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Indian Park Littered with Newborn Wolf Pups Marking Steady Population Growth for Endangered Subspecies

By
Andy Corbley
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The newborn pups near their den in Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary - credit Karnatake Forest Department, released.
The newborn pups near their den in Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary – credit Karnataka Forest Department, released.

In one of India’s few wildlife sanctuaries for gray wolves, a litter of 8 pups has inspired the conservation community working to protect one of the most endangered wolf subspecies.

Located in the sub-continent’s southern state of Karnataka, the Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary is home to many wildlife species, including leopards, peacocks, blackbucks, and porcupines, but it’s the Indian wolf, a small, shorthaired, subspecies, that’s the main attraction.

One of the older lineages of wolves, and genetically distinct from the yet older Himalayan wolf, around 3,000 Indian wolves remain in the country, with smaller isolated populations found in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Protected in the country since 1972, they can be found in a variety of states in the north, south, and central regions of India, in several terrain types from deserts to hills and forests.

Bankapur is merely the second nature reserve dedicated to these animals, and announcing the news of the 8 pups born in the exceedingly small reserve, Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said credit should be given to Forest Department officials who ensured they were at ease and protected.

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“The sanctuary hosts the Indian grey wolf species, and one of the wolves recently gave birth to eight pups. Typically, only 50% of the wolf pups survive, but forest officials have taken measures to ensure the safety of all the pups,” Mr. Khandre said. “The Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary now has around 35-40 wolves including the newborn pups.”

SHARE This Good News For Wolves In India On Social Media… 

Oysters Carry Protein That Kills Bacteria Behind Pneumonia, Strep Throat, and Scarlet Fever: Study

By
Andy Corbley
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Sydney rock oysters being shucked - credit Southern Cross University, released.
Sydney rock oysters being shucked – credit Southern Cross University, released.

A protein found in oysters has been identified as an outright killer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and to strengthen antibiotics’ overall effectiveness.

The discovery was made by scientists in Australia who found the protein in the bivalve’s ‘hemolymphs,’ cells that act a little like blood cells in humans.

Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes, may not mean much to the average person, but the common infectious diseases they cause probably will.

They can result in STAPH infections, pneumonia, and scarlet fever and strep throat respectively, but they are also three species that the Sydney rock oyster’s blood-like fluid seems to be capable of treating.

It makes sense oysters would have potent, endogenous, antimicrobial secretions since they are filter feeders: slurping in liters of water every day, keeping the nutrients, and expelling the rest.

Their antimicrobial compound prevents bacteria that cause diseases like those already mentioned from forming colonies protected by biofilms—a substance that allows them to glom together and stick to membranes and tissues whilst protecting them from antibiotic drugs.

“We often think about bacteria just floating around in the blood,” study co-author Kirsten Benkendorff, a marine scientist at Southern Cross University, tells the Guardian.

“But in reality, a lot of them actually adhere to surfaces. The advantage of having something that disrupts the biofilm is… it’s stopping all of those bacteria from attaching to the surfaces. It’s releasing them back out into the blood, where then they can be attacked by antibiotics.”

GOOD NEWS ON THIS TOPIC: Novel Plant-Derived Compound May Be Game-Changer for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

The oyster protein on its own killed S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes, but when combined with antibiotic drugs, the effect was between 2 and 32 times greater, depending on the drug and bacteria.

Pharmacologists are speedily trying to develop new antibiotics as those overprescribed for decades across the world are rapidly losing efficacy. Anything that can extend the viability of these existing products will help curb what many scientists are claiming will become the largest danger to an individual’s health from an infectious disease for the next 25 years.

OTHER OYSTER ABILITIES: Shells to Sweaters: Sustainable ‘Sea Wool’ Earns Millions for Taiwan Business Spinning Oyster Shells into Yarn

Benkendorff and her team are continuously testing the oyster protein for its toxicity in human lung tissue and blood cells where it would be needed most to curb drug-resistant bacterial infections.

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“Love is a trick that nature plays on us to achieve the impossible.” – W. Somerset Maugham 

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Good News Network
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Azrul Aziz

Quote of the Day: “Love is a trick that nature plays on us to achieve the impossible.” – W. Somerset Maugham 

Photo by: Azrul Aziz

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Azrul Aziz

Good News in History, February 17

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Good News Network
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A Red Cross field hospital in Duppel during the 1864 Schleswig-Holstein war - public domain

100 years ago today, Hal Holbrook, the great actor, director, and writer was born. He received critical acclaim for playing Mark Twain in his original one-man stage show. He won the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for that role—and five Emmys throughout his career. WATCH him as Mark Twain giving hilarious opinions on Cats, Congress, and Exercise… (1925)

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Playful People Proved More Resilient During Covid – They Excelled at ‘Lemonading’

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Good News Network
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Credit: Oregon State University / SWNS
Credit: Oregon State University / SWNS

Adults with high levels of playfulness showed strong resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to less playful individuals, new research shows.

The Oregon State University study is important because playfulness is a vital but under-appreciated resource for building resilience and maintaining well-being during difficult periods such as the pandemic—and it’s a resource that individuals can cultivate.

“Understanding how playful people navigate adversity can inform interventions and strategies to help people cope with stress and uncertainty,” said Sharon Shen, the director of the Health, Environment and Leisure Research Lab (HEAL), who led the study.

“Highly playful people were just as realistic about COVID-19 risks and challenges as others, but they excelled at ‘lemonading’ – creatively imagining and pursuing the positive, as well as discovering ways to create moments of joy even in difficult circumstances,” she said.

“This is particularly relevant as we face increasing global challenges that require both realistic assessment and creative adaptation.”

Factors like the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social issues can heighten chronic stress, which is a significant public health concern in the US linked to heart disease and diabetes, as well as depression.

Shen and co-researcher Zoe Crawley broke a study group of more than 500 American adults into two subgroups: those with low levels of playfulness as measured by the Adult Playfulness Trait Scale, and those with higher levels.

“They shared similar perceptions of risk and protective factors as their less playful peers but demonstrated greater optimism when envisioning future possibilities, engaged in more creative problem solving and managed to infuse quality and enjoyment into everyday activities,” said Shen, whose team developed the trait measurement scale in 2014.

“They actively altered challenging situations, found creative substitutes for what was lost, viewed obstacles as opportunities for growth and maintained a strong sense of control over their responses.”

Perhaps most revealing was that while the highly playful didn’t necessarily do different activities or do them more often than less playful people, they experienced the activities with higher quality – greater immersion, activeness. and positive affect.

Santa Rosa Police Department on Facebook

“This is essentially making lemonade from lemons, and it’s connected intimately with resilience,” she said. “Their unique combination of realistic assessment and flexible problem solving emerged as a powerful formula, offering a vivid demonstration of how personality traits like playfulness shape our responses under stress.”

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Shen emphasizes that playful people don’t view the world through “rose-colored glasses” but rather with the ability to see the upside, while maintaining “clear-eyed realism.”

Shen notes that while researchers have long claimed that playful people “reframe” situations to make them more enjoyable, the widely accepted idea had been “surprisingly vague and untested.” It was unclear exactly what the reframing is or how it works.

Shen and Crawley saw COVID-19 as an opportunity to look for answers. With most of the population experiencing similar large-scale disruption, Shen said, the researchers were able to move beyond assumptions and determine the specific ways playfulness helps people navigate tough times.

“Playfulness doesn’t distort reality – it enhances it,” Shen said. “And while our study focused on measuring rather than developing playfulness, research suggests several approaches to cultivate this quality.”

Those approaches include:

  • Engaging in activities that spark joy and curiosity.
  • Being open to new experiences, including experimenting with new ways of doing routine activities.
  • Creating opportunities for spontaneous, unstructured exploration.
  • Hanging out with people who make you laugh and inspire you to play.
  • Embracing moments of silliness and humor when appropriate.

QUIRKY FUN WITH COVID: Family Builds Giant Dinosaur From Take-Out Containers During Hotel Quarantine: Naming It ‘Bagasaurus’

©GWC for GNN

“Of course, interpretation of appropriateness may vary, and knowing boundaries makes playing with them more fun,” Shen said. “A key to all of this is focusing on the quality of engagement rather than simply doing what might be called play activities. True playfulness doesn’t require a playground, games or toys. It’s about bringing a spirit of openness, flexibility and fun to everyday moments.”

LOOK! Man Creates Adult-Sized ‘Little Tikes’ Car That Goes 70mph

Shen adds, though, that regularly setting aside time for play can be instrumental as it provides a safe space to express and practice playfulness.

“Even during hectic times, dedicating five to 10 minutes daily for a small dose of play – whether solo or shared – can make a meaningful difference,” Shen said.

Their findings were published in Frontiers in Psychology.

SHARE THE STRATEGY OF PLAY With Friends And Family on Social Media…

Michael Jordan Opens Another Health Clinic in Home State of North Carolina–Four Clinics Now Serve the Uninsured

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Good News Network
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Michael Jordan at opening of New Health Clinic in North Carolina – Credit: Novant Health / Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic
Michael Jordan Celebrates Opening of New Health Clinic in North Carolina – Credit: Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic

After donating tens of millions of dollars, Michael Jordan is celebrating the opening of another vital community health hub—the fourth ‘Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic’ to open in North Carolina.

The latest is the second clinic opened in Jordan’s hometown of Wilmington, and all are founded in collaboration with Novant Health.

It will officially welcome patients on February 19, focusing on strengthening primary care for all patients—including individuals who are uninsured or underinsured.

The 7,300-square-foot clinic at 416 N. 30th St. has twelve patient rooms and will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It’s truly gratifying to know that in less than a year, our first Novant clinic in Wilmington has already made a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of individuals and families in my hometown,” said Mr. Jordan.

“Visiting Wilmington last year for the opening of our first clinic was incredibly moving, and it reinforced just how important access to quality health care is for the community.”

“We are profoundly grateful to Michael Jordan for his generosity and vision in making these two clinics a reality in our community,” said Ernie Bovio, president of the Novant Health Coastal Region.

Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic in Charlotte at 2701 Statesville – Credit: Novant Health

“Thanks to his philanthropic partnership, our Greenfield Street clinic that opened last year served nearly 1,800 patients in its first nine months.”

Novant Health and Jordan first launched this clinic concept in Charlotte in 2019 with a pair of clinics that were strategically placed to address barriers to care, including transportation.

Many of the Charlotte patients never had a primary care visit before they were welcomed into the Michael Jordan clinics, where patients found “a sense of hope’.

Building on the success of this model, a $10 million gift from Jordan to the Novant Health foundations made it possible to add two more clinics in Wilmington.

INSPIRING JUMP SHOT: Michael Jordan Donates $10 Million to Make-A-Wish for his 60th Birthday, Setting a Record

Starting next week, patients can schedule appointments at the East Wilmington clinic by calling 910-833-9140.

Opening one of his earliest clinics – Novant Health

In  addition to the clinic’s primary care team, a community health worker will assist patients with community resources—and both Wilmington offices also support the work of Novant Health’s Community Care Cruiser to further serve individuals across the region.

MAKE A HEALTH CARE JUMP SHOT–Share This On Social Media…

Lost Stuffed Bunny Goes on Airport Adventure Ending in Heartwarming Reunion (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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Credit: Pittsburgh International Airport

Any parent knows the heartbreak of a child losing their favorite stuffed animal. But thanks to a little airport magic, this drama has a “hoppy” ending!

Well-worn, with long gray ears, Bunny—its real name—was turned into Patti Getty, who has worked for 11 years at the Information Desk in the Pittsburgh International Airport.

“I wanted to take the bunny around and show what Pittsburgh airport is like,” Getty told GNN.

So, she snapped photos that were shared on February 4th to social media, with the caption:

“Lost bunny needs to find its way home 🐰”

“Yesterday, we found a bunny in our baggage claim area. We showed them LOTS of love.

But, the airport said they wanted Bunny to be warm and cuddled in their own home so shared a phone number to call.

While waiting to be found, the bunny went on a tour of the terminal, with the airport documenting its “adventures” along the way, culminating in an adorable video (below).

 

After a widespread search that captured thousands of hearts online, the airport successfully reunited the plush toy with its owner (six year old Waylynn).

In the heartwarming conclusion, the beloved stuffy was finally back home, having been picked up by the owner’s great-grandmother.

“We’re so happy to reunite lost items with their owners and it is ESPECIALLY joyful to reunite sentimental lost items like Bunny!

“Thanks to the awesome Pittsburgh community for sharing these posts and spreading the word so we could bring bunny home.”

ADORABLE REUNION: Little Boy Reunited With LEGO Man After Creating a ‘Missing Person’ Poster – LOOK

“Everyone wants to help everybody,” concluded Ms. Getty.

FDA Approves Opioid-free Pain Medication That Finally Delivers Relief Without Addiction

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Good News Network
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Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Introducing the first new class of pain medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in more than two decades.

The FDA has approved the first drug in its class that targets moderate to severe acute pain in adults, without being addictive like opioids, which have been the standard of care in pain-killers for 20 years.

Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals is set to sell the twice daily pills for $15 per dose under the name Journavx.

The analgesic works by “targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system—before pain signals reach the brain.”

“Today’s approval is an important public health milestone in acute pain management,” said FDA spokesperson Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, J.D., M.D. “It provides patients with another treatment option.”

The efficacy of Journavx (aka suzetrigine) was evaluated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trials of acute surgical pain, both of which demonstrated a statistically-significant superior reduction in pain, compared to placebo.

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The safety was primarily based on data from the pooled, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trials in 874 participants going through surgery, with additional data from one single-arm, open-label study of 256 participants.

The most common adverse reactions in patients were itching, muscle spasms, increased blood level of creatine phosphokinase, and rash. Additionally, patients should avoid food or drink containing grapefruit when taking Journavx. But, always check with your own doctor before taking the medication.

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“Today’s approval is a historic milestone for the 80 million people in America who are prescribed a medicine for moderate-to-severe acute pain each year,” Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., the CEO and President of Vertex said on January 30.

“With the approval of JOURNAVX, a non-opioid, pain signal inhibitor, we have the opportunity to change the paradigm of acute pain management and establish a new standard of care.”

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE For People With Upcoming Surgeries…

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that brings peace to our minds.” – Nicholas Sparks

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Good News Network
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Oziel Gómez

Quote of the Day: “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that brings peace to our minds.” – Nicholas Sparks

Photo by: Oziel Gómez

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, February 16

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Good News Network
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20 years ago today, the Kyoto Protocol went into effect after ratification by Russia. It commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring and that human-made CO2 emissions are driving it. READ about the progress made… (2005)

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World’s Oldest Bird Gives Birth to Yet Another Chick–at Nearly 74 Years Old

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Good News Network
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Photo Credit: Jon Brack/Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Wisdom – USFWS / SWNS

The world’s oldest known bird has returned to her home island to hatch yet another chick, at nearly 74 years old.

Named Wisdom, the Laysan albatross has been spotted this month caring for her youngster on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Ocean.

Like others of her species, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate and if able, lay one egg.

For decades, park officials in the Hawaiian Archipelago observed Wisdom doing this with the same partner (named Akeakamai), but that bird has not been seen for several years, which caused Wisdom to begin courtship dances with other males last year.

The spry septuagenarian is estimated to have produced 50-60 eggs in her lifetime, successfully fledging as many as 30 chicks, according to the expert staff at the refuge 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.

Albatross parents share the responsibility of feeding their young by taking turns hunting while the other stays at the nest to watch over the chick.

“So when Wisdom returns to the nest (it’s) her partner’s turn to go hunt for squid, fish and crustaceans,” said a statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service–Pacific Region.

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Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 after she laid an egg. They determined her estimated age from that event 69 years ago, because the large seabirds aren’t known to breed before age five.

Wisdom with her chick – Photo Credit: Jon Brack/Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Hundreds of thousands of the gull-like seabirds begin returning to Midway Atoll each November to nest and raise their young—and Wisdom has been doing this for seven decades, since General Eisenhower was the US president.

SHARE THE AGING WONDER With Bird Lovers On Social Media…

Social Media is Swooning Over Images of Hearts on Mars

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Heart shapes on Mars planet taken by Mars Global Surveyor team - NASA
Heart shapes on Mars captured by Mars Global Surveyor team – NASA / SWNS

NASA sent a valentine to space lovers on social media this week posting images of heart shapes found on Mars.

The pictures were all captured from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in the past decades—but with Valentine’s Day on Friday, it was the perfect moment to share the compilation online.

The post on Twitter/X made hearts swoon, eliciting comments like:

• “Looks like Mars has been secretly playing Cupid all along!”
• “Even the Red Planet has a soft spot for love.”
• “I think when we shift to Mars, these could be the spots where all the lovers could meet up.”

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory originally wrote, “Happy St. Valentine’s Day from the Mars Global Surveyor (and) Mars Orbiter Camera team!

RELATED: Spiders From Mars? Phenomenon Evokes David Bowie Song in These Photos Taken Near South Pole of Red Planet

“This collection of images acquired over the past 3 Mars years shows some of the heart-shaped features found on Mars.”

SEND SOME RED PLANET HEARTS to Space Lovers On Social Media…

Eco-Funerals Now Feature World’s First ‘Living Coffin’ Made Out of Mushrooms

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Good News Network
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Loop Living Cocoon ©Loop Biotech
Loop Cocoon displayed in London – SWNS

In the UK, a funeral company says they can now bury you in the ‘world’s first living coffin’, which is made out of mushrooms.

Containing no wood, the coffins are formed out of a mat of fibers including pliable mycelium—the root structure of mushrooms—and up-cycled hemp plants.

The thread-like mycelium, aids decomposition by breaking down biological matter—and it biodegrades within 45 days.

Made by Dutch company Loop Biotech, the coffins can be grown in just a week and the eco-friendly burials “feed the earth” as they mix with nutrients from the human decomposition.

Poetic Endings in southeast London, was the first funeral director in the UK to offer one of these unique coffins, having first stocked them last week.

“It is such a beautiful product,” said director Louise Winter. “It feels like nothing I have ever touched—it’s like the rind of brie.

“This is so original, I have never seen anything like it,” she told news agency SWNS.com.

The Loop Living Cocoon coffin made of mushrooms lined in moss – SWNS

The 38-year-old said they were introduced to the mushroom coffin by the family of Max Leighton, who became the first British person to be buried in one in December 2024.

After having such a successful service, and being so blown away by the product quality, Poetic Endings decided to stock them permanently.

“Max believed in the ‘Wood Wide Web’—the underground fungal network that connects trees and sustains forests,” said Nick Leighton, Max’s dad.

“It was a natural choice to lay him to rest in the Loop ‘Living Cocoon’. It wasn’t just beautiful; it felt right.”

The funeral firm GreenAcres, which operates eco-friendly Living Memorial Parks across the UK, are also now offering the mushroom coffin option in Norfolk, Essex, Merseyside, Kent, Buckinghamshire, and Hampshire.

Lined with moss, they generally cost $1,500 (£1,250). Loop also produces mushroom urns for burying the ashes of loved ones.

RELATED: First State in the U.S. Approves Human Composting; Local ’Green Reaper‘ Has Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Burials

Loop Living Cocoon ©Loop Biotech

“The Loop Living Cocoon coffin not only avoids a heavy carbon footprint but enhances the quality of the soil, providing the most natural way to complete the circle of life,” GreenAcres Managing Director Jane Kirkup said. “People are choosing to plant a Living Memorial Tree in place of a granite headstone, too.”

Loop Biotech launched five years ago, and Bob Hendrikx, the CEO and founder, says there is “a growing demand for sustainable, biodegradable funeral products that enrich nature”.

CHECK OUT: Amid the Green Funeral Movement, Scattering Ashes Ensures These Forests Remain Pristine Forever

If the response in London is any indication, growth is inevitable. At the Poetic Endings launch event this month, people were “blown away” by how beautiful they are.

PROMOTE THE GOOD By Sharing This Movement on Social Media…

Your Valentine’s Week Horoscope from ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Good News Network
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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of February 14, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Borrowing the words of Aquarian author Virginia Woolf, I’ve prepared a love note for you to use as your own. Feel free to give these words to the person whose destiny needs to be woven more closely together with yours. “You are the tide that sweeps through the corridors of my mind, a wild rhythm that fills my empty spaces with the echo of eternity. You are the unspoken sentence in my every thought, the shadow and the light interwoven in the fabric of my being. You are the pulse of the universe pressing against my skin, the quiet chaos of love that refuses to be named. You are my uncharted shore.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Love and intimacy and togetherness are fun, yes. But they’re also hard work—especially if you want to make the fun last. This will be your specialty in the coming months. I’ve assembled four quotes to inspire you. 1. “The essence of marriage is not that it provides a happy ending, but that it provides a promising beginning—and then you keep beginning again, day after day.” —Gabriel García Márquez. 2. “The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. But those who follow the art of creating it day after day come closest to discovering it.” —Pearl Buck. 3. “Love is a continuous act of forgiveness.” —Maya Angelou. 4. “In the best of relationships, daily rebuilding is a mutual process. Each partner helps the other grow.” —Virginia Satir.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Love requires stability and steadiness to thrive. But it also needs unpredictability and imaginativeness. The same with friendship. Without creative touches and departures from routine, even strong alliances can atrophy into mere sentiment and boring dutifulness. With this in mind, and in accordance with astrological omens, I offer quotes to inspire your quest to keep togetherness fertile and flourishing. 1. “Love has no rules except those we invent, moment by moment.” —Anaïs Nin. 2. “The essence of love is invention. Lovers should always dream and create their own world.” —Jorge Luis Borges. 3. “A successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person, but never in quite the same way.” —Mignon McLaughlin. 4. “Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. But it must also be an act of endless reinvention, lest that tender look grow dull.” —Peter Ustinov

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In celebration of the Valentine season, I suggest you get blithely unshackled in your approach to love. Be loose, limber, and playful. To stimulate the romantic and intimate qualities I think you should emphasize, I offer you these quotes: 1. “Love is the endless apprenticeship of two souls daring to be both sanctuary and storm for one another.” —Rainer Maria Rilke 2. “Love is the revolution in which we dismantle the prisons of our fear, building a world where our truths can stand naked and unashamed.” —Audre Lorde. 3. “Love is the rebellion that tears down walls within and between us, making room for the unruly beauty of our shared becoming.” —Adrienne Rich.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
To honor the rowdy Valentine spirit, I invite you to either use the following passage or compose one like it, then offer it to a willing recipient who would love to go deeper with you: “Be my thunderclap, my cascade of shooting stars. Be my echo across the valley, my rebel hymn, my riddle with no answer. Be my just-before-you-wake-up-dream. Be my tectonic shift. Be my black pearl, my vacation from gloom and doom, my forbidden dance. Be my river-song in F major, my wild-eyed prophet, my moonlit debate, my infinite possibility. Be my trembling, blooming, spiraling, and soaring.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all.” One of those strange jewels in you is emerging from its hiding place. Any day now, it will reveal at least some of its spectacular beauty—to be followed by more in the subsequent weeks. Are you ready to be surprised by your secret self? Are your beloved allies ready? A bloom this magnificent could require adjustments. You and yours may have to expand your horizons together.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In 2025, the role that togetherness plays in your life will inspire you to achieve unexpected personal accomplishments. Companionship and alliances may even stir up destiny-changing developments. To get you primed, I offer these quotes: 1. “Love is a trick that nature plays on us to achieve the impossible.” —William Somerset Maugham. 2. “Love is the ultimate outlaw. It won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is sign on as its accomplice.” —Tom Robbins. 3. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Yet each day reveals new constellations in our shared sky.” —Emily Brontë.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Psychotherapist Robin Norwood wrote that some people, mostly women, give too much love and kindness. They neglect their own self-care as they attend generously to the needs of others. They may even provide nurturing and support to those who don’t appreciate it or return the favor. Author Anne Morrow Lindbergh expressed a different perspective. She wrote, “No one has ever loved anyone too much. We just haven’t learned yet how to love enough.” What’s your position on this issue, Virgo? It’s time for you to come to a new understanding of exactly how much giving is correct for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Are you ready to express your affection with lush and lavish exuberance? I hope so. Now would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking. I dare you to give the following words, composed by poet Pablo Neruda, to a person who will be receptive to them. “You are the keeper of my wildest storms, the green shoot splitting the stone of my silence. Your love wraps me in galaxies, crowns me with the salt of the sea, and fills my lungs with the language of the earth. You are the voice of the rivers, the crest of the waves, the pulse of the stars. With every word you speak, you unweave my solitude and knit me into eternity.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Among its potential gifts, astrology can raise our awareness of the cyclical nature of life. When used well, it helps us know when there are favorable times to enhance and upgrade specific areas of our lives. For example, in the coming weeks, you Scorpios could make progress on building a strong foundation for the future of love. You will rouse sweet fortune for yourself and those you care for if you infuse your best relationships with extra steadiness and stability.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I want you to be moved by intimacy and friendships that buoy your soul, inspire your expansive mind, and pique your sense of adventure. To boost the likelihood they will flow your way in abundance during the coming weeks, I offer you these quotes. 1. “Love is a madness so discreet that we carry its delicious wounds for a lifetime as if they were precious gems.” —Federico García Lorca. 2. “Love is not a vacation from life. It’s a parallel universe where everything ordinary becomes extraordinary.” —Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 3. “Where there is love there is life. And where there is life, there is mischief in the making.” —my Sagittarius friend Artemisia. 4. “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” —Nicholas Sparks

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Every intimate alliance is unique, has its own rules, and shouldn’t be compared to any standard. This is a key theme for you to embrace right now. Below are helpful quotes. 1. “Each couple’s love story is a language only they can speak, with words only they can define.” —Federico Fellini. 2. “In every true marriage, each serves as guide and companion to the other toward a shared enlightenment that no one else could possibly share.” —Joseph Campbell. 3. “The beauty of marriage is not in its uniformity but in how each couple writes their own story, following no map but the one they draw together.” —Isabel Allende. 4. “Marriages are like fingerprints; each one is different, and each one is beautiful.” —Maggie Reyes.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.” – Edward Gibbon

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.” – Edward Gibbon

Photo by: JSB Co. for Unsplash+ (cropped)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, February 15

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Good News Network
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GNU licensed image

79 years ago today, the US government’s first all-purpose computer—ENIAC—was unveiled. The Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer was digital and programmable, and therefore one thousand times faster than electro-mechanical machines of the day. In a fine example of how markets can drive down the price of goods through incremental improvement and specialization, ENIAC cost the US Army $487,000—the equivalent to $6,900,000 in 2023 dollars, tens of thousands of times as much as a computer today. READ more… (1945)

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Scientists Discover Oldest Bird Fossils, Rewrite History of Avian Evolution

By
Andy Corbley
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A photograph and interpretive line drawing show the Baminornis zhenghensis fossil - credit: Min Wang
A photograph and interpretive line drawing show the Baminornis zhenghensis fossil – credit: Min Wang

According to a truly field-altering fossilized bird found in China, birds already existed in the Late Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago.

The new discovery suggests that rather than a linear evolutionary path from dinosaur to bird, these two orders evolved somewhat simultaneously.

An artistic representation of the newly discovered species, Baminornis zhenghensis, with the preserved bones highlighted – credit: Zhao Chuang.

Baminornis zhenghensis is the world’s oldest species of avid. A holotype fossil was recently found in East China’s Fujian Province and described in the journal Nature. The pelvis, trunk, forelimbs, and part of the hindlimb are all intact.

“Baminornis is a landmark discovery and ranks among the most important bird fossils unearthed since the discovery of Archaeopteryx in the early 1860s,” Stephen Brusatte, a paleontologist from the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study but wrote a commentary accompanying it, tells Xinhua.

“This is a groundbreaking discovery. It overturns the previous situation that Archaeopteryx was the only bird found in the Jurassic Period,” Zhonghe Zhou, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, tells the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

China’s wealth of cultural and historical treasures is almost matched in importance by its role as one of the world’s great crucibles of paleontological discoveries. Dinosaurs and prehistoric animals from every age, of every size, and of every description have been found there.

Archaeopteryx, the missing link that connected dinosaurs to birds, was first discovered in Germany, but several other iterations of paleo-avids, including a “Cretaceous cormorant,” a prehistoric wader, and the gliding Microraptor have been found in China.

Baminornis displays a number of characteristic bird features, the most important among them being a short tail—a critical innovation in bird flight.

CHECK THIS OUT: Complete Stegosaurus Fossil Found With Skin Still On in Northern China

“Previously, the oldest record of short-tailed birds is from the Early Cretaceous,” Wang Min, a paleontologist author of the study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explains in a statement. Baminornis is now the “oldest short-tailed bird yet discovered, pushing back the appearance of this derived bird feature by nearly 20 million years.”

The short tail shifted the center of gravity forward, allowing for greater aerodynamism. This stands in direct contrast to Archaeopteryx which had a long feathered tail.

MORE BIG FOSSIL DISCOVERIES: Paleontologists Hunted for This Giant Bird Skull for Over a Century–Finally, a Complete ‘Thunderbird’

Pelvic and pectoral girdles strengthen Baminornis’s bird-like biology, but a pair of clearly dinosaur-shaped hands betray its origin.

Wang believes that to have two different animals that were developing avian features, living in a relatively close period, but with such different physical shapes, suggests that millions of years of avid evolution had already taken place before Baminornis walked the Earth.

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Girl With Cleft Lip Adopts Dog Born With the Same Feature

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Andy Corbley
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Kynlee Rogers, 10, with her dog - credit: Kimberly Rogers
Kynlee Rogers, 10, with her dog – credit: Kimberly Rogers

This is Kynlee Rogers, born with a cleft lip; and her dog, Tennee, born with a cleft lip.

Rogers used to ask her mom Kimberly why she was different from other kids, a challenging thing for any parent to have to answer. She doesn’t ask anymore though, because she’s not different; just look at her dog!

From the Washington Post comes the story of a nonprofit that works to connect dogs born with craniofacial defects with the ‘craniofacial’ community, to strengthen both through common cause and love.

“Our mission is to combine the two different cleft communities: the human community and the canine community,” Lindsay Weisman, who started Cleft Rescue Unit in May 2023, told the Post. “We get puppies from across the country.”

She added that many humans with clefts adopt dogs with clefts, delighting in their shared difference.

“They love that the puppies look like them. It’s really special.”

In humans, cleft palates and lips develop in utero from a variety of environmental and genetic factors. Difficulties lay ahead for these children, without a doubt, but puppies born with the same conditions might have it even harder as they tend very strongly towards dying in infancy.

DOGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT: Bulldog Puppy Spontaneously Regrows Part of its Jaw After it Was Removed During Cancer Surgery

Cleft lip or palate, says Weisman, prevents a puppy from nursing properly, leading to malnutrition and death if they are not recognized and taken into veterinary care for tube feeding.

Mandy, another dog with cleft lip (right) Kynlee hugs Tennee in the airport – credit Cleft Rescue Unit

Cleft Rescue Unit works to raise awareness of the dangers to these pups and take them off the hands of breeders or owners who aren’t capable of taking care of them. Once they can eat solid food, the unit seeks to pair dogs with a human owner with the same craniofacial feature.

As it happened for Kynlee, she asked her mother one night if dogs also have cleft lips—to which her mom, feeling the lightbulb moment above her head, replied “of course they do.”

ON THIS THEME: Half of Dad’s Face Rebuilt After Dog Sniffs Out Cancer to Save His Life: ‘Do Not Ignore the Symptoms’

The Rogers adopted Tennee in September, and the dog has had a profound impact on Kynlee’s life.

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California’s Fascinating ‘Glory Hole Spillway’ Is Flowing for First Time in Years

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Andy Corbley
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Glory Hole spillway in Lake Berryessa – by timelessmoon (Public Domain via GetArchive )
Glory Hole spillway in Lake Berryessa – by timelessmoon (Public Domain via GetArchive )

After a series of significant rains in Napa, a man-made lake’s unique drainage system was activated to the delight of onlookers.

Known as the Morning Glory spillway in Napa County’s Lake Berryessa behind the Monticello Dam, a 72-foot-long hole empties the water of the lake down into a creek 200 feet below.

Forming a perfect flow of water in a ring, the spillway looks like a whirlpool at sea, and has visitors flocking to see it in action before the lake falls below 440 feet—the threshold at which the spillway activates.

Installed nearly 70 years ago, the unique “passive spillway” located near the middle of the lake has only been needed 25 times during its existence. A series of atmospheric rivers have passed over Napa recently, and with more forecasted, there’s still the chance to go see it up close from a section of the small road that passes around the lake.

Activated in 2017, and again in 2019, its long dormancy captures well the effects of the droughts California has suffered from over the last few years.

Local residents draw water from the reservoir, meaning that it takes an awful lot of rain for the spillway to become active, as its levels are constantly being depleted.

A SIMILAR, BUT NATURAL PHENOMENON: Hiker Captures Video of Rare Ice Disk Vortex Spinning in Scottish Winter Weather Phenomenon–WATCH

LA Times reports that other man-made lakes in California utilize these passive spillways, including Trinity Lake in Trinity County and Whiskeytown Lake in Shasta County.

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Entrepreneur Is Tackling 120 Million Tons of Plastic Waste–One Deodorant Stick at a Time

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Andy Corbley
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File photo by Ana Essentiels
File photo by Ana Essentiels

The restaurant and fashion industries are often and rightly critiqued for the mountains of landfill waste they produce, but the same can—and really should—be said about cosmetics and hygiene products.

In response, an Ivorian immigrant to Arizona has created a fully compostable, plant-based refillable skincare dispenser made of sugarcane and bamboo pulp.

Inventor Mory Diané from the Ivory Coast hopes it can become the new industry standard.

“When I discovered that the beauty industry alone produces over 120 billion plastic containers annually, with less than 10% being recycled, I knew we needed a radical change,” Diané told Good News Network.

“As an engineer, I couldn’t simply accept this massive waste as the status quo. That’s why I developed Rover™.”

“My background in civil engineering taught me that the most effective solutions are often the simplest ones. We’re not just creating another refillable container—we’re revolutionizing the entire approach to skincare packaging.”

Basically, the Rover dispenser is compatible with any kind of liquid deodorant, gel, powder, balm, oils, or sticks, thereby offering brands and consumers a practical way to eliminate single-use plastics; one can literally turn a cabinet of cosmetics into four or five little pods.

FROM THE CARIBBEAN: Visionary Fuels First Car Powered By Seaweed Piling Up on Beaches That Reduces Tourism

“What we’re trying to achieve goes beyond just creating an eco-friendly product. We’re aiming to transform how the entire beauty industry thinks about packaging. By making our sustainable solution accessible and cost-effective, we’re showing that it’s possible to maintain premium quality while eliminating plastic waste. This isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about creating a new standard that benefits both consumers and our planet,” Diané says.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Entrepreneur Transforms Old Cement Bags into Solar-Charging Backpacks to Help Children Read at Night

Researchers cited by Vouge suggested that not only are 120 billion containers of cosmetics produced annually, but 20-40% of these end up as waste when they expire, are discontinued, or because the purchaser simply isn’t satisfied or interested in them.

Alternatives are needed, and Rover is a great place to start.

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