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It's Friday, May 16, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• First personalized gene-editing treatment done right. 

• Global happiness curve is collapsing. 

• Brain-dead woman carries fetus due to abortion ban.

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The Birthright Citizenship Argument

The US Supreme Court signaled caution over allowing Donald Trump to restrict birthright citizenship, as justices debated federal judges’ power to issue nationwide injunctions. What is the case?

Conservative justices showed interest in curbing such broad rulings, but liberal justices expressed concern that limiting them could let Trump’s order take effect before its legality is resolved. His Jan. 20 executive order aims to end birthright citizenship within 30 days. The administration argues that the three federal judges who blocked it should have confined their rulings to the specific plaintiffs involved.

Three district judges used nationwide injunctions to block Trump’s birthright citizenship order. During two hours of arguments, no Supreme Court justice defended its legality, and several implied it’s likely unconstitutional. Major takeaways from the case.

World’s First: Baby Treated With Personalized Gene Editing

A 9-month-old baby, KJ, with a rare genetic disorder is the first person successfully treated using personalized CRISPR gene editing, Philadelphia scientists announced Thursday.

Researchers say the custom therapy corrected a small but deadly genetic error that typically kills half of affected infants. While widespread use of such personalized treatments may take time, doctors hope this breakthrough will eventually benefit millions with rare conditions often overlooked by current genetic medicine.

After spending his first few months in the hospital, KJ received his custom CRISPR therapy in February. He is now “growing well and thriving,” according to his doctors. “We hope he is the first of many to benefit from a scalable, individualized approach,” said Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas of CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania.

Chronic Illness is America’s New Epidemic

Once ravaged by infectious diseases, the U.S. now faces a deadlier foe: chronic illness. Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and COPD affect nearly half of American adults, pushing life expectancy lower than in other wealthy nations, Wall Street Journal reported. 

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made chronic disease a top priority, but the crisis is deep-rooted. The shift from infectious to chronic disease stems from lifestyle factors — poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol use — combined with a fractured healthcare system that leaves many without access to preventive care. It is critical to note that Americans move less, eat more ultra-processed foods, and face higher healthcare costs, contributing to worse outcomes even in younger populations. 

While medical advances help treat complex illnesses, they don’t prevent it. Chronic conditions now fuel early deaths, especially among working-age adults, with wealth inequality worsening the divide. In short, America is surviving longer — but not healthier — and the gap is growing.

Click-Worthy

🧠 Brain-dead woman must carry fetus to birth due to Georgia’s abortion ban.

🛒 Walmart to begin raising prices this month, thanks to tariffs.

🧔 Are beards really as dirty as toilet seats?

📄 No work proof could mean no medicaid for women. Who’s losing the most?

🐱 Decades long mystery about ginger cats solved!

🎓 NYU withholds student’s diploma for calling out ‘atrocities’ in Gaza in speech.

🌍 Global happiness curve is collapsing. What it means.

🚩 Are there any red flags you might be missing at work?

🧬 Parents give you genes — becoming them is optional.

⚖️ Abortion abolitionists push to criminalize women, not just providers.

The Glow Guide

🧠 From scattered thoughts to steady hands: how a makeup routine can become a mindfulness practice for ADHD and anxiety.

🧴 Pores, meet your match. These serums tighten and brighten — no filters, no fluff, just serious skincare swagger.

The Fame Frame

💘 Dakota Johnson’s surprising dating fact. 

🎥 Cannes 2025: Hollywood's Emmy hopefuls dazzle.

🎭 CNN streams George Clooney’s Broadway leap.

👯‍♀️ Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez take Paris for girls’ night.

🎤 Justin Bieber addresses Diddy speculation, emphasizes support for victims.

The POV Club

“Our expensive health system may simultaneously make us less wealthy and leave us less healthy,” writes Jeffrey A. Linder.

“For everything that was wrong about WeightWatchers, once upon a time it did something right. It tapped into the power of women supporting one another,” writes Jennifer Weiner.

Go. See. Do.

🍗 Cook | These easy picnic-worthy chicken kebabs.

🍴 Learn | Definite rules of office lunch etiquette.

🎧 Listen | Best new 2025 songs this week!

🧘‍♀️ Find Out | Are your workout clothes full of toxic materials?

"The best way out is always through."

— Robert Frost