A hotel for bees may sound like the latest animated children’s film, but it’s really an accessible, DIY project for anyone with a backyard and an interest in boosting pollinator populations. You just need a few simple ingredients: a planter, some stones, pruning shears, and a collection of hollow canes, like bamboo. The resulting “hotel” will serve as a home for solitary bees, which don’t live in colonies or produce honey, but do make up the majority of the world’s bee species.
Sports
Paralympian Nicky Nieves Is Back and Striving for Gold After Tokyo Heartbreak
Harry How/Getty Images
In 2021, three days before her team was due to depart for the Tokyo Paralympics, Team USA sitting volleyball star Nicky Nieves had started to feel a bit “off.” She’d vaguely noticed some changes in her body and sense of smell, but chalked it up to her asthma, and the intensity of preparing for the biggest stage for her sport. But after nearly five years of hard work and dedication to prepare for the Tokyo Games — what would be her second Paralympics after winning gold in Rio — she wasn’t ready to consider what a positive COVID-19 test would mean. Moments after she swabbed that day, the “positive” light started blinking on the battery-powered test; and with that, Nieves saw her dreams of returning to the Paralympics evaporate. “I remember sobbing,” Nieves, who was born without a left hand, said on The PowHERful Podcast of having to call her coach to deliver the news, adding, “I was mortified. … I felt like I was such a disappointment.” As Nieves would go on to demonstrate, though, oftentimes with a setback comes growth. Already a vocal advocate for mental health, Nieves leaned into therapy, self-discovery, and focused on healing. And now, she’s ready to compete at the Paralympics once again, with Team USA’s first match against China on Friday morning. Click here to read her inspiring journey and watch Nieves train alongside her teammates.
Together With LMNT
Healthy Hydration Isn’t Just About Drinking Water
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Culture
Ikea Trials Secondhand Furniture Market in Spain and Norway
Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Anyone who has shopped at an Ikea knows the joy of wandering around the multistory furniture havens, perhaps snacking on some Swedish meatballs after perusing affordable lamps, bookshelves, rugs, and so much more. And now, the retailer is trialing a new system that would make its products available at even cheaper prices. This week, Ikea announced the start of a secondhand marketplace pilot in Oslo, Norway, and Madrid, Spain. If successful, the online furniture resale program, called Ikea preowned, will be rolled out worldwide. The company said it’s “part of a broader range of efforts by Ikea to reduce resource use and transition to a circular business.” “Every year millions of good, functional secondhand furniture are thrown away,” the website reads. “By keeping Ikea furniture out of landfills and finding them new homes instead, we hope to encourage to reduce waste and prolong the life of our products.” Here’s how it works.
Humanity
Oregon County Sees Nearly 30% Boost in Homeless Residents Finding Housing
Lumos Ajans/ iStock
Multnomah, the Oregon county that houses Portland, reported a marked increase in homeless residents finding housing and entering shelters during the period from July 2023 through June 2024. Per a news release from the county’s Joint Office of Homeless Services, nearly 5,500 unhoused people moved into homes, a 28% boost compared to the previous fiscal year. Around 7,900 entered a shelter during that same time period, a roughly 35% improvement. “These outcomes show that we are on an upward trajectory. We are leaving the past in the past, taking the lessons with us into the future, and pushing forward together,” Joint Office Director Dan Field said in a statement. He added: “These results also strengthen my belief that we are making a difference in our community, right now.” The county said this is the largest annual increase in housing placements since the Joint Office was founded in 2016, and attributed that success to the state’s supportive housing services tax.
Summer snow day: Lake Tahoe had its first August snowfall in 20 years, leading ski resorts to reveal their opening dates for the season.
Prince Harry is traveling to the East Coast for Climate Week, where he’ll champion two organizations with ties to Princess Diana.
A historic painting stolen in 1979 has been found and returned to its rightful home at England’s Chatsworth House.
Welcome to Hobart, New York, a town in the Catskills with a small population and a surprisingly large number of bookstores.
Something We Love
Flackers These crackers are remarkably good for how simple the base ingredients are: just flax seeds, apple cider vinegar, and salt. They’re plant-based and low carb, and come in a variety of flavors beyond the classic Sea Salt, including Tomato & Basil and Cinnamon & Currants. — Sean Devlin, Founder and General Manager
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Inspiring Story
“I’m making a difference”
After having to move due to her husband’s military job, Sarah Fiacco pivoted from running a home baking business to taking a job as a cafeteria worker at her kids’ school. Though she initially struggled with feeling “embarrassed” by the gig, a simple note from a kindergartener changed her perspective.
Eyes on Paris
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
This morning, the table tennis competitions begin at the 2024 Paralympics — and history is being made in the sport this year. Christiana and Kayode Alabi, a couple from Nigeria, are both competing in table tennis, making them the first African couple to participate in the Paralympic Games. The pair met at the national table tennis trials in Lagos in 2017, began training together by 2019, and tied the knot in 2022. Now, they’re ready to win big. “I believe that for both of us to be the No. 1 in our country, and the No. 1 in Africa, we can be the No. 1 in the world,” Kayode said ahead of the event. “So, we are not just going there to participate — we are going there for a mission that we want to achieve.” “We want to get the gold,” he added. Meet more of the couples of the 2024 Summer Games.
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Quote of the Day
“Your life is already a miracle of chance waiting for you to shape its destiny.”
