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Wild Mustangs and Veterans: A Healing Bond at Wyoming Ranch
In the quiet town of Jay Em, Wyoming, a unique program is transforming lives by pairing veterans with wild mustangs. Operation Remount Corporation offers equine therapy to veterans and first responders, providing a path to healing for both humans and horses. Veterans often face mental health challenges, with data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicating higher rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety compared to civilians. Approximately 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year. Operation Remount co-founder Karen Alexander explains that many mustangs in the program have also experienced trauma. "These are mustangs that went through three adoptions and were not accepted or not adopted," she said. "When the mustangs first come, they are very afraid of humans." Veteran Sean Walker is among this year's participants. After serving two tours in Iraq and one in Bosnia with the Kansas National Guard, he found reintegrating into civilian life challenging. Meeting his horse Spirit has been transformative. "We call him Enduring Spirit Wind," Walker said. "He's taught me probably more than I could have possibly taught him." The program recently added a new cabin in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. B.J. Shepperson, who struggled with civilian life after deployments. Operation Remount plans to expand its facilities to accommodate more participants year-round despite Wyoming's harsh winters. "It’s like when you found a connection that you’ve lost," Walker said about his bond with Spirit. Participants can keep their horse after completing the six-week course, fostering lasting connections beyond their time at Operation Remount.
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How Mangroves Are Becoming Nature’s Secret Weapon Against Climate Change
Mangroves might not be on everyone’s radar, but they play a huge role in keeping our planet in balance. These ecosystems are especially invaluable because they act as significant carbon sinks due to their dense root networks and high photosynthesis rates. A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove salt, allowing them to tolerate conditions that kill most plants. The International Mangrove Center (IMC), which recently launched its official website, is at the forefront of global mangrove conservation efforts. It offers research opportunities, training, and policy discussions to help countries develop effective restoration strategies. In South China's Guangdong Province, authorities have set up 15 mangrove nature education centers. They host nearly 800 public outreach and training events every year around events like World Wetlands Day. These programs cover everything from planting techniques to ecological monitoring, helping people understand how these ecosystems contribute to climate mitigation. Since 2018, Hainan Province in China has restored over 1,200 hectares of mangroves along its coasts. In Sanya City alone, mangroves now cover 258.69 hectares and are still expanding. Restoration projects here combine native-seedling planting with real-time water-quality monitoring and adaptive management practices. Kenya also shows how local communities can benefit economically from these natural resources. Through nurseries and planting activities, as well as eco-tourism ventures, locals can earn stable incomes while engaging in conservation work. Over in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, a demonstration project melds community training with technical support to facilitate restoration efforts. By focusing on several native species and closely monitoring growth and carbon sequestration, they've created a model that other coastal areas can replicate. International collaboration is key here. Whether it’s volunteering for planting days or assisting with scientific monitoring efforts, individuals can contribute to safeguarding these blue-carbon shields while enhancing ecological security.
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Ichiro Suzuki Makes History: First Asian Player Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
For baseball fans, Ichiro Suzuki’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend is the final chapter of an extraordinary career. For Asian and Asian American players, it represents something more: a moment of visibility that has been decades in the making. Suzuki, who spent 19 years in Major League Baseball, most of them with the Seattle Mariners, will become the first Asian-born player enshrined in Cooperstown when he joins the class of 2025 on Sunday. Also being inducted this year are CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, the late Dave Parker and Dick Allen. Suzuki missed a unanimous selection by one vote, a minor footnote on an otherwise dominant legacy. His MLB career began in 2001 as the first Japanese position player in the league, and he quickly became known as one of the game’s best contact hitters and outfielders. By the end of his career, he had 10 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and a reputation for style, wit and defensive brilliance. For many Asian American players, his success was more than statistics. Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who is Japanese and Chinese American, said seeing Suzuki on the field as a child changed how he saw his own future. “He was a player who looked like me: Left-handed, played the outfield,” Kwan said. “It kind of gave me hope at a really young age to see that someone who looks like me, plays like me, is able to succeed at the highest level and, not only that, gain the respect of everybody in the league too.” Even at the end of his career, Kwan said, Suzuki’s sharp instincts stood out, recalling a 2015 game with the Miami Marlins when he faked out a Giants baserunner by making it look like he would catch a ball off the wall. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, who is of Taiwanese descent, remembers watching Suzuki while growing up in Seattle. “That’s one of my earliest memories,” Carroll said. “The photo I kept in my room as I was growing up and still have to this day.” Carroll went on to become MLB’s first Asian American Rookie of the Year in 2023. “All those years watching him made me feel like maybe one day I could do it and play at that level,” he said. Suzuki told NBC News that he never set out to play for an audience but knew his performance would shape how Japanese players — and Japan’s baseball system — were perceived in the U.S. “As a player from Japan, as a guy that had led the league in hitting all seven years, and then coming over being a first position player, I knew that I would be judged. And Japan baseball will be judged on how I did,” he said. “If I wasn’t able to produce, then they would judge Japan baseball as being at a lower level. And so that pressure was there and that’s what I had to carry.” Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo, who is Chinese American, says Suzuki’s influence continues today. He recalled watching Suzuki hit an inside-the-park home run during the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco — still the only one in All-Star history. “Guys that have his career and his caliber don’t have to do stuff like that,” Woo said, referring to Suzuki’s mentoring of younger players since retiring. “But people that do that go out of their way. That means a lot.” For Kwan, Sunday’s ceremony is about what comes next. “I think it’s just showing that one person needs to pave the way for a whole generation to believe that they can play baseball,” he said.
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Miracle Baby Nash: Defying Odds and Setting World Records at Just One Year Old
In a remarkable event that has turned heads and captured hearts, Nash Keen has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most premature baby to survive after being born at just 21 weeks. This Iowa toddler's story is more than statistics; it's a tale of resilience and determination. Nash was born on July 5, 2024, a staggering 133 days before his mother's due date. His parents, Mollie and Randall Keen, had already experienced heartbreak with the loss of their daughter McKinley, who was born prematurely at almost 18 weeks. Understandably nervous yet hopeful during Mollie's pregnancy with Nash, they faced the odds head-on. Weighing only 283 grams—about the size of a bar of soap—at birth, Nash spent his initial six months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. His early days were fraught with challenges, but thanks to "highly specialized care," as described by Dr. Amy Stanford, his medical team witnessed something extraordinary: Nash's steady progress and remarkable resilience. By October 2025, just over a year old, Nash still needed oxygen support for breathing and was fed through a tube. However, he was beginning to explore pureed foods under his parents' watchful eyes. Although he wasn't crawling yet, he had started rolling over—a promising sign of development. His doctors remained optimistic about a minor heart defect resolving itself as he grows. Randall shared how Nash's personality shines through despite these hurdles. "Whenever you call him ‘Nash potato’ or cheer him on when he’s trying to pull himself up... he just hams it up," Randall said. "It makes him want to succeed and do more." On his first birthday, family and close friends gathered to celebrate this little fighter’s milestone with gifts like educational toys and new outfits. Most notably, Nash received an official certificate from Guinness World Records for surpassing the previous record held since 2020 by one day. Mollie expressed her joy at having her son home and thriving. "I love waking up to him," she remarked simply but profoundly to Guinness reporters. This recognition from Guinness not only highlights advances in neonatal care but also underscores the incredible strength found within some of life’s smallest fighters, like Nash Keen, truly making waves beyond numbers alone.
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Here's How This Woman Conquered the Tour de France Route While Raising £70K for Mental Health
Amy Hudson, a 29-year-old from England, has completed an extraordinary cycling challenge by riding the entire men's Tour de France route to raise funds for mental health charity Shout. Her journey covered a staggering 6,556 kilometers, including transfers between stages that professional cyclists typically navigate in vehicles. Hudson began cycling as a means of coping with mental health issues that intensified during the pandemic. After experiencing a breakdown while working as a mental health nurse, she turned to cycling to escape intrusive thoughts and anxiety. "Getting on the bike made me feel alive again," she shared. Her husband Kyle bought her a bicycle, which she initially rode in the Peak District with her father. Using social media to document her rides, Hudson quickly gathered tens of thousands of followers who watched as she embarked on this ambitious endeavor. Over the past month, she cycled through all 21 stages of the Tour de France route and tackled daunting mountain ranges like the Alps and Pyrenees. Her total elevation gain reached an impressive 74,862 meters. Her efforts were not just about personal achievement; they were also aimed at making a difference for others facing similar struggles. Hudson set out with an initial fundraising target of £10,000 but ended up raising around £70,000 for Shout. "I wanted to do something to raise money to give back and prove that a woman can ride the men's [Tour de France], plus the transfers as well," Hudson stated. She hopes her story will inspire others facing difficult times not to give up. "Hopefully it inspires people to not give up when it gets hard because I was close to giving up at one point in my life," she added.
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Nissan's New Paint Innovation: A Cool Solution to Scorching Car Interiors
Nissan is working on a new kind of automotive paint that could make getting into a sweltering car after hours in the sun a bit more bearable. The Japanese automaker is developing a paint with cooling properties, aimed at combating the effects of heat waves that have become all too common, especially in places like Europe. Car paints are typically made from resin, and when these molecules vibrate under sunlight, they generate heat. This can cause the temperature inside a parked car to skyrocket. According to research from Arizona State University and the UC San Diego School of Medicine, temperatures on a car dashboard can soar up to 70 degrees Celsius during scorching summers. Nissan's innovation incorporates metamaterials into its paint formula. These materials contain microstructure particles designed to reflect near-infrared rays and convert heat into electromagnetic waves that dissipate into space. The result? A cooler vehicle surface helps curb temperature increases. The company has reported promising results from its tests. In an August 2024 field test at Tokyo International Air Terminal in Japan, this innovative paint managed to lower exterior surface temperatures by as much as 12 degrees Celsius compared to standard automotive paints. Inside the cabin, the temperature dropped by 5 degrees Celsius. This cooling effect isn't just about comfort; it also means drivers might rely less on air conditioning. For traditional cars, this reduces engine strain, while for electric vehicles, it saves battery life. Currently, Nissan's cool paint is still undergoing trials and is available only in white. However, the potential benefits suggest it could be a significant advancement for future automotive design.
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Walking Just 7,000 Steps Daily Could Transform Your Health, New Study Reveals
Walking 7,000 steps a day provides nearly the same health benefits as 10,000, according to a major new study led by the University of Sydney. Published in The Lancet Public Health, the research analysed data from 57 studies carried out between 2014 and 2025 in more than ten countries, including Australia, the US, the UK and Japan. It is the largest review so far to examine how daily step counts affect the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and developing illnesses such as dementia, depression, type 2 diabetes and cancer. "Aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn't been looked at before," said Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, who led the study. The analysis found that health benefits increased sharply with step counts up to about 7,000 steps, but then gains began to taper off. When compared with 2,000 steps a day, 7,000 steps reduced the risk of death by 47 percent. That benefit was almost identical to what researchers saw in people who walked 10,000 steps a day. Dementia risk dropped by 38 percent at 7,000 steps, with only a small additional drop — 7 percent — at 10,000. For type 2 diabetes, the risk fell by 22 percent at 10,000 steps and by 27 percent at 12,000 steps. The researchers found significant improvements when people increased their daily steps from 2,000 to between 5,000 and 7,000. "However, for those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain," said Professor Ding. Dr Katherine Owen, co-author and chief analyst on the study, said, "For people who are already active, 10,000 steps a day is great. But beyond 7000 steps, the extra benefits for most of the health outcomes we looked at were modest." The study relied on data from wearable step counters, such as pedometers, accelerometers and fitness trackers, and assessed health risks at increments of 1,000 steps starting from 2,000. The research team is working with the Australian government to use these findings to update physical activity guidelines. "Our research helps to shift the focus from perfection to progress. Even small increases in daily movement can lead to meaningful health improvements," said Professor Ding. The authors say future studies should explore how optimal step goals may differ depending on age, health status and region, and call for longer-term data and more diverse populations to make the guidance more precise.
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The Weeknd Honored with His Hometown's Key and His Own Weekend: A Homecoming Celebration
The City of Toronto has given The Weeknd its highest civic honor, presenting him with the Key to the City and declaring July 26 “The Weeknd Weekend.” The 34-year-old musician, born Abel Tesfaye and raised in Scarborough, was recognized at a private ceremony attended by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, local youth from the Boys & Girls Club of West Scarborough, and students from his former school, Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute. "Born in Toronto, Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye represents the best of our city," Chow said in a statement. "From Scarborough to the global stage, he has reshaped modern R&B music as a multi-platinum, Diamond-certified artist while using his platform to create a lasting impact for Toronto and around the world." In his own remarks, Tesfaye said, “I’m deeply honored to receive the Key to the City. It feels good to be home. Toronto is where I found my voice, and I’m committed to helping the next generation find theirs." As part of that commitment, he has pledged to fund upgrades at the Boys & Girls Club, including revitalizing the basketball court and building a mobile recording studio. At Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, he plans to add a dedicated dance and arts studio as well as a sensory room for students with developmental disabilities. The Weeknd, who has donated more than $10 million to humanitarian causes since 2020, will perform a series of shows in Toronto in the coming weeks. Earlier this summer, Live Nation said he became the highest-grossing Black male artist to perform at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. While he has spoken publicly about wanting to retire his stage persona, he told Variety in January that making music remains central to his life. "I don't think I can stop doing that," he said. "But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it's been mastered."
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Grandfather Becomes Australia's Oldest Surfing Champion, Inspired by Late Granddaughter's Spirit
A West Australian grandfather has become the country’s oldest surfing champion, riding a wave of grief and love after losing his three-year-old granddaughter to brain cancer earlier this year. John Haddow, 71, won the over-70 masters division at Surfing Australia’s national longboard titles at Kingscliff on the Tweed Coast. On the beach, as he held his board, he dedicated the win to Mina. “The last 12 months have been completely life-changing,” he said. “It was only this cancer thing when I realised every day is precious. I'm trying to enjoy life because it's too short. To travel across the country, put it all on the line and walk away with an Australian championship after everything that's happened recently, it's just so special.” Mina died nine months after her diagnosis. Her family had been told her initial treatment had worked. “The cancer went away. She rang the bell and we thought she was cancer-free, but it came back in three weeks,” said his wife, Dea. “It's not fair, she was just too little.” Haddow said he felt her with him during the final, describing it as “the presence of an angel on his shoulders” as the best two waves of the heat came his way. Some of his happiest memories, he said, have been riding his longboard at their local Margaret River breaks, thinking of Mina. While other competitors rely on high-performance boards that cost thousands, Haddow borrowed an old board from a friend and wore a wetsuit bought from an op shop. His wife, his biggest supporter, was on the sand cheering. “He's just smashing it,” she said. “At the state titles they actually asked for his birth certificate because they thought he couldn't be 70.” The couple says their lives changed forever after Mina’s diagnosis. They spent her final months singing, dancing and watching every episode of Bluey “at least 100 times”. Haddow said the experience has changed his outlook. “A lot of people spend their life with nasty thoughts in their head, but we all live on one planet and we have got to get along,” he said. Winning the title, he added, is now part of that new way of living.
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From Pandemic Project to Friendship Phenomenon: How One Woman's Facebook Group United 15,000 Women
What started as a small Facebook group during the pandemic has turned into a network of more than 15,000 women across the UK looking for new friends. Leah Clapham, 29, from Hadleigh in Suffolk, created the group, called Girls Squad, when she realised how many people were struggling to meet others during lockdown. "I think we hit 1,000 [members] quite quickly and then it soon became 5,000," she said. "It's so crazy. It's quite overwhelming because people are like, 'Oh, I don't know what I'd do without you', or 'This is all thanks to you'. I didn't think it would get this big." Girls Squad now has 15,700 members. It is open to women across the UK, who use it to introduce themselves, organise meet‑ups, and share events. The activities range from cocktail‑making nights and cinema trips to spa days and even holidays. "Everyone is so lovely no matter what event you go to," Clapham said. "Everyone's always so kind, especially if it's someone's first meet-up and they're very nervous. It's everyone's first time at some point, and we're all so welcoming that no one has really got to worry about anything." One of those members was Heather Cowell, 32, who moved to Ipswich two years ago. "I am quite an anxious person and, especially two years ago, I was even more anxious about meeting new people," she said. "I really wanted to do it, I didn't want to be alone, but that first post and the first time you go to meet people is really quite daunting. The fact it's just women made that easier." Cowell met Clapham through the group and now helps manage it, a job the pair describe as almost full‑time given the number of members and events being organised. For Clapham, what started as a way to connect during lockdown has become something much bigger. "I'm happy with how it is at the moment," she said. "I don't know where I want it to go because I never imagined it to be so popular, but I want to spread it as far around the UK as I can to help more people."
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Meet the Columbus Zoo's Adorable New Arrival: A Baby Asian Elephant, With Another on the Way!
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is celebrating a new addition to its family. This week, Sundara, affectionately known as Sunny, gave birth to a healthy female Asian elephant calf at 4:26 a.m. The adorable newcomer weighed in at 98 kilograms. Both mom and calf are bonding behind the scenes and doing well. In an amusing note, the zoo mentioned that while the calf's trunk coordination might need some practice, she's already winning hearts with her early attempts at exploring her surroundings. The little one stays close to her mother and is nursing successfully. This birth is part of a broader effort involving the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan Program. Through this initiative, Sunny met Sabu, the calf’s father, during his temporary stay at the Columbus Zoo. Currently residing at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Sabu played a vital role in ensuring genetic diversity among Asian elephants in captivity. Asian elephants face significant challenges in their native habitats across southern and southeastern Asia. They are endangered due to habitat loss, degradation, and poaching. According to estimates by the International Elephant Foundation, only between 40,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants remain globally. Tom Schmid, President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds, expressed excitement over this milestone. "Welcoming Sunny’s calf is an exciting milestone," he said. "Every birth brings hope and reminds us why this work matters for the future of their species." This recent arrival isn't just a standalone event; it marks the first of two planned elephant births at the zoo this year. Phoebe, another member of their elephant herd who is 38 years old, is also expecting a calf later this fall.