In other news

Visit nearly any news site, and you will be bombarded by news of the election: news of why predictions were wrong, people’s reactions, Obama’s meeting with the president-elect, protests in every corner of the country. But there are so many other, more encouraging and inspirational things that happened in America this week that have nothing to do with politics. Here are 10 news stories to make you smile.

  1. Sesame Street” Turned 47: The educational show featuring furry monsters and other characters debuted exactly 47 years ago on Thursday, Nov. 11. Although the show has grown bigger and included many new characters, it has taught and encouraged kids since 1969. Learn more here.
  2. A Zookeeper Tracks her Pregnancy with Zoo Animals: While many women compare the size of their unborn child to fruits for each week or section of pregnancy, Jennifer Dew, a zookeeper at Columbus Zoo, chose to do something different. Instead of fruit, she is using zoo animals to show the internet the size of her baby. Learn more here.
  3. A Utah Couple Goes From Having Zero Children to Having Four in 24 Hours: The day after a judge approved Kaley and Jeremy Carling’s adoption of twins, they were approved for adopting two more children that they had been fostering. Learn more here.
  4. World War II Veteran Uses Dogs to Help Other Veterans: Irwin Stovroff, who was an airman in World War II, created a nonprofit organization called Vets Helping Heroes that gives service dogs to veterans in need of a furry friend or a little happiness in their lives. Learn more here.
  5. Williams Sisters Open Yetunde Price Resource Center: On Monday, Nov. 7, the sisters, famous for their tennis skills and championship wins, announced the opening of a resource center for those affected by violence in Compton, Calif. Learn more here.
  6. Google Translate Helps A Girl Make a New Friend: At Paloma Elementary School in Temecula, Calif., Amanda Moore used Google Translate to invite Raphael Anaya, a new student who didn’t speak any English, to sit with her at lunch. Learn more here.  
  7. Massachusetts Passes a New Farm Animal Safety Law: Voters in Massachusetts decided to pass a law that makes it illegal to contain animals in extreme means and make it illegal to sell eggs or meat made in such conditions. Learn more here.
  8. Pitbull Swims Two Miles to Be Rescued: After jumping off of a seawall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Gypsy the pitbull swam two miles until she was found by a tugboat driver and returned to her concerned owners. Learn more here.
  9. Two Girls of Different Religions Unite For Halloween: In Laguna Niguel, Calif., Casey Pearlman, who is Jewish, and Yasmin Idris, who is Muslim, created a team of superheroes for their Halloween costume. They called themselves the “Juslims.” Learn more here.
  10. Cat Saved From an Underground Pipe: After an estimated seven hours in a pipe on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Thomas Jefferson, an orange tabby cat, was rescued by the Nashville Fire Department. Firefighters say he most likely fell in a rain gutter and then three stories into the pipe. Learn more here.