Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 💰 Social Security shrinking
• 🧴 New sunscreen ingredient
• ⛰️ “El Capitan Kindergartner” ascent

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.36-minute read (894 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

"Do one thing every day that scares you."

–Mary Schmich (b. 1953)

The Social Security trust fund that helps pay retirement and survivor benefits to ~69 million Americans is expected to run dry in late 2032, one year earlier than previously projected. After that point, the program would only be able to pay 78% of scheduled benefits.

That’s according to an annual report published yesterday by the Social Security Board of Trustees, which oversees the financial health of the program.

What's the problem?... In short: more Americans are drawing Social Security benefits than ever before, but there aren't enough new workers paying into the program to fully support them. That's because Social Security largely relies on payroll taxes from current workers to fund benefits for today's retirees.

• In 1960, the average number of children born to a woman in the US was 3.6; by 2021, that number had declined to 1.75.
• An American who reached the age of 65 in 1960 was expected to live to 80; today, that person is expected to live to 85. (Over the same period, the minimum US retirement age increased by two years to 67.)

The Trustees say this year's outlook worsened partly because they lowered their projections for future immigration, while last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to reduce tax revenue flowing into Social Security's trust funds.

It’s all starting to add up

Social Security collected ~$1.45 trillion in revenue last year but paid out ~$1.61 trillion in benefits and other costs, causing its reserves to shrink by ~$160 billion. As a result, the trust fund’s combined reserves fell from $2.72 trillion at the start of the year to $2.56 trillion by December 2025.

And much like Benjamin Button in his tweens, the shrinking isn’t projected to stop there. Trustees project the retirement fund will continue drawing down its reserves over the next several years until it's exhausted in late 2032, triggering an automatic 22% reduction in scheduled benefits unless Congress acts.

Is there anything we can do about it?... Congress has several options to improve Social Security's finances, including:

1. Raising the Social Security payroll tax paid by workers and employers.
2. Increasing the amount of income subject to Social Security taxes.
3. Raising the retirement age or reducing future benefit growth.

📊 Flash poll: Which of the following potential solutions to Social Security would you support?

• Tax hike
• Benefit cut
• Raise the min retirement age
• Some combination of the above
• Do nothing

Anti-aging skincare may treat visible symptoms but isn’t always clinically validated or designed to support your skin’s health long-term.

OneSkin's OS-01 Face Moisturizer goes deeper, addressing a leading driver of visible skin aging that most products never reach. It visibly firms, hydrates, and enhances skin tone and radiance over time. Peptide-powered science means it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin but delivers lasting results.

The results compound the longer you use it, keeping your skin looking and feeling younger for longer.*

Built by four female Ph.D. scientists after a decade of research, OS-01 Face has 6,000+ five-star reviews, and DONUT readers can try it for less.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🤖 Anthropic releases next-gen “Mythos-class” AI model called Claude Fable 5, which comes with safety guardrails around areas like cybersecurity and biological research.
• 🏘️ Home sales in May post biggest monthly rise this year (+3.2%), far outpacing the 0.7% expected by economists.
• 💰 Kalshi will require users to disclose their employers’ identity when placing certain prediction market bets; it comes after an advisory committee recommended new measures to combat insider trading and market manipulation.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🍿 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie becomes first film of 2026 to cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office (against a $110 million budget).
• 🏌️ LIV Golf CEO won’t guarantee the final four events of 2026 will occur, amid growing concerns that funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund might not last through the year.
• ⚾ The Sandlot’s original cast to reunite for the first time in new TV show Dugout Dads.

Look put together without spending hours in front of a mirror. Jones Road Beauty's Miracle Balm adds color, hydration, and glow while replacing several products in your routine.

Whether you're looking for a little extra warmth or that well-rested look, the creamy formula blends effortlessly into skin. Just tap it onto cheeks, lips, or anywhere you want a natural-looking finish.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🧑‍🚀 NASA unveils astronaut crew for Artemis III mission, which will undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027 ahead of a crewed Moon in Artemis IV the following year.
• 🧴 FDA adds bemotrizinol to its list of permitted active ingredients in sunscreens; it’s an effective UV light filter that’s been used in sunscreens made in Asia/Europe for decades, and the first new FDA-approved sunscreen ingredient in 25+ years.
• 🪐 Our early solar system may have contained two extra giant planets that helped reshape the orbits of other planets before being kicked out into interstellar space, new study suggests.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: US military responds with airstrikes on several Iranian targets after Iran shot down an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz; both US pilots involved in the attack “are safe and uninjured” after being rescued in a first-of-its-kind drone boat operation.
• 🏛️ House approves GOP-led reconciliation bill allocating $70 billion to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the end of President Trump’s second term.
• 🗳️ Primary elections were held yesterday in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina; see the full results.

☝️ You’re looking at some of the finalists from the 2026 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize, an annual contest that celebrates photography that reveals the wonder, complexity, and fragility of the natural world through the lens of science.

🤔 Did you know? In Victorian London, mail was delivered near-constantly—up to 12 times/day—and many residents would complain if a letter took more than two hours to arrive.

📰 Worth a read: The true story behind the “El Capitan Kindergartener” ascent

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Each state’s most misspelled word
• A World Cup guide for new fans
• How to be defiant

How your home smells says as much as how it looks... Laundry Sauce infuses laundry with high-end fragrances by top perfumers that elevate your clothes and your space. Turn your routine into a ritual. Shop the collection at Laundry Sauce.com.

How it works: We provide an incorrect stat. Your challenge is to guess whether the actual number is over or under the given value.

1. 🎸 250: Songs officially released by The Beatles
2. 🌩️ 5 million: Average number of lightning strikes per day worldwide
3. 🎲 50: Squares on a Monopoly board

(keep scrolling for the answers)

🎉 Little Levi couldn’t have a traditional sixth birthday party after a bone marrow transplant left him immunocompromised. So his community brought the celebration to him. 1,000+ people paraded past his driveway with gifts and birthday wishes, including firefighters, sanitation workers, motorcyclists, and even a truck full of ferrets.

+Note: This story previously appeared in Positive DONUT.

1. 🎸 Under; 229 songs
2. 🌩️ Over; 8.6 million
3. 🎲 Under; 40

Advertise with us: Want to reach other smart and inquisitive readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.

*Disclaimer: Explore the claims at oneskin.co/claims