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The countdown is on: We’re officially 10 days out from April 8’s total solar eclipse. Millions are expected to travel to places within the path of totality, and those places have come up with plenty of unique ways to celebrate the spectacle. The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for example, has a three-day festival planned around the eclipse, complete with performances from the Cleveland Orchestra. Learn more about how locales around the country are marking the rare event, and revisit Nice News’ 2024 solar eclipse guide for everything you need to know to participate, including what safety gear is required.
Culture
Oxford English Dictionary Adds 23 Japanese Words in Recent Update
Epicureans may be familiar with a few of the words included in the Oxford English Dictionary’s latest update, particularly those who are fans of Asian cuisine. Katsu and onigiri (pictured) are among 23 Japanese terms added to the lexicon, more than half of which are related to cooking or food.
Katsu — a strip of meat, vegetables, or seafood coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried — is actually considered a “boomerang word,” referring to a type of reborrowing that often occurs between languages. It’s a shortened form of katsuretsu, a Japanese adaptation of the English word “cutlet.”
The term omotenashi, meaning “good hospitality, characterized by thoughtfulness, close attention to detail, and the anticipation of a guest’s needs,” was also added. Several words related to art made the list as well, including kintsugi, the ancient practice of repairing broken pottery with gold.
“For centuries, artists from around the world have taken inspiration from Japanese art, and this can be seen in the number of words belonging to the domain of arts and crafts that English has borrowed from Japanese,” Danica Salazar, executive editor of OED World Englishes, wrote in a recent blog post.
The complete update comprises over 1,000 new and revised words and phrases, including English additions like “ultra-processed,” “bibliophile,” and “jean jacket.”
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Tech
Oregon Governor Signs Breakthrough Right to Repair Bill Into Law
Oregon enacted first-of-its-kind legislation on Wednesday, allowing consumers greater access to repairs for electronics such as laptops, cellphones, and even smart refrigerators. The state joins three others that have passed similar right to repair laws, but it’s the only one in the nation to ban a practice called “parts pairing.”
The practice, which manufacturers use to prevent replacement parts from working correctly unless they come from authorized suppliers, often results in unnecessary electronic waste and added costs for customers.
“This is cause for celebration,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director for the Public Interest Research Groups’ right to repair campaign, adding: “We need to cut down the insane cycle of churning through personal electronics — and that starts by empowering repair. Oregon’s nation-leading Right to Repair law will keep devices working and off the scrap heap.”
Per iFixit, a company that worked with PIRG to petition for the legislation, the bill applies to “nearly everything with a chip,” and requires manufacturers to “make parts, tools, documentation, and software available for products produced as far back as 2015.” Learn more about how it will help consumers.
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Humanity
All-Female Auto Shop Offers Oil Changes, Manicures, and Empowerment
Girls Auto Clinic immediately stands out from the traditional car shop. For starters, the sign out front features a bright red stiletto with a wrench as the heel. Inside, along with all the typical machinery you’d expect from an auto shop, you’ll see an all-female team of mechanics as well as mani-pedi stations where customers can get their nails done while they wait for their cars to be fixed.
When it opened in 2013, the small business in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, made history as the first all-female auto repair shop in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women currently represent about 12% of auto shop employees — a number that is now on the rise.
Founder Patrice Banks said she wants to encourage women to work in the auto industry and make mechanic visits more enjoyable for clients. “Women, it’s like a chore, we hate going in to get our oil changed — it’s always a chore, it’s always a burden,” she told the International Business Times.
Beyond the usual services like oil changes, Girls Auto Clinic also offers hands-on workshops for women, a “do-it-herself” glove box guide, and perhaps most significantly, an empowering community.
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Global Good
🇧🇷 The presidents of Brazil and France announced a plan to invest $1.1 billion in protecting the Amazon rainforest.
🇹🇭 Lawmakers in Thailand passed legislation to recognize same-sex marriage, a historic move for all of Southeast Asia.
🇬🇧 Scientists are working to save a threatened fungus species by moving some spores from Scotland to England.
🇳🇱 The European Hyperloop Center opened in the Netherlands, providing a research hub for the futuristic transport.
🇩🇪 Animals at the Gelsenkirchen Zoo in Germany enjoyed an Easter egg hunt ahead of Sunday’s holiday. See the video.
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Inspiring Story
“A Hallmark story if there ever was one”
When Ken Steinkamp, 75, and Sandy Sikorski, 70, went out for seafood at a Rhode Island restaurant back in 2021, they were served a little more than what they ordered. Sikorski found a fully formed pearl inside the clam she was eating. The story turned the couple into local celebrities of sorts, and they turned the precious gem into something extra meaningful: an engagement ring — they’re tying the knot in about two weeks.
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Photo of the Day
New York City’s historic Brooklyn Paramount theater — where the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Ray Charles once performed — reopened on Wednesday following large-scale renovations that aimed to recapture its former glory. Built in 1928, the space hadn’t hosted live music for over 60 years. Take a look inside.
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Quote of the Day
“Patience is also a form of action.”
– AUGUSTE RODIN
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