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Harpoons Are Silenced: Iceland’s Whaling Boats Spend Second-Straight Season Tied Up in Port

By
Andy Corbley
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For the second straight year, there will be no whale hunting season in Iceland, and conservation groups are celebrating.

After the international moratorium against whaling began in 1986, two Icelandic companies, Hvalur and IP-Utgerd, carried on hunting fin whales and minke whales.

This year, IP-Utgerd cited financial difficulties involving the increased number of no-fishing zones off Iceland’s coast, while Hvalur reported stiff competition from Japanese whaling companies which the Japanese government subsidizes.

Its CEO, Kristján Loftsson, said that Japan has created stricter measures for imported Icelandic whale meat, and the COVID-19 outbreak would make the close quarters work involved in whaling difficult and unsafe, with social distancing guidelines being hard to observe.

RELATED: Dozens of Blue Whales Spotted in Antarctica For the First Time Since 1980s Whaling Ban

“This is indeed terrific news that for a second straight year, vulnerable fin whales will get a reprieve from Hvalur hf.’s harpoons, the sole fin whaling company,” Fabienne McLellan, co-director of international relations at Ocean Care, told Mongabay.

According to Hard to Port, a German organization working to end whaling in Iceland, Loftsson will want to keep Hvalur—a family business—operational, despite pressure from conservation groups.

Whales, as GNN has reported, represent a keystone species in global oceanic ecosystems, as well as a significant ally in the fight against climate change.

ALSO: Whales Feces Represent One of the Greatest Allies Against Climate Change—Even More Than Trees

For conservationists in Europe who are concerned with whaling, Iceland’s industry, which has ignored the international moratorium for almost 40 years, could be ended by increasing financial pressure from Japan.

In 2018, Japan exited the International Whaling Commission, and still subsidizes the industry to the tune of $10 million a year, according to Whales US. But as reported by Science, it is a niche profession feeding an ever-shrinking niche market. Japan decided “to stop large-scale whaling” on the high seas in 2018, and will only hunt in Japanese coastal waters, given the declining demand.

Japanese whale meat consumption dropped from 203,000 tons in 1965 to just 4000 tons in 2015. Reduced demand has resulted in a 2019 catch during whaling season of 2000 tons.

POPULAR: Humpback Whale Population Bounces Back From Near-Extinction—From Just 450, to Over 25,000

With only 3% of Icelandic citizens saying they eat minke meat, there’s only so much time Hvalur and IP-Utgerd’s boats can remain stationary through the summer before market forces take their toll, and whaling is consigned to history.

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“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

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Good News Network
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Azrul Aziz

Quote of the Day: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

Photo: by Azrul Aziz, public domain, 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?

These Nuns Are Empowered With Kung Fu to Break Bricks – And Fight Human Suffering (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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These nuns are spending three hours every day exercising the physical, alongside the spiritual—and you wouldn’t want to face them down in a fight.

The Buddhist Drukpa Order is the only one in Nepal in which the nuns practice martial arts.

Their empowering claim to fame includes daily training, during which they break bricks with their bare hands.

Real super heroes in the Himalayas, these strong women were able to deliver supplies after an earthquake struck Kathmandu in 2015—successfully aiding hard-to-reach villages.

RELATED: Monks Create Iconic Orange Robes from Recycled Plastic—40 Tons Already Collected

The kung fu nunnery has also taught self-defense classes for women and the devotees have biked over 14,000 miles to protest the human trafficking of women and girls.

(WATCH the fascinating video from our partners at Great Big Story)

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

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Good News Network
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A repayment of gratitude 170 years in the making has rekindled an affectionate bond linking the Great Irish Potato Famine of almost two centuries ago with a Native American tribe in Oklahoma suffering today from the coronavirus pandemic.

In 1847, when Ireland was experiencing years of starvation due to a potato blight, the North American Choctaw tribe joined a compassionate campaign in the U.S. to help these strangers an ocean away.

Despite their own suffering, having been forced to relocate hundreds of miles from their native land, the tribe pooled their pennies and raised $170 (almost $5,000 in today’s currency) to send to the Emerald Isle through a relief fund.

Returning the Kindness

Today, the Navajo and Hopi tribes have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their high rate of infection is thought to be due to a lack of running water in one-third of all homes and shortage of groceries, forcing families to leave the reservation for supplies.

To finance a plan to provide bottled water and other supplies directly to the reservation, a GoFundMe campaign was set up by Navajo and Hopi families. Now, almost $2.7 million has been raised so far, with many donations flowing in from Irish citizens expressing gratitude for the help they received so many decades ago.

RELATED: Irish Prime Minister Re-Registers as Medical Practitioner So He Can Join the COVID-19 Response Team

“Ours is a debt that can never be repaid, but please consider this a small token of love and solidarity from your Irish brothers and sisters. Praying for the strength, wellbeing and prosperity of your community always” said Caroline Kelly, adding a Gaelic message of unity. “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.”

“When the Choctaw people had nothing, they gave Ireland all they could at a time when we needed it most. I know it’s not much, but I hope this helps our friends in their time of need,” added Ciaran Mc brearty.

MORE: At Long Last, Native California Tribe Has Land To Call Their Own

“Sending Irish blessings, hope, faith and love to our dear Native American brothers and sisters whose ancestors gave us hope in our time of need so many years ago, too,” wrote Aoife Galway. “Thank you agus sláinte, Aoife ☘❤”

Honoring the Choctaw

Three years ago, a soaring silver monument to honor the donations from Native Americans was unveiled in County Cork, Ireland—and Choctaw leaders were invited to the grand unveiling.

Asked about his inspiration to create the huge stainless steel sculpture of nine eagle feathers, the local artist Anex Penetek said, “I wanted to show the courage, fragility and humanity that they displayed.”

The financial support continues to pour in, hour by hour, along with messages of solidarity linking two cultures who uniquely know the meaning of widespread suffering—and the value of supporting one another through it.

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‘Goat 2 Meeting’ Service Lets Farm Animals Make Cameo Appearance on Your Next Zoom Call to Support Shelter

By
Andy Corbley
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We’ve seen some incredible displays of creativity during the long weeks of COVID-19 self-isolating. (GNN even produced a fun television pilot.) But nothing quite matches the brilliant strategy of a California animal shelter which is struggling to pay its bills during the lockdown.

Sweet Farm Animal Shelter, a nonprofit sanctuary started by a Silicon Valley tech employee, is using the animals’ daily empty schedules to inject humor into hundreds of business meetings taking place—by necessity, now—over Zoom, Google Hangouts, or other video chat program.

Teleconference organizers can contact Sweet Farm and for less than $100 have one of the farm animals make an appearance during their next video-conference call—sitting in as a rather distracted member of the group.

The initiative is known as Goat 2 Meeting, which is a pun based on another popular teleconference software, GoToMeeting. Not only goats are available, though. You can arrange visits from turkeys, sheep, pigs, and llamas, as well.

FUN: One Million People Find Laughter During Isolation Posting Pictures of Costume-Themed Garbage Bin Outings

For readers who haven’t used Zoom, the caller who is speaking is the one who appears on the screen, so imagine a goat bleat not only interrupting your boss, but replacing his face with a goat’s!

Speaking with Business Insider, Anna Sweet, the brains behind Goat 2 Meeting reported that more than 300 requests for animals have come in since the middle of March when they launched the program. One video conference set up for lawyers sent notices that their kids were invited to the call to take a virtual tour of the farm.

POPULAR: Look Inside This Mini Art Gallery That a Bored Couple in Quarantine Made for Their Pet Gerbils

“I think we’re all a little stressed with what’s going on — many of us have been sitting inside,” Sweet told Business Insider. “We’re just hoping to bring some smiles to people’s faces, while bringing them out to the farm at the same time.”

If you are interested in bringing a farm animal onboard for your next teleconference, fill out the request form on the Goat 2 Meeting website.

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Nike Donates Tens of Thousands of Shoes They Designed Exclusively for Healthcare Workers

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Good News Network
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After designing a special athletic shoe for healthcare workers that can withstand 12-hour shifts, Nike has donated 30,000 pairs to hospitals across the United States and 2,500 to hospitals in Europe.

The company is also sending more than 100,000 additional apparel items, including compression socks and sportswear kits, as a ‘thank you’ to frontline workers.

Nike described the Air Zoom Pulse, released in November, as the “first shoe designed for the healthcare athlete, an everyday hero.”

The kicks are made of a special material that is easy to wipe down and clean, and designed to be worn for the 12-hour shifts that include five miles of walking with less than an hour of sitting.

RELATED: Anonymous Donor Gives $1 Million Gift to Hospital So It Can Be Divided Between Every Single Employee

Nike’s nonprofit partner, Good360, will distribute the shoes to workers in U.S. veterans hospitals, as well as hard-hit health systems in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York City. In Europe, the shoes will go to hospitals in Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and Belgium.

To date, the company says “the Nike Foundation and Nike have committed more than $25 million” to COVID-19 response efforts—with its apparel donations valued at $5.5 million. Additional support has been given to the World Health Organization (WHO) and community support efforts for its employees in Oregon, Memphis, Amsterdam, Belgium, and China.

Nike provided more than 290,000 pieces of personal protective equipment and 250,000 disposable face masks to hospitals across the United States.

POPULAR: New Study Finds Best Material for Homemade Face Masks May Be Two Fabrics Combined

Photo by Nike

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted his appreciation, saying “thank you so much for supporting our front line health care heroes.”

In 2015, the company personified its ‘Just do it’ philosophy when it teamed up with a disabled teen to design an easy-entry shoe.

Nike is also offering its Training Club Premium subscription service for free during the pandemic. Download the app here to access body weight workouts, yoga classes, and more.

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

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Breakthrough For Kenyan Scientists Who Discover Natural Microbe That Completely Stops Malaria in Mosquitoes

By
Michael Goonan
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Dean Calma IAEA, CC 4.0. BY-SA

A team of scientists in Kenya and the UK are hailing the “enormous potential” of a new strategy to control malaria, after discovering that a microbe completely protects mosquitoes from infection.

“The data we have so far suggest it is 100% blockage,” Dr. Jeremy Herren of the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology told BBC News. “Quite a surprise… I think people will find that a real big breakthrough.”

Now, they are developing plans to spread the microbe through mosquito populations in infected regions, in an unprecedented effort to eliminate the 400,000 deaths that result from the disease each year.

While studying mosquitoes near the waters of Kenya’s Lake Victoria, the researchers unexpectedly came across a protective fungus called ‘Microsporidia MB,’ which was already in the bodies of the insects.

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Now, their goal is to disseminate the microbe in at least 40% of mosquitoes in malaria-infected regions.

Two main methods are being considered: the mass release of spores of the microbe in areas where many mosquitoes live, or implanting the microbe in male mosquitoes (who don’t bite) in the lab, who would then spread it to female mosquitoes, who spread the disease through their bites.

Equally important is the fact that neither of these approaches would kill the mosquitoes, thus preserving the delicate balance between ecosystems and food chains.

RELATED: Mexican Students Devise Natural Mosquito Repellent to Avert Zika Virus

Their promising lab research was published in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature, where they wrote “These findings are significant in terms of regional malaria transmission and epidemiology as well as risk-mapping.”

Such a program would be the biggest leap forward in the effort to eradicate malaria since infections had dropped by 40% leading up to 2014 due to mass mosquito net distribution by UNICEF and their partners such as the Global Fund.

– Photo by Dean Calma / IAEA, CC license

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“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Jung

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Jung

Photo: by Kairat Murataliev, public domain, cropped, colorized

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?

Quarantined City Residents Are Celebrating Ramadan by Decorating Their Homes With Stunning Light Displays

By
McKinley Corbley
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Since the COVID-19 outbreaks have disrupted many of the traditional festivities of Ramadan—such as going to mosque and sharing meals with loved ones—one Michigan town has launched a sweet new initiative to celebrate the Islamic holiday from quarantine.

The city of Dearborn—which is known for having the largest Muslim population in the US—has been celebrating the holy month by inviting its residents to decorate their homes for the first ever Ramadan Lighting Contest.

Since the contest launched on April 23rd, more than 65 families have festooned their homes in lanterns, lights, and decorative signs.

RELATED: Politician Helps Pay Off Medical Debt for Man Who Sent Him Racist Tweets—And They’re Now Friends

City residents can nominate their own home or their neighbor’s household for the contest by filling out the Ramadan Lights Contest nomination form before May 11th. Members of the public can then vote for their favorite households in each of the city’s 10 districts.

The contest winners will be announced prior to Eid al-Fitr—the celebration marking the end of Ramadan—and presented with a gift basket of goodies from a local restaurant.

 

Filmmaker Razi Jafri, who works for the Center for Arab-American Studies, launched the initiative in partnership with several local Muslim organizations in hopes of cheering Dearborn residents during the novel coronavirus outbreaks.

“This will help raise spirits by providing a positive, pro-social project for the community to get involved with,” Jafri told CNN. “It’s amazing because both Muslims and non-Muslims in the community are getting so excited about it. There’s been so much positive energy that has come out of this already.”

 

“This project is just the perfect blend of American and Muslim culture,” he added. “American Muslims are such an important part of the fabric of American culture and this is a great expression of that.”

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

(WATCH the video of the lights in action below)

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Not Only Does New Solar Chimney Design Cut Energy Costs By 50%, It Can Also Save Lives During a Fire

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Good News Network
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A must-have in green building design, solar chimneys can slash energy costs up to 50%—now research reveals they could also help save lives in a building fire.

In a world-first, researchers designed a solar chimney optimized for both energy saving and fire safety, as part of the sustainable features of a new building in Melbourne, Australia.

Modeling shows the specially-designed solar chimney radically increases the amount of time people have to escape the building during a fire—extending the safe evacuation time from about 2 minutes to over 14 minutes.

A solar chimney is a passive solar heating and cooling system that harnesses natural ventilation to regulate the temperature of a building.

WATCH: After Five Years of Drought, Kenyan Region Finally Gets Clean Water Thanks to Solar-Powered Saltwater Plant

With an estimated 19% of the world’s energy resources going to heating, ventilating and cooling buildings, integrating solar chimneys into new builds and retrofitting to existing structures offers great potential for reducing this massive environmental cost.

In the new project, a collaboration between RMIT University and the City of Kingston, researchers designed a solar chimney to maximize its efficiency for both ventilating fresh air and sucking smoke out of a building in case of fire. The study was published this week in the journal Energy and Buildings.

Researcher Dr. Long Shi said solar chimneys have well established environmental credentials, but their potential for improving fire safety had not been explored.

MORE: Working in Secret, Bill Gates-Backed Solar Company Reveals Tech That Could Spell the End of Fossil Fuels

“In an emergency situation where every second counts, giving people more time to escape safely is critical,” Shi said. “Our research demonstrates that solar chimneys offer powerful benefits for both people’s safety and the environment.

“Delivering on two important functions could boosts the already strong cost-effectiveness of this sustainable technology,” he added. “We hope our findings will inspire more investment and development of solar chimneys in Australia, and around the world.”

Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said Council was excited to be a part of the groundbreaking project.

LOOK: Three-Story ‘Water Battery’ Has Already Slashed University’s Electrical Costs By 40% in One Month

“Creating new and innovative ways of reducing energy consumption in our building design is something that is a priority for Council,” Oxley said. “The solar-chimney that has been installed at the new state-of-the-art Mentone Reserve Pavilion not only allows us to harness clean green energy to heat and cool the building, helping Council achieve its environmental goals, but it also has the potential to save lives in the event of a fire. This is a truly remarkable design.”

While calculations around the 6-fold increase in safe evacuation time were specific to the new building, previous research by the team from RMIT’s School of Engineering has confirmed solar chimneys can successfully achieve both functions—ventilation and smoke exhaustion.

Hot air rises: how a solar chimney works

The passive design approach behind solar chimneys operates on the well-known principle that hot air always rises.

Modern solar chimneys usually feature a wall of glass next to a wall that is painted black, to maximize the absorption of solar radiation. Vents at the top and bottom control the airflow in and out of the chimney for heating or cooling.

As the sun warms the chimney, this heats the air inside it. The hot air rises and is then vented out of the top of the chimney, which draws more air in at the bottom, driving ventilation through a building to naturally cool it down.

CHECK OUT: Exciting New Study Says That Crops Thrive Underneath Solar Panels—and the Panels Produce More Energy

When it’s cold outside, the chimney can be closed, to direct the absorbed heat back into the building and keep it warm.

It’s an ingeniously simple concept that is relatively cheap to retrofit and adds almost no extra cost to a new build, but can drive energy consumption down.

The solar chimney helps control temperature in case of a fire. Modeling shows temperature at 16 minutes with a solar chimney (top) and at 3 minutes without a solar chimney (bottom). Photo by RMIT University.

Reducing smoke, increasing safety

During a fire, the same principle—hot air rises—enables the solar chimney to suck smoke out of the building.

Less smoke means better visibility, lower temperatures and reduced carbon monoxide—all of which contribute to increasing the amount of time people have to safely evacuate.

LOOK: These New Solar-Pavement Driveways Made of Plastic Bottles Can Power the Average Household

To understand exactly how much evacuation time a solar chimney could deliver for a specific building, you need to model for that exact design, Shi said.

“This will differ from building to building, but we know that any extra time is precious and improves fire safety, which could ultimately help to save lives,” he said.

The new research offers a technical guide for optimizing the design and engineering of solar chimneys in real buildings, to expand their application across the two functions.

Reprinted from RMIT University

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Landlord Hands Over His Family’s Stimulus Check to His 13 Tenants So They Could Save on Rent

By
McKinley Corbley
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A California landlord and his wife are being praised for doubling up on their stimulus checks in order to pay off some of the rent for all 13 of their tenants.

Although the Santa Rosa landlord chose to remain anonymous, he told KNTV that after he and his family received their $3,400 federal stimulus check, he felt compelled to pay it forward to his “second family” of tenants.

He then matched the check’s amount for a total of $7,000 so he could use it to shave $500 off this month’s rent for each of his tenants.

Cynthia Whitsitt, who has been renting from the landlord for the last 10 years, says that the compassionate gesture is not unusual for a man who she insists is one of the best property owners she has ever had. Since his donation also helped her to save about one-third of her rental payment, she says she is now happy to finally be able to fix her car.

RELATED: Anonymous Donor Gives $1 Million Gift to Hospital So It Can Be Divided Between Every Single Employee

“It was a great surprise, but I wasn’t really that surprised because that’s the type of guy he is,” Whitsitt told KNTV. “He’s a great guy.”

The landlord says that he was inspired to donate his stimulus check after reading news reports of other individuals and business owners doing similar good deeds across California—and he hopes that his gesture will inspire others to do the same.

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by KNTV

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After Decades of Work, Scientists Have Mapped the Entire Surface of the Moon for the First Time

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Good News Network
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Orthographic projections of the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon” showing the geology of the Moon's near side (left) and far side (right) with shaded topography from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). This geologic map is a synthesis of six Apollo-era regional geologic maps, updated based on data from recent satellite missions. It will serve as a reference for lunar science and future human missions to the Moon. Photo by NASA/GSFC/USGS.

Have you ever wondered what kind of rocks make up those bright and dark splotches on the moon? Well, scientists have just released a new authoritative map to help explain the 4.5-billion-year-old history of our nearest neighbor in space.

For the first time, the entire lunar surface has been completely mapped and uniformly classified by scientists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with NASA and the Lunar Planetary Institute.

The lunar map, called the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon,” will serve as the definitive blueprint of the moon’s surface geology for future human missions and will be invaluable for the international scientific community, educators and the public-at-large.

The digital map is available online now and shows the moon’s geology in incredible detail (1:5,000,000 scale).

LOOK: Glimpse of Godliness? The Hubble Telescope’s 12 Best Photos on the 30th Anniversary of its Launch into Orbit

“People have always been fascinated by the moon and when we might return,” said current USGS Director and former NASA astronaut Jim Reilly. “So, it’s wonderful to see USGS create a resource that can help NASA with their planning for future missions.”

To create the new digital map, scientists used information from six Apollo-era regional maps along with updated information from recent satellite missions to the moon. The existing historical maps were redrawn to align them with the modern data sets, thus preserving previous observations and interpretations.

Along with merging new and old data, USGS researchers also developed a unified description of the stratigraphy, or rock layers, of the moon. This resolved issues from previous maps where rock names, descriptions and ages were sometimes inconsistent.

Orthographic projections of the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon” showing the geology of the Moon’s near side (left) and far side (right) with shaded topography from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). This geologic map is a synthesis of six Apollo-era regional geologic maps, updated based on data from recent satellite missions. It will serve as a reference for lunar science and future human missions to the Moon. Photo by NASA/GSFC/USGS.

“This map is a culmination of a decades-long project,” said Corey Fortezzo, USGS geologist and lead author. “It provides vital information for new scientific studies by connecting the exploration of specific sites on the moon with the rest of the lunar surface.”

Elevation data for the moon’s equatorial region came from stereo observations collected by the Terrain Camera on the recent SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) mission led by JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Topography for the north and south poles was supplemented with NASA’s Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter data.

Reprinted from USGS

(WATCH the 3D-mapping animation below)

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Opera Singers Have Been Hosting Weekly Concerts in Their Driveway to Bring Neighborhood Together

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Good News Network
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A South Carolina couple has been using their musical talents to bring their community together for weekly street concerts—all while respecting social distancing guidelines.

Leah Edwards and her husband Dimitri Pitta are professional opera singers who have been setting up shop at the end of their driveway in Mount Pleasant to perform classical and contemporary opera pieces for their neighbors.

Not only have their performances served as a source of entertainment for the neighborhood, they have also helped to keep the community close together during the novel coronavirus lockdowns.

LOOK: Man Hailed for Devoting His Daily Walks During Lockdown to Cleaning Up Neglected Headstones

“We’re practicing, they say they can hear us anyways, so we said why not take it to the driveway and make it a concert,” Edwards told WCBD. “It gets everyone out, checking on each other and get some breath of fresh air and make music.”

Although the news outlet goes on to report that the couple usually performs at the Gaillard Center, they reportedly have no qualms playing for a smaller audience until the outbreaks subside.

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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“In Mexico, your wishes have a dream power. When you want to see someone, he turns up.” – William Burroughs (Wishing you a Mexcellent Cinco de Mayo!)

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Quote of the Day: “In Mexico your wishes have a dream power. When you want to see someone, he turns up.” – William S. Burroughs (Wishing you a Mexcellent Cinco de Mayo!)

Photo: by Bernardo Ramonfaur, public domain, 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?

Cast of ‘Parks and Rec’ Raises $3M for COVID Relief After Reuniting for Quarantine Episode (WATCH)

By
McKinley Corbley
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It has been five years since the beloved Parks and Recreation television show aired what viewers believed to be its last episode—but this week, the show’s original cast came together for a half-hour reunion episode to raise money for COVID-19 relief.

The episode, which welcomed back Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Jim O’Heir, Rob Lowe, and even Paul Rudd, explored how the characters have been coping with the current pandemic since the show ended in 2015.

The special has reportedly raised more than $3 million for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Relief Fund—and donations are still pouring in, according to NBC.

RELATED: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Are Offering Up Their Antibodies to Help Research Coronavirus Treatments

The first $500,000 worth of donations generated by “A Parks and Recreation Special” was matched by the show’s producers, network, and cast members—all of whom respected social distancing guidelines by contributing to the episode from their own homes.

The episode is currently being streamed for free on Youtube, Hulu, and the NBC website.

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

(WATCH the full episode below)

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This Gym Helping Its Members Stay Sober in Quarantine is Now Helping Addicts Around the World as Well

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Good News Network
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The Phoenix is a free, sober gym community that uses health and fitness to help people overcome addiction.

Due to the current shelter-in-place orders, however, its members are unable to continue their normal workout sessions together amidst the trying times of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

LOOK: Man Hailed for Devoting His Daily Walks During Lockdown to Cleaning Up Neglected Headstones

Even without social distancing rules, the isolation that recovering addicts experience when they choose to pursue a new, sober lifestyle is profound—so in order to surround its members with support during these difficult times, The Phoenix is taking their classes online, continuing to meet in groups virtually.

Not only have the online meetings served as a source of comfort for The Phoenix’s members, they have also started welcoming sober social media users from around the world as well.

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

(WATCH the Freethink video below)

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Watch Artist’s Enchanting Video of Flowers Floating 18 Miles Above the Earth

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Good News Network
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For the last 23 years, Japanese artist Makoto Azuma has been making art out of his favorite medium: flowers.

Azuma says he first became captivated by the power of flowers after he started working part-time at a florist’s in order to make some extra money playing in a rock and roll band. After spending some time at the shop, however, he discovered his true passion in blossoms.

Since devoting himself to his floral obsession, he has facilitated dozens of flower-related art projects.

This particular Great Big Story interview from 2017 follows Azuma as he prepares to launch bouquets of flowers into outer space.

LOOK: Husband Plants Field of Flowers for Blind Wife to Smell, So Spectacular it Gets Visitors

By partnering with a team of filmmakers and balloon technicians, Azuma successfully filmed a number of floral arrangements floating more than 18.6 miles (30,000 meters) above ground—and the results are spectacular.

“This project is about launching flowers to space,” Azuma told Great Big Story. “To arrange flowers where they would not exist … By arranging flowers in a space where they cannot exist, I am weaving in a new aspect of beauty, extracting it and guiding it. This is my purpose.”

To check out more of Azuma’s work, be sure and visit his website or Instagram page.

(WATCH the Great Big Story video below)

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FDA Approves Emergency Use of Nation’s First Drug Treatment Against COVID-19

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Good News Network
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Photo by Gilead Sciences Inc.

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of the antiviral remdesivir as the country’s first drug treatment for COVID-19.

The emergency use approval (EUA) was issued after a government-sponsored study of 1,063 patients found that hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with the drug recovered an average of 4 days faster than those who were not treated with the drug—a 31% improvement in recovery time.

The treatment, which was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., may be approved for expanded use provided that additional research can be conducted on the efficacy and safety of the drug.

The EUA allows for remdesivir to be distributed in the U.S. and administered intravenously by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. Severe disease is defined as patients with low blood oxygen levels or needing oxygen therapy or more intensive breathing support such as a mechanical ventilator.

RELATED: Countries Hit Hardest By COVID-19 Are Starting to Lift Social Restrictions After Encouraging New Recovery Rates

“From day one, the FDA has been committed to expediting the development and availability of potential COVID-19 treatments. Today’s action is an important step in our efforts to collaborate with innovators and researchers to provide sick patients timely access to new therapies where appropriate, while at the same time supporting research to further evaluate whether they are safe and effective,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn.

“There’s tremendous interest among all parties to identify and arm ourselves with medicines to combat COVID-19, and through our Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, the FDA is working around-the-clock and using every tool at our disposal to speed these efforts,” he added.

Based on evaluation of the emergency use authorization criteria and the scientific evidence available, it was determined that it is reasonable to believe that remdesivir may be effective in treating COVID-19, and that, given there are no adequate, approved, or available alternative treatments, the known and potential benefits to treat this serious or life-threatening virus currently outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug’s use.

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“The results from the global, placebo-controlled trial run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are positive. They show that patients with COVID-19 who received remdesivir recovered faster than similar patients who received placebo,” said Gilead Chairman and CEO Daniel O’Day in a statement.

“There is still more work to do and remdesivir has not been approved, but all of us at Gilead are humbled by what these promising results might mean for patients. After years of research and hard work on remdesivir, there is relief and gratitude among our teams today that their efforts have been so worthwhile.

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“Since January, our teams have been working day and night to determine whether remdesivir might work in patients with COVID-19. These efforts include collaboration with study investigators and governments on the various clinical trials. Today’s news, that remdesivir might play a role in easing the burden of the pandemic, is the outcome we all hoped would be possible.”

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

Photo by Gilead Sciences Inc.

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Anonymous Donor Gives $1 Million Gift to Hospital So It Can Be Divided Between Every Single Employee

By
McKinley Corbley
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The staffers at this California hospital are rejoicing after receiving a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor who asked for the money to be divided amongst the employees.

The donation was made this week to the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. Although the donor opted to remain anonymous, they did include a note with their financial gift saying: “Thank you for standing up (and staying up!) to care for our community. This human kindness is what makes you heroic.”

As per the donor’s wishes, the donation will be distributed amongst each and every one of the hospital staffers who have worked at the facility for at least one year—from the security guards and lab technicians to the janitors and mailroom workers.

Full-time employees will be receiving $800 bonus checks while part-time employees will be receiving $600 bonuses.

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Staffers are rejoicing over the gift after spending weeks of tirelessly combatting the novel coronavirus outbreaks.

“There are so many people who keep the hospital running,” nursing supervisor Amy Loudon told The Associated Press. “Nurses and doctors are getting the praise, but we couldn’t do it without the staff who clean the floors, deliver supplies, fix machines, everything. It’s a team, and I’m glad the whole team is getting a thank you.”

This is just one of many positive stories and updates that are coming out of the COVID-19 news coverage this week. For more uplifting coverage on the outbreaks, click here.

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“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

Photo: by Ingmar H, public domain, 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?

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