After 50 Years, Trout Population Is Restored to Historic Numbers in One of the Largest Lakes in US

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Apr 29, 2025

A lake trout in spawning colors - credit, FWS, public domain

Through a combination of invasive species control and stocking with captive-raised fish, it’s now believed that a self-sustaining and harvestable population of lake trout has returned to Lake Champlain.

Following this historic success, a decision has been made to suspend the stocking of the New York lake, believing wild-born, wild-grown trout will be able to survive and spawn to adulthood without human assistance.

The decision was announced by the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative—a working group from the three state and federal agencies—at its annual meeting on April 10th, 2025, and represents the culmination of 50 years of conservation work.

“It’s kind of dismaying how rarely we get to declare ‘job done,’ because often there are things we can’t overcome like habitat damage or invasive species,” Ellen Marsden, a University of Vermont fisheries scientist and the region’s leading lake trout expert, said Tuesday. “This is one of those quite rare events. It was rapid and obviously successful.”

The cooperative will stock trout once more this spring, then continue to assess the health of the population and prepare a plan that includes benchmarks for reinstituting stocking if wild lake trout numbers appear to be declining.

Adirondack Explorer wrote of the decision that it puts the cooperative in uncharted waters, with no previously-successful effort of its kind to look to for direction. Lake trout can live for 30 years, so effects on the population from these kinds of management decisions will take time to manifest.

“It’s a new and exciting situation for us to be in,” Rob Fiorentino, DEC Region 5 fisheries supervisor, said in an interview last year according to the Explorer. “There’s nothing really written for us to work off.”

Stocking began back in 1972, but controlling sea lamprey started 18 years later. Sea lamprey is an invasive parasitic species that preys on the fish.

While stocking was critical given losses to sea lamprey, successful re-establishment of a wild lake trout population would not have been possible without strong measures to control the invasive species.

MORE NATIVE FISH STORIES: Endangered Pupfish Found Only in a Death Valley Cave Springs Back to Life in Numbers at 25-Year High

Native to the Atlantic Ocean, lamprey play an important role in ocean and coastal river ecosystems but cause havoc when they invade inland waters with no natural predators. Lamprey latch onto fish like lake trout and feed off their bodily fluids, seriously harming or killing the hosts.

The Fish and Wildlife Service’s lamprey control program is multifaceted and includes adding physical barriers to rivers and streams entering Lake Champlain; applying lampricides that target and kill larval sea lamprey before they prey on fish; and trapping and removing adults before they can spawn.

After reaching a high of 99 sea lamprey woundings per 100 lake trout in 2006, the rate dropped to 23 per 100 in 2022. The wounding rate has hovered around the cooperative’s target of 25 for the last two years.

NORTH AMERICAN WATERS: Number of Fish on US Overfishing List Reaches All-Time Low–Led by Mackerel and Snapper

Continued control of this invasive species will support restoration of other native fish species and sustain a thriving recreational lake trout fishery that bolsters local economies. For every $1 invested in the sea lamprey control program, $3.50 is returned to the economy, of which over $450 million is derived from commercial fishing each year on the lake.

“The Service is proud to be a partner in this cooperative and of our contributions towards improving conditions to restore this native species in Lake Champlain,” said Wendi Weber, regional director for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Northeast Region. “It’s exciting to see the return on investments in the sea lamprey program, by rebuilding an important recreational fishery and supporting the regional economy.”

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Pee From Runners at the London Marathon is Going to Be Turned into Fertilizer for Wheat

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 29, 2025

Peequal founders in front of their portable event toilets - credit, Peequal ©

How many mouths could 3,000 loaves of bread feed? Whatever the answer is, that’s how many could be made from wheat grown with a special liquid fertilizer.

Armed with specially designed female port-a-potties, a team of firms in London thinks that solely using urine from female competitors at the London Marathon, a significant amount of cropland can be fertilized.

Why just female toilets, you may ask? That’s because the startup called Peequal initially aimed to design a urinal-style portable event toilet since the lines at female toilets tend to be far longer than at men’s

Stricken by nerves and jitters, and filled up with water for a long run, hundreds of female runners run to the toilets long before they run through the streets of London. Peequal’s unique design is claimed to reduce the time of a woman’s average toilet visit by 270%.

Now, at Peequal’s third London Marathon, the firm is teaming up with NPK Recovery which estimates that 1,000 liters of urine from the toilets at the starting line, if scaled to capture every runner’s pee throughout the whole day, it could fertilize enough wheat for 3,000 loaves of bread.

“Urine doesn’t have to be a waste product,” said Hannah Vandenbergh, founder of NPK Recovery.

“We’re excited to be playing a small part in helping support the sustainability commitments of the iconic TCS London Marathon. Ultimately, we want to help event organizers all over recycle their urine and reduce their carbon footprints.”

The NPK Recovery technology uses bacteria to treat and sanitize the urine, while at the same time turning it into a fertilizer. Last year, over 53,000 runners participated in the marathon, a veritable goldmine of potential urea, nitrogen, and ammonia—key ingredients in both urine and plant fertilizers.

“It’s brilliant to think that the nervous wees of thousands of women are helping a good cause,” runner Susan Farrell told Euro News.

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“Your emotional sense of well-being dictates your life.” – Neville Goddard

Quote of the Day

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Apr 29, 2025

Happy Black man smiling confident-pubdomain Andrej Lisakov for Unsplash+ ACJXbqoe3_I — Andrej Lišakov for Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “Your emotional sense of well-being dictates your life.” – Neville Goddard

Photo by: Andrej Lišakov for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, April 29

This Day In History

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Apr 29, 2025

Arouca Bridge- credit CC 2.0. Luis Ascenso from Lisbon — Arouca Bridge - credit CC 2.0. Luis Ascenso from Lisbon

4 years ago today, the world’s longest pedestrian footbridge opened for public use in recreation. The Arouca 516 spans the Paiva River in northern Portugal, and has a length of 1,693 feet. The bridge was designed by the Portuguese research institution Itecons and cost about €2.3 million to build. It takes about 10 minutes to cross if you’re taking in the views, and four, reports CNN, if you say your prayers and make a run of it. READ more about the bridge… (2021)

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LSD Tweaked to Harness Therapeutic Power for Mental Health Without Hallucinogenic Effects

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 28, 2025

The stem on the right is JRT, a new drug just two atoms of difference to LSD, seen to the left as 'control' -credit, Manor et al.

With its ability to aid in enhancing neuroplasticity, the famous hallucinogenic compound LSD has been theorized as a treatment option for neurological disorders like cognitive decline and schizophrenia.

One wouldn’t want to dose a schizophrenic with LSD, but following the synthesis of a new molecule based on LSD at a laboratory in California, they may never need to.

JRT is identical to LSD within a margin of two atoms, and it was created at the Univ. of California Davis to solve existing shortages of potent neurotherapeutics for use in treating schizophrenia and cognitive decline.

A study that tested JRT in mice found that it could elicit a 46% growth in the density of dendritic spines on the exteriors of neurons. These organelles work a little like antennae, and receive input from synapses, or the connections between neurons that drive cognitive function.

Synapses were also found to be increased under the influence of JRT—by 18% in the pre-frontal cortex.

However unlike LSD, there was no indication whatsoever that the mice were undergoing hallucinogenic effects, nor did it promote gene expression associated with schizophrenia, something that is amplified in LSD use.

“Basically, what we did here is a tire rotation,” said corresponding author David E. Olson, director of the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics at UC Davis. “By just transposing two atoms in LSD, we significantly improved JRT’s selectivity profile and reduced its hallucinogenic potential.”

“The development of JRT emphasizes that we can use psychedelics like LSD as starting points to make better medicines—medicines that can be used in patient populations where psychedelic use is precluded.”

ALSO CHECK OUT: Psychedelic Drugs May Be Able to Treat Brain Injuries, Stimulating New Neurons to Replace Impaired Ones

The work was overseen by Uri Manor, Assistant Professor at UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences, whose lab provided state-of-the-art electron microscopy of the mice’s brains.

JRT produced robust anti-depressant effects, with it being around 100-fold more potent than ketamine, the state-of-the-art fast-acting anti-depressant. It also promoted cognitive flexibility, successfully addressing deficits in reversal learning that are associated with schizophrenia.

INTEREST IN PSYCHEDELICS: Another Study Shows African Psychedelic Plant Ibogaine Treats Traumatic Brain Injury in Vets With ‘Dramatic’ Results

Existing pharmaceutical options for schizophrenia, the authors explain, come with major side effects and are only administered as a last resort.

Though the principle target of the study was schizophrenia, the improvement in neuroplasticity could have therapeutic effects in other neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases characterized by synaptic loss and brain atrophy, something the team is currently testing more and which represents the next phase of this exciting research.

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Child Born with Heart Outside Chest Becomes Solitary Survivor Thanks to Surgical Procedure Invented for Her

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 28, 2025

Vanelope with her mom - credit, supplied by the family

Vanellope with her mom – credit, supplied by the family

Last Wednesday, a team of English surgeons and attendants arrived in the city of Leicester to be briefed on an upcoming surgery never before attempted or imagined in the history of the country.

Their patient was Vanellope Wilkins, the solitary survivor known to British medicine of ectopia cordis, a condition where a fetus develops with its heart outside its body.

Over a period of 9 hours, the team which included visiting surgeons from London would form a protective cage around Vanellope’s heart by reforming her ribs, and though her team included some of the best pediatric surgeons in the country, the procedure had never been done before, and was invented specifically for Vanellope’s case.

Born in November 2017, the child had to be kept in intensive neonatal care for the first 14 months of her life.

Requiring a large amount of medical supervision, she is both autistic and nonverbal. Graphic imagery obtained by the BBC shows Vanellope—her heart exposed in the center of her chest after it got caught and then fused onto her skin during development.

Ectopia cordis occurs in just a few babies per million births and has a low survival rate, and Vanellope required surgery immediately upon entering the world, a process which itself required 50 people to oversee.

Consultant pediatric surgeon Nitin Patwardhan was there when it happened, and was one of the surgeons who recently stitched Vanellope’s heart back behind her chest bone.

“I’d lie if I say I don’t get nervous,” Dr. Patwardhan told the BBC on the morning of the surgery. “But having been in this profession for so many years, you actually look forward to it because at the end of the day, you’re doing something that will change somebody’s life.”

A handful of children in the US have also survived this condition, and now at 7 years of age, Vanellope has been deemed suitable for a permanent solution to her unique medical hazard.

MORE INCREDIBLE MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS: British Woman Gives Birth After Receiving Transplant Womb from Sister and Pro Bono Surgery at Hospital

Placed on a bypass machine, Dr. Patwardhan and his team detached her right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary artery from where they were attached to the skin, before breaking her ribs and reforming them in a protective cage around the heart’s new location.

A sense of history and anticipation was present in the theater before and during the procedure, BBC reports. The operation was a success, and when the team was allowed to retire from the day’s work, they dubbed Vanellope “one of a kind,” in the truest sense of the word.

MORE INFANT SURVIVORS: Baby Thriving After Doctors Removed Womb for Spinal Surgery–Then Put it Back Inside Mom at 26 Weeks

“The best satisfaction we derive from this is when you get a text message from the mom to say ‘thank you, you guys are amazing’,” Ikenna Omeje, another of the surgical team who also operated on Vanellope when she was born, told the BBC.

“I think personally, I have just done my job, but it has made a difference to someone and that is very satisfying.”

Naomi Findlay, Vanellope’s mother, says that in the past, bringing her into the hospital has always been a frightful episode, but now, with her daughter recovering in the pediatric intensive care unit, she’s become quietly confidant, and can’t wait to take her back home to see her brothers and younger sister.

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“The mouth obeys poorly when the heart murmurs.” – Voltaire

Quote of the Day

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Apr 28, 2025

Quote of the Day: “The mouth obeys poorly when the heart murmurs.” – Voltaire

Photo by: Brian Wangenheim

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?

NASA’s Lucy Mission Provides Humanity’s First Picture of Peanut-Shaped Giant Asteroid – (LOOK)

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 28, 2025

Artist impression of NASA’s Lucy space probe. Scientists have flown a spacecraft by an odd 5-mile-long asteroid - credit, NASA, via SWNS

An artist’s impression of NASA’s Lucy space probe. Scientists have flown a spacecraft by an odd 5-mile-long asteroid – credit, NASA, via SWNS

Asteroids are hugely significant features of our solar system, and a NASA space probe just sent back a photo of one as it passed close-by, revealing its odd, peanut-like shape.

NASA’s Lucy space probe is on a 12-year journey to study Jupiter’s Trojan and main-belt asteroids, aiming to uncover insights into the early solar system’s formation and planetary origins.

On its way, she passed within approximately 600 miles (960 km) of the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20th.

The bizarrely-shaped object has been compared to a lumpy bowling pin by space-watchers, with NASA describing it as looking like two ice cream cones, and GNN, being based in Virginia, deciding it was more peanut-shaped.

The space rock is so large that Lucy could not capture its entirety in its first set of images beamed back to Earth.

It will take up to a week to downlink the remainder of the encounter data from the spacecraft, which should give a more complete picture of the asteroid’s overall shape. Donaldjohanson is approximately 135 million miles from Earth.

An image of asteroid Donaldjohanson captured by NASA’s Lucy space probe – credit, NASA via SWNS

“In its second asteroid encounter, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago,” a statement from NASA read.

“The asteroid was previously observed to have large brightness variations over a 10-day period, so some of Lucy team members’ expectations were confirmed when the first images showed what appeared to be an elongated contact binary (an object formed when two smaller bodies collide).”

However, the team was surprised by the odd shape of the narrow neck connecting the two lobes.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Aging Voyager 1 Restarts a Radio it Hasn’t Used Since 1981–Prompted from 15 Billion Miles Away

Hal Levison, principal investigator for Lucy at Southwest Research Institute, said that Donaldjohanson reveals how asteroids are capable of being far more complex than simple space rock debris.

“As we study the complex structures in detail, they will reveal important information about the building blocks and collisional processes that formed the planets in our Solar System,” Levison said.

Lucy will spend most of the remainder of 2025 traveling through the main asteroid belt and should encounter the mission’s first main target, the Jupiter Trojan asteroid Eurybates, in August 2027.

“These early images of Donaldjohanson are again showing the tremendous capabilities of the Lucy spacecraft as an engine of discovery. The potential to really open a new window into the history of our solar system when Lucy gets to the Trojan asteroids is immense,” said Tom Statler, program scientist—one of the highest roles—for the Lucy mission.

WATCH an explainer video from NASA…

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90-year-old Who Has Saved Over 10,000 Animals at Sanctuary Has No Plans to Retire

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Andy Corbley

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Apr 28, 2025

Barby Keel with some of her animals - credit SWNS

A 90-year-old Englishwoman who owns an animal rescue sanctuary has reportedly rescued 10,000 animals from abuse or abandonment.

Barby Keel has dedicated 54 years to running the Barby Keel Animal Sanctuary in Sussex, UK, a long journey that she admits won’t come to an end anytime soon, provided she can stay on her feet.

Keel’s story began in the 1970s, when a British army soldier stationed in Northern Ireland asked her to watch his dog while he was deployed.

Whatever gravitational pull attracts animals to certain individuals, Keel’s was so strong that the dog decided to stay.

She took in another dog before a charity called the Bexhill Cats Club asked her to take in some cats. Fast-forward 50 years and she looks after more than 600 animals including 160 cats, 16 pigs, 8 dogs, 6 horses, 100 chickens, and 80 rabbits.

“Before long I had about 40 cats, and started taking in farm animals like sheep, cows, pigs, and goats,” she told the SWNS media outlet.

“Some of the animals are re-homed, liked the cats, dogs, and some rabbits, but the majority of them will stay on the farm and live out their days here.”

The 12-acre sanctuary, which she ran for 20 years all by herself but now manages with a “motley” crew of volunteers, provides a refuge for hundreds of abandoned, rescued, or abused animals from farms, kennels, or private owners.

Keel tends to the animals daily, and only leaves the sanctuary every few weeks to go shopping or play for the local male darts team. In fact, despite her advanced age, she “never” takes a day off.

Despite having battled cancer three times, the animal-lover says she has “no plans” to slow down or retire.

Barby Keel admits that a ‘nose boop’ can keep her going when she’s too tired to continue the work – credit SWNS

“Some days I am shattered—it’s hard work,” she admits. “But then I get a little nose ‘boop’ or a face peers up at me, and I remember why I’m doing this. My animals come first and always will.”

That promise included ending a long-term relationship on their behalf, after her ex-partner gave her an ultimatum: ‘me or the animals.’

HERE AT HOME: 700 Cats Rescued After TikTok User Finds a Texas Tabby–and Rescues a Sanctuary in Trouble

The Barby Keel Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization and runs entirely on donations. It has recently re-opened to the public and will be free to visit every Sunday until October 2025 where guest can see the animals, or visit the café, souvenir shop, or vivarium.

“We also run a shop on site, and I buy bulk food with my pension money and sell it for cheap, so people can afford to feed their pets,” she said. “It was packed for the reopening, which was amazing.”

MORE ANIMAL LOVERS AND THEIR STORIES: When Dog Shelter Makes Appeal for Homes as Temps Plummet Below Zero People Arrive in Droves

“I’m so grateful to my motley crew of volunteers—they keep everything running—and the generous public,” Keel said. “I know I’m getting older so I know my limitations.”

“I don’t deal with the big animals anymore but I still get up every morning to feed all the cats and see them all. It’s a good life.”

SHARE This Woman’s Dedication With Your Animal Loving Friends…

Good News in History, April 28

This Day In History

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Good News Network

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Apr 28, 2025

99 years ago today, Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was born. During the two and a half years spent writing the novel in New York, the Alabama-born author became so frustrated that she tossed the manuscript out the window, into the snow—but her agent made her retrieve it! Published in 1960, the book was immediately successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize. READ More… (1926)

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Bride Skis Down the Aisle in her Wedding Dress to Get Married at 8,000-feet (WATCH)

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Good News Network

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Apr 27, 2025

Bride skis down the aisle for mountain top ceremony 8,000 feet high — Jess and Ladis Hoefkens ski to their wedding ceremony 8000-ft high in the French Alps – SWNS

Jess and Ladis Hoefkens ski to their wedding ceremony 8000-ft high in the French Alps – SWNS

Instead of walking down the aisle, this bride decided to ski down in her wedding dress, tying the knot at 8,000-ft on a snowy mountain.

Jess and Ladis Hoefkens got married on March 28, at the top of Mont Brévant in Chamonix, France, in an intimate ceremony with 20 guests joining them on the slopes in their skiwear.

The father of the bride accompanied his daughter on skies down a 60-meter distance where they met the groom, the officiant, and guests before the couple exchanged vows with the French Alps as their backdrop.

The 36-year-old newlyweds then had canapes and champagne with their guests before they all skied down the mountain with the photographer in tow.

“I come from a family of pretty hectic mountain people,” said the bride from Dorset, England. My dad was delighted to be skiing down the aisle.

“It was just amazing, coming down the aisle. Obviously I’ve never skied in a dress before.

“We only had a short distance, so I thought ‘I hope this goes well’.

“Everyone is still talking about how amazing and special it was up there. It was just beautiful.”

Jess and Ladis Hoefkens at wedding ceremony on Mont Brévant in Chamonix, France – SWNS

The couple met in 2019 on the Tinder dating app—where both shared their interest in the slopes.

GROOM GAG: Jokester Brother Brings Llama in a Tuxedo to His Sister’s Wedding to Fulfill Years-Old Sibling Promise

After proposing on a walk at sunset in 2022, Ladis said Jess “mentioned she’d love a mountain wedding”.

It was “a bit more expensive” than a typical big day, as they put up their family and friends in Chamonix chalets.

The Moment

“We did know that Jess was going to ski down the aisle but obviously I had not seen her dress,” said Ladis.

“Her mum made the dress for her, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to ski in it. She just winged it.

“It’s pretty incredible; she made it look effortless.” (See the short video below…)

The groom says he has since accounted for “300 of the million views” on social media, “watching it over and over”.

CHECK OUT THESE WEDDING STUNNERS:
• Bride and Groom Betrothed to History After She Wore a Wedding Dress Made From the Parachute That Saved Him
• Watch Groom Surprise His Bride With a Penguin Ring Bearer at Their Wedding
• Grandma Dances All Night at Granddaughter’s Wedding After Being Told She Wouldn’t Live to See it (Watch)

After skiing down the mountain, family and friends joined the newlyweds at the chalets.

“We had the most amazing, cute reception back at the chalet,” gushed Jess. “It was après ski basically (which means casual dress), and we had a really great band playing, too.

“It was a really awesome day, but also casual and low-key.”

WATCH the moment in the video below…

SHARE THE WEDDING IDEA With Future Brides on Social Media…

Adults With Life-Threatening Peanut Allergy Can Desensitize With Daily Doses, ‘Life-Changing’ Study Shows

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Apr 27, 2025

Peanuts and peanut butter sandwich by Maryam Sicard For Unsplash+ xNf-vjh2NbA — Maryam Sicard for Unsplash+

The first clinical trial to test whether adults with peanut allergies can be desensitized has shown great success—with two-thirds of participants able to consume the equivalent of five peanuts at the end of the study without reacting.

Known as oral immunotherapy, the approach has been successful in infants and children worldwide, but this first-of-its-kind study—the Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy trial—shows adults can benefit too.

“The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance,” said Chief Investigator Professor Stephen Till, Professor of Allergy at King’s College London. “Constant fear of life-threatening reactions places a huge burden on people with peanut allergy.”

The team tested whether daily doses of peanuts taken under strict supervision can be safely tolerated—and, in fact, the average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial.

The Phase II trial, published this week in the journal Allergy, recruited 21 adults between 18 and 40 with a clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy confirmed via skin prick test and blood test.

In a clinical setting, the research team from King’s College London and ‘Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’ gave the participants an introductory dose of 0.8mg of peanut flour mixed with food, then 1.5 mg 30 minutes later, followed by 3mg a further 30 minutes later.

Participants who tolerated 1.5mg or 3mg of peanut flour continued on a daily dose at home for 2 weeks—the equivalent of around 1% of an entire peanut. Then participants returned at 2-weekly intervals for supervised doses of more peanut protein, increasing from 6mg to 1 gram (four whole peanuts). If participants could tolerate 50-100mg of peanut protein, they were switched to eating whole peanuts or peanut products.

EVEN EASIER METHOD: ‘Landmark’ Peanut Allergy Skin Patch Desensitizes Kids Using Immunotherapy to Stop Allergic Reactions

Once participants achieved a daily dose of 1 gram they remained on this dose for four weeks before undergoing a double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge. This involved being given increasing doses of either peanut or placebo (dummy) on separate days under close supervision to test their tolerance. Participants then continued daily dosing for at least three months before exiting the trial.

Results showed that 67% of participants were able to consume at least the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting. They then could consume peanuts every day at home to remain desensitized.

“Many participants who completed the trial told us that the treatment had been life-changing and they were no longer living in fear,” said the lead author, Allergy Dietitian Hannah Hunter with the Trust.

Chris jumped at the chance to take part in the trial, 28 years after being diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a baby.

“I’m so happy to say that I used to be allergic to peanuts but thanks to this trial, this is no longer a concern. All of my life I had associated the taste and smell of peanuts with fear and death. Now, I have four peanuts every day with my breakfast to maintain my immunity.

GREAT IDEA: Special Toothpaste Could End Severe Peanut Reactions for People With Allergies

“Previously, a tiny mistake could have life-threatening impacts but now I don’t have the fear that I might collapse and die from eating a takeaway food.”

“We are very pleased with the results,” said Professor Till. “The efficacy rate is broadly in line with peanut oral immunotherapy trials in children.”

“Everyday situations such as eating in restaurants and social events are anxiety–provoking,” said study author Hunter in the team’s press release. “The condition also affects travel choices and career options. We found that quality of life significantly improved after oral immunotherapy.”

PREVENTION AS GOOD AS CURE: Healthy Gut Bacteria Can Reduce Risk of Asthma and Food Allergies in Children, Experts Discover

The next stage of the research will be confirming this in larger trials and seeing whether it can lead to long-term tolerance in this age group.

SHARE THE NEWS With Doctors and Peanut Patients on Social Media…

Adding 70 Windows to Illinois School Improves Student Wellbeing and Performance, Confirming Studies – LOOK

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Apr 27, 2025

Eisenhower Elementary school transformation-Windows of Opportunity program-released — Eisenhower Elementary school transformation –Windows of Opportunity / Windex

Eisenhower Elementary school transformation –Windows of Opportunity / Windex

An elementary school in Jacksonville, Illinois, is busting through walls—literally—to improve student learning, attendance, and wellbeing by adding some daylight to the depressing classrooms.

American schools, especially those designed in the 60s and 70s, were built without windows because people erroneously believed they would be a distraction to learning. But that thinking would today earn them an F grade.

One study by the Eneref Institute focused some incredible light on the topic by finding that students with the most daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on math tests and 26% faster on reading tests in one year.

The study confirmed that abundant daylight can actually eliminate classroom distractions and help students focus.

More recently a 2024 study showed that students in daylight-rich classrooms score higher on tests and stay more engaged when there is natural light in the school.

Knowing the impact that can be created, Windex has transformed the school, Eisenhower Elementary, from a drab environment by adding 70 new windows.

Since then, the school has seen multiple positive effects from the new windows.

A new survey of teachers revealed 84% reported that student mood and overall wellbeing improved after the installation, while 93% reported a positive impact on their own mood and wellbeing. Additionally, 67% of teachers saw improved student participation. The results are also visually stunning. (See the cool video below…)

After seeing these results, Windex is continuing to explore ways it can expand its ‘Windows of Opportunity’ program to other potential communities or schools in need.

Windex hopes that sharing the story of Eisenhower Elementary’s transformation will highlight the importance of natural light in classrooms—like another often-cited study from University College London in 2022 that showed students experiencing more wellbeing with the addition of sunlight.

MORE GOOD NEWS FROM SCHOOLS:
• Gordon Ramsay Shocks School Cafeteria Manager Who Called in to Talk Show Asking For Substitute Chef For the Day
• Students Raise $270,000 So 80-Year-Old Janitor Can Retire from Texas High School
• High School Math Teacher Named Teacher of the Year For Her ‘One Good Thing’ Classroom Ritual
• Thank-You Cards Pile Up with Nowhere to Go After School District Receives Anonymous ‘Transformative’ Donation

“Out of all design parameters in school, including air temperature, acoustics, and CO2 concentration, daylight has the highest impact on overall student progress,” said one of the authors.

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9-Year-old Begs His Mom to Drive Back After Seeing Frantic Cow–Then Saves a Calf He Found in Ditch

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Apr 27, 2025

9-year-old Wyatt Ban saves calf-SWNS — 9-year-old Wyatt Ban saving a calf in Indiana– Credit: Morgan Ban / SWNS

9-year-old Wyatt Ban saving a calf in Indiana– Credit: Morgan Ban / SWNS

A nine-year-old boy was convinced something was wrong when he spotted a cow in a field acting erratically—and he would not stop begging his mother to turn the car around.

Wyatt Ban was heading home with his mom after getting breakfast on Tuesday when he saw the mother cow running around frantically near Eminence, Indiana.

She initially brushed it off, but Wyatt was relentless.

“I didn’t think anything of it at first, but he was so upset and kept saying we had to go back, so I turned around.”

After pulling off near a bridge, Wyatt told her to stay in the car, saying he could fit through the fence.

He then walked along State Road 42, slipped through the barbed wire and into the pasture.

While his mom shot video through the window, Wyatt approached the cow, and realized her baby was stuck down the steep bank of a creek.

His mother, Morgan Ban recounted the rescue with pride, speaking with SWNS news agency.

“He made sure the momma was out of the way, then gently pushed the calf up and out of the water.”

MORE GREAT KID HEROES:
• 3-year-old is Hero, Braving the Dark to Help Grandma After Bloody Fall: ‘Yay, I did it!’
• 5 Teen Boys Praised for Stopping The Car to Help Fallen Senior and Clean His Wounds
• Watch Team of Teens Rush to the Rescue of Older Couple Trapped Under Their Car

“Then, the baby and momma were happily reunited. It was incredible.

“He knew just what to do.”

WATCH the video below, via the DailyMotion…

HAIL THE INTUITIVE BOY By Sharing With Cow Lovers On Social Media…

“What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” – Margaret Mead

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Apr 27, 2025

Quote of the Day: “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” – Margaret Mead

Photo by: Europeana (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?

Good News in History, April 27

This Day In History

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Good News Network

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Apr 27, 2025

Rocky Marciano 1953 cropped public domain wikipedia — Rocky Marciano 1953 – Public domain / Wikipedia

69 years ago today, Rocky Marciano retired as an undefeated boxing champ at age 32, becoming the only person to hold the heavyweight title without a tie or defeat during his entire career. Born to Italian immigrants in Brockton, Massachusetts, he worked out as a youth on homemade weightlifting equipment at home and dropped out of school in the tenth grade. His knockout percentage of 87.75 is one of the highest in heavyweight history. READ more about the famous boxing figure… (1956)

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Prehistoric and Critically Endangered ‘Dinosaur Tree’ Bears Fruit for First time in British Couple’s Garden

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Good News Network

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Apr 26, 2025

Brits Pamela and Alistair Thompson with their Wollemi pine tree-SWNS montage — Pamela and Alistair Thompson with their Wollemi pine tree –SWNS

Pamela and Alistair Thompson with their Wollemi pine tree –SWNS

One of the world’s rarest trees—a prehistoric species that dinosaurs used to snack on—is bearing fruit for the first time after a retired couple planted it in their garden years ago.

Wollemi pines – dubbed dinosaur trees – date back more than 90 million years and were thought to have died out with T-Rex, but a cluster of the prehistoric conifers was discovered in 1994, in a steep-sided gorge 125 miles west of Sydney, Australia.

Saplings and cuttings were sold to help save the critically endangered species—and one was planted at the foot of the Malvern Hills in England by retired couple Pamela and Alistair Thompson.

The couple paid $93 (£70) for an 18-inch sapling, which a friend had picked up for her in 2010, and they planted it in their garden in Malvern, Worcestershire. Now, after years of loving care it stands more than 13-feet tall (4 meters).

Pamela was stunned this spring to discover the rare tree bearing fruit for the first time.

The 75-year-old now hopes the evergreen, which is not a pine, despite its common name, can be propagated to produce seeds which can be used to grow more of the genus Wollemia nobilis.

“It would be amazing, absolutely amazing, to have seedlings and to propagate from the world’s rarest tree.

“I couldn’t imagine being so lucky to do it.

TREE ENVY: Man Cultivates a Giant Mango Tree with Each Branch Growing a Different Variety of Fruit–and There Are 300

Pamela and Alistair Thompson with Wollemi pine tree in their English garden – SWNS

“I saw a small tree for sale for more than $1,000 which shows just how rare they are.”

Wollemi pines are related to monkey puzzle trees and bear both male and female fruit. The long pendulous fruits are actually the male cone and the globular spiky fruits are the female cones.

“So what we’re really hoping later in the year would be to collect and germinate some of the seeds from it.

“That would be really something.”

CHECK OUT THIS FROM LAST YEAR: Dinosaur Evergreens Thought Extinct for 2Mil Years Discovered by Park Ranger–the Grove is the ‘Find of the Century’

Pamela and Alistair are opening their garden to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme on May 4, to allow other gardeners to see the special tree.

Wollemi Pine seedlings can be purchased for delivery to shipping addresses in Australia, here. They are available in the UK (but quite expensive at 5-6 feet tall) for pick-up here, however they are much less expensive in the UK when ordering fresh seeds on eBay here. But the online plant nurseries we saw for shipping in the US—after searching the internet for Wollemia nobilis—were all currently unavailable.

PLANT THE IDEA SEED in Minds of Gardening Friends By Sharing On Social Media…

Teen Employee Awarded $40k Scholarship From Taco Bell So She Can Become a Doctor

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Good News Network

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Apr 26, 2025

Crimsyn Price with co-worker at Taco Bell-SWNS — Crimsyn Price with co-worker at Taco Bell - SWNS

A young woman has received $40,000 in scholarship funding from Taco Bell after working there during high school.

Crimsyn Price applied for a Taco Bell scholarship for workers, and was awarded $10k during each of the first four years of her undergraduate studies.

Funding from the Mexican restaurant chain made it possible for her to study Biology and Health Sciences at East Tennessee State University—allowing her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

The student from Athens, Tennessee, said she was “shocked” to be one of the lucky recipients of the college grants.

“I really wasn’t expecting it. I come from a rural town and a lot of people there don’t have the money for college, so I am very grateful for the opportunity.

“It has been such a major help in my ambition to become a doctor,” she told SWNS news agency.

“It certainly wasn’t something I thought was going to happen when I started working at Taco Bell at 16.”

Crimsyn worked at Taco Bell during her last two years of high school to help her mother pay the bills and was thrilled to learn that the only steps needed for the scholarship application were her academic records and a two-minute video explaining how the funds would help.

GREAT NEWS: Harvard Tuition is Now Free for Families Earning Under $200k–Includes Housing and Books for Those Below $100k

Crimsyn Price gets scholarship money from Taco Bell – SWNS

“Most other scholarship applications I had seen at that point required a lot more work and time than the Live Más scholarship. I think I ended up doing about 50 takes of the video before just deciding to go for it.”

A few months later, her supervisor’s boss, the regional manager, came to her store to announce the results.

“It felt like a really special moment.”

Soon, Crimsyn was accepted into the Honors Scholars Program at the University, meaning she received further funding from the college.

“The money also facilitated me being able to do unpaid internships during my degree, to prioritize my education over a part time job.”

FINANCIAL AID SUPERSTAR: Diligent Planning Sees Teen Accepted into 231 Schools, Winning $14.7 Million in Scholarships–Here’s Some Advice

Since entering college, Crimsyn was able to join an international excursion to Ecuador, where she assisted doctors and graduate students in providing medical care to people.

“It was such a dream to have these experiences. They reminded me why I wanted to be a doctor.

“Our team was able to assist 400-500 patients in that time from rural villages near Quito.

“None of it would have been possible without the Live Más scholarship for Taco Bell employees.”

FREE RIDE TO COLLEGE: After 8th Grader Walked to Graduation, an NFL Star and University Team-Up to Give Him a Ride to College

To mark the 10th anniversary of its Live Más Scholarship, the Taco Bell Foundation just announced it’s investing a record $14 million in passion-driven students across the country – including $4.5 million for Taco Bell restaurant Team Members, the largest team-focused distribution to date.

Crimsyn is now determined to crush her MCAT testing and get accepted into her ideal medical school—with plans to focus on the importance of communication accessibility for the deaf in local clinics.

SHARE The Opportunity With Taco Bell Employees On Social Media…

How Much Goodness Can $20 Buy? Teacher Gives Cash to Students in Annual ‘Kindness Challenge’ to Honor Sister

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Nathan Frederick

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Apr 26, 2025

kindness-challenge Courtesy of Pennsylvania English teacher Kristina Ulmer — Courtesy of Pennsylvania English teacher Kristina Ulmer

Courtesy of Pennsylvania English teacher Kristina Ulmer

It all started with heartbreak and $100 in tips, when in 2014 Kristina Ulmer’s sister headed home with the cash earned from her breakfast tables, but never made it due to a car crash.

Because Katie was always concerned about struggling folks who were less fortunate, Kristina decided to turn the $100 from her sister’s tips into a fitting memorial that would brighten the world–just like her sister always did.

“I knew I had to do something worthwhile with it,” said Kristina, a ninth-grade English teacher near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“I had this really amazing group of students in front of me, and we were reading a dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451,” Kristin told CBC Radio. “And in the novel, everyone’s obsessed with their screens. They walk around with earbuds in all day long (and) they lack empathy toward each other.”

It was that day, several years after her sister’s death, that she got an idea. Everyone needed a reminder about the importance of being interconnected and the value of helping each other along the way.

So the Hatboro-Horsham District teacher took the $100 she’d been saving from her sister’s purse, added a little more to it, and directed her students to go out into the world with a mission: Do something kind and make a video about it.

Her ‘Kindness Challenge’ has since attracted over $7,000 in donations—enough to sustain it for six straight years. And, it’s created more than 350 acts of kindness—each one unique.

Courtesy of the Hatboro-Horsham School District

A small Christmas tree for a shut-in elderly couple. Hygiene bags for the homeless. A Lego set bought for a random little boy at Walmart. Holiday cards for residents at a veterans home. Fresh cupcakes for teachers. A crate of toys for the dogs and cats living at a local shelter.

One student sewed hats for premature babies. Another has participated in the Kindness Challenge five times – even though she left Kristina’s class long ago.

“The first time I participated in the challenge, I didn’t think it would be possible to make a difference with $20, but I learned that’s really not true,” a student named Sydney told CBC. “You don’t have to have millions – anyone can make a difference.”

Every year, new acts of kindness move Kristina to tears as she combines the videos into a montage that shares the story of her sister, along with the magic created by her students with their $20 bills.

LOOK: Third Grade Teacher Crocheted Mini Versions of Every Student in Her Class for End-of-Year Gift

“Everything that comes out of those kids’ mouths as they are sharing what they did and what they learned is my sister speaking,” Kristina said in a video by ABC-6. “She’s been gone 10 years now, but her spirit has lived on through all the things people are doing in her honor.”

EMPATHY GALORE: 81-year-old Waitress Couldn’t Retire, so a Stranger Raised Over $300K for Her

“They now understand the impact that something like a small act of kindness could do.”

It all started with $100 in tips—a legacy that’s not going to end anytime soon.

WATCH the ABC News video below—or a longer video of six years of kindness…

VIEW ANOTHER ONE…

SHARE THE INSPIRATION WITH TEACHERS On Social Media…

Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Good News Network

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Apr 26, 2025

Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of April 26, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source. It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be vivid and obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful life form. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, like us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers, and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host, or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions—what she called divine guidance—to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for over 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation, and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual exploring the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention. You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds, and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn’t study other cultures from a distance with a detached scientific perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves—or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. Be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment. These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, Biblical texts, and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors. That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds, or precipitation to create the ideal ambiance. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the perfect moments to arrive?

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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