United States of America eSeries: Let's make this weekend special

May 29, 2021

At certain junctures in life, time starts losing its meaning. What's really special about summer, after all, once you stop having summer break? What's a long weekend when you don't work a weekday 9-to-5? It's just another season; another few days … or is it? Even if you don't have this weekend off, or aren't getting ready to savor a few months of summer vacation, you can still have yourself a good time. The sun is still shining, and whatever the neighbors are grilling still smells delicious. Take a moment to yourself, and enjoy!

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

Under the same roof
Last summer, when racial justice protests roiled across the nation, Rahul Dubey opened his door to a life-changing experience. Dubey is a health care worker in Washington, DC, and on June 1, 2020, police began corralling protesters on the street where he lived. As they tried in vain to escape the pepper spray and the crush of people, Dubey flung open the door and shouted, "Get in the house!" Dozens of people poured in, and when all was said and done, Dubey had 72 unexpected overnight house guests. The next morning, the group was greeted with cheers from crowds that had gathered outside of Dubey's home. (When 72 people shelter in your house, word tends to get around.) Dubey says he has become close friends with a few of the protesters from that night, meeting often to talk politics, careers and social justice. "Prior to June 1st, I put my head in the sand," Dubey said. "But to see the atrocities show up on your front door — If people like me don't open the door, then really, who will?"

One by one
The pandemic has all but erased Kenya's lucrative tourism industry, and things aren't expected to be back in full swing until 2024. In the meantime, Kenya's Wildlife Service is conducting a "great wildlife census," counting every single animal and marine life in all 58 national parks across the country for the first time ever. The project is even more ambitious than it sounds, and it will require plenty of GPS trackers, aircraft, camera traps and dogged conservationists to get the job done. With every rhino recorded, dik-dik documented and aardvark accounted for, experts will be able to better protect the more than 1,000 species native to Kenya, and get a hold of new challenges facing their numbers. Ultimately, when tourism picks back up, Kenyan officials hope the country's animal population — and the local people that rely on the country's natural beauty for a living — will be thriving once more.

Beer me, bud
Ethan, this slobbery, jowly chunk of love, is a very important dog. He was just selected as Busch's "chief tasting officer" for their Dog Brew, a non-alcoholic bone broth for dogs. As you can tell, he's ridiculously proud of himself. Just four months ago, Ethan was abandoned, dehydrated, malnourished and fighting for his life in the parking lot of the Humane Society in Louisville, Kentucky. With some medical care and love from his new adoptive family, Ethan is now thriving. As a celebrated Busch employee, Ethan is responsible for "taste-testing, quality control, and fulfilling duties as an ambassador for the product," the company said. He certainly seems up for the task.

Raise a glass to...

Laurence des Cars, who will soon become the first woman to head up Paris' famed Musée du Louvre in its 228-year history. As the current director of the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Musée d'Orsay, des Car has championed the social role of art. Under her leadership, the Orsay held an acclaimed 2019 exhibition on representations of Black female figures in 19th century Western painting. In March, the Orsay was also the first French museum to voluntarily restitute a painting looted by the Nazis. She'll take her place as the new president-director this September.

A bright idea

Look at these seals, doing science! Researchers are investigating how environmental changes in Antarctica will impact the rest of the world, but given the continent's remote location and frigid temperatures, it's not exactly a hospitable environment for humans. Enter the dream team of aquatic research buddies: the Weddell and southern elephant seals, two of Antarctica's six native seal species. After a team of scientists affix smartphone-sized sensors to the seal's heads (don't worry, it's a painless process), they can collect information about the depth, temperature, and salinity of the water as the slippery mammals go about their lives, diving deep below the ocean's surface.

You gotta see this

Am I the only one who thinks this fantastic shot of synchronized swimmers kind of looks like a butter tea cookie? Cravings aside, aerial photographer Brad Walls' latest work brings a new perspective — literally — to the art of synchronized swimming. Walls says he has an affinity for patterns, which makes the precise, geometric forms of this sport a perfect fit. How does he capture these kaleidoscopic shots? By drone, of course.

Wanna get away?

Fellow Southerners, you should recognize this view right away! This is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on Hatteras Island along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It's not only the tallest brick lighthouse in the US, it's the second-tallest in the world! The area is famed for its beautiful lighthouses, history, biodiversity, and, of course, Southern hospitality. Lighthouse Beach was named one of the top US beaches in 2021 by Dr. Beach.

Who knew?

There are about a septillion (that's a 1 followed by 24 zeros) stars in the universe, and at least 100 billion in the Milky Way alone, and we Earthlings sure do enjoy naming them. It's a global cosmic pursuit, with names from all different cultures populating the same expanse of sky. For instance, the brightest star in Orion, the constellation named for a Greek demigod, is called Betelgeuse, "the arm of the giant" in Arabic. Its companion is called Rigel, Arabic for "foot." The Pleiades, a star cluster, gets its name from seven sisters whom Zeus turned into stars. But in Japan, that same cluster is known as Subaru (suddenly, the automobile logo makes much more sense). This article has so much fascinating information about celestial names, we're practically starry-eyed.

Impact your world

Memorial Day may be a pleasant time to relax and be with family and friends, but it's also a solemn time of remembrance. According to the Memorial Day foundation, there are a few common customs you can participate in to honor fallen service members:

Fly the US flag at half-staff until noon
Observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time
Place flags or flowers on veterans' graves

Rec of the week

Brought to you by CNN Underscored

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Shameless animal video

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Did you know it's scientifically impossible to not smile while watching an armadillo skitter around on hardwood floors? Well, at least that's what I'll believe until proven otherwise. (Click here to view)