OGN Wednesday
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Today's eclectic collection of upbeat news nuggets to put a bounce in your step.
Kindness Prevails
Although some headlines may give the opposite impression, the majority of Americans believe their fellow residents are kind, according to the results of a new Gallup survey. The paper - titled Americans Think Kindness Prevails in the U.S. - reveals that nearly three-quarters of the participants believe adults in the country are either “very” or “somewhat” kind.
Roughly two thirds of Americans reported experiencing kindness from someone in their community in the past week alone and 60 percent said they’d seen people treating others with kindness and respect either “very often” or “often.” And kindness really seems to be contagious: Those who received acts of kindness more often reported higher comfort in initiating kind acts toward others and were more likely to view people in the U.S. as kind.
"Priceless"
For over a decade, a kind person in the Canadian city of Moncton has been collecting donated bicycles and children’s tricycles and holding regular giveaways for families who can’t afford to buy one. “The reward of seeing kids smile and ride off on their bikes is priceless,” said Krista Richard, organizer of the Bikes and Trikes for Everyone program. She collects the bikes and then fixes them up, and every year hosts giveaways between April and October. Last year, some 400 children were on her waiting list - like Younis and Aws. But their wait is now over as they just rode off with their first real bikes, and big grins on their faces.
Bang The Drums
Four mountain bongos, Africa’s rarest species of antelope, have just touched down in Kenya in a major step forward in efforts to save the species from the brink of extinction. With fewer than 50 remaining in the wild, the historic translocation from European zoos to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy provides a significant boost to its breeding and rewilding efforts. Found only in Kenya, the mountain bongo is recognizable by its rust red coat with bold white vertical stripes and long spiral horns. Experts say the population losses were a result of poaching, habitat loss, disease, and fragmentation. “Our focus is not only on increasing numbers, but on restoring functional populations capable of thriving independently in secure habitats across the country… guided by science and a long-term vision for conservation outcomes.”
US Drinking Rate
Gallop has been tracking the US drinking rate for over 90 years, and reports that it has never been lower than in 2025. Last year, only 54 percent of Americans said they consumed alcohol, marking the third year of consecutive declines. Leading the decline are women and the young. The drinking rate among women surveyed fell 11 percent since 2023 to just 51 percent, while the young adult drinking rate fell 9 percent over that time to 50 percent in 2025.
Early Exit
Germany’s coal phase-out is likely to conclude by 2032, well ahead of the legal 2038 deadline, as rising carbon prices and market dynamics steadily erode coal’s competitiveness. Despite political pressure and energy shocks, built-in policy flexibility and emissions trading are driving closures, with analysts concluding the market is now outpacing legislation in pushing coal out of the power system.
Good News in Colombia
Colombia reduced its multidimensional poverty rate from 11.5% in 2024 to 9.9% in 2025, continuing a long-term decline that has cut poverty by more than two-thirds since 2010. Reminder: multidimensional poverty tracks not only income, but also access to education, healthcare, housing and basic infrastructure, offering a broader picture of living standards.
"It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on." Marilyn Monroe
On This Day
13 May 1940: Winston Churchill says "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" in his first speech as Prime Minister to the British House of Commons. In this inaugural address, he vowed to wage war against "monstrous tyranny" and demanded total victory. It redefined British strategy, focusing on absolute resistance over compromise, and was a crucial moment in WWII.
Today's Articles
Mood Boosting Video
Wonders of Nature: Enjoy a 5 minute trip around the world looking at some of nature's most beautiful sights.
