Must Reads

• In the path of the storm? Here are tips to clear ice with the planet and pets in mind

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• The love birds are nesting again: Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow laid their first egg of 2026

Humanity

What Does Excellence Really Mean and How Do We Achieve It?

Brad Stulberg starts his new book, The Way of Excellence (out today), by clarifying what his subject is not. Excellence isn’t perfectionism. It isn’t optimization. It isn’t obsession or flow or happiness. Setting that straight is important, the author tells Nice News, because hustle culture has co-opted the concept and alienated the average person.
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Indeed, this isn’t a status reserved for a select few genetically blessed individuals at the top of their game. As Stulberg puts it, “excellence is for everyone.” He defines the term fairly simply, and with no mention of achievement or ranking: “Excellence is involved engagement in something worthwhile that aligns with your values and goals.”
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Rather than a destination, it’s the journey of being intimately immersed in a pursuit that helps us become the best people we can be, he explained. But why exactly — as many of us find it hard enough just to check off our chores, work out, and put dinner on the table after a day’s work — should we concern ourselves with being excellent? Read our article to learn more and get three tips for pursuing excellence.​

Together With Fisher Investments

Your Go-To Guide for Estate Planning

Planning your estate might not sound like the most exciting thing on your to-do list, but trust us, it’s worth it. And with Fisher Investments’ The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning, preparing isn’t as daunting as it may seem.
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Inside, you’ll find straightforward advice on tackling key documents to clearly spell out your wishes. Plus, there’s help for having those all-important family conversations about your financial legacy to make sure everyone’s on the same page (and avoid negative future surprises).
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Why leave things to chance when you can take control? Explore ways to start, review, or refine your estate plan today with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning.

Culture

Long-Lost Portrait of Beloved Scottish Poet Debuts After 220 Years

Robert Burns, regarded as the “national poet of Scotland,” left the world with plenty of poems before he died at age 37 in 1796. However, the public had only one notable (but tiny) portrait of him, until recently.
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A second portrait of the iconic poet surfaced more than 220 years after it was made, vindicating scholars who long believed Henry Raeburn — one of Scotland’s revered artists — painted a version from the smaller original. “Burns fanatics were looking for it because it was described as a portrait of the greatest Scotsman painted by Scotland’s greatest artist,” William Zachs of Blackie House Library and Museum told The New York Times.
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Burns fans got their wish when the 1803 painting was discovered during a home clearance and later purchased by Zachs at a London auction house last year for around $113,000, following a bidding war. “It was in an unusually good condition,” said Emily Jenkins, the managing director of the studio that restored the piece.
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Now on view at the National Galleries of Scotland, the portrait debuted just in time for Burns Night — a tribute held every Jan. 25 to honor the poet’s birthday. See it up close.​

Health

A Positive Attitude Could Boost the Effects of Vaccines, Study Finds

Next time you get a vaccine, you may want to recall a happy memory or visualize what it would be like to get a promotion at work. That’s according to a recent study suggesting thinking positively right after a shot might boost the immune system’s antibody response.
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Researchers trained 34 of 85 healthy adult volunteers to activate a reward region of the brain using upbeat mental strategies, such as recalling meaningful moments and imagining future successes, while lying in a brain scanner. The other participants received different training techniques or just spent time in the brain scanner.
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After four training sessions, all participants received a hepatitis B vaccine, and researchers tested their blood to measure antibody levels. They found that participants who more strongly activated the reward region also showed a stronger immune response to the hepatitis B vaccine. “It’s the first demonstration in humans, in what seems to be a causal manner, that if you learn how to recruit your reward system in the brain, the effectiveness of immunization increases,” co-author Talma Hendler told The Guardian.
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​The findings could be useful in developing ways to help the immune system fight infections. That said, researchers stressed that “consciously generated positive expectations” are no substitute for traditional treatment: “The approach we tested is intended solely as a complementary tool that may enhance immune responsiveness to vaccination,” added fellow co-author Nitzan Lubianiker. “It cannot, and is not meant to, replace vaccines or standard medical care.”

In Other News

1. FEMA has extended housing aid for survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires through February 2027 (read more)
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2. Students at a Florida high school were surprised with full scholarships to a local college (read more)
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3. Artsy real estate: A U.K. home that inspired a famous painting is up for sale (read more)
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4. Meet a blue button jellyfish that looks straight out of a fantasy novel (read more)
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5. “Pancake ice” churned over Lake Michigan’s waters amid last week’s frigid temps — see the footage (read more)

Inspiring Story

Pact fulfilled

Ten years ago, Navy vet Arnold Lokken and his longtime doctor promised each other that if he made it to his 90th birthday, they would go parasailing together. Earlier this month, that promise was fulfilled. Watch the thrilling moment.

Photo of the Day

On Sunday, some New Yorkers got a snow day and a show when Olympic snowboarder Shaun White shredded it up in Central Park. See his tricks and flips.​

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Odds & Ends

🌭 We’ll be frank: Wienermobiles are coming back to Indy 500
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🦛 How a hippo celebrates her birthday
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🌟 Can your diet help you achieve younger-looking skin?*
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☹️ An accidental frown made this stuffy go viral
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​*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“I believe that we can create the world that we want to live in, just as we want to see it.”

– MAGGIE DOYNE