Struggling to pick your next book? Consider letting The New York Times help you. And we don't mean by simply perusing its extensive literary coverage — the newspaper has an interactive tool to help you choose what to read, broken down by genres like romance, sci-fi, and historical fiction. It goes a step further than that, too, tagging recommended books with pithy one-liners meant to help you choose, such as "I'd like an audacious, ambitious retelling of a classic" or "Take me to a New Zealand village with a murky past."
Must Reads
A slew of superstars are nominated for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Speaking of stars, check out a roundup of nine extraordinary Black women who shaped history for the better
Environment
Celebrate International Polar Bear Day by Tracking Moms and Cubs
Steven C. Amstrup / Polar Bears International
A sweet scene is currently taking place in the Arctic. Polar bear moms are cuddled up in dens with their newborn cubs, preparing to venture out onto the ice and get the serious child-rearing started. But the vulnerable youngsters — fewer than half of which may reach adulthood — need more than just their mothers' protection. That's why International Polar Bear Day was launched. Hosted by nonprofit Polar Bears International and now in its 21st year, today's event both celebrates the species and raises awareness of its biggest threat: climate change. The overall objective is "to bring attention to polar bears and the importance of conserving their Arctic sea ice home," Director of Science Alysa McCall tells Nice News, "but we also founded the day to coincide with the time period when polar bear moms and cubs are snug in their dens." Read our article to learn how you can participate in International Polar Bear Day (and find links to the Northern Lights Cam and the Polar Bear Tracker).
Together With Incogni
How to Protect Your Personal Data Online, According to Experts
Becoming truly anonymous online is hard — but it's not impossible. Using a VPN, buying a burner phone, and deleting your social media are all ways to protect yourself from phishing scams, identity theft, and data breaches. Or, you can use a data removal service like Incogni to maximize your online privacy in just a few clicks. Incogni helps you build a private digital presence by automatically removing your personal data from brokers, search engines, and other sites that expose you. It's an easy, hands-off way to protect yourself, and Incogni keeps you in the loop with monthly progress reports. Get 55% off your subscription with code NICENEWS.
"It's Something Special": Budapest Pizzeria Is (Sorta) Making Pie the Ancient Roman Way
Courtesy of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii
Ricotta, toasted pine nuts, and fermented spinach juice probably don't come to mind when you think of tried-and-true pizza ingredients, but at Neverland Pizzeria in Budapest, Hungary, they've become a draw for curious diners craving a slice of history. The restaurant has created a limited-edition pie made exclusively with ingredients that would have been available in ancient Rome —meaning no tomato or mozzarella. "Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago," Josep Zara, the pizzeria's founder, told the Associated Press. Inspired by a Pompeii fresco discovered in 2023 (and pictured above) that depicts a flatbread topped with pomegranate seeds, dates, spices, and a pesto-like spread, Zara consulted a historian to help reimagine ancient flavors. "Our creation can be called a modern pizza from the perspective that we tried to make it comprehensible for everyone," said head chef Gergely Bárdossy. "Although we wouldn't use all its ingredients for everyday dishes. There is a narrow niche that thinks this is delicious and is curious about it, while most people want more conventional pizza, so it's not for everyday eating. It's something special." Check out the pie.
Health
Taking Leisure to a High Level Can Be Good for Your Well-Being
Ariana van den Akker—Portland Press Herald/Getty Images
This article was written by Emily Messina, an associate professor of rehabilitation and recreational therapy at Florida International University, for The Conversation. What do collecting old editions of Dungeons & Dragons monster manuals, securing the same tailgate spot for over 20 years, and mastering yoga postures have in common? They are all forms of "serious leisure." These pursuits are different from casual hobbies in several ways. They require participation over longer periods, which makes people who practice them more skilled and more connected with the activity over time. The driving force for casual leisure is having fun; when a participant becomes more focused on accomplishment and improving their skills, the pursuit can gradually become more serious. The idea of serious leisure was coined in 1982 by sociologist Robert Stebbins, who described the unique characteristics of more structured leisure pursuits. The more we understand about why people do the things they do, the more they can benefit from their pursuits. Even fringe or supposedly nerdy activities like D&D offer insight into the connections people form when they delve into a nonwork activity. Dive deeper into the concept and how it can boost well-being.
Global Good
🇮🇳 India is launching a free HPV vaccination program for adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer (read more) 🇰🇿 Tigers will soon roam Kazakhstan for the first time in over 70 years, backed by a massive tree-planting effort (read more) 🇹🇷 A soccer captain in Istanbul paused a game to revive a seagull hit by a ball — watch the swift rescue (read more) 🇬🇧 "Kidulting" is hard (but fun): A U.K. gym chain is turning childhood games into serious workouts (read more) 🇵🇦 Panamanian golden frogs are being reintroduced to the wild after nearly going extinct 17 years ago (read more)
Inspiring Story
Kindness en route
Earlier this month, a 23-year-old Chicago-area mail carrier named Lavonte Harvey was captured on doorbell camera singing to a grandma on his route whose husband of 50 years had passed away. The sweet moment went viral, and a GoFundMe launched in his honor has since raised enough for Harvey to buy himself a new car — where we hope he's singing his heart out with the windows down.
Photo of the Day
Matty Smith/UPY2026
Out of 7,900 submissions, this adorable photo of southern elephant seal pups in the Falkland Islands took the top prize in the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. "I captured a handful of frames before the light vanished," said Australian photographer Matty Smith. "It was the defining moment of the long trip." See the rest of the winners.
Money: Turn Home Equity Into Breathing Room
If your monthly bills feel tighter than they used to, you're not alone. With home values near historic highs, many homeowners are using a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, to regain flexibility. A HELOC lets you borrow against your equity as needed — and only pay interest on what you use. Some use it to consolidate higher-interest debt. Others cover unexpected expenses or smooth out uneven cash flow. It's not about spending more; it's about creating room to move.
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Up This Weekend
Six-Planet Alignment: February's rare planet parade, featuring Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, is set to peak after sunset tomorrow (learn how to see it)
Fur Rendezvous: This winter festival, dating back to 1936, is a cherished annual occasion in Anchorage, Alaska, featuring 11 days of sporting events, traditional Native crafts, snow sculpting, and more
Actor Awards: Sporting a new name this year, SAG-AFTRA's yearly awards show will stream live on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET Sunday — these are the nominees
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.
Odds & Ends
🪐 Mercury is officially in retrograde — here's what that means 😋 Two new Mr. Pibb flavors incoming 💪 Chuck Norris' secret to looking and feeling younger* 🕺 This bride's brother knows a deal's a deal
*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
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