At a summer wedding, three sisters took the mic with a plan no one saw coming -leaving the stoic groom in floods of happy tears. Also inside: drones rushing defibrillators, child poverty trending down, a trampoline rescue, and a 66-year-old Freshman just made the college marching band.

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Quick Lift ❤️

A feel good story from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Groom Breaks Down After Stepdaughters’ Wedding Day Adoption Request

Weddings are emotional enough, but for Jacob “Jake” Tallman, the tears came long before the cake was cut.

Jake, 33, had just married Challis, the woman he met on TikTok, when her three daughters – Cadence, 14, Carah, 10, and Carlee, 9 – took the microphone at the reception. Everyone expected a sweet little speech. But what came next floored the groom.

Cadence spoke first, reflecting on their past and how much joy Jake had brought into their family’s life since moving from Houston to Missouri. Challis, already misty-eyed (and surprised, since her daughter isn’t usually one for public emotion), nodded along proudly. But then Cadence called her sisters to join her. And together, the trio turned to Jake and asked the question that stopped the room cold:

“Will you adopt us?”

Jake – usually the family’s stoic rock – completely melted. He shot up from his chair, tears streaming, and wrapped the girls in the kind of hug that said yes a thousand times over. There wasn’t a dry eye left in the room.

For the girls, the request was more than symbolic. Their biological fathers had long been absent, so they saw Jake as the true dad they’d been waiting for. They’re now planning to take his surname so all the family can be united with one name.

Happy Headlines 📰

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

📉 Global Child Poverty Is Falling. Here’s a stat worth smiling about: since 2014, the share of children living in extreme poverty worldwide has been on a steady decline. World Bank data shows millions more kids today have better access to food, shelter, and education compared to just a decade ago. Progress is uneven, but the long-term trend is clear – child poverty is going down. (World Bank)

💸 Charitable Giving Hit Record Levels in 2024. Americans donated $592.5 billion last year – up 3.3% after inflation, per the new Giving USA report. The biggest boosts went to human services, health, and public-society benefit causes, showing our generosity is alive and well even in these challenging times. (AP)

💝 She Won $150,000 and Gave Every Dollar Away. After a Powerball ticket (boosted by Power Play) hit for $150,000, Carrie Edwards didn’t keep a cent. Instead, she gifted it away in three $50,000 donations to charities clsoe to her heart: the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (in memory of her late husband), Shalom Farms, a nonprofit farm and food justice organization, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. “Healing, community, and service,” as she put it. (WISTV)

🔥 Construction Crew Saves Boy From House Fire Using Trampoline. When a fire trapped a boy on the top floor of his house, three passing construction workers sprung into action. Spotting a trampoline in the yard, they dragged it over and told him to jump, before catching him as he bounced. He landed safely, joining family members they’d already helped get out. (WSVN)

🧹 Nepalese Gen Z Protesters Lead Cleanup. We all saw the violent unrest in Nepal the other week. But after making their point, the young demonstrators then did something extraordinary - they grabbed brooms, bags, and paint to tidy streets. Images of them sweeping pavements, repainting defaced walls, and even returning looted items. The message was clear: their movement isn’t just about anger but also rebuilding, too. (The Independent)

🌍 Ozone Layer on Track to Heal. The Earth's protective ozone layer is on track to fully recover by mid-century, according to a report from the UN's World Meteorological Organization. It’s mostly thanks to international cooperation through agreements like the Montreal Protocol. It goes to show what can be achieved when we all align. (UN)

🚁 Defibrillators by Drone? UK researchers have been testing drones that can swoop in with defibrillators during cardiac emergencies, potentially cutting crucial minutes off response times. With over 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year and survival rates under 10%, every second counts. The trials show drones can safely fly long distances and stay linked with 999 operators, though bystanders still need clearer guidance on using the life-saving devices. (Interesting Engineering)

📚 Teen Celebrates 5 Years Reading to Kids With Disabilities. In 2020, NYC 12-year-old Asher Rosenfeld launched “Audibles with Asher,” hosting one-on-one Zoom readings for children and young adults with special needs. Now 17, he still meets weekly with many of the same readers, mails them the books, and has partnered with Friendship Circle—because, as he puts it, “it’s not actually about the books, it’s about the connection.” (Good News Network)

🛠️ Strangers From a Homeless Encampment Rescue Stranded Motorist. When her car died near a freeway encampment, a teacher expected the worst – and got the opposite. Three men rushed over, unlocked her steering column, pushed the car out of traffic, and one biked off to fetch gas while another stayed to keep her safe. (NPR)

And finally…

🦝 Nurse Revives “Drunk” Raccoon With CPR. Stop laughing at the back there, this really happened. A nurse found a baby raccoon passed out in a dumpster after nibbling fermented peaches near a distillery and jumped into action with chest compressions. Minutes later, the little bandit perked up thanks to the kiss of life and wildlife officials had it checked by a vet before releasing it back safely. (LEX18)

Bright Bits ☀️

🤗 Happiness hack

Pop on headphones and play a short birdsong track. In a randomized study, just 6 minutes of birdsong reduced anxiety versus urban noise. Low effort, real effect. Perfect between meetings or on your commute. (Source: Nature.com)

❝Some inspiring words

💡Fun fact

On Venus a day is the same as 243 Earth days. The planet rotates so slowly that one spin (a day) takes longer than its entire 225-day trip around the Sun (a Venus year). Mind-bender.

🧠 Brain teaser

My first is in camel, and in hamster.
My second is in otter, but not in ferret.
My third is in mustang, but not in horse.
My fourth is in snake, and in asp.
My last is in tiger, and in panther.

What am I?

Hint: The first letter is M.

(Answer at bottom)

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Snapshot 📸 

A unique, sometimes quirky, but always eye-catching photo feature each week.

Sometimes in our busy lives we forget to stop and look up. Thankfully, these photographers - all finalists in this years Royal Observatory Greenwich annual astronomy photographer competition didn’t.

The winner was a collaborative effort from three Chinese snappers, who captured the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest large galaxy to us mere mortals on Earth at a breezy 2.5million light years away.

But the competition was stacked with stunning images from around the world - and outer space - including this one of the moon up close.

And this one of comet hurtling through space. The bright blue trails are caused by comet reacting to solar winds, creating this beautiful effect.

Before You Go…A Quick Mood Booster* 📺

🎺66-Year-Old Freshman Makes LSU’s Golden Band

Retiree Kent Broussard, 66, enrolled at LSU, relearned music after 45 years, and trained on sousaphone with help from a grad assistant – practicing “sometimes until midnight.” When the final roster posted, returning members cheered as his name went up. Check out his announcement post/video below.

*Studies show that watching heartwarming videos can boost your mood. So sit back and start your weekend positively!

🧠 Brain Teaser Answer

Mouse.

Reasoning
My first is in camel, and in hamster = AEM
My second is in otter, but not in ferret = O
My third is in mustang, but not in horse = AGMNTU
My fourth is in snake, and in asp = AS
My last is in tiger, and in panther = ERT

The only word formable from all 5 sets of letters is Mouse.