A smorgasbord of tasty positive news stories to perk up the day.
Looted Art Stays Put
Two paintings looted from Jewish owners by the Nazis and kept on display in the Louvre have been returned to their heirs, who then immediately gave them back to the museum. Still Life with Ham by Floris van Schooten and Food, Fruit and Glass on a Table by Peter Binoit are now part of an exhibition about artwork stolen during World War II. One heir said keeping their painting on display was a "duty of memory toward my family, looted from and persecuted, whose history speaks to current generations."
Living His Best Life
Diesel the donkey decided he was born for adventure. He was living a nice life on a ranch with Sacramento couple Terry and Dave Drewry and a few other animals. One day in 2019, he bolted during a hike and was never seen by the Drewrys again. After months of searching, they assumed the worst. But Diesel is obviously a survivor. Earlier this year a bow hunter caught sight of a herd of wild elk in California and was shocked to see a donkey in their midst. Not only did the donkey look at home, he seemed to hold some respect among the herd (donkeys are natural protectors). After seeing the video the hunter took, Terry Drewry said she's certain that's Diesel, living his best life. Though the Drewry's miss him, they're not going to disrupt Diesel and his new family. As they say, if you love something, let it go live with a herd of wild elk.
'Planetary Health'
A diet designed to reduce environmental harm has been linked to a significantly lower risk of premature death. The "planetary health" diet, first published in The Lancet five years ago, recommends reducing meat consumption, boosting fruit and vegetable intake and getting most of the needed protein from nuts, beans and lentils. A recent Harvard University study found that closely following the diet reduces the risk of major causes of death including cancer, heart disease and lung disease.
It's a Hoot
A farmer in Northern Ireland spent years creating a habitat for barn owls, building nest boxes and planting bushes and trees to attract prey, and his hard work paid off. A pair of barn owls made David Sandford's property their home and have since welcomed 15 owlets. This is a major accomplishment, as fewer than 30 breeding pairs are believed to live in Northern Ireland. It's a "barometer that we are doing some things right on our farm," Sandford told The Standard.
How Does An Owl Fly So Silently? Using sensitive sound equipment the BBC team finds out how an owl can fly so silently compared to other birds. Watch...
Highest Grossing
It’s still all smiles all round in Burbank for Inside Out 2, as Disney and Pixar’s animated sequel continues to dominate box office charts in its second weekend - bumping its domestic haul to $285.7 million. That’s enough to surge past “Dune: Part Two” ($282 million) to become the highest-grossing North American release of 2024 so far.
Used EVs
February marked the first time that prices of used electric vehicles were lower than those of gas-powered cars and trucks in the US - and the gap has been growing ever since, which could give the category a boost with consumers. A study by iSeeCars of one- to five-year-old vehicles found that the average used EV price in May was down 29.5 percent year over year, versus 6 percent for the average used gas car. The drop in used prices comes as consumers see price cuts from companies such as Tesla and Ford on their new electric models.
Novel Steering Wheel
The resurrection of Bugatti is one of the 21st century’s most notable automotive stories. Aristocratic, artistic, and more than a little arcane, Bugatti was a prewar marque that mastered luxury, design, and motorsport, the creator of Grand Prix winners, and arguably the most lavish motorcar ever made, in the shape of the early 1930s Type 41 Royale. Then it faded away. Only to be resurrected by Porsche / VW, before recently being sold on to Croatia's Rimac. Of course, everything about the latest model is super-fast, but it's the innovative steering wheel of the new semi-electric Bugatti Tourbillon (which spins around the central fixed instrument cluster) that we particularly like at OGN Towers.
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." John Lubbock
On This Day
25 June 1678: Venetian Elena Cornaro Piscopia is awarded a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Padua, the first woman to receive a university doctoral degree or PhD.
Today's Articles
Summer Solstice: It was solar's longest day and this year provided another good reason to celebrate.
Vesuvius Challenge: A team of three students won $700,000 using AI to read 2,000 year old scroll burned in the volcanic eruption of 79 AD.
Mood Boosting Video
Enjoy the amusing and entertaining marching of flamingoes.
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