It’s one of Nice News’ favorite “holidays”: Random Acts of Kindness Day. Our feature below dives into the health benefits of generosity and some ways that you can spread kindness, but we also want to take this opportunity to remind you about our Cause of the Winter — One Warm Coat. We’re nearly halfway to our fundraising goal for the organization, which facilitates thousands of coat drives every year to help people in need. Every $1 donated warms one person, so if you contribute, you can consider that your first act of kindness today!
Are You a RAKtivist? Learn How You Can Make Kindness the Norm
Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
There’s no better way to celebrate today than by becoming a Random Acts of Kindness Activist, aka a RAKtivist. The term was coined by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (yes, there’s a whole organization dedicated solely to these sweet gestures), and per the nonprofit, a RAKtivist’s goal is to make kindness the norm. “These are the people who turn ordinary days into something special with small, thoughtful gestures — like a sincere smile or offering a seat on the bus,” the foundation says. “These acts of kindness reconnect us with our humanity, reminding us of the love in the world and inspiring us to pay it forward.” Helping others is a lovely enough motive in itself, but there’s even more incentive to hop on the train: Research shows that doing so can benefit your health. Acts of kindness may improve life satisfaction, according to a 2009 study, and reduce anxiety and depression by promoting social connection, per a 2022 paper. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation offers heartfelt resources for interested RAKtivists, including a gratitude letter-writing activity guide and instructions for making seed bombs to promote biodiversity. “Random Acts of Kindness Week and Day serve as powerful reminders that kindness is not just an action but a way of life,” the org’s Vice President Brooke Jones said in a statement. “By participating, people can create ripple effects of positivity in their communities.” If you’d like to join the RAKtivist gang, head to the foundation’s website to sign up or download resources, like the “25 Ways to Be Kind” poster seen above.
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Historic George Washington Portrait Is Being Restored in France
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
An 18th-century portrait of George Washington is going under the knife, so to speak. The painting of the founding father (whose birthday is celebrated today, Presidents Day) by artist Charles Willson Peale is one of four presented as gifts to European leaders. It was recently moved from its place in the U.S. embassy in France to be restored by conservators at the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France in Versailles. Experts are looking to return the historic artwork to its former glory, per Smithsonian Magazine. It was formerly not believed to be a real Peale piece due to previous, botched restoration attempts that left it looking much different than the other paintings in the series, one of which is pictured here. These alterations, not authorized by the original artist, came to light during the authentication process. “This painting has lived this incredibly dramatic life; it was essentially lost to history,” conservator Lauren Hall said in a documentary released by the Office of Cultural Heritage last year. “We’ve not only relocated this picture but we’ve also contributed significantly to the greater understanding of this artist and his work.”
Sports
The Winter Olympics Are 1 Year Away: Meet the Mascots and the Athletes Gunning to Compete
MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images
It may feel like the Paris Olympics just wrapped, but organizers and athletes are already gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, hosted by two northern Italian cities: Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan. Now that the opening ceremony is less than a year away, we figured it’s time to introduce you to mascots Tina and Milo. The “siblings” are both stoats, small mammals found in the Italian Alps. Their names are shortened versions of the host cities — Tina for Cortina and Milo for Milan. Tina, who will represent the Olympics, is accompanied by the tagline “dream big.” Milo, meanwhile, is representing the Paralympics with his own story of resilience. “Despite being born without a paw, he has learned to walk using his tail,” reported Olympics.com. “The sentence that represents him is: ‘Obstacles are trampolines.’” Now onto the real athletes gunning to compete. For Team USA, Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, who just came out of retirement, are among the biggest names to watch when it comes to alpine skiing. In figure skating, 20-year-old Ilia Malinin is preparing for his first Olympics appearance, and it’s looking like there will be gold in the two-time world champion’s future. Meet more of the American athletes to have on your radar.
In Other News
England is building 12 new towns, and construction is set to begin by 2029 (read more)
The discovery of a Jurassic bird fossil in China has thrown a wrench in the history of avian evolution (read more)
Show biz royalty: The Wayans family will be inducted into the NAACP Awards’ Hall of Fame (read more)
This man has a gene mutation that almost always portends early Alzheimer’s — but at 75, he’s symptom-free (read more)
Learn how San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team gives people the help they need, instead of citations (read more)
Something We Love
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Fresh off the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, wide receiver A.J. Brown visited 10-year-old superfan Andre “Trey” Howard III, who was in the hospital after shielding his younger sister from the debris of the recent Philadelphia plane crash. When Trey woke up from his surgery following the Jan. 31 accident, one of the first questions he asked was about the Eagles; Brown heard that story and said Trey became one of the motivating factors for his team to take the championship. See them pose together with the Lombardi trophy.
Photo of the Day
Alyssa Greenberg/WWD via Getty Images
How many minutes have we endured since we last saw the original Rent cast together? Surely more than 525,600. Thankfully, some of the gang got together last week to support Idina Menzel, who played Maureen in the Broadway production and movie adaptation, at the opening of her new show, Redwood. Pictured here are Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker, and Anthony Rapp, who played Angel, Joanne, and Mark, respectively. Michael Greif, on the far right, directed the Tony-winning musical.
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