Must Reads

• How many athletes from your state are competing in the Winter Games?

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• ​A list of flicks to stream this Black History Month

Environment

“Every Conservationist’s Dream”: Button-Size Snail Is Declared Safe From Extinction

It has a rounded shell, four teeny tentacles, and can fit on the tip of your finger. It’s also at the center of a major conservation comeback story.
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For decades, the greater Bermuda snail was presumed extinct due to biodiversity loss. In 2014, however, the tiny species was spotted in an alleyway, prompting a slow and steady recovery effort led by international experts from the U.K.’s Chester Zoo and Canada-based Biolinx Environmental Research.
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Starting with fewer than 200 snails, conservationists bred the species in controlled “pods” that replicated their natural environment — except 3,000 miles away from Bermuda in the U.K. Over several years, the team then gradually reintroduced the snails in protected woodland habitats on the island itself, and today, more than 100,000 are back in the wild and considered safe from extinction.
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“It’s every conservationist’s dream to help save a whole species — and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Tamas Papp, with the Chester Zoo, said in a statement shared with Nice News. “The greater Bermuda snail is tiny, but this is one of the biggest success stories in conservation.”

Together With Quince

Do You Have a Gift for Your Valentine?

If you haven’t yet nailed down a special gift for your special someone, look no further than Quince’s Love List. The collection features elevated essentials at a range of price points (starting at just $24), so there’s truly something for everyone.
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Choose from classic 14K gold jewelry, his-and-hers Mongolian cashmere sweaters, luxe candles, and even Champagne and caviar. You won’t be wanting for options, whether you’re looking to curate the perfect at-home Valentine’s date night or trying to surprise your partner with the perfect present.

Culture

Bienvenido! Spain Welcomed Record 96.8 Million International Tourists Last Year

Maybe it’s the beaches, Gothic architecture, or paella — but Spain has long drawn visitors from around the world. And in 2025, tourism hit a record high: The European country saw nearly 97 million international visitors, according to data released last week by the National Statistics Institute.
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Tourism, up 3.2% from 2024, now accounts for 12.6% of Spain’s GDP, with foreign travelers spending roughly $156 billion in 2025. Catalonia, home to Barcelona, led all regions in visitor numbers, followed by the Balearic and Canary Islands. And while those locales can sometimes get overrun with visitors (often to the chagrin of residents), there are other areas of Spain that are specifically seeking more tourists — or are at the very least not sick of them.
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On the opposite end of the tourism spectrum, Liechtenstein is the continent’s least-visited country when it comes to overnight stays, according to another recent report. The tiny alpine country between Switzerland and Austria draws mostly day-trippers and is known for its medieval castles, hiking trails, and a unique postal museum.
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​See the full list of European countries with the fewest tourists.​

Lifestyle

Silly Couch Pics Brought Community Together — And One Earned a Prestigious Award

You know what they say about one man’s trash: A sofa that was dumped in Gloucestershire, England, last year inspired amateur photographer Alex Elton-Wall to gather his community for a series of shots — and one of his images recently won a prestigious Portrait of Britain award.
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Elton-Wall stumbled upon the two-seater sofa on the side of the road in the small village of Lydbrook in April. He has since taken the portraits of more than 150 nearby residents, who started adding living room items around it. “As people came down, they made the sofa their own — people came with their families, their dogs, the landlord and landlady of the pubs came down as well," he told SWNS.
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Within a few weeks of the project starting, the story went viral and was picked up by the media, with coverage including a photo essay in The Guardian and an episode of the CBC radio show As It Happens. Check out the award-winning shot (plus more pics from the project).​

In Other News

1. A new cholesterol-reducing pill under study may offer an alternative to statins for high-risk patients (read more)
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2. The royal crown dropped during the Louvre heist will be fully restored, the museum confirmed last week (read more)
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3. To test a bonobo’s imagination, scientists played make-believe with imaginary tea parties (read more)
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4. An architect aims to rebuild a historic Greek Orthodox church that was damaged in Turkey’s 2023 earthquake (read more)
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5. Bill Nye will be honored with a lifetime achievement Emmy for his impact as a science educator (read more)

Inspiring Story

Jumping right in

This summer, 32-year-old Catherine Breed has her sights set on swimming the entire 900-mile stretch of California’s coastline. And if you’re wondering why, she’s got an answer, per the Los Angeles Times: “Why did someone climb Mount Everest? Why do a marathon in Antarctica? Why row across the Pacific Ocean? People do these things to inspire others. I hope along the way, I can inspire people to do things that seem hard.”

Eyes on Milano Cortina

If you’ve been watching the U.S. women’s ice hockey team competing over the past few days, it’s time to get to know some of the players — and we’re starting with Rory Guilday, an athlete with a backstory that will have you rooting for her even harder.
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The 23-year-old defender was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in seventh grade. After undergoing months of chemotherapy, losing most of the vision in her right eye, and going nearly a full year without hockey, she fought her way back to the ice. “I have, like, 20/15 vision in my left eye now, so I call it my eagle eye,” she said. Now, she’s in Milano Cortina and you can watch her play today in Team USA’s match against Switzerland, starting at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Oricle Makes the Rolls-Royce of Hearing Aids (and They’re Under $100)

The internet is buzzing over these revolutionary, low-cost hearing aids. They are incredibly small — nearly invisible — and designed for all-day comfort. The affordable, high-quality device is improving lives every day by restoring confidence and making crystal-clear sound accessible to all. Why wait? Start hearing clearly for under $100.

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Odds & Ends

💡 Let the light in, Swedish style
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👨‍🍼 Gen Z guys want to be dads
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🏋️ Sweat together with this two-for-one health and weight loss program*
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🐊 How old were dinosaurs, really?
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​*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward in spite of obstacles and frightening situations.”

– MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.