By Scottie Andrew

Finally, the biggest night in movies is (almost) upon us. By that I’m of course referring to my annual Oscars binge/catch-up, in which I attempt to watch all the nominated films that I missed in a mad scramble hours before the awards show starts. I’m not proud to report that I’ve only seen half the best picture noms (though I have watched the film I think will win — twice!). I’m sure I’ll find a free 12 hours to watch the leftovers before they start winning Oscars. And if I don’t make it through every movie before Sunday night, then hey, a great movie is great forever. The rest will be there for me when the time is right. 

Here are some good things that happened this week.

Claudia Greco/Reuters

Helping hands

It’s easy to feel helpless when wars are being waged overseas. By donating to any of the CNN-vetted nonprofits on the ground in the Middle East, you can make a small but impactful contribution to organizations providing immediate support to civilians who need it. You’ll recognize many of these groups, like UNICEF and World Central Kitchen, plus others with local roots in Lebanon, Iran and other affected countries. Click here to contribute.

True love

When he was only 4 years old, sweet little True arrived all alone at the hospital for heart surgery. True was a foster child then, and his congenital heart condition made it difficult for social workers to place him with families. But True was easy to love — one of his anesthesiologists, Dr. Amy Beethe, was already a foster parent and knew True would fit right in with her children. Now 10, True is an official member of the Beethe clan. And this writer is teary.

Tiger king

I am very jealous of my colleague Will Ripley, who traveled to Thailand to track a very special tiger. Gamma was separated from his mother as a baby but remarkably thrived by himself in the wild, migrating to an area that hasn’t seen tigers in 30 years. The conservation team that follows Gamma learned that he’s relocated to find a mate. Meanwhile, another tiger started skulking around Gamma’s former forest, suggesting that tigers are reoccupying land that used to be theirs. Hopefully Gamma will return with his own cubs in tow.

Seema Sheth

Flower power

The delightfully named scarlet monkeyflower is a true survivor. This unassuming wildflower survived California’s worst drought in 1,200 years by rapidly evolving its own genetics in the wild. The monkeyflower refuses to be extinguished! Even when most individual populations of the flower withered away in the drought, they bounced back within three years thanks to surviving flowers that rewired themselves to thrive, a process called “evolutionary rescue.” The monkeyflowers grew back even stronger. Is it weird to feel proud of a plant? 

Charlie Burrell/Knepp

Deer friends

“AAAAUUGHHHHH!” That’s how I imagine this red deer wakes up his fellow inhabitants of Knepp Estate, a 3,500-acre UK refuge for native species. Just 25 years ago, the land was totally unusable — polluted, depleted and nearly dead, complete with a crumbling castle. Restoring its health meant returning it to the wild, so its human owners planted native flowers, reintroduced formerly common species like pigs and beavers and let nature take the reins. Based on the gorgeous photos of Knepp now, nature did pretty well.

This week on CNN’s 5 Good Things podcast, how the singer behind the hit song from “K-Pop Demon Hunters” reinvented herself after rejection. A car salesman found a way to stand out at his job, and his videos have gone viral. Plus, college students nationwide are training puppies with a purpose.

You know what the Olympics were missing this year? SLED DOGS! Let’s get these canine athletes some dog-friendly medals in 2030. Click here to watch!

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