied, the young Hull City fan told his mum he "wanted to hide from the world." But what happened next at Hull's MKM Stadium turned everything around. Following Hull City's 2-1 win over Swansea City on Saturday, Ronnie received a surprise from Yu Hirakawa, the club’s new loan signing. The Japanese winger handed Ronnie his match shirt—and more importantly, took time to speak to him and offer support. Ronnie’s mum, Michaela, had earlier shared on social media that her son, who has autism and ADHD, had been struggling due to bullying. She never expected it to reach the team. "After the week he’d had, to see him standing there and getting that shirt from him was just really special," Michaela said. Hirakawa is believed to have seen a photo of Ronnie dressed in his honour, and after the game, made a beeline to meet him. Michaela described the moment as more than just a handoff: "Yu didn’t just give him a shirt. He took some time to actually speak with him, put his arm around him, offering some words of comfort." In the video, Ronnie stands quietly as Hirakawa speaks to him. “He looks a little bit like a rabbit in headlights,” Michaela admitted. “But him standing there and not running off and really listening and nodding just shows that it was in tune with Yu and [that he] was really appreciative of that gift.” The gesture resonated deeply with Michaela, who posted the original message to raise awareness about kindness toward neurodiverse people. “I wasn’t expecting anything like the reaction or Yu to even respond,” she said. “One of the quotes that kind of stuck with me is that tigers all have different stripes,” she added. “And it just really sort of hit home that we do, and we need to spread awareness of that.” Ronnie’s love for Hull City hasn’t always been easy to manage. Early matchday experiences were overwhelming, but Michaela said she’s worked closely with the club’s fan services to make things easier. “I realised he wasn’t coping and wasn’t enjoying it,” she said. Now, thanks to those efforts, Ronnie has a more supported and enjoyable experience at games. She ended with a message of thanks: “I just want to say a massive thank you. I know at the minute that the players and the club, the team as a whole, are doing really well. The addition of Yu has just brought such excitement to the club. But also behind the scenes, there’s lots of people working to make sure fans do have that good matchday experience.” Hull City’s gesture was simple but powerful: a reminder that sometimes, a moment of kindness means more than a win.
Score (97)
Bride Surprises Groom by Having Their Dogs Serve As Flower Girls at Wedding
Amy and Justin Monger tied the knot on June 28, 2025, in Cincinnati, with a unique twist that left guests pleasantly surprised. As Amy prepared for the big day, she had a delightful plan up her sleeve to include their beloved dogs, Everest and Leila, as flower girls. During the couple's first look—a special moment before the ceremony—Justin was expecting to see just his bride. Instead, he was greeted by Amy alongside their furry companions. "Everyone knows how much Leila and Everest mean to us," Amy shared with PEOPLE. "It warmed people's hearts to see that they got to be there." The dogs, a 6-year-old Bernedoodle named Everest and an 11-year-old brindle mutt called Leila, are considered family by the couple. Amy had secretly coordinated with their dog sitter, Natalie, to bring the pups to Story Woods Park where the ceremony took place. This surprise was kept under wraps from Justin until the last moment. "I was genuinely shocked," Justin admitted. He explained that he left for the ceremony without any clue about what awaited him. The couple had hired Natalie thinking she would care for Everest and Leila while they stayed at a hotel post-wedding. However, Natalie played a key role in bringing the plan together. Earlier that week, Natalie met with Amy under the guise of discussing standard pet care duties. Instead, they finalized details for the surprise appearance of Leila and Everest at the wedding. To match the event's floral theme, Amy gave Natalie collars adorned with baby's breath for each dog. Their neighbor and close friend Evan Brannon served as ring bearer and had the honor of escorting Everest and Leila down the aisle during their entrance. The dogs' presence added warmth and joy to an already special occasion. "The guests were so excited and happy to see Leila and Everest," said Amy and Justin in their interview with PEOPLE. "Some of our guests were also surprised." After fulfilling their roles as flower girls, Everest and Leila exited shortly thereafter to keep events running smoothly without extra chaos. Reflecting on her choice of unconventional flower girls over traditional ones, Amy said she'd choose her "well-behaved and sweet" pets any day: "Justin and I wanted our wedding to be intimate, simple, and some things nontraditional." The Mongers' decision not only personalized their ceremony but also underscored how cherished their four-legged friends are within their family circle.
Score (97)
After Historic Blizzard, Pennsylvania Hotel Staff Step Up for Stranded Wedding Guests
When a historic snowstorm slammed into western Pennsylvania last weekend, dozens of wedding guests found themselves stuck at a Hampton Inn with no safe way out. But instead of frustration, what followed was laughter, pizza, and some unexpected bonding. “I wasn’t going to miss that,” said Benjamin Pallack, who drove nine hours from Albany, New York, to see his friend’s wedding. “Absolutely not.” Pallack was one of dozens of guests snowed in at the Hampton Inn off the Turnpike in North Huntingdon Township, just outside Pittsburgh. A brutal winter storm on Sunday, January 25 dropped over 10 inches of snow across the region, with some counties buried under nearly 20 inches. It was the area’s snowiest day in 16 years, according to CBS News. Staying put wasn’t a choice—it was a necessity. Roads were dangerous, tires were buried, and local restaurants had shut down. Out of the hotel’s 102 rooms, 40 were occupied by people stranded from the storm the night before, according to hotel manager Katie Baldassaro. It was a first for her. In 34 years working in hotels, she had never seen a day where no one checked in. “We’re actually having a blast. I mean, what are you gonna do, you know?” Baldassaro told local station WPXI. With roads closed and supplies limited, Baldassaro stepped in to help make the evening more comfortable. She cooked pizza and wraps for the guests herself, pulling from her years in the hospitality business and an old-school sense of community. “I’m always feeding the staff,” she said. “Growing up in the business, this is kind of what we did back in the day. So I feel like this is almost like a back in the day kind of thing, because not a lot of people get to talk anymore and things like that so it’ll be fun.” And it wasn’t just Baldassaro. A team of nine hotel staffers volunteered to hunker down and ride out the storm together with the guests. Brandon Leone was one of them. “I’ve been stuck in snowstorms before, but being in a hotel is a different story,” Leone said. “We are all in this together. We’ve got to take care of the guests, make the most of it, pack some sleds. Going to have some fun and just do what we do!” The spirit of the weekend turned from stressful to celebratory, thanks to that approach. For Pallack, despite the snow, the delay, and the makeshift meals, there were no regrets. “I would do it all over again,” he said. “Getting to see my close friend’s big day made it all worth it.”
Score (96)
Scientists Reveal How 5 Extra Minutes of Daily Activity Could Extend Your Life
It turns out that a little really can go a long way—at least when it comes to exercise. New research based on data from more than 130,000 people shows that just five extra minutes of physical activity per day, or sitting for 30 minutes less, may significantly improve your chances of living longer. The study, published in The Lancet, was led by researchers from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. It used wearable activity trackers to analyze data across several countries, modeling how small lifestyle tweaks might affect mortality risk. Rather than following participants over time, the team used statistical models to estimate each person’s risk of death and how that risk changed depending on how active they were. The results? Even modest changes made a big difference—especially for people who were the least active to begin with. For the bottom 20 percent of participants in terms of activity levels, researchers found that just five more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day could reduce deaths by as much as 6 percent. Looking at the broader population—excluding only the most active 20 percent—those same small changes could reduce deaths by up to 10 percent. "Small and realistic increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of 5 min/day might prevent up to 6 percent of all deaths in a high-risk approach and 10 percent of all deaths in a population-based approach," the authors wrote. The benefits of moving more were most pronounced among people who sat the most or exercised the least. In other words, if you’re barely active right now, you’re the most likely to benefit from even a small change. Researchers also looked at sedentary time and found that reducing sitting by 30 minutes a day was linked to fewer deaths as well—though the gains weren’t as large as with active movement. While the study doesn’t prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship—because it’s based on statistical modeling rather than long-term observation—the size of the dataset and consistency of the findings make a strong case for paying attention. It also opens the door for further research, particularly in countries where physical activity levels and health risks might differ. "We only investigated all-cause mortality; thus, future research should examine other health outcomes," the researchers noted. They also emphasized the need for similar studies in low- and middle-income countries, where lifestyle and disease patterns vary. Health experts welcomed the findings as a reminder that physical activity doesn’t have to be intense or time-consuming to make a difference. “A clear message we want to get across is that every movement counts and getting inactive people to do some activity is where we see the biggest gains in health,” said Daniel Bailey, a sedentary behavior scientist at Brunel University London who was not involved in the study. “So, GPs, policymakers, or campaigners can certainly be looking to support patients and the public with making these relatively small changes to start with, which would give people a starting point to then kick on and increase their activity even more.” The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week, but for many, that target can feel overwhelming. This study suggests that smaller steps—literally—may still offer meaningful benefits. A brisk five-minute walk, a short bike ride, or simply getting up from your desk more often could help. The people who have the most to gain are those moving the least right now.
Score (98)
This Six-Year-Old is Being Called a Hero After Saving His Dad’s Life
When six-year-old Finlay’s dad collapsed at home struggling to breathe, the Nottinghamshire schoolboy didn’t panic — he picked up the phone and saved his father's life. The quick-thinking pupil from Robert Miles Infant School in Bingham is being hailed as a hero after calmly calling for help during a medical emergency that left his father, Phil, unconscious on the floor. His mother Elaine, who was out at the time, said the family had only recently decided to keep their home landline so Finlay could learn how to use it in case of an emergency. Just days later, that lesson became a reality. “I was looking into getting the home phone disconnected due to no longer needing it,” she said. “Instead, I decided to teach Finlay how to use it in case of an emergency. A few days later, I had popped out when I got a call from Finlay telling me 'daddy wasn't well'. I could hear that Phil could not breathe and Finlay told me he was on the floor.” Elaine dialed 999 and gave dispatchers the home number, allowing them to speak directly with Finlay. He followed their instructions, opened the door for a friend who came to assist, and greeted paramedics when they arrived. Back at home, Elaine found out just how serious things had been. “Phil was that poorly he had needed compressions,” she said. “Finlay kept calm and brave throughout. He is a superstar.” The incident happened in October, and since then, Finlay’s bravery has inspired others at school. He shared the story with his classmates, and staff at Robert Miles presented him with a special certificate to honour his courage. Assistant head teacher Rosie Pilborough said the school has since held lessons and assemblies to teach pupils how to respond in emergencies. “Finlay was able to keep so calm in such a tense and difficult situation and that's remarkable for someone so young,” she said. “Everyone at the school is so proud of Finlay. He is such a hero.”
Score (96)
Scientists Reveal Detailed Map of Antarctica’s Hidden Terrain — and What It Means for Sea Level Rise
Scientists have unveiled the most detailed map ever created of the landscape buried beneath Antarctica’s thick sheets of ice, revealing tens of thousands of features previously unknown to researchers — and offering a sharper tool for understanding how quickly sea levels could rise in the future. The new map, published in the journal Science, combines satellite data with sophisticated physics models to expose Antarctica’s subglacial topography with unprecedented clarity. Researchers say it significantly improves on earlier versions, which were based on radar surveys that left large gaps between data points. "It's like before you had a grainy pixel film camera, and now you've got a properly zoomed-in digital image of what's really going on," said lead author Helen Ockenden from Grenoble Alpes University in France. Among the findings was a massive hidden channel in the Maud Subglacial Basin. The feature is about 50 meters deep, spans 6 kilometers across, and stretches almost 400 kilometers in length — the size and scale of which had never been seen in previous maps. The research also uncovered thousands of hills, ridges, mountain ranges, and canyons that had been invisible to scientists until now. These features lie beneath several kilometers of ice, but they play a crucial role in controlling how glaciers move and melt. Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey, who was not part of the study, called the new map “a really useful product” that fills in the blanks between older radar surveys. "This study gives us a better picture of what's going to happen in the future and how quickly ice in Antarctica will contribute to global sea-level rise," he told the BBC. That matters because melting Antarctic ice is one of the biggest wild cards in predicting future sea level rise. How quickly that ice retreats depends heavily on what’s beneath it — the slopes, ridges, and pathways that influence how glaciers flow. Until now, scientists could only guess at large portions of that terrain. Melting from the Antarctic Ice Sheet currently contributes to global sea level rise, and researchers expect that rate to increase as the planet continues to warm. Rising seas threaten to inundate coastal cities, contaminate drinking water supplies, and worsen damage from storms and flooding. Professor Robert Bingham of the University of Edinburgh, a co-author of the study, said the opportunity to view the entire subglacial bed of Antarctica in such detail is “amazing.” He added that the new map will help researchers make better-informed predictions about how the continent’s ice might respond to future warming. For climate scientists and policymakers alike, that clarity couldn’t come at a better time.
Score (97)
'All The Blues In The Sky' Wins Newbery Medal For Best Children's Book
Renée Watson has been awarded the 2026 John Newbery Medal, the top honor in U.S. children’s literature, for All the Blues in the Sky, a novel that blends poetry and prose to explore a teenager’s grief after losing her best friend. The book was one of several celebrated Monday by the American Library Association, which announced its full slate of annual awards for children’s and young adult literature. The Randolph Caldecott Medal for illustration went to Cátia Chien for Fireworks, a vivid, summertime picture book written by Matthew Burgess. Jewell Parker Rhodes received the Coretta Scott King Award for best book by a Black author for Will’s Race for Home, an adventure story praised for its emotional depth and strong storytelling. Illustrator R. Gregory Christie earned the Coretta Scott King illustration prize for The Library in the Woods, a collaboration with author Calvin Alexander Ramsey. Kadir Nelson, known for his work on The Undefeated and other acclaimed titles, was recognized with the King-Virginia Hamilton Award for lifetime achievement. Lupe Ruiz-Flores won the Pura Belpré author award for The Pecan Sheller, while Abraham Matias received the Belpré illustration honor for Popo the Xolo. The awards highlight excellence in Latino literature for young readers. The Alex Awards, given to 10 books written for adults that have special appeal to teens, included Janelle Brown’s What Kind of Paradise, Daniel H. Wilson’s Hole in the Sky, and Leila Mottley’s The Girls Who Grew Big. Jose Pimienta took home the Stonewall Book Award for Halfway to Somewhere, recognized for its exceptional portrayal of LGBTQ+ experiences for children and teens. All told, the awards showcased a broad range of voices and storytelling styles—recognizing everything from graphic novels to lyrical verse—at a time when books for young readers continue to face challenges and bans in school districts across the country.