Good Morning!

It's Friday, May 29, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Ozempic isn’t just shrinking your body … it has a brain effect.

• White House is planning a $250 bill with Trump’s face on it.

• Our Y2K obsession could have an astrological explanation?

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

Health

Ozempic Might be Reshaping Your Brain

Ozempic was supposed to just target your gut, but scientists are realizing it’s actually pulling off a massive, unplanned neuroscience experiment on our brains, a Washington Post report states. When a University of Colorado researcher took brain scans of teens on GLP-1 drugs, she was shocked to find their neural connections rapidly multiplying within months. It turns out these blockbuster weight-loss meds don't just quiet "food noise", they rewrite how brain networks communicate.

While some users celebrate a sudden loss of interest in alcohol and shopping, others report a creepy emotional flattening and brain fog. With massive trials underway for addiction and long COVID, scientists are racing to figure out the catch: are these drugs simply quieting our worst impulses, or are they actually reshaping our personalities?

US News

How Funding Gap is Leaving Domestic Violence Survivors in a Limbo

When domestic violence survivors call for help, a prompt answer can mean the difference between life and death. Sadly, local shelters and hotlines across America are increasingly going silent. The federal government is currently withholding $150 million in taxpayer funds meant for domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking survivors. Millions of dollars have been delayed for over eight months, leaving local organizations in total limbo, The 19th reports.

The human cost of this red tape is staggering. To keep doors open, advocate groups are cutting hours, freezing 24-hour hotlines, laying off staff, and turning away victims. Managers are even giving up their own paychecks just to buy high-risk survivors a safe night in a hotel, proving that administrative gridlock has devastating real-world consequences.

Politics

When No Politics Resonates…

American politics is officially hitting a wall of collective exhaustion. On the right, Gen Z men are facing massive buyers' remorse after pulling off a 15-percent swing for Donald Trump in 2024. Frustrated by stubborn inflation, steep tariffs, and intense culture wars, these young voters feel totally abandoned. But Democrats aren't capitalizing on the slump; young men find their academic, policy-heavy messaging completely uninspiring, leaving them feeling politically homeless.

Meanwhile, this severe institutional failure — paired with a non-stop cycle of shocking headlines — is causing voters across the country to completely numb out. Psychologists warn that Americans are stuck in a chronic survival mode, dealing with "learned helplessness" and a severe cognitive overload. Instead of fighting back, exhausted citizens are tuning out the chaos, trading political outrage for total silence just to protect their sanity.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🌍 Negotiators say they reached a tentative US-Iran ceasefire deal awaiting Trump’s final approval. But, why is the President threatening to “blow up” Oman?

😳 Trump now wants his face on a $250 bill and the White House is trying hard for it to happen!

👀 A major 2028 Democratic frontrunner just officially took her name out of the race.

💸 Your wallet isn’t playing tricks. With prices rising at the fastest pace in years, Americans’ saving rates are dropping to lowest since 2022. What is driving the inflation?

😬 That infamous 2024 Biden-Trump debate? Jill Biden finally broke her silence on it and her theory is terrifying.

🔮 Our 90s obsession has an astrological explanation? We’re all ears.

🕵️ CIA officer gets busted with $40M in gold bars. His excuse? "Work expenses."

😂 A Bangladeshi buffalo named ‘Donald Trump’ was just spared from Eid sacrifice. Talk about influence!

🏥 After announcing setting up Kenya facility to keep Ebola-exposed Americans, officials say treatment to take place in Europe not US.

📬 Federal judge declines to block Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🚿 You’re probably washing your hair all wrong. Dermatologists say the secret to the perfect hair wash comes down to this one golden rule for your roots. 

⚖️Most Americans already eat plenty of protein, while 71% are trying to pack even more on their plates. And as the story goes, too much of a good thing can be bad — especially if it starts ruining your gut health.

✈️Pack your bags! Longevity researchers say traveling can actually help you live longer. But before you book that cramped itinerary, here is the exact kind of trip your body needs to reverse aging.

🥛 If you’re still tossing and turning, put down the melatonin pills and grab these six sleep-inducing pantry staples instead.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

✨ Put down the baseball cap. This summer’s must-have accessory is a little bit country and a whole lot of high fashion.

⏳ Want to skip the Botox? These holy-grail peptide skincare products are basically a time machine in a bottle.

🚫 Your closet needs an intervention and top stylists reveal the summer fashion items that are officially "out" this season — and what to buy instead.

💆 Flaking out? It might not just be dry skin. Here is how to tell if you have dandruff or scalp psoriasis.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

😳 Madonna just said what about JFK Jr? We’re not sure if that’s TMI.

🤯 Gwyneth Paltrow just dropped a bizarre internet-breaking food advice. She’s replacing dairy alright but with that!

🎤 The suspect behind the foiled Taylor Swift Vienna concert attack plot was just sentenced to 15 years in prison. And, the apology … was bleak.

🗞️ After Gayle King exposed her ex-husband's cheating scandal, he just issued a public response.

🎤 Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are bringing their chaotic New Year’s energy to July 4th.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Social media has turned cortisol into wellness culture’s favorite villain, blaming it for everything from belly fat to bad sleep to puffy faces. But doctors say most people wildly misunderstand what cortisol actually is: a normal, necessary hormone that helps regulate stress, energy, and daily body functions. Experts warn that influencers and supplement brands are exploiting that confusion to sell quick fixes with little scientific backing. The bigger issue, they say, is chronic stress itself — not some secret cortisol crisis TikTok magically diagnosed from your morning face puffiness.

"Find things beautiful as much as you can, most people find too little beautiful."

— Vincent Van Gogh