Celebrating the start of the weekend with an upbeat selection of positive news stories.
Two Fingers to Putin
More than 30 years after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have unplugged from its electricity grid and joined the EU’s far cleaner grid (with a little help from some batteries) and thereby also boosting their energy security. Despite weeks of fear-mongering from the Kremlin, the disconnection went off without a hitch, and there have been no blackouts. Another brilliant strategic victory by ghastly Vladimir Putin.
Literary Swap
A Brazilian prison reading initiative is now inspiring similar programs worldwide. The Remission for Reading program has allowed inmates who read and submit book reports to cut their sentences by up to 48 days a year. With Brazil's 80 percent recidivism rate, the initiative aims to aid rehabilitation. Studies show prisoners now read nine times more than the national average, and advocates of the program argue that great literature fosters critical thinking, offering inmates a path to redemption and reintegration.
Dog Paradise
They say all dogs go to heaven, and for one young traveler, the sky seemed to confirm it. While on a flight to Malta, a passenger named Charlotte captured an emotional moment that has since gone viral - a cloud perfectly shaped like a dog, floating above a blanket of clouds just outside her window. Having recently lost her beloved pet, Charlotte felt an instant connection and captioned the video, "I saw my dog in dog paradise."
SNL Turns 50
Saturday Night Live will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sunday (8 pm ET, NBC) with a three-hour special featuring former cast members, hosts, and major musical guests. In its normal 11:30 pm ET slot tonight, viewers can watch a rerun of the debut episode.
Bucket List
A 102-year-old Philadelphia Eagles super fan was surprised when the team invited her to join them at the Super Bowl in New Orleans last weekend. Eloise Brown was welcomed to the Big Easy by Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who gave her an autographed jersey. Eloise Brown has not missed a televised Eagles game since the 1960s, and the team sees her as a lucky charm. Getting to watch the Eagles play in the Super Bowl was "exciting, exciting, exciting," she told ABC 6.
Australia’s Renewables
Grid registrations for wind, solar, and battery projects have surged, with approved capacity doubling compared to the previous 12 months, says RenewEconomy. The number of projects progressing through the connection process now stands at 49.6 GW, up from 36.4 GW at the end of 2023. This rapid growth is crucial as Australia targets 82 percent renewable energy generation by 2030.
“Every man has a right to a Saturday night bath.” Lyndon B. Johnson
On This Day
15 February 1932: As a member of gold medal winning US 4-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan (boxing gold Antwerp 1920) becomes the only Olympian to win gold medals in different sports at both summer and winter Games in different sports.
Today's Articles
Defying Trump: Scientists vow to conclude the National Nature Assessment independently after Trump signs executive order to cancel it.
Desiderata: Part life advice and part cosmic encouragement, there's something in this prose poem for everyone.
Mood Boosting Video
Extraordinary Moment: Last week, a whale briefly swallowed a kayaker before spitting him out.