“Magawa’s work directly saves and changes the lives of men, women and children who are impacted by these land mines. Every discovery he makes reduces the risk of injury or death for local people.” Rat That Sniffs Out Land Mines Receives Award for Bravery.

+ Helsinki airport trials sniffer dogs as Covid-19 detectors. (Well, at least they’ll know if your crotch has covid…)

+ “In true Shakespearean style, their romantic story began on their respective balconies this year while Italians were forced to sequester in their homes because of the pandemic. It was in Verona.” Italian couple ‘Romeo and Juliet’ met from their balconies during lockdown. Now they’re engaged. “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” … “Hit me up on my DM and I’ll explain the whole thing…” (Let’s pause here to make sure everyone knows “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” is Juliet asking why her prospective boyfriend is named Romeo, meaning their love will be frowned upon, and also to listen to Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet, because it has one of the great rock lines ever. “You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah. Now you just say ‘oh, Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him.'” Close readers will notice that many of my editions of NextDraft are written entirely in iambic pentameter…)

+ Doobie Brothers’ lawyer sends humorous copyright-infringement letter to Bill Murray.

+ To combat hunger, neighbors are stocking community fridges on Boston’s streets.

+ A new emoji perfectly captures 2020.

+ Spanish triathlete lets rival cross the line first after making mistake at the finish.

+ Zookeepers bottle-feed koala, kangaroo, and wallaby joeys as animal park welcomes adorable newborns.