What do you find at the intersection of birdwatching and internet trends? Searching for Birds. This unique, interactive site compiles Google data to track how people are engaging with bird content in their search bars. (For example, it shows you the most searched birds in every U.S. state and how interest in birds has changed over the years.) If you weren't already an avian enthusiast, exploring Searching for Birds might make you one.
Must Reads
Have a listen to what may be the oldest-known whale recording
A food reporter's experience whipping up recipes by the first African American cookbook author
Environment
New Weather App Alerts Users About Rain, Rainbows, and Pretty Sunsets
Acme Weather
Most weather apps will tell you when it's going to rain (or at least try to). But a new one will also tell you when to look for a rainbow afterward. Called Acme Weather, the app comes from the creators of Dark Sky, a much-loved forecasting tool that Apple acquired in 2020 before shutting it down in 2023 and integrating its technology into its own weather app. Now the team is back with a different approach to forecasting that leans into the inherent uncertainty (and joy) of weather prediction. Rather than presenting a single "best guess" like other weather apps, Acme shows a primary forecast alongside alternate possible outcomes to give users a bigger picture of what could happen — or in other words, whether or not they should pack that umbrella. There's also a community element: Users can submit live reports of current conditions using icons and emojis, offering real-time updates. And there's no shortage of practical maps showing lightning, rain and snow totals, wind, temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and hurricane tracks. But the most Nice News-coded feature is the notifications. Along with down-to-the-minute rain warnings and severe weather alerts, Acme tips people off when a rainbow or a particularly pretty sunset might be on the horizon. "A weather app shouldn't just be about helping you avoid bad weather; it should also be fun!" the creators wrote in their launch announcement, which notes that curious Apple users can try it for free for two weeks before signing up for the $25 annual subscription.
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Culture
Sweet Letter From Young Queen Elizabeth II Is Headed to Auction
Lisa Sheridan—Studio Lisa/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A handwritten letter from a young Queen Elizabeth II is set to go up for auction tomorrow in the U.K., offering a wholesome glimpse into the interior life of Britain's longest reigning monarch years before her accession. Penned in Cornwall sometime between 1936 and 1940 (when the future queen was 10-14 years old), the one-page note is written to Elizabeth's housemaid Beatrice Stillman. In neat cursive, she mentions picking primroses for Stillman and sends greetings to the pets at home, before signing off simply: "Love from Elizabeth." She also included doodles of horses, a dog named Jim, and two children — one holding a book and another seated. "When I first saw the letter, it gave me goosebumps," said Justin Matthews of Hansons Auctioneers, which will handle the sale. "Queen Elizabeth II, as we remember her — with her love of dogs and horses — is astoundingly evident in this letter penned by her younger self." Get a look at the letter, kept for decades among Stillman's belongings and expected to fetch $2,700-$5,400.
Humanity
Inside LA County's Autism Training Program for Law Enforcement
PATRICK T. FALLON—AFP/Getty Images
At a new police training program in Los Angeles County, sheriff's deputies wear glasses that distort their vision, write with their nondominant hands, and endure random loud noises and disruptions — all in service of learning to see the world through a different neurological lens. The goal: help law enforcement better understand autistic individuals and how to interact with them safely. "The thing about autistic behavior when it comes to law enforcement is a lot of it may look suspicious, and a lot of it may feel very disrespectful," Kate Movius, who leads the training and is the parent of an autistic 25-year-old, told the Los Angeles Times. For example, what responding officers may perceive as defiance or evasion could be how an autistic person responds to a stressful encounter. During the sessions, deputies are encouraged to slow down, adjust how they communicate, and reduce sensory overload. Those are vital de-escalation skills, especially given that an estimated 1 in 22 children in California is autistic. And yet, recent research suggests that while up to 60% of officers have been on a call involving an autistic person, most haven't had any training on the spectrum disorder. "This population is so diverse. It is so complicated," said City of Industry Mayor Cory Moss, who also has an autistic child. "But if there's anything that we can show [deputies] in here that will make them stop and think, 'Hey, what if this is autism?' ... it is saving lives."
In Other News
To make fire safety more fun, one Kentucky Fire Department is taking to TikTok — dances and all (read more)
The Savannah Bananas secured a deal expansion with ESPN, taking Banana Ball to the next level (read more)
Wonder: The Musical has adapted a beloved book about kindness and acceptance for the stage (read more)
Beloved bald eagles Jackie and Shadow welcomed their third egg of the season after losing their first two (read more)
A smiling 23-foot snowman named Parker has become a giant star in Shirley, Massachusetts (read more)
Inspiring Story
Following a calling
Maddie Hale, a 20-year-old from the U.K., opted to forgo university due to school-related anxiety and panic attacks. Instead, she focused on the activity that calmed her down: dog walking. She's since turned her hobby into a six-figure business that employs a team of five and serves more than 200 dogs each month in her corner of England. "I sort of molded my job around myself," she said.
Photo of the Day
Valery HACHE—AFP/Getty Images
Artists are embracing all the sparkles, feathers, and florals for the annual Nice Carnival on the French Riviera. This year's festival, running through Sunday, is themed Vive La Reine ("Long Live the Queen"). It's a celebration of femininity and heroines from history and fiction — and it's the first time since the modern carnival was founded in 1873 that the event has centered on a queen rather than a king.
Insuring Your Pet With Lemonade Costs Less Than You Think
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Odds & Ends
🎶 When your front porch has the best bops 🤔 So this is why we don't remember our earliest years 🦻 A secret audiologists don't want you to know* ✨ Your home can smell like the hottest NYC restaurant bathrooms *Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
Quote of the Day
"You need a core inside you — a core that directs everything you do."
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