Good Morning!

It's Thursday, September 4, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Epstein survivors threaten to release their own “client list”

• Is the ‘scarcity mindset’ holding you back?

• Do weighted blankets really help with anxiety!

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

Health

Florida Moves to End Vaccine Mandates for School children

Florida officials announced plans Wednesday to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including long-standing requirements for schoolchildren, a move that would make it the first state in the nation to do so. Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, appearing with Gov. Ron DeSantis in Valrico, said the Florida Department of Health will work with lawmakers to repeal current rules. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said to applause.

Florida currently requires immunizations for diseases such as measles, polio, chickenpox, and hepatitis B. While vaccinations would remain available, Ladapo argued decisions should rest with families. “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body?” he said. During the announcement, DeSantis also unveiled a new commission, chaired by First Lady Casey DeSantis, to align Florida with the “Make America Healthy Again” framework promoted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The announcement drew sharp criticism from public health experts, who warned of rising risks of outbreaks. “The idea that children would be allowed to go to school unvaccinated is absolutely frightening,” said Dr. Richard Besser, former acting CDC director. Pediatric leaders also warned the change could endanger vulnerable populations. 

US News

Epstein Survivors Threaten to Release Their Own “Client List”

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday, urging Congress to force the Trump administration to release all Epstein-related files. Lisa Phillips said victims are prepared to compile their own list of names tied to abuse if the Justice Department withholds documents. “We know the names. Many of us were abused by them,” she said. There was no “missing minute” in Epstein jail footage.

The demand follows a House Oversight release of 33,000 pages, most already public. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) are leading a bipartisan petition requiring two more Republican signatures to advance. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has resisted Massie’s measure, favoring an Oversight inquiry he says protects victims’ privacy. Survivors counter that shielding files protects Epstein’s powerful enablers instead.

President Donald Trump dismissed the effort as “a Democrat hoax that never ends,” noting thousands of pages have been released. Survivors pushed back. Haley Robson said Trump’s words felt like “being gutted from the inside out,” and invited him to meet them directly. Others recalled Epstein “bragging” that Trump was one of his closest friends, keeping a framed photo of them in his office.

Law

Texas Senate Approves Bill Allowing Citizens To Sue Those Distributing Abortion Pills

The Texas Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that would allow private citizens to sue anyone involved in mailing or distributing abortion pills to residents of the state. The measure, approved 17–8, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law. House Bill 7 permits lawsuits not only against providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers but also courier services, such as FedEx and UPS, that ship abortion medication. Successful plaintiffs could receive at least $100,000 in damages. Women who take the medication cannot be sued.

Republican lawmakers say the measure is designed to curb medication abortions, which account for nearly two-thirds of abortions nationwide. “You manufacture and ship poisonous illegal drugs into Texas, and people are harmed, you will be held accountable,” said Sen. Bryan Hughes (R), a sponsor. Supporters argue the bill could serve as a national model to bypass abortion “shield laws” in states like New York and California.

Democrats criticized the legislation as invasive and punitive. “It deputizes Texans as bounty hunters,” said Sen. Carol Alvarado (D), warning it would escalate interstate legal battles. Abortion rights groups argue the bill will further limit access to care already restricted under Texas’ near-total abortion ban.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🇺🇸 Belief in the American Dream has hit record low.

📱 Smartphones truly can be a pain in the butt when using in the bathroom.

🏛️ Trump advisers discussed the possibility of assigning a position to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, if he quits election race.

☕ Starbucks is hopping on the protein craze — presenting protein-packed cold foam lattes.

🎙️ Watch: Hot mic catches Xi, Putin discussing immortality, organ transplants.

🧠 Could your ‘scarcity mindset’ be holding you back? You can change that. 

⚖️ Federal judge rules Trump unlawfully froze billions in Harvard funding.

💵 Money cannot buy you happiness, but it gets you this and it’s good enough!

💉 ‘Can’t trust the CDC’: States go their own way on vaccine policy.

👯 In your 20s? Here’s why you should have at least one friend in their 40s.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Coach and Ralph Lauren are quietly outpacing European giants like Gucci and Louis Vuitton in the US, pulling in younger shoppers with lower prices and steady growth. Yet American consumers are spending less of their income on luxury overall, raising questions about where wallets will open next.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

💉 Microdosing GLP-1 is booming, marketed as a longevity hack. Can tiny doses really improve energy, mood, and pain?

🛏️ Weighted blankets promise anxiety relief through deep pressure touch, but evidence is thin. Should you invest or skip the hype?

🧠 New research links low-calorie sweeteners to faster brain aging, about 1.6 years of memory and thinking loss in middle age.

⚖️ Shedding weight is one thing. But what about the skin left hanging after? Experts say solutions aren’t so simple.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

🧴 Can creams and LEDs really soften long-standing scars? You can improve  but not erase them. Topicals like these help subtly soften marks.

👜 From ‘Sex and the City’ to runways today, Fendi’s Baguette marks 30 years as fashion’s ultimate It-bag.

✨ Retinol is everywhere in skincare aisles — beloved, hyped, and hotly debated. But does it really earn its reputation as the “liquid gold” of skincare?

👗 Who says pleated skirts are schoolgirl-only? This season, pair them with leather jackets, boots, scarves, and so much more.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎬 Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi smolder in first ‘Wuthering Heights’ trailer.

😏 Bobbi Althoff flips off Drake after he gives her nickname during awkward in-bed interview.

👀 Rumors swirl: is Sydney Sweeney secretly dating Scooter Braun?

🛍️ Cardi B turns court memes into viral “Am I the Drama” merch.

👻 September’s best horror films from The Final ‘Conjuring’ to ‘Strangers: Chapter 2’.

“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” 

— Seth Godin