Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! When it comes to celebrating the meaningful women in our lives, U.S. consumers really put their money where their mouths are: Spending on the holiday is estimated to reach $34.1 billion this year, per a survey from the National Retail Federation. The top three gift categories are flowers, cards, and outings — though that last one offers ample opportunity for saving money, too. Many cities are hosting free events today, so consider checking out whether your local botanical garden or library has something going on. Otherwise, Today rounded up 55 activities to do with mom, from organizing a cell phone family portrait to creating a cookbook together. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
How a Mom Entrepreneur Is Transforming Childcare for Working Parents
Courtesy of Haven
When Britt Riley had her first daughter, she took 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave from her remote marketing job. After returning, she felt like she was falling behind, both as a mom and in her career. When her second was born less than two years later, it became even clearer that Riley needed a type of support that didn't seem to exist. So she set out to create it herself. Enter: The Haven Collection, a unique, family-focused concept that's helping reshape the way American society approaches childcare for working parents. There are three Haven locations across Rhode Island and New Jersey, and each features a fully licensed daycare facility, a coworking space, and a gym — all in one building. "One hundred percent, this business is built out of my own experiences as a new parent," the 40-year-old, whose kids are now 7 and 9, tells Nice News, adding: "Community is the heart of all of it." Click below to learn more about the spaces.
Inflation is creeping back. The Fed is holding rates high. The stock market is swinging like it's 2008. Meanwhile, the wealthy are quietly moving money into hard assets, especially luxury real estate. They know what survives economic storms: tangible, limited-supply assets in top-tier locations. That's why Pacaso's co-ownership tech platform has been so popular. The company, built by Zillow's founding team, has facilitated over $1 billion in real estate transactions and earned more than $110 million in gross profits — and it's now open to individual investors for $2.80/share. Just know: Pacaso's share price will change May 29 due to continued growth and investor demand, so act soon. Don't be distracted by chaos — move smartly. Invest in Pacaso for $2.80/share before the May 29 deadline.
This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso's Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. There's no guarantee that Pacaso will file for an IPO. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
This Week's Top Stories
Science
Dancing Queen: This Sea Lion Can Bop to the Beat Better Than Most Humans, Study Finds
Colleen Reichmuth; NOAA/NMFS 23554
Meet Ronan: a rescued sea lion who can seariously hold her own on the dance floor. The resident of the Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is the focus of a new study that suggests the groovy seal's rhythm is as precise as, if not better than, a typical human's. Ronan first made headlines in 2013 for her ability to bob her head to a beat, joining the short list of animals that have been proven to have rhythm. Now she's back in the spotlight, as a recent study went a step further and compared her rhythm-matching ability to 10 UC Santa Cruz undergraduates. The researchers played three tempos (112, 120, and 128 beats per minute) and found that Ronan's synchronization was better than that of the humans. She even rose to the top in a "head-to-head battle of the beats" with students. "She is incredibly precise, with variability of only about a tenth of an eyeblink from cycle to cycle," lead author Peter Cook said in a statement. "Sometimes, she might hit the beat five milliseconds early, sometimes she might hit it 10 milliseconds late. But she's basically hitting the rhythmic bullseye over and over and over again." (For context, a blink of a human eye takes 150 milliseconds.) Cool moves aside, fellow author Colleen Reichmuth explained that Ronan is evidence that practice improves performance. "One of the most important outcomes of the study is the fact that maturation and experience matter. … It reflects her cognitive behavior and her ability to remember and refine it over time," she said. See Ronan bopping to the beat.
Sports
Olympian Frederick Richard Flips for a World Record — And a Bigger Purpose
Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
Team USA Olympic medalist Frederick Richard literally bent over backward to break a world record (for a good cause). The Massachusetts native, known as "Frederick Flips" on social media, may have recently set the record for the most backflips achieved in 24 hours, all the while raising money to purchase gymnastics equipment for kids in Africa. Richard live streamed the ambitious endeavor, setting out to complete 1,002 backflips to snag the title and rack up donations, one jump at a time. He not only hit that goal, but proceeded to keep going for another hour, tallying 1,111 total backflips. As of last week, a GoFundMe launched by Richard's sister Alexandra had raised more than $46,000 of its $100,000 fundraising goal. "Gymnastics is not cheap. Equipment is expensive," Richard said in an Instagram video. "That's why it's so hard to get into. We're trying to change that." Watch Richard complete his record-breaking flip in honor of Alexandra, who helped him organize the May 3 event and gave birth to a son that same day. Needless to say, it was a big day for the Richard family!
Environment
Grizzly Bears Could Enter Their Comeback Era in California
P_Wei/ iStock
Though the grizzly bear is prominently featured on the California flag, it's been a little over a century since anyone within the state spotted one in the wild. That could soon change, per a new study outlining a potential reintroduction plan for the apex predators. "For a hundred years, people have been saying, 'Ah, it's over.' But science actually shows that's not the case," Peter Alagona, an environmental historian who led the grizzly bear feasibility report, told The Guardian. His team estimates that the state could host up to 1,700 bears across three areas: the northwest forest near the Oregon border, the southern Sierra Nevada, and a southwestern region near Santa Barbara. The sheer amount of space in California makes a grizzly comeback possible, Alagona added, noting the effort "would be a slow, deliberate, and careful process." However, public opinion is another critical piece of the puzzle. "I think that the question is really whether people are interested, engaged, excited, enthusiastic, and willing to support this," he said. Proponents say grizzlies could help keep other species in check, disperse seeds, balance the natural ecosystem, and restore cultural resonance, particularly for Indigenous groups. "If we bring it back, it reminds us of a new future," said Melissa Wilder, a wildlife program coordinator with the Los Padres ForestWatch. "And I think we need hope right now."
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
Our understanding of happiness is ever-evolving — and it may be time to deepen your definition
Jenny Anderson knows there's no people like show people — she's been taking their pictures for over 16 years. Throughout her career, the Broadway photographer has captured images of performers in shows like Wicked, Hamilton, and Phantom of the Opera, and she's so well-known behind the scenes that she's become a star in her own right. Anderson's new book brings backstage front and center, giving readers an "intimate and candid" look at the world of theater and its stars, like Sarah Paulson and Leslie Odom Jr. Check out some of the photos from the book.
Back in 2023, we wrote about Enoteca Maria, a Staten Island restaurant that employs real-life grandmothers from around the world to cook their family recipes. So we were tickled pink to learn that the story behind owner Joe Scaravella's unique employee roster was being turned into a Netflix film starring Vince Vaughn — and even more so when we learned it co-stars Susan Sarandon, Linda Cardellini, and Lorraine Bracco. Nonnas (the moniker bestowed on all staff grandmas at the eatery, in honor of Scaravella's own Italian grandmother) hit the streaming service Friday.
This Week in History
In a Presidential First, Theodore Roosevelt's Trip to San Francisco Is Filmed
May 12, 1903
Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
At the turn of the century, before talkies took over, silent films were still an exciting innovation. And although William McKinley was the first U.S. president captured on motion picture (at his 1897 inauguration), Theodore Roosevelt was the first to fully take advantage of the medium. His 1903 trip to San Francisco was the first of its kind to be filmed, and is just one of the many events throughout Roosevelt's career that he invited cameras to capture, often purposely playing to them with grand gestures, per History. The short movie that came out of the San Francisco trip is titled The President's Carriage andshows Roosevelt riding first in a train car and then a horse-drawn carriage during a parade in his honor. Notably, the world leader was escorted by the Ninth U.S. Cavalry Regiment, an all-Black company formed in 1866. In the last frames, the Library of Congress writes, Roosevelt can be seen "looking rather tired" as his carriage passes by the camera, accompanied by members of the Secret Service. Watch the film.
Thousand Fell: The Next-Gen Sneakers Keep the Planet Top of Mind
What if your favorite sneaker was actually built to last — and you got rewarded for recycling them? That's a reality, thanks to Thousand Fell. The next-gen sneaker company uses sustainably sourced bioleather, Amazonian rubber, and renewable biofoam created from soybean oil to ensure longevity, comfort, and recyclability. Thousand Fell is a closed-loop business on a mission to end textile waste, which it's achieving through a trade-in program that gives customers credit for recycling. Plus, the timeless styles couldn't be cooler — and for a limited time, Nice News readers get 25% off with code NICENEWS.
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