For people with pet allergies, hypoallergenic pets are marketed as the supposed solution — but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here’s a hard reality check: your favorite labradoodle, Yorkshire terrier, Siberian cat or other popular “hypoallergenic breeds” can still make you cough and sneeze if you’re allergic to pets, because there is no scientific way to guarantee you’ll have an allergen-free cat or dog.

“I have this conversation almost every day in my clinic,” said Kathleen May, division chief of allergy, immunology and pediatric rheumatology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. “The biggest issue is the data does not support the existence of hypoallergenic pets.”

Too many people believe that if your pet has a certain coat texture that sheds less, it means your pet is more likely to be hypoallergenic. But regardless of fur, pet allergens can be found in the dander and skin of your beloved pooch or cat. “When they lick, it’s in their saliva, because they lick their skin,” May explained.

And not even a hypoallergenic dog can prevent your allergy sensitivities.

A 2011 study in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy found that households with dog breeds cited as hypoallergenic, including poodle mixes and terriers, had no difference in the levels of the primary dog allergen Can f 1 found in dust samples from those homes.

In fact, a separate 2012 study showed that certain hypoallergenic dog breeds had higher Can f 1 levels in their hair and coat than non-hypoallergenic
breeds did. Labrador retrievers had the lowest allergen concentrations in their hair, while poodles had the highest concentrations of allergens, and labradoodles had the second-highest.

Even hairless cats’ skin can produce allergens. “There is no scientific evidence for a hypoallergenic cat breed, even hairless Sphynx cats produce Fel d 1 [allergen]” one 2024 study found.

There are popular pet foods and supplements that claim to lower common allergens in your pets. The problem is that pet-allergic people may be sensitive to multiple allergens.

“When you’re allergic to a pet, sometimes you’re not just allergic to one protein fragment,” May said. So even if your allergen-reducing food improves your response to one cat allergen, you may still be allergic to others found on your cat, for example, May said.

“There might be 10 or 20 different allergens that that animal sheds that you can be sensitive to,” May said.

If you start sneezing up a storm in a house with a cat, know that you’re not alone. “The reason why the cat allergen is in particular problematic is it’s very small, and it can be inhaled pretty deeply, and it stays in the air for a very long time,” May said.

Some well-meaning cat owners will vacuum right before their cat-allergic family member comes over, but this is actually a common mistake.

If you vacuum right before your cat-allergic friend’s arrival, “it basically aerosolises the [cat] allergen for about three hours,” May said. “So if you could vacuum at least the day before, it would be better than stirring it up that day.”

And don’t believe that simply adding more air purifiers will help lessen one’s pet-allergic symptoms. An additional HEPA filter in a room can remove more airborne particles, but “it’s just not going to be enough to really overcome it,” May said. “It would take an entire wall of HEPA filters to scrub the allergen from the air completely.”

However, if you are allergic to cats, try wearing an N95 mask or a KN95 mask during your visit, because that will help filter out most of the cat allergens you’ll breathe in, May suggested.

Obviously, limiting your exposure to pets is the easiest solution if you’re allergic to them.

“If you know you’re sensitive in advance, getting a dog is not going to improve your symptoms. That’s the harshest reality,” May said.

But for many of us, pets are family, and we’re unwilling to part ways with an animal we learn we are allergic to. So know that there are certain proven ways you actually can lower your pet’s allergens and your response to them –– and they have nothing to do with getting a hypoallergenic pet.

For one, you should know that the sex of your pet and whether they are neutered can make a difference. “A male, unfixed cat is going to have a higher level of the Fel d 1 allergen than a female fixed cat,” May said. She also noted that if you have a dog, washing them weekly can also diminish the allergens they produce.

The pet’s skin health also impacts what proteins they shed. “If a dog has dermatitis or eczema, the dog is more likely to shed allergens that will bother you,” May said as an example.

One unexpected way to reduce your chances of being allergic to your cat or dog? Be born into a household that has one. A 2002 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association followed hundreds of children from birth to nearly age 7 and found that children who grew up with dogs and cats in the home had a significantly lower risk of developing common allergies later on.

Many of these allergy tips focus on short-term symptoms, but there is one proven way to address the underlying problem: allergy shots. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is famously going this route and is taking weekly allergy shots for seven months in preparation for owning a cat.

Typically, you will get weekly injections for about six months to build up your response to pet allergens, and then after that, you get shots about every two to four weeks for the maintenance phase over the next three to five years, May explained.

“It’s literally a desensitisation,” May said. “You get small but increasing amounts, until you get to a level … that’s likely to be clinically helping you.” Typically, children will respond more quickly to this treatment than adults, May said, but in general, she sees an 85% chance of pet allergy improvement after a year.

Whatever choice you make, know that there are treatments to help you breathe more easily around your pet — as long as you know the difference between facts supported by science and myths.

Dan Levy had an emotional moment while discussing his memories of working with his late Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara.

As part of his interview on CBS’s Sunday Morning, Dan returned to the Canadian town of Goodwood, Ontario – where most of Schitt’s Creek was filmed – for the first time since the smash series wrapped more than six years ago.

He began tearing up when asked about the prospect of a “Schitt’s Creek” revival or reboot.

“No, not now. You can’t,” he said, before acknowledging that he’d been thinking about reviving the show prior to Catherine’s death earlier this year at the age of 71.

“I didn’t think that I’d have quite an emotional reaction,” he admitted, as he choked back tears.

But when CBS’s Anthony Mason pointed out that Catherine’s legacy included “an incredible clip reel”, the actor appeared to compose himself once again.

“For someone who was not on the internet, she knew how to meme,” he quipped.

Dan – who starred in and co-created Schitt’s Creek with his father, fellow actor Eugene Levy – previously acknowledged Catherine’s death with a heartfelt tribute.

“What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,” he wrote on Instagram in January.

“Having spent over 50 years collaborating with my dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”

Dan returns to the small screen later this week in Netflix’s Big Mistakes, in which he portrays a gay New Jersey pastor, Nicky, who accidentally gets drawn into the world of organised crime alongside his sister, Morgan.

Four-time Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf plays the hapless siblings’ mother, Linda.

The Schitt’s Creek star, who co-created Big Mistakes” with Rachel Sennott, has described his new series as a “different book” from the “same shelf” as the hit Canadian sitcom which aired from 2015 to 2020.

In his Sunday Morning chat, Dan said he wasn’t concerned about critics and viewers who will inevitably compare his two shows.

“You really have to lock the door on that and almost accept the fact that if [Schitt’s Creek] is the big crown jewel, fabulous. How wonderful,” he explained. “Everything else has to be something that makes me feel good.”

Empathy can be one of our best qualities ― a force that deepens relationships, builds trust and helps us show up for others. But in some dynamics, that positive instinct can be turned against you.

“Weaponised empathy is a pattern of using empathy, compassion or guilt to influence another person’s behaviour, often at the expense of personal boundaries and preferences,” Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost.

You might have made important plans one night, but then your partner says something like, “I had a bad day and really need you tonight, I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” So you cancel out of fear of letting your partner down.

“Your empathy influences you to stay home and set aside other commitments, believing that your partner will be in distress without you,” Oscarson said. “It can feel like you don’t have a choice and that setting boundaries or prioritising your own needs will cause harm to your partner.”

Weaponised empathy is a common tactic among people with narcissistic personality disorder, particularly “covert narcissists” who show extreme sensitivity to criticism. If you try to talk about something they did that hurt your feelings, they quickly get distressed, say they’re “too overwhelmed” and shift the conversation such that you end up comforting them.

“The perpetrator chooses a victim who has demonstrated high empathy, as they plan to use that empathy as a way to get away with harming that person repeatedly,” said licensed marriage and family therapist Natalie Moore. “The narcissist over time establishes themselves as a victim of a painful past to garner sympathy. They then use that victim framing as a way to justify hurtful behaviour. They expect the person being targeted to ignore, understand, explain away, justify and make excuses for why they might be behaving that way.”

Although weaponised empathy can occur in romantic relationships, that’s not the only context.

“It is common in parent-child relationships (‘I get so lonely when you go out with your friends’), the workplace (‘We are all overwhelmed, I need you to step up and work late until this is done’) and friendships (‘You are the only person who really listens and understands ― I have no one else to talk to’),” Oscarson said.

She added that it also appears online with messages like “If you cared about this issue, you would speak out/donate immediately.”

It’s a potent manipulation strategy, but not always super obvious in the moment. Below, Moore and Oscarson break down common signs of weaponised empathy to watch for.

“An individual utilising weaponised empathy needs to know how far they can push you, and so they set up small tests to see what level of boundary-violation you’ll tolerate,” Moore said.

Probing for your limits can start with something that seems small or reasonable, but over time, it escalates.

“They’ll see if they can get you to do something you previously said ‘no’ to or if they can extract more time or attention from you than you have to give,” Moore explained. “This gives them data as to how much they can manipulate you.”

A nagging sense of guilt over things that don’t warrant it can be a red flag for weaponised empathy.

“You feel like you are doing something wrong even when your boundaries feel reasonable,” Oscarson said.

She recommended being clear and concise when you set boundaries ― for example, “I’m sorry, I’m not able to stay home tonight.” Avoid over-explaining or giving reasons, and try not to take responses too personally.

“Get comfortable tolerating some guilt,” Oscarson said. “It’s natural to feel compassion and wish you could do more. Guilt is not always a sign you are doing something wrong.”

“You notice a pattern of urgency around requests and increases in intensity when you push back,” Oscarson said.

This pressure to drop everything in the moment and respond immediately to non-urgent matters is a bad sign. That’s why it’s best to take a beat in these situations.

“Pause before agreeing to anything ― especially if you are used to having your boundaries pushed,” Oscarson advised.

If support only flows in one direction, that’s worth paying attention to.

“There’s a lack of reciprocity in the relationship,” Oscarson said. “You are always the one providing support.”

Over time, you may realise you’re always the one giving ― emotionally, logistically, etc. Meanwhile, your needs, stress or struggles rarely receive the same care or attention.

“Another sign is feeling responsible for another person’s emotional state or stress level,” Oscarson said. “You don’t set the boundaries you normally would because you are concerned about the other person’s reaction.”

She emphasised the importance of differentiating empathy from responsibility.

“You can be compassionate without being responsible for fixing the problem,” Oscarson said.

Weaponised empathy can make you doubt your own instincts.

Oscarson recommended paying attention if you find yourself “constantly second-guessing yourself and worrying that you are being selfish.”

That internal uncertainty is often a byproduct of subtle manipulation, not a reflection of your character.

“If someone is engaging in weaponised empathy, they will explicitly point out and praise your empathy and compassion,” Moore said. “They may say that you’re the only person who understands them or is ‘in their corner.’”

Be mindful of this kind of flattery, which can create pressure to live up to the role in unreasonable circumstances.

“You may enjoy the feeling as you would with a genuine compliment, but this will be used to their favour so that you look the other way when they hurt you,” Moore said.

Moore noted that some people who engage in this unhealthy behaviour may share deeply personal information early on in their relationship. It’s not necessarily a case of genuine vulnerability.

“When someone is using weaponised empathy as a manipulation tactic, it often begins with sharing a deeply personal story about past trauma that creates a narrative that they are a victim,” Moore said. “Their ‘I’m the victim’ framing sets them up to not have to take accountability for any future harm they cause you.”

Thus, they can establish themselves as someone who deserves extra leniency and understanding. Be mindful of people who dive in deep super quickly and “sweep you off your feet.”

“It’s much easier to lose yourself and your sense of clarity if you are overtaken by intense emotions, affection, gifts and time with that individual,” Moore said. “Allowing a relationship and trust to form slowly over time through shared experiences is a much healthier way to establish a relationship, while also maintaining your connection with yourself.”

“The person using weaponised empathy will continue to reinforce their role as the victim in their relationships, life and circumstances,” Moore said. “They will frame everything as ‘I’m so unlucky,’ ‘my boss doesn’t appreciate me’ or ‘no one understands how hard this is for me’ to try to extract more empathy from you.”

While everyone faces challenges, the pattern here is persistent and one-sided. This ongoing victim framing can be a way to manipulate your behavior while avoiding accountability.

Almost one-quarter (24%) of primary school-aged children have shared their real name or address online, according to new research, with eight and nine-year-olds most at risk of doing so.

Just over one in five (22%) have shared personal information such as health details with AI tools and over one-third (35%) of parents believe their child would share personal information in exchange for game tokens or rewards.

Yet the same survey of 1,000 parents, from the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), found a fifth of them have never spoken to their kids about online privacy and three in four fear their child can’t make safe online privacy choices.

To bridge this gap and kickstart conversations about protecting personal information online, the ICO has launched a Switched On To Privacy campaign for parents of children aged four to 11 years old.

The research found 46% of parents don’t feel confident protecting their children’s privacy online and 44% say they try to do so, but aren’t sure they’re doing enough.

ICO research shows online privacy is one of the least discussed online safety topics: 21% of parents have never spoken to their children about it, and 38% discuss it less than once a month.

By contrast, 90% of parents have discussed screen time in the past month.

Experts warn that if children’s sensitive information is shared online, it can put them at risk from grooming and radicalisation.

Emily Keaney, ICO deputy commissioner, said: “We wouldn’t expect our children to share their birthdays or address with a stranger in a shop, because we’d explain stranger danger to them from a very young age, but kids these days are growing up online.

“We know that where children’s details – like their name, interests and pictures – aren’t protected, the potential risks are serious: unwanted contact from strangers, grooming and radicalisation.”

While tech companies need to be held accountable for children’s safety, Keaney said parents also have a role to play, “but the problem is that many families have never been shown how to talk to their children about online privacy”.

“We want parents to feel empowered and children to feel digitally confident, because only then will they be able to start to trust in how their data is used and be part of the whole society solution that is needed for online safety,” she added.

Most parents (88%) think children should start learning about online privacy between ages four and 11 years.

ICO has shared a guide for parents of children to navigate this learning. Pointers include:

• Chat regularly with your child about online privacy. Ask them about what they like doing online and talk about what they are sharing and who with. Look at the privacy settings section together. What information is it tracking? What can you control from the settings?
• Help your child start thinking carefully about what they choose to share online. Review who can see posts, tag them or direct message them, and look at which apps or games are accessing location data. Be clear with your child what your family’s rules are about sharing personal information.
• Check the settings whenever your child uses a new device or app.

Rachel Huggins, CEO of Internet Matters, said: “Online privacy is a vital part of keeping children safe in a digital world, and so is empowering parents and carers with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to support their families.

“Open conversations build trust and give children the confidence and tools needed to navigate digital spaces safely. Alongside regular check-ins we also encourage parents to review their child’s privacy settings and make use of parental controls across the devices, apps and platforms their children use.”

The Artemis II crew honoured NASA commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll Wiseman, in an emotional tribute on Monday.

Wiseman, one of four astronauts on the Artemis II mission, lost Carroll, a 46-year-old paediatric nurse practitioner, to cancer in 2020.

Carroll was survived by Reid and their two daughters, Ellie and Katherine, according to an obituary in The Virginian-Pilot.

In remarks to mission control, the crew announced that they would like to name an unnamed crater on the moon for Carroll.

“There’s a feature in a really neat place on the moon, and it is on the near side, far side, boundary. In fact, it’s just on the near side of that boundary, and so at certain times of the moon’s transit around Earth, we will be able to see this from Earth,” CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen said, his voice breaking at times.

“We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie. And if you want to find this one, you look at Glushko, and it’s just to the northwest of that at the same latitude as Ohm. And it’s a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call it ‘Carroll.’”

Reid Wiseman could be seen on video wiping away tears as he put his hand on Hansen’s shoulder. The four crew members, which also includes astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, then embraced in a hug.

The crew also proposed naming another crater after their Orion spacecraft, Integrity.

Wiseman has said that Carroll insisted he continue pursuing his dreams as an astronaut even after she got sick, per the British outlet The Times.

He has also discussed what it’s like to be an only parent and how he prepared his daughters for the potential risks associated with a mission into space.

“I went on a walk with my kids, and I told them, ’Here’s where the will is, here’s where the trust documents are, and if anything happens to me, here’s what’s going to happen to you,” Wiseman said at a January NASA news conference, according to The Baltimore Banner. “That’s just a part of this life.”

In an Instagram post he shared shortly before liftoff last week, Wiseman boasted about his children.

“I love these two ladies, and I’m boarding that rocket a very proud father,” Wiseman wrote in a caption alongside a selfie with his daughters.

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, has spoken out for the first time about the controversy surrounding his upcoming performances at the Wireless music festival.

Last week, it was confirmed that the Grammy-winning rapper had been booked to perform at all three nights of Wireless at London’s Finsbury Park in July.

In the days that followed, this announcement has been heavily criticised due to Ye’s history of antisemitic comments and actions in 2025, which included praising Adolf Hitler, declaring himself to be a Nazi, selling a t-shirt on his web store emblazoned with a swastika and releasing a single titled “Heil Hitler”.

Ye – who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 – issued a public apology for his behaviour in a full-page magazine ad in January addressed“to those I’ve hurt” with his antisemitic outbursts, which he explained had come during a months-long manic episode where he said he had “lost touch with reality”.

Among the most vocal critics of the Wireless booking were numerous leading UK-based Jewish groups, London mayor Sadiq Khan and even UK prime minister Keir Starmer, who said it was “deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism”.

On Tuesday morning, Ye issued a fresh statement, saying: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.

“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”

He signed off the message “with love, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West”.

The organisers of Wireless have also defended the choice to keep Ye as their headliner for 2026, with managing director Melvin Benn saying: “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”

“Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from,” Benn added.

“If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.”

Two months on from his public apology, the Touch The Sky musician released his 12th studio album Bully at the end of March.

Bully reached number three in the UK, and number two across the Atlantic, with lead single Father also peaking at number 27 here.

Ye previously dismissed the suggestion that his apology was a “PR move” intended to help him “release music” and “operate [his] businesses” as he had before the backlash he sparked controversies 2025.

After pointing out his music had continued to pull in huge streaming numbers despite backlash, Ye insisted to Vanity Fair: “This isn’t about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit.

“I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far. I look at wreckage of my episode and realise that this isn’t who I am.

“As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realise and understand what side of history that I want to stand on.”

Organisers of the Wireless music festival have spoken out as the controversy over Ye’s upcoming headlining slot continues to grow.

Last week, it was announced that the Grammy-winning rapper – formerly known as Kanye West – would be headlining all three nights of Wireless at London’s Finsbury Park over the summer.

In January, Ye – who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 – paid for a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal, in which he made a public apology “to those I’ve hurt” with his antisemitism, which he explained had come during a months-long manic episode where he said he had “lost touch with reality”.

Following the news of his upcoming Wireless shows, groups including the Jewish Leadership Council, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism and Board Of Deputies Of British Jews all condemned Ye’s booking, with the president of the latter going as far as questioning whether the government should be “blocking” the Touch The Sky musician from “entering the country”.

London mayor Sadiq Khan also took issue with the booking, and in the days since, numerous major brands have pulled their sponsorship from Wireless, while UK prime minister Keir Starmer said it was “deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism”.

On Monday evening, Melvin Benn, the managing director at Festival Republic, the promoters behind Wireless, said in a statement: “What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the prime minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.

“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country. He is intended to come in and perform.

“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.”

He continued: “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”

In his statement, Benn claimed that he has been a “deeply committed anti-fascist” his entire adult life, and “lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on 7 October”, describing himself as “pro-Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state”.

“Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from,” he added.

“If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.”

Two months after issuing his public apology, Ye released his 12th studio album Bully at the end of March.

Bully reached number three in the UK albums chart, and number two in his home country of the United States, with lead single Father also peaking at number 27.

Ye previously dismissed the suggestion that his apology was a “PR move” intended to help him “release music” and “operate [his] businesses” as he had before his various controversies in 2025.

Pointing out that people had continued to listen to his music in their droves at the height of the backlash he faced, he insisted to Vanity Fair: “This isn’t about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit.

“I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far. I look at wreckage of my episode and realise that this isn’t who I am.

“As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realise and understand what side of history that I want to stand on.”