Space Waltz: ESA To Put Strauss Among The Stars On His 200th Birthday

Johann Strauss II's iconic "The Blue Danube" waltz is heading to space! To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Strauss' birth and the 50th anniversary of the European Space Agency (ESA), a live performance by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra will be broadcast into space on May 31, 2025. This event corrects its omission from NASA's Voyager Golden Record in 1977. The concert will stream globally, with public screenings in Vienna, New York, and Spain.

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Restorative Justice Program In Fort McMurray Sees Remarkable Drop In Re Offending

A small northern city is seeing big results after rethinking what justice can look like. In Fort McMurray, a restorative justice program that began with youth in 2022 has now expanded to adults, and the early numbers have become hard to ignore. Out of 115 people who have gone through the program, only one has reoffended. For a community of about 68,000 people, that matters. Sending someone to prison or juvenile detention can ripple through neighbourhoods, workplaces and families. The program offers something different, a system built on accountability, dialogue and a path forward instead of a record that follows someone for life. One of the clearest examples is a local teenager who the program calls Sam, not his real name. The incident that brought him into the system was sudden and serious. After being “irked” by a remark from his brother, he picked up a kitchen knife and swung. His brother managed to disarm him. Their mother called police. Sam was arrested for aggravated assault. It was the kind of case that usually ends with a conviction and years of consequences. Instead, he was offered another route. To participate, the offender must admit responsibility, and the victim must agree to be present for that conversation. It is not an easy process. It demands honesty and emotion in a way that courtrooms rarely do. While in the program, Sam got his driver’s license. He found a job. And somehow, the relationship with his brother that had broken in such a frightening moment began to repair. Today, the two still live together in their logging town and are rebuilding with a steadiness that surprises even some of the program’s early skeptics. Nicole Chouinard, who manages victim services and restorative justice programs for the region through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, says it changed her own thinking. “It has changed my view on how things could be done and how it actually heals the community as a whole,” she told CBC. She admitted she once assumed the approach was too “soft.” Support inside RCMP leadership has been strong. Chief Superintendent Mark Hancock pushed to expand the program across the Wood Buffalo region after seeing what it accomplished in Labrador. “You have to face the person you’ve done the harm to, you have to hear how it affected them and how it affected their supporters as well,” he said. He recalled one participant saying the experience would be harder than simply going to court. Alberta’s broader data backs up their instincts. Across the province, 21 organizations in 11 communities now run restorative justice programs. Many were created with the same goal that Fort McMurray had: to keep people out of the criminal justice system when possible and to address harm in a way that strengthens communities instead of fracturing them. The approach is not universal and not designed for every case. But the outcomes so far show what can happen when a small city looks differently at accountability. In Fort McMurray, the math is simple. One re offender out of 115 participants. A long list of repaired relationships. A growing belief that responsibility and forgiveness can, in the right setting, work better than punishment alone. In a northern community where everyone seems to know everyone, that shift is already being felt.

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El Salvador Celebrates World's Tallest Recycled Mural With Over 100,000 Plastic Lids

Building 88 in the Zacamil sector of San Salvador has a new landmark, and it is impossible to miss. A 13 metre tall portrait built entirely from recycled plastic lids now covers the side of the building, created by Venezuelan artist Óscar Olivares. He announced the completion of the mural on 20 February, closing out several days of work involving waste pickers, volunteers and neighbourhood groups. More than 100,000 lids went into the piece. None were painted. Olivares kept every colour as he found it, which meant the sorting process became part of the art itself. Residents of Zacamil collected the lids, joined by recyclers from the National Association of Collectors and Recyclers of El Salvador, known locally as ASONARES. The Custom Made Stories Foundation and the company Full Painting also backed the project. The central figure may look familiar at first glance. It is a reimagined Mona Lisa, but not the one by Leonardo da Vinci. Olivares turned her into a woman with dark skin, curly hair and wide, expressive eyes. She wears the colours of the Salvadoran flag. He calls her the Salvadoran Mona Lisa, though he stresses that she is not based on any real person. For him, she represents the everyday citizen. He says the renaissance of El Salvador and Latin America is already happening in ordinary people. The Zacamil mural is the largest plastic lid piece he has ever created, but it is far from his first. His work with reused plastics began gaining attention in 2020 with the Oko Mural in El Hatillo, Caracas. Since then he has brought similar projects to at least six countries, from Italy to Mexico and Panama. His broader body of work spans nearly 22 countries and has appeared at events such as ArtExpo New York. Along the way he has collected recognition including the Ibero American Award for Online Entrepreneurship in 2015 and the Golden Mara Award in 2017. For Olivares, Zacamil is not just a location. He sees it as a future open air museum. The collaboration with residents, he says, is central to that vision. Community members helped at every stage, which he describes as part of his method rather than a symbolic gesture. The mural’s size might be the headline feature, but its roots are in the people who gathered, sorted and carried the pieces that now make up a towering face above their neighbourhood. The finished portrait looks down over the area with quiet confidence. It arrived through recycled materials, patient work and a lot of hands pitching in. That mix, Olivares says, is exactly the point.

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This RNLI Volunteer Has Saved 100 Lives After 40 Years Of Service

An RNLI volunteer who has spent four decades answering emergency calls along the Essex coast has now saved more than 100 lives. Tony Bonham, 59, has logged 101 lives saved and 953 people assisted since Southend-on-Sea station began keeping detailed records in 1996, ten years after he joined. The true total, he says, is likely higher. Bonham began volunteering as a lifeguard at Shoebury West beach at age 15, later joining the lifeboat crew at 19. "We don't look at ourselves as heroes. I've been, I've done a job, I'm getting on with work now... we never look for recognition," he said. Under RNLI definitions, a “life saved” means the person would have drowned without intervention; all other rescues are counted as assists. “There's 100 families plus that have still got their loved ones with them,” Bonham added. The commitment is demanding and often unpredictable. “You can be out days, nights, anniversaries, Christmas Day. If you're on duty and you get a call, you've got to go,” he said. “We could be out at two in the morning... we do the job, we put everything back, make sure it's all ready. We go home to our families and carry on the next day. You might read about it in the paper; you might not." Bonham is also seeing the tradition continue in his family. His son Tyler will soon begin as a commander at the RNLI station in Gravesend, Kent, and Bonham says Tyler’s six-year-old son already enjoys spending time at the lifeboat station — “He enjoys the cookies,” he joked. He recently experienced a full-circle moment when he and Tyler were called out together for the first time. “He was my helm, I was his crew and it was really, really funny him being in charge,” he said. “But I still got dressed quicker and was out before him." Bonham says he never turns his pager off and plans to continue serving. “I still feel young. I am young — I'm 59 — got many years in me to go yet,” he said, returning to duty immediately after his interview.

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Small Acts, Big Meaning: New Book Says Purpose Comes From Everyday Moments of Feeling Valued

When people talk about purpose, it often sounds like something enormous, the kind of calling that changes the world. But a new book argues the opposite. Purpose, it says, lives in the quiet places of everyday life, where small moments of kindness make us feel valued and help us value others. In Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, author Jennifer Wallace explains that the need to matter, to feel seen and valued by others, is one of the most fundamental human drives. “After the drive for food and shelter, it is the motivation to matter that drives human behavior,” Wallace says. It shows up in our relationships, our workplaces, our communities, and in the ways we try to give back. Research backs this up. People who feel valued and who feel able to add value to the world tend to experience better overall health, especially mental health. “The research is finding that it is linked with lower depression, lower anxiety, reduced risk of suicide,” Wallace says. And it doesn’t require grand gestures. Wallace found that when she asked people, “When did you feel like you mattered?” the answers were almost always small things. A saved seat at a table. A colleague checking in after a difficult meeting. A neighbor dropping off soup when someone was sick. “We crave to matter in the day-to-day,” she says. “We crave to matter in the details of life.” If you are trying to find purpose, Wallace suggests starting with small, concrete acts. Offer to walk an elderly neighbor’s dog. Check in on a single parent who might be stretched thin. At work, acknowledge your colleagues when their efforts help you succeed. “I’ve come to think of it as appreciating the doer behind the deed,” she says. Those moments ripple outward. When someone feels valued, Wallace notes, they tend to pass that feeling forward, making mattering contagious. Connection also helps people weather stress. In one study, participants were asked to estimate the steepness of a hill while standing alone or beside a friend. The hill looked less steep with a friend there. “Friendships act as a kind of shock absorber to stress,” Wallace says. But people often hesitate to reach out during hard times, worried their struggles will push others away. Psychologists say the opposite is true. Sharing vulnerabilities makes us appear more authentic and brings people closer. Wallace calls it the “beautiful mess” effect. When she faces challenges at work, she imagines that hill and asks herself, “Who can I bring next to me so that it will feel less steep?” She encourages others to do the same. Look for someone who has experienced a similar situation and invite them for coffee. Accept invitations when they come your way, and offer them freely. Her book includes stories of people who reshaped their lives this way, like a woman going through a divorce who began hosting simple dinners with friends, or a burned-out teacher who started a weekly lunch with two colleagues and found it transformed her workdays. Wallace also recommends a daily reflection practice. Each night, she writes down two things: When did I feel valued today? and Where did I add value today? The habit helps her end each day with clarity and gratitude. Finding purpose, she argues, is not about chasing something bigger. It is about noticing the ways you matter to others and the small ways you make others feel that they matter too.

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Instagram Introduces New Features To Enhance User Experience

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Canada, Logistics Technician Kelvin is bringing a unique and valued perspective to the York Region Paramedic team. This Black History Month, he reflects on how his heritage and work behind the scenes intersect to create a more equitable service. "In my current role, Black History Month reinforces the importance of equity, respect and accountability in the work we do behind the scenes to support frontline paramedics. Reliable logistics directly impacts patient care; it is essential that our systems, decisions and workplace culture serve all communities fairly and without bias." "Celebrating Black History Month has strengthened my understanding of my identity by allowing me to reflect on both where I come from and how I have been shaped by my experiences in Canada. Being born in Zimbabwe and raised in Canada has given me a dual perspective that I value deeply. This month creates space to acknowledge African history, resilience and cultural pride, while also recognizing the experiences of Black communities in Canada and the progress made through perseverance and advocacy." "It inspires me to be more intentional about supporting diversity and inclusion by recognizing that equitable paramedicine starts long before patient contact. This means advocating for respectful, bias-free processes, fostering a workplace culture where diverse backgrounds are valued and ensuring the systems we build enable us to serve every community with dignity and professionalism."

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This Teacher Transformed India's Slums Into Open-Air Classrooms, Wins $1M Prize

An Indian teacher who has opened more than 800 learning centers for children who have never attended school has been awarded the 1 million dollar Global Teacher Prize from GEMS Education. Rouble Nagi’s centers operate in more than 100 slums and villages, offering safe and welcoming spaces for children facing some of the toughest barriers to education, including child labour, early marriage, irregular attendance and a lack of basic infrastructure. Instead of treating those challenges as obstacles, she builds education around the realities of daily life. Schedules are flexible for working children. Lessons use recycled materials. Skills are taught in ways that show immediate value to families. The results have been significant. Her programs have cut dropout rates by more than half and improved long term school retention for thousands of young people. Nagi plans to put the 1 million dollar prize toward building a free vocational institute and a digital literacy training program to reach even more marginalized youth across India. Her journey began in her early twenties when she was asked to lead an art workshop. “I met a child who’d never seen a pencil, and it was the turning point of my life,” she said. Over the next two decades, she helped bring more than one million children into the formal education system. Art has remained one of her most effective tools. Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, she has turned blank and abandoned walls into large interactive murals that teach reading, math, science, hygiene, history and environmental awareness. These murals double as open air classrooms, bringing parents into the learning process and turning entire neighborhoods into partners in education. “Rouble Nagi represents the very best of what teaching can be, courage, creativity, compassion and an unwavering belief in every child’s potential,” said Sunny Varkey, founder of the Global Teacher Prize and GEMS Education. “By bringing education to the most marginalized communities, she has not only changed individual lives, but strengthened families and communities.” Now in its tenth year, the Global Teacher Prize is the largest award of its kind and is run in collaboration with UNESCO. Nagi was selected from more than 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries. “This moment reminds us of a simple truth: teachers matter,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education. “UNESCO is honored to celebrate teachers like you, who, through patience, determination, and belief in every learner, help children into school, an act that can change the course of a life.” Nagi, who also wrote The Slum Queen, travels extensively across India to work directly with students and to mentor the educators leading her learning centers. She has recruited and trained more than 600 volunteer and paid teachers, creating a model that adapts to children academically, socially and economically. Alongside her education work, she maintains a career as an internationally recognized artist. Through the Rouble Nagi Design Studio, she has created more than 850 murals and sculptures and exhibited in 200 shows worldwide. Her work is included in the President of India’s permanent collection. “Her work reminds us that teachers are the most powerful force for progress in our world.”

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How Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews Band And Jack Johnson Lead The Way In Eco-Friendly Concert Tours

Sustainability has become one of the loudest conversations in music. Fans are calling on artists to shrink their environmental footprint, from the way merch is made to the fuel that powers entire arenas. Every part of the industry carries a cost, and REVERB, a nonprofit that has been working on these issues for more than two decades, is focused on reducing it. Since 2004, REVERB has helped “green” tours and venues, offset carbon emissions and raise over 16 million dollars for environmental causes. Chris Spinato, the organization’s director of communications, has watched the work grow without drifting from its original mission. Their roster now includes major touring names such as Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and Jack Johnson, and their festival partnerships are expanding, but the approach remains steady. “We help partners identify their sustainability goals and then create custom programs to meet and usually exceed what they’re hoping to achieve,” Spinato told the Goodnewspaper. A big part of that work happens on the road. For many tours, REVERB sends an on-site sustainability coordinator who travels with the band. “They’re sort of like a guitar tech, but instead of restringing and adjusting guitars, they’re making sure that sustainability efforts are happening,” Spinato said. Those efforts include reducing single use plastics, improving recycling, diverting waste from landfills and lowering carbon emissions. The same model now appears at festivals and large venue events. Over the last decade, Spinato has seen significant shifts. Simple measures they once had to fight for, such as allowing reusable water bottles, installing refill stations and providing recycling bins, have become standard at many venues. Yet festivals remain a challenge. According to Musicians for Sustainability, concerts in the United States generate more than 116 million pounds of waste each year and emit 400,000 tons of carbon. Cutting fossil fuel use is another priority. Through REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project, artists and industry partners fund efforts to replace diesel generators with cleaner energy. “This effort has been entirely funded by artists and industry partners and is helping to rapidly decrease or eliminate carbon emissions and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels,” Spinato said. In 2023, the program helped power Billie Eilish’s Lollapalooza headline set and Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion using solar charged battery systems instead of diesel. Spinato has no illusions about the scale of the climate crisis, but he finds motivation in the collective effort behind this work. “Despite the challenges that still remain both in music and generally as we all face the worsening climate crisis, we have hope,” he said. “It’s not hope in the sense that we hope things get better. It’s a hope gained through taking action and seeing the millions of people that are working to create a better future for people and the planet.” He also stresses that REVERB does not operate alone. Its impact depends on a wide network of staff, volunteers, partner organizations, artists and the fans who show up ready to participate. Concerts, he said, are uniquely powerful places to spark that engagement. “It may be a little cliché, but music really is a universal language. It connects people in a way that really nothing else can,” Spinato said. Concerts bring people together around a shared love of an artist, he explained, and that atmosphere creates a natural opening for conversations about climate action. “What better place to talk to people about taking action for people and the planet!?” The sustainability push is still evolving, but the momentum is real. As artists and fans continue to demand accountability, groups like REVERB are helping shift the industry toward practices that match the spirit of the music itself, energetic, collaborative and ready to build something better.

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Southlake Health Celebrates Final Popular Newmarket Fundraiser For Mental Health

For ten years every September, cyclists from northern York Region, southern Simcoe County and beyond have come together for one of the region’s most anticipated traditions, the NewRoads LakeRide. Hosted by NewRoads Automotive Group and driven by the leadership of president Michael Croxon, the ride marked its final year in 2025, closing out the decade with a milestone the organizers had long hoped to reach. Across ten years of fundraising, participants and supporters helped the event surpass 1 million dollars raised for Southlake Health. While the ride has supported a range of critical programs, its most profound impact has been on Southlake’s mental health services, helping to transform care for some of the community’s most vulnerable patients. Earlier this January, Southlake Health Foundation president Jennifer Ritter and members of her team visited a NewRoads town hall to share the hospital’s gratitude. A custom cycling jersey was also presented to Croxon in recognition of his philanthropic leadership. “Our partnership with NewRoads Automotive Group, through the thoughtful and generous leadership of Michael Croxon, has been a point-of-pride for Southlake Health,” Ritter said. “Over the last 10 years, we have seen the NewRoads LakeRide grow and inspire cyclists across the region to fundraise and ride to make an impact on the health of our communities.” She added that nowhere has that impact been felt more deeply than within the Mental Health Program. Funding from the LakeRide has helped create healing spaces tailored to the needs of patients, ensuring they have an environment that supports recovery. In 2020, that support helped make possible the NewRoads Automotive Group Emergent Mental Health Assessment Unit, a dedicated space with six private assessment rooms for people experiencing a mental health crisis. In 2023, a new 12 bed adult inpatient unit opened, expanding Southlake’s capacity and providing light filled, purpose built spaces designed specifically for mental health care. “As a psychiatrist caring for patients in Southlake’s mental health program, I know the important role that a peaceful and healing environment plays in enabling a patient to recover,” said Dr. Gaurav Mehta, physician leader of the program. He noted that patients are already benefiting from the improved and expanded spaces made possible through NewRoads’ support. “We’re so appreciative of our partners at NewRoads and participants and donors of the NewRoads LakeRide over the last 10 years for making this a reality for Southlake.” Though 2025 marked the final year of the LakeRide under NewRoads’ leadership, the legacy of the event lives on through the care it helped strengthen. For information on supporting Southlake’s mental health program or updates on upcoming community fundraising events in 2026, visit southlakefoundation.ca.

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These Texas Seniors and High School Athletes Built an Unlikely Friendship Through Chair Volleyball

What began as a simple chair volleyball game at a senior living community in Belton, Texas, has grown into a genuine friendship that crosses generations. The seniors at Woodland Cottages, who proudly call themselves “The Hit Squad,” regularly square off against members of the Lake Belton High School volleyball team. The matches are lighthearted and energetic, filled with laughter, quick volleys and plenty of friendly banter. “We just laugh and laugh when we practice,” said Hit Squad member Charlotte Wheeler. The relationship has also moved well beyond the walls of the senior community. Residents recently traveled to one of the girls’ games, cheering from the stands and surprising eight senior athletes with personalized goodie bags during the school’s Senior Night celebration. Students have embraced the connection just as warmly. They visit often, staying long after the games end to talk, share stories and build friendships. “I’m ready to get some wisdom and skills from those who know more than I do,” high schooler Thia Allsion told the Belton Journal. The idea has spread quickly at school. After hearing about the games, the undefeated Lady Broncos basketball team asked to schedule their own chair volleyball match with residents. The impact on the seniors has been clear. A Woodland Cottages spokesperson told GNN that residents are experiencing increased physical activity, stronger social engagement and a renewed sense of purpose. Families and staff say the change is easy to see in the residents’ excitement leading up to each match. The story continues to grow through packed cheering sections, hugs exchanged after games and smiles that stretch across generations. It started with a simple game, but it has become something much bigger, a reminder of how powerful connection can be when communities find ways to bring people together.

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Scientists Discover How Red Blood Cells Reduce Diabetes Risk at High Altitudes

For years, scientists have noticed something puzzling. People who live at high elevations, where the air holds far less oxygen, tend to develop diabetes at much lower rates than people at sea level. The pattern was clear. The biology behind it was not. Researchers at Gladstone Institutes now say they have found the missing explanation. Their work shows that in low oxygen environments, red blood cells start pulling large amounts of sugar out of the bloodstream. They act like glucose sponges, helping keep blood sugar levels lower under conditions similar to the thin air found on the world's tallest peaks. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, reveal that red blood cells can change their metabolism when oxygen drops. This shift helps them deliver oxygen more efficiently throughout the body. At the same time, it reduces circulating blood sugar, offering a simple explanation for the lower diabetes risk seen at altitude. "Red blood cells represent a hidden compartment of glucose metabolism that has not been appreciated until now," said senior author Isha Jain, PhD, a Gladstone Investigator, core investigator at Arc Institute, and professor of biochemistry at UC San Francisco. "This discovery could open up entirely new ways to think about controlling blood sugar." Jain's lab has spent years studying hypoxia, the term for low oxygen levels in the blood, and how it shapes metabolism. In earlier mouse experiments, the team noticed that animals breathing low-oxygen air had sharply reduced blood glucose levels. After eating, they cleared sugar from their bloodstream almost instantly. That behavior is typically linked to lower diabetes risk. But the usual organs, including muscle, liver and brain, did not explain where all the sugar was going. "When we gave sugar to the mice in hypoxia, it disappeared from their bloodstream almost instantly," said first author Yolanda Martí-Mateos, PhD. "We looked at muscle, brain, liver, all the usual suspects, but nothing in these organs could explain what was happening." A different imaging approach uncovered the answer. Red blood cells, long viewed as simple oxygen couriers, were absorbing and using a large share of the glucose. Follow-up experiments confirmed it. Under hypoxia, mice produced more red blood cells, and each of those cells took in far more glucose than those formed in normal oxygen. To understand how this worked, Jain partnered with Angelo D'Alessandro, PhD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and Allan Doctor, MD, at the University of Maryland. Their work showed that when oxygen is limited, red blood cells use glucose to make a molecule that helps release oxygen to tissues. That process becomes especially important when oxygen is scarce. "What surprised me most was the magnitude of the effect," D'Alessandro said. "Red blood cells are usually thought of as passive oxygen carriers. Yet, we found that they can account for a substantial fraction of whole body glucose consumption, especially under hypoxia." The team also found that the metabolic benefits of prolonged hypoxia lasted weeks to months after mice returned to normal oxygen. They then tested HypoxyStat, a new drug from Jain's lab that mimics the effects of low oxygen. HypoxyStat, taken as a pill, causes hemoglobin to hold onto oxygen more tightly, reducing delivery to tissues. In mouse models of diabetes, the drug reversed high blood sugar entirely and outperformed existing treatments. "This is one of the first use of HypoxyStat beyond mitochondrial disease," Jain said. "It opens the door to thinking about diabetes treatment in a fundamentally different way, by recruiting red blood cells as glucose sinks." The implications stretch beyond diabetes. D'Alessandro pointed to potential relevance for exercise physiology and trauma care. Traumatic injury often triggers severe oxygen deficits, and shifts in red blood cell metabolism could influence glucose availability and muscle performance. Trauma remains a leading cause of death among younger people, making this line of research especially important. "This is just the beginning," Jain said. "There's still so much to learn about how the whole body adapts to changes in oxygen, and how we could leverage these mechanisms to treat a range of conditions." The study, "Red Blood Cells Serve as a Primary Glucose Sink to Improve Glucose Tolerance at Altitude," appeared in Cell Metabolism on February 19, 2026. It was authored by teams from Gladstone Institutes, University of Maryland and University of Colorado Anschutz, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, private donors and the W.M. Keck Foundation.

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