Calling all e-readers — did you know there are a few ways to get free (or heavily discounted) books downloaded to your Kindle or other device? You can nab open source titles from Project Gutenberg, access your local library via Libby, take advantage of Amazon's "Stuff Your Kindle" days, and more. Check out a guide to e-reading for cheap.
Nice News Today
There's a lot of chatter about all the different ways to keep our bodies healthy over time, but what about our brains? A recent study of more than 2,000 people in their 60s and 70s found strong evidence that making a few key lifestyle changes can reduce age-related cognitive decline. Dive into the study findings and more in today's podcast episode.
Spot the spots? Hand, foot, and mouth disease is making the rounds this summer — here's what to know
In a digital-obsessed world, this hobby just might be as punk as it gets
Culture
May I Speak With a Human, Please? New Bill Would Support US Call Center Jobs
Jacob Wackerhausen/ iStock
Some exciting news for those who find themselves getting a little irritated when "talking" to customer service robots: A new bipartisan bill aims to protect American call center jobs and make sure customers know whether they're talking to a real person or artificial intelligence (and ultimately, avoid frustrating scenarios like this). "People want to have the option of speaking to a human or AI," Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who is introducing the bill alongside West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice, told CBS MoneyWatch. "This isn't new — who hasn't pressed zero repeatedly to try to skip the automated systems because they want to talk to a human? This is a consumer check people want to see." Under the bill, named the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025, call center employees must disclose their locations at the beginning of all interactions, and share whether any AI technology is being used.Callers would also be entitled to ask for a transfer to a U.S.-based customer service rep. The bill takes several steps to prevent the offshoring of these types of jobs, protecting the roughly 3 million Americans who work at call centers across the country. This includes requiring businesses that plan on moving call center jobs overseas to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days in advance and giving preference for federal contracts to companies that keep call center operations in the U.S.
Together With Hims
The Personalized Hair Loss Treatment Made for You
Hair loss is completely normal — and treatable. Whether it's from stress, genetics, a hormone imbalance, or something else, finding the right treatment shouldn't be a guessing game. The good news is, it doesn't have to be: Thanks to Hims, growing your hair back is simple. Hims offers access to personalized treatments with doctor-trusted ingredients that deliver results in as little as three months.* The brand doesn't take a one-size-fits-all approach — simply take a short quiz sharing your hair goals and health history, and a board-licensed medical provider will create a plan tailored to you. The process is 100% online, and prescriptions ship free to your doorstep if prescribed. You'll even get automatic refills and free check-ins with your provider to help you stay on track.
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Environment
Bighorn Sheep Conservation Efforts Reach "Monumental" Milestone in Texas
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
If you visited the mountains of West Texas at just the right time last fall, you may have seen some desert bighorn sheep soaring through the air. No, they weren't flying — allow us to explain. In the mid-19th century, thousands of these animals called the region home, but that number has dwindled dramatically due to disease brought by human activity. So to help return bighorns to their native lands, biologists airlifted dozens of disease-free sheep to vets for health checks, then transported them to a Texas mountain range away from disease-carrying species — and nearly a year later, that rescued herd has grown. El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park offered a promising location for the repopulation effort, as its surrounding highways and houses help create a quarantine zone. Last month, biologists visited the site and found several of the rehomed sheep, along with lambs that were just days old. "I am extremely, extremely happy, very, very satisfied," Froylán Hernández, the desert bighorn sheep program leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, told CBS News. "It's monumental." As Hernández explained to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, this is one of only a few disease-free desert bighorn herds in the entire country. "We have to ensure the bighorns stay here, they thrive here, that the population grows, and that we continue restoration efforts," he said. "This is just one piece of a very, very big puzzle." Watch the lambs run in the mountains.
Sports
Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh to Face Off in "the Race of the Century"
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
The World Aquatics Championships have been going on since early July, with over 2,500 athletes from more than 200 countries competing in Singapore. But as the three-week sporting event nears its end, all eyes are on two of swimming's top athletes: American Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, and Summer McIntosh, an 18-year-old Canadian superstar. Tomorrow, theduo will go head-to-head in the highly anticipated 800-meter freestyle event. Although Ledecky, 28, is known as the "First Lady of Freestyle," McIntosh is the only swimmer to have beaten her at the event in the past 15 years, setting the stage for what NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines called "the race of the century" in an interview with The Athletic. The stakes are high: If Ledecky wins, she sets a new record for the most world titles in a single event. If McIntosh wins, she could take a major step toward equaling Michael Phelps' feat of five individual golds at a single world championships. Earlier this week, McIntosh came out on top in the 400-meter freestyle, securing gold ahead of Ledecky, who earned bronze. But Saturday's showdown will reveal whether or not talk of a proverbial "passing of the torch" might hold some truth. Grab your popcorn — and find out how to watch the action unfold.
Global Good
🇪🇸 Spain extended its paid parental leave, making an already generous program even more so (read more) 🇬🇧 Star of stars: Michele Dougherty is the first woman to be appointed as the U.K.'s astronomer royal (read more) 🇨🇿 A rare, 3,200-year-old piece of bronze chest armor was discovered in the Czech Republic (read more) 🇻🇪 Seniors in Venezuela are waltzing their way out of loneliness at a social dance club (read more) 🇦🇺 The heaviest species of stick insect in Australia was found in a rainforest, thanks to its unique eggs (read more)
Inspiring Story
Slices of community spirit
In Braham, Minnesota, the annual Pie Day (happening today!) is such a beloved tradition that the town has been nicknamed the "Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota." The event's secret ingredient? Hundreds of volunteers of all ages, who come together to bake nearly 700 pies and put on a feel-good festival for the books. "It's like a big hug. It really is," said former mayor Tish Carlson.
Photo of the Day
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
On Wednesday, thousands of Ozzy Osbourne fans gathered in Birmingham, England, to bid a fond final farewell to the heavy metal legend at his funeral procession. Osbourne, who died last month at age 76, had famously expressed a desire for his funeral to not be a "mope-fest" — a note his fans clearly took to heart. "There were a couple of weepy moments because everybody loves him, but everybody came here as a celebration of life," Mikee Smith, who traveled for the event, told Rolling Stone. "It was an uplifting experience."
OneSkin: Advanced Sun Care That Performs Like Skin Care
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Up This Weekend
Lollapalooza: Yesterday marked the start of the annual music festival in Chicago — if you can't be there, you can watch the live performances from home
USATF Outdoor Championships: While some of the best artists perform in Chicago, some of the best track and field athletes are competing in Eugene, Oregon
Edinburgh Fringe Festival: This open-access celebration of art and culture is one of the most popular ticketed events in the entire world; it begins today and runs through Aug. 25
The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.
Odds & Ends
🧊 The right way to pack a cooler for a picnic or beach day 🍸 America's best watering holes, according to USA Today 🤝 These companies may help you in a financial pinch* 🌈 A double rainbow is already exciting, now add lightning *Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
Quote of the Day
"If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently."
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