Intro
Hello, 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 16 - 18, 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
NPR receives $113 million in charitable gifts
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787634/npr-113-million-charitable-gifts-connie-ballmerApril 16, 2026
Largest US renewable project begins generating electricity
https://www.eenews.net/articles/largest-us-renewable-project-begins-generating-electricity/April 16, 2026
Rehab center opens for Brazil’s golden-headed lion tamarins amid urban sprawl threat
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/rehab-center-opens-for-brazils-golden-headed-lion-tamarins-amid-urban-sprawl-threat/April 16, 2026
‘Fresh Eyes on Ice’ Teaches Kids to Collect Vital Ice Data in Remote Alaskan Communities
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/fresh-eyes-on-ice-teaches-kids-to-collect-vital-ice-data-in-remote-alaskan-communities-180988556/April 16, 2026
Pint of Science - festival for curious minds returns to Galway City
https://www.connachttribune.ie/lifestyle/pint-of-science-festival-for-curious-minds-returns-to-galway-city-8545340April 16, 2026
France to reimburse young women for reusable menstrual products
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260416-france-to-reimburse-young-women-for-reusable-menstrual-productsApril 17, 2026
New $43 million ‘nature library’ will help kids check out the outdoors by inviting them indoors
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/04/17/anythink-nature-library-denver/April 17, 2026
Large trial shows bone healing ‘superpower’ in children
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-large-trial-bone-superpower-children.html#goog_rewardedApril 17, 2026
Rainwater harvesting and eco-gardens: how one Colombian neighbourhood helped a whole city plan for climate change
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/17/rainwater-harvesting-and-eco-gardens-how-one-colombian-neighbourhood-helped-a-whole-city-plan-for-climate-changeApril 17, 2026
Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/pancreatic-cancer-mrna-vaccine-shows-lasting-results-early-trial-rcna331969April 18, 2026
Tired of waiting for your EV to charge up? One Chinese company has a novel solution
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/18/nx-s1-5788990/ev-battery-charge-long-china-nioApril 18, 2026
‘A quiet, radical act’: Muslim neighbours support members of attacked London synagogue
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/apr/18/london-synagogue-antisemitism-finchley-communitiesApril 18, 2026
A Tale of Two Paragraphs
And that is the end of this episodes 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 part 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 Jon Glaser’s substack, entitled “I THINK THEREFORE I AM NOT AN A*****E.”
If it weren’t such a completely hack comedy trope, I also could have called my Substack “I Am Not An A*****e But I Play One On TV”. Because whether it’s Councilman Jamm from Parks and Recreation, “Jon” from Delocated, the jerky version of myself from Jon Glaser Loves Gear, or the coveted ‘predatory scumbag tech douche’ on Law and Order: SVU, most people recognize me as some kind of fictitious, hyper-confident piece of s**t human being.
Occasionally, I’ll meet someone who can’t separate fact from fiction. They’ll usually express some kind of surprise that I’m actually fairly quiet and reserved, and not the bombastic douchebag they know from a screen.
A few paragraphs in between and an ending of:
So beyond me simply sharing a collection of stories and whatever else ends up on this site, there’s an intention behind A*****e And The City. Existentially, I had to do it. And not even for me. For you. Because in some weird way, you did this to me. I’m so good at what I do for a living that you believe it is who I am. Which now has me questioning who I am. And that’s on you!
So whether it takes one story at a time, one stupid bit at a time, or one adorable photo of my dog Gatsby curled up in a ball next to a pillow of his daddy at a time, we need to undo that.
For more from Jon Glaser visit:
Outro
We 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.
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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
