In the headlines...

• Last night, U.S. Senator Corey Booker broke the record for the longest Senate speech in history, by speaking on the floor for more than 25 hours straight, getting in “some good trouble” to protest the actions of the Trump administration. (Gifted link)
• Today is World Autism Awareness Day! This year’s holiday comes amidst the safety of vaccines once again being called into question ... but we already know the answer.​

Tech & Animals

Thanks to AI sound analysis, a rare, endangered bird was located for the first time in 30 years

A small, quail-like bird species called the plains-wanderer hasn’t been seen in West Melbourne, Australia for decades — since 1989 — a symptom of the species’ larger decline across the country due to long-term drought and its ever-shrinking natural habitat.

In an effort to catalog data on local bird calls, a zoo-based conservation organization installed audio recorders throughout the wilds of Australia.

Across tens of thousands of hours of recordings, an AI-powered tool pinpointed the plains-wanderer by identifying its soft, low “ooming” call at two sites in western Melbourne.

Why is this good news? While the bird technically still hasn’t been “seen,” one expert said this discovery was “like finding gold.” That’s because, among other things, the plains-wanderer is a “flagship” species, indicating healthy grasslands throughout southeastern Australia and playing a crucial role in insect control and seed dispersal.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​Helping reduce overspray and runoff, MIT engineers developed pesticides that can stick to plant leaves. A recent study found that if farmers didn’t use pesticides, they would lose 78% of fruit, 54% of vegetable, and 32% of cereal production, but a lack of technology means they tend to be over-sprayed, leading to runoff and chemicals ending up in waterways or building up in the soil.

​To fight rage-bait, a new social media app punishes users who are intentionally inflammatory and incentivizes respectful dialogue. Sez Us uses what its creators call a “reputation engine,” a feature that allows you to rate another user’s posts on the platform across five key areas: approval, influence, insightfulness, relevance, and politeness.

​A first-of-its-kind underwater turbine farm will generate clean energy for thousands of people from tides in France. Located in the Channel sea current of Raz Blanchard is one of the most powerful in the world, with a development potential of around 5 to 6 gigawatts, it could produce 15 to 18 terawatt hours, supplying electricity to 8 million people.

Interesting story

Community members, donors, and companies came together to give homeless foster youth customized tiny houses in an ‘adopt-a-cabin’ campaign

→ Read more​

People doing good

After living “life in a trash bag” himself, a man has donated 250K backpacks to restore dignity for foster youth

When Rob Scheer was a 12-year-old walking into the foster care system in the 1970s, he carried everything he owned in a trash bag. And when he aged out of the system at 18, he packed a trash bag for the final time.

His five adopted children each had similar stories, navigating the system with just a trash bag full of items to their names — Scheer was shocked at how little the experience had changed.

This is what spurred him to create Comfort Cases, a nonprofit that provides foster youth with their very own backpacks and luggage. Since its founding in 2013, the organization has donated more than 250,000 cases — filled with essentials like new pajamas, personal care items, a book, and more.

→ Read more​

More Good bits

🏝️ A must-see Survivor moment on World Autism Awareness Day — have some tissues handy.

📧 Start your day feeling informed and hopeful with The Know, a free 5-minute newsletter covering the biggest news stories of the day.

🏳️‍⚧️ More ​communities like this​, please and thank you!

🏠 From historic college campus … to affordable housing.​

☎️ Sandy Hook parents are preventing future tragedies.​

What’s good?

I’ve watched that Survivor clip five times and cried every single one of them — such a beautiful moment and a reminder of the goodness of humanity. Needless to say, I’ve started catching up on this season just for that storyline!

Are you watching this season?

Reply to this email and tell me your final four 👀

— Megan