Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from April 19 - 20, 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/19/independent-bookstores-comebackApril 19, 2026

Engineered wood provides solar power even after the sun goes down

https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-wood-solar-power-sun.htmlApril 19, 2026

Cardiorespiratory fitness may cut dementia, depression and psychosis risk

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cardiorespiratory-dementia-depression-psychosis.html#goog_rewardedApril 19, 2026

Valley’s 20-year nature recovery plan begins

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj94gn80kkjoApril 19, 2026

Is Finland’s new car-free bridge the longest of its kind in the world?

https://newatlas.com/architecture/finland-helsinki-pedestrian-bridge-kruunuvuori/April 20, 2026

Woman who won legal case over greenhouse emissions awarded top environmental prize

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/20/woman-who-won-legal-case-over-greenhouse-emissions-awarded-top-environmental-prizeApril 20, 2026

Colorado university looks to dogs for breakthroughs in human cognitive health

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/csu-looks-to-dogs-for-human-cognitive-health-breakthroughs/73-9a269fe5-6329-4853-89b7-e70f5911877eApril 20, 2026

Child loss football club ‘a lifeline’ for dads

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy415143d3yoApril 20, 2026

Hawaiian green sea turtles emerge as reef defenders against invasive algae

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hawaiian-green-sea-turtles-emerge.htmlApril 20, 2026

Woman’s sari marathon record ‘inspires others to run’

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrej24p673oApril 20, 2026

Report notes 3 European nations reach 90% HPV vaccine uptake in girls

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/human-papillomavirus-hpv/report-notes-3-european-nations-reach-90-hpv-vaccine-uptake-girlsApril 20, 2026

Tiny North Carolina town takes a big step toward geothermal energy

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/enfield-north-carolina-thermal-geothermal-network-planApril 20, 2026

In Malaysia, a bridge helps endangered langurs and humans coexist

https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/05/in-malaysia-a-bridge-helps-endangered-langurs-and-humans-coexist/April 20, 2026

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this episodes articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last part from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from Chris Erskine, entitled “Hail, Smarticus!”

Not afraid of much anymore: Goths. The curled, uncooked parts of bacon. My late wife’s ghost.

That about covers it.

A jogger ran across some freshly oiled blacktop with his dog the other morning, the poor pooch leaving footprints in the wet goo.

Ugh. Imagine the pads of his paws?

We all make mistakes, usually when we rush stuff. Best not to leave oily fingerprints though.

Later, I told Suzanne that 95% of mistakes happen when we rush, and she responded that 78% of the magic also happens.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

The other day, he comes up to me, flaunting his four-inch height advantage, and suggests I’m shrinking, as older people will.

“I’m not wearing shoes,” I explain.

“Neither am I,” he says.

“Go away,” I say.

With him home, everything smells of his socks, his aura, the garlic fries he had for dessert.

Will I miss this maddening phase — this late, lingering childhood?

Not so much.

Bless you.

For more from Chris Erskine visit:

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from April 16 - 18, 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here is the good news:

Articles

NPR receives $113 million in charitable gifts

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787634/npr-113-million-charitable-gifts-connie-ballmerApril 16, 2026

Largest US renewable project begins generating electricity

https://www.eenews.net/articles/largest-us-renewable-project-begins-generating-electricity/April 16, 2026

Rehab center opens for Brazil’s golden-headed lion tamarins amid urban sprawl threat

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/rehab-center-opens-for-brazils-golden-headed-lion-tamarins-amid-urban-sprawl-threat/April 16, 2026

‘Fresh Eyes on Ice’ Teaches Kids to Collect Vital Ice Data in Remote Alaskan Communities

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/fresh-eyes-on-ice-teaches-kids-to-collect-vital-ice-data-in-remote-alaskan-communities-180988556/April 16, 2026

Pint of Science - festival for curious minds returns to Galway City

https://www.connachttribune.ie/lifestyle/pint-of-science-festival-for-curious-minds-returns-to-galway-city-8545340April 16, 2026

France to reimburse young women for reusable menstrual products

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260416-france-to-reimburse-young-women-for-reusable-menstrual-productsApril 17, 2026

New $43 million ‘nature library’ will help kids check out the outdoors by inviting them indoors

https://www.denverpost.com/2026/04/17/anythink-nature-library-denver/April 17, 2026

Large trial shows bone healing ‘superpower’ in children

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-large-trial-bone-superpower-children.html#goog_rewardedApril 17, 2026

Rainwater harvesting and eco-gardens: how one Colombian neighbourhood helped a whole city plan for climate change

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/17/rainwater-harvesting-and-eco-gardens-how-one-colombian-neighbourhood-helped-a-whole-city-plan-for-climate-changeApril 17, 2026

Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/pancreatic-cancer-mrna-vaccine-shows-lasting-results-early-trial-rcna331969April 18, 2026

Tired of waiting for your EV to charge up? One Chinese company has a novel solution

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/18/nx-s1-5788990/ev-battery-charge-long-china-nioApril 18, 2026

‘A quiet, radical act’: Muslim neighbours support members of attacked London synagogue

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/apr/18/london-synagogue-antisemitism-finchley-communitiesApril 18, 2026

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this episodes articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last part from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from Jon Glaser’s substack, entitled “I THINK THEREFORE I AM NOT AN A*****E.”

If it weren’t such a completely hack comedy trope, I also could have called my Substack “I Am Not An A*****e But I Play One On TV”. Because whether it’s Councilman Jamm from Parks and Recreation, “Jon” from Delocated, the jerky version of myself from Jon Glaser Loves Gear, or the coveted ‘predatory scumbag tech douche’ on Law and Order: SVU, most people recognize me as some kind of fictitious, hyper-confident piece of s**t human being.

Occasionally, I’ll meet someone who can’t separate fact from fiction. They’ll usually express some kind of surprise that I’m actually fairly quiet and reserved, and not the bombastic douchebag they know from a screen.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

So beyond me simply sharing a collection of stories and whatever else ends up on this site, there’s an intention behind A*****e And The City. Existentially, I had to do it. And not even for me. For you. Because in some weird way, you did this to me. I’m so good at what I do for a living that you believe it is who I am. Which now has me questioning who I am. And that’s on you!

So whether it takes one story at a time, one stupid bit at a time, or one adorable photo of my dog Gatsby curled up in a ball next to a pillow of his daddy at a time, we need to undo that.

For more from Jon Glaser visit:

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from ( ) , 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

Australia appoints woman to lead its army for the first time

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-appoints-woman-lead-its-army-first-time-2026-04-13/April 12, 2026

A new fruit wash removes pesticides and extends shelf life

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fruit-pesticides-shelf-life.htmlApril 13, 2026

A reforestation corridor in Madagascar offers a future for lemurs and locals

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-reforestation-corridor-in-madagascar-offers-a-future-for-lemurs-and-locals/April 14, 2026

Cancer Therapy Breakthrough Offers Hope Beyond Cancer Patients

https://www.newsweek.com/cancer-therapy-breakthrough-cart-therapy-patients-11821098April 14, 2026

Green light for €1.3bn German scheme to rewet farmed peatlands

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/green-light-for-e1-3bn-german-scheme-to-rewet-farmed-peatlands/April 14, 2026

Almost like Lake Como: Germany transforms former coal mines into Europe’s largest lake landscape

https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/14/almost-like-lake-como-germany-transforms-former-coal-mines-into-europes-largest-lake-landsApril 14, 2026

Scientists reverse brain ageing, with a nasal spray

https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2026/04/14/scientists-reverse-brain-aging-with-a-nasal-spray/April 14, 2026

Two to three cups of coffee a day linked to lower risk of mental health disorders, study finds

https://www.euronews.com/health/2026/04/15/two-to-three-cups-of-coffee-a-day-linked-to-lower-risk-of-mental-health-disorders-study-fiApril 15, 2026

Autonomy key to happiness, study finds

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-autonomy-key-happiness.htmlApril 15, 2026

Sperm whales’ communication closely parallels human language, study finds

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/sperm-whales-alphabet-vocalizations-similar-humansApril 15, 2026

This European country is promising ‘bargain’ energy on sunny days to use up excess solar power

https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/15/this-european-country-is-promising-bargain-energy-on-sunny-days-to-use-up-excess-solar-powApril 15, 2026

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from Steve Magness’ substack, entitled “The Hidden Cost of Comfort.”

In the 1950s, over 90% of toddlers were potty trained by 18 months. More recently, that number is about 4%. The average age of potty training has drifted to nearly 37 months.

What in the world is going on with our kids? Their skill and aptitude hasn’t changed. Neither has biology. The answer applies to so much more than potty training. It helps explain performance, creativity, and maybe even part of our mental health issues. So what is it?

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

We need to wrestle with discomfort. Whether it’s helping your kids with the first sign of struggle on the playground or with their homework, or with yourself in reaching for the quickest solution to the slightest feeling of unease, we need to let folks sit with that experience. We’ve largely engineered it away. It’s time to deliberately bring it back.

For more from Steve Magness visit:

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from April 9 - 11, 2026

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

Mexico’s President Sheinbaum Decrees Universal Healthcare for 120 Million

https://thedeepdive.ca/mexicos-president-sheinbaum-decrees-universal-healthcare-for-120-million/April 9, 2026

A dream come true’: Brazil’s blue-and-yellow macaws return to Rio after 200 years

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/09/a-dream-come-true-brazils-blue-and-yellow-macaws-return-to-rio-after-200-yearsApril 9, 2026

Teen birth rates hit another historical low in 2025, CDC says

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/09/nx-s1-5777587/teen-birth-rates-hit-another-historical-low-2025-cdcApril 9, 2026

From EV stations to heat pump grants: Inside France’s €240m plan to reduce its fossil fuel reliance

https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/10/from-ev-stations-to-heat-pump-grants-inside-frances-240m-plan-to-reduce-its-fossil-fuel-reApril 10, 2026

In a first, renewables beat natural gas on US grid last month

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/renewables-beat-natural-gas-us-grid-march-2026April 10, 2026

Portugal’s plastic recycling rates lag behind European targets, but a new scheme aims to change that

http://euronews.com/2026/04/10/portugals-plastic-recycling-rates-lag-behind-european-targets-but-a-new-scheme-aims-to-chaApril 10, 2026

Record number of homes in Great Britain turn to green energy as fuel prices soar

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/11/homes-great-britain-green-energy-fuel-pricesApril 11, 2026

Wildlife to replace historical figures on banknotes - and you get a say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4geyyg9en6oApril 11, 2026

Makeshift Gaza university offers chance to resurrect academic studies

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/4/11/makeshift-gaza-university-offers-chance-to-resurrect-academic-studiesApril 11, 2026

Let’s Do the Good News Again

In addition to our regular stories, this week we have an article for Let’s Do the Good News Again.

A French city cut its marine pollution — and its seagrass bounced back

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-french-city-cut-its-marine-pollution-and-its-seagrass-bounced-back/April 7, 2026

## Wheel of Good Fortune

In addition to our regular stories, we have the Wheel of Good Fortune this episode.

Currently, there are 16 stories waiting in the missed queue after these articles were chosen. Wheel Spins this week were as follows: 5, 11,

Plastic bottles recycled into Parkinson’s drug using bacteria

https://www.dezeen.com/2026/03/16/plastic-bottles-recycled-into-parkinsons-drug-using-bacteria/March 16, 2026

The Wabanaki Basketmakers’ Plans to Save Maine’s Ash Trees

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30032026/maine-wabanaki-basketmakers-help-save-ash-trees/March 30, 2026

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from the Sirota substack, entitled “Graham Platner Makes Clear Pod Will Not Save America,” and comes from

It’s rare that the influencer podcast ecosystem produces anything other than noise and monetizeable engagement, much less a truly important and clarifying revelation. But today is an exception: This brief exchange between Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau and Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is a time-capsule-worthy illustration of the divide in the Democratic Party and the cartoonish lies still being peddled by the party elite.

What’s more, it perfectly encapsulates how somehow — even now — that elite still doesn’t really understand what has happened in this country.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

Of course, I don’t know whether Platner will win. I don’t know what kind of senator he might be. I don’t know if he is elected, whether he’d betray all of what he’s saying — and he told me a while back that he’d be circumspect about himself if he were me or anyone else looking at his candidacy or that of any other politician.

But this isn’t only about him. It’s about the larger divide in the party that depicts itself as the opposition to authoritarianism. Democrats can only be that opposition if they come to terms with their party’s participation in the nightmare we’re now immersed in — and then start making different decisions.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Introduction

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and this is the Bear of Bad News’ Oddity of Altruism. This is our monthly segment covering one person that has spent a large amount of time or energy trying to create a better world, and create good news. Our second feature is on the late Catherine O’Hara, with a combination of segments covering her roles as patron saint of fictional mothers, as well as, articles about her that cover her various life’s works.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Forgetful, but Fierce

Born Catherine Anne O’Hara, she was a young orphan from a small village in Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia. Wait, I think I have the wrong Anne. Canadian-American Actress, Comedian, and Mother: Catherine Anne O’Hara was renown for her deft skill, charming vibrancy, and affable nature. Ah, looks like it’s this one. She was beloved by many as her characters reached across time, to bring her warmth and spirit to us all through out the year.

Born into a large Irish-Catholic family, Catherine O’Hara grew up in Toronto, and found her start when she landed the role of Gilda Radner’s understudy. This allowed her to break through with their show SCTV, a family she chose over the glitz and glam of New York’s Saturday Night Live.

Even though she worked extensively in the US film and television industry, Catherine retained her Canadian Citizenship through her life, and was awarded the Order of Canada in 2018. Her beginnings in Toronto and Canadian heritage were never more apparent than in her first few roles.

The Second City and SCTV’s success gave her chances to break into the Hollywood scene, and let directly to her picking up roles in Beetlejuice and Home Alone.

But even in a show about a dead guy invading the lives of some unsuspecting family, her enigmatic ways gave the uncaring step mother an unusually likeable quality. Something obviously seen by Gilda, when she encouraged her to audition for SCTV.

Articles

Catherine O’Hara

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/catherine-oharaAugust 19, 2010

We Can Thank Gilda Radner for Catherine O’Hara’s Amazing Comedy Career

https://www.kveller.com/catherine-oharas-amazing-comedy-career-started-thanks-to-gilda-radner/January 24, 2019

Home Alone, but Never Without a Family

Her success in Home Alone was not an accident like the inciting incident of Kevin being left behind. If any character was being played by Catherine, that character would be flawed, often forgetful, but fiercely loyal and full of agency.

I didn’t know women could be any other way really, growing up in the 90s watching television and movies with women like Meg Ryan, Catherine, and of course, Cher. We all needed to snap out of it in the 90s at some point, and that moment was when Catherine’s character realized one of her kids was left behind.

I don’t remember most of the siblings that well, or even want to remember the father. But there were two stars in Home Alone, and Catherine’s motherly portrayal of a woman who will not let her child be left behind made her a household figure and name.

She had suddenly set the standard for the base for what a mother is, which isn’t biological. It’s the way your react when you realize your child is in trouble. This was mimicked in real life when she suddenly quit SNL a week into filming.

SCTV hadn’t been picked up when she took the job, and when she found out that it had been renewed, she walked into Lorne’s office and said she had to quit. She had to go be with her comedy family, and they would have been lost without their mother.

Articles

Catherine O’Hara Recalls Quitting Saturday Night Live After 1 Week: ‘Not Cool to Take a Job, Then Leave It’ (Exclusive)

https://people.com/catherine-o-hara-recalls-quitting-snl-after-1-week-exclusive-8549201January 27, 2024

The Only Boundary Left to Push Was Death

Catherine pushed boundaries in ways that are still being looked at today as revolutionary, and as standards to use for some of the best moments in acting history. Her relationship with Gilda Radner certainly helped, Gilda couldn’t help but push boundaries, and those that new her became boundary pushers because she made it so core to the ethos of comedy.

Catherine may have pushed them in the field of irreverent human observational comedy, but that didn’t make her less of a comedic genius. She would not have stood so tall, had people around her not both wanted to stand beside her, and weren’t afraid to stand in her shadow.

It was warm there, in the shadow of the colossus O’Hara, not dark but dimmed to let in a little of her brightness. Her shadow an ever present shield from the harsh realities of the world, a beacon of hope that if you stood in it long enough, everything would be OK.

She truly was one of the few people who could make people stand beside her with fierce loyalty with just her existance, because every thing she did was a testament to the journey that you took with her. That may have been her greatest strength, how easily you walked into the world she shared with you, and hard it was to walk out.

Once you became one of her children, you were never the same, you now had a new mother watching over you, and a constant reminder that you would be OK. She would make sure of it. She was the walking definition of iconic, and just humble enough for you to want everything for her.

Articles

Catherine O’Hara: From ‘SCTV’ to ‘The Studio’ and ‘The Last of Us’

https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2025/05/08/catherine-ohara-from-sctv-to-the-studio-last-of-us/May 8, 2025

Seth Rogen accepts posthumous award for Catherine O’Hara: ‘She really showed that you can be a genius and be kind’

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/catherine-o-hara-acting-award-winMar 2, 2026

Hands-Off, Heart Open

She was the definition of unpretentious, and somehow so down to earth and confident at the same time; you couldn’t help but love her. She didn’t expect anything of you, but she always believed in you.

It’s hard to describe what Canadiana means outside Canada, but shows like Corner Gas, SCTV, Red Green, Orphan Black, Little Mosque, and the ever Iconic Schitt’s Creek make our ethos as a society so wholly, they are not just Canadian, they are Canada. I don’t know if the first name that would come to every Canadian for who you would want in an emergency would be Catherine O’Hara, but every Canadian would breathe a sigh of relief if you were stuck in the woods, and sh e was the one that was set out to save you.

Her fierce and wild energy never dimmed, but her heart was her centre, and you felt it’s touch deeply even if it just grazed you.

Catherine, Mother of Comedy, was not only one of the funniest women to ever grace a screen, silver or otherwise, but she was also immensely kind. She was the kind of person that always led with kindness, but also ended with it. Some of my fondest memories of my childhood came from her movies, and her comedy.

But the biggest compliment I can giver her, is that to this day, I still think about her like another mother. Who taught me things like no matter what you have to do, you fight to keep your family safe. That laughter really is the best medicine, and that although you can never be perfect, you can be pretty damn close with a large amount of kindness an pinch of humility.

Julia Child once said, “how lovely life can be if one takes time to be friendly.” Catherine O’Hara wasn’t just Canadian, she was the Mother of Comedy, and somewhat of Canada itself.

We hope you enjoyed learning about Catherine O’Hara, her life’s work, and her legacy. This has been Oddity of Altruism, until next time: I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from April 5 - 8, 2026

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

These common drug tests lead to tens of thousands of wrongful arrests a year, experts say. One state is fighting back

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/05/us/colorado-field-drug-test-lawApril 5, 2026

Researchers turn recovered car battery acid and plastic waste into clean hydrogen

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/researchers-turn-recovered-car-battery-acid-and-plastic-waste-into-clean-hydrogenApril 6, 2026

10% of the ocean is protected. Now just 20% more to go

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/10-of-the-ocean-is-protected-now-just-20-more-to-go/April 6, 2026

Johns Hopkins Scientists Develop Nasal DNA Vaccine for Tuberculosis

https://scitechdaily.com/johns-hopkins-scientists-develop-nasal-dna-vaccine-for-tuberculosis/April 7, 2026

From biodiversity to carbon capture: Saving bison from extinction has brought big benefits to Europe

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/from-biodiversity-to-carbon-capture-saving-bison-from-extinction-has-brought-big-benefits-to-europe/ar-AA20nLmjApril 7, 2026

Ecuador study finds tropical rainforest biodiversity rebounds over 90% in 30 years

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ecuador-tropical-rainforest-biodiversity-rebounds.htmlApril 8, 2026

Inside a Kentucky City’s Unusual Experiment in Citizen-Led Governance

https://nextcity.org/features/inside-a-kentucky-citys-unusual-experiment-in-citizen-led-governanceApril 8, 2026

Man unexpectedly cured of HIV after stem cell transplant

https://techfixated.com/man-unexpectedly-cured-of-hiv-after-stem-cell-transplant/April 8, 2026

Let’s Do The Good News Again

Along with our Wheel of Good Fortune addition is Let’s Do the Good News Again, if articles are found during the making the next set of episodes we’re gonna add them to the list and report on them at the end of the next episode.

Here are the stories we missed in last episode:

There’s something special about Kangeroo island’s koalas

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260401-the-island-saving-koalas-from-chlamydiaApril 3, 2026

Braiding knowledge: how Indigenous expertise and western science are converging

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/04/indigenous-knowledge-western-science-climate-ecosystemsApril 4, 2026

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from the Open Letters by Mersault substack, entitled “I Lied My Way Into a MAGA Focus Group,” and comes from

I like to think of myself as a basically decent person. Responsible. Honest. I pay my taxes without trying to outsmart the government. I pay for my own streaming accounts, even when the password field practically begs me to use a family member’s login. I rarely drive more than five miles over the speed limit. Heck, I return the shopping cart even when no one is watching.

So I had a system. A quiet agreement with myself: I am not the kind of person who does things that require a defense attorney.

And yet, this week, I committed an act, premeditated, sustained, and by any reasonable standard, unethical. Furthermore, what I am doing right now, writing this (publishing it) is, strictly speaking, illegal.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

And then came the next question.

And with it, something I hadn’t accounted for.

Up to that point, I’d been operating with a kind of internal script: blend in, establish credibility, wait for the moment to turn.

That plan ended there.

What followed over the next hour and forty-five minutes was not a continuation of what came before. The conversation moved. Quickly. Into places I hadn’t anticipated.

It wasn’t what I expected.

And more to the point, it’s not something I can compress into a few quotes or a neat summary at the end of this piece.

It needs more room than that.

That’s Part 2.

Next week.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from April 1 - 4 2026

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

Dolly Parton Makes ‘Generational and Transformational’ Donation to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Named After Her

https://people.com/dolly-parton-transformational-donation-childrens-hospital-named-after-her-11940384

In New England, Catching Climate Data Along With Fish

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/climate/new-england-fishermen-ocean-data.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZlA.05xp.tqZxfeZj4dQG

This South African mom sold her house, bought 34 tonnes of salt – and built a global brand

https://www.news24.com/life/food/news/this-south-african-mom-sold-her-house-bought-34-tonnes-of-salt-and-built-a-global-brand-20260331-0687

Smartphone-powered water test detects waste contamination in under one minute

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/rapid-water-contamination-test-smartphone-detection

Luxembourg becomes second country worldwide to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

https://www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/luxembourg-becomes-second-country-worldwide-to-enshrine-abortion-rights-in-constitution/138838058.html

Etsy bans animal fur as industry sentiments continue to shift

https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/etsy-bans-animal-fur-as-industry-sentiments-continue-to-shift/2026040371580

Nearly half of US data centers planned for 2026 are facing delays or cancellation

https://www.techspot.com/news/111947-nearly-half-us-data-centers-planned-2026-facing.html

Wheel of Happiness

In addition to our regular stories, this week we are starting the Wheel of Good Fortune! If there are less than ten articles each episode then we spin the wheel to report on old articles that have been missed or were not found in time for the original broadcast. This will allow the show to happen twice weekly and bring more good news into your life!

Currently, there are 19 stories waiting in the missed queue. Wheel Spins this week were as follows: 1, 7, 13

Toucans reintroduced 50 years ago disperse seeds of endangered trees in Brazil

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/toucans-reintroduced-50-years-ago-disperse-seeds-of-endangered-trees-in-brazil/

Trawling ban sparks marine recovery

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y8z9wdnwo

Dutch court bans xAI’s Grok from generating nonconsensual nude images

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/26/dutch-court-bans-xais-grok-from-generating-non-consensual-nude-images

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from the Oldster Magazine substack, entitled “What I Did For Love #2: Say it Out Loud,” and comes from

We get through life not by telling ourselves stories, but by looking away from the accumulating evidence of the truth about ourselves.

A memoir puts witnesses into your past life. As if you had said, “Hey, you, I will haul you out of your today and put you squarely in my yesterday. I will make you watch what happened ten thousand days ago, twenty thousand days ago, and I will make you feel what I felt.”

But the witnesses notice the things you avoided during the writing and the rewriting. It was only when my memoir was finally written, rewritten, rewritten, proofed, edited, and published, that I knew.

I’d failed the love test.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

When his wife died, two years later, I felt compassion for my old friend.

I sent condolences; he wrote back. There was silence for a few months.

I thought no more of it.

Until we began to speak on the phone. And behind every polite kindness were the words I didn’t say, “I love you.”

We married five years ago, in an empty town hall in the middle of a snowy field, with six masked witnesses and a judge.

I was 72. He was 74.

I had waited twenty thousand days.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from March 29 - 31, 2026.

That’s right, we are moving to shorter than 1 week per episode, this new format will allow us to do 2 things. First, we can move to twice a week for episodes, which I think will be a nice addition, as I have found a lot of articles that were missed, and more per week now as I find better resources. Second, I am going to start a segment called Wheel of GOOD FORTUNE (I forgot to update this when reading), where we add more articles from the missed pile to give additional content for episodes and make sure all the stories we find are included if possible.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles

Denver nonprofit’s new campus helps homeless youth exit crisis three times faster, independent data shows

https://www.9news.com/article/news/community/denver-nonprofit-campus-homeless-youth-exit-crisis/73-66faea3b-9687-4529-a54d-c3be4e225dc5

From homeless teen to law school grad, Zarina Sementelli returns to shelter that saved her

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/land-of-10000-stories/from-homeless-teen-to-law-school-graduate-zarina-sementelli-returns-to-shelter-that-saved-her/89-2c5187ce-0e01-49e5-9be4-a1982e1ba918

Maradona’s former home is transformed into a soup kitchen in Argentina

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/maradonas-former-home-is-transformed-into-soup-kitchen-argentina-2026-03-31/

Canada aims to double areas protected from development by 2030

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/canada-aims-double-areas-protected-development-by-2030-2026-03-31/

Scientists achieve ‘impossible’ solar efficiency in renewables breakthrough

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/solar-panel-breakthrough-renewable-energy-japan-b2948851.html

Deepwater discoveries: scientists find more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Sea

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/01/queensland-great-barrier-reef-coral-sea-110-new-fish-species-discovered

Introducing a new citizen science nature app that’s geared towards the scientific community

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-citizen-science-nature-app-geared.html

Transmasc Ironman team wins third place ‘for trans people and beyond’

https://www.out.com/gay-athletes/transmasc-ironman-team

The Ecuadorian Amazon reduces noise in its rivers with solar boats and innovative acoustic measurements

https://noticiasambientales.com/energy/the-ecuadorian-amazon-reduces-noise-in-its-rivers-with-solar-boats-and-innovative-acoustic-measurements/

Decades after poaching drove them extinct, rhinos are back in the wild in Uganda

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/decades-after-poaching-drove-them-extinct-rhinos-are-back-in-the-wild-in-uganda/

A South African politician goes snorkeling in a giant pothole to highlight city management failures

https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-snorkel-johannesburg-zille-mayor-management-395daaa4e5e9254771ba06abb393d419

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This podcasts article is from Dave Barry’s substack, entitled “The Rock Bottom Remainders in Omaha,” and comes from

The situation was this: The city of Omaha, Nebraska, had finally finished work on a spectacular, brand-new, state-of-the-art $158 million library building, and the folks who made it happen wanted to throw a big grand-opening bash.

So they needed a band.

There are many performers they could have invited. The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Wayne Newton, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Reformed Bunny, Cher and the late Jimi Hendrix are just a few of the many names I could type in this sentence.

But Omaha did not want just any band. Omaha wanted a band whose members met certain strict musical requirements, specifically that:

* They had some connection with libraries.

* They did not expect to be paid.

And so Omaha chose the Rock Bottom Remainders.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

Greg was a great writer and an excellent musician — way too good for the likes of us, though he loved being in the Remainders. He was also a really, really good guy. We miss him a lot. Toward the end of the Omaha show we did a little tribute to him, and we invited his widow, Caroline Hungerford, to join us onstage so we could serenade her with (of course) “Sweet Caroline.”

So that was nice. In fact the whole Omaha experience, aside from Amy having her underwear ransacked by the TSA, was great. We thank the library folks for inviting us, and for their wonderful hospitality, and above all for the open bar. Also we promise not to quit our day jobs.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Introduction

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and this is the Bear of Bad News’ Oddity of Altruism. This is a new monthly segment covering one person that has spent a large amount of time or energy trying to create a better world, and create good news. Our first feature is on the late Diana, Princess of Wales, with a combination of segments covering my personal relationship to her and her impact, as well as, articles about her that cover her various life’s works.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Diana: A Timeline

To start we will take a retrospective look at her life’s work, from an article by historic-newspapers.com. They already did a better job at this breakdown 10 years ago so we’ll hear how they summarised the life of Diana Spencer, and then continue with some personal stories about her impact, and a deeper dive into specific works.

Article:

* https://www.historic-newspapers.com/blogs/article/princess-diana-charity-work

She Looked at Me!

Princess Diana had a way of making everyone in the room feel like they were personally connected to her, and like they were special, beautiful, and loved. I know this directly, though I never met her, nor saw her with my own eyes. I’m old, but not that old, but my sisters are. At 8 and 11 years old T and S were still almost knee high when Princess Diana came to our small city of Vancouver to open Expo 86.

Her and the now King Charles were here to promote the increased access to high speed transit through new partnerships between Canadian and British governments, which had led to the Vancouver Skytrain, a world leader in green transportation, and other transportation initiatives across the province. Over the course of seven days they toured Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Prince George, and Vancouver. They rode the newly constructed Skytrain from Waterfront to Stadium, I assume they stopped there to get a hotdog from the stadium Costco.

During their visit they did a procession at one point where crowds gathered along the sides as watched as they were driven by, waving to the crowds. My mother, pregnant with my sister Kiki, took two young daughters downtown on that same skytrain, having driven to Scott Road Station. It was the last stop on the south side of the bridge, and then they continued on the new accessible high speed rail, using the freshly painted Park’n’ride lot.

They stood for hours, in the hot sun of the summer temperature spring day in mid May, and waited, impatiently, for the People’s Princess to arrive. They didn’t remember she was with Charles when they recanted the story to me, aged five, asking why Princess Diana was so great. She was, as they came through, finally, waving to the crowd. Both my sister’s have a different account of what happened next, oddly enough. One claims that as they waved at her, and she looked over to their side of the procession, she looked directly at them, and then smiled at my one sister, specifically, and could not have been looking at anyone else. However, my other sister says the exact same.

I still think about that story some days, it will creep into my mind. Fascinating my autistic pattern recognition, trying to figure out which sister she was looking at. I jest. But I do wonder how it would have felt to have coffee with her, or go for a walk in the park with her and talk about the world, or have been raised by her, even if only so briefly.

So I can tell you without a doubt that she would have made you feel like the only person in the entire world if you were spending time with her personally, because she could make you feel like that in a crowd of thousands, in the middle of the street. Truly, someone who brought goodness into this world with the simple act of their existence.

Articles:

* https://stillathing.org/princess-diana-the-transformative-power-of-kindness/

* https://www.boomermagazine.com/princess-diana-a-defiant-kindness/

The People’s Princess

Something that often gets said to this day, that people who didn’t see her name in the news weekly might not understand the gravity of, is that she was the People’s Princess. At the time, the royal family was not the same as it is today, and while Queen Elizabeth II was a pioneer in humanising the crown, Diana was the true queen of royal charity and compassion.

She was a simple school teacher at heart, who was thrust into the spotlight. But she handled every challenge put forward to her with dignity and grace. To the point that Queen Elizabeth II was said to have worn white to the marriage of Charles and Camilla in a move to keep Camilla from being allowed to wear it, as you cannot wear the same colour as the queen. Reminding the world that Diana came first.

But the greatest achievement she ever had was being an amazing mother, without fail, and without hubris. I remember watching her, on the television news. She was running in a school event, like she was simultaneously superwoman, and also just a Mom. The most visible woman in the entire UK, if not the world, had taken off her shoes and stood shoulder to shoulder with all the other mothers for a simple race.

It ignited the world. Suddenly, she was not just the People’s Princess, she was also just a mother who wanted her son to be happy. She was a woman, who participated at her son’s school, worked, and went home, like so many millions of others.

The photo’s of her in the event, wearing loose clothing, arms spread, and deliriously happy and free, are some of the only ones I remember seeing where she also seemed to not be looking at someone else. She was in her natural habitat, and we were just getting a beautiful, lucky glimpse of her in the wild.

I remember one other major photo at the time also held that same spirit of freedom, and that dignified wild streak of defiance. Diana wore a black dress, and had the definition of a cheeky smile on her face. To this day, if you look up Princess Diana’s little black dress, you will see all sorts of pictures of her looking both supremely happy with herself, and beautifully free.

She was always the People’s Princess, even if we only knew her as Diana before she was gone.

Articles:

* https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/892294/moment-princess-diana-went-barefoot-prince-harrys-sport-day-still-breaking-internet-35-years-on/

A Royal Activist

That element of humanity extended to her royal work, and her charitable endeavours. She had an amazing capacity for kindness, a grace that rivalled world leaders with years more experience, and legions of support, writers, or just better resources. She threw money at charities that needed it like offering water to a guest, and smiled while saying a soft quip about it being her duty as one of the privileged.

She stared down the idea that the world was made up of stratified levels of humanity, being the very first royal to willingly touch someone with aids, and pushing for people with leprosy, and other diseases, to be treated with dignity and respect. She champion people who were less fortune, and defied the prevaling notion that celebrities and those in positions of influence should be agnostic.

Years later Angelina Jolie would work with the UN publicly, because of the groundbreaking work that Diana pioneered. She made the world take notice, and see her as the beacon of light that they needed to push us from the society of the one to the society of the many. Our modern idea that we should be working together for a better world went mainstream because she refused to be a different person just because she married a prince.

Some girls spend their whole life imagining what it would be like to marry a prince, but never worry about what it would be like to lose that independence that comes with being a normal, average woman. She faced the challenge head on with some of the most influential decisions in the history of politics and fashion, and that was just and average Tuesday.

Articles:

* https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/our-movement/our-history/princess-diana-a-strong-supporter-of-the-british-red-cross

She was Human, and Humane

Diana worked with AIDS patients at a time when the stigma made them socially ostracised, visited landmine victims in Angola, treating them with dignity at a time when they were not given much. She sat on beds with victims, engaged in personal conversations with them, and acted like they were just another person she was visiting.

It was a simple but powerful act of kindness, and extended to her auctioning off personal items for charity, working tirelessly for the betterment of others. Probably due to her own personal struggles, which she willingly shared with the world. She was the definition of humble, and a primary force for good in the world.

The proof of which is in so many different places, and resonates with people around the world, to this day. The biggest beacon of that same hope is in her legacy as it continues through her children. Catherine O’hara, a similar beacon of light in the world we no longer have, was asked once what she most wanted to be remembered as, of all her roles. She responded, “as my greatest role, as a mother.” Princess Diana was above all things, a mother trying to do the best for her children.

A role she did so well, we remember it to this day.

We hope you enjoyed learning about Diana, Princess of Wales, her life’s work, and her legacy. To find out more, visit substack for a more complete timeline, and additional resources in the companion article. This has been Oddity of Altruism, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the Bearer of Bad News, so I won’t!

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from March 22-28 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Articles March 22nd to 28th 2026

He was arrested while repainting Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks. He’d do it all again

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2026/03/25/he-was-arrested-while-repainting-dallas-rainbow-crosswalks-he-said-hed-do-it-all-again/

The US’s largest offshore wind farm just produced its first power

https://electrek.co/2026/03/25/us-largest-wind-farm-just-produced-power-for-the-first-time/

Hawaii tests asphalt made with recycled plastics and fishing nets for shedding

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hawaii-asphalt-recycled-plastics-fishing.html

How iNaturalist app users have fun while aiding science

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-inaturalist-app-users-have-fun-while-aiding-science/

Anonymous donor gives $1M to hospital nurses pay off student debt

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/anonymous-donor-gives-million-dollars-to-hospital-nurses-pay-off-student-debt-healthcare-generous-gift

A soothing study session: Students cram in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as musicians play

https://apnews.com/article/music-students-amsterdam-concertgebouw-2cd5161649aca5e4264f1000c7e0e11c

Discarded oyster shells may pull rare earth metals from polluted water

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-discarded-oyster-shells-rare-earth.html#google_vignette

EU Parliament wants to ban Nudifier apps

https://www.heise.de/en/news/EU-Parliament-wants-to-ban-Nudifier-apps-11226458.html

Listening to music for 24 minutes may ease anxiety, study finds

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-music-minutes-ease-anxiety.html

A South African reserve shows how carbon can catalyze rewilding conservation

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-south-african-reserve-shows-how-carbon-can-catalyze-rewilding-conservation/

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from substack, entitled “I Stumbled Across My Boyfriend’s ChatGPT and It Ended Our Relationship,” it comes from Lindsey Hall. Her paragraphs are short, so more than one is included for clarity.

I find out my now ex-boyfriend had been questioning his feelings and attraction to me in the most dystopian, laughably modern way possible: ChatGPT.

Laid on his couch, midnight on a Friday, I was working late as he snoozed blissfully on my shoulder when my phone died in the heat of a client exchange.

“S**t,” I mumbled. Pivoting, I grabbed his laptop off the floor to run my final, fatigued, glassy-eyed client response through AI.

As I powered his computer, his ChatGPT - almost poetically - was already front and center on the screen.

As I copied and pasted my email — I peered to the left side of the screen and that’s when I saw it in the sidebar: a past chat titled relationship issues and uncertainty.

A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:

In the end, I had wandered by accident into the back office of his love for me and found the paperwork. The doubts, the calculations, the small private notations beside my name. Maybe this is ordinary. Maybe all love looks less romantic under fluorescent light.

But after that, I could not return to the front of the house and pretend I had not seen the ledger.

You can find more musings from Lindsey, as well as, photos of her cat and more insights on life at

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t! Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from march 8th to 14th 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Mexico’s monarch butterfly population jumps 64%, offering hope for at-risk species

* https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/mexico-monarch-butterfly-population-increases

Boy is first to trial ‘life-changing’ exoskeleton

* https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1781k90e8ro

A pet‑friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California

* https://theconversation.com/a-pet-friendly-homeless-shelter-pilot-reduced-the-rate-of-homelessness-among-the-people-it-helped-in-california-276255

Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic

* https://news.mit.edu/2026/ocean-bacteria-break-down-biodegradable-plastic-0316

National Women’s History Museum Annonuces Seven-Figure Donation from Meryl Streep

* https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/meryl-streep-donation-national-womens-history-museum-1234778102/

Paul Allen’s estate says it has begun the process of selling the Super Bowl champion Seahawks

* http://opb.org/article/2026/02/18/seattle-seahawks-sale-paul-jody-allen/

GOSH Charity-funded team engineers first lab-grown oesophagus in breakthrough for children’s surgery

* https://www.gosh.org/news/gosh-charity-funded-team-engineers-first-lab-grown-oesophagus/

Quantum Cryptography Pioneers Win Turing Award

* https://www.quantamagazine.org/quantum-cryptography-pioneers-win-turing-award-20260318/

In Hunt for Rare Earths, Companies Are Scouring Mining Waste

* https://e360.yale.edu/features/mining-waste-rare-earth-minerals

Mining made this US tribal area a toxic wasteland. This Indigenous nation brought it back to life

* https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/15/quapaw-nation-oklahoma-superfund-cleanup

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from substack, entitled “Why I Can’t Retire,” comes from Robert Reich. His paragraph’s are too short here to do literally two paragraphs, so it’s whatever I wanted to read this week. Sue me.

Friends,

Yesterday I heard from an old friend who urged me to slow down. “You’re overdoing it, Bob,” he said. “A new book. Movie. Substack. Videos. You’re pushing 80, for crying out loud. What are you trying to prove?”

I told him I’m not trying to prove anything.

He warned me I was going to harm my health.

Rubbish.

I’m not going to play golf or lie in a hammock and sip mint juleps. That’s not me.

A bit more around the middle and an ending of:

F_ck retirement. I do all this because I believe in you. I believe in your values. In your thoughtfulness. In your determination to leave this nation and this world a better place than they were before Trump.

I believe that together we will get through this and we will prevail.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t! Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from march 8th to 14th 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it, I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Environment & Conservation

* Bearded Vultures Make Comeback in French Alps After 70-Year Absence https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260305-how-vultures-returned-from-alpine-extinction

* Indonesia Becomes First Asian Country to Ban Elephant Rides https://plantbasednews.org/animals/indonesia-banned-elephant-rides-zoos-nationwide/

* Kazakhstan Plants Tens of Thousands of Trees to Restore Tiger Habitat https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/kazakhstan-plants-tens-of-thousands-of-trees-in-giant-effort-to-reintroduce-tigers

Community & Human Interest

* South Philadelphia Woman Shows Kindness to Package Thief – A woman stopped a package thief with empathy rather than anger, saying “You’re better than that” https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/philadelphia-woman-stops-package-thief-213504556.html

* Paris Hilton Launches $1M Fund for Women-Owned Businesses After Natural Disasters https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/paris-hilton-back-in-business

* Olivia Rodrigo Wins Amplifier Award for Reproductive Justice and Girls’ Education Activism https://variety.com/2026/music/news/olivia-rodrigo-amplifier-award-positive-change-1236651489/

* Pints and Ponytails: Pubs Teaching Dads to Braid Daughters’ Hair https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/pints-and-ponytails-pubs-braiding-hair

* San Antonio Paints Rainbow Sidewalks After Pride Crosswalk Ban https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/san-antonio-pride-rainbow-crosswalks

Sports & Olympics

* Jake Adicoff Becomes First Openly Gay Man to Win Individual Gold at Paralympics https://www.outsports.com/2026/3/10/24130129/jake-adicoff-winter-paralympics-nordic-skiing-sprint-gold-team-lgbtq-history/

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on Substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to g o read the article yourself. Many people forget the power of the written word to move us, and how intriguing the middle of the story is. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the Substack and read the paragraphs in between.

This weeks article is from Substack, entitled “Politically Queer, Socially Heterosexual,” comes from Kat Blaque.

I think, to some degree, I’ve always struggled with being deified. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t throw the first brick at Stonewall. Historically, I’ve been more like the quiet wife of one of the policemen who participated in the raid. I spent my 20s trying to fade away into the background and seeing that as a sign of ultimate personal success. I suppose for that reason, I feel very odd existing in the way I do, where it seems to be disruptive of me to say that while I may be politically queer, I’m quite socially heterosexual.

~ some paragraphs in between ~

and an ending of:

As I get older, I recognise more and more that I have so much capacity for growth. That with each year, I learn something new about myself that shifts me in a more genuine direction. Maybe my feelings around this will change one day, but for now it seems pretty truthful of me to say that while I may be politically queer, I’m still very socially heterosexual. Maybe that’ll change one day. Maybe it won’t.

To hear more from the post modern princess, Kat Blaque, check out her substack Black in the City, at katblaque.substack.com.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t! Have a good day.

Thanks for reading The Bear of Bad News! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Hello, my name is welcome to the Bear of Bad News, I’m your host LorBear, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so I won’t! This is your weekly recap of positive news stories from around the world. Articles included in this broadcast were originally published from March 1st to March 7th 2026.

The stories in this episode are sourced from various news outlets and publications. The Bear of Bad News does not conduct independent fact-checking or verification of these stories. Listeners are encouraged to review original sources for accuracy and complete context. We are not responsible for the accuracy or content of third-party reporting.

Which is a fancy way of saying I read it I didn’t report it, and here are this week’s stories:

Science & Health

* Heart Disease Detection Breakthrough – AI can now detect significant heart disease risk from routine mammograms with up to 70% greater accuracyhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/the-surprising-way-breast-cancer-screenings-could-reveal-heart-disease/ar-AA1XOIwI

* Chemo Patients Get Taste Relief – The “Miracle Berry” is helping chemotherapy patients remove metallic taste so they can enjoy food againhttps://nationaltoday.com/us/fl/miami/news/2026/03/05/south-floridas-miracle-berry-helps-cancer-patients-taste-food-again/

* Cartilage Regeneration Research – Stanford University scientists made progress in understanding how aging cartilage can regenerate, offering hope for arthritis treatmenthttps://scitechdaily.com/anti-aging-injection-regrows-knee-cartilage-and-prevents-arthritis/

Environment & Conservation

* Hawaii Removes Ocean Garbage – Hawaii University hauled 84 tons of derelict fishing gear from the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patchhttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/hawaii-university-hauls-84-tons-of-derelict-fishing-gear-from-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch/

* Robot Fish Fighting Microplastics – Researchers at the University of Surrey developed Gillbert, a 3D-printed robotic fish designed to tackle microplastic pollution in waterways by filtering particles as it swimshttps://a-z-animals.com/articles/this-robotic-fish-eats-microplastics-like-plankton/

* Volcanic Ash as Natural Fertilizer – Farmers in Sicily are discovering that volcanic ash from Mount Etna contains valuable minerals to enrich soil and support crop growthhttps://impactful.ninja/how-volcanic-ash-is-becoming-a-natural-fertilizer/

* Archimedes Manuscript Discovery – A lost page from an Archimedes manuscript was found in a museum with hidden text beneath the illustrationhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/long-lost-page-of-archimedes-writings-rediscovered-in-france/

Wildlife & Nature

* Tortoiseshell Butterfly Returns – A beautiful tortoiseshell butterfly has recolonized England decades after elm disease had eliminated ithttps://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/large-tortoiseshell-butterfly-spotted-england-33573134

* Penguins Prepare for Breeding – At Edinburgh Zoo, gentoo penguins are preparing for breeding season with painted pebbles created by children from local hospitals, connecting hospitalized kids with wildlifehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c77e5k2ezmno

Community & Human Interest

* Postal Worker’s Kindness in Extreme Cold – A postal worker drove 52 miles after work to return a lost wallet found in -11°C weatherhttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/postal-worker-drives-52-miles-after-work-to-return-lost-wallet-found-in-11f/

A Tale of Two Paragraphs

And that is the end of this weeks articles, hopefully they added a little positive joy to your life. Before we end, I have our final segment of the show, something I like to call, A Tale of Two Paragraphs.

In this segment, I take the first and last paragraph from an article on substack or another similar source, and read them to you, to encourage you to go read the article yourself. Many articles have really great starts and endings, and sometimes this exercise in futility can spark someone to go read the whole article. The less I read the better, but people often want to know how we got to endings more than the endings themselves, and maybe then you will go exploring the substack and read the paragraph in between.

This weeks article is from substack, entitled “I F*****g Hate You Substack Girl,” comes from Eve.

“i hate you because you are thin & tiny from your appetite of cigarettes and sugar-free coke. i hate you because your accent color is dark red, or some shade of forest green - - whatever to pair with your fetish for bootcut jeans and fur coats. all your music is an acquired taste: ethel cain, bjork, two russian rappers built from internet clout & incest rumors. if you are young and white, you probably worship kate moss or some other problematic female figure. and what can i do about it?

~~

but on substack, where girls seem to have it all, it’s terrifying to watch all of you feelmore human & alive & gracefully cool than i’ll ever be.

which is why i f*****g hate all of you.”

To read the middle, and hear more from this modern philosopher, visit Eve on her substack

Outro

We hope you enjoyed our show everyone, thanks for tuning in, and until next time, I hate to be the Bear of Bad News, so I won’t! Have a good day.