Good Morning!

It's Monday, December 15, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Two killed, nine injured in a shooting at Brown University. 

• Is your vibrator snooping on you?

• Why that diet coke is messing with your gut!

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

Deadly Mass Shooting At Brown University Leaves Two Dead

A gunman opened fire in a classroom at the Brown University campus in Rhode Island on Saturday during a final exam review session. The suspect, dressed in black, entered the Barus and Holley engineering building at the eastern end of Brown's campus and fired indiscriminately, leaving two dead and nine injured from the incident. A “person of interest” was detained in connection with the shooting in the early hours of Sunday, but has now been released. Here’s what we know so far. 

President Donald Trump paid his respects to the victims during the holiday reception at the White House. “Great school, really one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen,” he said. The incident registers as the 389th case of mass shooting in this year in the US, and has reignited the debate surrounding gun control. 

Related Read: Students recall the horror as the gunfire erupted.

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World

Australia’s Bondi Beach Shooting Kills at Least 15

A deadly shooting incident took place on Sunday at Sydney, Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach, with at least 16 people killed and 40 injured. Authorities said the attack occurred as a crowd had gathered to celebrate Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday. A father and son duo, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, has been connected to the attack. The shooting witnesses share their experiences. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of this nation”. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Australian authorities are planning to strengthen the country’s gun laws — which are already amongst the strictest in the world, including reviewing licence limits and duration.

Health

Study Links Uterine Fibroids To Higher Heart Disease Risk In Women

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the US, and new research suggests a common gynecological condition may raise that risk. Conducted by JAHA, the 10-year study of more than 2.7 million women found those with uterine fibroids — a noncancerous growth made of muscle and fibrous tissue — had an 81% higher long-term risk of heart disease than those without. 

The pattern was seen across all age groups, races, and ethnicities. However, women younger than 40 had a stronger link between fibroids and heart disease. Fibroids are often asymptomatic and go undiagnosed, thus experts urge women to pay attention to symptoms like heavy periods, pelvic pressure, or fatigue.

In the know

DON’T MISS

⚔️ Hamas confirms death of top commander Raed Saad in an Israeli strike in Gaza. 

👀 There might be an uncanny snooper in your bedroom. Is it really your vibrator?

💼 Holding onto an unsatisfying job?  Apparently, “job hugging” could be worse than actually quitting. 

🤷‍♂️ President Trump admits he has no clue about Melania Trump’s new First Lady initiative. 

😊 Here’s how the world measures happiness, the happiest nations value simpler habits beyond wealth. 

👠 Sorry stilettos! Your feet aren’t made for an 8-hour heel day.

🎄 The festive season isn’t safe…layoffs are creeping back. Is your job safe this Christmas! 

☕ Why wait in a line? Data says brewing coffee at home is America’s newest obsession. 

🍔 In-N-Out skips an order number to dodge a viral meme. Seems like they beat the internet! 

🤒 Everybody’s sick? Nearly 3 million people have caught the flu — these cities are getting hit the hardest.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

💡 As the holidays approach, the festive lights grow brighter and more harmful to sleep, wildlife, and dark skies. These simpler, smarter choices will help keep the magic alive without the harm. 

🥬 Feel like a child staring down the greens on your plate? You wouldn’t believe just how much easier they go down if you try this trick. 

😌 Boredom isn’t always a bad thing; you just have to practice it the right way. Here’s when it helps (and when it hurts) according to experts.

🛒 Avoiding junk food is tough, especially when grocery stores are stacked with overprocessed food options. How do you navigate the maze and manage to eat clean? 

🦠 You might be eating healthy and still hurting your gut.Avoid these everyday nutrition habits that quickly throw off your microbiome.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

⚠️ TikTok’s latest nail hack promises longer-lasting press-ons. The risks, however, may not be worth it. 

🎅 Kylie Jenner’s Santa-red latex dress puts a distinctly “Kristmas” spin on classic holiday fashion. Here’s your style inspo.

✂️ The bob isn’t going anywhere. Stylists are betting on a disconnected bob to go big, and perhaps become a trademark cool-girl cut. 

🧸 You can’t beat a teddy coat out of a fashionista’s wardrobe. Here’s why it lasts and how to style it today.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🤼‍♂️ Wrestler John Cena bids an emotional farewell to his WWE career. 

🚨 Emmy-winning director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were stabbed to death in their LA home. 

🎬 ‘Not kissing a girl anymore’: George Clooney says he’s steering clear of on-screen romance. 

😬 Ben Affleck reunites with ex-partners Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner at their kids’ school play — huh, call it awkward. 

🎤 Madeline, who? Dakota Johnson joined Lily Allen in a surprising SNL performance.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

An investigation by The Guardian tells us how trauma, which was once reserved for catastrophe, has been stretched, monetised, and algorithmically rewarded. From #TraumaTok, to bestselling lists of books, emotional pain has come to be framed as content. While trauma language fuels social media discourse and turns it into a commodity, critics warn that this could be eroding personal agency, trivializing real-life suffering, and eventually turning pain into a performance — done only for profit.

“There are seasons when surviving is the most radical thing you can do.” 

— Audre Lorde