|
Any Nice News readers headed to Glastonbury today? The music festival, one of the largest in the world and certainly among the most iconic, runs through Sunday, featuring acts like Coldplay, Shania Twain, Dua Lipa, Cyndi Lauper, LCD Soundsystem, and so many more. Check out a bird’s-eye view of the expansive festival grounds.
Must Reads
- Go inside Delta’s most exclusive airport lounge yet
- Have you tried the 5-3-1 rule of socializing?
|
Environment
Chicago Plans to Build Nearly 50 Miles of Bikeways This Year
A recent report from PeopleForBikes found that biking infrastructure and safety are generally improving across the U.S. But Chicago wasn’t among the cities that earned top marks, ranking 2,026th in the country. The Midwestern metro wants to change that.
A new update from the Chicago Department of Transportation includes plans to build around 47 miles of new bikeways by the end of 2024. It’s part of a larger goal, announced in 2023, to create 150 miles of new and improved lanes within the next few years.
The project is being spearheaded by the department’s Complete Streets program. At a city council meeting in October, program manager David Smith noted that 2023 was a record year for cycling in Chicago, with over 1,300 free bikes distributed to residents.
“2023 really was an exciting year, and I think sets the tone and the stage for how we move forward in the years to come,” Smith said, per GoodGoodGood. “When we design our streets and adopt policies that prioritize those most vulnerable, we improve the safety and accessibility for everybody using the street.”
|
Together With Incogni
The Simple Way to Scrub Your Personal Data From the Internet
Lots of people have security systems for their homes, but are you protecting your data online? Personal information like Social Security numbers, contact details, and addresses are commodities for many companies, putting you at risk of scams, fraud, and identity theft. Thankfully, Incogni can help.
Incogni is an automated service that removes your personal information from databases, helping ensure that your private details don’t wind up in imposter profiles or on people search websites. And Nice News readers can take 55% off today with the code NICENEWS.
Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡
|
Culture
Artwork May Be First Known Portrait Commissioned by a Formerly Enslaved Person
A portrait with once-mysterious origins has gone on display at a Maryland art museum, and historians think it may be the first known commission by a formerly enslaved person in the United States. The subject of the portrait is believed to be Mary Ann Tritt Cassell, and it was believed to be painted by James Alexander Simpson around 1840.
Its significance lies in the fact that Cassell’s mother, Henrietta Steptoe, was born into slavery in Virginia. She was freed in the early 19th century and joined a free Black community in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Because the painting of Steptoe’s biracial daughter remained in her family for some time, it can be assumed that the mother likely commissioned it herself.
“What sets the painting apart isn’t artistic merit — Simpson was a competent painter, not a great one — but that it appears to represent the earliest instance of a formerly enslaved person having the ambition and means to commission and acquire a luxury like a portrait of her daughter,” author and historian James Johnston wrote in The Washington Post. “The faces and stories of so many of the enslaved and their children have been lost. Mary Ann’s were among them — but now, at last, they are found.”
See the painting, now on exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
|
Health
1 Year in, USAA Suicide Prevention Program Has Screened 15,000 Veterans
In June 2023, USAA partnered with Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation to launch Face the Fight. The suicide prevention program is aimed at changing the unfortunate facts surrounding veteran mental health: military service members are more likely to die by suicide than in combat, and veterans are 50% more likely to die by suicide than their non-veteran peers.
Now, a year on, the initiative is celebrating its successes. Face the Fight has screened nearly 15,000 vets for suicide risk, provided more than 5,000 with suicide-specific interventions, and trained 130 mental health clinicians on treatments for former service members.
“What we’ve learned over the past year is just how powerful reaching out and connecting with someone can be,” USAA President Wayne Peacock said in a statement. “We’ve heard stories of those who’ve connected with old friends, battle buddies, and loved ones; they’re building a sense of community and purpose — and actively breaking the stigma that asking for help is a weakness.”
|
In Other News
- Preventing the extinction of the most threatened species would require protecting just 1.2% of Earth’s land, a new study found.
- A London townhouse that once belonged to Princess Diana’s father and stepmother is up for sale for the first time in two decades.
- More than 200 silver coins were recovered from a series of centuries-old shipwrecks off the Florida coast.
- Anyone with a bug phobia, keep on scrolling. Everyone else: These are the winners of a U.K.-based insect photo competition.
- The Lion King turned 30 this week, and Disney celebrated by releasing a sneak peek of the new prequel hitting theaters in December.
|
Something We Love
OneSkin OS-01 Peptide
OneSkin was named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, so it’s no surprise that we love their science-backed skin care. Associate Editor Ally can personally vouch for the OS-01 peptide face cream, OS-01 FACE — it’s one of the few products that’s safe to use on her sensitive skin. And according to OneSkin’s scientists, the peptide reverses skin’s biological age by reducing the number of senescent cells by up to half. (Zonari, A., et al. npj Aging, 2023) Use code NICE for 15% off.*
*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
|
Inspiring Story
“I’ll always be an artist”
Painting was Elizabeth Stanley’s entire life. So when she contracted an infection that led to complete amputation of one hand and partial amputation of another, she simply learned how to make her art in a new way. “I know that art is my purpose,” Stanley said.
|
Photo of the Day
Brooklyn’s Coney Island is full of the weird and wonderful — from the vintage Cyclone roller coaster to the July 4 hot dog eating contest. And this past weekend was no different: Thousands of people wearing elaborate sea creature garb gathered for the annual Mermaid Parade. “It’s the day where all the weirdos show up to try to impress all the other weirdos,” Joe Hobaica, who has attended the event for the past 35 years, told USA Today.
|
Modern Security for Modern Living
We know that everyone is unique, and so does Vivint. That’s why the company doesn’t subscribe to one-size-fits-all security. Vivint offers a variety of customizable security solutions to fit your unique lifestyle and budget, from basic protection to a comprehensive smart home setup. For a limited time, you can get free system installation and up to four months of free home security monitoring.*
*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
|
Quote of the Day
“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
– CHRIS MCCANDLESS
|
|
|
|
