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Pope Francis Changes Schedule to Visit Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple

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Pope Francis became only the second pontiff to visit a Buddhist temple on Wednesday, changing his schedule at the last minute to pay his respects at an important place of worship for Buddhists in Sri Lanka’s capital.

He was given the honor of witnessing a key Buddhist ritual and viewing rare relics from two important disciples of the Buddha, which are normally only displayed once each year.

The AP reports the Vatican saying, “Francis listened respectfully as Buddhist monks chanted and prayed while opening the stupa.”

John Paul II was the first to visit a temple, in 1984 in Thailand .

(WATCH the video above – READ the AP story via the Guardian)

In other papal news, Pope Francis also made an unscheduled stop at a center for street children in Manila Friday shortly after celebrating mass in the Filipino capital. Vatican News reported the Pope spent almost a half an hour with some 320 children.

The Second Disease Ever Eradicated on Earth (Thanks, Jimmy Carter)

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Jimmy Carter Center Guinea Worm treatment

In 1986, the painful Guinea worm disease plagued more than 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia. Last year, there were only 126 cases left, and thanks to the Carter Center’s nearly 30-year campaign, the infectious disease is about to be eradicated.

Continuing efforts may soon rid the world of this tropical disease forever, making it only the second human disease ever eradicated, after smallpox. It will be the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine.

President Carter reported the latest Guinea worm numbers this week during a New York press conference to open Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, a new exhibition on disease eradication at the American Museum of Natural History created in collaboration with The Carter Center.

In 1991, there were 23,735 villages with endemic transmission of Guinea worm disease in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. Today, there are only 30 villages in four Africa countries where it is regularly transmitted, mostly in South Sudan.

Considered a neglected tropical disease, Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is contracted when people consume water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae.

The ancient disease is being wiped out mainly through community-based interventions to educate and change behavior, such as teaching people to filter all drinking water and preventing contaminated people from entering water sources.

The Carter Center, together with ministries of health, local communities, and other partners, has reduced cases by more than 99.99 percent since 1986. The Center estimates that the eradication campaign has averted more than 80 million cases among the world’s poorest and most neglected people.

“The potential for disease eradication to permanently improve quality of life worldwide is tremendous,” said eradication expert Dr. Donald Hopkins, Carter Center vice president for health programs.

Story tip from Craig Withers 

Caught on Dashcam: A Cop’s Hilarious Lip Sync to “Shake it Off”

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How many of us dramatically sing along with our favorite songs while undercover in our cars? Now we know that cops do the same thing, as shown in this dashcam video lifted from the patrol car of a 20-year veteran.

The Dover, Delaware Police decided to release a series of dashcam “confessionals,” to help humanize the public image of their officers.

“While reviewing dashcam footage, we come across some interesting sights to say the least,” reads the introduction to the video posted on YouTube. “We decided we would share some with you in a new web series called ‘Dash Cam Confessionals.'”

Their debut video features Cpl. Jeff Davis lip syncing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” While driving his car, Davis gyrates his head and punctuates the song with girly gestures like eye rolls and hand gestures.

(WATCH the video above)

Story tip from Jürgen

Shopping Mom Gets Touching Note From Stranger “I’m a Good Parent”

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shopping with kids-AmberStrocel-CC

A stranger came up to a woman in Windsor, Canada while she was shopping with her children and gave her a very touching note that made her day. She posted the surprising story on a website called Spotted In Windsor.

“I was walking through Wal-Mart this morning doing some regular shopping with my two daughters. As we were walking through the store…we were joking about how quickly we can shovel the snow if it snowed a lot this week. We talked about what I was going to make for dinner today and joked about how we pick the person who is going to have to do dishes. We played some ‘I spy’ as we walked through the isles…just random conversations as we typically do to make it fun while we shop.”

”After we paid for our stuff and made our way towards the exit this man who was standing there with his daughter stopped me and his daughter handed me an envelope. I asked what this was for and they said, ‘It’s a gift and we would like it if you accepted it. There is a note inside explaining why.'”

“His daughter asked if she could hug me and I said yes, so she did, and I felt such a warm hug. We said bye and went on our way. When I got into the car with my girls I opened this card up. It said, ‘Just listening to you talk to your daughters reminded me of my mother who I lost 2 years ago. I made my dad follow you around for a little so I can hear you guys talk because I wanted to pretend that it was my mom talking to me.”

The mother was in tears while posting the story and said, “You just assured me that I am a great mother even though sometimes every parent questions themselves.”

(READ the rest of her post at Spotted In Canada)

Photo Credit: Amber Strocel (From our image file, via CC license) / Story tip from Sandhan Sandhan

7 Countries Where College Students Can Study Abroad in English, For Free

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college student smiling with books-cc-CollegeDegrees360

Since 1985, U.S. college costs have surged by almost 500 percent. Yet Germany’s universities are now tuition-free.

The German government fully funds not only the education of its own citizens, but foreigners as well, with some programs in English.

Other countries do the same. The Washington Post looked at the surprising — and very cheap — alternatives to pricey American college degrees.

(READ the story from the Washington Post)

Photo credit: CollegeDegrees360 (CC license)

Hero Cat Jumps in Box to Keep Abandoned Russian Baby Warm

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A homeless cat named Masha has become a neighborhood hero after she kept warm a baby boy who was dropped off in an apartment building hallway amid frigid Russia temperatures.

The baby, estimated to be 2-3 months old, was left in Masha’s cardboard box, and the feline was only too happy to snuggle for several hours until daybreak when he began meowing loudly to alert neighbors in the city of Obninsk.

When the baby, who was later deemed fit and healthy, was carried to the ambulance, neighbors say Masha “followed him and pitifully meowed and tried to jump into the ambulance to follow the boy.”

The mama cat then “sat for hours on the road waiting for the car to return and bring him back, neighbors said.”

One local resident told Central European News, “We have all spoiled her rotten by giving her her favorite food.”

(WATCH the video above or READ the story from RT News)

 

Muslim Hero in Paris Supermarket Attack to be Given French Citizenship

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A hero Muslim employee from Mali who helped hide hostages in a walk-in refrigerator at a Jewish supermarket during last week’s Paris attacks will be awarded French nationality in a ceremony on Tuesday.

Lassana Bathily has lived in France since 2006 and applied for French nationality last year.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who applauded Bathily’s “act of bravery,”  will lead the naturalization ceremony after more than 300,000 people signed an online petition calling for Bathily to be made a citizen.

(WATCH the video above or READ the story from France 24)

Philadelphia Cab Driver Gets $1,000 Tip For Two-Minute Drive

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Freedom-Taxi-fare-with-1000-dollar-tip-FreedomTaxi-release

A taxi driver in Philadelphia was “shocked and overjoyed” when he received a $989.98 tip on a $4.31 fare 12 days before Christmas.

Taxi driver Oumar Maiga, who always has a smile on his face, was working the late shift for Freedom Taxi service when the generous passenger flagged down his cab for a quick two-minute ride. He asked how Maiga was doing and if he was having a rough night. Mr. Maiga responded that things were OK but the night was a little hectic. After that, the man told him that he would “take care of him” when they arrived at the destination.

When Maiga saw the tip he asked repeatedly if he realized how much he had tipped. The mystery rider told Mr. Maiga that he appreciated how professional he and his cab were.

AFP reported that the driver looked at the tip and said, “Sir, I think you made a mistake.” But he replied, “That’s what I want to give you, I know what I did.”

Freedom Taxi owner Everett Abitbol said the tip “couldn’t have happened to a nicer man,” adding that Maiga had been with the company since it opened in 2011.

In a US first, New Orleans Finds Homes for All its Homeless Veterans

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HOMELESS-VET-gets-apt key-courtesy-UNITY of Greater NewOrleans

“More than 300 mayors have vowed to end military veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. New Orleans celebrated the new year by becoming the first city to do so,” reports the CS Monitor.

On Jan. 2, social workers moved the city’s last known homeless veteran into his new apartment – becoming the first US city to effectively eliminate veteran homelessness. In total, the city has placed 227 veterans in housing since the start of 2014.

The New Orleans model is being hailed by cities around the country who want to end homelessness, not just for veterans, but for anyone needing a permanent home.

Here’s How 11 New Orleans Veterans Got Homes in Time for Holidays

(READ the story from CS Monitor)

Photo courtesy of UNITY of Greater New Orleans – Story tip from Kim Campbell

Central Park is Still Neat, Even on a Gray Day (Video)

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Lawrence Kreger
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Central Park bridge in winter-LawrenceKreger-submitted

It doesn’t have to be a sunny day to enjoy NYC’s Central Park. It’s a neat place even on a grey Winter day…

“The great Big City can never spoil
The Dreams of a Boy and Goil,
We’ll turn Manhattan
Into an Isle of Joy!!”

– from the Rodgers-Hart song, ” I’ll Take Manhattan”

(WATCH the video below)

Scientists ‘Delete’ HIV Virus From Human DNA for the First Time

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Kamel Khalili HIV virus lab-TempleUnivVid

The HIV-1 virus has proved to be tenacious, inserting its genome permanently into its victims’ DNA, forcing patients to take a lifelong drug regimen to control the virus and prevent a fresh attack. In 2014, a team of Temple University School of Medicine researchers designed a way to snip out the HIV-1 genes for good.

The team created molecular tools to permanently delete the HIV-1 from DNA. From there, the cell’s gene repair machinery takes over, soldering the loose ends of the genome back together – resulting in virus-free cells.

“This is one important step on the path toward a permanent cure for AIDS,” said Kamel Khalili, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Temple.

Dr. Khalili and his colleague, Wenhui Hu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Temple, led the work which marks the first successful attempt to eliminate latent HIV-1 virus from human cells.

”Since HIV-1 is never cleared by the immune system, removal of the virus is required in order to cure the disease,” said Dr. Khalili, whose research focuses on the neuropathogenesis of viral infections. The same technique could theoretically be used against a variety of viruses, he said.

The research shows that these molecular tools also hold promise as a therapeutic vaccine; cells armed with the nuclease-RNA combination proved impervious to HIV infection.

The HIV-1 eradication approach faces several significant challenges before the technique is ready for patients, Dr. Khalili said. The researchers must devise a method to deliver the therapeutic agent to every single infected cell. Finally, because HIV-1 is prone to mutations, treatment may need to be individualized for each patient’s unique viral sequences.

The research was published July 21, 2014 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

(WATCH the video below or  LEARN more from Temple University News)  Story tip from Joel Arellano

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Principal Raises $17,000 to Buy Shoes for Her Needy Students (w/ Video)

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students get shoes-WDRBvid

The principal of a school in Harrison County, Indiana, outside of Louisville, KY, where 75 percent of students live below the poverty line, realized her students were so poor that most didn’t have decent shoes.

So, in December, Nissa Ellett decided to hold a fundraiser. She wrote letters to community leaders and parents asking for donations.

Money and notes of support poured in from all over the country, doubling the amount she hoped to raise — enough to buy each child not only shoes, but winter boots with hats and gloves, too.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from WDRB)

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MULTIPLY the Good with the Buttons below…  (Story tip from Kelly Harrington)

Lucky Man: Firefighters Practicing Water Rescue Save Guy Who Fell Thru Ice

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January in Central Park by Gigi_NYC-CC

Firefighters from FDNY Rescue 1 were practicing water rescues in Central Park Saturday afternoon when a man appeared in the middle of the lake, fell through the ice, and disappeared.

Firefighters hollered to the man to get off the ice because it was too thin, but it was too late.

Luck was on his side, because the team moved together just like in the training videos.

(READ the full story from CBS New York)

Photo: January in Central Park by Gigi_NYC (CC license)

1,200 Veterans Enter To Win a 7-Eleven Franchise

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veteran-Charles Williams-7-11-owner-CopperasCoveTX-711-submitted

Enlistment has been brisk for 7-Eleven’s first franchise giveaway contest offered exclusively to U.S. military veterans. With the Jan. 25 deadline less than two weeks away, more than 1,200 veterans have successfully applied for the corporate give-away called, “Operation: Take Command.”

The winner will receive a waiver of the franchise fee, valued at up to $190,000, for any of the company’s 7-Eleven convenience stores available in the continental U.S. at the time the contest ends. Interested veterans, who are first-time 7-Eleven franchise applicants, can enter online at www.VeteransFranchiseGiveaway.com through Jan. 25. The winner will be announced in April.

“Not only have we received a high number of applications, but also high-caliber candidates that I think would make great franchisees for 7-Eleven,” said Greg Franks, vice president of the company’s Franchise Systems. “From our veterans, I would expect nothing less.”

Besides their military experience, many of the veterans who have applied have earned college degrees and possess business, retail and management skills.

Many vets are naturals for business:

  • $1.2 trillion is generated annually by veteran-owned businesses, according to the U.S. Census.
  • In the past 4 years, more than 203,000 new veterans and military spouses have started franchising careers.

7-Eleven has been recognized by veterans’ organizations for its military-friendly business opportunities, hiring practices and philanthropic support for military families. Military veterans serve in every level of the company from store sales associates to headquarters personnel.  The retailer also has supported military assistance organizations including Hire Heroes USA, the USO, Reserve Aid, Warrior Gateway and Operation Mend.

“We have already had veterans who are so enthusiastic to start their own business, they don’t want to even wait to see whether they win,” Franks said.  “They are already going through the 7-Eleven franchising process to select and open a store. And in the true military tradition of selfless service, some have said they want to give up their chance at winning to a vet who might need the franchise fee waiver more than themselves.”

To qualify for the Operation: Take Command franchise giveaway, an entrant must be over the age of 21, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, an honorably discharged veteran, have excellent credit and at least three years of leadership, retail or restaurant experience. Contestants will go through the same qualification process as all 7-Eleven franchise applicants including interviews, credit evaluation, a leadership test, preparing a business plan and budget, and location preferences.

Top Photo: 7-Eleven franchisee, veteran Charles Williams, Copperas Cove, TX

 

Arrested Teen Helps Save Cop’s Life When Officer Collapses

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arrested Florida teen saves officer

A teen, who was hand-cuffed at the time, will be honored next week for saving the life of the Fort Lauderdale policeman who had arrested him.

On September 10, 2014, Officer Franklin Foulks was alone with Jamal Rutledge in a holding area filling out paperwork, when he suddenly collapsed. According to a police statement, the defendant “immediately began to kick the security fence and yell to alert officers in the area.”

They reported that medical staff said later Rutledge’s actions were largely responsible for Officer Foulks surviving the incident.

When other officers heard the teen, they found Officer Foulks lying on the ground clenching his chest and notified rescue services before using CPR and a defibrillator to keep him alive.

According to the Fort Lauderdale police department, Rutledge was being booked on a violation of juvenile probation. The teen and the three Fort Lauderdale police officers will be commended at a ceremony next Wednesday.  (WATCH the surveillance video below)

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Boy Wrote a Letter to Each NFL Team – One Responded, Gets Fan for Life

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familyphoto-HeatherPope-Carolina_Panthers-owner_letter

A 12-year-old from Yukon, Oklahoma, who was stuck at home ill before Christmas decided to write letters to the owners of all 32 NFL teams, asking them which team he should pledge to support. Cade had no team allegiances, until he got a hand-written note back from one of them.

His mom was shocked and delighted when a package came in the mail from the owner of the Carolina Panthers, who has undoubtedly made a fan for life.

The team’s owner, Jerry Richardson wrote, “We would be honored if our Carolina Panthers became your team. We would make you proud by the classy way we would represent you.”

He also sent an autographed helmet, but it was the note that most impressed the young sixth grade athlete, who is now a new Panthers fan.

(WATCH the video below, or READ the story from ABC)

Photo credits: Heather Pope

Cash-strapped School Sees ‘Outpouring of Love’ After Newspaper Reveals Budget

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linglebach_elementary-school-GreatPhillySchools

A report in the Philadelphia Inquirer in November featured a school in Germantown that didn’t have any extra money in their budget to even buy all the paper they would need.

At first, readers responded by sending in reams of paper to Lingelbach Elementary. But then thousands of dollars in donations started arriving — enough to update books in their library and provide supplies to every teacher.

The school, which is 88% black with 56% of students receiving reduced lunches, received a surprise truckload of educational materials and office supplies sent from the Springfield School District in Montgomery County.

Most notably, one anonymous angel gave the school $100,000, a sum that should buy Google Chromebooks for each of the school’s 420 students, kindergarten through eighth grade.

“I was stunned by the outpouring of love,” said principal Marc Gosselin about the donations that poured in from around the country.

(READ the story at Philly.com)

Photo via greatphillyschools.org

 

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer from Wedding Get Married 20 Years Later

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Brittney and Briggs Fussy-weddings-AlixRaePhotography

Brittney Husbyn had already practiced walking down the aisle with her fiancé Briggs Fussy, but it was 20 years earlier.

The Minnesota man remembers the feisty little girl who couldn’t stand in one place during the wedding of his Godmother in 1995.

But he married her this weekend decades after they served as ring bearer and flower girl as children.

The couple, who didn’t know each other as juniors in high school, started dating, after Brittney recognized his name. Their families, especially the Godmother, who now claims credit for their marriage, were delighted. Each had a picture of them as 3-year-olds hung on their wall or tucked in a photo album.

(WATCH the video from KMSP in Minnesota, or READ the story in the NY Daily News)

Wedding photo by Alix Rae Photography, via Facebook

Favorite Golden Globes Moment: Leaping Cumberbatch Photobombs Meryl Streep

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Cumberbatch Photobombs During Golden Globes Gag

Benedict Cumberbatch surprised everyone when he photobombed Meryl Streep during the broadcast at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.

It was during a comedy bit when Tina Fey asked Michael Keaton to take a picture on his phone of Streep in the audience posing with Margaret Cho, who played the role of a North Korean entertainment reporter.

Suddenly the tall, lanky nominee, Cumberbatch, leaped up in the background, adding to the fun.

(WATCH the video below)

A Chihuahua Patrols the Streets as Superman (Funny Video)

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A hilarious short clip shows a chihuahua walking in a Superman costume!

(WATCH the video above)

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