Today is June 19, also known as Juneteenth in the United States. The federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the enslaved people there were finally free. If you're doing the math — yes, that means this year is the 160th anniversary of that historic milestone! There are plenty of ways to celebrate Juneteenth, including by making one of these recipes that honor the traditions and foods of Black Americans.
Kraft Heinz Will Remove Artificial Dyes From US Products, Including Jell-O and Kool-Aid
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
The Kool-Aid man is getting an all-natural upgrade. Kraft Heinz announced Tuesday that it will remove artificial dyes from its U.S. products before the end of 2027, and will not release any new products with such dyes, effective immediately. The food manufacturer said that nearly 90% of its U.S. portfolio is already free of food, drug, and cosmetic colors. According to the Associated Press, the products affected by the new initiative include Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, and Jet-Puffed marshmallows. "The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors," said Pedro Navio, Kraft Heinz's North America president. He added that artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors were removed from the brand's iconic macaroni and cheesein 2016, and that Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes. "Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don't take lightly." Also on Tuesday, General Mills issued a similar statement sharing its plans to remove certified colors — a batch of additives that require certification by the FDA — from all cereals and K-12 school foods in the U.S. by summer 2026.
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Grad Student Develops Tech That Restores Damaged Artwork in Just Hours
Courtesy of the researchers
Restoring damaged works of art to their former glory can often take years, and some parts of the process are done by hand. But innovative tech, developed by an MIT mechanical engineering graduate student and described in a recent paper, may advance the process by producing faithful restorations in just a few hours. Alex Kachkine's new method deploys AI to generate a digital version of the artwork in its prime, which is used to create a map of the required retouches. Then, the digital restoration is printed onto a thin polymer film, a "mask" that sticks to the painting and applies the retouches — and that can be easily removed. Plus, a digital version of the mask can be saved to help future conservators understand the specific changes that were made. In a demonstration, Kachkine repaired 5,612 separate areas of a damaged 15th-century oil painting in 3.5 hours — about 66 times faster than traditional methods. "My hope is that conservators around the planet will be able to use these techniques to restore paintings that have never been seen by the general public," he said, adding, "This is perhaps one of the rare cases where the application of AI to transfer styles and drawings from other artists … is actually very ethical."
Culture
What's Harder Than Hiking the Appalachian Trail? Downing a Half-Gallon of Ice Cream, Maybe
Pine Grove General Store/ Facebook
Each year, an estimated 3,000 people set out to walk the entire Appalachian Trail — a 2,190 mile trek that takes most hikers five to seven months to complete. But some wanderers who stop through Gardners, Pennsylvania, on their journeys undertake a challenge that may be harder than conquering the world's longest hiking-only footpath: eating a half-gallon of ice cream as fast as they can. The fun tradition is hosted by Pine Grove Furnace General Store, which is just north of the trail's halfway point. About 50 Appalachian Trail thru-hikers have completed it this year so far, the Associated Press reports. Sam Cooper, coincidentally a dairy farmer, told the outlet the ice cream task was "pure misery." "I don't think anybody should be doing this," he teased. "This is not healthy at all." Cooper took 40 minutes to polish off his oversized portion of chocolate chip cookie dough, but others have been much speedier — the record is less than 4 minutes. Those who complete the challenge get a commemorative spoon (as well as bragging rights, and probably a stomachache).
In Other News
Captain James Cook's lost ship, the HMS Endeavour, has been confirmed to be off the coast of Rhode Island (read more)
Australia is lifting restrictions on blood and plasma donations from gay men, a move expected to ease shortages (read more)
University of Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood threw the third no-hitter in College World Series history (read more)
A methanol "breathalyzer" currently in development could save people from bootleg alcohol poisonings(read more)
Rare papers written by Alan Turing, the pioneering WWII codebreaker, sold at auction for over $620,000 (read more)
Nice News Today
Ready to have more Nice News in your life? Nice News Today, the podcast companion to the newsletter you know and love, is just a few days away from officially launching. Host Case Kenny will be in your ears on Mondays and Fridays, recapping the week's top positive news stories in around 10 minutes. The first episode drops June 23, but you can check out the trailer and follow us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify in the meantime. We can't wait for you to hear it!
When youth soccer coach Andrew Pihlbald went into cardiac arrest and collapsed during a game in Wilson, New York, the people in attendance sprung to action to save his life. "The community we live in is known for being a tight-knit community that will offer help no matter what," one of the responders told ABC News. "It wasn't just spectators. It was parents from our team and their team, players running for help, people familiar with the school running to get an AED."
Photo of the Day
Harold Cunningham/Getty Images
Art Basel's flagship fair begins today in Basel, Switzerland, featuring 289 galleries from 42 countries and territories. What you see here is an immersive work by artist Katharina Grosse, who spray-painted the entire Messeplatz, a 53,800-square-foot pedestrian area at the fair, in various shades of magenta. "Fairgoers are transient. Once they step into the Messeplatz, they will become part of the work," Grosse told ARTnews. "I really want to create a painting that is almost like a threshold between reality and fiction. It is a membrane: you can walk through it, step out of it at any time, or stay in it as much as you want." See more of her work.
HP Smart Tank: A Printer That Keeps Up With the Whole Family
Running out of ink right before a big school project is every parent's nightmare. The HP Smart Tank 6001 is here to solve that problem once and for all. It comes with up to two years of ink right in the box, so you can print thousands of pages without ever needing a refill. It's easy to set up, connects wirelessly, and works with an intuitive app that the whole family can figure out. Best of all? It's now $110 off, making it the easiest home upgrade you'll make all year.
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