It’s always satisfying when similar positive news stories surface at the same time — and even better when they’re animal-related. Earlier this week, two rare mammals made headlines from different parts of the continent. The first was a white bison born at a ranch in Central Texas, whom owner Carl Chambers named Unatsi, the Cherokee word for “snow.” Then, up in Alberta, Canada, a driver spotted a white moose crossing a rural road alongside a more traditionally colored companion. Watch the video.

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Culture

Paris to Bring 4,000 Picnickers to One of the World’s Most Famous Streets

Alexander Spatari/ Moment via Getty Images

With its stunning view of the Arc de Triomphe, iconic eateries, and hustle-and-bustle of cars and people, Paris’ Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. And the city is shutting it down to allow thousands of people to enjoy a picnic later this month.

On Sunday, May 26, 4,000 lucky lottery winners will gather on a traditional (and giant) red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket and receive baskets filled with French delicacies while enjoying the scenery of a Parisian spring. The over 700-foot-long blanket will be laid from rue Arsène Houssaye to Avenue George V, and each square will seat up to six people, Euronews reports.

Le Grand Pique-Nique, or “the Grand Picnic,” is set to cover more than an acre, which could break the Guinness World Record for the largest picnic blanket. See a mockup of what it will look like.

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Environment

Wild for Rhubarb: Why English Farmers Grow the Pink Plant by Candlelight

Last year was the summer of Barbie and all things pink, so it’s no wonder that a pink veggie is making a comeback. Enter rhubarb, a plant known for its pretty hue, tart taste, and sweet scent. Less known is that in “the Rhubarb Triangle” — a 9-square-mile area of West Yorkshire, England — farmers continue the 200-year-old tradition of transplanting rhubarb into dark sheds lit only by wax candles.

This process is called “forced rhubarb,” because as the plant searches for light in a windowless shed, it ends up coming in faster and tasting extra sweet. Even a few seconds of bright light is said to interfere, hence the candlelight. (Fun fact: The plant can grow so quickly that it can be heard making a popcorn-like sound.)

The method is both tedious and captivating — and at one point, it was endangered. The industry was previously on the verge of dying out, but thanks to rhubarb-related tourism, more appreciation for homegrown food, and a rise in baking as a hobby, the veg is having a long-awaited moment, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

“My father was really involved in trying to hold the growers together,” grower Janet Oldroyd Hulme told the outlet. “He said, ‘There will be light at the end of the tunnel — we just have to hold on, because people will come back to eating rhubarb again.’ I’m so glad he lived long enough to see that he was right.”

Humanity

Postal Worker Travels Hundreds of Miles to Deliver Lost WWII Letters

“My main thought was ‘I have to find this family,’” Texas Postal Service worker and Marine Corps veteran Alvin Gauthier told NBC affiliate KXAS-TV after finding World War II-era letters in his mail bag. And find that family he did.

He didn’t have much information to go off of, though — the letters, dating back to 1942, were addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lamb” in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and had a soldier’s name and military return address.

Gauthier began his search by contacting a local news station and with their help, connected with Jo Ann Smith, whose brother Marion had written the letters to their parents while serving in the war. He then spent his day off traveling 379 miles to personally deliver the letters to Smith (and funded the trip himself). “I could have stuck them in the mail, but it’s kinda like sometimes you have to go above and beyond,” Gauthier said. “Just go the extra mile … or 379 miles.”

His efforts meant the world to Smith, with the letters serving as poignant reminders of her family’s sacrifices during the war. “He has really gone out of his way,” she told KARK-TV. “People connect on different levels and I feel as connected to Alvin as I do my family.”

In Other News

Pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. were significantly lower in 2023 compared to the previous two years.
The names of 125,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II are now public and free to access.
NASA’s new solar sail system successfully made contact with ground operators after launching into orbit on April 23.
Vinted, a digital platform for selling secondhand clothes, made its first profit, a positive sign for the vintage and used fashion market.
An orphaned bear cub went viral after she was pulled from a tree by people seeking pictures. Thanks to wildlife officials, though, she’s now “thriving” and even made a friend.

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Inspiring Story

Overachieving on and off the field

Dylan Beard doesn’t fit the mold of most Olympic hopefuls. He unexpectedly won the 60-meter hurdles at the Millrose Games, making him the third-fastest hurdler globally and earning him a spot in the U.S. Olympic trials next month. Yet despite his athletic success, Beard maintains a full-time job at a Walmart deli in North Carolina, balancing training with work and paying his own way to competitions.

Photo of the Day

It’s No Mow May, a time to let your lazy flag fly. Skipping the landscaping chore this time of year can help pollinators like bees and other insects get a head start on their work, which ultimately benefits your lawn and local ecosystem. If that’s too much, though, you could instead do “Slow-Mow May,” as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service put it. “If you are determined to mow — take it SLOOOOW,” the organization advises. “You never know what critters are hiding in the grass and taking it slow gives them a chance to move out of the way or for you to spot them.”

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