Today's smorgasbord of tasty positive news nuggets.
Monopoly Movie
Fresh from her $1 billion success with her production company, LuckyChap, creating the smash hit movie Barbie, Margot Robbie is moving on from Mattel's iconic doll to Hasbro's classic board game: Monopoly. The game dates back to 1935, and challenges players to acquire properties and build houses and hotels, all while avoiding bankruptcy and the dreaded “go directly to jail” card. Nearly 1 billion copies have been sold, and LuckyChap is rolling the dice once more with a classic game adaption. “Monopoly is a top property - pun fully intended,” said LuckyChap. “Like all of the best IP, this game has resonated worldwide for generations, and we are so excited to bring this game to life."
Great Heights
French athlete Anouk Garnier breaks the world record for rope climbing today by scaling 110 metres to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
Historical Specimens
Researchers around the world will soon have access to millions of historical specimens found in UK museums as part of a £473m ($600m) UK fund to enhance research infrastructure. The information will be available at the click of a button, illuminating the secrets of the world’s rich history and should help to solve some of the most urgent issues of today. These samples are expected to be key to scientific breakthroughs like preventing future pandemics and protecting the planet.
By The Numbers
12: The number of US states that now produce enough renewable energy to cover half of their electricity needs. The biggest producers? South Dakota, followed by Montana and Iowa.
2024: The year Slovakia will become coal-free, six years ahead of target, reports EuroNews. Joining Belgium, Portugal, Austria and Sweden as Europe's coal-free nations.
40: The percent of Australia’s total electricity supply from renewables, says the Clean Energy Council.
60: Europe's renewable generation of electricity in January and February satisfied a whopping 60 percent of overall power demand. It's a year-over-year gain of 12 percent from the same period in 2023, says Reuters.
Starry Night
In India’s remote Western Ghats, a gorgeous indigo blue and mustard yellow gecko species has been named in honour of Vincent Van Gogh, whose painting Starry Night, was the first thing that entered Ishan Agarwal’s mind when he saw it. The new species (belonging to the genus Cnemapsis) was found during an expedition into the under-explored mountains running parallel to India’s western coastline, and now enriches our eyes and the scientific literature with the delightful name of Cnemapsis vangoghi.
Feral Palace Pets
Mexico's leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador has bestowed a historic title on 19 feral cats to ensure they can reside in his presidential residence after his term ends later this year. The "living fixed assets" status "usually applies to furniture or buildings", said The Associated Press. But by applying it to the cats, Obrador has "obligated" the country's Treasury to feed and care for the animals "furr-ever". The cats already "have access to every part" of the presidential palace and "often walk in" during presidential meetings and interviews. "We have to make sure the cats are taken care of," said Adriana Castillo Román, general director of the National Palace and Cultural Heritage Conservancy.
A-list Alcohol
Actors and musicians are stocking the shelves with their own drinks. Celebs like Kylie Jenner (Sprinter vodka), Jennifer Lopez (Delola canned cocktails), and Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves (Pantalones tequila) are the newest entrants into the celebrity-owned alcohol space. It’s already a crowded industry, with one study finding that there were 350 celebrity-affiliated alcohol brands in 2022… much more than the fewer than 40 in 2018. And that’s because the money is delicious - the global alcohol market is worth a top-shelf $564 billion.
Ironically, the surge in star-driven spirits comes as younger consumers are generally drinking less for a variety of reasons, including a focus on health, a lighter wallet, and a culture of growing teetotalism.
"Tears of joy are like the summer raindrops pierced by sunbeams." Hosea Ballou
On This Day
12 April 1955: Polio vaccine tested by Jonas Salk announced to be 'safe and effective' and is given full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Mood Booster
Beautiful nature, accompanied by a soul-stirring Vangelis soundtrack.