When it comes to interior design, small spaces require big thinking. The right furniture choice can make a room look double its size — but the opposite is also true, of course. “Every item in your home needs to serve a purpose. You don’t have extra square footage [for things] that are just going to be decorative,” designer Shamika Lynch told NPR. Read tips on how to make a small home feel bigger.
One man’s mission to cure loneliness by having breakfast with strangers
Culture
15 Under-the-Radar US Travel Destinations, Revealed
Chris Moore/Exploring Light Photography—Moment/Getty Images
This summer, many travelers are looking beyond the usual domestic hot spots and seeking less crowded and more affordable alternatives, like wildlife refuges and historic small towns. Despite travel spending having risen year-over-year, increasedcosts and general economic pressures account for a shift in leisure travel priorities, according to a July report from the U.S. Travel Association.
As such, Newsweek rounded up 15 hidden gems across the country to inspire your next itinerary — no big cities included. Want to experience what Georgia has to offer outside the hustle and bustle of Atlanta? Check out the remote Cumberland Island, known for its wild horses and white sandy beaches (and for being the setting of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s covert wedding). Curious what a New Jersey coastal adventure looks like? Consider visiting the seaside town of Cape May, with its Victorian architecture and array of no-cost activities.
Mackinac Island, Michigan, which has been car-free since the turn of the century, also got a shout-out. Visitors get around on foot or by bike, making for “a very charming feel and a slower pace,” Steve Schwab, CEO of vacation rental company Casago, told the outlet, adding that it “feels like an escape from the real world.”
Other under-the-radar destinations featured include Taos, New Mexico; San Luis Obispo, California; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Find out which others made the list.
Together With Knix
The Ultimate Period Sleep Solution
Introducing Knix’s latest innovation: the SuperPlus Leakproof® Dream Short. It features a full front-to-back liner, designed to absorb heavy periods, postpartum flow, and overnight bladder leaks — completely replacing bulky overnight pads.
The leakproof technology provides total peace of mind for your heaviest days. Plus, they come in inclusive sizes, from XS to 4XL. Click below to choose from a variety of colors, including the limited-edition black-and-white polka dot.
“From the Line of Death to a Line of Life”: How the Iron Curtain Became the Green Belt
Pia Bayer—picture alliance/Getty Images
The idyllic swath you see above was once the part of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe into East and West from the end of World War II until 1989. Back then, this steel fence snaked through a heavily militarized strip of land in Germany — but decades later, the site’s remoteness and lack of civilian access have allowed biodiversity to flourish.
“It was a death strip that was insurmountable and served as a dividing line,” Andreas Heil, with the country’s Environment Ministry, told broadcaster Deutsche Welle of the former inner-German border, now dubbed the Green Belt and nominated to join the UNESCO World Heritage List. “Today, it is exactly the opposite: something that brings people together.”
The 870-mile corridor of protected land harbors thousands of species, including hundreds that are endangered or threatened. Some highlights include otters, wildcats, whinchats, and lapwings. And in stark contrast to the previous military presence, there are now bike paths, a boardwalk over a peat bog, hiking trails, and more. As UNESCO notes, the habitat went “from the line of death to a line of life.” Explore the Green Belt.
Humanity
This Gen Zer Used TikTok to Save Her Dad’s Vintage Shoe Store
Zineb Lazraq / SWNS
Talk about old meets new: A small vintage shoe store in London that was on the verge of closing now has young people lining up to shop — and it’s all thanks to the owner’s Gen Z daughter posting about its Y2K footwear selection on TikTok.
Rachid Lazraq, 59, opened Rich Collection Italia more than three decades ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of online shopping took a toll on business. He was planning to shut down the store when his daughter Zineb Lazraq, 25, saw an influencer post about a purchase she’d made there, describing the retailer as a “hidden gem.” Inspired, Zineb decided to do the same.
Watch her viral video on the Nice News website.
In Other News
A Chicago art exhibition honoring Emmett Till’s life wraps up today, what would’ve been his 85th birthday (read more)
The first NFL training camps are getting started: Here’s what will look different this season (read more)
Rooftop solar panels saved New England residents $130 million in electricity during a recent heat wave (read more)
“New level of comfort”: A major airline unveiled a “game-changing” headrest for economy passengers (read more)
Pieces of an endangered coral species were brought ashore by Florida scientists to save it from extinction (read more)
Inspiring Story
Bonding through books
In 2024, when Khari Arnold’s daughter, Ariah, was 4 months old, the duo started making weekly trips to their local Atlanta library. Their visits became a tradition, giving them the opportunity to bond over books. That experience inspired Arnold to start The Library Dads, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening relationships between fathers and their kids “while building key literacy and developmental skills.” Now, the organization hosts regular library meetups across the city and also provides free educational resources for its “brotherhood” of dads. Watch them in action.
Photo of the Day
S. Levins/USFWS
Northern California's largest least tern colony, located on Alameda Island in San Francisco Bay, reached a new record this year with 797 total nests, a significant increase from the 556 counted in 2025, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The colony’s success can in part be credited to the use of donated oyster shells in nesting areas, which provide least terns with “natural shelter from wind and sun” and “a cool place to rest off the hot sand,” in addition to camouflaging them from predators. See more pics of the newly born chicks.
Cholesterol Conquered’s Artery-Revitalizing Fruit Discovery
Italian researchers discovered one strange fruit that supports healthy cholesterol within weeks — without side effects or living on salads. The good news? This same fruit was shown to revitalize arteries after six months, improving blood flow throughout the body. A Boston doctor’s video explaining which fruit and how much you need has already helped thousands — watch it below.
No comments:
Post a Comment