There’s a full moon risin’ tonight, and it’s an extra special one. The Harvest Moon, meaning the full moon closest to the fall equinox, is a supermoon and a partial lunar eclipse. Today is also the Mid-Autumn Festival, a Chinese cultural celebration marked by lanterns, mooncakes, and family gatherings. So don’t forget to look up at the sky tonight, and consider snacking on a mooncake or two.
Postal Service Debuts New Electric Ride to Workers’ Delight
Oshkosh Defense
A special delivery is coming to the streets: The U.S. Postal Service recently debuted its much-anticipated electric vehicles in Athens, Georgia. And so far, it seems the wait has been worth it. The new vehicles will replace 30-year-old mail trucksthat have a reputation for being noisy, smelly, and gas-guzzling, getting just 9 mpg. They also don’t have many safety features, ample room for drivers to stand, or air conditioning. On the flip side, the updated trucks tick all the boxes, as they’re quieter, more spacious, loaded with modern safety features, and, perhaps most importantly for drivers, equipped with air conditioning. “I promise you, it felt like heaven blowing in my face,”postal worker Avis Stonum told the Associated Press. Another driver said a roomier ride helps him avoid back problems from crouching. While the EVs are just in Georgia for now, keep an eye out for them in your neighborhood soon: They’ll be rolled out across the country within the next few years, and they’re definitely hard to miss.
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Scooch over, koalas and kangaroos! Australia, a “megadiverse” nation, officially recognized 750 new species of plants, animals, and other organisms. One of the standouts? The frog pictured above. “I think everyone loves the laughing frog, which basically has a call that sounds more like a laugh rather than what you might associate traditionally with a frog — more of a croak or ribbit,” Melbourne-based wildlife ecologist Euan Ritchie told NPR. Other species of note include a mouse-like marsupial and a spidernamed after Tom Hardy. The seemingly massive number of new additions represents just a sliver of the continent’s wildlife tapestry — Ritchie said up to 70% of the native species are likely yet to be described. These discoveries serve a vital role in conservation, as scientists can’t protect a species they don’t even know about. “It’s a little bit like having a library of really valuable books in a house,” he said. “If you don’t know what books are there, and then maybe there’s a threat to that house — maybe it’s a fire or something — you don’t even know what you’re going to lose. And you’re really in a bad position to conserve those books.”
Health
Rural Hospital Program Offers Hope to North Carolina Community
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The vast majority of rural America is considered medically underserved: About 20% of U.S. residents live in rural communities, but only 10% of doctors practice in such areas. Amid these grim statistics, a recent program run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is offering a much-needed ray of hope. Last month, hospitals in 32 communities converted to the rural emergency hospital designation, a model that would provide struggling organizations with federal funds to continue emergency and outpatient services while halting in-patient care. The program is being harnessed to potentially reopen a hospital that shuttered last year in Martin County, North Carolina, where there is no other emergency care within a 30-minute radius. If the hospital meets the designation standards, locals will have a little peace of mind that at least some care is available to them. Dawn Carter, the founder of a health care consulting firm working with the county, said the regulatory process is on the horizon. “I’m hoping that process is happening in the next several weeks,” she told CBS News. “And that will give us a better idea of whether we have a handful of really quick and easy things to do or if it's going to take a little more effort to reopen.”
In Other News
United Airlines will offerfree in-flight Wi-Fi beginning sometime next year, thanks to SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.
Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo is the first person to hit 1 billion social media followers. See how other stars stack up.
A historic collection of classic cars is now a museum in Los Angeles, offering visitors “a walk through automotive history.”
Recycled Pringles tubes are being used to help transport water voles to wetlands, making for a truly priceless image.
Inspiring Story
“Domino effect of good”
In the Chicago area, an outdated daytime center for unhoused residents has become a safe and cozy haven for those who need a helping hand — and it’s all thanks to compassionate volunteers who donated their carpentry skills, time, and attention. “If you put the people together, the magic can happen,” said volunteer Lisa Kaplan.
Photo of the Day
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Doughboy Foundation
This sculpture, titled A Soldier’s Journey, is now the cornerstone of the national World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. The 60-foot-long artwork was lit for the first time on Friday and is meant to represent the story of a single soldier as he leaves America, fights on the front lines, and then returns home. See more photos and learn how the sculpture came to be.
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