Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🎨 Arts help you live longer
• 🦷 Neanderthal root canal
• 🖼️ Mona Lisa’s identity

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.89-minute read (1,036 words).

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“The deeper the truth in a creative work, the longer it will live.”

–Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)

The American dream of homeownership is still alive. It just has a 6.37% mortgage rate and requires giving up brunch indefinitely.

So far this spring, existing-home sales in the US are hovering near a three-decade low for the fourth straight year, with many prospective homebuyers staying put due to lack of affordability.

By the numbers: Sales of existing US homes rose just 0.2% in April to reach a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million, per the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

That figure fell well short of economists’ expectations for a 3% jump. The overall sales number is also far short of the historic norm for spring, which is closer to an annual rate of 5.2 million homes sold.

The disappointing data came despite home inventory finally improving last month.

• There were 1.47 million unsold homes on the market at the end of April, up 5.8% from March and the highest April inventory level since 2019.
• But that’s still below the ~2 million homes for sale that was typical before the Covid pandemic.

Driving the trend

Many would-be homebuyers say they’re turned off by still-high home prices and mortgage rates.

• The national median existing-home price reached $417,700 in April, up 0.9% from a year earlier and the highest median home price ever recorded for the month of April, per NAR.
• And while mortgage rates briefly dipped below 6% in late February, they’ve since climbed back to 6.37%—as of last week—amid heightened inflation concerns.

Other prospective buyers are hesitant to lock themselves into a major purchase amid lingering concerns about the job market and overall US economy.

Looking ahead: Mortgage rates will likely determine whether the housing market can break out of its funk later this year, WSFS Home Lending President Jeffrey Ruben told the WSJ. Rates falling back below 6% could help revive demand, but climbing above 6.5% could spook more buyers out of the market.

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If you’ve ever felt a little less stressed after an extended shower karaoke sesh, science says you might be onto something.

Engaging with the arts can help prevent biological aging at a rate similar to physical activity, according to a new study from the University College London.

How it went down

The researchers conducted extensive surveys and took blood samples from ~3,500 adults in the UK over multiple years.

Each participant answered questions about their regular activities, including exercise habits and involvement in 40+ different artistic activities (dancing, museum visits, theater trips, etc.).

• Scientists then used seven separate “epigenetic clocks” to measure how quickly participants were aging biologically.
• These clocks track chemical changes to DNA associated with aging, disease risk, and mortality.

What they found: People who regularly engaged with the arts aged ~4% slower biologically compared to those with little artistic involvement, translating to participants being biologically about one year younger on average.

• Scientists say the benefits are likely tied to stress reduction.
• Being creative can help lower long-term stress levels and reduce inflammation, a factor closely linked to aging and chronic disease.

Looking ahead…Scientists say many questions still remain, including how much artistic engagement is needed to make a difference in biological aging. But if future research confirms the findings, date night at the museum may eventually qualify as preventative healthcare.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏦 Kevin Warsh is confirmed as the Federal Reserve’s 17th chair by a 54–45 vote in the Senate, the narrowest margin for the role since 1977.
• ⚖️ Closing arguments in trial over Elon Musk’s $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the company’s president Greg Brockman, and Microsoft are expected to begin today.
• 🤖 AI chip-maker Cerebras raises $5.55 billion in its initial public offering, marking the largest tech IPO since Uber in 2019.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 📺 Netflix adds three more annual football games to its roster in a new NFL deal. | K-pop Demon Hunters announces upcoming world tour. | Bridgerton confirms 2027 release date for Season 5.
• 🏆 Karol G to receive the International Artist Award of Excellence and perform at the upcoming 52nd American Music Awards.
• 🙏 John Barbour, reality TV pioneer and producer/co-host of Real People, passed away at 93.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🦷 Neanderthals used stone drills to remove infected tissue from a tooth some 59,000 years ago, in the oldest known example of dental treatment, new study finds.
• 🎓 Princeton University faculty votes to require proctoring in all in-person exams, reversing the school’s 133-year-old honor code due to fears of widespread AI-enhanced cheating.
• ☢️ US Army's Trinity test—the world’s first-ever test of a nuclear bomb—created a crystal that, under more normal circumstances, wouldn't be able to exist on Earth, per new PNAS study.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: US intelligence agencies have reportedly assessed that Iran has regained access to 30 of 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, along with most of its other missile sites, launchers, and underground facilities, per the NY Times.
• ⚖️ South Carolina Supreme Court overturns Alex Murdaugh’s conviction in the double-murder of his wife and son, citing the actions of the court clerk who suggested to jurors that he was guilty; prosecutors plan to retry Murdaugh, in a do-over of one of the most-watched cases in recent memory.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Kouri Richins, a Utah mother who wrote a children’s book on grief after her husband’s death, is sentenced by a judge to life in prison without parole for his murder.

👆LEGO unveiled its newest set on Tuesday: a replica of The Lord of the Rings’ White City of Minas Tirith, released in honor of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The set is one of the largest in LEGO history, clocking in at 8,278 pieces with a $649.99 price tag.

🤔 Did you know? The Mona Lisa’s long-debated identity and creation date were strongly confirmed in 2005, when a German researcher found a verified, handwritten note in the margin of a book stating that Leonardo da Vinci was painting a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo in 1503.

📰 Worth a read: No more maxxing: Why I'm "minusing"

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• The country where you don’t wear a Rolex—you eat it
• “The Cool S” and other parts of ‘childlore’
• How much do you know about McDonald’s, Chipotle and other chains?

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Yesterday we covered what to expect from President Trump’s closely watched two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, which is expected to cover trade and economics, Iran and global energy, technology and AI, as well as Taiwan.

❓ Our question to you: Which of the following do you think best describes China’s relationship with the United States?

• Partner: 10%
• Competitor: 59%
• Enemy: 31%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 536 votes and 34 longform responses.

💼 Married to the game: These charts show the jobs with the highest to the lowest divorce rates in America.

📖 Read: Why modern parents feel more sleep deprived than our ancestors did.

🎙️ Quick listen: How your bank account might predict dementia.

🏟️ Sports fandom can feel intimidating, but gatekeeping is out. The GIST is your judgment-free home for men’s and women’s sports, no expertise required. Know what's up tomorrow, and subscribe to their free 4x-weekly newsletter.*

*A message from our partners

What mountain range extends from Western Canada down to Northern California?

📣 Calling all Kirsties... 1-year-old Kirsty is on a mission to track down every other Kirsty (or Kirstie) in the world. 

The quest is both a happy distraction and a fundraiser for the cancer-fighter, who's already raised thousands of dollars for childhood cancer research through her efforts.

The Cascades

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