Happy Saturday! Today’s edition is 856 words, a 3 minute read.

We’re demoing a new Saturday format. Readers have been asking for more positive news, so we’re delivering that in the weekend edition. 5 quick traditional news stories and 5 quick uplifting stories. Let us know what you think!

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Saturday’s Quick Hits

Self-driving taxis get 24/7 access in San Francisco.

San Francisco voted to allow two separate self-driving taxi companies to offer paid rides. Waymo and Cruise will now offer rides to paying customers 24 hours a day, although the self-driving cars are still not allowed to use the highway. Supporters of the vote say that self-driving cars are safer than human drivers. However, point to the 70 self-driving collisions in 2023 and the 40 incidences when driverless cars interfered with emergency situations. (More)

Judge sends FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to jail

A judge revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail after concluding that the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul had repeatedly tried to tamper with witnesses. Bankman-Fried is the mastermind behind the biggest financial fraud in US history. He is accused of stealing billions of customers deposits from his cryptocurrency exchange FTX to finance risky bets at his crypto hedge fund, funnel contributions to American politicians, and fuel a luxury lifestyle for himself and his employees in the Bahamas. (More)

Zelensky sacks military recruitment heads over frontline bribes scandal

Volodymyr Zelensky fired all the heads of Ukraine’s regional military recruitment centers after officials were accused of taking bribes from those seeking to avoid the frontlines. Ukrainian authorities began investigating recruitment offices after journalists discovered that the family of one of the heads bought a $4.5 million Spanish property during the war.The fired enlistment chiefs will be replaced with officers who have had battlefield experience after they undergo an inspection by the Security Service. (More)

‘Huge’ coral bleaching unfolding across the Americas prompts fears of global tragedy

US scientists have confirmed reefs in Panama, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico, and six countries in the Caribbean are experiencing significant bleaching, alongside corals in Florida that began turning white almost a month ago. Bleaching occurs when water temperatures become too warm for the coral to survive. Reefs are home to more than a quarter of the world’s marine animals despite taking up only 0.1% of the ocean’s surface. Scientists are growing increasingly concerned that the dying coral won’t be able to make a comeback if water temperatures keep rising. (More)

Hawaii wildfire death toll increases to at least 67

The wildfires have killed 67 people, injured dozens more, and displaced hundreds of families. It is now the largest natural disaster in Hawaiian history after surpassing the death toll of 61 caused by a tsunami in 1960. Wildfires are not part of the natural life cycle of most Hawaiian ecosystems but have become more common since people have planted nonnative invasive grasses, shrubs, and trees that are susceptible to burning. (More)

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Weekly Dose of Positive

College football player gives his full-ride scholarship to teammate

Zack Conti has worked multiple jobs to pay for tuition at Eastern Michigan University while playing football for the last four years. After hearing news that his mother needed a kidney donor, he told his teammates he would have to quit the team. That’s when fellow offensive lineman Brian Dooley stepped up and gave Conti his scholarship, allowing him to continue playing. (More)

Police and teen with metal detector save the day for a couple

A man enlisted the help of the Myrtle Beach Police and their police dog to help him find a missing engagement ring. During their search a 15-year-old with a metal detector joined in and the ring was found quickly. “I felt like I saved a marriage,” the teen joked. (More)

Moving company drops fee for WWII veteran

An Oklahoma moving company picked up the tab for Charles Truett Allred, who turned 100 on May 28, and his wife of 76 years, Marilyn Riley Allred. When the owner of the moving company found out Allred was a WWII veteran, he waived the cost to move the couple closer to their family. (More)

Florida lifeguards use teamwork to save a stranded boogie boarder

A team of lifeguards altered their rescue method because a boogie boarder was a long ways from the shore. One guard began towing the man towards the beach while three more swam to meet them. Next, they all linked up their buoys and powered the rest of the way as one unit. (More)

Extinct lion spotted in Chad

A lion has been spotted in Chad’s Sena Oura National Park for the first time in almost 20 years. The area suffered from devastating organized poaching a decade ago. However, the sighting provides hope because prime females are the foundation of any lion population. They inhabit areas that have prey and are safe to raise their cubs in. (More)

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