Good Week — #15

Hello, friends — and welcome back to our good-news roundup for the week of September 27. This is episode 15, and I am very ready for some light and bright. Jack, can we start with something cozy?

Cozy is on the menu. McDonald’s just rolled out a decade-long, $8.5 billion plan to modernize its restaurants — and they’re bringing back those colorful indoor PlayPlaces.

I can hear the sound of squeaky slides and tiny sneakers already. The plan runs through 2036, right? New dining areas, the PlayPlaces returning — all to improve the customer experience and give sales a lift.

That’s what the company says. A capital plan to fund remodels and upgrades, with PlayPlaces specifically called out for a comeback.

There’s something comforting about that. It’s the world saying, “Hey, kids need to climb, parents need coffee, and everyone needs a booth that doesn’t wobble.” Also, it’s fun to see a big brand invest in spaces where families actually hang out.

It’s a reminder that a business refresh can be about more than countertops — it can be about play, color, and the sound of a birthday cake arriving slightly off-key.

If they can also modernize the ketchup pump so it doesn’t attack your sleeve, that’s innovation.

Incremental innovation, but meaningful.

Okay, warm vibes achieved. Let’s keep it human.

Back-to-school energy is everywhere this week — including in places where it’s been missing for a long time.

UNICEF and the Palestinian Ministry of Education said that on September 19, hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in‑person classes in temporary tents and other makeshift facilities across the Gaza Strip. It’s the first large-scale classroom learning there in nearly three years.

That image — kids filing into tents, seeing teachers after so long — it’s a powerful kind of hope. A classroom doesn’t need four walls to be a fresh start.

The focus now is simply on the resumption of learning at scale. Tents and improvised spaces are a practical path to get students and teachers back together.

And speaking of practical paths, there’s a helpful nudge on health coverage here in the U.S. too: an independent nonprofit coalition behind the “Keep Your Care” campaign launched a $2 million outreach effort to help Medicaid recipients navigate new federal work and reporting requirements that take effect January 1, 2026.

NBC News reported that. The campaign was developed with health-care advocacy groups and the Service Employees International Union. The aim is to help people stay covered as the rules change.

This is what “kindness, but make it professional” looks like: call centers, texts, guidance — whatever it takes to keep folks from falling through the cracks.

Systems shift; people need maps. This is a map.

And sometimes a friendly reminder to bring your paperwork and your patience.

From helping people to helping the grid — sunny news out of Texas.

The BBC reported that Texas has become the United States’ leading solar electricity producer. Farmers are leasing land for utility-scale solar farms, which provides them with steady income, and the surge in capacity is reshaping farms and the power grid to meet rising demand.

I love that combo: clean power and steady checks for families working the land. The panel that pays the bills.

There is some rural opposition over environmental concerns, but the core trend is clear — rapid growth and a shift in how electricity is generated.

Meanwhile, in a different kind of power, Bill Gates used two big platforms to talk about AI with a people-first angle. On CBS Mornings, he warned about misuse risks but underscored the benefits — and said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would launch a two-year, $1 billion program to broaden AI access.

That’s right. And on NBC’s Meet the Press, he called for U.S. leadership in building an international AI regulatory framework, noting it could be more difficult than past nuclear agreements. The through line: access plus safeguards.

Access so it’s not just a few labs in hoodies, and safeguards so the rest of us can sleep at night. It’s nice to hear “benefits for many” in the same breath as “do this carefully.”

On the hardware side of tech, Taiwan broke ground on an 88.7-hectare advanced packaging industrial park in Kaohsiung on September 21. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is set to build a validation lab and a training center there, slated to operate by late 2029.

Training, jobs, and the very down-to-earth bits that make the digital world go. The park even has a name — Baipu Industrial Park — it sounds like a place where a lot of lunchboxes will be set on a lot of workbenches.

And presumably a lot of chips will get meticulously assembled.

Team “infrastructure is exciting” is having a good week.

Let’s dip into brain, sleep, and spine — science that you can explain over breakfast.

PLOS Medicine published a study reporting that more REM sleep was linked to a substantially lower risk of dozens of diseases. The analysis drew on wearable sleep-tracker data from over 95,000 participants and tracked health outcomes over nine years, identifying reduced incidence for 83 conditions.

So the dream stage — the weird-hats-on-your-sixth-grade-teacher stage — might be doing us real favors.

The wording is “linked,” which is careful. Big dataset, long follow-up, and a broad set of outcomes.

It’s the gentlest to-do list ever: get your REM. A good pillow suddenly feels like medical equipment.

On the spine side, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery in New York identified a stem cell population that drives ligament thickening in lumbar spinal stenosis. They also reported that modulating calcium signaling prevented tissue overgrowth in mouse models.

That’s the kind of discovery that makes clinicians perk up — “Ah, it’s that cell population, maybe we can calm it down.” Hope for better, less invasive options down the road.

And in oncology with a cross-species twist: a team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute with Cornell University, the Ontario Veterinary College, and the University of Bern sequenced DNA from 493 feline tumors. They found driver mutations — including ones that show up often in human cancers — occurring at comparable frequencies.

Cats as catalysts. If what we learn from kitty cancers helps doctors and vets on both sides, that’s a win with whiskers.

It suggests shared pathways worth studying. Different species, overlapping biology.

Science that bridges the couch and the clinic. I’ll take it.

Space fans — quick pit stop among the rockets. We have a follow-up.

We covered SpaceX’s Starship Flight 14 in our previous episode. The update now is that the company completed a wet dress rehearsal and still plans to launch on September 28, 2026, from South Texas. The aim is the vehicle’s first orbital flight and the deployment of 26 new Starlink V3 satellites.

So: tanks filled, countdown practiced, and a date circled. That’s what “getting close” looks like.

It remains a planned schedule — we’ll see how weather and regulators cooperate — but the new piece is the wet dress rehearsal being complete and the target date holding.

On the subject of space and data, Google plans to launch an experimental satellite on October 1 carrying four tensor processing units into low Earth orbit, aboard a SpaceX rocket. It’s the first test of its Project Suncatcher — a space-based AI data center concept.

Reuters had earlier details on the payload, and the company now tags this as a test of whether AI hardware can do useful work off-planet.

My laptop is jealous. But seriously, this is that neat overlap where sci‑fi tries punching in for a day shift.

And brings back telemetry as a timecard.

Future HR is going to be interesting.

Back on Earth, some wild and wonderful finds.

Scientists confirmed a distinct Andean wildcat species, Leopardus tilcayo, in Bolivia’s cloud forests. It highlights both biodiversity and the conservation concerns for its threatened habitat.

A new small spotted cat — that’s the sort of headline that makes you put your phone down and smile at the nearest houseplant.

The confirmation follows earlier reports of a previously unknown small cat from a sanctuary in the Yungas region. This is the first new wildcat species named in many years.

Naming a new cat feels like a global morale boost. Here’s hoping the cloud forest stays cloudy and friendly to small, sneaky paws.

In Finland, a metal-detector hobbyist, Esko Tikkala, uncovered a hoard of more than 4,000 Viking‑age silver coins and artifacts near the village of Sysmä on September 3, 2026. Archaeologists from the Lahti Museums and the National Museum of Finland began recovering the material.

Over 4,000! That is not a pocket jingle, that’s a time machine. The find dates to around the year 1035, right?

Correct. A significant hoard, and now professionals are carefully bringing it to light.

I love how these stories stitch time together: a person in a field, a beep, and suddenly a thousand-year handshake.

And a lot of cataloging to do before the handshake goes on exhibit.

Sports time — where the scoreboards were feeling generous.

The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 2‑0 with wins over the Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders. There was some public criticism of Jalen Hurts from a former teammate, but the headline is two victories to start the season.

Wins are an elegant rebuttal. Nothing says “we’re fine” like 2‑0.

In the NFC, San Francisco tight end George Kittle praised the 49ers’ offense, saying playing in that unit feels like a dream. The comments came after a 35‑13 win over the Miami Dolphins on September 20 at Levi’s Stadium.

High-powered offense, happy tight end — that’s the vibe. When your job feels like a dream, you’re probably catching some very real passes.

College football gave us drama: the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Michigan Wolverines 20‑19 with a walk‑off touchdown pass in the final seconds at Michigan Stadium. The winning drive covered 91 yards over 11 plays and ended with a pass to the end zone with two seconds remaining.

That is the full recipe for a perfect upset stomach and a perfect memory — two seconds left, throw it, catch it, win it. If you’re an Iowa fan, you’re framing that drive chart.

And if you’re a neutral fan, you’re just grateful for the spectacle.

Culture and screens — and a little viral sideline moment.

On September 14 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce scored a touchdown in a 33‑30 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Taylor Swift celebrated with a “that’s my husband” chant that went viral, and players later referenced it on social media.

The crossover event of the season: touchdowns and pop choruses. It’s the rare chant that would work in a stadium and at a karaoke night.

Swift also released a four‑song EP, “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” and debuted the lead single, “Patient Zero,” at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 25. Earlier in the month, she had announced that “Patient Zero” would be released digitally on September 25.

New music, big stage, and a title that already sounds like a dance floor debate. Add in that chant, and she has dominated both the charts and the group chat.

At the Zurich Summit, director Kane Parsons said his $400 million film “Backrooms” shouldn’t be classified as a horror movie, despite the marketing, and he noted it helped spur a notable summer box‑office rebound. Earlier at the Zurich Film Festival, he said “Backrooms” had earned $401 million worldwide.

The “don’t call me horror” horror hit — that’s very on‑brand for the internet age. Genre debates aside, a reboundy summer box office is good news for ushers, popcorn machines, and all of us who love the big screen.

The box office had another milestone: Universal Pictures announced it became the first studio to surpass $5 billion in worldwide box‑office revenue for 2026, driven by films including Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” and a Michael Jackson biopic.

That is a very heavy trophy case. Also, “The Odyssey” is the kind of title that makes me want to buy a ticket and a thesaurus.

And on the policy front, U.S. lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation offering a 20% federal tax credit for film and television production, with extra incentives for projects in designated zones. Deadline reported the aim is to attract more productions back to the United States.

A rising tide for crews, caterers, locations, and late-night coffee runs. The movie magic economy is a very real economy.

Some practical health and leadership notes to close the loop on the week.

Minnesota health officials recommended that adults and young children receive the updated COVID‑19 vaccine, and that everyone get the annual flu shot, as clinics and pharmacies prepare for a rise in respiratory viruses this fall. Earlier medical experts had warned the flu season would likely start in September.

It’s the annual PSL of public health: please schedule your shots. Future‑you will thank present‑you for dodging that week on the couch.

Spain submitted Dr. María Neira’s candidacy for the World Health Organization director‑general election in Geneva on September 24. The nomination emphasizes primary prevention and climate‑related health risks among the field of candidates.

I like seeing prevention and climate right there in the headline goals. It’s leadership pointed toward “keep people healthy” instead of just “treat them when they’re sick.”

And since we’re on preparedness: Los Angeles officials and regional experts warned that a strong El Niño is expected to bring heavy rains to Southern California, urging residents to prepare — reinforcing hillsides, clearing sediment from reservoirs such as San Gabriel, and checking roof conditions.

Prep now, breathe easier later. A little gutter clean‑out is the least glamorous hero move you can make, but your ceiling will sing your praises when the rain shows up.

Quiet heroics are still heroics.

Signed, the person holding the ladder while someone clears leaves.

That is our lap around the week — from PlayPlaces to wildcats, REM sleep to last‑second touchdowns.

If you want more of this kind of news without the doomscroll, drop by factslane.com or grab the app in the App Store or Google Play. You can follow the people, places, and topics you care about, and FactsLane keeps track for you.

And there’s a calm Zen mode in the app — only positive news, just like this show. Perfect for the bus ride, the dog walk, or that “I cannot take one more alert” moment.

If you like to go deeper, check out our other weekly shows too — Science Week and Tech Week — for a focused dive on breakthroughs and gadgets that matter.

Thank you for spending part of your Sunday with us. Be kind to yourselves, get the sleep your REM dreams about, and we’ll be back with more good news next week.

Have a great week ahead. See you next time.