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SF Giants Pitcher Returns $500,000 After Noticing Mistake in Contract

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:32:32 +0100

Jeremy Affeldt makes $6 million a year pitching for the San Francisco Giants, but he gave a half-million back after a clerical error was discovered, despite already receiving the money back in 2010. Affeldt got three opinions saying the contract was ironclad and he could keep the extra $500,000, from the Players Association, agent Michael Moye and even Giants assistant general manager Bobby Evans, according to the SF Chronicle....

$25,000 Dropped Off Anonymously at Animal Shelter in Canada

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:02:00 +0100

Tuesday was an ordinary day at the Humane Society of Durham when an ordinary-looking man arrived at the animal shelter. The man, who looked to be in his early twenties, said he’d like to make a donation and handed over a plain white envelope. The worker at the front desk didn't look in the envelope. "I asked him if he wanted a tax receipt and he said there was no need for that,” she said....

Sandy-damaged High School Wins Dream Prom From Online Shop

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:01:56 +0100

Glamorous gowns and high heels took the place of Hurricane Sandy's damage and destruction for teens at East Rockaway High School in New York who are getting the chance to have their dream prom after winning a contest held by internet company Rent The Runway. Students arrived at their renovated gym for a style party and found walls of formal attire and shoes from which they got to pick a free outfit. Hair and makeup stylists were on hand to help plan their big night....

15 Foods That Can Be Regrown From Scraps

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:00:53 +0100

There is nothing like fresh produce from your own garden, but, did you know that there are veggies that you can grow in the kitchen from scraps? "I always have a mason jar of green onions regrowing above my kitchen sink. The technique is quite simple," writes the Mrs. Happy Homemaker blog. Once you have used the original onion, simply place the root end in a jar of water & it will begin to regrow within just a few days....

US Senator Merkley Pushes 'Monsanto Protection Act' Repeal

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:00:27 +0100

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is planning to push an amendment to the upcoming farm bill that would repeal the secret provision known as the Monsanto Protection Act, a rider attached anonymously to a spending bill that sailed through Congress in March. An outcry resulted once the public learned that the provision, inserted without debate, allowed Monsanto and other companies to continue selling genetically engineered seeds, even if a court has blocked them from doing so. Merkley will press for a...

Good News on this day in History, May 19

Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

The electric fire alarm system was patented in Boston, Mass., the first city to adopt the system (1857) Oscar Wilde was released from Reading Gaol prison having served 2 years hard labor for "gross indecency" (1897) The Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States and Britain that banned nuclear weapons from outer space (1967) Apple, Inc. opened its first "Genius Bars", where customers can go get free tech support, in Tysons Corner, Va., and Glendale, Calif. (2001)...

Children's Paintings Sold to Support School Arts Programs

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:25:46 +0100

In the hard-hit city of Philadelphia, a former art curator Barbara Chandler Allen was disgusted by cutbacks to arts funding for students, especially because it so disadvantages the poorest schools where kids are most in need of positive outlets. Lucky for the kids, Barbara stumbled onto a big idea after enlarging some of their art and realizing it was in high demand for the walls in office buildings....

Take a Short Survey and Help Redesign the GNN Website

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:37:03 +0100

5 years ago I surveyed fans of the Good News Network asking whether they would pay a subscription fee for the website and 67 percent said yes. Now I want to end the paywall and make our daily content free again, using a new approach that will ask for support, rather than require it. (I think it's an inspiring business model and reminiscent of public broadcasting.) I hope you'll donate a few minutes right now, and take an anonymous survey to let us know what we're doing right -- and what we shou...

Family Finds Winning Lottery Ticket After Praying for Help Upon Daughter's Death

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:59:02 +0100

When the Cerezo family finally turned in old lottery tickets purchased by their daughter before her death, they got a surprise lifeline to save their house from foreclosure. A four million dollar lottery win will help them keep the home, which is such a reminder of happy memories with their daughter who'd died at age 14....

Soldier in Disguise Surprises Daughter in Front of Baseball Crowd (WATCH)

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:59:41 +0100

A 9-year-old girl who was chosen to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game brought tears to every eye in the stadium when she found out the catcher was actually her father, a soldier home from Afghanistan, in disguise. Alayna Adams, who thought she was being honored because her father was serving overseas, walked to the mound after seeing a taped message from her father on the big screen at the Tampa Bay field....

Good News on this day in History, May 18

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Rhode Island passed the first law in North America making slavery illegal (1652) In the midst of the Great Depression, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority to establish navigation, flood control, electricity generation and economic development in the Tennessee River Valley, one of the poorest regions in the country at the time, covering parts of seven states (1933)...

Indianapolis Waitress Gets $446 Tip on $6 Bill

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:58:00 +0100

Indianapolis waitress CeCe Bruce has received a couple of large tips in her life, but nothing like the one she got Wednesday morning. One of her regular customers saw another table of diners giving her a hard time and this was the day Miss Jo was going to show her appreciation. "When I looked again, I said 'Oh my gosh Miss Jo, I'm not taking that!' And she said, 'Yes, you're taking it' and I said no and she said 'You need to take it'," CeCe said....

Cop Gives Up Pursuit of Speeders to Assist Family of Ducks

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:10:28 +0100

Most police officers who are pursuing a speeding motorist would not abandon the chase to help a family of ducks cross the road, but a dashcam video shows Portland, Oregon Officer Mark James to be a special breed of nice. Making sure the tiny ducklings and their mum stayed safe, the officer got out of the car and ushered the waterfowl family to the side of the road and away from traffic. When the Portland Police Department found out about it, apparently they Tweeted with amusement....

Marching to Their Own Beat: Brass Band Keeps Youngsters From Gang Life

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:59:45 +0100

Every Friday morning 17-year-old Sarel Ramphele puts on his gold-trimmed suit, grabs his trumpet and walks the 6 kilometers to the neighboring village. Under a makeshift iron roof in the yard of an unused house he meets with scores of other young people to rehearse for what has become an improbable musical success story in one of South Africa's poorest regions, according to The Good News, South Africa website. Based in Limpopo, Bezzi's Youth Brass Band is one local woman's answer to a distinct l...

High School Produces Less Waste Than Most Households, Led By Students

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:57:18 +0100

A Cincinnati high school's waste has been cut dramatically thanks to the teens who have picked up the reins of a nascent recycling program there.“It’s awesome – it just keeps unfolding and growing,” said the teacher who offered the students a chance to lead. “I had no idea this would blossom and grow the life of its own that it has.”Loveland High School is now only producing two bags of trash and the goal is to one day be a zero-waste school....

Good News on this day in History, May 17

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

40 years ago today, the Watergate hearings began in the United States Senate and were televised with gavel to gavel coverage by WETA-TV on PBS. (1973) The saxophone was patented by Adolphe Sax (1846) Lebanon and Israel signed an American-brokered agreement mandating the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon (1983) The World Health Organization takes Homosexuality out of its list of mental illnesses (1992)...

Friday Is Bike to Work Day: Ten Best Biking Cities in America

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:31:42 +0100

12,000 people have signed up to ride their bicycle to work Friday in the Washington, D.C. area in celebration of the 57th annual Bike To Work Day. The nation's capitol ranks sixth on a new list of the Ten Most Bikable Cities. America is way behind much of the rest of the world in urban cycling opportunities. In fact, Montreal is the only city in North America to make a list of top 20 biking cities globally, but there are some bright spots....

First Graders' Acts of Kindness Catch On

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:18:26 +0100

The group's name may not catch on, but the idea certainly has. SPPRAK (Special People Performing Random Acts of Kindness) began in an Indiana school district as a way to get students, teachers and staff to show more kindness to each other. To help change the culture in the schools they began urging everyone to jot down the acts of kindness they experienced or performed throughout their day on colorful sticky notes....

DiCaprio's Wildlife Charity Auction Raises $38 Million

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:50:06 +0100

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Christie's auction house raised $38.8 million through a charity art auction, Christie's said on Tuesday, with proceeds to benefit environmental and conservation causes. The sale of 33 art works that DiCaprio had persuaded artists to donate or create especially for the 11th Hour Action raised $31.7 million on the night, blowing away all the pre-sale estimates and setting 13 new price records for artists at auction....

University of Southern California Receives $70mil Donation to Help Young Innovators

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:09:08 +0100

Music industry icons Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre (Andre Young), already known as forward-thinking entrepreneurs, are giving $70 million to USC to foster innovation among under graduates. The duo’s gift will establish the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation for students whose interests span fields such as marketing, business, computer science, audio/visual design, and the arts. The program will prepare them to become a new generation of inspired...

Parking Meter 'Robin Hoods' Save Motorists From Tickets

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:17:16 +0100

James Cleaveland decided to devote himself to helping drivers in the city of Keene, New Hampshire, avoid the disgust of finding a parking ticket on their car. Cleaveland and a group of friends took to the streets with pocketfuls of change and began shadowing the city’s three parking enforcement officers, stuffing coins in expired meters before they could issue $5 tickets....

Good News on this day in History, May 16

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Happy Birthday to actor Pierce Brosnan, who turns 60 today! Charles Hires introduced his root beer, a drink of over 25 herbs, berries and roots (1866) A single vote in the United States Senate saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment (1868)...

Standing Ovation: Wheelchair-bound University Student Walks Across Stage at Graduation

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:17:06 +0100

The University of Portland gave a standing ovation this month to one of their own, Sam Bridgman, a finance major who was forced into a wheelchair by a condition known as Friedreich's ataxia (FA), a rare, degenerative disorder that causes progressive loss of muscle strength. It was graduation day and Sam was determined to walk across the stage to get his diploma. When he did, the entire arena lifted him up with prolonged cheers....

Real Life 'Major Tom' Performs David Bowie's “Space Oddity” From Actual Space

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:44:39 +0100

The Canadian commander of the International Space Station used his down-time in orbit to create a music video that has attracted 10 million views on YouTube with its rendition of the famous astronaut pop tune, David Bowie's Space Oddity. "Ground control to Major Tom" is the renown opening line of the song that was written and performed by Bowie in 1969, the release of which coincided with the Apollo 11 moon landing....

USDA Says More Review Needed for New Monsanto, Dow GMO Crops

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:23:47 +0100

The Department of Agriculture said Friday it will extend its scrutiny of controversial proposed biotech crops developed by Dow Chemical and Monsanto after receiving an onslaught of opposition to the companies' plans. USDA said it will conduct two separate environmental impact statements 'to better inform decision-making' on the approvals sought by Dow and Monsanto for new seed products that are genetically altered to tolerate treatments of their latest herbicide mixture....

Crime and Punishment: Juvenile Offenders Study Russian Literature

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:03:28 +0100

Something strange is happening at Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center. Residents are so eager to get into a Russian literature class led by the University of Virginia that prison officials use it as a reward. The youths are clamoring to read thick books like "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, a moral thinker and non-violent pacifist who was said to have had a profound impact on Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr....

Good News on this day in History, May 15

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Paraguay declares independence from Spain (1811) Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association campaigning for a woman's right to vote (1869) Mickey and Minnie Mouse first appeared in the animated short, Plane Crazy (1928) Nylon stockings first went on sale in the U.S. (1940) The Beatles last LP, Let It Be, was released in the U.S. (1970)...

Son Surprises His Mom With A House For Mother's Day

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:52:38 +0100

"I am the man I am today because of you," he said at the start of a video. "So I just want to thank you." For years, she worked every day, seven days a week, starting at 5 or 6 in the morning preparing food for her neighborhood market. And in 2002 she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Through much pain and suffering, she persevered to eventually become a ten-year survivor. But something she worked so hard for was lost with so many medical bills in the midst of an economic downturn. Living in ...

400 Lb. Husband Loses 280 Pounds, Is Example for Others

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:37:41 +0100

44-year-old Dale Buettner shed nearly half his body weight -- 280 pounds. He had been overweight since the first grade, where his mom had to custom-make Little League uniforms for him. In 2010, at more than 400 pounds, he joined Weight Watchers with his wife and started dealing with the underlying emotional issues that caused him to overeat. One year later he had lost 100 pounds and with renewed hope started walking regularly....

Laws of Physics Can’t Trump the Bonds of Love

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:34:05 +0100

A high school physics teach became well known in Louisville, Ky., for his exploding antics in the classroom and letting kids ride hover boards they make in class. But Jeffrey Wright's most influential lecture comes annually without the use of props. The talk teaches about the life-lessons learned via Mr. Wright’s son, who has a developmental disorder. Through this story, he explains the reason why things work, and the purpose of life....

Scotland Achieves Fair Trade Nation Status

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:22:18 +0100

Scotland has become a Fair Trade Nation after achieving its target of having all six cities and 18 of its 32 councils garnering fair trade status. It follows Wales in becoming one of the first nations to earn the accolade. Fair Trade products are about knowing where the products are produced and offering a better deal to workers who produce those goods in developing countries. - WATCH the video below - READ the story from the BBC (Feb. 25)...

Good News on this day in History, May 14

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

100 years ago today the Rockefeller Foundation was launched with $100 million from John D. Rockefeller and a far-reaching goal, "To promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world." From that seed money it was able to invest billions of dollars over the century on scientific research, public health, higher education and nurturing the leaders of the future. Learn more at the Centennial website. (1913)...

Eco-friendly Green Funerals Catching On in the U.S.

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:51:39 +0100

In an ecologically approved "green burial," loved ones are laid to rest without caskets on plots surrounded by trees in places like the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery. Green burial options have become a small but growing trend in the U.S. funeral industry, with an increasing number of funeral homes offering eco-friendly services and about 30 green cemeteries across the country....

President Obama Celebrates Top Cops

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:01:57 +0100

President Obama welcomed to the White House Saturday the winners of the TOP COPS award for law enforcement who have shown extraordinary bravery and valor in the line of duty. The 2013 group named by the National Association of Police Organizations includes Lieutenant Brian Murphy, who was the first officer on the scene in response to the shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin last year, and who attended the State of the Union speech in February as a guest of the First Lady....

Daring Rescue of Dog From Cliff Saves Family Pet

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:34:08 +0100

On Sunday morning, a dog that had been lost for days was spotted atop a 75 foot cliff near a waterfall in Elma, New York. The Elma Dog Control Officer, Spring Brook Volunteer Fire Department and Erie County Sheriff's Office sprang into action. "We hoisted volunteer fireman D.J. Thompson about 10 to 15 feet up a rock face, where he was able to grab onto some trees and get his hands on the dog," a fire official said....

Cincinnati is Largest US City to Use 100% Renewable Energy

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:10:50 +0100

Greater Cincinnati is on the leading edge of the green movement – maybe not in showy ways like curbside composting or light rail, but in all the green you don’t see. Cincinnati is the largest city in the country to get all of its electricity from alternative energy sources, and it has the third-most homes certified under the U.S. Green Business Council’s Leadership in Engineering and Design standards. The region is also a leader in LEED-certified schools....

Good News on this day in History, May 13

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

100 years ago today, the U.S. Congress passed legislation honoring the uncompensated work of mothering by establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis finally fulfilled her mother's longing for a holiday that commemorated all moms. Starting in 1905 after her mom's death, she campaigned tirelessly and launched a letter-writing campaign aimed at congressmen. (1914)...

From Panic Attacks to the Best Mother's Day Ever

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:59:18 +0100

Mother's Day comes on a different date every year and earlier in the season for the United Kingdom. But it was especially sweet this year for one British mom who wrote a touching note to us following her "Mothering Day" celebration March 10. I wanted to share it today for all the moms in the USA and around the world. "My daughter Lucy has suffered from Panic Disorder for 10 years, and at her worst was practically housebound," began the email from Anne Todd. "But on Sunday, she managed to get in...

Gorgeous Snapshots Win National Park Amateur Photo Contest

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:07:38 +0100

The National Park Foundation announced last week the winners of the 2012 Share the Experience photo contest, an annual competition to encourage exploration in Americas federal lands. The grand prize winner was captured from her family's tent in Bridger Teton National Forest by Katherine Hawkins of Hyde Park, New York. Her prize is $15,000 and a one-year free pass to every national park and property....

Teen Born Without Legs and One Arm is Now World Swimming Champ

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:25:54 +0100

Born missing both legs and one arm, Kayla Wheeler's doctor recommended swimming as a form of physical therapy. Now, at age 16, Wheeler is literally breaking world records. And when she’s not swimming, Wheeler also plays baseball, bowls and skis....

More Billionaires Pledge to Give Away Half Their Wealth

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:48:30 +0100

Nine more wealthy families and individuals have pledged to give at least half of their fortunes to charity as part of a giving campaign by two of the world's richest men, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Some of the big names joining The Giving Pledge, which was launched in 2010, include real estate magnate and Miami Dolphin team owner Stephen Ross, Sara Blakely, the founder of SPANX, and Britain's Lord Ashcroft....

Good News on this day in History, May 12

Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Happy Mother's Day!

"When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself."

-Nancy Friday

'Super Mom' Goes Beyond Adopting Foster Kids

Sat, 11 May 2013 16:13:22 +0100

Valerie Crabbe already had three children when she married a man who also happened to have three kids. But the vivacious Pennsylvania 'Brady Bunch' didn’t stop there. Valerie was moved to adopt two girls in foster care creating a blended family of 10, with members who are black, Hispanic and white -- all feeling loved and engaged with the world....

Landfill Site Becomes Nature Reserve

Sat, 11 May 2013 09:23:09 +0100

A huge landfill site in Essex, containing waste from six London boroughs, has been transformed into a 120-acre nature reserve. The Thurrock Thameside Nature Park at Mucking, which now lies on top of 50 years of waste, has been restored to grasslands, woodland, ponds and reedbeds....

17-Year-Old Builds App to Prevent TV Spoilers on Twitter

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:07:10 +0100

Setting out to find a solution to the problem of accidentally reading spoilers of your favorite TV shows, 17-year-old Jen Lamere created the Twivo app, a mobile solution that acts as a Tivo for tweets. The app took home the top prize at the TVnext hack event in Boston, where she was the only female participating, according to Mashable.com. Twivo puts a block on tweets with keywords relevant to any show during certain periods of tim, so you don't have to stay away from Twitter while waiting to g...

Woman Answers Wrong Number Saves Life of Elderly Man 1000 Miles Away

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:24:52 +0100

Saving a life sometimes could take something as simple as a call back. Just ask Thomas Buck, an 84-year-old from Pennsylvania whose life was saved by a complete stranger more than 1,000 miles away – who called him back. The stranger is Ashley Yasick, a 27-year-old banker in Delray Beach who checked her messages Monday, only to find a voicemail from a distressed Buck asking for help....

Good News on this day in History, May 11

Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

35 years ago on this date, the UK rock sensation Queen wrapped up their 46-date 'News Of The World' tour playing the first of three sold-out nights at Wembley arena in London, including their latest hits, "We Will Rock You" "We Are the Champions". (1978)...

Cheers Erupt as Spire Placed Atop One World Trade Center (WATCH)

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:23:30 +0100

A crane lifted the last of a 408-foot tall spire on top of One World Trade Center this morning, a capstone to an emotional 12-year effort to replace the twin towers destroyed by terrorists. The 18-piece silver spire will top out the tower at a symbolic 1,776 feet, a nod to the year America signed the Declaration of Independence. The New York office building is just north of the original towers, now the hallowed ground known as Ground Zero....

American Ship Delivers Wheat to Feed One Million Syrians

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:39:59 +0100

A U.S. ship carrying enough wheat to feed more than one million people for four months was delivered for distribution to the Syrian people. The United Nations World Food Program received the contribution, worth more than $19 million, on April 21 in Beirut, Lebanon. The ship's cargo gave the WFP the ability to add flour to the monthly food basket of more than one million people. The 25,000 metric tons of wheat is being distributed in 50-lb bags (25 kg) of flour to people in areas where there are ...

UK Contribution Provides Syrians With Lifeline of Food

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:20:20 +0100

Amid mounting concern about the deepening suffering caused by conflict in Syria, the United Nations World Food Program last week welcomed a generous contribution from the Government of the United Kingdom of $43 million (£28.3 mil) to help provide much-needed food assistance to thousands of Syrians both inside and outside their country. The donation will supply food rations to displaced families in Syria itself, as well as to half a million refugees in neighboring countries....

Woman Rescued From Rubble of Bangladesh Factory After 16 Days

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:12:06 +0100

Cheers erupted among workers today when a woman was pulled alive from the ruins of an eight-story factory in Bangladesh -- more than 16 days after it collapsed. She said later that she "never dreamed I'd see the daylight again." Reshma Begum, a seamstress who is married with a young son, was found trapped in the basement mosque of the building after about 391 hours in the rubble....

Critically Ill Maryland Teen Gets Classmate's Heart After Miraculous Match

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:30:16 +0100

Although a teen was killed in a hit-and-run crash, his heart is now giving his ailing friend a chance to live. When Kyle Wilkerson heard the good news, that doctors had a heart for the Maryland teenager, he had a suspicion. The 15-year-old looked up at the cardiologist and asked, "Is it Skylar's heart?"...

Good News on this day in History, May 10

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

15 years ago, on this date, Members of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army voted to accept the Good Friday Peace Accord, ending decades of bloodshed in Ireland. (1998)...

Gas Pump Camera Ambushes Couple Whose Singing Lands Them on the Tonight Show

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:54:26 +0100

Would you sing a song for a man speaking from a gas pump? Will did -- and his impromptu performance so impressed the Tonight Show pranksters behind the stunt that he ended up entertaining millions in an NBC studio. In the middle of a suburban gas station, without any accompaniment, the bartender belted out Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer while his wife howled with laughter. Not only that, when asked for a duet by the man in the gas pump, his wife, dressed in baggy sweatpants and bandana, g...

Gas Pump Camera Ambushes Couple Whose Singing Lands Them on the Tonight Show

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:54:26 +0100

Would you sing a song for a man speaking from a gas pump? Will did -- and his impromptu performance so impressed the Tonight Show pranksters behind the stunt that he ended up entertaining millions in an NBC studio. In the middle of a suburban gas station, without any accompaniment, he belted out Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer while his wife howled with laughter. Not only that, when asked by the man in the gas pump for a duet, his wife dressed in baggy sweatpants and bandana got out of the c...

US Gun Crime Plunges Over Last Two Decades

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:13:12 +0100

Mirroring the fall generally in violent crime, gun homicides and crimes involving guns have fallen sharply over the last two decades in the United States -- down 39 percent since 1993, reports the Justice Department. (Reuters)

87 Percent of Tech Startups Plan to Hire in 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:40:49 +0100

If you know anyone looking for a job, you might want to tell them to go see a start-up. Eighty seven percent of technology startups plan to hire new employees this year, according to an interactive report by Silicon Valley Bank, which serves high growth tech companies across the United States. In the US, that number is 14 percent higher than four years ago, when SVB’s annual Startup Outlook was first conducted....

Young Millennials Spur Capitalism with a Conscience

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:59 +0100

It's capitalism with a conscience. Nordstrom recently opened a test store where all profits go to charity. Starbucks has three coffee shops where a big chunk of the money made helps the needy. For decades, this kind of corporate kindness was the exception, but in the past few years, dozens of America's biggest brands have embraced social generosity as an unusually effective way to sell themselves to consumers, employees, even stockholders....

Made in America Label Stages Comeback at Stores

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:35:19 +0100

When Roger Simmermaker went shopping for clothes at a Florida mall in the mid-1990s, he wanted to buy American, but to his frustration, he couldn't find anything made in the U.S.A. It motivated him to write "How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism" - a guide to finding products manufactured in the United States, which were a scarce commodity at the time. Nearly 20 years later, he has seen a big change. The pendulum has swung back toward a wider choice of American-made p...

Good News on this day in History, May 9

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

On this date 16 years ago, a former prisoner of war became the first American ambassador to communist Vietnam, 22 years after the US evacuated Saigon. Former Florida Congressman Pete Peterson served as a US Air Force captain during the Vietnam War, and was held as a prisoner of war for six-and-a-half-years after his bomber was shot down near Hanoi in 1966. Thirty-one years later, as the US began normalizing relations with their old enemy, Peterson returned on a different mission, presenting his c...

Baseball Star Moved to Give Shirt off his Back to Terminally Ill Fan (WATCH)

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:23:46 +0100

After a three-year battle with cancer, Joshua Jones may be living his final days. A group of family and friends pooled their money to buy four front-row seats so he could see his beloved Dodgers one last time. Dodger player Matt Kemp had promised to sign an autograph after the game, but instead was moved to do more, including give the shirt off his back -- and his shoes....

Johnson and Johnson Removes Toxic Chemicals From Baby Products

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:45:17 +0100

Johnson & Johnson executives were handed 30,000 signatures from consumers in February who, instead of complaining, were praising the company. As one of the world’s largest producers of personal care products, it had followed through on an August pledge to remove toxic chemicals from its baby products -- and by doing so, signaled a change in corporate America. "Smart companies that are marketing to children are in a footrace to phase out chemicals of concern," said Scott Faber of the Envir...

Biggest North American Trout Once Thought Extinct Returns to Ancient Pyramid Lake

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:45:13 +0100

What's unfolding in Nevada is a fish story about the one that didn't get away, a tale of loss, discovery and restoration that reaches from Utah across the Great Basin to Pyramid Lake and up a river into the snow-clad Sierra Nevada around Lake Tahoe. The largest inland trout in North America, the salmon-sized cutthroat, went from near extinction to stunning recovery in a rare comeback orchestrated by a decades-long odyssey of biological risk and scientific discovery made possible by the com...

Russian People Caught on Dash Cams Doing Good Deeds (WATCH)

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:07:18 +0100

Russians - like people everywhere - are good, often helping strangers without any notice. Russian vehicles are required to have dashboard cameras due to the high rate of insurance fraud there. But the cameras have captured something else - the high rate of humanitarian goodness. Obviously people like watching this type of good news. This video, showing 18 separate displays of helpfulness, has received 2.4 million views on the original YouTube page alone....

Good News on this day in History, May 8

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Paramount Pictures was founded (1914) Mohandas Gandhi began a 21-day fast in protest of British oppression in India (1933) V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) proclaimed when the Allies finally defeated Nazi Germany; For Germans "a day of liberation" from the Nazi government (1945) Photo, right, Churchill waves to crowds after victory was announced...

Boy Who Lost his Feet But Not his Spirit Inspires Brother to Run for Boston Amputees

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:36:25 +0100

On July 22, 2008, Harris's little brother Michael was rushed to the emergency room with a serious bacterial infection. His condition quickly worsened –- septic shock, a coma, and oxygen deprivation to his four limbs -- resulting in quadriplegic amputation. The two both played sports. "I've even won some awards, but that's nothing in comparison to my brother. He wins the cake for being awesome." Despite losing his hands, and having prosthetic devices where his feet once were, he still compete...

Modern-day Robin Hood Applies Business Skills to Philanthropy

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:41:25 +0100

Ask Wall Street bankers the net worth of hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones, and they'll tell you, $3.6 billion. But ask a homeless child or a struggling family and they'll tell you that a spreadsheet is no way to measure a man. Mr. Jones wondered why, if billionaires, like him, are such geniuses, do nearly two million people in New York City live in poverty? In 1988, he started a charity called the Robin Hood Foundation. Twenty five years later, Robin Hood has given away more than one and a qu...

Alleviating Poverty With A Washing Machine Powered By Your Feet

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:20:36 +0100

A new product designed for its social good uses the principles of a salad spinner to make less back-breaking and time-consuming the work of washing clothes for millions of people in poverty. The patent-pending GiraDora is a human-powered washer and spin dryer that increases the efficiency and improve the experience of hand-washing clothes....

Cat Returns Home 6 Months After Hurricane Sandy

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:54:58 +0100

It's a "miracle" for a couple whose cat bolted out the door six months ago after Hurricane Sandy forced the family to flee their New Jersey home.

No one can detail the cat's amazing journey, but the feline somehow managed to travel eight miles to find his Toms River home.

Honk If You Love Someone: A quest to make a city smile (Top Videos)

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:59:19 +0100

A man has made it his mission to make Washington, D.C. smile -- especially on Monday mornings. This 5-minute video documenting the Make DC Smile project won the 2013 Pendragwn Youth Film Festival's Grand Prize Award....

Good News on this Day in History, May 7

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

On this date 295 years ago, the city of New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. (1718) Beethoven's 9th (Chorale) Symphony, one of his greatest masterpieces, composed while he was completely deaf, premiered in Vienna* (1824)...

High School Prom King Gives up Crown to Least Popular Kid

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:18:07 +0100

Tyrell Clay, the football quarterback, is the most popular boy at Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. Adam, on the other hand, has been picked on and called names - and was nominated to the prom court as a joke. Adam, who is already book smart, decided to try to boost his social smarts a bit, by actually attending the prom....

Broadland: Welcome to the UK's Most Peaceful Place

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:43:20 +0100

The Norfolk area of Broadland has been named the most "peaceful" area of the UK. The tranquil district, which has a population of about 125,000, had only eight violent crimes reported in 2012 -- about a third of the national average. A largely rural area north-east of Norwich, Broadland includes some of the city's suburbs along with picturesque villages and handsome market towns....

Students Create Robotic Locker Opener for Disabled Classmate

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:22:31 +0100

Muscular dystrophy robbed Nick Torrance of his ability to walk, which would be hard enough for a teenager to handle. But it also hindered his everyday capabilities such as opening his locker at school. Fortunately, Nick's high school classmates were clever enough to create a solution as a homework assignment. Two Pinckney Community High School seniors used their robotics ingenuity and created an electronic automatic locker opener....

LeBron James Donates $1 million to Renovate Gym at Old High School

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:04:17 +0100

LeBron James said he always knew if he became an NBA professional, at some point in his life he would make sure the antiquated gymnasium at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School was renovated. Now a top star in the sport, he has donated $1 million to build a state-of-the-art gym for his alma mater to be completed this fall. LeBron graduated from STVM in 2003 after spending four memorable years playing basketball and winning three State Championships for the Akron area school under the leadership of ...

Good News on this Day in History, May 6

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

The Eiffel Tower opened as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution (1889) President Eisenhower signs Civil Rights Act of 1960 Remarkable results of the first open election in South Africa's history were announced: The once outlawed African National Congress won control of the parliament from an all-white minority government (1994)...

Giant Rubber Duck Floats in Hong Kong Harbor

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:27:57 +0100

A Dutch artist is cheering people in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor with a yellow 50-foot-tall rubber duck. The motto of the Rubber Duck Project is 'Spreading Joy Around the World'. And indeed it has done that brilliantly. Since 2008, Florentijn Hofman's giant floating toy has glided its way into San Paolo, Auckland, Sydney, Amsterdam and Osaka....

Cooler Temps Tame Southern California Wildfire, Evacuations End

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:37:19 +0100

Cooler temperatures helped firefighters battling a wildfire in southern California on Sunday and an official said the blaze was expected to be fully under control within 24 hours. The blaze had been spreading rapidly due to the region's high heat and Santa Anna winds since it started on Thursday in a coastal area northwest of Los Angeles....

Endangered Green Sea Turtles Make Comeback

Sun, 05 May 2013 13:15:07 +0100

In one of nature's best comeback stories, endangered green sea turtles have multiplied in Florida during the past two decades and are now thriving in protected waters. Intense conservation efforts have helped these 300-pound vegetarians flourish, with females laying hundreds of eggs along Florida's east and southwest coasts and returning every two or three years to the exact same spot to nest again....

Dark Chocolate Improves Calmness

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:28:30 +0100

Instead of reaching for cookies or cake when stressed out, you might want some dark chocolate instead. New research from Australia has found that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and contentedness. Polyphenols are found naturally in plants and are a basic component of the human diet. These compounds have been shown to reduce oxidative stress which is associated with many diseases. They may also have beneficial psychological effects....

Good News on this day in History, May 5

Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Today is the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May in Spanish) celebrating the victory of Mexican forces led by General Zaragoza over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. (See more below) A U.S. patent was awarded to a woman for the first time -- to Mary Kies, for a technique of weaving straw with silk and thread (1809) The Music Hall in New York City (now known as Carnegie Hall) had its grand opening, featuring Tchaikovsky as the guest conducto...

Little Girl With Cancer Gets Surprise Of a Lifetime From "Prince Charming"

Sat, 04 May 2013 17:27:08 +0100

An 8-year-old girl with brain cancer found herself surrounded by a flashmob of love yesterday and it's all thanks to a man who lost his daughter to the disease. His name is "Tattoo Tom" Mitchell and he became Tara Sankner's Prince Charming for a day, directing almost a thousand people to come line the streets and chant the name of their Princess Tara....

Students Earn $100K Prize for Health Gadgets for Developing World

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:58:03 +0100

College students at Rice University who were challenged to design solutions for doctors working in impoverished global communities have won a $100,000 award from MIT for innovation. The two professors who started the student program hung around clinics in the developing world looking to identify which problems needed solving. The ingenious but simple prize-winning gadget guards against giving an improper dosage of drugs administered via syringe....

In Rural Iowa Town, a Lifeline of Friendship for Islam

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:26:48 +0100

Amid an expanse of undulating Iowa farmland and Catholic and Lutheran churches, the town of Elkader bears the name of a Muslim hero. Abd el-Kader was renowned in the 19th century for leading Algeria’s fight for independence and protecting non-Muslims from persecution. Even Abraham Lincoln extolled him. This weekend, for the fifth year in a row, Elkader will welcome a delegation of Arab dignitaries to celebrate this rare lifeline of tolerance, spanning continents and centuries, reports the New...

Researchers Create World’s First 3D-printed Bionic Organ

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:04:28 +0100

Using 3D printers to create biological structures has become widespread. Printing electronics has made similar advances, particularly for low-cost, low-power disposable items. The first successful combination of these two technologies has recently been reported by a group of researchers at Princeton....

Good News on this day in History, May 4

Sat, 04 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

The U.S. state of Michigan ended the death penalty (1846) The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opened its first season in Fort Wayne, Indiana (1871) Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea (1953) Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979)...

Reusable 'Nanosheets' Soak Up Pollutants at 30 Times Their Weight

Fri, 03 May 2013 23:41:44 +0100

A next-generation material first earmarked for use in electronics has proven itself a capable clean-up agent for polluted waters. Boron nitride, or "white graphene", can soak up organic pollutants such as industrial chemicals or engine oil in incredible amounts for their size, according to a report in Nature Communications....

Muslim Bagel Business Owner Donates All Profits to Boston Charity

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:00:37 +0100

Ehab Sadeek, an Egyptian Muslim who owns a bagel store in Winchester, Mass., called the marathon bombers “cowards who don't represent my faith or religion.” The all-natural bakery owner, who has run the Bagel Land wholesale business for 17 years, says he will give 100-percent of his profits to the One Fund Boston. And, he will continue to do so until the last victim is out of the hospital....

April US Jobs Report: Hiring Picks Up, Surprising Economists

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:49:14 +0100

The economy added 165,000 jobs in April, surprising economists and easing fears of an imminent collapse in the recovery. The Labor Department had previously reported a disappointing 88,000 jobs added in March with an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent. But Friday's report revised the number of jobs added that month to 138,000, and those added in February to 332,000 from 268,000....

First Hot-Rocks Plant in Australia Delivers Clean Geothermal Energy

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:11:19 +0100

A power station driven by hot-rocks technology has begun producing electricity in the far north-east of South Australia. The innovative plant from Geodynamics is the first in Australia to produce power using an enhanced geothermal system, which draws hot water from underground rocks to heat other water above ground in pipes that produce steam to power a turbine. In the U.S. a 2011 Google-funded study uncovered massive potential for accessible, renewable geothermal heat all across the country, i...

Good News on this day in History, May 3

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

The Anne Frank House opened in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to showcase the life, the diary and death of the 14-year-old holocaust victim (1960) National Public Radio stations broadcast the premiere of All Things Considered (1971) Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister (1979)...

Principal Fires Security Guards to Hire Art Teachers — and Transforms School

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:57:40 +0100

A school constructed in 2003 for children in Roxbury, Mass., was already mired in violence and failure when principal Andrew Bott showed up in 2010. He shocked a lot of people when he got rid of the security guards and reinvested that money into the arts. Soon everything at the K-8 school started to change. Now, three years later, the Boston area school is almost unrecognizable; essays of achievement grace the walls and students from kindergarten to eighth grade fill the revamped studios with ...

The Benefits of Optimism Are Real

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:33:43 +0100

Two Academy Award nominated films, Silver Linings Playbook, and Life of Pi, resonated with so many millions of people because their themes of resilience speak to each of us -- and are grounded in a growing body of scientific research. Far from being delusional or faith-based, having a positive outlook in difficult circumstances is the most important predictor of resilience -- how quickly you will recover from adversity. For starters, having a positive mood makes people more resilient physically...

Cat Sniffs Out Breast Cancer, Saves Owner’s Life

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:04:56 +0100

Esther Kacev's cat Buddy, would not stop sniffing and trying to grab under her arm. After rescuing the stray cat several years ago, it was Esther's turn to be saved. The woman from Western Australia had read about the ability of some animals to sniff out cancer -- and she had canceled her last several mammogram appointments -- so she scheduled a trip to get the area checked. “I never in a million years thought it would happen to me; in fact, I had turned down previous appointments because I f...

Good News on this day in History, May 2

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

The first science fiction film was released, A Trip To The Moon (1902) Peter & the Wolf premiered in Moscow (1936) Arthur Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman (1949) The Beatles recorded the new George Harrison song Something in 36 takes, with Billy Preston on piano (1969)...

Hospitals In Boston And Texas Exchange Gifts After Recent Tragedies

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:41:44 +0100

A surprising trend is putting smiles on the faces of medical workers who are still coping with the aftermath of last week's twin tragedies in Boston and Texas. A nurse from North Carolina came up the idea of sending meals to the Boston hospital staffers who were continuing to treat victims of the Marathon bombings. Donations were collected from workers at Charlotte's Carolinas Medical Center to send pizzas, which set off a volley of kindness. Doctors and nurses at Mass General were so touched t...

Another Child in Leukemia Trials Ecstatic Over "Total Remission"

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:56:17 +0100

"Avrey Walker is cancer free!!!! A total remission!" her father announced on their Facebook page last week. Avrey was the seventh child to receive an experimental leukemia therapy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the second whose response has resulted in a complete recovery. The family was overjoyed to report the good news after living for years with an aggressive form of childhood leukemiathat was unresponsive to regular treatments....

Jefferson Starship Bassist Reunited With Custom-Built Guitar Stolen 35 Years Ago

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:56:13 +0100

Thirty five years ago, bassist Pete Sears' prized custom bass guitar was stolen during the melee of a cancelled music festival in Germany. After decades of mourning its loss, the former Jefferson Starship member will soon be reunited with the one-of-a-kind instrument, according to the Marin Journal. Sears had barely had the chance to play the new Doug Irwin bass, nicknamed "Dragon" for it's uniquely-shaped inlay, before looters made off with it during a riot at the 1978 festival, says the Huffi...

Good News on this day in History, May 1

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 +0100

Today is the 10th annual Global Love Day with governors and mayors joining people in 145 countries celebrating humanity and calling for unconditional love throughout the entire day. (2004) Mozart's first opera, The Marriage of Figaro, premiered in Vienna, lighthearted and comic, with momentous music, yet closed after only nine performances. (1786)...

Toddler Receives Historic Stem Cell Windpipe, Ending Lifetime of Silence

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:44 +0100

At 2 1/2 years old, Hannah Warren has never played outside -- or been able to breathe, talk, eat or drink on her own. She was born without a windpipe, a rare congenital condition that kept her hospitalized for her entire life in a neonatal intensive care unit, where a tube from her mouth to her lung kept her alive....