If your to-be-read list sometimes feels more like a mandate to be fulfilled than an opportunity to learn and consume art, a reading journal might be up your alley. It’s a way of slowing down and making reading a more mindful experience, rather than something to check off. “A reading journal is akin to a diary, but instead of recording your deepest thoughts (although those are welcome too), you’re reflecting on what you’re reading,” The Guardian’s Lauren Gould explains. You don’t need to buy a fancy journal to take part — any old notebook will do — but you can find some cute ones out there.
If you’re looking for some extra-friendly hospitality on your next vacation, consider heading to this lesser-known destination: Fredericksburg, Texas. Taking 370 million verified reviews of destinations across the world into consideration, Booking.com just released its 2026 Traveler Review Awards, naming the small town the most hospitable city in the U.S.and the fifth most welcoming in the world. Why Fredericksburg? The travel company credited the locale’s blend of “small-town hospitality with a rich cultural heritage” and its mix of “history, adventure, and Southern hospitality.” Visitors can try out breweries to celebrate the town’s German roots, explore art galleries on Main Street, and immerse themselves in nature at the nearby Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, known for its enormous pink granite dome. Next on the list of U.S. cities are Palm Desert, California; Cape May, New Jersey; Broken Bow, Oklahoma; and Waikoloa, Hawaii. Montepulciano, Italy, took the top spot on the worldwide ranking for its “medieval architecture, world-class wine, and sweeping vineyard views.” Check out the rest of the national and global top 10s.
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Unlocking $2.1 Trillion in Energy Potential
One company has developed a technology that extracts valuable resources from coal without burning it. From hydrogen to diesel, fertilizer, and more, Frontieras North America has the potential to address $2.1 trillion worth of markets. It’s similar to when John D. Rockefeller commercialized oil refining technology. If Frontieras captures just 2% of the global coal market, it has a roadmap to achieve a $1 trillion valuation. The company just completed the land purchase for their $850 million flagship facility. Now, with its Nasdaq ticker (FASF) reserved and the White House favoring domestic energy, it’s positioned for potential valuation impact. You have five days left to invest at $7.38/share. Become a Frontieras shareholder before their share price changes on Feb. 12.
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Sports
New Regulation-Sized Football Field Supports Underserved Bay Area Students
Rachel Bujalski
Just a few days ahead of the Super Bowl kicking off in Santa Clara, California, another Bay Area city hosted a sports-related event — but this one benefitted underserved students. On Wednesday, the NFL and nonprofit City Year opened the first regulation-sized football field in East Palo Alto. City Year, which serves 29 cities across the country, focuses on supporting and providing opportunities for students in under-resourced schools. The new field, at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy, will allow East Palo Alto’s youth football players to play home games in their city for the first time. To celebrate the opening, volunteers, NFL alumni, and local education leaders came together in a community service day, completing projects like painting murals and building benches and flower boxes for the field. “City Year believes in the power of coaching to help students thrive. It’s more than a place to play,” Bay Area Executive Director Luke Hostetter said at the event. “It’s where young people build teamwork, discipline, and confidence that carry into the classroom and beyond.” Watch footage from the celebration.
Humanity
Want to Up Your Scrabble Game? Get Tips From the UK’s Top Woman Champion
SWNS
When it comes to dominating in Scrabble, starting small may be the superior strategy. Take it from Natalie Zolty: The U.K.’s top woman Scrabble champion has revealed her tips for becoming a master player — and it all begins with simple two-letter words. Zolty, 61, won the top division of the U.K. Scrabble Open competition on Jan. 9, scoring 1,000 points more than her opponents. The math teacher bested Scrabble grandmaster Gary Oliver to claim the victory by playing the word “zendiks,” meaning heretics or unbelievers. She won 12 out of her 15 games, despite admitting she doesn't know what many of her winning words mean. For those looking to master the craft, she advises starting off by learning all of the dictionary’s two-letter words. “There are 127 two-letter words allowable in the dictionary that we use in the U.K., so it’s not too difficult to learn all of them,” Zolty told SWNS. “Some of them sound weird and wonderful. Things like ‘xi’ and ‘za,’ so learn those two-letter words and you’ll be surprised at how you can rack up points. Two letters make it easy to play parallels and score points.” Get more advice from Zolty.
In Other News
More than 5,000 acres of land surrounding Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park will receive new protections (read more)
Meet the cast of Saturday Night Live’s U.K. version, debuting March 21 (read more)
UC Davis’ vet school received $120 million, the largest-ever gift to veterinary medicine (read more)
Along with the foldable iPhone, a smaller “clamshell” flip phone is reportedly in the works at Apple (read more)
For the first time inWNBA history, a player is expected to earn a $1 million salary this year (read more)
Inspiring Story
Music that evokes memories
It’s never too late to hit it big — and a 90-year-old piano player is proving that point. Cedric Landers’ daughter, Loralee Druart, began posting videos of her dad playing hymns on Instagram in December. Several of the videos went viral, and the account has now accumulated nearly 13,000 followers. “The hymns bring back childhood memories for them, growing up in a church,” Druart said of viewers. “Their grandfather sang that or played that, or their grandmother, or they sang it with their mom.” Listen to Landers play.
Eyes on Milano Cortina
Andy Cheung/Getty Images
Today our eyes are on Ilia Malinin, pictured here practicing earlier in the week. The Team USA figure skating star, dubbed the “quad god” after he became the first person to land a quadruple axel in competition, is expected to make his Olympic debut around 1:45 p.m. ET in the men’s team short program. But his real time to shine will be Tuesday, when he competes in the individual men’s short competition — he’s favored to win gold in that event. “Ilia is an over-the-moon, once-in-a-generation skater, and the things he does, I never thought I would see in my lifetime,” 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski recently told Time. “It’s almost like he is competing in a different competition from everyone else.” If figure skating is your Winter Olympics jam (it’s everyone’s, right?), you’ll want to keep tabs on the complete schedule.
Daily Health Digital: How to Make the First Few Steps of the Day Less Painful
For decades, doctors blamed morning stiffness on aging alone. But some research shows that the real culprit may be joint drought, a slow drying-out of lubricating fluid that happens overnight. Daily Health Digital explains why those first steps can sometimes feel like your joints are “glued shut” — and shares what over 180,000 people discovered when they addressed it.
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Odds & Ends
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