This is a story bound to start your Friday off with a smile. Meet Dory Hudson: an Irish 9-year-old who has earned the title of "the most joyful girl on the internet." Dory (and yes, her namesake is the Pixar fish) shares uplifting videos with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. "Knowing that it can make someone's day, going from a bad day to a good day, is just so precious," mom Jess Hudson told ABC News.
Must Reads
It's National Caregivers Day — revisit this advice for Alzheimer's caregivers
20 US Metros Projected to Become More Affordable for Homebuyers, According to Zillow
Haizhan Zheng/iStock
Here's something to look forward to: A recent Zillow report found that 20 of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas will cross into "affordable" territory by the end of this year when it comes to homebuying. And if you're reading this as a seller, rest assured that home prices remain broadly stable; it's mortgage payments that are expected to be below 30% of median household income in these markets. Nearly half of the listed metros are in the Midwest — including Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Cleveland. But Pittsburgh is predicted to be the most affordable, with mortgage payments projected to be around 21% of median household income by December. Down in the Sun Belt, San Antonio and Houston make an appearance as well, making homeownership more attainable in a region that's seen significant price run-ups in recent years. Scroll through all 20 cities.
Together With Green Coffee Company
Colombia's No. 1 Coffee Founder Is Planning an IPO
Coffee is the world's favorite drink, with billions of cups consumed daily. That's driven Starbucks to a $110 billion market cap and JDE Peets to a $17 billion IPO. But the next coffee IPO is different. When Cole Shephard founded Green Coffee Company (GCC), he envisioned something most coffee giants haven't done: managing the entire supply chain. He left Wall Street for Medellin to build a "seed-to-cup" empire. Now, GCC is Colombia's No. 1 producer, with 37 times revenue growth since 2021. With exclusive North America rights to the Juan Valdez brand and a 2027 IPO planned, its U.S. expansion is just getting started. Now you can invest in Green Coffee Company by Feb. 24 and get up to 20% bonus shares.
This is a paid advertisement for Green Coffee Company's Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.greencoffeecompany.com/. Timelines are subject to change. Listing on the Nasdaq is contingent upon necessary approvals, and reserving a ticker symbol does not guarantee a company's public listing.
Tech
Thomas Edison's Old Battery Design Is Powering New Research
Maher El-Kady/UCLA
Thomas Edison famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that will not work." So we imagine the prolific inventor would be pleased to find out that scientists are revisiting one of his lesser-known creations —and may have found a way to make it work better. Back in the early 1900s, Edison developed a nickel-iron battery. It was durable but not very efficient, and fell out of favor alongside the electric cars it was designed for. Now, a team of researchers at UCLA has developed a reimagined version that charges in seconds and has lasted more than 12,000 charge cycles in testing, the equivalent of over 30 years of daily recharges. While Edison originally designed the battery to power the electric vehicles of his time, researchers instead see its potential to usher in a new generation of energy storage. "Because this technology could extend the lifetime of batteries to decades upon decades, it might be ideal for storing renewable energy or quickly taking over when power is lost," study co-author Maher El-Kady said. "This would remove worries about the changing cost of infrastructure."
Health
Inside a Texas City's Push to Become a "4-Minute City" and Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival
Avive
Save a life in four minutes. That's the goal of an initiative in McKinney, Texas, aiming to ensure any resident who suffers cardiac arrest receives a shock from an automated external defibrillator, or AED, within that timeframe. "We are developing the four-minute city," Mark Maynard, a medical director for the local fire department, told ABC affiliate WFAA. The concept, developed by AED manufacturer Avive, has been adopted by several other locales around the country. To start, McKinney has equipped every police vehicle with AEDs, which has helped improve the cardiac arrest survival rate from 10% to 47% over the past two years. (The national average is 30%.) Longer term, the hope is to get about 400 "smart" AEDs — each linked to 911 dispatchers — into the hands of trained civilian volunteers. When a cardiac arrest call comes in, the system will pinpoint the person's location, alert the nearest volunteer,and provide real-time directions, getting a defibrillator on scene before an ambulance arrives. "We want to have these AEDs everywhere in the community," said Battalion Chief Ben Jones. In the meantime, it's always a good time to brush up on your first aid skills — get a brief overview of hands-only CPR.
Global Good
🇺🇦 Ice fishing is offering some Ukrainians a peaceful escape amid the war — listen to the moving story (read more) 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone opened its first NICU, a milestone made possible by donations from Hank and John Green (read more) 🇩🇪 A proposal to ban social media for children under 14 is gaining momentum in Germany (read more) 🇸🇪 After nearly 400 years underwater, a shipwreck has resurfaced in Stockholm(read more) 🇷🇸 An endangered eagle is making a comeback in Serbia, thanks to dedicated conservationists (read more)
Inspiring Story
Back at it
It's never too late to dive into a new hobby — or return to an old one. Take it from Sandra Gabriel, a 49-year-old Canadian kindergarten teacher and former competitive figure skater who's back on the rink after a 20-year hiatus. "A lost love can come back. A passion can be reignited," she said. "In 2026, there is no age limit to love or start a sport." See her on the ice, then and now.
Eyes on Milano Cortina
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Putting an end, for now, to a heated rivalry, Team USA made a major comeback against Canada to secure gold in the women's ice hockey finals yesterday. Canada held the lead for most of the match, but captain Hilary Knight stepped up to tie the game, making history and sending things into overtime. Megan Keller then scored the winning goal just four minutes into the overtime period, a thrilling end you can watch here. Thursday was a big day overall for the Americans on ice, with Jordan Stolz nabbing his third medal of the Games (a silver, in the 1,500-meter speed skating race) and Alysa Liu securing figure skating gold after a stunning free skate. Her teammate Amber Glenn rebounded from a disappointing short program and ended up in fifthplace.
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Up This Weekend
Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony: Tune in at 2:30 p.m. ETon Sunday for the Winter Games closing ceremony (but if you've been loving the uniting global display of athleticism, don't fret — the Paralympics start March 6)
Rio Carnival: Anotherthing coming to an end this weekend is Brazil's famed Carnival celebration, which concludes tomorrow — check out photos from the past couple weeks
Art Deco Festival: On the quirkier side of things, the Art Deco Festival in Napier, New Zealand, takes place through Sunday, featuring "classic cars, speakeasy bars, vintage planes, and all that jazz
The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.
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