Too much news!
It’s a lament we hear from readers sometimes. News used to be a strictly twice-a-day affair: morning papers, evening telly. Now it’s always on, 24/7, a ceaseless tide of rolling, scrolling, trolling and polling that you’d never finish if you read for ever.
Fortunately, we have a remedy. The old concept of being up to date is back – even in a digital world where the supply of news is infinite. How? Via our delightfully designed digital edition, of course.
You can get it before breakfast every day. It contains a finite number of stories – the most important things you need to know. Read it at your leisure, online or offline, and when you’re done, you’re properly set for the day.
A 14-day free trial is available here. Do have a go on your smartphone or tablet and let us know what you think. And of course, there will be plenty of Upside stories in the mix. Stories like …
• A blast of comedy to revive London theatre. Three-minute read
• The most successful mass movement in history? Five-minute read
• The improbable rise of tablescaping. Three-minute read
• China trials a digital currency. 90-second read
• Green play boosts immune systems in children. 90-second read
• The cities prioritising people over parking. Three-minute read
Rotterdam or anywhere Photograph: Robin Utrecht/REX/Shutterstock
• How journalism makes a difference in the climate crisis. Two-minute read
Lucky numbers
Coronavirus reinfections may be the talk of the week, but they are extremely rare. Of more than 38 million global cases this year, just five are confirmed reinfections, according to the New York Times.
Much has been written about the pandemic’s positive effect on the environment, and now researchers are starting to quantify this: carbon emissions fell 8.8% in the first half of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, according to the latest data.
Meanwhile, the solar boom continues, and is now providing the cheapest electricity in history, according to the latest International Energy Agency report. For the first time, solar generation met 100% of demand in South Australia.
And finally, more than 17m Americans have already voted.
What we liked
Olga Khazan at the Atlantic is a lovely writer, and here she delves into how to socialise safely indoors during the pandemic.
Boyan Slat is doing great things with his solar-powered floating trash collectors that are sifting plastic from rivers, according to this CNN piece.
Universal basic income is an idea that has proved popular with Upside readers over the years. The Wall Street Journal has produced a short film on a South Korean version.
Oh, and this is quite cute: the Japanese tourist who waited seven months to get into Machu Picchu and finally did – on his own.
In cahoots with the Peruvian tourist authorities. Photograph: Municipality of Machu Picchu/Reuters
What we heard
Thank you for all your birthday wishes. Too numerous to mention.
And Rich King was particularly moved by Amelia Hill’s article about older people competing in a global cycling competition – from the comfort of their respective care homes.
I just wanted to say a big thank-you for having committed to the kind of positive news reporting that ‘The upside’ covers. I started crying when I was reading your article Out of retirement, because it’s just such an amazing story. Thank you for all the work you do!!
Where was the Upside?
In a distant forest, where a rare creature was spotted hugging a tree.
Wild and free Siberian Tiger! by Sergey Gorshkov, which won this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photograph: Sergey Gorshkov/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020/PA
That’s it for this week. Send us your Upside stories, or your snaps of rare creatures hugging things. We will respond by publishing.
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