It can be hard to find “budget-friendly” and “international travel” in the same sentence lately, but a recent report from Kayak assures that seeing the world without breaking the bank is still possible. The booking site compiled 10 international destinations that offer a good overall value, from Halifax, Canada, to Lima, Peru.
Must Reads
Take a journey through the history of Shakespeare gardens, plots of nature around the globe dedicated to The Bard
Splashdown Watch Parties, Commence! Artemis II Astronauts Are Almost Home
NASA/Getty Images
Mission, (nearly) accomplished. The Artemis II crew is mere hours away from feeling Earth beneath their feet again after traveling farther than any other humans have before, naming Carroll Crater, and taking some astonishingly beautiful pics. Today at approximately 8:07 p.m. ET, the four astronauts are scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where they’ll be met by a recovery team from the U.S. Navy — and a whole lot of excitement from us earthlings. In-person watch parties are taking place around the world, at museums, science centers, and bars, in addition to plenty of virtual get-togethers celebrating the historic moon mission. Wherever you’re watching from, live coverage on NASA’s YouTube channelstarts at 6:30 p.m. ET — tune in here.
Together With Blue Circle Foods
Give Your Next Salmon Dinner a Sustainable Upgrade
This Earth Month, a little fish food goes a long way. Sustainable seafood company Blue Circle Foods uses microalgae in the diet of its farmed Atlantic salmon to seriously reduce pressure on wild fish stocks.
In this shortened food chain, the protein and omega-3s from microalgae go straight to the salmon, reducing the need for smaller feed fish. For every pound of Atlantic salmon raised, Blue Circle takes less than half a pound of fish out of the ocean. Plenty of fish in the sea? Let’s keep it that way.
One “Really Bad” Photographer Will Win a Free Trip to Iceland
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Do your friends and family pointedly avoid asking you to take their pics? You might be the perfect candidate for Icelandair’s “really bad photographer” contest. One lucky traveler who has no professional photography background will win a 10-day vacation to Iceland this June, including round-trip flights, accommodations, and spending money for travel expenses, as well as $50,000 to top it all off. In return, the winner has to share their amateur photographs and other content from the trip. The idea is to show that the island nation’s famously stunning scenery speaks for itself, no fancy camera lens or composition skills required. As the airline wrote on Instagram, “We want to prove that even the worst photographer can take great photos of Iceland.” Applications are open through April 30 at reallybadphotographer.com — all you have to do is answer six questions and share an optional 60-second video explaining why you’re the one for the job.
Environment
Some Fish Caught in the Hudson River Can Now Be Consumed
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Gone fishin’, New Yorkers? For the first time in half a century, if you catch a fish in the Hudson River, you can potentially eat it, if you’re so inclined. That’s according to updated guidelines from the New York State Department of Health indicating that anglers of all ages can now safely consume certain fish from the Lower Hudson River, a stretch reaching from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Catskill to the southern tip of Manhattan. “Everyone in the family can now eat some fish from the Lower Hudson River,” Audrey Van Genechten, one of the state health department’s fish experts, said in a statement. The key word being “some.” The state advised sticking to striped bass and continuing to avoid carp and smallmouth bass. The shift in advice comes as local fish are showing lower levels of PCB chemicals following decades of cleanup efforts. If you’re curious to have a bite, the state advises removing the skin and fat before cooking the fish, which can eliminate up to 50% of any remaining contaminants.
Global Good
🇬🇧 Britain set back-to-back records for solar energy and approved the U.K.’s biggest solar farm this week (read more) 🇩🇪 To protect hedgehogs and other nocturnal animals, German mayors want to ban nighttime robot lawnmower use (read more) 🇿🇦 During a free eye surgery “marathon,” more than 130 South African patients had their sight restored (read more) 🇫🇷 A rare golden monkey newborn arrived at a zoo in France, the first of its species to be born outside of Asia (read more) 🇨🇭 An assortment of ancient Roman cargo, including goblets and tools, was found at the bottom of a Swiss lake (read more)
Inspiring Story
An empowering game
After watching her grandparents almost get scammed, 16-year-old Girl Scout Annabelle Miller developed a web-based game called Scout the Scam to help older adults spot fraud. “My ultimate goal is just to have people play it,” said the teen from Woodland Hills, California. “If it helps one person, then that’s enough.” Play it here.
Photo of the Day
ANGELA WEISS—AFP/Getty Images
Besides the moon mission, today is also a big day for Malcolm in the Middle fans. Just shy of 20 years after the original show ended, a four-episode limited series subtitled Life’s Still Unfair is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, and Justin Berfield (pictured) are back in their lovingly dysfunctional family roles, with a few new members in tow as well. Watch the trailer.
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Up This Weekend
Coachella: The famed California music festival celebrates its 25th iteration this year and the lineup lives up to that milestone, with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G headlining (pro tip: you can watch the acts from home on YouTube)
Masters Tournament: The first major golf tournament of the year is up and running — the Augusta, Georgia, event runs through Sunday, when the 2026 winner will don the iconic green jacket
Songkran: The Thai New Year technically doesn’t start until Monday, but it’s too fun not to include — there’ll be lively street parties, food galore, and festive water fights (yes, just like that scene in The White Lotus)
The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.
