Hello, dear readers. Scottie Andrew here, filling in for our beloved AJ. Onward, to good news.

Never underestimate the power of a good hug. I was once a hug-averse kid, proud of my disdain for snuggling, so I've made up for all those lost embraces by hugging the people I love as often as possible. I love throwing my arms around friends or colliding with a pal mid-air. Even better — being sandwiched between loved ones in a group hug. I love hanging onto someone for a few seconds and rocking back and forth, squeezing each other tightly. I love, too, a hug that makes you feel like you can exhale deeply for the first time in a long time. Hugging strangers in celebration or in gratitude, even, feels like a special privilege. It’s one of the great joys of the human experience, being held. So consider this newsletter your prescription for more hugs, and please fill it at once.

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

Cheeseburger(s) in paradise
And the award for silliest lil’ stinker goes to … Barrett Golden, a 2-year-old trickster who took his mom’s phone, opened the DoorDash app and placed an order for 31 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s. (The total was a whopping $91.70, including a generous 25% tip the toddler left.) Was this an innocent accident or the perfect prank? Since Barrett's only 2, probably the former, but it's deliciously hilarious nonetheless. In a perfect twist, Barrett doesn’t even like cheeseburgers, so Barrett’s mom offered the patties up for free to hungry neighbors. The mini burger-monger, meanwhile, happily chowed down on chicken nuggets days later, when his local McDonald’s invited the devoted young customer to hang out with some company mascots. His mom Kelsey said of the great cheeseburger mishap, "I hope it spreads a little humor in a sad, dark world.” I’d say Barrett did just that.

Rhinos rally to grow their population
Wonderful news for rhinos and fans of the horned beasts the world over: The greater one-horned rhino, also called the Indian rhino, is seeing its biggest population boom since the 1980s! There are currently more than 4,000 Indian rhinos in the wild, says the International Rhino Foundation, largely due to successful breeding seasons throughout the pandemic. The rhinos’ habitats have been closed to visitors due to Covid-19, and Indian and Nepalese officials have taken new measures to give the armored creatures “the space they need to breed,” which benefited rhinos who became parents over the last few years. It’s a victory for the vulnerable species, for conservationists and for the rest of us who regularly fawn over photos of rhino babies.

BREAKING: Florida woman includes yet another gator-centric story in ‘Good Stuff’ newsletter
And I’ll NEVER STOP! Like I said last week, there’s just something in me — a sweet spot for swamp predators, perhaps — that loves tales of gators intruding on suburbia. This week, we’ve got a big fella (550 lbs and close to 11 feet long, YEESH) who broke through a family’s pool screen to go for a serene swim. We’re in the thick of gator mating season, so the reptiles are out and about more often — and more likely to end up in someone’s backyard. Police who responded called him a “monster.” I call him a cool, cold-blooded guy who just wanted to go for a nighttime dip unperturbed. Eventually, officials called in a trapper, who dropped off the behemoth (and, conveniently, another 11-foot gator trapped earlier that night) in a nearby town where the scaly swimmers have more room to roam without scaring civilians — a happy ending for everyone.

The Good Stuff would also like to send a special shout-out to CNN's Zoe Sottile, who wrote several of the positive stories we highlight this week, including the three above. To a true bearer of good news!

A round of applause for ...

... Zander Moricz, class president and graduating senior at Florida's Pine View School. Moricz, who's gay, led a student walkout earlier this year to protest legislation that bans certain subjects related to gender identity and sexual orientation from being discussed in schools. So when school officials told him he couldn't discuss his activism in his graduation speech, he found a way to express his support for LGBTQ students without mentioning the acronym at all. Instead, he used his curly hair as a stand-in for his identity, referencing how he "used to hate his curls" until he found support in his teachers. He encouraged his classmates to work toward making their school and state more inclusive for "kids with curly hair" down the road. He ended his speech to raucous applause and a celebratory hug from his principal. "We're all responsible to push against things like this," Moricz told CNN. Bravo, Zander, for your wise words and unflappable spirit.

You gotta see this

"Hear ye, hear ye — there's a new state park coming to California, and we're already livin' in it!" is what I imagine this petite little marsh wren is shouting mid-straddle. It's big news, after all! Dos Rios Ranch is set to become California's first new state park in 13 years and the 280th state park in the Golden State. The 2,500-acre ranch in SoCal is already home to dozens of species, including the Aleutian Cackling Goose, no longer considered endangered thanks to years of conservation at the ranch, as well as riparian brush rabbits and plenty of migratory songbirds. The habitat was restored by nonprofit River Partners, whose clean-ups and "re-wilding" efforts convinced several once-common species to rebuild homes there. "It really feels like a wild California," a California Parks & Recreation official told CNN. The marsh wren was convincing, but now I'm definitely sold — this park rules!

Wanna get away?

'Tis the season to laze on the beach. And if you're still deliberating which waterside vacation locale to spend some time at, "Dr. Beach" has got you covered with his annual rankings of the best US beaches. "Dr. Beach" is actually a scientist named Stephen Leatherman, who leads Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research. Florida didn't even nab the number-one spot, so we can assume Leatherman is unbiased. Instead, his top pick is Lifeguarded Beach on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. It earned high marks in three essential areas the "doctor" measures: sand quality, water cleanliness and beach safety. Those looking for upscale beach resorts won't find them here: Lifeguarded Beach is still somewhat wild, and it's only accessible by boat (or private plane, but those are, uh, slightly more difficult to get a hold of). If you're interested in sun, sand and surf, "Dr. Beach" says this Ocracoke Island beach is the best it gets.

Who knew?

Back to the subject of hugs — we've long assumed snuggling is a stress reliever, but now we have science to back it up! A recent study found that women who hugged their significant other showed a decrease in the production of cortisol, a stress hormone, compared to the hug-less control group. Physical signs of affection with someone you love can release the neurotransmitter oxytocin, which reduces levels of pesky cortisol. Paired with strong social support systems, the physiological response we have to hugs can dampen the impact stress has on us. In men, the decrease in cortisol was not as significant, but a hug's a hug, and I'll gladly keep 'em coming.

THE GOOD STUFF

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