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Score (98)
Incredible Canine Odyssey: Lost Dog Swims 100 Miles to Island Home
Amber, a spirited retriever cross, embarked on an unexpected journey across Hampshire and Dorset, covering nearly 100 miles over 36 days before her safe return. Originally rescued from the streets of Qatar by KS Angels Rescue and brought to the UK, Amber vanished after just one night with her new foster family near Bramshaw in the New Forest. Kelly Parker, founder of KS Angels Rescue, explained that Amber had entered a "wild mindset" during her adventure. "We had a lot of well-meaning people and they really did try to help," Parker said. "Unfortunately, with a dog that is scared and has entered that wild mindset, with any people, she would have run." Despite numerous sightings where Amber seemed to cover five or six miles each time, rescuers struggled to catch up with her. The charity believes she even swam to Brownsea Island at one point, where a resident fed her before she moved on again. The breakthrough came when two men spotted Amber in Poole Harbour and rescued her from their boat. They alerted Lost Dog Recovery, which was part of the search effort. Jess Wadsworth from the foster family expressed relief at Amber's return. "I still can’t quite believe (Amber is back)," she said. "She’s already in really good nick compared to how long she had gone for. What a girl!" Parker hopes this marks the beginning of a more peaceful chapter for adventurous Amber.
Score (94)
Mystery Solved: Long-Lost Portrait of WWI Canadian Nurse Just Found Its Way Home
For years, a striking portrait of a young woman in a Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service uniform left historians in North Bay, Ont., guessing at her identity. Now, the mystery has been solved: she was Christena Clinton Gordon, a First World War nurse from Callander, Ont., who cared for wounded soldiers in Western Europe. “Whether they’re soldiers or nurses, they were people who dedicated their lives to serving our country,” said Natasha Wiatr, curator of the Callander Bay Heritage Museum. The painting once hung in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #23 in North Bay before being put into storage. During a cleanup in the early 2000s, it resurfaced in poor condition. The only clue was a handwritten note on the back reading, “Toronto, Canada, May 1917.” No name, no signature. Restoration work in Ottawa and inquiries with the Canadian War Museum failed to solve the puzzle. The breakthrough came in 2008, when then-museum curator Carol Pretty noticed the uniform in the painting matched one in the museum’s own collection. By comparing it to historical photos, she confirmed the subject was Gordon. Gordon joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1916, serving in hospitals in England and France until the war ended. She returned home and, in 1921, married Ken Morrison, Callander’s reeve. The Legion donated the portrait to the museum, where it now hangs alongside Gordon’s uniform and wartime photographs. “It’s giving a voice and a name and a face to somebody who dedicated part of their life to serving our country overseas,” Wiatr said. “We’re able to give it a home.” “It’s only natural that it should return home,” added Legion First Vice-President Sandra Harkness.
Score (97)
Elephant Road Trip: Inside the Epic Journey of Karishma and Beth's New Beginning
Two Asian elephants have made a cross-country move as part of a major conservation breeding effort for the endangered species. Karishma, 26, and her nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth, known as Beth, left Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire for a new home at Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England. The transfer took months of preparation and involved keepers, vets, two specially equipped lorries, a 100-tonne-capacity crane, and a team of animal transport specialists. Stefan Groeneveld, section manager for elephants at Whipsnade Zoo, said cooperation between zoos is “integral to keeping a strong and healthy insurance population for animals at risk of extinction in the wild.” Asian elephant numbers are falling due to habitat loss, degradation, and poaching for ivory. The elephants travelled in custom-built, 10-tonne crates designed for comfort, with air conditioning and CCTV so drivers could monitor them during the four-hour journey. The convoy was accompanied by two of Whipsnade’s elephant keepers. Before departure, both animals were given a full health check to ensure they were fit for travel. For staff at Whipsnade, it was an emotional farewell. “It was a bittersweet day for all of the elephant keepers here when we said farewell to two of our elephants, Beth and Karishma,” Groeneveld said. “Karishma arrived at Whipsnade Zoo just over 20 years ago, and she and her daughter Beth, named after HM Queen Elizabeth II, have been much-loved members of our herd.” Whipsnade’s remaining herd — male Ming Jung, females Kaylee, Lucha, and Donna, and calf Nang Phaya — will continue contributing to the breeding programme from Bedfordshire.
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Score (96)
From Pom-Poms to Pastures: Cheerleading Teen Heads to Nationals for... Sheep Judging?
Depending on the day, Tiffany Maestrale might be standing in a sheep pen sizing up a prize ram or balancing atop a human pyramid. The 17-year-old from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has been cheerleading for years, competing across Australia and overseas. But growing up around horses and cattle also gave her a lasting connection with animals. “We had horses and a couple of cows too, so animals have always been part of my life,” she said. Her interest in sheep began only two years ago, when she volunteered at the Pakenham agricultural show. She started out helping with ribbons and emceeing, then joined the show’s board. Her high school, Flinders Christian Community College, sealed the deal — her parents encouraged her to attend because it had a sheep show team. “I’ve ended up captaining the team for the past three years,” she said. Farm manager Tess Runting remembers meeting Tiffany as “a petite year 7 student” and being there when she helped deliver her first lamb — “something many adults never do.” Now Tiffany is mentoring other students and is part of a growing group of young female sheep judges. Cheerleading and sheep judging may seem worlds apart, but Tiffany sees parallels. As a flyer — the one thrown into the air — she’s learned about teamwork and trust. In the ring, she said, sheep “have such different personalities, so to get them to work you need to bring a clear head and calm energy.” Next month, Tiffany will compete in Adelaide at the National Young Judges Championships, representing Victoria in merino sheep and fleece judging. Agricultural Shows Australia executive officer Katie Stanley said the competitions are about more than ribbons. “They connect young people directly with the agricultural industry and help us identify the next generation of judges and leaders,” she said, adding that young women are increasingly visible in the field. “They bring fresh perspectives, strong communication skills, and confidence to everything they do.” Tiffany admits she’s less familiar with merinos but is studying hard with guidance from Runting. For her mentor, the championships are a “golden opportunity.” “Honestly, it’s pretty nerve-racking … but we’re all cheering Tiff on,” Runting said.
Score (97)
From The Rolling Stones to Cardi B: Discover the College Venue That's Hosted Legends for 50 Years
On a quiet street in New Haven, tucked between Yale University buildings, a pizza place, and an ice cream shop, Toad’s Place doesn’t look like the kind of venue that’s hosted music royalty. But inside its modest two-story building, the walls tell a different story — covered in paintings and signed photos of the legends who have played there over the past 50 years. The list is staggering: The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Ramones, Johnny Cash, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Cardi B, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Dizzy Gillespie, and dozens more. For a club with standing room for about 1,000 people, it’s a history most arenas would envy. Owner Brian Phelps, 71, started as the club’s manager in 1976. “I thought it would be good for a few years and then I’d be out doing something else,” he said. “And then the thing started to happen when some of the big bands started to come here.” Toad’s began in 1975 as a French restaurant opened by Mike Spoerndle, who later pivoted to music, dancing, and beer when the restaurant struggled. A Tuesday night promotion with bands and 25-cent beers drew students in, and soon the bookings began to grow. One of the early performers was Michael Bolotin — later known to the world as Michael Bolton. A turning point came in 1977, when Spoerndle met concert promoter Jim Koplik, who began bringing big-name acts to the small stage. That connection led to countless moments of music history — including Springsteen dropping in to play after a full show at the New Haven Coliseum, Billy Joel recording part of Songs in the Attic there in 1980, and a young U2 playing three times before breaking big. Then there was the night in August 1989 when a $3.01 ticket promised only a local band and a birthday party for Koplik. Midway through the night, the crowd of 700 got a shock: “Please welcome the Rolling Stones!” Mick Jagger told the packed room they’d been rehearsing for their tour and wanted to play a small club. “It was amazing!” said local musician Doug Steinschneider, who managed to catch a glimpse through a side door. Months later, Bob Dylan’s team reached out about a warmup gig. The 1990 show sold out in 18 minutes and turned into Dylan’s longest known performance — more than four hours. Over the decades, Toad’s became a crossroads for every genre. Rap shows have been some of its biggest draws, from Public Enemy and Naughty by Nature in the early ’90s to Kanye West with John Legend in 2004, Drake in 2009, and Snoop Dogg in the 2010s. Phelps, who bought the club in 1998, says the key to staying alive has been diversity: “When you have all these things, all ages, all different styles of music, and you have some dance parties to fill in where you need them… it brings enough capital in so that you can stay in business and keep moving forward.” For young local musicians, playing Toad’s means stepping onto a stage where history is literally in the air. At a recent battle of the bands, Rook Bazinet, 22, of the Hartford-based emo group Nor Fork, thought of the acts his parents had seen there — including his mom’s ’90s-era Phish show. “Me, the Stones and Bob Dylan,” he said. “I’m glad to be on that list.”
Score (96)
An Asthma Drug is Showing Promise in Preventing Food Allergy Reactions
Scientists have identified a potential new way to stop life-threatening allergic reactions before they start — and the answer may lie in a drug already on the market for asthma. Two studies published Thursday in Science describe a previously unknown biological pathway in the gut that appears to drive some symptoms of food allergies, along with evidence that the asthma drug zileuton can block this pathway in mice, preventing anaphylaxis in most cases. The first study found that a gene called DPEP1 helps regulate the release of leukotrienes in the gut. These molecules are known for triggering asthma attacks, but the new research shows they also control how many intact proteins from food cross from the gut into the bloodstream — a key step in allergic reactions. In the second study, researchers gave zileuton, which blocks leukotrienes, to peanut-allergic mice before exposing them to peanuts. The result: 95 percent of treated mice showed no signs of anaphylaxis. “If so, this could provide a treatment to prevent anaphylaxis,” said Northwestern University immunologists Adam James Williams and Stephanie Eisenbarth, who co-authored the work. Anaphylaxis is a severe and sometimes fatal allergic reaction that can occur within minutes of exposure to a trigger food. According to the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, around 30 percent of transgender people — and a significant number of the general population — experience the effects of food allergies, though not all are life-threatening. Scientists have long puzzled over why some people with the same allergy test results develop anaphylaxis while others do not. Zileuton is already prescribed for long-term asthma control, which means its safety profile is well understood. However, the researchers caution that it is not a cure for food allergies. If human trials now under way confirm its effectiveness, the drug could potentially be taken before high-risk situations — such as eating in restaurants or traveling — to reduce the risk of severe reactions. “There are a lot of other exciting questions, like whether this pathway is regulated by things in our environment, such as changes in the microbiome induced by diet,” Williams and Eisenbarth said. If early results hold up in people, the work could lead to the first widely available medication designed to prevent anaphylaxis before it happens.
Score (94)
How India's Female Skaters Are Flipping Patriarchy on Its Head
and in hand, skateboards under their arms, Asha Gond and Puti walk toward the park not just as skaters, but as symbols of a quiet revolution rolling across India. In a country where public space and freedom of movement are still contested for many women, Gond and her peers are carving out room for something new—on four wheels. Their story, and the wider rise of female skateboarding in India, is at the heart of Shred the Patriarchy, a photo series by Italian photographer Chantal Pinzi that just won the Sports category at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards. “Against prejudice and threats, some women have rebelled, balancing on a board and transforming skateboarding into a form of resistance against the patriarchy,” said Pinzi. The series captures a community that’s defying expectations in a country where female skaters remain a rarity, and in many areas, a novelty. But Gond, now one of the most recognisable faces in India’s skateboarding scene, has never let that stop her. In 2018, she was the only woman to represent India at the World Skateboarding Championship in Nanjing, China. Her journey began in the rural village of Janwaar, Madhya Pradesh—an unlikely birthplace for a skating movement. But it was there that the construction of a skatepark transformed the community. What started as a patch of concrete quickly became a place of freedom and possibility, especially for girls like Gond. Pinzi's images document that transformation. More than just snapshots of ollies and kickflips, they show women taking up space, falling and getting back up, pushing back—literally—against deeply entrenched social norms. “Through the art of falling and getting back up, these women challenge stereotypes, fight marginalisation and reclaim public spaces in both urban and rural areas,” said Pinzi. The project is as much about resistance as it is about celebration. In a sport still male-dominated even in the West, Indian female skaters are pushing through extra layers of stigma, tradition, and limitation. And they're doing it together. The movement is still young, but it’s growing. From small villages to city corners, girls are skating through barriers one ride at a time—led by pioneers like Gond, captured in images that speak louder than words ever could.
Score (98)
No Kid Hungry: New York City Public Schools Are Distributing Free Summer Meals Across All 5 Boroughs
This summer, New York City Public Schools are making sure no child goes hungry. Teaming up with No Kid Hungry New York, they’re serving free meals throughout the city's five boroughs. From parks to pools, libraries to food trucks, these meals will be available at around 1,000 locations. Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, explained the initiative's focus on both nutrition and taste. “One of the things the New York City public school does is they taste test items. So if kids don't like it, it doesn't go on the menu,” she said. This means offerings range from cheese sandwiches to chicken pasta. Haffen Park in the Baychester section of the Bronx is one such location where a food truck will provide breakfast and lunch seven days a week. The aim is simple: make sure kids have access to nutritious meals that help them grow stronger and perform better academically. “When kids have access to nutritious meals, they grow up stronger. They have higher attendance rates. They do better in school,” Sabella stated. She emphasized No Kid Hungry’s excitement about partnering with NYC schools to bring this program to every community.
Score (91)
Helsinki Achieves Traffic Safety Milestone: Zero Fatalities in a Year
For the first time in modern memory, Helsinki has completed 12 consecutive months without a single traffic fatality—a milestone being credited to a long-term, community-wide effort to reimagine how people move through the city. From July 2023 to July 2024, not a single person died on Helsinki's roads. The last recorded fatality occurred more than a year ago, when a man was killed in the city’s Kontula district. Since then, nothing. No grieving phone calls to families. No lives cut short on the way to work, school, or the grocery store. In the 1980s, the Finnish capital saw around 30 traffic deaths per year, alongside hundreds of injury-causing collisions. But over the past four decades, Helsinki has transformed its streets—and the results are now undeniable. “A lot of factors contributed to this, but speed limits are one of the most important,” said Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division, in an interview with Yle. The city gradually reduced speed limits across urban streets, lowering many from 30 mph (50 km/h) to just 18 mph (30 km/h). Paired with that, planners redesigned intersections and roadways with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, focusing on protected lanes, safer crossings, and more intuitive street layouts. Public transit upgrades—like expanded tram and bus service—helped reduce car dependency, while traffic cameras and automated enforcement tools cracked down on speeding. Importantly, the city has taken a data-driven approach. Engineers used traffic patterns, crash histories, and emerging trends to adjust planning in real time. That includes adapting to newer challenges like electric scooters, which surged in popularity and brought fresh safety concerns. While 2023–2024 marks the first full year without any traffic deaths, Helsinki previously recorded zero pedestrian deaths in 2019, another sign that its long-term strategy has been working. “The direction has been positive for years,” Utriainen said. And it’s not just Helsinki. Globally, road deaths have fallen by as much as 50% in some countries since 2010, according to traffic safety data. But Helsinki's achievement offers a model of what’s possible when cities prioritize people over cars. It’s a stark contrast to the norm in many urban areas, where traffic deaths are still treated as an unfortunate but unavoidable part of life. Helsinki’s data tells a different story: with slower streets, better design, and smarter enforcement, zero is not only possible—it’s sustainable.
Score (97)
This Mystery Plant Bought 50 Years Ago Just Surprised Its Owner by Reaching 20 Feet
Hilary Chappin is experiencing a botanical surprise decades in the making. A rare agave plant she purchased 50 years ago has finally bloomed and now stands a towering 6 meters tall over her garden. This unusual event has left Hilary thrilled, as she never expected to witness such a sight in her own backyard. The story of this remarkable plant began when Hilary bought it as a small specimen in London. Over time, the agave outgrew its original pot and required several repottings. Hilary's dedication to nurturing the plant meant it accompanied her through three house moves. Initially, she kept it indoors during winter to shield it from frost damage. "I cannot tell you how excited I was when I realized it was going to happen; I was jumping up and down," said Hilary. The first signs of blooming appeared in April. Since then, the plant has rapidly grown upward, reaching its impressive height. Agave plants are known for their long lifespan before flowering; some can take up to 60 years to bloom. Their nickname "the century plant" reflects the belief that they only flower once every hundred years. The rarity of this occurrence is heightened by the geographical location of Telford; these plants typically flower on England's south coast or within controlled environments like botanical gardens. For half a century, Hilary has been meticulous about caring for her agave. When moving it inside became impractical due to its size, she took precautions against frost by wrapping it in fleece during the winter months. "Every winter for the last 23 years I have wrapped it in fleece to protect it from the frost," she explained. Now that the plant has blossomed so spectacularly, its striking flower spike will last several months before eventually dying off—a natural part of an agave’s life cycle after blooming. Despite having another smaller 'baby' agave growing nearby, Hilary is realistic about future prospects: "I am 82 years of age, so I don't think I will get to see the baby flower," she reflected with acceptance.
Score (87)
A Hidden Sixth Sense? Gut Microbes Directly Influence Your Brain and Behavior
Your gut microbes may be shaping your behavior in real time. Now, scientists are starting to decode how. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown “neurobiotic sense”—a direct neural pathway that allows the brain to respond almost instantly to signals from gut microbes. The study, led by Duke University neuroscientists Diego Bohórquez, PhD, and M. Maya Kaelberer, PhD, and published in Nature, identifies how specific microbial proteins can curb appetite by triggering a fast-acting signal from the gut to the brain. At the center of this discovery are neuropods—tiny sensor cells embedded in the lining of the colon. These cells don’t just react to nutrients or inflammation, but can detect microbial proteins and fire messages to the brain via the vagus nerve, a key communication superhighway between the gut and central nervous system. “We were curious whether the body could sense microbial patterns in real time and not just as an immune or inflammatory response, but as a neural response that guides behavior in real time,” said Bohórquez. The researchers focused on flagellin, a protein found in the whip-like tails that help bacteria move. When we eat, certain bacteria release flagellin in the gut. The study found that neuropods detect this protein using a receptor called TLR5. Once detected, the neuropods send a message to the brain: stop eating. To test the theory, the team gave a small dose of flagellin directly into the colons of mice that had fasted overnight. Those mice ate less afterward. But when they repeated the experiment in mice lacking the TLR5 receptor, nothing changed. The mice kept eating and gained weight. Without TLR5, the flagellin signal doesn’t register—and appetite isn’t curbed. “These findings suggest that flagellin sends a 'we’ve had enough' signal to the brain, helping regulate eating behavior,” said co-lead author Winston Liu, MD, PhD, a graduate student in Duke’s Medical Scientist Training Program. The discovery of this gut-to-brain communication channel could have wide-reaching implications—not just for understanding eating habits, but also for mood, decision-making, and mental health. The gut is already known to influence brain function via the so-called gut-brain axis, but this study identifies a direct, fast, and specific microbial input that shapes behavior. “Looking ahead, I think this work will be especially helpful for the broader scientific community to explain how our behavior is influenced by microbes,” said Bohórquez. The next phase, researchers say, is to explore how different diets alter the gut’s microbial landscape, and in turn how those changes affect this neurobiotic pathway. That could be crucial for better understanding conditions like obesity, eating disorders, and even psychiatric illnesses linked to the gut microbiome. Your gut microbes may be shaping your behavior in real time. Now, scientists are starting to decode how.