Summary of the top good news stories from last week.
Is 2025 the year of women’s sports bars? At the start of this year, there were six watering holes in the U.S. dedicated to playing women’s sports on the TVs - but that number is expected to quadruple within the coming months. The boom aligns with the recent uptick in interest in women’s college and professional sports, and many of the new bar owners cite Portland, Oregon’s Sports Bra (not a typo) as an inspiration. Meanwhile, in good news for everyone who cares about people and planet, here's what happened last week...
Wellbeing & Environment
2025 World Happiness Report: The report, which analyzes over 100,000 people’s responses from more than 140 countries, ranks countries based on inhabitants’ perceived quality of life. How did yours fare?
US Paid Medical Leave: The Associated Press reports that more U.S. states are requiring paid medical leave, which has been shown to reduce stress and improve productivity. There is no federal law requiring paid leave in the U.S., only unpaid time off. This makes the U.S. a “major outlier” amidst 95 percent of countries providing some form of paid leave for personal health.
Shorter Work Week: Iceland is keeping its four day working week, as nearly 90 percent of the country's workers enjoy a reduced workweek, with no loss in pay. It increases productivity and the better work-life balance, had a profound positive impact on employee well-being.
Remarkable Turnaround: Minks, beavers, otters and turtles return to the Chicago River. Before the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Chicago River was known as ‘bubbly creek’ due to the dumping of dumping of industrial waste and sewage. Today, reports WBEZ Chicago, the decades-long effort to clean up the river has resulted in dramatic improvements in water quality that support over 60 species of fish compared with just 10 species a few decades ago.
Iceberg Revelation: A calving iceberg exposed a region that never before had been seen by human eyes, revealing a vibrant, thriving ecosystem.
Flâneur-Friendly: The City of Light is about to become even more flâneur-friendly as Paris residents have voted to close 500 city streets to cars, clearing paths for pedestrians, bikers, and green spaces. The initiative, approved by two thirds of voters, will also eliminate 10,000 parking spots.
Climate & Sustainability
Clean Hydrogen Jackpot: Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in France that could transform clean energy production, after uncovering an astonishing 46 million tons of natural hydrogen in the Moselle region.
‘Scientific Asylum’: European universities are offering ‘scientific asylum’ to US-based researchers fleeing Donald Trump’s crackdown on academia, particularly as regards climate issues. France’s Aix-Marseille University has established a ‘safe place for science’ programme, which will fund US researchers working in climate, environment, health and human sciences. The Pasteur Institute in Paris is welcoming infectious disease researchers. Similar initiatives are being offered by research establishments in the Netherlands, UK and Belgium.
Efficiency Record For Solar Windows: Transparent solar cells could turn entire skyscrapers into renewable energy power stations.
"Overwhelming Evidence": OECD says that tackling climate transition will stimulate global economic growth.
Urban Mining: It's the term used to describe stripping houses marked for demolition of their vital components to be used again. It's part of an ambitious project in Belgium to cut waste and create a “circular economy”. Some salvaged objects can be reused like-for-like. When the items are too deteriorated, then “downcycling” is the next best option: such as steel girders being repurposed as scaffolding. Rehabilitating people is as important as reusing materials. “Mostly, we work with people who are longtime unemployed, lower-schooled, and have a lot of issues outside work.”
Charging California: The state now boasts a network of more than 178,500 chargers for EVs, with 26,193 of them built just since August. This is important considering that starting next year, 35 percent of all new car models sold in the state must be zero-emission vehicles. California now has nearly 50 percent more EV chargers than gas nozzles.
FireSat in Orbit: With the potential to change how we respond to wildfires, the first satellite in a constellation of satellites that is specifically designed to locate wildfires early and precisely anywhere in the world is now in orbit around the Earth. FireSat will be able to detect fires as small as 270 square feet - about the size of a classroom - and provide high-resolution images every 20 minutes.
And Finally...
Peak Bloom: Cherry blossom season has arrived in Washington, D.C., where pink and white flowers dot thousands of trees around the city as this year's peak bloom is now underway. approaches. To celebrate the springtime sight, locals and tourists alike can participate in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but anyone anywhere can view the blooms on live cam. Originally a gift from Japan to the United States, the capital's cherry blossoms appear along the Tidal Basin and in parks near several of the capital's monuments and memorials.
That's it, you are up to date. Please spread the good news by telling friends and family about OGN Daily.
Today's Articles
Curtains Up: Broadway plays - the classic dramatic performances, not high-production musicals - are breaking records.
Funny Stories: Three of last week's funniest stories. There are probably more, but this trio made us laugh at OGN Towers.
Inspiring Quotes: A jack of all trades and master of everything, Maya Angelou is widely regarded as a brilliant mind.
Aperiodic Monotile: One of mathematics’ most intriguing visual mysteries has been solved - thanks to a hobbyist in England.