Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• America’s new retirement age is either 85 … or 35.

• Why eat strawberries every day!

• Are we done with SATs?

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

Artemis II Astronauts Head Home

Most people never witness a total solar eclipse, but NASA’s Artemis II astronauts saw one from space, just thousands of miles above the moon, where the moon fully obscured the sun for longer than on Earth. From the Orion spacecraft, they described Earthshine illuminating the “black orb” of the moon. The crew flew 406,778 km from Earth, breaking Apollo 13’s record by 6,606 km while following a free-return trajectory. Five key moments.

During a six-hour flyby, they documented the moon’s far side, photographed Apollo landing sites and the south polar region, captured thousands of images, experienced a 40-minute communications blackout, and proposed naming new lunar craters, including one honoring Reid Wiseman’s late wife. President Donald Trump spoke with the crew, calling the mission historic and linking it to plans for a long-term lunar base and future Mars missions. Watch.

Work

America’s New Retirement Age

America’s traditional retirement model is shifting as more people work well past 65 while others aim to retire decades earlier. About 4.2% of Americans over 80 are still employed, up from 3% in 2010, and the 75+ workforce is the fastest growing. Roughly one in five people over 65 now works, double the 1980s rate.

At the same time, some younger Americans are aiming to retire as early as 35, with the broader FIRE movement targeting retirement before 50, though few achieve it. Driven by rising costs, longer lifespans, economic uncertainty, and shifting life milestones, both groups are moving away from fixed timelines, treating work less as an endpoint and more as an ongoing part of life.

Health

How Psychedelics Alter Brain Chemistry

A major new analysis in Nature Medicine pooled nearly a dozen brain imaging studies across the US, Europe, and South America to explain how psychedelics affect the brain. Using over 500 scans from 267 participants, researchers found these drugs increase communication between regions responsible for sensory perception and higher-level thinking. This blurs the boundary between internal thoughts and external reality. 

The altered connectivity may explain experiences like ego death and distorted perception. Scientists say these changes could help break rigid thought patterns linked to conditions like depression and addiction, though research is still early and long-term effects, as well as differences across age and sex, remain unclear.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🤖 An AI image of US airman’s rescue operation in Iran is going viral … but the worst thing is Republicans’ reaction to it.

☕ Mathematicians have the right equation to pour a perfect espresso shot every time.

⛽ As Trump’s threats grow, US and Iran reject ceasefire proposals; oil prices rise.

⚖️ Trump ally Steve Bannon wins Supreme Court order that could dismiss contempt of Congress conviction.

💔 Think your partner’s emotionally unavailable? Therapists say watch for these six signs.

🍓 Turns out, eating strawberries every day is basically a sweet little health glow-up. We’re having chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert!

👶 The real reason paid parental leave keeps failing in America.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

💨 Science has answered the question nobody wants to ask out loud: whose farts actually smell worse, men’s or women’s?

🧠 Good news for the 9-5 hustlers, if your job involves solving complex situations in real-time, that might do your brain a favor as you age. 

🧘‍♀️ While someone prophetically said “shake it off” to their haters, in 2026, therapists are applying it to your nervous system to calm you down.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

🐅 Move over leopard print, tiger stripes are quietly becoming every fashion girl’s unexpected go-to neutral right now.

🏋️‍♀️ Love the sweat, hate the skin and hair care aftermath? Heated workouts can trigger breakouts, frizz, and damage, unless your pre- and post-routine is doing the work.

👟 This spring’s feeling minty! From runways to real life, mint shoes are popping up everywhere and making spring dressing feel surprisingly fun.

💇‍♀️ If your hair feels boring lately, these simple accessories are making everyday styles look way more styled instantly.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎤 Kanye West’s entry to UK under review ahead of London festival, NBC reports.

🎶 Sabrina Carpenter’s “House Tour” music video is a star-studded bling.

💑 Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton go Instagram official with high-speed Tokyo reveal.

🤒 Lady Gaga cancels Montreal show, says she’s battling respiratory infection.

🎬 Meryl Streep says ‘Devil Wears Prada’ character wasn’t based on Anna Wintour after all.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

A new college entrance exam, the Classic Learning Test (CLT), is gaining traction as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. Backed by conservatives and the Trump administration, it focuses on Western classics like Plato and Shakespeare. Some states and even military academies now accept it. Supporters say it’s more rigorous and meaningful, while critics question its lack of research, potential bias, and at-home testing security.

“You can’t see everything at once, so you learn to see what matters.”

— Teju Cole