Good Morning!

It's Monday, August 26, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Doctors conduct the first pig-to-human lung transplant.

• Weddings face a new threat and it’s the grooms. 

• Netflix launches ‘Zodiac watchlist’, what’s your sun sign?

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SPILL THE NEWS

FEMA Employees Warn Against Trump Gutting Disaster Response

More than 180 current and former FEMA employees have issued a rare public rebuke of the Trump administration, warning that cuts and leadership turmoil at the agency could expose the U.S. to another disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina. “Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration,” the letter states.

Titled ‘The Katrina Declaration’, the letter warns that “two decades later, FEMA is enacting processes and leadership structures that echo the conditions PKEMRA was designed to prevent”. The signatories condemned the administration’s failure to appoint a qualified FEMA administrator, spending restrictions imposed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, cuts to mitigation and preparedness programs, and the reassignment of FEMA staff to immigration enforcement.

The letter was sent to Congress and the Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council. In response, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués defended the administration, saying it “has made accountability and reform a priority so that taxpayer dollars actually reach the people and communities they are meant to help,” adding, “change is always hard”.

Scientists Carry Out First Pig-To-Human Lung Transplant

For the first time, doctors in China transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead man, where it functioned for nine days before being removed. The case, published in Nature Medicine, involved a 39-year-old patient who had been declared brain-dead after a hemorrhage. His family consented to the procedure. The donor pig’s lung had undergone six gene edits, and the animal was raised in a tightly controlled environment. 

The research team from Guangzhou Medical University said, “Although this study demonstrates the feasibility of pig-to-human lung xenotransplantation, substantial challenges relating to organ rejection and infection remain.” Within 24 hours of the transplant, swelling and fluid buildup occurred, and by day three, signs of antibody-mediated rejection appeared. The experiment ended at the request of the man’s family.

American experts welcomed the milestone but urged caution. “Nobody would sign up for a nine-day lung transplant,” Dr. Adam Griesemer of NYU Langone told CNN. Dr. Ankit Bharat of Northwestern noted, “That’s a tough problem to solve. We haven’t really solved that, even in human organs.” While pig kidneys and hearts have shown more promise, experts agree lungs remain the most complex organ to transplant successfully.

In A Hotter World, You Are Likely To Age Faster

New research suggests that repeated exposure to heatwaves may accelerate biological aging, with health impacts comparable to smoking or poor diet. Scientists tracked 25,000 adults in Taiwan over 15 years and found that people who experienced more frequent heatwaves showed faster increases in biological age, a measure of overall health that includes organ function and cellular changes. For example, just four extra heatwave days in two years added about nine days of biological ageing, while outdoor workers saw even larger effects.

Dr. Cui Guo of the University of Hong Kong, who led the study, cautioned that the impact accumulates over decades: “If heatwave exposure accumulates for several decades, the health impact will be much greater than we have reported.” The findings highlight how climate change may quietly erode health beyond short-term heat-related deaths.

Experts called the study a “paradigm shift” in understanding heat’s long-term toll. Prof. Paul Beggs of Macquarie University noted: “Many of us have experienced heatwaves and survived unscathed – or so we thought.” While small changes in biological age may seem minor, they raise lifetime risks of disease and premature death. With heatwaves becoming longer and more frequent, scientists warn the health consequences could be severe for billions worldwide.

DON’T MISS

🇺🇸 Trump signs order to end cashless bails; another to criminally charge burning US flags.

💍 After years of fretting about bridezilla, weddings face a new threat — Groomzilla.

📰 Reuters, AP release statement after Israeli strikes on hospital kill five journalists.

🔬 Scientifically speaking, we might know the right path to living a good life!

🤝 Trump repeatedly praised North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in meeting with South Korean President. What’d he say?

🤖 AI has been reshaping the workforce as it eliminates jobs for younger workers.

⚖️ Trump says he fired Fed Governor Cook, she questions his authority.

📺 In bid to keep you binging, Netflix has come up with a “Zodiac Watchlist”.

📬 Postal services stop sending mail to the US. How would it affect us?

🌊 From flash floods to waterfalls, subways have seen it all because they weren’t built for this world!

IN GOOD HEALTH

🍹 Kombucha promises gut health and energy boosts, but do studies really back the hype swirling on social media?

🏋️ Want stronger legs without extra effort? Adding light ankle weights to walks increases calorie burn, but here’s what you need to know.

😵 Occasional dizziness may pass, but persistent or sudden episodes could signal bigger problems. How to figure out the problem and fix it?

🌤️ Feeling foggy or low? Vitamin D deficiency might be quietly impacting both memory and mood.

🦠 America’s first human case of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite has been confirmed in Maryland, marking the first U.S. human case in years.

IN STYLE, IN BEAUTY

✨ Crepey skin doesn’t only come with age. Want firmer, smoother skin for longer? These everyday habits could make a bigger difference than you think.

🔵 From Copenhagen runways to street style, cobalt blue is the season’s statement-making shade, giving us unapologetic main-character energy.

💅 Move over glazed nails, polka dots are the chic new manicure trend spotted on Hollywood’s favorite style setters.

👗 No more ‘nothing to wear’ panic and seasonal splurges, this capsule wardrobe blueprint keeps every fall outfit effortlessly on point.

THE FAME FRAME

📸 Jonathan Bailey posts racy picture with Scarlett Johansson after kissing drama.

🎉 Selena Gomez celebrates rumored bachelorette party in Cabo while Benny parties in Vegas.

🎶 Just five insiders have heard Taylor Swift’s upcoming album in full.

📺 ‘South Park’ continues to release new episodes in ongoing Trump-focused season.

🎬 San Sebastián Film Festival to honor Jennifer Lawrence with Donostia Award.

WEIGH IN

“Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” 

— Jennifer Lim