A male Sitka black-tail deer - credit: courtesy of AWCC
A male Sitka black-tail deer – credit: courtesy of AWCC
From Alaska comes the story of a wildlife rehab center that got its hooves on a few bucks to help out their deer following a recent storm.
On January 6th, 2025, a storm with winds exceeding 80 mph swept through the Portage Valley and destroyed the Sitka black-tailed deer shelter at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC). Thankfully, all five of the resident deer were safe and unharmed; the shelter less so.
AWCC takes in many of Alaska’s large mammals if they’re found injured or orphaned. They enjoy the company of caribou, Sitka black tails, and even musk oxen, but the black tails are known as the friendliest residents.
The collapsed shelter – credit: courtesy of AWCC
“They’re some of the friendliest animals we have on the property, but they’re also very aware of their surroundings,” said executive director, Sarah Howard.
Keeping fur and feed dry year-round, the shelter was essential for providing a safe haven during harsh weather, an area for feeding, and a warm safe space for recovery after medical procedures when needed.
The cost to replace the ruined shelter with a more resilient structure was estimated to be $30,000, which was, incredibly, crowdfunded with $3,000 extra in just 36 hours.
“Just super gracious for everyone’s support in the help that we’re now going to be able to immediately start building on Monday,” Howard told Alaska Public Media.
GNN has recently reported on some very rapid and enriching crowdfunding campaigns recently, but this urgent need for another species in another community far from big cities and big headlines is a reminder of the true scope of America’s generosity.
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One of the more uplifting economic bubbles you’ll read about, a feature in the Japan Times catalogs how Americans are just silly for stationery.
Japanese artisan notebook and stationery providers have been more than happy to fulfill this export niche, and one company in particular has produced a diary/planner that has captivated American journalers. But first a short history.
As the Japanese economy boomed off of consumer electronics, stocks, cars, and cultural media in 1980s, every hardworking businessman had a ‘system techō.’ These day planners were about the size of a compact Bible, and anyone who was anyone owned and used one.
“It was said that a man who had a system techō could do his job well, and that a man who could do his job well had a system techō,” Kyo Kohinata told the Japan Times’ staff writer Thu-Huong Ha.
Kohinata is a writer for System Techo Style, a magazine on all things techō—which is in and of itself an indication of where this story is heading.
Eventually, the Blackberry and smartphones led to the near-extinction of the techō, but they have made an incredible renaissance, and in the same way Nintendo is a byword for the handheld gaming console, Hobonichi is a byword for the system techō.
Since 2001, Hobonichi has been making techōs with incredible attention to detail. Smudge-resistant pages protect fountain pen users from mistakes, precise page sizes are designed to accommodate precise numbers of A6 photographs, and gorgeous artistic covers quickly captivated the Japanese, and then American journaling markets.
The first English-language techō was sold in 2013, and sales quickly dwarfed domestic consumption. Millions of these sometimes charming, sometimes quirky, sometimes professional diaries, journals, and planners are shipped all around the world every year—now fueled by a social media community of journalers.
Hobonichi’s products have become a phenomenon unto themselves.
The 2024 edition of the Hobonichi Techo came in 236 varieties and sold 900,000 units. This year’s edition comes at an extra optional cost with a guidebook featuring testimonies from 56 people on how they use their notebooks, strategies for organization, and more.
They come in 6 formats: monthly, weekly left side, weekly vertical, weekly horizontal, weekly blocked, and daily, and are sold in six different stationery sizes, including Bible, A5, and ‘Micro,” which is about the size of a business card.
According to the Times, COVID-19 fueled the booming interest in artisan stationery even further. The combination of “non-essential” businesses being forced to close and being told to shelter in place made for fertile ground for venting frustrations into the crisp, white, newly cut pages of a brand new journal.
Even though those days are well behind us, for many the journaling trend stuck, and Hobonichi is just the tip of the spear of a variety of similar techō and stationery companies delighting Americans’ quiet hours with that famous and beloved attention to detail that makes Japanese products so renowned across the world.
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A variety of sugary cereals that contain or once contained one or more food colorings - credit, unsplash
A variety of sugary cereals that contain or once contained one or more food colorings – credit, Unsplash
In a long overdue decision, the Food and Drug Administration announced this week it will ban the use of Red Dye No. 3 (RD3) in food. Food companies have until 2027 to remove it, while drug companies have until 2028.
The decision comes after years of advocacy from organizations that point to evidence showing how RD3 has caused cancer in animals. It has been banned in cosmetics since 1990, but remained in thousands of food and beverage products.
Recent research further underscores the dangers of this chemical dye in food. A 2021 study by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that synthetic dyes like RD3 are linked to a greater risk of behavioral difficulties in children, including decreased attention span and memory problems.
“We wouldn’t be celebrating this historic decision today without the relentless leadership of public health champions like Michael Jacobson and others who took up this fight decades ago on behalf of consumers,” said President and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Ken Cook, in a statement celebrating the announcement.
RD3 has been singled out as a particularly harmful food dye because studies show it causes cancer in animals. Synthetic food dyes are not banned in Europe, but producers are required to put labels on the packaging similar to cigarettes explaining the risks. Most products indeed use curcumin for yellow, spirulina for blue, and carotenoids for red and orange.
“Today’s action by the FDA marks a monumental victory for consumer health and safety,” said Cook. “For years, Red 3 remained in food products, despite growing evidence linking it to health problems, particularly in kids.”
“This ban sends a strong message that protecting the health of Americans—especially vulnerable children—must always take priority over the narrow interests of the food industry.”
GNN last reported on food colorings when Yellow Dye No.5, called tartrazine and derived from coal processing were in the regulatory crosshairs for their effects on children related to hyperactivity. YD5 is still authorized for use as a food additive, despite its links with many diseases including cancer, asthma, and ADD/ADHD.
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The government of Laos DPR recently turned a vast area of hills and tropical forests over to conservation with the establishment of Xesap National Park (NP).
Aided by Western endowments and nonprofits, the establishment expands an already existing protected area to a total of 202,300 hectares, including the 49,000-hectare Pale area, which is thought to be a significant and relatively undisturbed habitat for key species.
courtesy of Pakham Outhanikone WWF-Laos
Nestled in the Annamite mountain ranges, Xesap NP is a biodiversity hotspot, home to some of Asia’s most endangered species found nowhere else on the continent.
Notably, Xesap NP is also one of the few places in the Annamites where the legendary Saola—known as the ‘Asian Unicorn’—has been sighted, and is thought to have high potential as a site for population recovery.
The Saola was only identified in 1992 by a local ecologist. The first few that made it into captivity have died shortly thereafter, and the species is listed as Critically-Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Lacking a single horn like the mythical creature that kindly lent its moniker to this relative of the oryx, the Saola’s two horns instead grow very close together, such that from a distance or from the side, it may appear to have only one long horn.
“We believe this designation marks a crucial step towards enhancing conservation efforts and ensuring the sustainable management of Xesap’s rich natural treasures. WWF-Laos applauds the Lao government for this significant achievement and remains dedicated to supporting the park’s management through our enduring partnership with the provinces of Salavan and Sekong,” said Loris Palentini, Country Director, WWF-Laos, in a statement.
Roaming in the shadow of the so-called unicorn are fascinating animals like the elusive Roosevelt’s muntjac, vibrant red-shanked douc, the rare Annamite striped rabbit, and the stunning crested argus. New species are discovered in the Annamites at an incredibly high rate, even many large mammal species described for the first time by science in the last century.
Spanning the provinces of Salavan and Sekong, with nearly 35 villages located in and around the park, Xesap NP is now one of seven NPs in Laos DPR. With its forested valleys, limestone karst hills, vertiginous mountains, and extremely rich biodiversity and endemism, Xesap’s redesignation as an NP from a National Protected Area is a well-deserved recognition of its ecological importance in the Greater Mekong, the statement read.
“This announcement represents a major step forward for conservation in Laos and a significant breakthrough in the global effort to reach the 30×30 target,” said Molly McUsic, President of the Wyss Foundation which supported the work to create the park.
“Xesap National Park is a shining example of the progress we can make toward preserving biodiversity and protecting precious natural resources when we bring together government, philanthropy, and local communities. We applaud the Lao Government, WWF-Laos, Rainforest Trust, and other partners for their collective efforts to permanently protect Xesap.”
Following the designation of the area as an NP, and given its long history of working in Xesap, WWF-Laos aims to further strengthen its partnership with the Department of Forestry and the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices of Salavan and Sekong provinces, as well as with districts and local communities. Key goals include enhancing park management and biodiversity protection, promoting resilience of local community development, and ensuring long-term conservation success that benefits both people and nature.
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Spencer and Beth in a before and after shot – credit: SB Mowing via TikTok.
Who knew that trimming bushes and mowing lawns could be the catalyst for so much good in the world?
Serially viral TikTok account SB Mowing has been featured on GNN before. Owned and operated by a young man named Spencer, it features him mowing people’s lawns who, for whatever reason, lack the physical strength or time to do it themselves.
In July, GNN reported that after finding a wounded tabby cat during one of his mows, Spencer took it to a cat shelter that was on the eve of closing down. Channeling his channels for good, SB Mowing sponsored a GoFundMe which raised $190,000 in donations to the shelter.
This time, Spencer was visiting an elderly woman with an overgrown yard named Beth.
Beth explains that after looking for someone to mow and sheer her yard and plants without success, a local government busybody paid her a visit and gave her a few weeks to take care of the mess or face a $240 fine.
“I’ll do the backyard—whatever you need, and I’ll do it for free I won’t charge you a dime,” Spencer says in the 6-minute video that accumulated 94 million views, adding that the lawn “isn’t even that bad, I’m going to get it looking like you’ve never seen it before.”
Off Spencer goes with his landscaping tools, needing about 4 minutes of extreme time-lapse videography to finish the job.
“I cried on and off just listening to your machines,” Beth admitted at the end of the video during the big reveal.
That was the end of the video as far as Spencer was concerned, but not for his followers, who left over 21,000 comments, among which were hundreds asking if there were a way they could donate so Beth could afford to hire landscapers full-time.
A staggering $800,000 was raised in a GoFundMe set up for the purpose. In a January 13th update, Spencer announced he was working with an attorney to create a trust fund for Beth to ensure no one could take advantage of her for the new money she was about to receive. Some would be given to her in cash, and a portion would also be donated to charity.
“They kinda fell in love with you and your story,” Spencer explained to Beth in a follow-up video. “We just wanted to come together as a community to help you out and get you to a better spot.”
Overwhelmed, Beth remarked she “can’t even cry, I can’t even think… Those are the things dreams are made of.”
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The North Aral Sea in 2005 (left) and 2018 (right) - credit: NASA
The North Aral Sea in 2005 (left) and 2018 (right) – credit: NASA
Efforts to restore the Aral Sea have seen Kazakhstan’s government increase the water volume in the northern portion by 42% in the last two years.
The volume is now determined to be 6.4 cubic miles, or approximately 30% more voluminous than Crater Lake in Oregon.
Furthermore, the salinity in the northern Aral Sea has declined four-fold, and annual fish catches have risen to top 8,000 tons. In 2024, Kazakhstan directed approximately 2.6 billion cubic meters of water—the equivalent of Scotland’s famous Loch Lomond—into the northern portion, a dramatic increase compared to 816 million cubic meters in 2022.
The figures are a stunning effort by a middle-income country that’s almost single-handedly reversing what is widely considered to be the world’s worst man-made environmental disaster.
Once the world’s 4th-largest lake straddling the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the shrinking and division of the Aral Sea is sometimes wrongly attributed to climate change.
In 1967 the Soviet Union began diverting water flows into the lake to irrigate cotton fields in these countries and Turkmenistan. Fed by the mighty Syr Darya and Amu Darya, rivers known by the Classical Greeks as the Jaxartes and Oxus, their diversion led the sea to empty, split into a northern and southern half, and shrink so dramatically that it desertified most of the land in the region.
The southern portion split into two separate arms, the vast majority of which lie within the territory of Uzbekistan, but the northern portion in Kazakhstan is looking a little more like a sea again.
“These figures are the result of systematic work over the past two years. We [Kazakhstan] have reached a mutual understanding with neighboring countries on the conservation and fair distribution of water resources in transboundary rivers,” said Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov during a meeting with residents of the Aral district.
As often as possible, the ministry is emptying the fullest possible force of the Syr Darya’s waters into the sea when they aren’t being diverted for modern uses as the river also flows through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan who have rights to use its water as well.
The minister emphasized that the project’s ultimate goal is to improve the region’s ecology, boost fisheries and tourism, and enhance the quality of life for local communities.
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Quote of the Day: “The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.” – St. Jerome
Photo: National Cancer Institute
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A New York timber trucker has been recognized as a ‘highway hero’ after using his 18-wheeler to help corral a shooter who had injured a police officer.
It happened that on Interstate 88 in June 2023, Timonthy VanNostrand was preparing to pass a state trooper who was approaching a car he had just pulled over.
VanNostrand is the owner and operator of his own logging transport company in Northville, New York, and is well-acquainted with dangerous work; although the risks he faces don’t typically involve gunfire.
“It happened so fast,” VanNostrand told Fox News Digital. “I wasn’t 100% sure what I saw at first, but I saw the trooper kind of skip sideways a little bit.”
Then, VanNostrand explains, he saw the driver draw his gun and start shooting out of the back window of his car at the trooper which started a 12-minute ordeal where “bullets were flying.”
VanNostrand then pulled his logging truck in front of the shooter’s car, cornering him against the side of the road, and ensuring the shooter was stopped. Fox didn’t specify if he was taken into custody, wounded, or killed by the troopers and the eventual backup that arrived.
VanNostrand was later honored by the New York State Police and by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as a “Highway Hero.”
“The Goodyear Highway Hero Award is one way Goodyear recognizes the importance of the commercial trucking industry, which helps move 72.5% of the U.S. economy’s goods, according to American Trucking Associations,” Joe Burke, vice president of Goodyear North America Commercial Business, told Fox News Digital.
“The purpose of the Highway Hero program is to bring more awareness and appreciation to the powerful impact that commercial drivers can have on the roads, individuals’ lives and communities.”
VanNostrand was awarded a cash prize and a ride in the Good Year blimp.
He told Fox that it felt like such a long time when “you’re sitting there” listening to gunfire, allowing plenty of time for second guesses, but “it turned out it was the right decision.”
“Most of the people I know and work with would do the same thing,” he said. “We all look out for each other, and 99% of us are looking out for everybody else too.”
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A Chinese woman recently celebrated her 124th Birthday, according to local civic documentation.
Crediting her longevity to a “love of lard” and an optimistic personality, her big day was celebrated on January 1st in her home of Nanchong city amid a horde of relatives.
Whether or not Qiu Chaishi really was born in 1901, she can recount her childhood growing up during the Qing Dynasty, the last royal dynasty in Chinese history which began in 1644 and ended in 1911.
Her family says she is still witty and articulate, despite losing a bit of eyesight after she turned 100. Chaishi currently enjoys the company of family members 5 generations from herself, living with her 60-year-old granddaughter Taohua.
In her youth, she was famed for her sharp accounting skills and physical strength that allowed her to work the plow and stack stones. Even as a ‘dodecagenarian,’ she can walk up and down stairs, light fires, feed geese, and cook.
Speaking with South China Morning Post, her relatives explain how Chaishi has always kept a disciplined routine: eating three meals a day, walking after each one, and going to sleep at 8 p.m.
Her favorite meal is pumpkin porridge with a spoon of lard on top, though on the doctor’s orders, she’s apparently cut back on the lard.
By age 40 she had 4 children, but her husband died suddenly and she was left to raise the kids alone. At 70, her son died of an illness and her daughter remarried, leaving a granddaughter whom Chaishi raised herself. Later, her granddaughter’s husband also died, and the two resigned the company of men to live together in a rural house in Nanchong, Sichuan Province.
“My siblings, husband, and son passed away long ago. The King of Hell must have forgotten about me!” Chaishi joked.
“After every misfortune, she stays quiet for a while, then bounces back with laughter and positivity,” said Taohua.
The occasion of her 124th Birthday was published on the news arm of the massive Chinese conglomerate Tencent, and readers were inspired and moved by Chaishi’s story.
“She has witnessed China’s incredible history over a century. What a legendary life journey!” said one.
China’s average life expectancy recently rose over 78 years for the first time in its history. According to national statistics quoted by SCMP, Nanchong in the subtropical south has the highest number of centenarians in any Chinese province.
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Bruno Lobo with the woman around his shoulders - credit @brunolobo31.
Bruno Lobo with the woman around his shoulders – credit @brunolobo31.
An Olympic-level kite surfer for Brazil happened to be testing out some video equipment on his board when he suddenly became the only hope of rescue for a stranded, exhausted swimmer.
31-year-old Bruno Lobo described the rescue as “the day that God used me as an instrument to save this young woman, all honor and glory to Him ☝🏻 🙏🏻.”
The husband and father of one recorded much of the rescue completely by accident, as he was trying out a new mount that attached a camera to the front of his board.
“I went in at 17:40 to do the last test on the camera, it was a cloudy day, wind conditions were not the best, but I decided to test the support that had arrived, it was the first day using this material, I put the camera to record and headed to the coast,” Lobo wrote on Instagram.
“After sailing a few meters I heard a cry for help and looked at the girl who was drowning, I quickly approached her with the kite, I tried to calm her down and asked to climb on my back, she was quite tired and powerless, I used the equipment to bring her safely to the sand…”
After running to her friends and being examined by the lifeguards, the woman hugs Lobo and thanks him for saving her life.
Making his Olympic debut in Paris, Lobo won a gold medal at each of the last two Pan-American Games, but his Instagram account has mainly featured congratulations for the rescue.
released by Søren Diinhoff University Museum of Bergen
released by Søren Diinhoff University Museum of Bergen
A curious Viking age graveyard has been uncovered in southwest Norway containing jewelry and evidence of continental connections.
Three high-status women, though perhaps not Scandinavians themselves, were, or perhaps were not, interred there, and these uncertainties have raised interesting hypotheses.
Located near the coast in a Norwegian town called Fitjar at a farm called Skumsnes, the site was originally found by recreational metal detectives. Excavations took place in late 2024 and uncovered a variety of objects, such as a frying pan and textile equipment, that singled out the owners as women.
Jewelry and coins, including one of the first coins ever minted in Denmark, a necklace of glass beads, and a brooch that appears to have been made from a metal book clasp, also suggest the owners possessed noteworthy wealth and status.
“We think that the clasp in the first grave could very well have come from a Bible in England or Ireland,” says Søren Diinhoff, an archaeologist with the University Museum of Bergen, told Fox News Digital. “It had been ripped off and brought back to Norway where it eventually ended up as a woman’s brooch.”
Dating to the mid-9th century when the Viking age was in full swing, the provenance of some of the items almost certainly came through violent means. Other brooches made of trefoil appear to have been repurposed from the clasps of Carolingian sword belts, and, according to Diinhoff and a report from Science Norway, other items could have come from mainland Europe. 10 of the 11 coins found in the grave were minted by Louis I, a descendant of Charlemagne.
Were these items taken during a raid or did they come through trading? The word ‘Viking’ meant both trader and raider, and at different times in different places, the trader-raider balance varied.
One hypothesis is that the women themselves were from the continent, and perhaps married into the local population. However, it’s difficult to know because there are no human remains in the graves. To explain this, Diinhoff and others at first supposed the remains disintegrated in the moist soil—a common occurrence. Then, they changed their idea to the burial site being more of a memorial or cenotaph where offerings were left.
released by Søren Diinhoff University Museum of Bergen
This seems more likely to the archaeological team, since the necklace of glass beads was wrapped in a leather sack rather than placed around someone’s neck.
As to why this memorial exists, the site of Skumsnes is key. The excavation team knows that a large manor farm once existed at Skumsnes, and its position close to the water may have made it a common place of rest for travelers and sailors.
“Below the level of royal estates, we find strategic farms like Skumsnes,” Diinhoff told Science Norway. “On behalf of the king, shelter was provided to passing ships, which likely generated additional income.”
Farms were typically the sites of textile production, and a weaving sword, spindle whorl, wool shears, and a key suggest the people buried or not buried there were involved in weaving, a prestigious trade.
Interestingly, the site was contained within a perimeter of small stones in the shape of a boat—reminiscent of the rare Viking ship burials. In the center of the boat outline, where the mast would be fixed on a real boat, the archaeologists found a large stone with an indent in the shape of female genitalia.
For Diinhoff, this was the ultimate indication that the burial honored the women of the farm, without actually containing their remains.
The excavation team ran out of time before they could fully uncover the third ‘grave,’ and metal detectives have confirmed other locations that suggest there may be 20 such ‘graves’ within and around the memorial.
Science Norway reports that archaeologists have seen a remarkable surge in the number of Viking age graves discovered recently; as much last year as in the previous ten, said Diinhoff.
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Quote of the Day: “Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” – Erich Fromm
Photo: National Cancer Institute
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This is the heartwarming moment a groom broke down in tears after hearing a surprise message from his young daughter as he waited to marry her mom.
The tear-jerking footage of Elliot Gwilliam’s daughter Evie has gone viral with over 120 million social media views and simply must be heard to be appreciated.
Elliot stood in the aisle at Hawkstone Hall, waiting for his 27-year-old fiancé Emma Beddow to arrive on their December 28th wedding. But when 3-year-old Evie delivered a heartfelt message over the public address system, Elliot said he “just lost it”.
Evie’s beautiful words and Elliot’s reaction were captured on camera as she says “Hello daddy, it’s me, Evie.”
“I’m walking down the aisle and will be with you now because you’re going to marry my mommy—and she looks beautiful. Like me.”
“We love you so so much, to the moon and back,” she added.
Fortunately, as the groom’s side’s party was very well dressed, pocket handkerchiefs abounded and were quickly furnished to Elliot who couldn’t hold back the tears.
“We’d been planning the wedding for about 12 months. I actually wasn’t nervous as I stood there waiting for Emma. I thought ‘nah, I’ve got this,'” Elliot said, according to the British news media outlet SWNS.
“Then I heard Evie’s voice and within moments I was gone. I don’t think I managed to pull myself together until Emma was alongside me.”
“I did not stand a chance. But I wasn’t the only one. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, especially when Evie came down the aisle as one of the flower girls,” he added. “She is such a character and always keeps us on our toes.”
The footage was captured by wedding videographer Owen Bloor, of JOL Videography, as he recorded the day for the happy couple.
Bloor told the BBC that he, Evie, and Emma all knew about the stunt, but he wasn’t sure about the rest of the wedding party. All the same, he didn’t expect it to be so impactful in the beautiful acoustics of the wedding hall, much less on screens and phones across the nation and the world besides.
“It’s really crazy,” Bloor said regarding the virality of the video. “Elliot was really emotional about it; you can tell in the video. He just says, ‘Nah’, and that’s it.”
“I’m so happy for the couple as well, because it’s a moment that people are going absolutely mental for; it’s lovely.”
WATCH the video below and have a tissue nearby…
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The recycled diaper toilet paper - credit: Osaki Municipal Government's SDGs Promotion Council
The recycled diaper toilet paper – credit: Osaki Municipal Government’s SDGs Promotion Council
Embodying the phrase “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine,” a public-private partnership has commercialized the world’s first toilet paper made from used diapers.
Currently available in seven retail locations in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan, the paper is enthusiastically seen as an environmentally friendly alternative for the island nation’s bathrooms.
The project was spearheaded by the city of Shibushi, which along with the neighboring town of Osaki, began recycling disposable diapers last April by separating them from the routine waste streams.
In that first year, the two cities collected 98 tons of diapers and other used hygiene products, all of which are sanitized, bleached, and shredded into a pulp to be mixed with recycled paper at the Poppy Paper Company’s plant in the Fukuoka Prefecture.
30,000 rolls were created in the first two months of production. They’re being called Shibushi-Osaki rolls, and are currently sold at a pittance for just $2.70 per dozen.
“This initiative could help diversify the ways to secure raw materials, especially as used paper supplies are expected to decline with the rise of paperless systems and a shrinking population,” said Satoshi Yoshida from Poppy Paper’s sales department according to Japan’s oldest English-language newspaper, the Mainichi.
“Please support this eco-friendly product, which aims to promote a sustainable society by reusing local resources,” said Takumi Obo, a spokesperson for the Osaki Municipal Government’s SDGs Promotion Council, which is leading the initiative.
Used diapers have a variety of applications. GNN has reported them being used as an additive for concrete in place of sand. The diapers showed increased strength in the end product, and offered a recycled material alternative to sand that was significantly cheaper than other market options.
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credit - Susan Hopkins, via Altadena Weather And Climate Group, Facebook.
credit – Susan Hopkins, via Altadena Weather And Climate Group, Facebook.
A weather enthusiast and passionate community volunteer saved a Pasadena neighborhood by broadcasting two simple words to his social media channels in early January: “Get out.”
Wherever the chips fall in the aftermath of the recent spate of wildfires in northern LA, and whoever gets the book thrown at them—and for whatever reason—one man can hold up his hand and say he did everything that could have been done.
Edgar McGregor, a climatology graduate at San Jose State University, leader of the Altadena Weather and Climate group on Facebook, and publisher of the WeatherMcGregor service on Patreon, picked up on every clue that the fire risk in Altadena was going to be terrifyingly high on the evening of January 7th.
Two days in advance of the Eaton Fire, McGregor advised his followers that “the fire danger is going to be sky-high,” in and around Eaton Canyon, and that they should have their go-backs ready, their cars already packed for evacuation, and one eye on the horizon at all times.
McGregor was monitoring a developing storm front, the kind that tends to magnify the already-high winter winds of Santa Ana which come blustering down the canyon that sits on a northeast-southwest path which mirrors the winds’ trajectory.
According to Local News Pasadena, McGregor was well aware these conditions resulted in two major weather events: in 1993 that involved a wildfire, and in 2011 that resulted in thousands of downed trees, stoved-in houses, and smashed cars.
At 6:15 p.m. on January 7th, amid 70 mph winds, downed transmission lines provided the spark. Around 4 a.m. the next morning, McGregor logged onto his Facebook account and made a video. In so many words, his message was simple “GET OUT.”
“Don’t wait, pack your car; photo albums, medications, birth certificates, social security cards, anything you can’t live without, put it in your car. This is imminent. Do not wait for an official evacuation… Get out!”
Unbelievably, his was the only alert that 2,500 members of the Altadena Weather and Climate Community received for nearly an hour as they streamed down the hills in their cars by the hundreds.
Local News Pasadena collected some of the messages of these residents, who recognized that this one local weather enthusiast had done what many in the largest state government in the country had failed to do—predict, prepare, and prewarn.
“Edgar McGregor is an actual American hero. I am so grateful to him for sharing his vast knowledge. My pets and I would have burned along with my home had I not heeded his warnings.” – Tori Silverman.
“I texted a friend after seeing Edgar’s post who didn’t know about the fire or evac. She was able to get her family out before losing her home.” – Elsa Tatom.
“I want to give a shout-out to Edgar McGregor for saving so many lives. Everywhere I go in Pasadena, I run into people who tell me that this 24-year-old guy on the internet told them this was going to happen a week and a half ago and they were ready to go. And they left and they were safe.” – Susan Hopkins.
Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association - photo courtesy of Christina Bu.
Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association – photo courtesy of Christina Bu.
Norway is on the cusp of bidding farewell to internal combustion vehicles forever now that the automotive transition in the country has reached highway speeds.
Tax incentives and other perks like free parking, a diverse market of foreign and EU-made vehicles, and a vast charging network have steered almost all of the country’s national consumption towards electric vehicles.
Setting a non-legislative and vague goal of phasing out fossil fuel cars back in 2017, the recent market data suggests that the goal is now well within reach for the Arctic country of 5.5 million.
Despite the cold temperatures regularly draining batteries, consumers speaking with the BBC said range and charging weren’t major struggles given a simple change of mindset: from charging when you need it to charging when you can.
They also said there’s no reason why the Norwegian model couldn’t be adopted by other countries, as there’s not really an overly ‘green’ mindset in the purchasing decisions: it’s more about ensuring EVs are available, affordable, and sensible.
The best-selling EVs in the country are Teslas, followed by models from VW and Toyota. Unlike the US and EU countries, Norway hasn’t imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, and a variety of Chinese makes enjoy a 10% share of Norway’s market which saw EVs account for 88.9% of new cars sold in the country last year, up from 82.4% in 2023.
A third of all registered cars on the road in the country today are electric if one includes diesel. Compared to just gasoline-powered cars, the split is closer to 50-50.
Norway has more proven gas and petroleum reserves than any other European nation. Like many of the world’s largest oil and natural gas exporters, they enjoy a massive sovereign wealth fund totaling over $1.7 trillion which allows them, the BBC reports, to shrug off the loss of tax revenue from EVs most of which are exempt from import and property taxes.
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Quote of the Day: “There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.” – Josh Billings
Photo: Nick Page for Unsplash+
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Custom lettermen jacket found in time for 30th high school – Credit: Jed Mottley
Custom letterman jacket found in time for 30th high school – Credit: Jed Mottley
From Arizona comes the remarkable “timeless” story of a man who got to try on his varsity letterman jacket decades after he ordered it.
Unable to afford it at the time, Jed Mottley and the jacket went their separate ways, only to reunite after a spur-of-the-moment, serendipitous visit to a thrift store almost 30 years later.
28 years ago, Mottley got on the varsity football team at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, an accomplishment that could be properly celebrated in only one way: with a letterman jacket.
For foreign readers, the ‘letterman’ jacket is one of the most ubiquitous images of school sports in America. The elastic cuffs and waist, tan leather sleeves, and iron-on patches became so cool, that it has since transformed into an international style item, but are still traditionally ordered individually by members of school sports teams.
When it came time for Mottley to get his, he grabbed his mom and went down to a local shop.
“I went to a store right down the street here and we picked everything out, we might have even put a deposit down,” Mottley told ABC News 15.
When the customized jacket was ready, so was the bad news: the family didn’t have enough money.
Jed understood, but was nevertheless distraught, a feeling that stuck with him for years as he watched his teammates cavort themselves around the school in their own letterman jackets.
Fast forward nearly three decades, and one day Jed’s brother Josh was nearing the end of a string of errands when he decided to pop into a thrift store called Veteran’s Village in Pinetop, Arizona. He said he had a funny feeling he would find something cool. Opening the door, something bright red catches Josh’s eye.
“[Josh] goes, ‘dude let me just send you a picture of this real quick.’ I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, I’m like, ‘dude that’s my jacket,’” said Jed, a professional musician who now lives in Los Angeles.
Submitted by Jed Mottley
A mother’s promise
Jed knew he had to come get his hands on that letterman jacket, which had tumbled about in the ether and ended up in his brother’s hands.
“That thing’s been sitting somewhere in perfect condition for 28 years,” Josh also told ABC 15’s Uplifting Arizona. “I just kept looking at it, saying this can’t be real. I can tell you I felt my mom’s presence with us when I met up with him to give it to him.”
Jed and Josh’s mother passed away in 2012. A deeply religious woman, she said she would be leaving signs and messages for her boys from heaven, a prediction the two men said never really came true.
One can only speculate what the brothers must have felt as they reunited over the lost jacket—the first time they had seen each other in person in years.
“This is a timeless story,” Jed told GNN. “There’s always such a heartwarming response when people hear the story for the first time.”
According to ABC 15, the jacket attracted worldwide attention, and has accompanied Jed on tour with his band, covered his shoulders at his 30th high school reunion, and even won the admiration of Tom Hanks, who said he was stealing the story for a movie idea.
WATCH a summary of the saga of “Jed’s Jacket” below…
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In traditional Chinese astrology, your birth year is especially unlucky, but this year there’s no need for snakes to keep a low profile.
Every year, GNN generates a horoscope based on averages of several major Chinese horoscope providers and Feng Shui masters to help those who don’t follow this ancient practice make sense of it.
On January 29th, the Lunar New Year will welcome the 12-month Chinese zodiac of the snake under the heavenly branch of wood.
How do you know if you are a snake? The last 100 years of snakes were born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013. The last wood snakes were born in 1965.
Being that the year begins on Jan 29th, if your birthday falls earlier in January, you’re a dragon, not a snake.
Chinese astrology has it that every 12th year is unlucky, as the star any individual person was born under arrives closest to the god Tai Sui. That closeness offends him, and so those born under the sign of the year to come are generally recommended to stay put, risk little, and tread lightly.
Unsplash – credit Rafael Barbosa
Yet the 2025 horoscope average heralds a different forecast. Snakes are generally cautious, introverted observers, under whose cold scales lie sensitivity and wisdom. This year is also the second of the two years of the element wood, endowing it with characteristics of creativity, growth, and a certain amount of unpredictability.
The snake’s tact, intuition, and knowledge, coupled with the opportunities offered by wood, means that even in the face of the most unlucky year, snakes are poised to strike at clear opportunities.
The GNN online Chinese horoscope average finds that this year should be of benefit to a snake’s career and finances. A number of lucky stars sit poised to counter the misfortune of the ben ming nian, or unlucky year.
Money and career advancement will come easy for snakes this year, and rewards will be forthcoming for hardworking serpents. Wood is also associated with transformation, and just as the snake sheds its skin, our horoscope average seems to indicate that prospects abound for reinvention.
The highest weighted prediction is of challenges and risks in the snake’s personal health. The year foreshadows accidents, particularly those associated with water. Avoid water skiing or surfing.
Relationships too will be challenged and strained, as would be imagined in the ben ming nian. Single snakes should de-prioritize finding a partner and instead focus on work. Transformation abounds during the year of the wood snake, and friends and acquaintances may reveal their true nature this year, for good or for ill.
For those already married or in a relationship, the horoscope average seems to suggest that joyful events such as trips, marriages, or family parties will go a long way toward softening Tai Sui’s wrath.
This year, Tai Sui stars are in the southwest, so all furniture should face northeast. The snake’s lucky color is blue, while red should always be considered to attract fortune. Their lucky number is easy to remember: it’s 1.
For those born on other years who are wondering how to face the wood snake, there seems to be an emphasis on creativity, and even a tendency to overwork. It’s no coincidence perhaps that this year features 60th birthdays from some extraordinary creative minds.
J.K. Rowling, Trent Reznor, Sinichiro Watanabe, Satoshi Tajiri, and Michael Dell, will all be facing Tai Sui this year.
Other animals that benefit from growth and discerning opportunities should have a good year. With all the opportunities to come, dragons and tigers are likely to be overworked and should focus on maintaining a work-life balance.
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