Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Six in 10 American bosses are toxic.

• The lunchtime hack key to your productivity. 

• “Worry scheduling” for the overthinkers?

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

Health

RFK Jr Targets Antidepressants Next

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr took his first major swipe at the psychiatric drug industry on Monday, announcing a sweeping federal push to curb the use of SSRIs like Prozac and Zoloft. Kennedy, who has labeled these drugs "exceptionally difficult to quit", is shifting the government's stance from treating antidepressants as the "default" to treating them as just one option. Kennedy said this returns control to patients: “We are not telling you to stop. We are making sure you, and your clinician, have the information and support to make the right decision for you”. 

The "So What?": With roughly one in six US adults currently on an SSRI, this is a massive shift in federal health policy. While the American Psychiatric Association agrees that "deprescribing" guidelines are needed, they warned against a blanket "overprescribing" narrative, noting that many who need care still can't access it. Experts remain divided on the prevalence of SSRI withdrawal. Research ranges from finding severe symptoms in 56% of users to a mere 3% after controlling for placebo effects, leaving patients and doctors in a data gray zone.

Economy

The ‘Stay-At-Home Daughter’ Dilemma

While the "Great Wealth Transfer" makes headlines, a grimmer reality is hitting millions of American women: the massive financial toll of unpaid eldercare. New data from the Roosevelt Institute reveals that most families will deplete their assets on long-term care, leaving daughters to bridge the gap. With Medicare failing to cover the median $80,000 annual cost for assisted living, an "army" of informal caregivers — 61% of whom are women — is stepping in, often at the expense of their own careers and futures.

Why It Matters: This isn't just about lost free time; it’s a lifetime financial hit averaging $295,000 in lost wages and retirement savings for women. As the US population ages, daughters are becoming the "stopgap solution" for a broken system, often sacrificing promotions or leaving the workforce entirely. Without a national policy fix, many caregivers warn they are effectively burning through their own inheritances and retirement security just to keep their parents afloat.

Workplace

Toxic Bosses Are America’s Reality

If your boss feels more like a villain than a leader lately, you aren’t alone. A new "Toxic Boss" survey from the Harris Poll reveals a staggering 60% of Americans are currently working for someone who micromanages, shifts blame, or plays favorites. Even worse? Over half of us have actually gone to therapy just to cope with a supervisor’s bad vibes. Experts say the surge in toxicity isn't just a "jerk" problem, it’s an investment failure. Companies are so obsessed with winning the AI race that they’ve stopped training their humans, leaving managers stressed and ill-equipped.

The Impact: This isn't just hurting your feelings; it's hurting your wallet. One-third of workers say toxic leadership has cost them actual money via missed promotions or withheld bonuses. The silver lining? Gen Z isn't having it. While older generations often put their heads down and work through the weekend, 73% of Gen Z workers are actively pushing back. As businesses pour billions into technology, the message from the cubicles is clear: "AI is cool, but could we get a manager who knows how to be a person?"

In the know

DON’T MISS

🚢 A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has killed three people and sickened four others; two remain critical.

🧠 Want a sharper brain? This one simple lunchtime habit change could be the ultimate afternoon productivity hack.

⚖️ Supreme Court allows a lower court's mail-order abortion pill ban for a week, temporarily preserving nationwide telehealth access.

💰 Want to join the upper class? New data reveals the massive salary Gen Z needs today to do so.

⛪ Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to visit Rome and the Vatican this week amid tensions between President Trump and Pope Leo.

🚤 The US military says its forces sank six Iranian boats while successfully reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

🤖 Wait, would you trade your cat for this ultra-cuddly, robotic habit-learning AI companion?

🧬 Protein design used to take years, but this new science breakthrough just did it in seconds. Future of medicine, is that you?

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

📅 What if, instead of spiraling over things the entire day, you gave your anxiety a meeting slot? Therapists say scheduling worries might do us overthinkers a favor. 

🦠 Is your stomach trying to tell your brain something? The gut-brain connection is real, and it might explain that mystery fog.

🚭 Do lungs regenerate on their own after you quit smoking? Good news: there’s some truth to that statement. However, there is some less reassuring news .… 

🦷 We'll go against the grain here: sugar doesn't actually cause cavities. That’s your mouth bacteria doing the work — well, they are not picky about what they eat.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

✨ Forget the ball gowns. At the 2026 Met Gala, featuring the "Costume Art" theme, the most "artful" thing on the red carpet was actually... a lot of skin. Here’s the round up of the daring looks that left nothing to the imagination.

💧 Stop stripping your skin barrier! We found out exactly how often you should be washing your face (hint: less is more).

☕ Clutches aren’t just for weddings anymore. These everyday options prove you can look high-fashion while just running to get coffee.

🪞 Beyond the mirrors: why "looksmaxxing" is taking over the internet and what it says about our modern obsession with perfection.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🤝 Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle their legal battle, avoiding a high-profile trial over harassment claims.

👗 Met Gala 2026: From family red carpet debuts to the secret rules stars must follow, we’re recapping every iconic look and the best celebrity outfits that caught our eye.

🎤 Dolly Parton has officially canceled her Las Vegas residency, prioritizing health as she recovers from "swimmy-headed" symptoms.

🚗 Britney Spears avoids jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge following her March DUI arrest.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Forget snooping through texts; the latest relationship dealbreaker is hidden in the ChatGPT sidebar. A viral story is sparking massive debate after a woman discovered her boyfriend’s AI logs titled "Relationship issues and uncertainty," featuring a "character assassination" of her personality. While he claimed he was just "ruminating" into a digital void, critics argue that outsourcing your emotional processing to a bot is the ultimate intimacy killer. Is AI a helpful therapist or just a cold, biased echo chamber?

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

— Albert Camus