A warming Arctic is threatening the polar bear capital of the world
The WCCO Original documentary, "On The Edge: The People and Polar Bears of a Warming Arctic," brings you up close to polar bears in the wild with behind-the-scenes footage and unforgettable polar bear encounters.
Discover how climate change in this small Canadian town is a warning for us all, and what we all can do to ensure the future of polar bears and northern communities.
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Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I slept on a $700 pillow and loved it — but I still prefer my $85 alternative
In the land of bedding, it is a known fact that the comfort and support offered by natural down is among the best on offer. As someone who tests bedding for a living, I 100% agree with this — especially after sleeping on the Norvegr Premium Collection White Goose Down Pillow. In simple terms, it's a dream. I'd describe it as an amalgamation of our eight best pillows we've tested in 2025. But this didn't stop me from missing my $85 memory foam and microfiber alternative. And yes, I feel a little guilty for saying that... The reason? I know that it's possible to recreate the same luxury comfort and support for one-tenth of the price. But before we decide the final verdict, let's dive into everything you need to know about this Norvegr pillow, my experience sleeping on it and the journey of creating a headrest meant for 'royalty'... Beyond a bedding brand, Norvegr is a family business spanning three generations, currently run by Nils Stene, the grandson of the founder. The roots of the brand are essentially Norse, tracing back to the Viking era when pure Eiderdown feathers were used to create the most luxuriously cozy bedding and Arctic clothing. The product in question is the Norvegr Premium Collection European White Goose 100% Down Pillow. Made from all natural down with a fill power of 830 coming in a soft-to-touch cotton case, this is a supremely plush headrest available in three firmness levels to suit your sleeping preferences (soft, medium and firm). Norvegr takes great pride in crafting duvets, pillows and other bedding meant to last decades. The brand recommends relying on its restoration service to refresh your down pillow every 5 years — which will help make it last up to 25 years with proper maintenance. This makes it stand out from the regular pillows in the market with a humble sleep trial and warranty of a maximum of five years (the best I've seen so far for a pillow). Norvegr is a brand which screams 'quiet luxury'. Its products embody the values of simplicity, modesty and superior quality. This is why their bedding is tailor-made to suit the client and their needs, rather than matching your sleep profile to existing options. Even though I've tested many pillows, getting a customized one based on my sleeping style was a new experience. The process involved a sleep consultation with the present Norvegr CEO Nils Stene, who enquired about my primary sleeping position, preferred pillow feel and height. Based on my details, Stene recommended the Premium Collection White Goose Down firm pillow. All I had to do after that was wait for my perfect pillow to arrive. Note that this process is not for those who are pressed on time. Each pillow is made to order, which can take up to three weeks. As the name suggests, the Premium Down Collection Pillow comes with a hefty price tag ranging anywhere between $320 to $1,020 (£241 to £769). When shopping on the site, you should first select your country (US, UK, Norway and Europe) which will show you the prices accordingly. Norvegr pillows begin at $180 for a Standard Collection model. This means the Premium Collection is its most expensive line-up with prices starting from $320 (£241). Unlike other brands, Norvegr don't offer seasonal bedding sales. Prices are decided solely based on your requirements which are not subject to change based on major sale events like Black Friday or Memorial Day. This once again points to the fact that the brand values 'intention' rather than spontaneous shopping sprees. Yes, Norvegr pillows do not come with a conventional sleep trial or warranty but they are made to last up to 25 years. But how is that possible? That's where their unique restoration service comes in. Every five years, you can send in your pillow to their specialized family-run facility in Norway, for a thorough clean-up and refresh. The brand employs harmless UV irradiation to sanitize the pillow and it's then filled to its original loft capacity, with freshly-cleaned down material. The idea is to effectively restore it so that your dream Norvegr pillow is good as new. Norvegr European White Goose Down Pillow: boudoir soft from $320 / £241 at NorvegrI'm currently testing a standard size firm Premium Collection pillow which costs $535 / £584 for a standard size or $655 / £769 for a queen/king. You can choose your pick from their three pillow collections, which differ in terms of down composition and fill power. The prices include any import duties, or VAT. Worldwide shipping is free for orders above $1,000. The brand lives by their luxury ethos in everything — right from the construction of the pillow down to its packaging. Your easy-to-open cardboard boxes and vacuum sealed packing can't be compared to the meticulous attention to detail on this pillow. Once I opened the DHL packaging, I was greeted by a fully black sack bag with glorious silver drawstrings, complete with the Norvegr logo on the front. The pillow was kept neatly folded inside without any plastic seals or tapes. Once out of the bag, it takes a while to fully unfurl. Being made from 100% organic materials, you need not worry about the slightest off-gassing when unpacking this pillow. Fluffing it up by hand can help speed up the expansion process, but I happened to sleep on mine after only a few hours. Have I been this excited about lying down on a pillow before? Probably not. And I was not disappointed. It was like laying my head among the clouds — the plushness and softness nestled my neck and shoulders and provided the ultimate cozy sleep experience. The Norvergr pillow felt luxuriously indulgent, comfortable and regal. Being a combination sleeper (side and back), the custom-made pillow worked wonders to support my neck, head and shoulders in both these positions. It is safe to say that I drifted off into a peaceful slumber as soon as my head touched the pillow on the first night of testing. During the one-week testing period, I slept like a baby throughout the night. The temperature-regulating properties of natural down proved to be an exceptional weapon against the erratic hot and humid nights. However, one drawback I spotted every morning once I woke up was how flat the pillow felt under the weight of my head. It requires regular fluffing to maintain the support and shape, much more than your adjustable foam pillows. Moreover, if you're someone used to the responsiveness of memory foam like I am, it might take a while to get used to extreme plushness of feathers. I found that my face and neck sank deeper into the pillow during the night, with the two sides bulging on either end. For me the Norvegr pillow was supremely comfortable and every bit effective in providing a goodnight's rest. It helped me sleep without any discomfort or overheating during a rapidly changing British summer. I do need more time to fully asses the performance of the pillow, especially in terms of support, as I noticed it tends to flatten quite easily, so stay tuned for my full review after a few more weeks sleeping on it. But, does every one really need a $700 pillow? In my opinion, you don't require an expensive down pillow if your priority is just 'quality sleep'. This is why I'd still prefer the Coop Original Adjustable which is priced at $85 for a standard size— with more or less the same benefits as the Norvegr pillow. Made from a hypoallergenic blend of contouring memory foam and cushioning microfiber, the Coop Original has a fully adjustable design— which means you can simply add or remove the fill to suit any sleeping position (side, back or front). During the Coop Original Adjustable review period, I found it to be a plush yet supportive pillow, offering the subtle responsiveness and pressure relief of the foam and fiber combination. It also sleeps at a very neutral temperature, but if you're a hot sleeper, I'd recommend investing in a dedicated cooling pillow instead. Coop Original Adjustable Pillow: from $85 at Coop Sleep GoodsA standard size Coop Original is priced at $85 while a king pillow will cost you $99. It is also available to buy in three different shapes: classic, crescent and cut-out. The pillow comes encased in a soft Lulltra (a blend of polyester and bamboo-derived viscose rayon) cover which is both removable and machine washable. We have previously spotted the Coop Original up to 20% off during major sale events like Black Friday, Memorial Day and Prime Day, which drops the MSRP of a standard size to $68. However, a regal sleep experience is priceless and this is exactly what Norvegr delivers. This can only be best described by the brand's foundational vision: "to elevate the essential". The idea is to transform the most basic parts of our daily lives into "lifelong luxury", since the biggest investment you can ever make is on yourself. As a sleep writer who delves into the importance of rest for your physical and mental wellbeing, I understand that 'sleep' is indeed one aspect of our life which deserves attention, care and of course, luxury. If that sounds like how you want to elevate your sleep health, Norvegr is the right choice.
2 days ago
2 friends travel 1,400 miles on public transit from Mexico to Canada border
Two public transportation enthusiasts embarked on a courageous journey to travel from the Mexican border to Canada, using only local transit, including several buses and trains along the West Coast. Miles Taylor and Jackson Betz set out from San Ysidro, California, the southernmost point of the Golden State, armed with a detailed spreadsheet containing 50 rows of carefully planned connections. "Because it's possible," Taylor told ABC News when asked about the motivation behind the unconventional journey. For Taylor, the trip represented a natural extension of his long-standing passion for public transportation. He began blogging about transit systems at age 13, reviewing every bus route and train station in New York's transit system. Years later, his YouTube channel, @MilesinTransit, had garnered millions of views, showcasing his budget-conscious travel adventures. "I booked a ticket from New York to San Antonio for just $3," Betz told ABC News, highlighting the pair's commitment to cost-effective travel. The journey, which began on a Monday from Southern California, took the two college friends through Oregon, where they encountered both scenic vistas and unexpected challenges. "A lot of these buses have been jolting us out of our seats, but the scenery makes it all worthwhile," the duo told ABC News during their Oregon leg of the trip. Their meticulously planned schedule faced a significant disruption when an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's coast, triggering tsunami alerts along their route. "We checked into our motel, and then maybe 10 minutes later, the tsunami alarms went off and everything went haywire," Taylor told ABC News. The natural disaster forced the friends to adjust their timeline, pushing their expected arrival at the Canadian border from last Friday to Monday. For Taylor, the journey aligned perfectly with his content creation approach. "What I do on my channel is just the things I'd be doing for fun anyway," he told ABC News. The pair utilized various forms of public transportation throughout their journey, including light rail systems and regional bus services, demonstrating the possibilities of long-distance travel using only local transit options.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
I'm a New Yorker who went to Montreal for the first time, and 5 things surprised me
I spent 24 hours in Montreal in August 2022. It was my first time visiting the French-Canadian city, and I was surprised by the architecture. I didn't expect my trip to Canada to feel like a European adventure. After a 10-hour train ride, two hours on a bus, and another five hours on the rails, I finally made it from my home in NYC to Montreal, the largest city in Canada's eastern province of Quebec. The journey was long, but the trip was short. Although I only spent 24 hours in the city, my single day in Montreal was packed with surprises. The first thing that shocked me about Montreal was how much green space I saw, even in the most urban areas. Montreal is home to more than 1,495 parks, according to the Government of Canada. Throughout Downtown Montreal, I spotted greenery in every direction, from unique landscaping on buildings to lines of trees. In between blocks of skyscrapers, I also found shaded squares to cool off. West of downtown, I also enjoyed visiting the lush Mount Royal, a small mountain in the middle of the city with 400 stairs leading to a viewpoint overlooking Montreal. The entrance to the park was a 30-minute uphill walk from my hotel. Climbing the stairs along the mountain took me another half hour. The walk was tiring, but when I got to the top of Mount Royal, I thought it was totally worth it for the all-encompassing views. I didn't expect to see such a wide variety of architecture. While wandering through the downtown area and Old Montreal, I noticed another cool thing about this city: the contrasting modern and historical architectural styles, from Art Deco to Gothic Revival. Downtown, I also spotted historic structures that stood out next to modern skyscrapers, like Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral and the Sun Life Building. I didn't expect to feel like I was in Europe. Heading east from downtown, I could tell I had reached Old Montreal when the streets turned cobblestone, which made me feel like I was in Europe. The stone streets date back to the 1800s, according to the Montreal Gazette. Historical architecture added to the European vibe. I had never heard of the Underground City before my visit. Another area I found fascinating was the Underground City, which is a horizontal building full of shops and passageways that connect to underground metro stations over a 20-mile radius, according to Montreal Tourism. The Underground City is meant to save pedestrians from the outdoors during harsh winter months when temperatures drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Since I visited on a beautiful day, I found it mostly empty. I didn't expect poutine to taste like Thanksgiving dinner. My last stop before leaving Montreal was La Banquise, a poutine restaurant where I tried the Canadian delicacy of fries, cheese, and gravy for the first time. The fries were crispy and greasy — just like I like them. I thought the gravy was reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner, and the curds added a unique texture without adding too much flavor. In one bite, I could see why this dish was so popular and comforting. It was warm, filling, and nostalgic, transporting me back to November. When I left Montreal, I thought my trip was too short.
