Euro News

Bordeaux, France just surpassed Paris in a new ranking of the world's most beautiful cities, with Europe dominating nine out of the top 10 spots. The rankings are based on buildings that adhere to the 'golden ratio' for balanced and harmonious structures. Venice takes the lead as the most beautiful city, followed by Rome and Barcelona in second and third place respectively. Despite iconic landmarks, Paris lands at 12th place. In fifth place is the only non-European city to make the top 10: New York City.

9 Out of 10 of the World’s Most Beautiful Cities Are in Europe, Says New Ranking

Smithsonian Magazine

In the early 1990s, scientists thought the greater Bermuda land snail might have disappeared forever. Searches across the North Atlantic archipelago turned up only recently dead shells, enough to offer faint hope but not enough to confirm the species was still alive. For years, the hunt for a living specimen went nowhere.

Then in 2014, a tiny group turned up in a surprising place, tucked inside a narrow concrete alley in Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital. Fewer than 200 snails were found. They were collected and sent to Chester Zoo in England, where conservationists began a captive breeding effort that would reshape the species’ future. A decade later, more than 100,000 captive bred snails have been released into the wild. The zoo now says the species is “confirmed as safe and secure” thanks to the work of teams in Bermuda, Chester Zoo and Biolinx Environmental Research in Canada.

“It’s every conservationist’s dream to help save a whole species, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Tamás Papp of Chester Zoo told the Guardian. “This scientific confirmation that we’ve saved them is testament to the role zoos can play in preventing extinction, and in the power of collaboration, and is something everyone involved will carry in their heart.”

The greater Bermuda land snail is a button-sized native species whose fossils suggest it once crawled across much of Bermuda’s larger islands. Its decline came from multiple stressors such as climate change and habitat loss. But one of the most damaging threats arrived about 70 years ago when rosy wolfsnails were introduced to control another species, the milk snail. The plan backfired. “They took one look at the milk snail and thought, ‘I'm not going to eat that one. I'm going to eat the tinier Bermuda snail instead,’” Chester Zoo keeper Katie Kelton told CBC’s As It Happens.

The Hamilton alley population kickstarted the rescue. After arriving in England, the snails were placed in climate-controlled pods meant to mimic the conditions needed for breeding. Thousands of hatchlings followed. Since 2019, conservationists have begun reintroducing them to protected woodland areas across Bermuda. A forthcoming study in Oryx confirms that six strong colonies are now established on the islands.

“They’re doing absolutely brilliantly,” Kelton told As It Happens. “We’ve had confirmed breeding on the island, and the numbers are starting to build now. So, really, we can say that this project has been a success.”

Their return matters for more than symbolic reasons. Kristiina Ovaska of Biolinx Environmental Research said the snails help restore degraded ecosystems by consuming vegetation and serving as prey for larger animals. They help cycle nutrients through their habitat, a small but essential link in Bermuda’s ecology.

The announcement came on Reverse the Red Day, an initiative focused on removing species from the IUCN Red List. The snails remain classified as critically endangered, but for now, their situation looks better than it has in decades.

Experts say the effort is a strong model for how captive breeding can reinforce species on the edge of extinction. Timothy Pearce of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History told CBC that the research behind this work provides a valuable blueprint for future conservation programs. Still, he warned that long-term success will depend on keeping predators like the rosy wolfsnail away from restored populations.

Conservationists are Celebrating This Gorgeous Snail Species' Revival After Decades of Efforts

Verywell Health

Dance and movement therapy asks people to pay attention to something they often overlook. Their own bodies. Therapists say the approach blends creativity with psychology in a way that helps people understand themselves, calm their systems and express emotions they may have never put into words. It is movement as communication, and for many, it becomes a pathway to healing.

Dance/movement therapy, or DMT, is defined as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration. DMT can help people physically by increasing strength, improving flexibility, decreasing muscle tension and boosting coordination. It can also offer mental health benefits, including stress reduction and symptom relief for conditions like anxiety and depression.

“DMT is a creative art psychotherapy that utilizes movement and dance to support the physical, intellectual, and emotional health of an individual,” says board certified dance/movement therapist Katie Bohn. According to fellow therapist Erica Hornthal, dance therapy uses movement and nonverbal communication alongside talk therapy to address concerns that words alone do not fully reach. “It’s about finding the places inside that you might not know or have chosen to deny, and giving a voice to the experiences and emotions,” Hornthal says.

The work does not follow one format. Caroline Kinsley, a dance/movement therapist, says the process can look different for each person depending on how safe they feel and how comfortable they are with their body. “The process may range from mostly verbal or speaking to mostly nonverbal or movement,” she says.

In a session, therapists may guide someone to notice how their body feels, help them explore how movement connects to emotion, or introduce improvisational movements that reveal patterns the person may not have been aware of. They may also help people process the feelings that surface along the way. Techniques like mirroring, where the therapist copies the client’s movements, can strengthen connection and build empathy.

Kinsley says therapists offer a space that supports choice, validation and the ability to tolerate internal sensations. They also help clients develop a sense of control within their bodies, which can be especially important for people who feel disconnected or overwhelmed.

DMT can support those dealing with a wide range of physical and mental health challenges. It can boost self esteem and support people who struggle with body image. Some of the conditions it may help include anxiety, arthritis, chronic pain, communication difficulties and disordered eating.

The benefits come partly from the focus on body based strategies, which differ from traditional modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy. Kinsley says therapists can use DMT to help down regulate the nervous system, promoting a sense of calm. The approach also builds self awareness. In treating eating disorders, developing awareness of physical signals can help people reconnect with sensations of hunger and fullness.

It can also foster coping skills. With support, clients can learn to recognize how stress or triggers show up in their bodies and use that information outside therapy. Kinsley says movement work can help people identify strengths and early signs of distress, which can guide them back toward healthier responses.

Bohn says reconnecting with the body can be especially significant for people recovering from eating disorders. She says DMT can help them change their relationship with their body, increase self expression and experience embodied relationships that support long term recovery.

Research supports the approach. A 2019 review found that dance therapy was an effective intervention for adults with depression. Another 2019 review reported that dance movement therapy helped reduce anxiety and depression and improved interpersonal skills, cognitive skills and quality of life. A small 2020 pilot study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders found that DMT could be a useful complementary treatment for eating disorders. In that study, the seven participants in the DMT group showed significant improvements in satisfaction with their body areas and in their appearance evaluation after 14 weeks compared to the control group.

Still, therapists say several factors should be considered before someone starts DMT. People who have experienced trauma may need a very slow introduction, since accessing body based experiences can feel unsafe at first. Kinsley says trauma survivors may avoid sensations as a way of maintaining safety, and therapists need to respect that. Physical limitations also matter. Kinsley notes that people who are medically fragile or experiencing low energy, especially those affected by malnutrition, may express movement differently. Therapists must adjust to each person’s physical capacity.

DMT can also bring up difficult emotions. Bohn says individuals with eating disorders often dislike or disconnect from their bodies. “DMT provides an opportunity to experience living in their body differently, an opportunity to externalize and express feelings, gain a deeper connection to self, and eventually develop a sense of appreciation on compassion towards one’s self and body,” she says.

Experts emphasize that DMT is not a standalone treatment for serious conditions like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. These require care from licensed professionals trained in eating disorder treatment. DMT is often used as an adjunct, supporting work already happening in psychotherapy, nutrition counselling and medical care.

Dance and movement therapy does not ask people to perform. It asks them to notice. To breathe. To move in ways that reflect what is happening inside rather than what they think they should look like. For many, that is the beginning of a very different relationship with their own body.

Here's How Dance And Movement Therapy Helps People Reconnect With Their Bodies

People

Erica and Bob Nash had barely finished saying their vows when their evening took an unexpected turn. The couple married on Jan. 31 at Skipton Registration Office in England, then headed home to Colne, Lancashire, to settle in with their dogs and enjoy a quiet start to married life. Their plans lasted only a few minutes.

A message appeared on a WhatsApp group used by volunteers at Craven Wildlife Rescue. The plea came from co founder Jane Carpenter. She wrote, “It’s a long shot but is anybody able to get to the other side of Leeds near Wetherby? There is a kite in distress.”

Erica volunteers with the rescue regularly, so even on her wedding night the request caught her attention. She did not hesitate. She called Carpenter with Bob beside her. They immediately agreed to go.

Carpenter tried to talk them out of it. She reminded Erica what day it was. Erica told the BBC exactly how she responded. “Jane sent me a message back saying, ‘But you’re on your honeymoon’, but I just replied, ‘Honeymoon, shunnymoon, I’m on my way!’ ”

The couple got in the car and drove to Harrogate to meet the people who had found the injured bird. The finders had wrapped the animal in a jumper to keep it calm. It turned out to be a red kite, a striking bird of prey that has made a slow comeback in parts of the United Kingdom. This one was not in good shape. It was emaciated and had an injury on one wing.

Erica said she felt the bird’s condition the moment she picked it up. “As soon as I got hold of it, I felt that it had literally no meat on its chest, its sternum was poking out so it was obviously emaciated and it was really, really sad to feel that,” she told the BBC. The priority became getting the bird to the rescue safely. Erica agreed to meet another volunteer in Skipton.

She held the kite on her lap through the drive. “I held the bird on my lap. I put the blanket just slightly over its head, so the flashing lights wouldn’t frighten it and it sat there quiet as a mouse,” she said.

Another volunteer transported the bird, now named Duffy, to the rescue site in Horton in Ribblesdale. The team updated supporters on Instagram that night. Duffy had been “hydrated by subcutaneous fluid injection, and gavage fed warmed liquid food into its stomach.” The post continued, “It has started antibiotics and pain relief and is being kept warm. It is very early days and we may not be able to reverse the effects of the starvation, before we even look at the wing damage. The kite is such a spectacular bird, and far less violent than the cormorant we also have in! Everything crossed we can help this bird back to where it belongs. A huge thanks to the finders for doing everything they did for this one and for taking such good care of it. We will do our very best.”

The rescue also described Erica and Bob as “absolute wildlife rescue heros.” For the couple, the praise felt secondary to the simple fact that they helped an animal that needed care. Erica told the BBC that ending their wedding day this way felt “really natural.” She said volunteering with the rescue makes her feel “lifted,” and she plans to continue helping whenever needed. “My life actually does feel like it revolves around the rescue, but in a good way,” she said.

Craven Wildlife Rescue has been dealing with a wave of injured birds. Carpenter told the BBC the organisation has taken in nearly double the number of animals this year compared to last year. “The rise in the number of birds has been astounding this year,” she said. “Birds continue to be persecuted, poisoned, left homeless, hit by cars, orphaned, and whatever we can do to help them in their hour of need, we will do it.”

The spike has stretched the small volunteer team. Many of the rescues involve long drives across rural areas and difficult field recoveries. The group relies on volunteers like Erica who are willing to drop everything and help. Most people do not do that on their wedding night, but the Nashes did not think twice.

Bob stayed focused on the task while Erica held the bird. They followed the meet up plan, handed Duffy over, and drove home quietly. Later, they told the BBC they are “praying for a happy ending.” Duffy’s condition remains fragile, but the rescue says the bird has shown some early signs of response to treatment.

The moment also fit into a pattern for Erica, who has a long history of stepping forward when animals need help. Friends say it is the most predictable thing about her. Even so, the speed with which she and Bob switched from wedding celebrations to rescue work surprised people online. Many praised the couple for prioritising care even in a moment that would normally be reserved for themselves.

The story took off across social media, partly because the timing was so unexpected and partly because the image of a bride gently shielding a starving bird from flashing lights feels like something out of a film. It also struck a chord with people familiar with the pressures wildlife organisations face. The rise in injured birds, especially large ones like kites, has placed serious demands on small charities.

For the rescue, the timing did not matter. They needed help, and help arrived. For the newlyweds, the night became a story they will carry into the rest of their marriage. They did not get a traditional celebration. They got something that fit them better.

Erica put it simply. She was snuggled up with her husband and the dogs, the message came in, and she knew exactly what to do. The wedding could wait. The bird could not.

And so their marriage began with a drive through the dark, a quiet bird on Erica’s lap, and the hope that Duffy will one day fly again.

Honeymoon Shunnymoon, Newlyweds Leave Their Wedding To Rescue An Injured Bird

Before the first box of Thin Mints ever changed hands, Pim Neill had already set the tone for her season. The six year old with bright blue glasses looked at her dad and made her intentions clear. “I want to sell the most Girl Scout cookies,” she told him. Luke Anorak Neill did not doubt she meant it.

The two of them got to work in their Pittsburgh neighborhood. They knocked on doors. They handed out fliers. They called family friends. They checked in with people at church and with the owners of the shops they visit all the time. Anorak Neill said it simply. “If people are going to buy cookies, we want them to know that Pimmy’s selling them.”

The approach worked. Pim hit 5,000 boxes a few weeks into the season, and her dad asked where she wanted to go next. She did not hesitate. She said 10,000.

That was the moment he pulled out his phone and filmed a short TikTok video. Pim faced the camera with the matter of fact confidence of someone who already knows she can close a deal. “Hi, my name is Pim. Do you want to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” she said.

Millions of people did. The video exploded online. More than 5 million views later, orders poured in from everywhere. Pim’s sales count surged past the single season record and kept climbing. Her new target is the lifetime record of 180,000 boxes, a number that once felt impossible. As of Sunday, when she crossed 100,000 boxes, she took it in stride.

Why does she like selling cookies? “It makes people happy,” she said.

Her dad is not surprised. Pim “has always been a record breaker,” he said. She was a Top 10 reader at age 4. She thrived selling popcorn for her school last year. She loved collecting gifts for a local toy drive. The Girl Scouts seemed like a perfect fit for her, but it did not start smoothly.

When Anorak Neill approached a troop to ask about joining, he said they rejected Pim because of her disabilities. “They said, ‘We don’t want that in our troop,’” he said. “They said, ‘Go find a playgroup for disabled kids.’”

Pim did not understand what happened, but her dad did. The rejection stung. Still, he kept looking. He found a brand new Daisy Scout troop that welcomed her wholeheartedly.

Once she joined, the rhythm of cookie season changed for everyone. The troop originally hoped to fund a couple of simple camping trips. With Pim’s sales added to the total, those early plans expanded fast. A trip to Niagara Falls, a prize reserved for the strongest sellers, turned into a sure thing.

At a recent troop meeting, some of the adults pointed out that Pim and the other girls could stop selling now and still hit their goals. No one took the offer. “But everybody wants to still do cookie booths and fundraise,” said Anorak Neill. “This is fun for everybody. It’s a win for Girl Scouts.”

The attention has also lifted the family during a difficult stretch. Anorak Neill’s partner, Don Neill, has been facing serious health challenges and is waiting for a double lung transplant. Pim’s unexpected audience has brought a steady flow of kindness their way.

TikTok commenters do not hold back their affection. “SHE IS 6 and 86 AT THE SAME TIME. OH MY GOD I LOVE HER SO MUCH,” one person wrote. Another added, “Pim gonna sell the most cookies in the history of the Girl Scouts.” A third made a promise. “pim girl don’t worry I just brought 6 boxes.”

Anorak Neill said watching strangers around the world celebrate his daughter has been “life changing.” While the scale of it has surprised him, Pim’s draw has not. He sees the way she looks at goals, the way she shoulders challenges, the way she keeps pushing. He summed it up in two words. “Pim’s unstoppable,” he said.

Even now, at just six years old, she talks about her sales like someone reviewing another day at work. When she crossed the 100,000 box mark on Sunday, she remained calm. She had already moved on to what comes next.

There is still about a month left in the season. There are thousands of boxes yet to sell if she wants to catch the lifetime record. It is the type of target that would intimidate most kids. Pim seems energized by it.

Pim’s story could have been simple. A young scout sells a lot of cookies. Instead, it represents something larger. A kid who was once turned away found a place where she is not only welcome but celebrated. A troop discovered that one determined girl can transform what they believed was possible. A family facing medical challenges found an unexpected source of joy.

People ask Pim what keeps her going. The answer has not changed. It makes people happy. That is all she needs.

And with every box that goes out the door, it is clear she means business.

This 6-Year-Old Shattered Records by Selling Over 100,000 Boxes of Girl Scout Cookies

Tyler Reddick had already lived through the longest few months of his life by the time he rolled into Daytona. His eight month old son, Rookie George, had just hit a milestone that felt bigger than any checkered flag. He started crawling. For a family that spent the fall worrying if their baby would even make it to surgery, watching him push himself across the floor felt like winning.

Then Sunday, Feb. 15 arrived, and Reddick did something no one expected. He captured the 68th running of the Daytona 500 after taking control on the final lap. It was the only time he led the entire race. The surprise finish brought out the cheers, but the real celebration had started days earlier at home.

Everything changed back in October. Rookie needed life saving surgery to remove one of his kidneys after doctors discovered a tumor in his chest. The mass was pressing on vital structures and disrupting blood flow. In a social media post at the time, Reddick’s wife, Alexa DeLeon, described how the tumor was affecting their son’s heart, “choking’ the renal vein and renal artery” and “telling the heart, ‘Hey I’m not getting enough blood … pump harder.’ ”

Rookie had been born on May 25, and for a while, everything seemed fine. But Alexa was the first to sense that something was off. She and Reddick already had one child, their five year old son Beau, so they knew what ordinary infant fussiness looked like. This felt different.

“As he started to grow and things were going on with him, he just started going the wrong way,” Reddick, 30, said during an interview on Good Morning America on Monday, Feb. 16. “My wife trusted her mom gut and just over time said, ‘The direction he’s going is not great.’ ”

Their concerns did not translate to a diagnosis right away. Pediatricians floated ideas like colic or allergies. Nothing explained the symptoms. Nothing fit well enough to stop the feeling that something more serious was happening. Eventually, Alexa brought Rookie to Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September. That visit changed everything. Reddick said doctors were able to “quickly identify” what was “causing the heart failure and piece it all together.”

The surgery solved what had threatened Rookie’s heart, and it also revealed something about how the family operates under pressure. Reddick described how steady his wife stayed while everything around them tilted.

“I’m really proud of my wife,” he said. “She had to go to a lot during the entire process but she really was the centerpiece that held everyone together throughout the whole thing. It was tough.”

Reddick did not shoulder it alone. He said support came from across the sport, including from 23XI Racing, where he drives. Team owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin checked in repeatedly.

“Michael and everybody at 23XI basically told me, ‘Look, if you need to step away and not run another race, do whatever you need to do,’ ” Reddick remembered.

It went beyond management. Other drivers stepped up as well. Fellow racer Joey Logano made sure Beau had a place to be, and kids to play with, while his parents focused on Rookie in the hospital.

“The amount of support we had from the NASCAR community throughout all of that was just incredible,” Reddick said.

By the time Rookie started crawling, the family had already been through the hardest part. His father told GMA that he is now “happy and healthy,” and that the pressure on his heart eased once the tumor was removed. It showed. Rookie handled the noise of the track, including the Thunderbirds flyover, with no trouble at all. Reddick said the baby seemed to enjoy it.

On Sunday, Rookie stood with his mom and brother as the checkered flag waved. Reddick stepped out of the car and took in a moment he had imagined for years, but never like this. Winning Daytona is one thing. Winning it while looking at a child who just crawled for the first time a few days earlier is completely different.

“I just remember getting out of the car, and typically I’ve just been able to focus on Beau and my wife, and it’s like Rookie is getting to experience this for the first time, too,” Reddick said to the Associated Press. “Rookie is a trooper, whether it’s been the Thunderbirds blasting over the track, just super loud, stuff I love.”

Reddick also joked that the newfound mobility at home is keeping him and Alexa busy. “He’s been like a speedster,” he said. “We have to keep up with that. Keep away from the stairs and the bus!”

What the family went through gives the win a different weight. A last lap charge at Daytona will always be a career highlight, but this week, it sits second in line behind something far more personal. A few seconds of crawling across the floor proved something to his parents that medicine could not fully put into words.

Rookie pushed off with his hands and moved under his own power. After months of uncertainty, that was the signal his parents had been waiting for. The race victory came later.

He Just Won the Daytona 500, Months After His Son's Life-Saving Surgery

CTV News

Sometimes pets need help with their weight too. At the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, a dedicated weight care program is helping dogs and cats shed extra kilos in a healthy, supervised way. One of its most motivated participants is Leo, a seven year old golden retriever whose health challenges sent him down an unexpected fitness path.

“He started having kidney issues,” said Leo’s owner, Christina Motyka. “We had to be very specific with his diet. That kind of started his journey when it came to weight care. Then he got hit with multicentric lymphoma.”

Radiation and chemotherapy slowed him down. The reduced activity meant the kilos climbed quickly. “He was at 100 pounds,” Motyka said. “People around us were saying, ‘Oh he’s gained a lot of weight.’”

So Leo started a program that looks surprisingly similar to what many humans go through. The Ontario Veterinary College built him a custom food plan and even a workout routine.

“The more weight they bear on their joints, the more stress that causes their joints,” said Adronie Verbrugghe, a professor at the Ontario Veterinary College and the Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition. “And in a case like a dog with osteoarthritis, we don’t want them to be in pain for the rest of their life.”

Extra weight can set off a chain reaction in pets, raising the risk of diabetes, urinary problems and skin conditions. The purpose of the program is to cut fat while keeping muscle as intact as possible.

“If we combine our nutrition with exercise, we can aim to lose body fat mass, while trying to maintain muscle mass as much as possible,” Verbrugghe said.

For Leo, the workout days are the highlight. Hydrotherapy became his happy place. “Every time we drop him off for his workout, he pulls us to the pool and just cannot wait to jump in and does not want to ever get out,” Motyka said.

The routine is working. Leo’s arthritis and mobility have improved, and the scale is finally moving in the right direction. When CTV News visited on Friday, Leo weighed in at 82 pounds. Staff and his family consider that a major milestone.

Motyka jokes that watching Leo’s commitment sometimes makes her rethink her own habits. “I’ll look at his acupuncture appointments in the pool and I’m like, ‘I wish I focused this much on myself,’” she said.

His goal weight is around 75 pounds, and he is closing in. More importantly, his energy is back. His family says he is acting like a younger dog again, a side effect no diet plan can promise but one they are greatful to see.

Ontario Veterinary College Is Helping Pets Shed Pounds and Regain Energy

GoodGoodGood

Teenagers across Canada are learning that a single line of code can remix a beat, amplify a story, and spark conversations their classrooms have never held before. Your Voice is Power, an education program and creative music competition, teaches students how to separate, edit, and remix tracks using coding basics. In 2024, it introduced a new focus on Indigenous music, reshaping how teens approach both technology and culture.

“I think it's really a unique experience,” said Marika Schalla, an Indigenous educator who helps lead the program, in an interview with CTV News Calgary.

The lessons go far beyond computer science. The program creates space to talk about the socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. For Indigenous students, it is a chance to bring lived experiences into their art. For their classmates, it becomes a way to learn by listening.

“You wouldn't think that coding music and social justice would go so beautifully together, but they create a meaningful message,” Schalla said. “They're going to be going out into the community prepared and know that it is possible to have a job in computer science or STEM, even if you're an Indigenous kid from the reserve.”

Students use EarSketch, a free online coding editor available in English, French, Ojibwe, and Inuktitut. Through the platform, teens remix tracks from Indigenous artists such as Dakota Bear, ﻿Jayli Wolf, ﻿Samian, ﻿Twin Flames, and ﻿Aysanabee.

The program ends with a competition, awarding two 5,000 dollar scholarships, one to an Indigenous student and one to a non-Indigenous ally. The idea is to celebrate creativity and make space for new voices in fields where Indigenous representation is still limited.

Artists say music is a powerful medium for that work. “Music is a universal language,” Dakota Bear said. “It's a vibrational frequency. It's that feeling it evokes, that emotion. So music, being that universal language, also connects us on a different level as human beings. When you have music and use that with the message, it just becomes so much more impactful.”

Your Voice is Power blends technical learning with cultural expression, giving students a way to build skills while exploring identity, storytelling, and solidarity. It asks teens to code, but also to listen, reflect, and create with intention.

Canadian Teens are Remixing Indigenous Tracks With Coding Skills In Unique Music Program

NBC News

The U.S. men’s ice hockey team entered the Milan Cortina Games with one goal in mind, but inside their locker room sits a reminder that they are skating for something deeper. At Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, a number 13 jersey hangs in tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, the NHL star whose life was cut short in 2024.

Gaudreau, 31, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames, died alongside his brother, Matthew, 29, after they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while bicycling in New Jersey. It happened the night before their sister’s wedding. Tributes poured in across the NHL after the shock of losing a player known for both his skill and his connection to teammates.

Over his career, Gaudreau represented Team USA in six international tournaments, including five IIHF Men’s World Championships. He collected 43 points in 40 games, the most in USA men’s IIHF history, and was widely seen as a strong candidate for the 2026 Olympic team.

Ahead of the Milan tournament, the Gaudreau family released a statement sharing their grief and reflecting on how much the moment would have meant to him. They wrote about his commitment to making the roster. “In that final summer, John was training harder than ever, with his dad, pushing himself to be in the best shape of his life. He was determined to earn his spot on that Olympic roster,” the statement said.

They also expressed how they continue to feel his presence during the Games. “While it breaks our hearts that John won’t be there to live out that dream, we know he will be so very present with Team USA and all of his close friends competing throughout these games,” they said. The message closed with encouragement for the team. “Go Team USA. We know John and Matty are watching with pride.”

Players have echoed that sentiment throughout the tournament. Alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk said, “We know he’s here with us, cheering us on and rooting for us. He’s got his own area in the locker room and it’s always nice to see that as a reminder.”

Defenseman Zach Werenski, who played with Gaudreau in Columbus, added that the jersey hanging in the room carries meaning for everyone on the roster. “I know how much Johnny wanted to be here for the Four Nations and the Olympics,” he said. Werenski and Gaudreau also played together for Team USA at the 2024 World Championship. “It’s super special to see his jersey hanging, and we’re playing for him and trying to make him proud.”

Head coach Mike Sullivan, who also coaches the NHL’s New York Rangers, said the tribute reflects the kind of teammate Gaudreau was. “We did it in the Four Nations tournament a year ago, and we’re carrying that jersey with us here in Milan,” he said. “The fact that our team is celebrating him throughout this tournament just speaks volumes to the character and the person that Johnny was. I know how much he meant to a lot of the guys in that room.”

As Team USA chases a gold medal, Gaudreau’s presence lingers in the space he used to occupy. For a team built around speed and ambition, number 13 has become a reminder of why they are skating, and who they are skating for.

How the U.S. Men's Hockey Team is Honoring Johnny Gaudreau At the Olympics

Sunny Skyz

Jennifer Skiles’ life has been filled with loss, resilience, and remarkable reunions. After years of searching for the parents she never knew, she not only found her father, he officially adopted her decades after her birth, turning a long and painful journey into a beautiful new beginning.

Born in Germany, Jennifer Skiles spent her first three years with her biological mother before being placed for adoption in the United States. She grew up in a loving home, surrounded by parents and siblings and filled with memories of beach trips and fishing days. Then, in her early teens, everything shifted.

“My home life was wonderful until it wasn't,” she said. “My father that raised me started abusing me when I was 12 years old, and that went on for six years.”

By the time she was 25, both of her adoptive parents had died. Her father passed away when she was 18, and her mother died of cancer seven years later. The losses left her feeling cut off from every part of her identity.

“For me, it was like I lost everybody at one time, and it was so devastating. It was then that I decided that I wanted to really, really find my biological mother.”

All she had was a name and a location in Texas. Still, she started searching. A move to Germany with her children’s father helped her obtain her original birth certificate, which gave her a new piece of information to work with. After paying for an online search, she found an address and decided to send a letter.

Two weeks later, the phone rang.

“There’s this like shaky voice on the other end, and she said she was Cheryl, she knew who I was, and she'd like for me to call her,” Skiles said.

That call turned into visits, and those visits grew into a close relationship built on the connection both of them had hoped for. For Skiles, it felt like the start of a new chapter after years of grief. But 12 years later, Cheryl died in a car crash.

“I just thought I'd never find her, and there she was, and then there she was gone again,” she said.

Even after that loss, one part of her story remained unresolved. Her mother had told her only the basics. Her parents met while both were serving in the military. They spent a weekend together in New York, then went their separate ways, not knowing a child had resulted from that brief moment in time.

Her biological father had never known she existed.

A DNA match through Ancestry finally opened a new path. Some determined online searching led Skiles to Rhode Island and to her father, Paul Lonardo. She sent him a message before they spoke for the first time.

“I sent a message to my dad, I said, ‘I know you're just as nervous as I am, I’m praying for both of us,’” she said. “And then, he called. And it was just like home. First time I heard his voice, it was like being at home.”

Meeting in person only strengthened that feeling.

“I’m blessed every day,” Lonardo said. “Sometimes people will meet me, I say, you might want to shake my hand. I'm the luckiest guy you're ever gonna meet in your whole life.”

As they spent time together, they noticed small details that felt significant. Both are left-handed. Skiles embraced learning about her Italian roots and even traveled to Italy to see where her family came from.

Then Lonardo shared something he had kept for more than forty years. It was a small bar of soap from the hotel where he and Skiles’ mother stayed during their weekend in New York.

“Being a 19-year-old kid, I don't know why, but just something told me to save this,” he said. “It's a little bar of soap from the hotel that I stayed at, and I never wanted to forget it.”

For Skiles, it was proof that she had always been more than a forgotten chapter.

“I always mattered,” she said. “Somehow, he knew… this was something to say, I mattered to him.”

They sometimes think about the years they missed, but Lonardo is firm about one thing.

“When she told me how it was, I was like 'the same reason you're looking for me is the same reason I'll never let you out of my sight',” he said.

Their story recently reached a milestone neither expected. Lonardo officially adopted his daughter, finalizing a connection that had always felt real but was now recognized in law.

“I want my dad’s name to be attached to me,” Skiles said. “And I just think it’s so beautiful. We’re so excited.”

Her journey continues in another way too. Skiles wrote a book about her life called Vault of Treasures, available on Amazon, hoping her story might help others searching for their own missing pieces.

Father Officially Adopts Daughter He Never Knew Existed After 40 Years

A New York City teenager is being called a hero after jumping into action to help save a child who fell through the ice of a frozen pond, screaming for help.

The frightening scene unfolded at Springfield Park in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood of Queens. Fourteen-year-old Alex Smith happened to be nearby when the ice suddenly gave way beneath a younger boy.

“I was like ‘oh my God, oh my God, I need to go help him,’” Smith said. “The first thing I jumped to was help him — I didn’t even call the police or nothing, I just instantly ran to help him.”

Smith saw the child struggling in the freezing water, his head barely above the surface. Without hesitating, he spotted a safety ladder close by, dragged it across the slick ice and slid it toward the boy. The ladder gave the child something to hold onto, helping him stay afloat as precious seconds ticked by.

Around the same time, other children sprinted to a nearby firehouse to get help. Firefighters from FDNY Engine 311 and Ladder 158 rushed to the park on foot.

“Children came to the firehouse door, frantically banging on the door, reporting that a kid had fallen through the ice next door,” said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Tim Keenan.

Probationary firefighter Shaun McMahon put on a cold-water suit and made his way onto the ice toward the stranded child. But the rescue quickly took another dangerous turn.

“About halfway out onto the ice, the ice gave way, and I went into the water,” McMahon said.

Despite plunging into the icy pond himself, McMahon kept his focus on reaching the boy.

“It was definitely cold, but all I really had thoughts of was getting to this kid—because regardless if I was cold or not, he was even colder,” he said.

Roughly a dozen firefighters worked together during the tense rescue. One firefighter tethered McMahon with a rope as he moved toward the child. Once he reached him, the team pulled both McMahon and the boy safely back to shore.

The child had spent about 10 minutes in the frigid water, clinging to the edge of the broken ice. He was placed in an ambulance and wrapped in blankets to prevent hypothermia.

Authorities have not released further details about the boy’s condition, but thanks to quick action from both a teenager and first responders, the outcome could have been far worse.

Smith’s role in the rescue has not gone unnoticed. Firefighters later told him his decision to act made a difference.

“They told me if I hadn't done what I did, he wouldn't have been able to stay afloat and he would have drowned,” he said.

For his part, Smith downplayed his bravery, saying he simply reacted in the moment.

Still, in a situation where every second counted, his fast thinking bought time until professional help arrived. In the freezing cold of a New York winter, that time likely saved a life.

Download the world's only news app designed to spread joy and happiness.

What's Good Now!