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Potomac River Now Healthier Than in '50s, Study Shows

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:14:38 GMT

The Potomac River, once so polluted it was labeled a "national disgrace," is now the cleanest it has been in decades its comeback signaled by the re-growth of large areas of underwater grasses.

A new scientific study, released Tuesday, paints an evocative picture of the Potomac's rebound from the 1960s, when its bottom was bare mud and its algae-choked water was AstroTurf green.

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Good News on this day in History, September 8

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Michelangelo's David is unveiled in Florence (1504)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway was published (1952)
The first episode of Star Trek, the science-fiction television classic, premiered on NBC (1966)
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was inaugurated in Washington, DC, with the premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass (1971)
The first Oprah Winfrey Show aired (1986)
The Republic of Macedonia became independent from Yugoslavia
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Natural Cosmetics: Ingredients That Deliver Pure Beauty From Nature

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:41:40 GMT

Do pure, topical ingredients from nature have any science behind them? As it turns out, yes, many of them do.

Authors of No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics have compiled a list of

Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Raises $58.9 Million

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:31:23 GMT

Despite the struggling economy, officials with the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon say contributions and pledges from this weekend's 45th annual Labor Day event totaled $58.9 million.

"I'm heartened by the unique ability of Americans to help others in need, when they themselves are likely struggling financially," said Lewis, national chairman of MDA.

Through Lewis's telethons, more than 2.5 billion dollars has been raised to help fight

Heat From Paris Metro and its Travelers Will Warm Housing Project Above

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:57:28 GMT

Heat from trains moving along tracks in the Parisian metro combined with the warmth generated by human bodies will help heat a public housing project in the city center.

The project, which is based on geothermal technology, aims to draw heat from subterranean passages and move it to heat exchangers before supplying heating pipes.

Carbon dioxide emissions should be slashed by

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Students Reenact Day When 720 Pupils Walked Out to Protest Inferior Black School

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:31:29 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, and without telling their parents, five high school students led 720 of their fellow pupils on a walkout to protest the inferior facilities at their all-black school in segregated Kinston, North Carolina.

Some mark that peaceful march to the courthouse by Adkin High School students in November 1951 as the start of the Civil Rights Movement.

Over the weekend, a reunion of original students reenacted
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Good News on this day in History, September 7

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Brazil celebrates its independence gained on this day from Portugal (1822)

Former cartoonist Johnny Gruelle patented his Raggedy Ann doll (1915)

TV pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image electronically with his image dissector, and called it television (1927)

Monty Python's Flying Circus recorded its first episode (1969)

Desmond Tutu became first black leader of South Africa Anglican Church (1986)

Abdul Ahad Mohmand, the first
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The Unsung Hero Behind the Polluted Rouge River's Rebirth

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:47:21 GMT

Ed Bagale was honored with an Unsung Hero Award for his efforts to help transform the Rouge River from among the most polluted bodies of water in Michigan to one that is showing promise.

"We went, in the matter of 10 years, from a river that only one or two days a year had enough oxygen to support life to a river that has 27 species of
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German Woman Gets to Thank American in Person for Post-WWII CARE Packages

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:41:05 GMT

A now-67-year-old German woman finally got to thank in person an 88-year-old American woman for her middle-class family's generosity toward 'the enemy' after World War II.

The American family had made sure that life was just a bit more bearable for a German war widow and her young daughter, by sending 70 boxes of clothes, food and supplies --one every month,
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First Generation Not Ravaged by War in Russia, China, Japan, Europe

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:33:25 GMT

Something to think about, from a Letter to the Editor in the Daily Record...

Since the end of World War II 65 years ago, this is the first generation of (Western) Europeans in about 1,600 years to reach their 60's without being ravaged by war.

This is also the first generation of Russians to reach their 60's without being ravaged by war.
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Top 10 Foods and Drinks for Cancer Prevention

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:14:17 GMT
In the book Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic
They suggest a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and drinks. Here are the top ten items to include in your diet, if you don't already have them on
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Ghana’s Incredible Path Out of Hunger and Poverty

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:10:27 GMT

Ghana is on track to be the first country in Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for halving poverty and hunger by 2015.

Between 1990 and 2004, Ghana outperformed all other countries worldwide, reducing hunger by 75 percent.

"Ghana’s progress has been remarkable," says Melinda Gates, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "especially when you consider the devastating drought, dwindling
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Green Revolution Comes to Low-Income Neighborhoods

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:48:10 GMT

Kendrick Harris, a high school dropout who has been homeless and jobless, has had more pressing things to worry about than the environment.

But in the last year the 22-year-old South Los Angeles resident has planted community gardens, cleaned up abandoned industrial sites and learned how to install solar panels.

Harris is one of 200 local residents taking part in an innovative program, called
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Basque Separatists Announce Cease-Fire

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:25:57 GMT
The Basque separatist militant group ETA declared a cease-fire in a video statement issued on Sunday, suggesting it might turn to a political process in its quest for independence.

"ETA makes it known that as of some months ago it took the decision to no longer employ offensive armed actions," the statement said, suggesting it is ready to pursue a "democratic process," in trying to achieve
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Big Donors Join Forces to Help Close City Schools Gap

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:09:43 GMT

In what could be a first for the nation, the largest philanthropic groups in Charlotte, North Carolina have joined forces to pour millions of dollars into helping Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools solve the achievement gap.

It's called the CMS Investment Study Group, and its goal is to find a way to pool corporate and private donations for a bigger impact on student performance.

Within the region's school districts, just
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Japanese Man Invents Machine to Turn Plastic Back into Oil

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:21:59 GMT

Out of his love for the environment and concern about over-flowing landfills, Akinori Ito, from the Japanese company Blest, developed a machine capable of transforming plastic back into oil for use as gasoline or kerosine.

While the process is easy to understand the results are pretty impressive: For every 1kg of plastic, 1 liter of oil can be harvested. Aside from the obvious advantage
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Farmer's Roadside Stand Thrives on Honor System

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:12:45 GMT

Since 1946, a roadside honey stand has survived as a monument to the proposition that people are basically good.

That's because it runs on the honor system.

Its shelves are crowded with jars of golden honey. Next to this is a weathered, steel strongbox with the words "PAY HERE/THANK YOU" written in marker.

As an economic proposition, does it work?

"Works great. It's been there 63 years," said David C.
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200,000 U.S. Homes Weatherized to Save Energy and Money

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:14:53 GMT

Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars in energy seep through poorly insulated walls, doors and windows in American homes. So in 2009, as the U.S. Congress crafted its economic stimulus bill, lawmakers set aside a record $5 billion to weatherize the nation’s leaky homes.

The purpose was twofold: to help low-income Americans save money on home heating and cooling bills and to boost
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Goats Rescued After 2 Days on 6-inch Ledge in Montana

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:42:45 GMT

Two young goats wandered onto the thin ledge of a railroad bridge and spent nearly two days high above the ground until rescuers in a towering cherry picker plucked them from their perch, hungry but safe.

"The whole time, we thought they were going to fall off," said Sandy Church, of the Rimrock Humane Society, who was called by a driver
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Doggie Lifeguards Saving Swimmers in Italy

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:55:59 GMT

Hundreds of specially trained pooches are deployed each summer bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy's popular beaches.

These "lifedogs" wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to
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