🧬 Three-parent baby drop: UK scientists have pulled off a medical hat trick: eight babies born using DNA from three people — mom, dad and a donor — to dodge deadly mitochondrial diseases. The donor’s part is just 0.1% but makes all the difference. The science is wild, but the result is healthy kids.
AI won’t fix your grief, but it can help manage it
ChatGPT
“Hi, Kim, I’ve been taking care of my dad since his stroke. Your story about using ChatGPT to map out questions for our doctors has actually truly helped me feel a little more in control. It’s not perfect, but it’s been a lifeline.” — Maya in Ohio
Thanks for your kind note, Maya. Being a caregiver, whether you’re managing appointments, meals or moods, is a job you didn’t apply for, can’t quit and will never be fully prepared for. It’s lonely, scary and exhausting. I’ve been there.
The internet has a million tips on palliative care and side effects, but very little on the emotional black hole you’re staring into. That’s where AI, surprisingly, can actually help.
Note: This story is a little longer than most I put here in the newsletter. But it’s an important one that I feel will help you and many of my readers.
❤️🩹 Sample prompts
You’re not only dealing with logistics.
You’re managing panic, insomnia, guilt and anticipatory grief. And no, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot or any of the other AI chatbots can’t hug you. That would get out of hand, real quick.
Getting started is often the hardest part. I put together some prompts for you to try with your favorite AI chatbot. I hope this helps you, even a little bit.
Let’s start with you
Tell your chatbot what’s going on with you and your loved one. It won’t know how to help unless you are completely honest.
- “Act like a therapist and help me process the overwhelming stress I’m feeling right now.”
- “What are ways I can still be here to help but not let it consume me?”
- “What questions should I ask myself when I feel overwhelmed and guilty for just needing a break?”
Hard talks with family or patient
$2,000 a week
What some parents pay for digital detox summer camps to help kids kick their screen addiction. Spoiler: It’s just regular camp activities. The real headache? Fixing their messed-up sleep schedules and actually getting them to talk to each other. Unplugging is way harder than it looks.
Refine your Google search: Looking for results from a specific website? Type something like “site:apple.com” to limit results to that site. Then add your search term in quotes, like “iPhone,” to find pages with that exact word. Share it with the kids, it’s great for narrowing down info fast.
🤖 Roblox adds AI selfie check: Kids can now chat more freely with friends, but only after proving they’re over 13. That starts with a video selfie, so AI can estimate their age (yes, really). If that doesn’t work, they’ll need to upload a government ID, finally.
🕳️ Who left the door open? Texas-based adoption agency Gladney left 1.1 million records sitting in an open 2.5 GB database like it was a lemonade stand. Data about kids, parents, even employees, all up for grabs, no password. Could’ve been weaponized for scams, blackmail or the worst Facebook friend request ever. It’s now locked, but the damage? TBD.
Lonely kids, synthetic pals: This is so sad to me. A new report says a third of kids using AI chatbots feel like they’re talking to a real friend. A quarter say they turn to AI because they literally have no one else. Make sure the kiddos in your family aren’t one of them.
👪 Decode your kids: Urban Dictionary has your back. Type in any slang word or phrase, and you’ll get the top-voted definition, usually accurate, occasionally unhinged. Great for translating “rizz,” “mid” or whatever they’re mumbling these days.
🔞 TikTok trouble, again: This is really bad. A viral TikTok trend is using motivational clips to camouflage grooming tactics. Teens, mostly girls, lip-synch “Yes you can” while text implies dating younger kids or sneaking out. Experts say it plays on empowerment language to nudge kids into risky behavior. Predators are watching and commenting. TikTok, of course, does nothing.
🧠 Viral trend, real brain damage: Talk to your kids about TikTok’s risky new “Dusting Challenge.” This brain stunt features teens inhaling computer duster spray for what they think is a quick high. What they’re actually getting: seizures, suffocation and possible brain damage.
Roblox predator walks free: A mother called the FBI after finding out her 10-year-old daughter was groomed by a man she met in-game. The sicko turned the conversation sexual, asked for pictures over text and even hacked into her online schooling accounts. And yet? Still no charges. Watch your kids.
More than 100
Telegram founder Pavel Durov says he’s fathered that many kids. He’s got six from three partners and has also been donating sperm for 15 years (paywall link). The kicker? He recently wrote a will saying he’ll split his $14 billion fortune equally among all of them. That’s $100 million or so each. Move over, Nick Cannon.
Amazon Prime deal: You can now get six months free if you’re between the ages of 18 and 24. It’s part of the newly rebranded Prime for Young Adults program. Same perks, no student status needed. After the trial? It’s half price at $7.49/month. Tell the kids or sign up here.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🛡️ Protect your kids on YouTube: Restricted Mode filters out videos flagged as mature (drugs, alcohol … stuff you don’t want them seeing). Click their Profile (top right) > scroll to Restricted Mode > toggle Activate Restricted Mode. Then hit Lock Restricted Mode on this browser. Bonus: It also hides comments.
📚 Keep their brains busy: Want your kids to stay sharp in math or science this summer? Check out Khan Academy. Free lessons include short videos, practice exercises and hints. There’s even an AI tutor they can chat with when they’re stuck (it’s $4/month). Pro tip: Track their progress with a parent account.
🕳️ Internet’s new boogeyman: Online predators have gotten a terrifying rebrand. “764” is a nihilistic extremist group targeting kids via Discord, Roblox and social media. The FBI is on it, but that’s cold comfort if your 12-year-old is getting radicalized during Minecraft. Talk early and often with your kids about online dangers. Audit their apps, and maybe uninstall a few.
🍋 From lemonade stand to citrus baron: Got a future CEO at home? Check out Shopify’s free guide for kids who want to get started selling online. It’s packed with fun branding and business exercises you can do together as a family.
🐶 Dogs look like their owners? Science says it’s not just in your head. We might subconsciously choose pups that resemble us or our kids. Women have hair similar in length to their dog’s ears. And yep, they match our vibes, too. The longer we’re together, the more they start to copy us. Look at my Bella!
$10.8 billion
That’s how much Steve Jobs left behind, and his kids didn’t inherit. The Apple founder’s estate went almost entirely to his wife, Laurene, who made it clear: The dynasty dies with her. So while Eve Jobs models, Reed invests in cancer research, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs writes about her dad’s icy legacy, none of them are cashing in.