Must Reads

• ​This is what the sun’s surface looks like in 8K
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• Just keep swimming: A guide to become a more confident swimmer, no matter your age

Health

Au Revoir, Cigarettes: France Bans Smoking in Public Places With Kiddos

Visitors to France this summer might notice something different — or shall we say, cleaner — in the air: Starting July 1, the country of love and croissants is banning smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children (e.g., beaches, parks, sports venues, and bus stops), and failure to comply could result in a fine of about $153
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“Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Health Minister Catherine Vautrin told French newspaper Ouest-France last week, adding that the freedom to smoke “ends where children’s right to breathe clean air begins.” The ban is just one piece of France’s bigger plan to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2032, which seems to be on track. Tobacco use in France has been on the decline in recent years, with 16% of 17-year-olds reporting they smoke, down from 25% six years ago, NPR reports.
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France’s neighbor to the south, Spain, is taking similar anti-smoking measures, with plans to prohibit cigarettes and e-cigarettes in more public spaces, including outdoor bars, restaurant terraces, and university campuses. The Spanish government is also working to boost resources for individuals who wish to stop smoking, per Euronews.
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Bigger picture, France and Spain are in good company: Take a look at other EU countries leading the charge against cigarettes.​

Together With Percent

Why Top Institutions Are Investing in Private Credit

Private credit is becoming a go-to choice for top institutions like BlackRock and KKR — and it’s clear why. With its yield potential, resilience, and low correlation to the stock markets, it’s a smart complement to traditional investments like stocks and bonds. But private credit investing isn’t just for big firms. Thousands of individuals have already invested in this $2 trillion asset class. With Percent, you can too.
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Percent offers accredited investors access to curated private credit deals starting at just $500. The platform is designed with transparency in mind, offering access to market data to help you evaluate deal opportunities and invest with confidence. Whether you’re looking for short or long term investment options, Percent lets you customize your portfolio to align with your financial goals. Ready to rethink the traditional 60/40 model? Percent can help you take the next step.

Alternative investments are speculative and possess a high level of risk. No assurance can be given that investors will receive a return of their capital. Those investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment should not invest. Investments in private placements are highly illiquid and those investors who cannot hold an investment for an indefinite term should not invest. Private credit investments may be complex investments and they are subject to default risk.

Tech

Want to See Infrared Light With Your Eyes Closed? There May Be a Contact Lens for That

In news that sounds like science fiction, researchers are creating new super-vision contact lenses that allow wearers to see infrared light. Here’s the kicker: They work even when people have their eyes closed.
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​While some animals (such as certain snakes, bats, and frogs) can see infrared light, human eyes are not as sensitive to the wavelengths within the infrared spectrum. But over the years, technology has expanded humans’ ability to detect infrared energy via night vision goggles and telescopes — and now, contact lenses. The innovative lenses use nanoparticles to convert near-infrared light into visible colors, like reds, greens, and blues, according to a study published last month.
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Unlike night vision goggles, the contacts do not need a power source and they allow wearers to see both infrared light and visible light simultaneously. “When wearing them, you still see everything normally,” lead author Gang Han told ABC News. “The lenses simply add the ability to see infrared images on top of what we already normally see.” Researchers found that even when subjects closed their eyes, the near-infrared light could penetrate the eyelids, allowing the wearer to detect flashing infrared light.
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Beyond bringing Marvel-like abilities to life, the contacts have a range of potential practical uses. They could serve as a tool for emergency responders and military personnel, as well as detect secret infrared messages and help people with color blindness. “This study opens the door to many exciting applications of wearable technology, potentially transforming how we see and interact with our environment, especially in challenging conditions,” Han said.

Environment

Fugitive Flamingo Dubbed “Pink Floyd” Celebrates 20 Years on the Run From Kansas Zoo

Have you seen this bird? Back in 2005, the African flamingo escaped from Kansas’ Sedgwick County Zoo during a dark and stormy night. The escape artist, known as flamingo No. 492 or “Pink Floyd,” did not have its feathers clipped sufficiently and flew the coop with a fellow flamingo.
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Many moons later, the fearless flamingo’s story is still being written.Pink Floyd has been spotted in Texas numerous times in spring and summer, sometimes with other wild flamingos. The last confirmed sighting (photographed above) was in May 2023 when members of the Audubon Texas team spotted No. 492 during an annual waterbird survey.
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Now, two decades post-escape, wildlife fans are keeping an eye out for the majestic bird in hopes of getting glimpses of the fugitive in action. If you do happen to spot Pink Floyd, don’t fret about its freedom — the zoo has no plans to recapture it, the Associated Press reported after a 2022 sighting. Keep on keeping on, brave bird.

In Other News

1. Happy Pride Month: See where, when, and how major U.S. cities are celebrating this summer (read more)
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2. Archaeologists unearthed remains of a nearly 3,000-year-old Mayan city in Guatemala (read more)
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3. Congrats Maja Stark! In case you missed it, the 25-year-old Swede won the U.S. Women’s Open Sunday (read more)
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4. Lilo & Stitch scored big at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2025 (read more)
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5. The Fort Worth Zoo’s porcupine family welcomed a new arrival last week — see the precious porcupette (read more)

Organization We Love

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue​
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​The Muttville senior dog rescue center in San Francisco is the first shelter in the nation to provide a cage-free environment and the first senior dog rescue in California, per its website. The shelter is filled with colorful beds, a pink “Glam Shampoochery,” and whimsical murals. It’s truly a magical place for pets and people, especially potential foster families and those looking to adopt.
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​– Marika Spitulski, Writer

Join the Nice Book Club

What if the key to healing our divides and deepening our relationships is curiosity? To explore that question and many more, join us on Monday, June 9 at 5 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation with Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. The hourlong event, marking the third installment in the Nice Book Club series, is free to join and you don’t have to read the book beforehand, but we’re pretty confident you’ll want to after hearing Shigeoka’s insights. If you’ve ever felt disconnected, overwhelmed by division, or eager to grow your capacity for understanding — this one’s for you.

Inspiring Story

Perfect baseball

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We try to use the word perfect sparingly, but in this case it’s no exaggeration: LSU Shreveport’s Pilots just put a bow on a 59-0 season, becoming the first college baseball team on record to go unbeaten — and bringing home the school’s first national title in any sport. Watch the team celebrate the monumental season.

Photo of the Day

Sunday marked the end of the 2025 Giro d’Italia, a 21-stage race that began in Durrës, Albania, and concluded in Rome, taking bikers past iconic monuments like the Colosseum. After more than 2,000 miles, Simon Yates came out on top, winning the overall title and the coveted pink jersey. “[I’m] quite emotional, to be honest,” Yates said after the victory while trying to hold back tears. “Something I’ve worked toward — the Giro itself — many, many years. A lot of setbacks. I had an idea today to try something and managed to pull it off.”

Unlock Solar Savings With EnergySage

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Odds & Ends

🍅 This is one use for overripe tomatoes
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⛺ Would you go camping solo?
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🍕 Costco’s food court is listening to the fans​
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🚴 Two cyclists became puppy-rescuing heroes

Quote of the Day

“Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share.”

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– JONATHAN SACKS