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Boredom. It’s an inevitability of life. Even more so of working life, and especially so of working life on a Monday. You might think the best way to complete boring tasks is to push through and get them done all at once — but new research says otherwise.
Environment
Rare Wild Cat Species, Iberian Lynx, Moved off Endangered List
In what one conservationist called “the greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation,” the Iberian lynx has been brought back from the brink of extinction. Last week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that the rare wild cat species, native to the peninsula of the same name, had been downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the Red List of Threatened Species.
The keystone species’ numbers have grown exponentially, from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. Today, the total population, including young, is believed to be over 2,000. That’s thanks to efforts like restoring habitats, increasing the abundance of prey, reducing deaths from human activity, and expanding the lynx’s genetic diversity.
“The significant recovery of the Iberian lynx demonstrates that even the most threatened species can be brought back from the brink of extinction through committed, science-based conservation action and provides hope for those working to protect wildlife across the globe,” Sarah Durant, a professor at the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology, said in a statement. Watch the cats in the wild.
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Humanity
An Alabama County’s Home-Based Child Care Program Could Be a Blueprint
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, there are just over 3,000 child care spots for kids of working parents. The problem is, the county has more than 12,000 children under age 5, Holly Glasgow, a child development educator at Shelton State Community College, told NPR.
Glasgow has turned her efforts away from establishing more child care centers, which are expensive to build and often don’t meet parents’ needs, and toward home-based child care businesses. Through Tuscaloosa’s new 3by3 program — thought up by Glasgow — individuals who want to host child care in their own homes can receive the funding and training to do so.
In addition to being cheaper to implement, home-based child care can offer flexible hours and a comfortable atmosphere, something that could be especially helpful for the many parents in Tuscaloosa who work long days or overnight shifts. “Your kids still go to bed in a bedroom,” Glasgow explained. “They still have breakfast at the kitchen table.”
The first cohort of 3by3 participants finished their training in the spring — marking the start of something new for the Alabama county and potentially the country, as Glasgow’s program has drawn the attention of several other states.
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Culture
Volunteers Are Restoring Alaska’s Oldest Original Lighthouse Building
Eldred Rock Lighthouse, located in Alaska’s stunning, remote Inside Passage, is a window into the past — and volunteers are hard at work bringing it into the present. The beacon was built in 1906 and hasn’t been manned since 1973, but the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association is determined to restore Alaska’s oldest original lighthouse building.
“It was kind of like having a conversation with those guys,” volunteer worker Dan Humphrey told the Anchorage Daily News, referring to the people who built the Eldred Rock landmark over a century ago. “Like, ‘Wow, that’s how you did it.’”
The restoration work isn’t easy — involving removing lead paint and asbestos, repairing damage, and reversing decades of degradation from harsh weather conditions — but those invested in the effort say it’s worth it. “When you go out to the lighthouse, you are put back in time,” said Sue York, the preservation association’s executive director. “You get that sense of the timelessness of the maritime community.”
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In Other News
- Heiress Marlene Engelhorn tasked 50 Austrians with deciding how to distribute her millions, and the group has landed on 77 beneficiaries.
- A new species of horned dinosaur was discovered in Montana. See what the giant reptile may have looked like.
- The U.S. Tennis Association announced its lineup for the Summer Games, and it includes Coco Gauff making her Olympic debut.
- There’s a class of materials called “glassy gels” that are at once hard, stretchable, and sticky.
- A penguin wanted to get in on the fun at a South Africa beach, hopping atop a swimmer’s bodyboard to catch some waves.
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Something We Love
SmartSweets Plant-Based Candy
SmartSweets are a grown-up take on the candies you know and love from your childhood. Think: caramels, peach rings, watermelon gummies, and more, but with no artificial sweeteners, no added sugar, natural fruit and veggie colorings, and the addition of fiber. The brand, available online and in many grocery chains, is exactly what your sweet tooth has been looking for.
Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.
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Inspiring Story
A hero unknown
Renee Messelin was the only Black woman to serve in the U.S. Army during World War I — and her identity was just recently uncovered. Learn her story.
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Photo of the Day
Just some more natural wonder to kick off your week! This humpback whale was pictured breaching off the coast of Niteroi, Brazil.
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Quote of the Day
“I think one of the most beautiful gifts to self is: saying ‘I don’t know how, but I’m going to find a way for us to get through this.’”
– HELEN MARIE
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