Meet the 2026 National Teacher of the Year: Leon Smith. The 46-year-old has been an educator at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania for 25 years — teaching history and so much more. “An adult can tell you that they see something in you that maybe you didn’t see in yourself,” he told the Associated Press. “I love to do that for students. When I see ambition, when I see talent, I let them know that so that they can hopefully pursue that goal and achieve their dreams.” Read more about Smith, including how he starts each class.
A little playtime with your pup goes a long way (for both of you)
Health
UK Passes Permanent Smoking Ban for Anyone Born After 2008
Mike Kemp—In Pictures/Getty Images
Breath of fresh air, incoming: A landmark smoking bill recently passed through Parliament, banning all people born after Dec. 31, 2008 from ever purchasing cigarettes and vape products in the U.K. In other words, individuals currently aged 17 or younger will never be permitted to buy such products — whether it’s their 18th or 80th birthday.
The legislation aims to create a “smoke-free generation” — and eventually a smoke-free society. Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed the move, telling The Guardian that these young citizens will be “protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm” and that “prevention is better than cure.”
For context, smoking remains the U.K.’s leading cause of preventable death, disability, and ill health, with more than 64,000 annual fatalities, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. And data from 2024 showed that over 10% of adults in the nation were still smokers, a number this legislation is hoping to help change.
The proposal is expected to become law following the final formality of Royal Assent by King Charles III (who has previously expressed his approval) and would make the U.K. the second country worldwide to enforce a generational tobacco ban, after the Maldives.
Together With American PowerGen
This Is How We Address the AI Energy Bill Issue
With 690 new AI data centers being built in the U.S. this year, energy bills are front of mind. America needs new energy infrastructure, fast. Otherwise, this demand influx will inevitably trickle down to everyday finances. Enter American PowerGen.
APG is an expert at bringing new energy online, with a track record that speaks for itself. Its team successfully created and sold 12 separate energy projects valued at a combined $12 billion to buyers like Blackstone. This year, they’ll break ground on a project set to supply enough energy to power 3 million homes.
And institutional buyers are already lining up, having made multiple unsolicited acquisition offers. But APG isn’t satisfied. Invest before APG scales capacity 3X+ by 2028.
Sheep Welcomes 5 Lambs in a “1-in-a-Million” Quintuplet Birth
James Linsell Clark / SWNS
On the Croft family farm in Lincolnshire, England, an ewe defied the odds by giving birth to a set of five healthy lambs earlier this month — a ”one-in-a-million” occurrence, some say.
Sisters Liz Genever, Kate Genever, and Susan Genever-Jones are the third generation of their family to run the farm, which was started by their grandfather Albert in the early 1950s and today has around 300 sheep.
The sisters were clued in after a routine scan checking if their ewe was healthy revealed five babies. “We knew we had to feed her more as she was carrying more than most,” Susan, 52, who also works for the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, told SWNS. “And she was absolutely enormous during pregnancy.”
Susan explained that two of the newcomers arrived around 2 a.m. on April 9, and by 4 a.m., the ewe had delivered the other three, all on her own. “It was a really lovely surprise. I did have a quick look at the odds, and it says one-in-a-million but I don’t think it even happens that often,” she said. “We might get four to one sheep once a year, so you might get that from one sheep out of around 500. But to have five and for them all to live and be healthy is very rare indeed.” See more pics of the quints.
Culture
Struggling With Seasonal Allergies? Matcha May Help Ease Sneezing, Study Finds
Ivan Kyryk/iStock
Your allergy symptoms may have met their match(a). Recent research found that the popular green tea beverage could help curb sneezing during allergen exposure, but in a way that differs from most allergy treatments on the market.
In a five-week study, researchers monitored mice engineered to develop allergy-like symptoms. Some of the mice received matcha extract three times a week, with additional matcha exposure 30 minutes before allergen exposure. Although the extract didn’t appear to have any notable effect on traditional immune markers, the matcha-treated mice group sneezed less than expected.
Researchers believe the tea may suppress specific brainstem activity linked to the sneezing reflex rather than targeting inflammation or histamines, as most allergy medications do. But it isn’t a cure for an actual allergy. Co-author Osamu Kaminuma explained to Food & Wine: “We do not expect matcha to have a substantial therapeutic effect on allergy itself, although it may provide some symptomatic benefit by alleviating allergy-associated sneezing.”
Curious to try out the theory for yourself? Check out these 13 matcha recipes.
In Other News
NASA’s Curiosity rover detected organicmolecules on Mars deemed “building blocks for life as we know it” (read more)
Clean energy generation surpassed the rise in electricity demand for the first time in 2025, data shows (read more)
Behind the curtain: The Royal Opera House in London is getting new hand-stitched curtains (read more)
When a photographer left a camera trap near a river crossing in Kenya, a scene out of The Lion King unfolded (read more)
Diane Keaton’s collection of artand fashion, including an Annie Hall memento, is headed to auction (read more)
Inspiring Story
An epic send-off
After 42 years of service, beloved Los Angeles mail carrier John Ayala decided to hang up his satchel. And if he didn’t already know neighbors on his route adored him, he surely does now seeing that 200 people came together at a local bar for his farewell party. See pics of the retirement bash.
Photo of the Day
Oakland Zoo
Two mountain lion cubs, Crimson (pictured) and Clover, are receiving some much-needed TLC at the Oakland Zoo. The darling cubs were rescued in different parts of California after being found underweight and alone in the wild, without their mothers to teach them essential survival skills. Thankfully, they’re both well on their way to recovery — and the zoo hopes “they’ll become the best of friends.”
Daily Health Digital’s Simple Shift Makes Standing Up Feel Effortless
If getting out of a chair takes a deep breath, a grip on the armrest, and sheer willpower, there may be more going on than wear and tear. Harvard-linked research uncovered a hidden cause most doctors overlook: your joints may be drying out from the inside. A Boston doctor figured out how to reverse it.
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