Must Reads

• Goodnight moons? All about the "quasi-moon" that will be sharing the Earth's orbit for the next five decades or so
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• In honor of the 100-year anniversary of motels, here's a fun look back on the history of the roadside mainstays

Sports

Some NFL Players Are Finding New Purpose in Nursing Careers

These days, D'Brickashaw Ferguson can be seen wearing scrubs during his nursing shift at a New Jersey hospital — but not too long ago he was sporting a New York Jets uniform at MetLife Stadium. In 2016, after 10 seasons as an offensive tackle, the NFL player retired at age 32 and faced a question familiar to many professional athletes: What now?
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​"It was hard to find something I felt as connected to as I did with sports," he told The New York Times. Eventually, Ferguson decided to follow in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother and earn his nursing degree. He began his new career as a nurse at RWJBarnabas Health this year.
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While Ferguson's story may sound one-of-a-kind, he isn't alone in making the unlikely transition from football to health care. In fact, The Times recently interviewed five former and current NFL players (including Ferguson) who have found a new purpose in nursing, or plan to do so once they're out of the league. It turns out the profession shares more common ground with football than you might expect.
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"You can't be timid," Ferguson said of both football and nursing. "You have to go all in. You don't have the time to stare and wonder what to do." He added that the sense of urgency in a hospital "charges you up" — a feeling he's rarely found off the field. Meet more of the football players-slash- nurses.

Together With LMNT

Experience the Flavor of Summer All Year Round

Feeling nostalgic for summer already? You can still experience the flavor of the season, thanks to LMNT: The brand brought back Lemonade Salt as a permanent flavor in its electrolyte mix lineup.
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Mix it up with water, add it to your iced tea for a salty Arnold Palmer, or get creative with a pitcher of salty lemonade and fresh fruit. If you close your eyes, it'll feel just like summer. LMNT's science-backed electrolyte blend, with 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium, will keep you hydrated through every season. Use the link below to claim your free sample pack with any purchase.

Environment

Nuns and Scientists Join Forces to Protect Endangered Salamanders

It's not every day scientists and nuns come together to protect a species, but that's exactly what's happening in an effort to conserve Mexico's achoque salamanders. The critically endangered (and oddly adorable) species has only one natural habitat — Lake Pátzcuaro — and they're so rare that it's estimated just 150 exist in the wild.
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In hopes of monitoring their health and making more informed conservation decisions about these elusive amphibians, scientists at the U.K.'s Chester Zoo set out to implant rice-sized tracking chips into 80 salamanders. Here's where the nuns come in: It just so happens that the women of Monasterio de María Inmaculada de la Salud have a long history with the salamanders, and have been caring for them in tanks at their local monastery.
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This year, the scientists enlisted the nuns to support the microchipping process. "We were chipping them with the nuns watching protectively. It's a real demonstration of how anyone can be involved in conservation," project lead Adam Bland said in a statement about the successful effort. "People from all different backgrounds are working to save this species." Watch a video of the chipping process.

Culture

"They Have the Grit": Company Bets on Rural America Instead of Offshoring Jobs

At a time when automating and offshoring jobs seems ubiquitous, one outsourcing firm is making headlines for doing the opposite, bringing hundreds of jobs right to the heart of rural America.
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Called Provalus, the company specializes in hiring people in small towns for tech and professional services jobs that would otherwise typically be relocated overseas (e.g., IT support, insurance claims processing, and cybersecurity).
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"There is an untapped labor market in rural America," founder Chuck Ruggiero told The Wall Street Journal. "They have the grit, the grind, and many have the aptitude." His model not only provides rare opportunities for job seekers, but also helps clients reap the benefits of onshore services, like aligned time zones, data protection, and site visits that don't require long-haul flights.
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So how's the company performing with this unique playbook? The numbers speak for themselves: Provalus currently has 250 job openings and is growing revenue by 35%-40% annually. Employees also receive a generous benefits package, scheduled raises, and perhaps most importantly, a path for career growth.

Global Good

🇰🇭 Cambodia inaugurated a $2 billion airport with a golden Buddha, local trees, and big plans to boost tourism (read more)
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🇨🇦 Indigenous artifacts are set to return home to Canada after being locked away in the Vatican Museums (read more)
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🇨🇳 Ancient shipwrecks found off China's coast are filling in centuries-old gaps in maritime history (read more)
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🇩🇪 Pumpkins were transformed into sculptures of powerful women at a German festival — see the displays (read more)
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🇮🇳 Six "small and wonderful" butterfly species were discovered in the Indian Eastern Himalayas (read more)

Inspiring Story

Hope for single parents

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Living up to its name, the nonprofit H.O.P.E. Inc. is helping single parents in Atlanta finish their college degrees by providing up to $800 monthly for rent and childcare costs, along with other resources like financial counseling and transportation assistance. "I am now showing my kids that they can do anything, no matter how difficult the situation is," said Susan Jaeskce, a mom who was able to pursue a career in nursing thanks to the program. "You might not have two pennies to rub together, but there's always a little bit of hope that you can find."

Photo of the Day

Earlier this week, a picture-perfect rainbow emerged amid autumn storm clouds over England's Lake District. It's just one snapshot of a stunning foliage season, as Forestry England predicted especially vibrant colors this fall, thanks to the country's warm and sunny summer.

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Up This Weekend

1. World Series: Who are you rooting for? At 8 p.m. ET tonight, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers will face off for Game 1 of the 2025 World Series
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2. World Pasta Day: On the other end of the spectrum from an intense athletic competition, tomorrow is World Pasta Day — celebrate with these recipes
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3. The New Yorker Festival: Each year, the storied magazine brings together cultural influencers and thought leaders from across industries for a weekend-long symposium
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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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Odds & Ends

🍎 The origins of bobbing for apples​
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🏠 This home on a lift is designed to withstand disaster
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🛒 Love Costco? Make sure you know these shopping hacks*
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🥒 A sandwich for the people who always ask for extra pickles

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*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it."

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– HELEN KELLER