Today's Good News | OGN Daily

Ensuring the weekend gets off to a bright start with today's global collection of upbeat news stories.

The Painted Hills

Like so many of America’s awe-inspiring natural landscapes, the Painted Hills at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon don’t look real at first glance. “The Painted Hills glow in layers of yellow, gold, black, green, and deep red - changing with the light and moisture,” the U.S. Department of the Interior recently explained on Instagram. “They’re stunning all day, but late afternoon is prime time for photos.”

Walk of Fame

Billie Jean King just made history (again) by becoming the first woman athlete to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Sports Entertainment category.

Artist's impression of the Universal theme park in Bedford, England — Credit: Universal

New UK Theme Park

The first Universal theme park in Europe will be built in the UK. The attraction is planned for the site of a former brickworks near Bedford (about 20 miles north of London) and could create an estimated 28,000 jobs. Construction is expected to start in 2026, and open in 2031. Universal estimated the 476-acre complex could attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year. Universal also has theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles in the US, as well as in Japan, Singapore and China.

Climate Bootcamp

A Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp - 22/23 April 2025 - is helping lawyers and legal professionals learn how to donate their time and skills to advance climate solutions. Beyond the high-profile climate lawsuits, the climate movement needs other kinds of legal support, like writing contracts, forming a business or nonprofit, or legal defense. The first bootcamp, last year, had 700 attendees. “Every lawyer has skills that can help the climate. We’ve just gotta make the connections,” says environmental lawyer and advocate Matthew Karmel.

Barbados: The Caribbean island secures world’s first “debt-for-climate” swap to finance vital projects that will help it cope with the impacts of climate change.

A pair of rhinos graze outside lodges at Ziwa ranch — Rhinos grazing outside lodges at Ziwa | @teekupatelfotofilm

Rhinos Return

Seven thousand head of cattle used to roam Ziwa ranch, a 27-square-mile expanse of grassland in central Uganda. Today, the cattle have gone and grazing in their place are rhinos - the only ones in the country living in their natural habitat. Not long ago, Uganda used to be home to both the black and northern white species of rhinoceros. But by the early 1980s, due to poaching, trafficking and political turmoil under the dictatorship of Idi Amin, native populations were wiped out, reports CNN. Six rhinos were introduced to the former cattle ranch in 2006, and their numbers have since multiplied to fifty - all part of an initiative to bring back the majestic animals to the region.

US Electricity Record

In March 2025, fossil fuels accounted for 49.2 percent of electricity generated in the U.S. - beating the previous monthly record low of 51 percent set last year in April, reports Grist. This also means that renewable sources reached all-time highs - accounting for 50.8 percent of U.S. electricity for the first month on record. Nearly half of that came from wind and solar alone, which have been seeing (and will continue to see) exponential growth.

“Love me like Saturday night, like three glasses of champagne, like the room is spinning, like you’re drunk on my love.” C.J. Carlyon