World’s First Search-And-Rescue Otter Hunting Missing People In Florida... Slash the otter is the latest addition to Peace River K9 Search and Rescue. They traditionally use dogs to track scent of missing people, but underwater, canine’s abilities are limited. www.iflscience.com/meet-splash-...

5 Ways To Have A Sustainable Holiday... Here are five ways that align with circular-economy, waste-reduction, and planet-friendly living. 1. Introduce Planet-Based Options 2. Plan for Waste 3. Choose Linen Napkins 4. Use Whole Ingredients 5. Decorate Mindfully www.wastefreeplanet.org/blog/5-ways-...

National Guard members leave Portland and Chicago... Hundreds of National Guard troops dispatched to Portland and Chicago in response to protests of Trump's immigration will leave, a Defense Department official confirmed. About 400 of those soldiers will return home. www.cbsnews.com/news/hundred...

Scientists work to improve Great Barrier Reef during annual coral spawn... Scientists are undertaking major restoration as coral spawns on the Great Barrier Reef. The annual event sees clouds of coral larvae and researchers hope for positive impact over coming years. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Bob Ross paintings sell for more than $600K to help public TV stations... Three paintings from legend Bob Ross sold for more than $600,000 at auction. The paintings were the first of 30 Ross works being sold to benefit public TV hurt by cuts in federal funding. apnews.com/article/bob-...

Mamdani Names An All-Woman Transition Team. Here’s Who They Are... "My team will build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign,” he said. time.com/7331596/mamd...

Analysis of 150 U.S. Cities Shows Greatest Drop in Gun Violence... Downward trend across red and blue cities across the country, according to The Trace’s Gun Violence Data. Half of those cities, the rate of decrease is greater than last year, with homicides lower. www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...

Pritzker directs $20 million to food banks as SNAP benefits delay... Governor JB Pritzker signed executive order directing money toward helping food banks. The executive order gives $20 million in funding to support food supplying 2,600 food pantries across Illinois. www.wandtv.com/news/illinoi...

Studying Clever Creases in Nature May Inspire Foldable Structures for Drones and Robots... Engineers are turning to animal origami, from insects that tuck away wings to a protist with an accordion-like neck, for design help. www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/s...

Dallas church paints steps in protest of order... As Texas officials target rainbow symbols, Oak Lawn UMC sends a message. The church began painting its steps in rainbow colors, a response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring cities to remove rainbow crosswalks. www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/d...

Extinction rates slowed with plant and animals... University of Arizona Department of Ecology revealed that, over 500 years, extinctions peaked about 100 years ago and declined. Researchers found past extinctions are not the most threatening, but destruction of habitats. phys.org/news/2025-10...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces $4M emergency funding... Government shutdown has left thousands without pay, and threatens to cut off food assistance for many by November. The one-time funding aims to fill gaps in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), benefits. www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...

Liquid air alternative to fossil fuels... An overlooked technology for nearly 50 years, the first liquid air energy storage facility is set to power up in 2026. Hoping to compete with grid-scale lithium batteries and hydro to store clean power, and reduce fossil fuels. www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

Palestinian Teens Trying to Win Robotics Gold... Five teens from Palestine head to Panama to compete in one of the world’s largest youth robotics competitions. The goal? To win—and then teach STEM to their peers displaced by the Israel-Hamas war. www.wired.com/story/meet-t...

‘Pay-As-You-Throw’ Helps Cities Cut Waste And Citizens Save Cash... Charging residents for how much — or little — they throw out is the financial incentive people need to start rethinking their habits, say experts. reasonstobecheerful.world/pay-as-you-t...

National study finds Montessori programs strengthen early learning, at lower costs... National randomized trial of Montessori preschool showed stronger long-term outcomes, including elevated reading, memory, and executive function as compared to non-Montessori preschoolers. phys.org/news/2025-10...

First plants placed on world’s largest wildlife crossing... Approximately 5,000 native plants planted on Wallis Annenberg Wildlife crossing. The foliage will serve as an environmental boost by providing wildlife a safe path, while also minimizing interactions with humans ktla.com/news/local-n...

Colorado offers training for teachers to use state’s ‘red flag’ gun law... In 2023, Colorado added teachers to list to have someone’s guns be temporarily confiscated under law. But, not many teachers used it. New training course by Colorado AG Weiser aims to change that. www.cpr.org/2025/10/01/c...

What happened when a Pacific island was cut off... It's not what you think. A colossal volcanic eruption in January 2022 ripped apart the underwater cables that connect Tonga to the world – and exposed the fragility of 21st-century life. www.theguardian.com/news/2025/se...

New sunlight-powered film kills 99.995% bacteria to provide safe drinking water... It offers a simple, affordable, and robust solution to the global safe drinking water crisis. interestingengineering.com/innovation/s...

New England’s final coal plant shuts down... Poor economics drove New Hampshire plant offline three years early, even as Trump administration attempts to push revitalization of coal. “The end of coal is real,” said Catherine Corkery, director of Sierra Club NH. www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...

Fungi Are Becoming Invaluable First Responders in Eco-Crises... When environmental disasters occur, live fungi are helping to quickly clean up everything from oil spills to toxic runoff. reasonstobecheerful.world/fungi-first-...

How geothermal energy could provide ‘always on’ supply... Geothermal energy makes up less than 0.5% global demand. Mostly for heating, and not electricity. But, interest is growing in fracking techniques that could make geothermal energy more widely available. www.ft.com/content/0f4c...

'Typhoon-proof' wind farms powering China's coast... China's wind farms can survive tropical cyclones, and harness their power. In Guangdong province, hundreds of turbines have been installed to generate renewable electricity for homes, offices, and factories. www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

A ‘Secret Weapon’ for Fighting Climate Change Comes Surging Back... Capturing carbon 35 times faster than the Amazon, seagrasses have faced centuries of decline. Now restoration projects across North America are seeing their meadows quadruple in size. reasonstobecheerful.world/seagrass-res...

Barbie unveils Team Barbie to 'reflect the build of many strong athletes'... Mattel launched Barbies made in the likeness of four rugby players across the globe, including U.S. Olympic medalist Ilona Maher, Ellie Kildunne, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, and Nassira Konde. www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...

How Munich’s inner-city surfers saved beloved river wave... It became legal to surf Eisbach wave in 2012. It was one of Munich’s main attractions, with tourists lining the bridge above to watch. After much lobbying from local surfers, the city agreed to reopen it.. www.huckmag.com/article/muni...

Immigration ordered Panton man to an ICE check-in. 200 friends joined him... When Juan De La Cruz left his home to meet with immigration officials, he feared he might never return. When his son emerged 20 minutes later, followed by his dad, the crowd cheered. www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2...

News Made by/for People With Learning Disabilities... TV Bra covers news, entertainment and sports aimed at those excluded. 16 percent of world’s population experience disability, few newsrooms employ journalists with disabilities, making it unique. reasonstobecheerful.world/tv-bra-norway/

7 Steps to Starting an Organic Garden... Step One: Choose a good spot Step Two: Prep soil for planting Step Three: Pick your organic tools and materials Step Four: Prepare the bed Step Five: Select seeds and planting Step Six: Care and upkeep Step Seven: Harvest www.onlyorganic.org/7-steps-to-s...

New Quarter Honors Vera Rubin, Astronomer Who Revealed Universe’s Hidden Mass... Vera Rubin made her name by studying what couldn’t be seen. An honoree of American Women Quarters™ Program, she is recognized for how she changed the way we explore. womenshistory.si.edu/blog/new-qua...

More people buying electric cars and heat pumps than ever before... But those numbers need to increase further, according to The independent Climate Change Committee. But, governments need households to benefit from the switch to cleaner technologies through lower bills. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Jon Bon Jovi helps woman off pedestrian bridge while filming music video... Jovi and his team talked a woman down from ledge on Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville last summer. While filming a video for “The People’s House,” which was open to the public. www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Why a Minneapolis neighborhood sharpens a giant pencil every year... Over 1,000 people gather for the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. The 20-foot-tall (6-meter) pencil was sculpted out of an oak, which was damaged in a storm. The ceremony is now a community event. apnews.com/article/minn...

Wimbledon Tennis Balls Are Helping Save Mice... 55,000 tennis balls are used at the tournament, here's what happens to them afterwards. While many are sold to raise funds, All England Lawn Tennis Club has another use for the orbs – one that supports wildlife. www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pe...

Meet the Cambridgeshire dad whose alphabet tattoo helps his son communicate... The father of a non-speaking autistic boy has the alphabet tattooed on his arm to make sure his son can always communicate with him. Dan Harris, 45, got the tattoo for Joshie. www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-n...

Dog-scenting-dog? This Minnesota dog is training to find lost pets... “The Retrievers,” is dedicated to bringing lost dogs home. A new tool that could be a game-changer. The group is training dog-scenting-dog, likely to be the first trained to find lost dogs. www.mprnews.org/episode/2024...

Scientists Film Plant 'Talking' And The Footage Is Incredible... Imperceptible to us, plants are surrounded by a mist of airborne compounds used to communicate and protect themselves. Kind of like smells, these compounds repel herbivores and warn other plants. www.sciencealert.com/scientists-f...

Scientists Discover Practical Use For Coffee Grounds... Concrete that's 30 percent stronger by adding coffee grounds, Australian researchers discovered. The process is pyrolyzing and breaks down molecules, resulting in porous, carbon-rich charcoal called biochar. www.sciencealert.com/scientists-d...

Mud and Robots: Why Earthen Architecture Is the Future... What if buildings weren't made using glass and steel, but with earth? Though its composition varies across the planet, and techniques to build shelter with it are diverse. Soil is a material so diverse. vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/mud-and...

A Food-Growing Tradition Finds New Roots in the Mississippi Delta... In a farming region where most crops get shipped elsewhere, a growing group of farmers is cultivating produce that makes it to local plates. reasonstobecheerful.world/local-food-m...

Angélique Kidjo first black African to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star... Musical icon Angélique Kidjo, who comes from the West African country of Benin and has won five Grammy awards, was among the 35 names announced as part of the Walk of Fame's class of 2026 list. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Get To Know the Five R’s Of Sustainability... Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot — the new tenets of a low-waste lifestyle. Current recycling systems were never designed to support overconsumption. They were meant to help lessen waste problems. magazine.avocadogreenmattress.com/get-to-know-...

Jon Stewart presses for breakthrough to get first 9/11 troops full care... First U.S. troops to deploy after 9/11 attacks are suffering from radiation exposure that the government hasn't recognize 23 years later. They are a final group that Jon Stewart can’t leave behind. apnews.com/article/sept...

no king protest in my city yesterday. fewer thumbs down and middle fingers than i expected. #nokings

London Children Now Walk And Cycle To School More, Thanks To Clean-Air Policy... ULEZ, an awkward acronym for a congestion-pricing policy. Ultra Low Emission Zone, enacted in April 2019. Under ULEZ, drivers of polluting vehicles are charged to drive within the zone. www.forbes.com/sites/christ...

LGBT+ rights become more protected in dozens of countries... Same-sex relationships legal in most countries, dozens of countries allow same-sex marriage and joint adoption, and a few countries recognize gender changes / third genders. Yet, there's still work to do. ourworldindata.org/progress-lgb...

Why Not Let Your Kids Have a ‘Wild’ Summer?... Nostalgia has taken hold over a lot of parents. All over social media you’ll find others trying to figure out how to re-create the ’90s summer for their kids, where the sentiment is generally just, “Let them get bored.” www.thecut.com/article/no-c...

'Space archaeologists' hoping to save our cosmic history... Infrastructure of humanity's journey into space may only be decades old, but some of it has already been lost. "Space archaeologists" are scrambling to save what's left. www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

Teens ditching vaping to lowest in a decade... Youth vaping levels fell, according to report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration. 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024, according to National Youth Tobacco Survey. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...