One not so good bit of news is that I discovered a lump on Jazz, our oldest cat (at 14 months he's hardly old, barely out of kittenhood). It will hopefully be nothing, but he's in for an X-Ray today to check it out. UPDATE, 12:37: Vets have just called, it's just a fatty deposit, nothing to worry about. Phew!
And despite all the doom and gloom in the news, there are exciting stories of progress: 100-year starship project feasbility study, for example.