Quote of the Day: “Our repeated failures to fully act as we would wish MUST not discourage us. It is the sincere intention that is the essential thing, and this will in time release us from the bondage of habits which at present seem almost insuperable.” – Thomas Troward
Photo: by Luz Adriana Villa, CC license
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Veterans across the U.S. are finding an extraordinary source of relief from their pain and PTSD thanks to floatation therapy, an alternative treatment for physical and emotional ailments.
’Floating’ consists of laying in a small pool filled with 10 inches of salt water containing roughly 1,000 pounds of magnesium sulfate – or as its more commonly known, Epsom salt. The high levels of salt counteract the effects of gravity, allowing the patient to float gently on top of the bed of water.
The water is heated to around 94.2 degrees Fahrenheit – about the same temperature as the human body – which creates the sensation of being suspended in air.
In the dark sound-free environment, the room, also known as a “sensory deprivation chamber” creates an atmosphere for meditation and deep contemplation, allowing the mind to enter the Theta state, which is the frequency at which the brain operates right before falling into deep sleep.
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By depriving patients of sensory information, the experience allows for a safe and therapeutic environment with which veterans can experience significant relaxation—maybe even process past trauma.
Air Force veteran Trey Hearn was so convinced of the benefits of sensory deprivation for veterans, that he and his brother opened up Float Brothers in Destin, Florida. He told Military 1, he sees it as a way for the veteran to feel secure and safe enough to approach the suppressed traumatic events during a sort of “internal counseling session with themselves.”
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33-year-old Wesley Hernandez is a veteran who has been undergoing flotation therapy since June in Nashville, Tennessee. He says that it has had a dramatic impact on his health.
“The last time I went, I didn’t even want to get out of the water; it’s an escape from the stress and the drama,” Wesley told Good News Network. “It’s like a deep meditation.”
This 2014 study shows that patients who underwent floatation therapy experienced reductions in blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and physical pain, as well as improvements in sleep quality and optimism.
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Wesley’s wife and caregiver Leah told GNN that it’s the best therapy they’ve found, so far.
“Of all the therapies gifted to us by the Wounded Warriors Project, floating has been the one that he seems to want to do over and over.”
If This Story Floats Your Boat, Be Sure And Share It To Social Media – Photo by Schappelle, CC
As a means of closing the political divide between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, a unique program is flying federal lawmakers to each others’ hometowns so they become closer friends and colleagues.
The American Congressional Exchange (ACE) flies members of Congress from across the political spectrum to the districts of opposing party members, where they spend the next 48 hours learning about each other’s personal lives and their communities. It was all started back in 2016 by public affairs consultant Jonathan Perman in order to bring bipartisanship back to Capitol Hill.
Some of the most successful pieces of legislation in history, he says, were driven by bipartisan efforts, such as the Civil Rights Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Highway Act.
“Forty or fifty years ago, legislators lived in Washington,” Perman told Macalester University. “They got to know each other, their spouses, their children. Now the constant pressure to raise money for reelection forces them to return to their districts nearly every weekend. They don’t get to know people from the other side of the aisle anymore.”
WATCH: Political Opponents Stun Voters When They Perform Unexpected Duet in Display of Comradery
Originally inspired to create the project by his love of history as a political science major, he was unsure of whether legislators would actually participate—but he’s been pleasantly surprised by their reactions.
“I needed to vet the idea, so I spent the last half of 2016 meeting with former and current members of Congress, political thought leaders, and Hill staffers, all of whom encouraged me to advance the concept,” says Perman.
Perman, alongside fellow staffers at the Bipartisan Policy Center, plan the weekend trips so that the House members are able to socialize informally while still spending structured time learning about the district. ACE has successfully facilitated 7 trips between legislators this year, with three more planned in the near future. Next year, they hope to host 20 visits.
“We thought at first the congressional participants would be mostly moderates, but we were wrong,” Perman says. “We’re getting interest from across the political spectrum—that’s encouraging. If we can involve 10 to 15 percent of Congress, then we are beginning to impact how Congress works.”
(WATCH the program in action in the video below) – Photo by Bipartisan Policy Center
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The internet had been on red alert since a YouTube-famous kiteboarding dog went missing from its family last week.
Zeus the 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier has made something of a name for himself, after his 16-year-old owner Cameron Maramenides began posting videos of the dog kiteboarding on social media.
Cameron, who will compete on Team USA for the 2020 Olympics in the new event of kitesurfing, was at an event in St. Petersburg, Florida when his pup was allegedly stolen by an older man in a grey sedan.
Meanwhile, Miguel Comacho, an electrician’s apprentice, had just finished studying in West Tampa park and noticed a news story in his social media feed about the missing dog.
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Intrigued by the story, he started reading and continued through the article, and then looked up and saw an older man in a grey sedan with a Jack Russell terrier that looked just like Zeus—with black spots over his eyes.
Comacho snapped a photo of the pup and sent it to Cameron’s phone number, which was listed in the news article. Sure enough, the Olympian responded saying that the dog was indeed Zeus.
They didn’t know whether the man was armed or dangerous, and police officers were not allowed to intervene unless the owners were present – but Cameron, who had been searching for the dog for five days, begged Comacho to at least keep an eye on his dog to make sure it was okay.
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Comacho immediately hopped into his car and started following the sedan until suddenly, the man pulled over, walked over to Comacho’s vehicle, and asked why he was being followed.
“I believe that dog isn’t yours,” Camacho told him, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m on the phone with his owner right now.”
WATCH: This Man Used His Motorcycle to Rescue 166 Abandoned Cows
After some discussion with the man, who said he thought the dog was lost, Comacho walked up to the sedan and called Zeus’s name only to have the 7-year-old pup answer dutifully and run over.
The electrician then brought the dog to his car and left the scene. Later, he met Cameron’s family in a sporting goods store parking lot for an emotional reunion. The electrician was delighted to learn that there was a $3,500 reward—a prize, in this case, well deserved, that he will partly spend on Christmas presents for his kids.
“We are feeling completely exhausted, yet elated and we are still pinching ourselves to see if we are dreaming,” Helen Trotman, Cameron’s mother, told the Times. “We are so fortunate Miguel was there and was willing to put himself into a possible dangerous situation to get our dog back.”
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Daniel Sandberg is being hailed as “the world’s funniest flight attendant” after he put an amusing spin on the ordinary in-flight safety announcements.
Sandberg, a Frontier Airlines flight attendant, took advantage of the 3-minute instructional routine to entertain the 150 passengers on a flight to Colorado Springs last week.
His jokes included this gem that followed the oxygen mask tutorial, “And, let’s be honest, only those of you who paid the extra $49.99 get any oxygen.”
55-year-old Cindy Kuhns, who captured some of the wise cracks on video, was just one of the many fliers who erupted into applause after the comedic stunt was over.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Caters News
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Quote of the Day: “The ability to observe without evaluating is a higher form of intelligence.” – Krishnamurti
Photo: by Tambako the Jaguar, CC license
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Dr. Carol Foster went viral back in 2013 for discovering a simple, non-pharmaceutical method of dealing with common vertigo in just 3 minutes.
Now, she has written an entire book on how people suffering from the condition can thrive without having to spend hundreds of dollars on medical treatment.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, is the medical term for dizziness caused by loose crystals in the inner ear. It affects more than eight million people in the United States alone, making it the most common vertigo disorder in the country.
Unfortunately, there are too few professionals who can treat it. Many BBPV sufferers are simply unable to find a solution to ease their suffering.
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Foster, who is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine, suffered from severe vertigo for years. Her personal experience with the disorder made her uniquely qualified and motivated to find a solution that she could share with the world.
“This is why I wrote this book,” says Foster. “What I had learned about vertigo as a physician didn’t come close to matching what I learned from personal experience. It was much, much worse than I ever imagined before it happened to me.”
Foster’s experience led her to develop the Half Somersault maneuver and eventually to write her new book, “Overcoming Positional Vertigo”, which is available on Amazon.
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As Foster says, “it became my life’s mission to help as many other people with vertigo as possible.”
The book describes and illustrates a simple, effective way to treat the problem at home, for free, in minutes. Instead of having to find a trained specialist or pay for a clinic visit, people with vertigo can quickly learn how to perform the maneuver and how to take other preventative measures to help avoid recurrence.
The book also expands on the basics found in Foster’s YouTube video, which has been viewed over five million times.
(WATCH the video below)
Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The News To Social Media
Though breast milk may not be on the ordinary in-flight menu, this stewardess was more than happy to offer up some nourishment for an anxious mother and her crying infant.
24-year-old Patricia Organo had been working aboard a Philippine Airlines flight late last month when a tiny newborn passenger started to wail.
“Everything went smoothly until after take off, I heard an infant’s cry, a cry that will make you want to do anything to help,” says Organo. “I approached the mother and asked if everything was okay … Teary-eyed, she told me that she ran out of formula milk.”
The baby was now crying so loudly, other passengers were turning to stare at the passenger and her child – so Organo, who is a new mother herself, volunteered to help in a way that only mothers can do.
“I felt a pinch in my heart,” she wrote. “I thought to myself, there’s only one thing I could offer and that’s my own milk. And so I offered.”
The mother gratefully accepted and followed the flight attendants back to the galley where Organo fed the woman’s baby for her.
“I saw the relief in her mother’s eyes,” writes Organo. “I continued to feed the baby until she fell asleep, [then] I escorted her back to her seat and just before I left, the mother sincerely thanked me.”
Not only was Organo happy to help a stranger in need, her compassionate gesture also helped get her a promotion with the airline as well.
Fly This Story Over To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by Patrisha Organo
These two beluga whales have been performing for spectators at a water park in China for the last 7 years – but soon, they will be the residents of the world’s first retirement home for oceanic animals in show business.
Little Grey and Little White are the two whales currently living in a concrete tank at Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai. For years, animal rights activists have been urging the aquarium to rehome the 12-year-old belugas to a healthier, more humane environment – but since the whales have been raised in captivity, they would be unable to survive in the wild.
Thankfully, conservation group Sea Life Trust has come up with the perfect solution.
The organization is transforming a rocky oceanic inlet into the world’s first open sea sanctuary for whales and dolphins.
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Located off the coast of Heimaey, an island in Iceland, the bay is the perfect size and depth for the belugas at 344,000 square feet (32,000 square meters).
The whales are due to be moved to the sanctuary in March 2019. As it is being prepared for the belugas, Little Grey and Little White are undergoing essential survival skill training that will help them thrive in the wild.
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The journey ahead may involve dozens of challenges, but wild belugas typically live for up to 40 or 50 years. If they adapt to their new home, then they could enjoy several more decades of life in their proper habitat.
Additionally, the sanctuary could then welcome more retiring aquatic performers in the future.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Sea Life Trust
Be Sure And Share This Whale Of A Tale With Your Friends On Social Media
@PizzaToThePolls came through!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! pic.twitter.com/CGVPW2R6L6
— squash queen (@lildish_) November 7, 2018
As a means of lifting the spirits of determined voters, this charity delivered 10,005 pizzas to polling places across the country on Election Day.
Pizza to the Polls is a charity dedicated to giving away free pizza to voters who are stuck in long polling lines.
The nonprofit, which is an entirely volunteer-run operation based out of Portland, Oregon, first launched in 2016 as a means of easing the strain of waiting in long lines in order to vote.
The charity uses the Slice pizza delivery app to locate pizzerias near crowded polling places so they can send over several dozen pies to the voters. This year, the volunteers say that they delivered to 576 polling places across 43 states.
WATCH: Political Opponents Stun Voters When They Perform Unexpected Duet in Display of Comradery
“We were completely energized by all the many reports from Twitter and Instagram of all the times when pizza arrived,” the nonprofit wrote on Twitter. “So many people said how it changed the entire mood of a place and legitimately helped people stay in line. We’re so glad we could make a small difference.”
What’s even more impressive is that the charity had trouble spending all the money that was being sent to the them – the donations were coming in so fast, that they finished the night with $154,600 in contributions from celebrities and voters alike.
“I know this is the least important number of the night, but I love that Pizza to the Polls ended the night with far more money than they started with, despite managing to spend a quarter million dollars (about 13 pizzas per minute!)” said Public Policy Professor Eric Hittinger on Twitter.
The charity says that they will either be setting aside the funds for the next Election Day, or donating it to organizations that feed hungry Americans.
Thank you @PizzaToThePolls for feeding eager voters at #VCElections last night! There were hundreds of people taking advantage of the conditional voter option here in Ventura, California, on November 6. pic.twitter.com/3SyOP2Bqi6
— VC Clerk Recorder (@VCClerkRecorder) November 7, 2018
In the mean time, people are thanking Pizza to the Polls for making it easier for voters to exercise their civic duty. Some voting lines reportedly lasted for as long as 3 hours due to malfunctioning voting machines or a lack of polling places.
“It may sound somewhat silly, but long lines at polling places are largely a result of attempts to disenfranchise particular groups of voters,” wrote Josh Chafetz, a professor of law at Cornell Law School. “Anything we can do to help people stay in line is, [in my opinion], good for democracy.”
We were completely energized by all the many reports from Twitter and Instagram of all the times when pizza arrived. So many people said how it changed the entire mood of a place and legitimately helped people stay in line. We’re so glad we could make a small difference. pic.twitter.com/h0bV3KRwoy
— Pizza to the Polls (@PizzaToThePolls) November 8, 2018
Pie It Forward By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Lildish_ Twitter
Quote of the Day: “How could I have been anyone other than me?” – Dave Matthews
Photo: © GWC
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Once thought to be extinct, this cute little critter was photographed for the first time in history earlier this year – and it also helps to serve as proof that the species is secretly thriving.
Botanist and wildlife enthusiast Michael Smith had been wandering throughout Indonesia, Kurdistan and Pakistan in the hopes of finding rare rhododendrons, tulips, and orchids, but what he wound up discovering was perhaps even more significant.
After coincidentally hearing about the Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo while exploring the New Guinea mountain range, Smith organized an expedition up the mountain, and through the dense forest to see if he could spot one of these elusive creatures.
Smith told National Geographic that after he and his team climbed roughly 5,000 feet up the mountain-side, they “could smell scent marks left by the kangaroos – a sort of foxy smell.”
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After days of unsuccessful searching and with no sight of the kangaroo, Smith and his team began heading back down the mountain; and that was when Smith’s guide spotted something in the tree-line above. Roughly 90 feet above the ground was the Wondiwoi, nestled in the branches of a tree, peeking its head out from the canopy. Smith, shocked and shaking with excitement, grabbed his camera and managed to snap the first known photo of the Wondiwoi to ever be taken.
What is even more significant is that Smith and his team’s account of multiple scratch marks and dung in the area suggest that there is a thriving population of Wondiwois, limited to a small area in the forest.
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After sharing his findings with kangaroo experts, the photo has been confirmed as authentic, and certified as proof that the once-rumored Wondiwoi species is still persisting.
“It’s exciting to have a positive story for a change,” Roger Martin of James Cook University told Nat Geo. “It makes the point that if we provide habitat for animals and otherwise leave them alone, then they will get on just fine.”
Rare and elusive, the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo was assumed to be extinct for nearly a century. Now, it's been photographed for the first time ever in a New Guinea mountain range. https://t.co/mNFZ2KY5YW
— National Geographic Magazine (@NatGeoMag) October 1, 2018
Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Cool Story To Social Media – Feature photo by Michael Smith
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Online comedian Carlos Davis and his brother were at a gas station last month when they saw a woman who was using pennies to pay for her gas.
They knew that they wanted to do something nice for her, but they had no idea how much of an impact it would have on the grieving woman.
In a video that Davis posted to his Twitter page, he can be seen opening his wallet and giving some cash to the woman.
Stunned by the kind gesture, she admits that her husband recently passed away and she has been financially struggling since his death.
When she starts to cry, Davis and his brother both hug the woman and reassure her with words of comfort.
“It’s only right we gotta stick together,” he told the woman. When she asks how she can repay them, they simply tell her to pay it forward.
(WATCH the video below)
This week on “I love you” saw a ladies put pennies in her gas stank. I love you pic.twitter.com/Sikekr10cf
— Carlos HaHa Davis (@HaHaDavis) October 21, 2018
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This exciting new report gives us some environmental news to celebrate: the Ozone layer is slowly, but surely, being repaired.
Thanks to mankind’s efforts to reduce the amount of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) being introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere, scientific organizations from around the world are reporting a turning point in the fight against ozone depletion.
According to the online report that was released by the United Nations this week, the infamous hole in the ozone layer could be totally healed by the 2060s – and in some areas of the world, it could be as soon as 2030.
The report states that “for the first time, there are emerging indications that the Antarctic ozone hole has diminished in size and depth since the year 2000” and “the weight of evidence suggests that the decline in ODS made a substantial contribution to the observed trends.”
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This is good news for both the environment and our consciences. While any positive news regarding the condition of our environment is cause for celebration, we should take a moment to recognize the steps that led us to this point.
In 1987, an agreement known as the Montreal Protocol called for the elimination or significant reduction of chemicals found in consumer products like refrigerators and aerosol cans that were harmful to the ozone layer. Ditching these chemicals would result in “the avoidance of more than 280 million cases of skin cancer, approximately 1.6 million skin cancer deaths, and more than 45 million cases of cataracts in the United States alone by the end of the century,” according to the U.S. Department of State.
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The treaty was devised by the Canadian government and later ratified by the United States in 1988. Since then, the Montreal Protocol has become the first treaty to receive universal ratification from all countries of the world – and now, we have evidence that it is proving to be successful.
This just goes to show that when the leaders of the world unite for the common good and collaborate under the auspice of a shared responsibility, wonderful – even surprising – things can happen.
Be Sure And Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by
This boy’s small gesture of kindness towards his classmates is having a big impact on adults across social media.
Amanda Cox praised the youngster’s compassion on Facebook after she asked her students to share some of their school supplies with their classmates.
“Today I was running low on pencils so I asked all of my kids to pull out any of my pencils that they had in their desks,” says Cox. “I had one student ask me if he could keep his pencils that his mom gave him for school.
“Of course, I said yes. He then said, ‘well, I guess I’ll give you a few so my classmates can have them too.’ I thought nothing of it and took the pencils that he handed me.”
RELATED: Watch Deaf Janitor’s Emotional Reaction to Children’s Birthday Surprise
Cox quickly discovered that these weren’t just ordinary pencils, however – as she was sharpening the writing utensils, she noticed that they all had writing on the side.
As it turns out, the boy’s mother had written personal, individual messages of love and encouragement on every single pencil, saying things like “You are perfect” and “I am proud of you” and “This will be a great year.”
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“This probably took his mom a few minutes to do yet it lit up his whole day at school,” says Cox. “He wasn’t embarrassed that his mom wrote on his pencils. Thanks to his mom, he was reminded of his self worth and wanted to share the same feeling with his classmates.”
Cox posted a photo of the pencils to Facebook where it was shared thousands of times by adults praising the boy and his mother for their compassion. Some have even taken it upon themselves to do something similar for their own students – because, in Cox’s words, “imagine the look on a child’s face when they are reminded that they are important, talented, loved, knowledgeable and so much more … This is why I teach.”
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Own Friends On Social Media – Photo by Amanda Cox
Quote of the Day: “People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.” – Simon Sinek
Photo: by Audric Tan, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
For the last 26 years, this town has been grateful to enjoy the presence of their own real-life superhero: Jonathan Charbonneau.
Every year for the Fourth of July parade in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Charbonneau has donned a Superman costume so he could bring delight to the townspeople.
His guest appearance as the Man of Steel has made him something of a legend amongst the last few generations of families – but he does a lot more than just wear the costume. He helps small businesses maintain tidy sidewalks, he carries a third-degree black belt in karate so he can be ready to offer protection whenever necessary, and he even stopped a would-be thief who tried to steal a chair from an outdoor furniture sale.
So when Superman was in need of rescuing earlier this month, his town did not hesitate to rally behind him.
Charbonneau has lived alone in the same flat for almost three decades – which is why he was particularly upset when the new owners of his apartment building raised his rent from $455 per month to $800.
Since Charbonneau has Asperger’s syndrome, abrupt changes to his routine can be extremely upsetting. His close friend, Julie Spiller, wanted to ease his anxieties by raising at least $4,500 to help pay the difference in his rent for one year. This way, he would at least have enough time to search for a more affordable apartment that could be located near to public transit so he can continue traveling to his full-time job and karate classes.
When the community heard about Charbonneau’s dilemma, however, they raised over $35,000 in less than a week.
RELATED: Customers Keep Buying Up All of Donut Shop’s Pastries So He Can Go Home Early to Be With Ailing Wife
Thanks to the help of a local special needs attorney, Charbonneau just signed a 6-month lease in which he agreed to pay the 75% increase in rent so long as the landlord paid the utilities and he would be allowed to move out at any time with 30 days notice.
The attorney is also using the excess funds from the GoFundMe page to create a financial safety net for Charbonneau in the event that he be unable to work or lose his insurance.
LOOK: Human Chain of People Help Move A Bookstore, Book By Book
“Jonathan is very receptive to all of this,” writes Spiller. “In, fact I would say he has been ‘giddy’ with everything going on. He feels the love, he feels important, he feels worthy, and mostly, he feels protected like he does for us as Superman.”
Since she has received dozens of messages of support for her friend, Spiller says that she will be compiling a book filled with all of the well wishes so she can present it as a gift to Charbonneau.
“The financial support is shocking and a dream for Jonathan,” she wrote on the campaign page. “More important is all of the love he is feeling, and the personal notes you have shared in support. I will be printing each and every note and making them into a book for Jonathan to cherish.”
Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by Julie Spiller
Yesterday’s election will ensure that the U.S. House of Representatives looks a lot more like the country it represents.
A ‘pink wave’ is sending a record number of women to Congress, with more than 110 claiming victory in their House and Senate races—with some contests too close yet to call.
And there are plenty of historic ‘firsts’ to celebrate.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will become the youngest female ever elected to Congress, winning her New York district at age 29.
Three of the women elected yesterday have distinguished careers serving in the military. Now they’ve found a new way to serve—fighting for the people in their districts. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot won easily in New Jersey, Chrissy Houlahan, a retired Air Force officer will now be a leader for Pennsylvania, and Elaine Luria, a former Navy SEAL with six deployments, won in Norfolk, Virginia. They will join four other female veterans currently serving in Congress.
Diversity also won the day Tuesday with a record number of women of color headed to the halls of Congress.
Deb Haaland in New Mexico and Sharice Davids in Kansas became the first Native American women ever elected to Congress.
A former National Teacher of the Year, Jahana Hayes, will become Connecticut’s first black woman in Congress. Newcomer Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts who ousted a 10-term incumbent in the primary will become the first black congresswoman from Massachusetts. She and Hayes are the first black women elected to congress from New England.
RELATED: Student Spends 8 Hours Giving Free Hugs on Campus to Help Heal Post-Election Tensions
When Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia take their seats in January with the 2018 class, they will be the first Latinas ever to represent Texas in the U.S. House. Escobar is a former El Paso County judge, and Garcia is a state senator from Houston.
Michigan attorney Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from Minnesota won their races handily to become the first Muslim women elected to Congress, with Omar being the first Somali-American to join the ranks.
Almost 80% of voters in a CNN exit poll said it’s very or somewhat important that more women and racial minorities be elected to public office, with two-thirds of white voters agreeing.
Last night, Donna Brazille, a strategist on CNN said a record number of 38 women of color will be serving in Congress (35 Democrats, three Republicans).
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In yet another first, Young Kim of California won a close race that secured her place as the first Korean-American woman elected as U.S. representative.
Breaking the record ‘pink wave’ set in 2016, which sent 84 women to Congress, the influx of female role models in political office can inspire more young women to consider running in 2020.
(Watch a video from the Washington Post) – Featured image from WaPost video
While the Snapchat is mostly known for allowing millennials to share videos and photo filters with their friends, it recently saved the life of a woman who was minutes away from death.
Back in July 2017, Darnisha Ladd was in the middle of a normal day at work when she started to feel dizzy.
As the day went on, the 38-year-old administrative worker from Omaha, Nebraska started suffering from a pounding headache and experienced trouble focusing on her computer screen. When she tried to stand up to talk to her boss, she fell back in her chair.
Ladd was taken to the hospital where doctors performed a CT scan to make sure that she was not suffering from a stroke. The scan showed nothing out of the ordinary, so once her symptoms were under control, doctors sent her home to rest and told her that if she experienced any more symptoms, then she should return to the hospital immediately.
Since Ladd was anxious about being left alone, her sister Sherita White stayed at home to keep an eye on her. White, who works as a nurse, is always using Snapchat to keep her social media followers entertained – so as the sisters binge-watched television, White took a video of themselves removing Ladd’s IV port.
As the night progressed, however, disaster struck.
“All of a sudden she woke up and something didn’t seem right,” White told the World-Herald. “Her eyes were (rolled) back, and she wouldn’t talk. … I could tell she wasn’t breathing right.”
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Ladd was rushed back to the hospital, and as doctors poured over test results and scans, they eventually confirmed that their patient was having a stroke.
The doctors then had a serious decision to make. The medication that could save Ladd had to be administered within 4 and a half hours of when the symptoms started. If they delivered the medication outside of the time frame, then it could be fatal for Ladd. Since they had no way of telling when the symptoms started, they had to assume that they began right when she left the hospital – in which case, it was already too late.
White then remembered the Snapchat video that she had taken of her sister earlier in the evening. The clip showed that Ladd was acting normally with no display of symptoms – and the time stamp confirmed that they were still within the 4 and a half hour time window.
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The medication was then delivered to Ladd with 12 minutes to spare, dissolving the blood clot in her brain and effectively saving her life.
Though she had to undergo rigorous physical therapy to recover basic motor functions, she says that she has maintained the courage to persist thanks to the loving support of her sisters.
“On any given day, I would look up when I was in my therapy and one of my sisters or my cousins would be there cheering me on,” Ladd tearfully told the Herald. “I feel very motivated to get myself back to 100 percent.”
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