DAILY NEWS Stream – March 2, 2026

The US Department of Labor announces US$81 million in RESTART grants to expand training and employment programs for formerly incarcerated people, prioritizing skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, and Registered Apprenticeships — with a special focus on shipbuilding — as part of a national effort to help justice-involved workers secure stable, in-demand jobs (US Department of Labor)

Hyundai Motor Group donates four unmanned, remote-controlled firefighting robots to South Korea’s National Fire Agency, deploying the high-heat-resistant, water-cannon-equipped machines to elite rescue units so they can handle initial suppression and search operations in dangerous environments that are too risky for human firefighters (PR Newswire)

Mandai Exploria, a 10,000-square meter indoor attraction opening March 3 at Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve, will offer one of Southeast Asia’s largest immersive nature-themed experiences with five multimedia realms spanning dinosaurs, microscopic ecosystems, extreme habitats, rainforests, and deep-sea worlds, all enhanced by interactive wristbands and conservation-focused storytelling (CNA Lifestyle)

China says it sentences more than 41,000 people in a sweeping crackdown on telecom and online fraud linked to criminal networks operating out of northern Myanmar, including 16 death sentences for members of two major syndicates, underscoring China’s increasingly hardline approach to cross-border scam operations (Dân Trí)

US President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in US history on February 24 lasting nearly 1 hour and 48 minutes. Speaking to a joint session of Congress ahead of the midterm elections, He proclaimed a “golden age” for America, declaring the nation “back — bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before.” President Trump touted a “roaring” economy with falling inflation, rising incomes, booming stock markets, energy dominance, and job growth, crediting His policies for a “turnaround for the ages.” He highlighted border security as the “strongest in history,” reduced drug trafficking, and military strength, while honoring American heroes—including Olympic gold medalists, Medal of Honor recipients, and a 100-year-old Korean War veteran— in dramatic gallery moments (PBS)

A large US study of more than three million adults finds that people with a prior COVID-19 infection face sharply higher long-term risks of kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and even kidney failure compared with those who had influenza or no viral infection, prompting researchers to call for closer post-COVID kidney monitoring (News-Medical.net)

A long-term UK birth-cohort study finds that children born to parents who were overweight or obese during early pregnancy face sharply higher odds of developing fatty liver disease by their 20s, suggesting the risk for this increasingly common condition begins before birth (EurekAlert)

Thailand reports 49 human infections and three deaths from pig-people-borne bacterium Streptococcus suis in just six weeks, with cases now spread across 28 provinces and linked largely to eating raw or undercooked pig meat dishes (Zing News)

Experts like dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe and registered dietitian Roxana Ehsani of the US reveal that consuming carrots, oranges, tomatoes, and pomegranates brightens skin within weeks. These superfoods provide beta-carotene, vitamin C, and lycopene to boost collagen and block UV [ultraviolet] radiation damage. To optimize results, some recommend pairing these nutrients with consistent hydration and sleep to accelerate the body’s natural skin regeneration process (Lao Động)

Medical experts in China warn that chronic processed animal-people meat consumption significantly raises risks for kidney failure and colorectal cancer. High levels of sodium and carcinogens can trigger early-onset organ damage, as recently seen in a 31-year-old male patient in China diagnosed with terminal illness following years of daily sausage and ham intake (Báo Sức khỏe và Đời sống)

American gut health expert Dr. Megan Rossi recommends three lifestyle shifts to combat acid reflux. Finishing meals three hours before bedtime, avoiding overeating, and managing constipation effectively reduce abdominal pressure on the esophagus. Britain’s NHS [National Health Service] advises that adults—especially those in Western Europe where cases are high— seek medical consultation if these symptoms persist or involve “red flag” warning signs (VietnamNet)

Climate change makes plants grow more and stay green longer in northern areas, due to extra carbon dioxide and warmer weather. This slowly moves Earth’s main green zone northeast about 2.4 kilometers each year. That shift can reduce how much carbon dioxide plants absorb overall and mess up animal-peoples’ natural timing for finding food, breeding, and migrating (Earth.com)

Record-breaking end of February temperatures, typical of May, spread across France due to warm air masses, shattering seasonal norms by up to 14°C in some regions (The Watchers)

Climate-linked dry conditions fuel a fast-moving grass fire in Thornton, Colorado [US] injuring five, forcing evacuations, and closing the Interstate 25 highway for 90 minutes (The Watchers)

A mother-daughter citizen-science team discovers what researchers say is the largest mapped coral structure ever recorded, a 111-meter-long Pavona clavus formation in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a find hailed as a major conservation milestone amid widespread bleaching threats (VTV)

A global analysis of more than 10,000 freshwater fish-people species warns that nearly one-third are now at risk of extinction, and researchers say an AI [artificial intelligence] model has identified the strongest predictors of survival — healthy, connected rivers with stable water supplies and lower human pressure — offering a roadmap for protecting species before they collapse (Earth.com)

China’s researchers say they have developed a low-cost microbial technique that can turn loose desert sand into stable, fertile soil within 10–16 months by seeding cyanobacteria that bind sand grains into a protective “biological crust,” cutting erosion by over 90% and creating moisture-retaining ground capable of supporting vegetation (Soha)

A new study finds that leading AI systems escalate to nuclear use in about 95% of simulated geopolitical crises, repeatedly treating atomic weapons as practical tools rather than last-resort options and showing none of the “nuclear taboo” that restrains human decision-makers (The Mirror)

A massive study of one million infants tracked from birth to age two confirms vegan and vegetarian babies grow normally compared to their peers. Researchers find no meaningful differences in height or weight compared to omnivorous children (Vegan Food & Living)

American chef and cookbook author Miyoko Schinner (vegan) introduces a fermented vegan mozzarella from her book “The Vegan Creamery” on her YouTube channel. It pours like sauce and firms when baked. The cashew-based recipe uses thermophilic cultures to achieve authentic stretch, melt, and browning (Plant Based News)

Technical University Berlin [Germany] launches a project to standardize plant protein consistency across peas, soy, and fava beans for properties such as solubility, emulsifying capacity, gelation, and foaming. Researchers aim to align measurement methods with ISO [International Organization for Standardization] rules to ensure uniform food quality (Vegconomist)

Two skiers at Palisades Tahoe ski resort [US] rescue a man buried head-first in 1.2 meters of powder after spotting his ski tips. This miracle follows California’s deadliest avalanche, which killed nine near Castle Peak (New York Post)

In Hebei, China, a viral video shows a cat- and mouse-person lounging and playing together as close companions. Their caregiver says the cat-citizen was adopted when young, while the mouse-individual had already lived in the home for months (VnExpress)

South Africa’s Owl Rescue Centre saves two barn owl-people, “Ginger and Spice,” from a spice factory hopper. The pair snuck in through an outlet pipe but was safely removed before the machinery started (Good Things Guy)

Thoughtful quote of the day: “Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” – Saadi Shirazi Famed Iranian Poet (BrainyQuote)

Previously, in Part 1 of 2 of Mike Olsen’s near-death experience, Mike described his diagnosis with a terminal lung disease, the years of steady decline that followed, and the spiritual guidance he says carried him through — including a vision of lungs descending from Heaven and a sudden urgency he believed came from God. When the transplant call finally came, he hurried to the hospital, unaware that the surgery would take him far beyond the operating room. The next morning, surgeons began the 12-hour procedure. After the new lungs were in place, a clamp was removed too early. Mike bled out. He died on the operating table.

I was aware of my body going up towards the ceiling and then those rainbow swirling lights. They were angels, because I heard them singing, “Mike’s coming home. Mike’s coming.” They were singing a song like a melody. It was like nothing I’ve ever heard before. And it’s like they were so excited that I was coming home.

Then the Lord spoke. And then, the Lord interjected and said, “No, he’s just here for a visit.” And it was like I was sucked into that. They were escorting me into Heaven. And then I’m standing there, and then I’m now, I’m really, I’m not freaking out, but I’m going — I looked at myself, and I was illuminating, like white, like glowing. And then I looked all around me, and as far as I could see, like football fields long, with bright white Light everywhere I turned, bright white Light. I was engulfed. It was like — I tell everybody this is what it felt like. I feel like I was being bathed in light. It was like I was being purified. It was like pulsating, and it was like every atom, every — I don’t know how to explain it — every molecule was pulsating, and it was like saying, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

It was like Jesus was in me. I was in Jesus. I was complete there in Heaven. And I was like, in my kind of life review, I was trying to pull it all together. It was like I was trying to search for my sins in Heaven, because I thought surely He knows all the things I’ve done, all the things I’ve experienced. Surely He does, and it wasn’t there. It was like totally gone.

Mike thought of his wife and adopted son back on Earth and sensed he had more to do. Then he remembered the organ donor whose lungs were now inside him — a man who had died. I said out of my spirit, it wasn’t out of my mouth, out of my spirit, I just said, “I want to thank my organ donor. I want to meet them.” And I looked to the left, because I saw something stirring. And I look, and I’m like, “It’s Jesus and the organ donor standing there. They’re just standing there.” I’m trying to talk to the organ donor like, “Dude, I’m so happy. Thank you for those lungs.” And I can tell he’s like, “Dude, we’re in front of the Lord Jesus Christ.” And then, Jesus put His hand on my shoulder, probably to calm me down in my thoughts, and He said, “Mike, these are your lungs. These are your lungs. Receive them.”

Mike says he answered, “Yes.” Then he found himself back in the operating room. He was in a coma for 10 days on heart and lung machines. When Mike’s wife asked about all the machines, a nurse confirmed what the surgeon had told her: Mike had bled out and died. While he was still in that coma, sitting at home beside her sister-in-law Kay, Mike’s wife says she suddenly knew something she couldn’t explain. My wife’s name is Patty. She said, “Kay, I’m sitting here. I don’t know how I know this.” She says, “Something has just come over me. Mike’s in Heaven, and he got to thank his organ donor, but I don’t know how I know that.”

Days later, when the breathing tube was removed, Mike’s Swedish friend Jeff rushed into the intensive care unit to ask Mike a question before anyone else could. Jeff comes bounding into the room. They had just gotten it out. I’m just breathing on my own for the first time. And so I’m looking at Jeff, and he goes, “Mike, when you were out there… did you experience anything?” I’m like, three octaves lower, because I had lost my voice. I said, “Yeah, I went to Heaven. I got to thank my organ donor.” He looks at me wide-eyed, and he starts crying. My wife’s in the hall. She hears it from the hallway. She comes in, and she’s crying. And my wife said, “Mike, I knew that before you even said it out of your mouth.” She said, “The Lord told me before you even said anything.”

Recovery proved difficult. Mike developed serious airway complications after surgery, requiring repeated procedures — more than 100 in total. Yet through it all, he says he found himself ministering to nurses and other personnel, sharing his near-death experience with anyone who needed encouragement.

I would say just one thing I learned in Heaven, this is what I tell everybody, my brief visit there. We worry about too much stuff. Even as Christians, we worry about our finances. We worry about our kids. They’re not serving the Lord. We worry about our relationship with our spouse, like, “Am I a good husband?” and “Am I a good father?” “Am I…?” And we’re always measuring up in every area of our lives. And I just say to everybody, I’ve been there. And we have a Heavenly Father Who loves us. He doesn’t wink at our sins. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying He loves us deeply. And if we can just rest in that alone, even when we’re going through suffering, even though things are happening that we don’t understand, just rest in that deep love of the Father for us. It’ll change the way we think. It’ll give us peace that passes all understanding. (Imagine Heaven Podcast with John Burke)