The Bear of Bad News Podcast

IntroHello, 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, 2026The 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:ArticlesThese common drug tests lead to tens of thousands of wrongful arrests a year, experts say. One state is fighting backhttps://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/05/us/colorado-field-drug-test-lawApril 5, 2026Researchers turn recovered car battery acid and plastic waste into clean hydrogenhttps://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/researchers-turn-recovered-car-battery-acid-and-plastic-waste-into-clean-hydrogenApril 6, 202610% of the ocean is protected. Now just 20% more to gohttps://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/10-of-the-ocean-is-protected-now-just-20-more-to-go/April 6, 2026Johns Hopkins Scientists Develop Nasal DNA Vaccine for Tuberculosishttps://scitechdaily.com/johns-hopkins-scientists-develop-nasal-dna-vaccine-for-tuberculosis/April 7, 2026From biodiversity to carbon capture: Saving bison from extinction has brought big benefits to Europehttps://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, 2026Ecuador study finds tropical rainforest biodiversity rebounds over 90% in 30 yearshttps://phys.org/news/2026-04-ecuador-tropical-rainforest-biodiversity-rebounds.htmlApril 8, 2026Inside a Kentucky City’s Unusual Experiment in Citizen-Led Governancehttps://nextcity.org/features/inside-a-kentucky-citys-unusual-experiment-in-citizen-led-governanceApril 8, 2026Man unexpectedly cured of HIV after stem cell transplanthttps://techfixated.com/man-unexpectedly-cured-of-hiv-after-stem-cell-transplant/April 8, 2026Let’s Do The Good News AgainAlong 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 koalashttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260401-the-island-saving-koalas-from-chlamydiaApril 3, 2026Braiding knowledge: how Indigenous expertise and western science are converginghttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/04/indigenous-knowledge-western-science-climate-ecosystemsApril 4, 2026A Tale of Two ParagraphsAnd 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.OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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 2026The 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:ArticlesDolly Parton Makes ‘Generational and Transformational’ Donation to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Named After Herhttps://people.com/dolly-parton-transformational-donation-childrens-hospital-named-after-her-11940384In New England, Catching Climate Data Along With Fishhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/climate/new-england-fishermen-ocean-data.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZlA.05xp.tqZxfeZj4dQGThis South African mom sold her house, bought 34 tonnes of salt – and built a global brandhttps://www.news24.com/life/food/news/this-south-african-mom-sold-her-house-bought-34-tonnes-of-salt-and-built-a-global-brand-20260331-0687Smartphone-powered water test detects waste contamination in under one minutehttps://interestingengineering.com/innovation/rapid-water-contamination-test-smartphone-detectionLuxembourg becomes second country worldwide to enshrine abortion rights in constitutionhttps://www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/luxembourg-becomes-second-country-worldwide-to-enshrine-abortion-rights-in-constitution/138838058.htmlEtsy bans animal fur as industry sentiments continue to shifthttps://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/etsy-bans-animal-fur-as-industry-sentiments-continue-to-shift/2026040371580Nearly half of US data centers planned for 2026 are facing delays or cancellationhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111947-nearly-half-us-data-centers-planned-2026-facing.htmlWheel of HappinessIn 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, 13Toucans reintroduced 50 years ago disperse seeds of endangered trees in Brazilhttps://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/toucans-reintroduced-50-years-ago-disperse-seeds-of-endangered-trees-in-brazil/Trawling ban sparks marine recoveryhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y8z9wdnwoDutch court bans xAI’s Grok from generating nonconsensual nude imageshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/26/dutch-court-bans-xais-grok-from-generating-non-consensual-nude-imagesA Tale of Two ParagraphsAnd 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.OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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:ArticlesDenver nonprofit’s new campus helps homeless youth exit crisis three times faster, independent data showshttps://www.9news.com/article/news/community/denver-nonprofit-campus-homeless-youth-exit-crisis/73-66faea3b-9687-4529-a54d-c3be4e225dc5From homeless teen to law school grad, Zarina Sementelli returns to shelter that saved herhttps://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-a1982e1ba918Maradona’s former home is transformed into a soup kitchen in Argentinahttps://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 2030https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/canada-aims-double-areas-protected-development-by-2030-2026-03-31/Scientists achieve ‘impossible’ solar efficiency in renewables breakthroughhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/solar-panel-breakthrough-renewable-energy-japan-b2948851.htmlDeepwater discoveries: scientists find more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Seahttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/01/queensland-great-barrier-reef-coral-sea-110-new-fish-species-discoveredIntroducing a new citizen science nature app that’s geared towards the scientific communityhttps://phys.org/news/2026-03-citizen-science-nature-app-geared.htmlTransmasc Ironman team wins third place ‘for trans people and beyond’https://www.out.com/gay-athletes/transmasc-ironman-teamThe Ecuadorian Amazon reduces noise in its rivers with solar boats and innovative acoustic measurementshttps://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 Ugandahttps://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 failureshttps://apnews.com/article/south-africa-snorkel-johannesburg-zille-mayor-management-395daaa4e5e9254771ba06abb393d419A Tale of Two ParagraphsAnd 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.OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

A Life of Compassion & GoodIntroductionHello, 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 TimelineTo 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-workShe 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 PrincessSomething 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 ActivistThat 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-crossShe was Human, and HumaneDiana 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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 2026He was arrested while repainting Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks. He’d do it all againhttps://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 powerhttps://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 sheddinghttps://phys.org/news/2026-03-hawaii-asphalt-recycled-plastics-fishing.htmlHow iNaturalist app users have fun while aiding sciencehttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-inaturalist-app-users-have-fun-while-aiding-science/Anonymous donor gives $1M to hospital nurses pay off student debthttps://local12.com/news/nation-world/anonymous-donor-gives-million-dollars-to-hospital-nurses-pay-off-student-debt-healthcare-generous-giftA soothing study session: Students cram in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as musicians playhttps://apnews.com/article/music-students-amsterdam-concertgebouw-2cd5161649aca5e4264f1000c7e0e11cDiscarded oyster shells may pull rare earth metals from polluted waterhttps://phys.org/news/2026-03-discarded-oyster-shells-rare-earth.html#google_vignetteEU Parliament wants to ban Nudifier appshttps://www.heise.de/en/news/EU-Parliament-wants-to-ban-Nudifier-apps-11226458.htmlListening to music for 24 minutes may ease anxiety, study findshttps://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-music-minutes-ease-anxiety.htmlA South African reserve shows how carbon can catalyze rewilding conservationhttps://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/a-south-african-reserve-shows-how-carbon-can-catalyze-rewilding-conservation/A Tale of Two ParagraphsAnd 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 OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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-increasesBoy is first to trial ‘life-changing’ exoskeleton* https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1781k90e8roA 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-276255Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic* https://news.mit.edu/2026/ocean-bacteria-break-down-biodegradable-plastic-0316National 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-mineralsMining 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-cleanupA Tale of Two ParagraphsAnd 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.OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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-tigersCommunity & 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-crosswalksSports & 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 ParagraphsAnd 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.OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com

IntroHello, 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/c77e5k2ezmnoCommunity & 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 ParagraphsAnd 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 OutroWe 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebearofbadnews.substack.com