Single Mom Donates Lottery Win Anonymously to Wounded Policeman, But Officers Track Her Down to Reciprocate

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Jul 26, 2020

It seemed that life was finally giving her a break. A single mom down to her last $7 found a $1 bill in a grocery store parking lot. So she walked back into the store, bought a lottery ticket, and won $100.

Just like that, her luck began turning around.

Most of us in that position would probably keep the $100 and breathe a sigh of relief. But not Shetara Sims. At the urging of her 12-year old daughter Rakiya, she decided to donate all of her winnings to the family of a local Kansas City police officer wounded in the line of duty.

For the Sims family, the desire to pay it forward is personal. When Shetara’s eldest daughter was killed in 2012, Kansas City police officers went above and beyond to support her family as much as possible.

“The detectives were really there for us. They were there for us more than anyone I can imagine. They did things they didn’t have to do,” Shetara told CNN. “They came to see my kids. They did a lot. They were fathers, therapists. They were everything.”

Not wanting to make a fuss about her generosity, Shetara called the Kansas City Police Department and made her donation anonymously. She told the officers on the phone that she had been dealing with several hardships of her own, recently losing her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in spite of what she was going through, Shetara felt that the family of the wounded officer needed the $100 more than she did. The police tried to convince her to reconsider, but Shetara was insistent. Since she didn’t even leave her name and number, she assumed that brief phone conversation and her sense of inner satisfaction would be the end of the story.

It didn’t take long, though, until the local police precincts were abuzz, touched by Shetara’s kindness and gratitude. A group of officers became determined to find her to express their own thanks.

“To hear her call and just express thanks for no reason other than she’s thankful, it’s really impactful to us,” Kansas City Police Department Sgt. Jake Becchina told CNN.

After finally locating Shetara, the Police Department decided to set up a GoFundMe page to help her family with their financial situation. They called the campaign, ‘Helping the Woman With a Heart of Gold,” and the response was overwhelming—with strangers and officers donating more than $145,000.

“People like her are hard to come by,” wrote Kansas City resident Chantale Childs on the police department’s Facebook post that announced the campaign. “A person that would give to a stranger and not eat for herself… she deserves support. It’s amazing to see my community come together for this person. Makes me proud!”

Last Sunday, Shetara and Rakiya visited the wounded officer’s colleagues at work, some of whom were on the scene when “Officer T” was critically injured in the line of duty. In a Facebook post, the department expressed its gratitude for being able to connect with these generous souls: “It took a while to find them, but we’re so glad we did.”

Sgt. Jake said that it is kindness like Shetara’s that really keeps police officers serving and protecting, even when times are tough. Her gesture may have seemed small at the time, but it ended up touching people’s lives in a way she never could have imagined.

MORE: Irish People Are Repaying Debt of Gratitude to Suffering Native Americans 170 Years After Potato Famine

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“There is no bad time for good news.” – Stephen King

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jul 26, 2020

Quote of the Day: “There is no bad time for good news.” – Stephen King

Photo: by Jon Tyson

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?

Florida TV Reporter Diagnosed With Cancer is Forever Grateful to Viewer Who Spotted a Lump on Her Neck

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Good News Network

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Jul 25, 2020

A Florida news reporter will forever be thankful to a total stranger who went out of her way to send an email.

The television viewer encouraged her to see a doctor and Victoria Price took her advice—and is glad she did.

“As a journalist, it’s been full throttle since the pandemic began. Never-ending shifts in a never-ending news cycle,” Price wrote on her social media pages Thursday. “We were covering the most important health story in a century, but my own health was the farthest thing from my mind.”

The 28-year-old WFLA-TV reporter in Tampa got this email from a viewer on June 4:

“Hi, I just saw your news report. What concerned me is the lump on your neck. Please have your thyroid checked,” it read. “Reminds me of my neck. Mine turned out to be cancer. Take care of yourself.”

Price found out that her own lump, though barely perceptible, was indeed thyroid cancer and she will undergo surgery on Monday to remove the tumor, thyroid, and a couple of nearby lymph nodes.

“We’re hopeful this will be my first and last procedure,” she wrote. “Had I never received that email, I never would have called my doctor. The cancer would have continued to spread.”

The broadcaster quipped that the station’s motto, “8 On Your Side”, has become more than a catchphrase.

“I found a viewer on MY side, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” she said about the person sending the email.

“She had zero obligation to, but she did anyway. Talk about being on your side, huh? The world is a tough place these days. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Take care of each other,” she wrote.

WATCH a video from NBC…

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Bank With A Conscience: The Aspiration Debit Card Helped Customers Finance 1Mil Trees Planted, and Get Cash Back

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Andy Corbley

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Jul 25, 2020

What if there were a company that made helping to remove CO2 from the atmosphere as easy as paying the extra 1 cent on top of your $2.99 cup of coffee?

In April, as the economic and social portents of the COVID-19 pandemic became ever clearer, an eco-conscious American “neobank” called Aspiration launched a program to see if customers would be willing to contribute a small something to fund a mass tree planting.

The results, merely 3 months later, were more than anyone with the gift of foresight might have imagined. Even though some of Aspiration’s customers may be temporarily jobless due to lockdowns, their rounding-up of various purchases funded the planting of 1 million carbon-capturing trees.

Using an Aspiration debit card comes with a feature called “Plant Your Change” which rounds up every purchase to the nearest dollar, with the extra few cents going to Aspiration’s tree planting operations that span the globe, from North America to Africa.

The idea was based on a widely-publicized theory of climate mitigation that said our planet had experienced a lot of deforestation since the advent of the industrial age, and that returning some of those billions of acres back into forest would draw a significant amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere.

“Planting one million trees is a big achievement, but it is just the beginning,” said Andrei Cherny, Aspiration CEO and co-founder. “What we’ve seen during the COVID-19 crisis is that our customers want to do more, not less, to take action to save our planet.”

And, the neobank—which is a ‘B Corporation,’ having adopted social good as its top priority—is also paying customers up to 10% cash back for doing business with the most eco-friendly companies.

A financial firm with a conscience?

Aspiration wants its customers to be able to actively see the costs of the modern global economy in terms of carbon as well as currency, and while they offer 1.00% APY on savings, which is far above the industry standard, their accounts also come with features like Aspiration Impact Measurement (AIM).

AIM allows card holders to accumulate a personal sustainability score, and to see and examine the scores of various businesses before they make a purchasing decision.

So far Aspiration has used their AIM to score thousands of merchants and businesses on how they treat the planet in their operations. The more often one uses their Aspiration debit card, the more they’ll be able to see the impact of their spending, track it over time, and compare it to friends.

Purchases at many of the businesses and brands with the highest of these scores come with a 10% cash back bonus for responsible shopping.

“When I think of Aspiration, it reminds me of the phrase “money doesn’t grow on trees,” begins Aspiration client Miguel Garcia, “but now my money helps to grow them! I love that I can sign in and keep track of my progress. In the last few months alone, I’ve planted 169 trees alone.”

“I also know far more about being eco friendly with my spending thanks to Aspiration. I am really excited I can easily contribute, even during the hard times we are all going through.”

Aspiration reminds us that throughout history—from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Conflict Diamond trade—consumer spending decisions wield tremendous power when consumers are resolved, and studies demonstrate that more and more people are making consumer decisions based on things like ethics towards the land, ethics towards the climate, and ethics towards people.

Another feature is the Planet Protection, which when activated calculates the cost of carbon offsets when you use your Aspiration debit card at the pump. Transportation is the world’s largest producer of CO2, and Plant Protection allows you to ensure there are carbon offsets being funded to cover the environmental cost of your driving.

ALSO: Canadian Credit Card Holders Are ‘Over the Moon’ With Chase Bank’s Decision to Forgive Outstanding Debt

Aspiration ensures the 3rd parties handling the carbon offsets purchases are reputable and the carbon offsets are accurately calculated. You can check out their FAQ page to learn more—and maybe start saving the planet with every purchase.

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Editor’s note: This story has been altered, replacing the work bank with “neobank,”

Unanimous Senate Votes to Protect Sea Turtles and Dolphins from Driftnets in the Last Spot That Allows Them

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Good News Network

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Jul 25, 2020

fish in gillnet-Fish_and_Wildlife_Service — gillnets – FWS

Sea turtles, whales, and dolphins may soon be free of the deadly possibility that they will get entangled in the huge driftnets floating off the coast of California.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to phase out the use of the harmful mesh gillnets in federal waters there—the only place the nets are still used in the United States.

The mesh driftnets, which are more than a mile long, are left in the ocean overnight to catch swordfish and thresher sharks. Other marine species including whales, dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, fish, and sharks can also become entangled in the large mesh nets, injuring or killing them.

Turtle Island Restoration Network has led a coalition of concerned citizens and partner organizations for nearly 20 years, working to stop the devastating impact of this driftnet fishery on sea turtles and other ocean animals—with much success.

In 2018, California passed a four-year phase out of large mesh drift gillnets in state waters, but the new law, The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act, would extend similar protections to federal waters within five years and authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help the commercial fishing industry transition to more sustainable gear types.

“This legislation will ensure no more whales or dolphins fall victim,” said Annalisa Batanides Tuel, policy and advocacy manager for Turtle Island Restoration Network. “We are encouraged that the United States is taking steps to address harmful fishing methods in the ocean and off our coasts.”

The use of large mesh driftnets by a single fishery in California is responsible for 90 percent of the dolphins and porpoises killed along the West Coast and Alaska. At least six endangered, threatened, or protected species are harmed by driftnets off the California coast.

The bill, S. 906, was introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

“We are now one step closer to removing these nets from our waters,” Senator Feinstein said. “There is no reason to allow the carnage of large mesh drift gillnets when there are better, more sustainable methods to catch swordfish. We can preserve the economically important swordfishing industry while protecting the ocean and its wildlife.”

Large mesh drift gillnets are already banned in the U.S. territorial waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii. However, they remain legal in federal waters off the coast of California. The United States is also a member of international agreements that ban large-scale driftnets in international waters.

The bill would phase out the use of the nets and help the industry transition to more sustainable methods like deep-set buoy gear that uses a hook-and-buoy system. Deep-set buoy gear attracts swordfish with bait and alerts fishermen immediately when a bite is detected. Testing has shown that 94 percent of animals caught with deep-set buoys are swordfish, resulting in a vastly smaller incidental catch than drift gillnets.

To become law, the bill must pass also the House of Representatives. In May, 2019, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held hearings on the bill.

MORE: 15 Giant Tortoises Finally Returned to Their Galapagos Island Home After Saving Their Species With 1,900 Babies

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Strangers Raise $84,000 for 94-year-old Street Vendor in Wheelchair After One Woman’s Act of Kindness Goes Viral

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Good News Network

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Jul 25, 2020

tamale seller viral post-IG-Kenia Barragan — Instagram @kenia714

It all started with a random act of kindness.

A young woman was walking in Santa Ana, California, when she came upon an elderly street vendor selling tamales. Seeing how tired he looked in his wheelchair, she decided to give him a few bucks and a sandwich—and she also gave him a compassionate ear to listen to his story.

Those gifts alone were enough to cause the 94-year-old to break down in tears. But what followed in the coming days has overwhelmed him with gratitude.

When Kenia Barragan first saw Jose Villa Ochoa, she thought of her own parents. “I felt for him,” she told KTTV News, “My parents are both older, and I would hate to see my dad out selling tamales for somebody and barely making ends meet.”

Known as ‘Don Joel’, he explained that although he wanted a job, nobody would hire him because of his age. In order to keep himself afloat financially, he started to sell tamales cooked by a local woman. At the end of each arduous day, she would give him a cut of the earnings. This allowed him to buy food, but was not enough for him to afford his medications or a phone.

The 28-year-old woman was happy to listen to Don Joel’s story, but she wanted to do more. So made an appeal to her followers on Instagram for some assistance. Within a week, friends and strangers overwhelmed her with more than $84,000 in donations.

In addition to the money raised for Don Joel’s retirement, Kenia purchased him a new wheelchair and a shiny new pair of shoes. Even though he’s 94, he says he feels like he’s 40 now, because the kindness has made him feel so alive. He describes the generosity as “life-changing.”

Kenia feels exactly the same way. She says she’s always looking for a purpose that helps people—and she’s been living in line with those values in her current job, working with people who have disabilities to get them transportation. Her goal in life is to establish a homeless shelter.

Kenia hopes this story inspires others to care more for those in their communities—and not just in terms of monetary donations. Taking the time to talk to someone who looks lonely or down on their luck can be more meaningful than we imagine.

And it can change a life.

WATCH the video from KTTV News… (Photos by @kenia714 on Instagram)

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“As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jul 25, 2020

Quote of the Day: “As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Photo: by Kalen Emsley

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?

More Americans Are Going Out of Their Way to Support Small Businesses During COVID-19

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Good News Network

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Jul 24, 2020

people outside coffee shop CC brewbooks — File photo by Brewbooks, CC

Seven in 10 Americans have experienced a wake-up call during the COVID-19 pandemic to shift their purchases away from bigger corporations and, instead, shop small, according to a new poll of US adults.

The survey asked 2,000 Americans about how they’ve responded to the novel coronavirus’s impact on their local communities and whether they’re supporting small businesses in this difficult time.

Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said they’re now shifting their shopping habits to supporting local businesses rather than big corporations or chain stores.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Canva, the survey found that 79% of respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their perspective on just how important small businesses are to their communities.

LOOK: Hotel Stays Open During Lockdowns to House Homeless Locals; And They’re Repaying the Favor With Odd Jobs

During their months sheltering in place, respondents shared that they’ve supported an average of 10 small businesses.

Forty-three percent of respondents said the top method they’ve been supporting their local businesses is by ordering take-out or delivery. Over half of those surveyed also said they’re tipping their delivery drivers more than they normally would—up to 28% of their bill, in fact.

Another four in 10 respondents said they’ve shown support by visiting their websites and ordering online, while another 38% say they have been donating money. Three in 10 are also writing online reviews and sharing their local businesses’ social media posts to support them during this time.

Despite their individual support, 74% of those polled worried that their favorite local spot may not financially survive the pandemic—and perhaps because of this worry, 77% of respondents said they plan on supporting more local businesses once things return to normal after the coronavirus pandemic.

The places we miss the most

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said the top business they can’t wait to visit again after the pandemic was their local coffee shop.

More than half just want to book a reservation at their favorite restaurant—and 31% can’t wait to sit down and have a drink at their local bar.

MORE: Chef Andrés’ Charity is Injecting $50 Million into Restaurants By Paying Them to Feed the Hungry

Other top stops after COVID-19 included paying a visit to the hair salon, nail salon and local clothing store or boutique.

TOP WAYS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES DURING COVID-19…
1. Ordering delivery/take-out – 43%
2. Shop online – 39%
3. Donating money – 38%
4. Buying gift cards – 34%
5. Writing reviews online – 31%
6. Sharing their social media posts – 30%
7. Posting about them on my social media – 26%

TOP BUSINESSES AMERICANS ARE MOST EXCITED TO VISIT AGAIN AFTER COVID-19
1. Coffee shop/cafe – 58%
2. Restaurant – 51%
3. Hair salon – 37%
4. Gym/fitness studio – 36%
5. Local clothing store/boutique – 33%
6. Bar – 31%
7. Nail salon – 23%

“Around the world, we’re seeing millions of small businesses quickly adapt so they can continue operations,” said Canva’s Trends and Data Analytics Lead, Dr. Tim O’Keefe. “We’ve seen a surge in the use of Canva’s free small business templates, with the creation of takeout menus growing by 66% as restaurants pivot to offering delivery-only, new marketing material to promote how distilleries are now producing hand sanitizer, and the adoption of personalized Zoom background designs for personal trainers running virtual classes.”

“It’s incredibly inspiring to see this positive trend towards innovation, determination and camaraderie across the globe.”

(File photo by Brewbooks, CC license)

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BeyondPlastic Awards For Innovative Packaging: Bags that Melt When Boiled and Sustainable Toothpaste Tube

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Andy Corbley

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Jul 24, 2020

Winners of the 2020 BEYONDPLASTIC Awards, which looked for new designs to eliminate single-use plastic packaging in society, brought innovative and elegant solutions to make common consumer items biodegradable and CO2-free.

The contest, launched by inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of beyondplastic.net, Ulrich Krzyminski, features 4 categories—with gold, silver, and bronze winners in each one.

“The award is directed towards students, designers, engineers, makers, creators, inventors, artists: Everyone who has an idea, concept, prototype, or even a solution already in market, which supports less single-use plastic is welcome to take part,” says Krzyminski.

Next generation bags

Taking gold in the ‘Most Innovative Solution’ category is a bag that dissolves in boiling water. Jack Cleary and the Wastebased team from the United Kingdom call it The Item Bag 2.0—and it belongs in every dry-cleaning store in the world.

Cleary’s goal is to replace polyethylene and polypropylene plastic bags, used to transport virtually every clothing item on the planet, with bags that will biodegrade after they’re discarded.

The Item Bag 2.0 simply dissolves in both saltwater and hot water, leaving behind nothing but bio-ink and some non-toxic minerals which can be poured down the drain. It’s also carbon negative, as opposed to carbon neutral, meaning that the production process of the Item Bag 2.0 removes more carbon from the air than it adds: 100% more, to be precise.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by w. biodegradable packaging (@wastebasedco) on Apr 29, 2020 at 3:50am PDT

Wastebased also makes compostable e-commerce mail envelopes, as well, which are 100% waterproof but degrade in nature after around 6 months. In addition, the green company plants trees to offset any carbon cost of operations which they can’t make sustainable, and have planted almost 1,000 trees in Ireland, Scotland, Romania, and Madagascar.

Cool Paste

A Brazilian team took silver in the category ‘Most Practical Impact’ for their effort to reduce plastics in the classic toothpaste tube, which cannot be reused at all.

An indispensable and daily-used item for all of us, the plastic toothpaste tube received an eco-friendly makeover in the workshops of Coolpaste. Coolpaste is an academic project developed in 2012 by Allan Gomes from the Federal University of Minas Gerais who found there was no decrease in saleability if the cardboard box surrounding the toothpaste tube were removed entirely.

Instead, the tubes become the entire package.

Made of durable cardboard material that is not only sustainable, but biodegradable, it hangs on store shelves via a simple tab, eliminating the paper and chemical inks required to manufacture the boxes.

The sustainability extends even to the cap—which is made from bio-esters derived from things like cornstarch, tapioca roots, and sugarcane.

The BEYONDPLASTIC Award pays out €7,000 total in prize money to all the finalists. Check out all the winners and their products in the Beyondplastic showcase, where potential consumers can learn more and contact the producers to make purchases.

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After COVID Cancels All Flights, One Man Sailed Solo Across the Atlantic to Reach His 90-Year-old Father

By

Judy Cole

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Jul 24, 2020

Most of us know the adage, “You can’t go home again,” but it seems Juan Manuel Ballestero never got the memo.

As the true implications of the Covid-19 crisis grew increasingly dire, Ballestero wanted more than anything else to be reunited with his elderly parents in Argentina in time for his father’s upcoming 90th birthday.

The problem? Ballestero was in Portugal and all international flights had been cancelled.

With a daunting 5,600 miles and the Atlantic Ocean between him and his family, Ballestero was faced with a seemingly insurmountable dilemma. But, the 47-year-old mariner came up with a daring solution—he’d simply sail home.

Sensing time was of the essence, Ballestero feared the local port would soon begin restricting travel as well. The urgency of the situation left him with no window to second-guess his decision: Within 24 hours he decided to take the one-way ticket—and there was no going back.

He’d been right, too. By the time he was ready to embark, authorities on the tiny Portuguese island of Porto Santo warned him that if he left, he could not return.

“I didn’t want to stay like a coward on an island where there were no cases,” Ballestero told The New York Times. “I wanted to do everything possible to return home. The most important thing for me was to be with my family.”

Instagram Juan Manuel Ballestero @skuanavega

A scant few days later, after provisioning his 29-foot sailboat with what he hoped would be enough rice, fruit, canned tuna, and wine to sustain him, Ballestero made ready to weigh anchor. Trusting that faith would get him where he needed to go—like a modern-day Odysseus—he set sail in mid-March, hoping to make landfall in his home port of Mar del Plata in 75 days.

Adrift in the Atlantic Ocean

Like that of Odysseus, Ballestero’s voyage wasn’t without hardships or danger. His food supply dwindled, and authorities at Cape Verde, the port where he’d hoped to restock, refused him entry. Once past the equator, he ran out of fuel and was left to rely purely on wind power. On day 38, he ran out of wine.

Then, the wind quit, leaving his sailboat sitting in the doldrums for 10 days. During that time, barnacles grew on the hull—which would create drag and slow him down. So he was forced to dive under the vessel and scrape them off, risking a shark attack.

With no one aboard to help should he run into trouble, the situation was potentially perilous, but Ballestero proved lucky. The wind eventually picked up again, allowing him to resume course.

As the journey dragged on, Ballestero’s faith was continually challenged, but he never truly panicked. “I wasn’t afraid, but I did have a lot of uncertainty. It was very strange to sail in the middle of a pandemic with humanity teetering around me,” he told The Times. “Faith keeps you standing in these situations.”

While Ballestero endured numerous adversities, the voyage also afforded him glimpses of Mother Nature’s grace as well. For most of the final leg of his crossing, a playful pod of dolphins provided welcome company, racing alongside him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Juan Manuel Ballestero (@skuanavega)

Father’s Day Reunion

By the time Ballestero reached home, 85 days had elapsed. Immediately upon entering the port, he was tested for COVID-19 and cleared.

Exhausted but ecstatic, Juan Manuel and his dad were reunited just in time for Father’s Day.

Juan Manuel Ballestero (left) with brother and father @skuanavega Instagram

Just like the saga of Odysseus, Juan Manuel’s exploits revealed a few key truths: For the Argentine son who would be stuck half way across the globe facing his father’s mortality alone, “there’s no place like home.” And for the sailor whose skill and faith is steadfast, “where there’s a will,” there’s surely to be a way.

WATCH an interview with Juan via EWTN…

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Pandas Found a Moment Alone During COVID-19 Shutdowns to Have a Baby – Watch the Video

By

Andy Corbley

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Jul 24, 2020

panda cub-south korea Everland Park — Everland Park

One of the world’s most endangered and iconic animals has just given birth to a new member of their species—and it may be all thanks to COVID-19.

In late march when many zoos across the world had closed to avert a pandemic, two giant pandas in a South Korea zoo suddenly had some time alone, without gazing eyes, and the 7-year-old female named Ai Bao was soon pregnant.

On Monday, the 8-year-old male panda Le Bao became a new father to a healthy cub in Everland Park.

The cub weighed in at 7 ounces, and the zoo reported both mother and baby appear to be healthy and comfortable. It will take between 5—6 months for the panda cub to learn to climb and eat bamboo. After that, it will be available to be viewed by the public.

Meanwhile, in a Hong Kong zoo, another panda couple took advantage of the lockdown to mate—after social distancing from each other for a decade—but Ling-Ling has not shown any signs of pregnancy, a spokeswoman said.

Only 500-1000 giant pandas remain in the wilds of south-central China. The animal exhibits extraordinarily complicated mating behaviors, which has necessitated tireless work on behalf conservationists trying to do their part to save the species.

In the wild, pandas live solitary lives, and, like humans, can be very choosy when it comes to mating. Furthermore, females usually give birth to only one cub at a time, and there is only one period during the year — lasting only a few days, when females can conceive.

Similar to other large intelligent mammals, young pandas need a long time before they are capable of taking care of themselves, a period during which the female will not mate.

With dwindling panda numbers, it was in the 1950s that China began loaning pairs of pandas to foreign zoos as a token of goodwill, in what became known as “Panda Diplomacy”—and South Korea is just the latest zoo to have produced a cub.

Ai Bao and Le Bao arrived in the country in 2016, and their cub is now the first panda born in that nation, though it will be returned to China in 3—4 years time.

WATCH the video below…

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“A woman’s place is in the house—the House of Representatives.” – Rep. Bella Abzug (born 100 years ago)

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jul 24, 2020

Quote of the Day: “A woman’s place is in the house—the House of Representatives.” – Rep. Bella Abzug (born 100 years ago)

Photo: by princess – cropped

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?

Hanes is Equipping America’s Homeless With 1 Million Masks to Ensure They Can Access Essential Businesses

By

Andy Corbley

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Jul 23, 2020

special delivery box-HealthCenter-Face Mask Donation-Hanes-released — Hanes

Hanes basic apparel is not only encouraging Americans to wear masks with their #MaskAround campaign, they are donating 1,000,000 coverings to homeless communities across the country to help protect them—and others—from the spread of COVID-19.

Using non-profit organizations that they partner with for their annual Sock Drive, Hanes is giving special emphasis to COVID-19/homelessness hotspots like Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston. They will leave distribution to groups like Invisible People, a homelessness advocacy group in America.

“Equipping homeless people with masks allows them to enter essential businesses with mask requirements, like grocery stores, which they would otherwise not be able to access, explains Mark Horvath, founder of Invisible People. “It’s very hard to contextualize homelessness for those who are lucky enough not to worry about access to bathrooms or basic needs like food and water. The impact is substantial.”

A survey commissioned by Hanes and conducted by Wakefield Research demonstrates that mask-use in America is far from absolute.

While 45% of people said they have 13 or more masks in their household, they admitted they often forget them when going out.

Mask Around Town

Hanes is supporting the national effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 with a TikTok and Instagram campaign featuring social media personalities who will ask consumers to highlight the unique places they #MaskAround to help keep others safe.

MORE: In Show of Solidarity, Morocco Sends 8 Million Masks to 15 African Nations

“We want to do our part to support the country’s effort to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Sidney Falken, Chief Branding Officer at Hanes. “Our goal is to raise awareness around the importance of wearing them to help keep each other safe and healthy.”

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Japan’s New Bullet Train Designed With Natural Disasters and Earthquakes in Mind

By

Andy Corbley

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Jul 23, 2020

shinkansen_N700_series_Z28-CC-Mitsuki-2368 — Photo of N700 by Mitsuki-2368, CC license

Central Japan Railway Company, (JR Central) has launched a newly designed high speed, or ‘bullet’ train, equipped with special features to better protect passengers from natural disasters.

Japan, an island nation surrounded by underground fault lines in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, has a history of natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, but also typhoons and flooding, and much of the infrastructure for prevention and recovery is, at this point, baked into the fabric of society.

JR Central’s N700 Supreme is the first new train model in 13 years to plow at great speeds down the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo to Osaka. It moves passengers along at 186 mph (300 kph) and comes with a variety of accommodating features like power outlets between the seats, diffused interior lighting, reclining seats and headrests, and better suspension and sound-proofing to provide a quieter, more stable ride.

However, for moments when luxury isn’t the focus for passengers, like during an earthquake, the train is equipped with an onboard lithium-ion battery component that will allow it to power itself for enough time to reach the nearest evacuation point along the tracks where the passengers can disembark.

A ceremony to mark the commute of the first N700S train was held at Tokyo Station in early July, with JR Central President Shin Kaneko among the participants.

The N700S is “full of our technological achievements,” Kaneko said.

Photo of N700 by Mitsuki-2368, CC license

Off-grid battery operations are the important details that form the web of disaster-proofing that exists in Japanese society. It’s these kind of auxiliary systems that allowed Japanese international airport KIX to recover so quickly after Typhoon Jebi smashed into Osaka bay in September 2018, bringing with it 124 mph (200 kph) winds. The waves overtook the seawall and flooded the terminals—and an ocean tanker crashed into the bridge connecting the airport to the mainland.

Despite that, the airport reopened partially in just 2 days, completing the repairs and allowing tens of thousands to arrive and depart in KIX once again only 17 days after the storm.

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After Heroic Boy is Injured Saving Little Sis from Dog Attack, He Wins Praise–And Surprises–From Avengers (Watch)

By

hcovington

-

Jul 23, 2020

Boy saves sister-Instagram-Bridger Walker — Instagram, cropped image from Anne Hathaway

Before he shielded his little sister from the charging dog, before actor Chris Evans called him a hero and scores of strangers learned his name, 6-year-old Bridger Walker took it upon himself to be a model big brother.

When she was first born, he held her and just beamed, pointing to his chest when relatives asked for a turn. He didn’t want to give her up.

It’s why his act of heroism during a dog attack earlier this month came as no surprise to his parents, who recounted the July 9 incident on social media. Bridger, they said, stepped in front of his 4-year-old sister when a German Shepherd-mix barreled toward them.

“If someone had to die, I thought it should be me,” he told his dad.

Bridger’s aunt posted the story shortly after he got home from the hospital, saying Bridger had taken the brunt of the dog’s attack and yelled for his sister to run.

“I know it’s a long shot,” she wrote, “but I’m reaching out to the Avengers and other heroes so that they can learn about this latest addition to their ranks.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker)

It didn’t take long for Bridger’s story to go viral, after actress Anne Hathaway spotlighted the Wyoming boy’s bravery and attracted more than one million likes.

“I’m not an Avenger, but I know a superhero when I see one,” Hathaway wrote.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anne Hathaway (@annehathaway)

His heroics soon captured the attention of celebrity superheroes like Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine).

Nikki Walker, Bridger’s aunt, has recorded for Instagram the boy’s starstruck reactions to the many personal messages sent by his Hollywood idols.

Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. made a video for the boy, and called him “a rock star” and promised “something special” for his next birthday, joking that it would better than any of the other celebrity gifts.

Fellow Avenger Chris Pratt, from Guardians of the Galaxy, has also chimed in, praising the big brother’s action as “true courage.”

In a video call with the family, Tom Holland invited Bridger to visit the set of his upcoming Spiderman 3 movie.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker)

And the gifts kept coming—like a guitar from musician Bret Michaels and rock specimens mailed to the family because Bridger loves geology. One of his aunt’s photos shows the 6-year-old grinning as he grips a hefty World Champion belt sent by the World Boxing Council after the organization declared him “The bravest man on Earth.”

Perhaps most heartwarming of all, though, was Chris Evans declaring that he was sending an authentic Captain America shield. As Bridger watched the video, he donned his own Captain America costume—with the blue mask partly covered the whorl of 90-plus stitches curving across his cheek.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker)

“Pal, you’re a hero,” Evans told him. “What you did was so brave, so selfless. Your sister is so lucky to have you as a big brother.”

The recovering lad smiled as he soaked in the Avenger’s praise, his little sister at his side.

MORE: Avengers Knock at the Front Door to Surprise a Teen Fighting Cancer

His aunt summed up the whirlwind of attention, writing on Instagram, “This week has reminded us in a massive way that the goodness in humanity far outweighs the bad.”

“If the love you have extended towards us were extended to all, the world would certainly be a brighter place.”

WATCH: Boy Gets New Bionic Arm From ‘Iron Man’s Tony Stark’ Himself (Robert Downey Jr.)

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High School All-Girl, All-Genius Robotics Team Creates Cheap Mobile Ventilator to Help Afghanistan’s Covid-19 Efforts

By

Andy Corbley

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Jul 23, 2020

These days not much news comes out of Afghanistan that could be described as positive, but an all-girl high school team of legitimate geniuses, prove the South Asian country is so much more than just a war zone.

Their robotics team invented an inexpensive new ventilator model that will help the thousands of Covid-19 patients in their homeland, where there is a lack of such machines in hospitals.

In the city of Herat, the Afghan Robotics Team of 7 young girls finished the design of an open-source, mobile ventilator that costs as little as $700—compared to the $20,000 needed to purchase a traditional model. The lightweight machine can be powered by batteries that can run for ten hours.

They were among esteemed company, too, as their design was partially based on an MIT blueprint, and they received support and guidance from robotics experts at Harvard.

“We are delighted that we were able to take our first step in the field of medicine and to be able to serve the people in this area as well,” Somaya Faruqi, an 18-year old member of the robotics team, told Reuters. “All members of our team feel happy because after months of hard work, we were able to achieve this result.” (Watch the Reuters video below)

Afghanistan’s Minister of Health applauded the innovation and drive of the young girls, and eagerly awaited the devices’ approval from the World Health Organization.

“We appreciate the initiative and creativity in Afghanistan’s health sector…after they are approved, we will use these ventilators and we are determined to contract with companies so we can also export them,” he said.

A string of achievements

The Afghan Girls Robotics Team amassed international attention when in 2017, they traveled 500 miles from Herat to the capital of Kabul in order to secure visas for the First Global Challenge robotics competition in Washington, only to have them denied for no stated reason.

GREAT KIDS: Homeschooled 12-Year-old Boy Designs COVID-19 Protection Device – The Safe Touch Pro

After public outcry caused the U.S. Department of State to reverse their decision, they claimed silver medals for their achievements in creating a machine that sorted dirty from clean water, even though a shipment of parts for their design was held up while entering the country.

After Washington, the team traveled to Europe and won the Entrepreneur Challenge at the International Robotex competition in Estonia, only months after the father of the team’s captain was killed in a suicide bombing.

Congratulations to our Afghan Girls Robotics Team for winning the entrepreneur challenge in the biggest Robotics Festival in Europe in Estonia. #ProudAfghans #Robotex17 #AfgDigital pic.twitter.com/nIM6GudIul
— Embassy of the I.R. of Afghanistan in London (@AfghanistanInUK) November 26, 2017

“We are extremely proud of the wonderful accomplishments of the Afghan All-Girl Robotics Team,” Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Said T. Jawad, said in a statement at the time.

“They are an excellent example for people around the world of what can be accomplished by young Afghans if given the right support and the opportunity to excel in their education.”

WATCH the video from Reuters below… Featured image credit: Reuters video Facebook

Need more positive stories and updates coming out of the COVID-19 challenge? For more uplifting coverage, click here.

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“Starting each day with a positive mindset is the most important step of your journey to discovering opportunity.” – Jay Samit

Quote of the Day

By

Good News Network

-

Jul 23, 2020

coffee cup morning calm-sad-pubdomain-Gaelle Marcel — Gaelle Marcel - Unsplash

Quote of the Day: “Starting each day with a positive mindset is the most important step of your journey to discovering opportunity.” – Jay Samit

Photo: by Gaelle Marcel

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?

Possible ‘Breakthrough’ Coronavirus Treatment With Natural Protein Cuts Risk of Death and Serious Symptoms by 79%

By

Andy Corbley

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Jul 22, 2020

An aerosol-based protein inhalant has been shown in trials to reduce the risk of death from SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the chance of developing serious symptoms by 79% compared to patients given a placebo.

Results also showed that patients were more than twice as likely to make a full recovery from Covid-19, meaning they had no lasting respiratory weakness or other damages.

The new drug called SNG001 is an inhalant of the naturally-occurring protein called interferon beta, and arose out of research conducted at the University of Southampton. The British biotech firm Synairgen, co-founded by three of the university’s professors, tested the treatment on 100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (and 120 who were at home) in a randomized controlled trial spanning a period from March to May.

When inhaled directly into the lungs, interferon beta activates a powerful immune response. Interferon beta was a prime protein candidate for treatment testing because Covid-19 suppresses the body’s natural production of interferon beta which helps form the inherent protection against the spreading virus in the body.

“We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who progressed from ‘requiring oxygen’ to ‘requiring ventilation’,” said Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen.

“It also showed that patients who received SNG001 were at least twice as likely to recover to the point where their everyday activities were not compromised through having been infected by SARS-CoV-2. This assessment of SNG001 in COVID-19 patients could signal a major breakthrough in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.”

Professor Stephen Holgate, one of Synairgen’s co-founders, described it as having “huge potential” for restoring the natural immune system response in a patient’s lungs.

He added that not only does SNG001 help the lungs combat Covid-19, but it could become a more important treatment than any future vaccines which may have to be re-engineered as the virus mutates in the future.

“Recognizing that SARS-CoV-2 is known to have evolved to evade the initial antiviral response of the lung, our inhaled treatment of giving high local concentrations of interferon beta restores the lungs’ ability to neutralize the virus, or any mutation of the virus or co-infection with another respiratory virus such as influenza or RSV, as could be encountered in the winter if there is a resurgence of COVID-19,” noted Holgate.

The Phase II trial was relatively small, and the results have not been peer reviewed for error or bias. The company would require regulatory approval before SNG001 can be commercially marketed, but if approved the treatment could revolutionize the way viral respiratory infections such as MERS, SARS, and Covid-19 are treated.

“Our efforts are now focused on working with the regulators and other key groups to progress this potential COVID-19 treatment as rapidly as possible,” said Marsden.

Last month, a research team at the University of Oxford announced they had successfully reduced the risk of death among seriously ill patients by administering the commonly available steroid dexamethasone.

Need more positive stories and updates coming out of the COVID-19 challenge? For more uplifting coverage, click here.

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After Years of Waking at 4am to Haul Trash, Student is Accepted into Harvard—And His Reaction is Pure Joy

By

Sarah Bregel

-

Jul 22, 2020

When you think of Harvard Law School, a few things probably come to mind—wealth, prestige, distinguished libraries, maybe sweater vests. You likely wouldn’t conjure a picture of a sanitation worker getting up at 4 a.m. to clean dumpsters and sort trash before school.

But, then, you don’t know Rehan Staton.

While getting into Harvard Law School is no easy feat for just about anyone, Rehan, whose single-parent family was poor, truly had his work cut out for him. And he doesn’t take all the credit either—he gives most of it to the people around him.

The 24-year-old college student told Today, “After going through everything that we did as a family, I just felt that we got into Harvard, and like, I just can’t even explain it. It was ‘we.'” The community around him made all the difference, he says.

Rehan admits he was “hungry for more” after living through years of family struggles and poverty. While growing up in Bowie, Maryland, his mother abandoned the family and moved out of the country when he was 8-years-old. However, that was also when he began learning the value of hard work. His father had to labor at multiple jobs to support Rehan and his older brother, Reggie.

Those times tested the family as a whole. As Rehan’s grades slipped, he channeled his energy into sports. He excelled at boxing and martial arts and won national and international competitions which he hoped would become his way out of poverty—but a rotator cuff injury would derail those plans completely.

After years of struggling, Rehan’s high school grades were so poor that he was rejected from every college he applied to. So, instead of heading off to college at 18, he took a job at Bates Trucking and Trash. Most of his colleagues there had been formerly incarcerated. For many individuals, taking the job would feel like an utter low point. But for Rehan, it was when his life began to turn around.

Rehan and his brother both worked at the trash company – Photos courtesy of Rehan Staton

“It was the first time in my life a group of individuals that weren’t my father or my brother just came around me and… really just empowered me, uplifted me, told me I was intelligent.”

He believed the hype, when his coworkers urged him to go back to school, and one of the company owners, Brent Bates, helped him enroll in Bowie State University. Rehan earned a 4.0-grade point average and was able to transfer to the University of Maryland.

But Rehan’s struggles still weren’t over. During his junior year at Maryland, his father suffered a stroke, and Rehan had to return to work at Bates in order to save their family home. Many people would’ve given up, but he doubled-down on his schedule. Instead of dropping out of school, he woke each day at 4 a.m. to work his sanitation shift before class.

He graduated in 2018 with accolades, and was chosen to give a student commencement speech. When he took his LSAT test, he scored exceptionally well—in the 80th percentile—and began applying to law schools.

Rehan set his sights high—on Harvard.

Luckily, because that school comes with a hefty price tag, the young man found another supporter. Carmie McCook, a communications coach who calls him her protégé, started a GoFundMe page to help him with the cost. The initial goal was $75,000, but it surged to over $185,000 in donations. Carmie wrote on the page. “I felt incredibly strong empathy and admiration from him. A bond was formed and I told him I’d always be there for him if he needed me for anything. He now calls me ‘Ma’.”

When it came time to finally hear the news whether Harvard had accepted him or not, Rehan recorded the moment on video. With his brother sitting next to him, he opened the notice on his computer—and their reaction was pure joy.

“Yes, Rehan is smart, but what makes his achievement even more admirable is his courageous journey to this moment,” said his mentor.

While most people heading to Harvard Law have the grades, the financial support, and maybe the sweater vests, Rehan just had his own painful story to stand on—the same story that makes him an inspiration.

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LOOK: Teacher Carries Student With Spina Bifida On His Back So She Won’t Miss Out on Class Field Trip

More Than One Million UK Citizens Have Quit Smoking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By

Andy Corbley

-

Jul 22, 2020

An English campaign designed to help and encourage people to quit smoking conducted a survey which has found that more than one million people have quit smoking since the outbreak of COVID-19.

The campaign called Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) reported that of the 41% of people in the UK who stopped smoking cigarettes in 2020 said it was a direct result of the pandemic.

It was not confirmed whether this was due partially or primarily to a lack of access to tobacco products because of the lockdowns, or the implementation of social distancing measures which prevented social cigarette use, or if it was from the links between smoking and the virus’s infection and hospitalization rates.

Strong evidence from several epidemiological studies linked smoking cigarettes and lung health with increased likelihood of developing the more serious panoply of symptoms arising from the novel coronavirus.

Separately, the University College London’s survey on smoking rates found fewer smokers among the 2020 UK population than in any year since they started taking the survey in 2007.

MORE: As Earth’s Ozone Layer Continues to Repair Itself, Scientists Happily Report Good News on Global Wind Trends

UCL’s annual Smoking Toolkit Study found that the average number of smokers who were quitting the habit in 2020 spiked from the 13-year average of 5.9% to 7.6%.

Around 7 million people were smoking in the UK in 2019. Since 2005, the Northeastern part of the country—with cities such as Newcastle and Sunderland—has seen the largest fall in smoking rates.

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