A shocking twist in the missing Texas teen case is confirmed.

Plus, a tourist who defaced the Colosseum claims he ... didn't know how old it was. July 7, 2023 | [VIEW IN BROWSER]( This is TODAY July 7, 2023 | [VIEW IN BROWSER]( This is TODAY In a shocking twist, the Texas man who was found over the weekend after he allegedly disappeared when he was a teenager in 2015 was never really missing and living with his mother almost the entire time, police said. Plus, a tourist who carved an apparent love note into a wall of Rome's Colosseum is apologizing, writing in a letter to Italian officials he didn't know how old the 2,000-year-old monument was until after the fact. The Latest   [A Houston man who was reported missing in 2015 was living with his mother — and now wants no contact with her, aunt says.]( A 25-year-old man who allegedly disappeared in 2015 was [never actually missing]( and was living with his mother almost the entire time, police said Thursday. Rudy Farias made headlines over the weekend when it was widely reported he was found safe in Houston after an eight-year search, but neighbors and members of the community said [they knew Farias’ whereabouts the whole time](. Farias’ aunt, Pauline Sanchez, told NBC News he no longer wants to live with his mother, or be in contact with her. She also described seeing him for the first time in eight years. “We hugged until I finally let go,” she said. “He’s doing well but plans to stay away from his mother.” [Here's the latest](. [🙄 A tourist who etched names into Rome’s Colosseum said he didn’t know the monument was ancient.]( A tourist who carved an apparent love note into a wall of the Colosseum in Rome last month [wrote a letter to Italian officials apologizing for the act](, saying he didn’t know the 2,000-year-old monument was ancient. The man, identified as Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, was [caught on video writing “Ivan+Hayley 23” onto a brick wall]( of the Colosseum last month. Dimitrov said in the letter he is “aware of the gravity of the act committed” and extended his “heartfelt apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage done to an asset that is, in fact, the heritage of all humanity.” Dimitrov’s lawyer told NBC News he’s [made a plea bargain request](, though tourists have been fined in the past for defacing the monument. [✍🏽 Essay: I’m gay and I eat at Chick-fil-A. Should I feel ashamed?]( In a funny new essay, TODAY.com writer Joe Lamour asks a question that has simmered under the surface of queer culture for some time now: Should gay men and women feel shame about eating at Chik-fil-A? The question is borne out of Chick-fil-A’s [history of donations to charities with anti-LGBTQ+ stances](, as well as current chairman [Dan Cathy’s controversial commentary](on same-sex marriage. Joe spoke to members of the queer community about the mixed feelings they've experiences eating — and, in one case, working — at the chain, as well as the uncomfortable conclusion he arrived at amid his first visit to one recently. [Read the essay here](. [📓 Exclusive: Here's how teachers and students can save on back-to-school supplies from Target.]( While it may feel like summer just started, back-to-school season is creeping up on us and will be here before you know it. Thankfully, Target is making it even easier for parents, students and teachers to prep for fall, with a huge selection of new items as well as savings on all kinds of back-to-school essentials. In a [Shop TODAY exclusive](, Target is giving both teachers and students a chance to save big on supplies via their Target Circle loyal program. [For more info, go here](. Start TODAY   Achieve your life and health goals with easy tips. The [12-3-30 workout, which requires no running,]( became popular in 2020, but the benefits keep on giving in 2023. All you need to get started is to set your treadmill to an incline of 12, set the speed to 3 miles per hour and walk for 30 minutes. Influencer Lauren Giraldo first posted about the workout on YouTube in 2019, but it was her TikTok in November 2020 that made the trend explode. In the video, she [explains how 12-3-30 helped her lose 30 pounds and gain confidence at the gym](. “(The gym) wasn’t motivating, but now I go (and) do this one thing and I can feel good about myself,” she said. “I look forward to it. It’s my me-time.” What's for dessert?   Allow us to do the meal-planning for you. Continuing with our dessert theme this week, pastry chef and activist [Natasha Pickowicz]( stopped by the TODAY kitchen to bake up a couple of her favorite recipes: [brown butter, buckwheat and chocolate chunk cookies]( and [nubby granola shortbread](. The breakfast-inspired shortbread will stay fresh for over a week after it’s baked, while the cookies contain satisfying, boulder-like chunks of chocolate. [Get both recipes here](. Daily Delight   A little pick-me-up before you go. A Facebook group called Search Squad is helping people around the world find missing pieces of their lives. The [group reunites family members]( who have been separated by adoption or other factors through connections on Facebook, and good old-fashioned snooping. The group, which works free of charge, has helped thousands of people know more about who they are, and even completed people like Nadine Cardinale’s forever families. The group’s Search Angels connected her with her birth father within days of her request: “I got a lifetime of love from my dad," Cardinale said. [Read more about her story with Search Squad here](.   Thanks for letting us in your inbox! See you again tomorrow morning. Written by Drew Weisholtz and Anna Kaplan Want to refer a friend?[Subscribe here]( Send us Feedback Follow us on Facebook More TODAY Newsletters 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Unsubscribe](listvar=sub_today) | [Privacy]( | [Contact]( [MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE](listvar=sub_today) | [PRIVACY]( | [CONTACT](