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Hundreds Credit Hero’s Early Weather Predictions for Saving Them from the Eaton Fire

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Susan Hopkins, via Altadena Weather And Climate Group, Facebook.
credit – Susan Hopkins, via Altadena Weather And Climate Group, Facebook.

A weather enthusiast and passionate community volunteer saved a Pasadena neighborhood by broadcasting two simple words to his social media channels in early January: “Get out.”

Wherever the chips fall in the aftermath of the recent spate of wildfires in northern LA, and whoever gets the book thrown at them—and for whatever reason—one man can hold up his hand and say he did everything that could have been done.

Edgar McGregor, a climatology graduate at San Jose State University, leader of the Altadena Weather and Climate group on Facebook, and publisher of the WeatherMcGregor service on Patreon, picked up on every clue that the fire risk in Altadena was going to be terrifyingly high on the evening of January 7th.

Two days in advance of the Eaton Fire, McGregor advised his followers that “the fire danger is going to be sky-high,” in and around Eaton Canyon, and that they should have their go-backs ready, their cars already packed for evacuation, and one eye on the horizon at all times.

McGregor was monitoring a developing storm front, the kind that tends to magnify the already-high winter winds of Santa Ana which come blustering down the canyon that sits on a northeast-southwest path which mirrors the winds’ trajectory.

According to Local News Pasadena, McGregor was well aware these conditions resulted in two major weather events: in 1993 that involved a wildfire, and in 2011 that resulted in thousands of downed trees, stoved-in houses, and smashed cars.

At 6:15 p.m. on January 7th, amid 70 mph winds, downed transmission lines provided the spark. Around 4 a.m. the next morning, McGregor logged onto his Facebook account and made a video. In so many words, his message was simple “GET OUT.”

“Don’t wait, pack your car; photo albums, medications, birth certificates, social security cards, anything you can’t live without, put it in your car. This is imminent. Do not wait for an official evacuation… Get out!”

Unbelievably, his was the only alert that 2,500 members of the Altadena Weather and Climate Community received for nearly an hour as they streamed down the hills in their cars by the hundreds.

NEIGHBORS HELPING RAISE THE ALARM: Malibu Resident Runs Toward Blaze to Wake Family in Unheralded Hero Story

Local News Pasadena collected some of the messages of these residents, who recognized that this one local weather enthusiast had done what many in the largest state government in the country had failed to do—predict, prepare, and prewarn.

“Edgar McGregor is an actual American hero. I am so grateful to him for sharing his vast knowledge. My pets and I would have burned along with my home had I not heeded his warnings.” – Tori Silverman.

UPLIFTING STORIES FROM THE FIRE: Neighbors Save a Stranger’s Home From Burning Embers Flying Above Hollywood Hills (WATCH)

“I texted a friend after seeing Edgar’s post who didn’t know about the fire or evac. She was able to get her family out before losing her home.” – Elsa Tatom.

“I want to give a shout-out to Edgar McGregor for saving so many lives. Everywhere I go in Pasadena, I run into people who tell me that this 24-year-old guy on the internet told them this was going to happen a week and a half ago and they were ready to go. And they left and they were safe.” – Susan Hopkins.

There are other messages that should be read.

9 Out of Every 10 Cars Sold in Norway Last Year Was Electric

By
Andy Corbley
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Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association - photo courtesy of Christina Bu.
Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association – photo courtesy of Christina Bu.

Norway is on the cusp of bidding farewell to internal combustion vehicles forever now that the automotive transition in the country has reached highway speeds.

Tax incentives and other perks like free parking, a diverse market of foreign and EU-made vehicles, and a vast charging network have steered almost all of the country’s national consumption towards electric vehicles.

Setting a non-legislative and vague goal of phasing out fossil fuel cars back in 2017, the recent market data suggests that the goal is now well within reach for the Arctic country of 5.5 million.

Despite the cold temperatures regularly draining batteries, consumers speaking with the BBC said range and charging weren’t major struggles given a simple change of mindset: from charging when you need it to charging when you can.

They also said there’s no reason why the Norwegian model couldn’t be adopted by other countries, as there’s not really an overly ‘green’ mindset in the purchasing decisions: it’s more about ensuring EVs are available, affordable, and sensible.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Colorado Town is Case Study for Electric School Buses in Wintertime—They Outperformed Diesel

The best-selling EVs in the country are Teslas, followed by models from VW and Toyota. Unlike the US and EU countries, Norway hasn’t imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, and a variety of Chinese makes enjoy a 10% share of Norway’s market which saw EVs account for 88.9% of new cars sold in the country last year, up from 82.4% in 2023.

A third of all registered cars on the road in the country today are electric if one includes diesel. Compared to just gasoline-powered cars, the split is closer to 50-50.

OTHER EV-POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS: Honda to Pour $15 Billion into EV Factory in Ontario–the Largest Auto Investment in Canada’s History

Norway has more proven gas and petroleum reserves than any other European nation. Like many of the world’s largest oil and natural gas exporters, they enjoy a massive sovereign wealth fund totaling over $1.7 trillion which allows them, the BBC reports, to shrug off the loss of tax revenue from EVs most of which are exempt from import and property taxes.

SHARE This Remarkable Success In The Energy Transition With Your Friends… 

“There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.” – Josh Billings

By
Good News Network
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Nick Page for Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.” – Josh Billings

Photo: Nick Page 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?

Nick Page for Unsplash+

Good News in History, January 14

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Good News Network
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125 years ago today, Tosca debuted in Rome. A mainstay on opera calendars around the world, Giacomo Puccini’s enduring tale of feminine resilience and defiance in the face of corruption has featured some of the best-known singers in the art. Puccini’s arias in Tosca are some of his finest, and The Three Tenors often featured E Lucevan le stelle (And the stars shone) in their concerts. The story was originally written by a successful French playwright and Puccini felt it was born to be sung. In May of 1887, he wrote to his publisher begging to get the rights to make it into an opera, writing “I see in this Tosca the opera I need, with no overblown proportions, no elaborate spectacle, nor will it call for the usual excessive amount of music.” HEAR Tosca’s arias performed by legendary singers… (1900)

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30-Year-old Letterman Jacket Is Found By Brother in Serendipitous Twist of Fate

By
Andy Corbley
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Custom lettermen jacket found in time for 30th high school – Credit: Jed Mottley
Custom letterman jacket found in time for 30th high school – Credit: Jed Mottley

From Arizona comes the remarkable “timeless” story of a man who got to try on his varsity letterman jacket decades after he ordered it.

Unable to afford it at the time, Jed Mottley and the jacket went their separate ways, only to reunite after a spur-of-the-moment, serendipitous visit to a thrift store almost 30 years later.

28 years ago, Mottley got on the varsity football team at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, an accomplishment that could be properly celebrated in only one way: with a letterman jacket.

For foreign readers, the ‘letterman’ jacket is one of the most ubiquitous images of school sports in America. The elastic cuffs and waist, tan leather sleeves, and iron-on patches became so cool, that it has since transformed into an international style item, but are still traditionally ordered individually by members of school sports teams.

When it came time for Mottley to get his, he grabbed his mom and went down to a local shop.

“I went to a store right down the street here and we picked everything out, we might have even put a deposit down,” Mottley told ABC News 15. 

When the customized jacket was ready, so was the bad news: the family didn’t have enough money.

Jed understood, but was nevertheless distraught, a feeling that stuck with him for years as he watched his teammates cavort themselves around the school in their own letterman jackets.

Fast forward nearly three decades, and one day Jed’s brother Josh was nearing the end of a string of errands when he decided to pop into a thrift store called Veteran’s Village in Pinetop, Arizona. He said he had a funny feeling he would find something cool. Opening the door, something bright red catches Josh’s eye.

“[Josh] goes, ‘dude let me just send you a picture of this real quick.’ I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, I’m like, ‘dude that’s my jacket,’” said Jed, a professional musician who now lives in Los Angeles.

Submitted by Jed Mottley

A mother’s promise

Jed knew he had to come get his hands on that letterman jacket, which had tumbled about in the ether and ended up in his brother’s hands.

“That thing’s been sitting somewhere in perfect condition for 28 years,” Josh also told ABC 15’s Uplifting Arizona. “I just kept looking at it, saying this can’t be real. I can tell you I felt my mom’s presence with us when I met up with him to give it to him.”

Jed and Josh’s mother passed away in 2012. A deeply religious woman, she said she would be leaving signs and messages for her boys from heaven, a prediction the two men said never really came true.

One can only speculate what the brothers must have felt as they reunited over the lost jacket—the first time they had seen each other in person in years.

“This is a timeless story,” Jed told GNN. “There’s always such a heartwarming response when people hear the story for the first time.”

According to ABC 15, the jacket attracted worldwide attention, and has accompanied Jed on tour with his band, covered his shoulders at his 30th high school reunion, and even won the admiration of Tom Hanks, who said he was stealing the story for a movie idea.

WATCH a summary of the saga of “Jed’s Jacket” below… 

SHARE This Uplifting Arizona Story Of Family And Fate With Your Friends…

The Year of the Snake Promises Ample Chances to Strike Back Against Misfortune

By
Andy Corbley
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Wallpaper by Jan Kopriva
Wallpaper by Jan Kopriva

In traditional Chinese astrology, your birth year is especially unlucky, but this year there’s no need for snakes to keep a low profile.

Every year, GNN generates a horoscope based on averages of several major Chinese horoscope providers and Feng Shui masters to help those who don’t follow this ancient practice make sense of it.

On January 29th, the Lunar New Year will welcome the 12-month Chinese zodiac of the snake under the heavenly branch of wood.

How do you know if you are a snake? The last 100 years of snakes were born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013. The last wood snakes were born in 1965.

Being that the year begins on Jan 29th, if your birthday falls earlier in January, you’re a dragon, not a snake.

Chinese astrology has it that every 12th year is unlucky, as the star any individual person was born under arrives closest to the god Tai Sui. That closeness offends him, and so those born under the sign of the year to come are generally recommended to stay put, risk little, and tread lightly.

Unsplash – credit Rafael Barbosa

Yet the 2025 horoscope average heralds a different forecast. Snakes are generally cautious, introverted observers, under whose cold scales lie sensitivity and wisdom. This year is also the second of the two years of the element wood, endowing it with characteristics of creativity, growth, and a certain amount of unpredictability.

The snake’s tact, intuition, and knowledge, coupled with the opportunities offered by wood, means that even in the face of the most unlucky year, snakes are poised to strike at clear opportunities.

The GNN online Chinese horoscope average finds that this year should be of benefit to a snake’s career and finances. A number of lucky stars sit poised to counter the misfortune of the ben ming nian, or unlucky year.

Money and career advancement will come easy for snakes this year, and rewards will be forthcoming for hardworking serpents. Wood is also associated with transformation, and just as the snake sheds its skin, our horoscope average seems to indicate that prospects abound for reinvention.

The highest weighted prediction is of challenges and risks in the snake’s personal health. The year foreshadows accidents, particularly those associated with water. Avoid water skiing or surfing.

Relationships too will be challenged and strained, as would be imagined in the ben ming nian. Single snakes should de-prioritize finding a partner and instead focus on work. Transformation abounds during the year of the wood snake, and friends and acquaintances may reveal their true nature this year, for good or for ill.

For those already married or in a relationship, the horoscope average seems to suggest that joyful events such as trips, marriages, or family parties will go a long way toward softening Tai Sui’s wrath.

This year, Tai Sui stars are in the southwest, so all furniture should face northeast. The snake’s lucky color is blue, while red should always be considered to attract fortune. Their lucky number is easy to remember: it’s 1.

For those born on other years who are wondering how to face the wood snake, there seems to be an emphasis on creativity, and even a tendency to overwork. It’s no coincidence perhaps that this year features 60th birthdays from some extraordinary creative minds.

J.K. Rowling, Trent Reznor, Sinichiro Watanabe, Satoshi Tajiri, and Michael Dell, will all be facing Tai Sui this year.

Other animals that benefit from growth and discerning opportunities should have a good year. With all the opportunities to come, dragons and tigers are likely to be overworked and should focus on maintaining a work-life balance.

SHARE The GNN Chinese Horoscope With Your Friends On Social Media… 

Scientists Turn Industrial Waste into Batteries for Storing Renewable Energy

By
Andy Corbley
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Emily Mahoney, the new paper’s first author, in the lab - courtesy Malapit Lab
Emily Mahoney, the new paper’s first author, in the lab – courtesy Malapit Lab

A team at Northwestern University has transformed an industrial waste product into a battery for storing sustainable energy.

While many iterations of these batteries are in production or being researched for grid-scale applications, using a waste molecule, in this case, triphenylphosphine oxide, (TPPO) has never been done before.

The batteries used in our phones, devices, and even cars rely on metals like lithium and cobalt, sourced through intensive and sometimes exploitative mining operations. Demand for these critical minerals is expected to skyrocket over the next few decades.

At the same time, thousands of tons of the well-known chemical byproduct TPPO are produced each year by many organic industrial synthesis processes, including the production of vitamin supplements, but it is rendered useless and must be carefully discarded following production.

In a paper published last week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a ‘one-pot’ reaction allows chemists to turn TPPO into a usable product with the powerful potential to store energy, opening the door for the future viability of a long-imagined battery type called “redox flow” batteries.

“Battery research has traditionally been dominated by engineers and materials scientists,” said Northwestern chemist and lead author Christian Malapit. “Synthetic chemists can contribute to the field by molecularly engineering an organic waste product into an energy-storing molecule. Our discovery showcases the potential of transforming waste compounds into valuable resources, offering a sustainable pathway for innovation in battery technology.”

The market for redox flow batteries is expected to rise by 15% between 2023 and 2030 to reach a value of $720 million worldwide. Unlike lithium and other solid-state batteries which store energy in electrodes, redox flow batteries use a chemical reaction to pump energy back and forth between electrolytes, where their energy is stored. Though not as efficient at energy storage, redox flow batteries are thought to be much better solutions for energy storage, if not in our cell phones, at the scale of the grid itself.

SAND BATTERIES: Innovative ‘Sand Battery’ is Heating Small City, Storing Green Energy for Months at a Time

“Not only can an organic molecule be used, but it can also achieve high-energy density—getting closer to its metal-based competitors—along with high stability,” said Emily Mahoney, a Ph.D. candidate in the Malapit lab and the paper’s first author. “These two parameters are traditionally challenging to optimize together, so being able to show this for a molecule that is waste-derived is particularly exciting.”

To achieve both energy density and stability, the team needed to identify a strategy that allowed electrons to pack tightly together in the solution without losing storage capacity over time. They looked to the past and found a paper from 1968 describing the electrochemistry of phosphine oxides and, according to Mahoney, “ran with it.”

OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO MINING: World’s First Home Hydrogen Battery Powers Your House for 3 Days, is Recyclable, and Not a Fire Risk

Then, to evaluate the molecule’s resilience as a potential energy-storage agent, the team ran tests using static electrochemical charge and discharge experiments similar to the process of charging a battery, using the battery, and then charging it again, over and over. After 350 cycles, the battery maintained remarkable health, losing negligible capacity over time.

“This is the first instance of utilizing phosphine oxides as the redox-active component in battery research,” Malapit said. “Traditionally, reduced phosphine oxides are highly unstable. Our molecular engineering approach addresses this instability, paving the way for their application in energy storage.”

In the meantime, the group hopes other researchers will pick up the idea and begin to work with TPPO to further optimize and improve its potential.

SHARE This Waste-To-Want Technology With Your Friends… 

UK Aims for ‘Moonshot’ Goal of Restoring Nature Across Area the Size of Greater London

By
Andy Corbley
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Killterton, in Devon, a National Trust landscape - credit: Clive Nichols, National Trust
Killterton, in Devon, a National Trust landscape – credit: Clive Nichols, National Trust

This year marks the 130th anniversary of the founding of the UK’s national preservation society, called the National Trust, and to mark the occasion they’re setting a goal which they make no bones about calling a “moonshot.”

The trust has always stepped up to face the challenges of the day, whether that’s saving a crumbling heritage building or funding an important treasure purchase for a museum, but its new goal is to restore over half a million acres of natural spaces, equivalent to one-and-a-half-times the size of the Greater London Area.

That’s more than 10 times the amount of land restored by the trust over the past decade, but the charity’s director general, Hilary McGrady, says the decline of natural spaces on the island merits an “audacious” effort.

“For 130 years, the National Trust has responded to the crises and challenges of the time. Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale. We will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries,” she said.

At precisely 617,000 acres, the trust will look to private landowners and communities to carry out much of the restoration work; it alone doesn’t own enough degraded land to meet such a large goal.

Rather than restore individual patches of land, the trust wants to help reconnect wider landscapes together in a varied mosaic of rich and resilient natural habitat. Harry Bowell, the trust’s director of land and nature, gave the example of the Lunt Farm in Liverpool, a recent acquisition very much informed by this 617,000-acre objective.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: U.S. Contributes to $100 Million Public-Private Partnership to Preserve Wetlands and Waterfowl

90,000 native trees will be planted across the degraded farm which will connect it to the Mersey Forest network, allowing native wildlife species to better disperse across the land.

Another example are the Shropshire Hills, where GNN reported a restoration project was carried out on several degraded meadows to restore them to flowering glory and better provide connective habitat for the species that live on the hills themselves.

A SIMILAR GOAL FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR: Patagonia Gives Away Its Entire $3 Billion Worth To Fight Climate Change

Bowell told the Guardian that the project was a “moonshot” but one he and his colleagues think is practically achievable “because of the mapping we’ve done.”

SHARE The National Trust’s Moonshot Idea With Your Friends From England… 

“There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind.” – Annie Dillard

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind.” – Annie Dillard

Photo: Nadia Jamnik

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, January 13

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Good News Network
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240 years ago today, The Times of London published its first-ever broadsheet. Originally founded as The Daily Universal Register, The Times used contributions from significant figures in the fields of politics, science, literature, and the arts to build its reputation. For much of its early life, the profits of The Times were very large and the competition minimal, so it could pay far better than its rivals for information or writers. READ more… (1785)

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Scientists Develop Biodegradable Smart Textile–A Big Leap Forward for Eco-Friendly Wearable Technology 

By
Good News Network
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Flexible inkjet printed E-textile – Credit: Marzia Dulal
Flexible inkjet printed E-textile – Credit: Marzia Dulal

Wearable electronic textiles can be both sustainable and biodegradable, shows a new study.

A research team led by the University of Southampton and UWE Bristol in the UK tested a new sustainable approach for fully inkjet-printed, eco-friendly e-textiles.

Named SWEET—for Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles—the new ‘fabric’ was described in findings published in the journal Energy and Environmental Materials.

E-textiles are those with embedded electrical components, such as sensors, batteries or lights. They might be used in fashion, for performance sportswear, or for medical purposes as garments that monitor people’s vital signs.

Such textiles need to be durable, safe to wear and comfortable, but also, in an industry which is increasingly concerned with clothing waste, they need to be kind to the environment when no longer required.

“Integrating electrical components into conventional textiles complicates the recycling of the material because it often contains metals, such as silver, that don’t easily biodegrade,” explained Professor Nazmul Karim at the University of Southampton.

“Our eco-friendly approach for selecting sustainable materials and manufacturing overcomes this, enabling the fabric to decompose when it is disposed of.”

The team’s design has three layers, a sensing layer, a layer to interface with the sensors and a base fabric. It uses a textile called Tencel for the base, which is made from renewable wood and is biodegradable.

The active electronics in the design are made from graphene, along with a polymer called PEDOT: PSS. These conductive materials are precision inkjet-printed onto the fabric.

The research team, which included members from the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, Leeds, and Bath, tested samples of the material for continuous monitoring of heart rates. Five volunteers were connected to monitoring equipment, attached to gloves worn by the participants. Results confirmed the material can effectively and reliably measure both heart rate and temperature at the industry standard level.

Gloves with e-textile sensors monitoring heart rate – Credit: Marzia Dulal

“Achieving reliable, industry-standard monitoring with eco-friendly materials is a significant milestone,” said Dr. Shaila Afroj, an Associate Professor of Sustainable Materials from the University of Exeter and a co-author of the study. “It demonstrates that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of functionality, especially in critical applications like healthcare.”

The project team then buried the e-textiles in soil to measure its biodegradable properties.

After four months, the fabric had lost 48 percent of its weight and 98 percent of its strength, suggesting relatively rapid and also effective decomposition.

Furthermore, a life cycle assessment revealed the graphene-based electrodes had up to 40 times less impact on the environment than standard electrodes.

Four strips in a variety of decomposed states, during four months of decomposition – Credit: Marzia Dulal

Marzia Dulal from UWE Bristol, the first author of the study, highlighted the environmental impact: “Our life cycle analysis shows that graphene-based e-textiles have a fraction of the environmental footprint compared to traditional electronics. This makes them a more responsible choice for industries looking to reduce their ecological impact.”

The ink-jet printing process is also a more sustainable approach for e-textile fabrications, depositing exact numbers of functional materials on textiles as needed, with almost no material waste and less use of water and energy than conventional screen printing.

“These materials will become increasingly more important in our lives,” concluded Prof. Karim, who hopes to move forward with the team to design wearable garments made from SWEET, particularly in the area of early detection and prevention of heart diseases.

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Man Recreates Scene From The Wedding Singer and Proposes Mid-Flight

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Good News Network
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Sam Riber surprised Lissy Alden by singing to her and proposing marriage mid-flight – via SWNS
Sam Riber surprised Lissy Alden by singing to her and proposing marriage mid-flight – via SWNS

A man recreated a scene from the The Wedding Singer and proposed to his girlfriend mid-flight—with the help of giddy flight attendants.

Sam Riber and Lissy Alden were traveling to Mexico on Lissy’s birthday when Sam surprised her with a performance—and for a finale getting down on one knee.

The pair are both movie lovers so when Sam decided to propose for their Christmas Eve flight, he knew he wanted to recreate a scene from the 1998 Adam Sandler classic.

Sam managed to smuggle a ukulele onto the plane without his girlfriend knowing and worked with flight attendants to create codewords to pull off the surprise.

Halfway through their flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, Sam serenaded Lissy with the song from the movie and proposed, getting an almighty ‘Yes!’ in response.

“It was such a special moment,” said Sam. “I almost couldn’t believe it all worked out.”

Sam and Lissy met at a dinner less than a year ago but felt an instant connection.

Eight months later, Sam began to plan to propose just like Adam Sandler’s character Robbie did in The Wedding Singer—he serenades his love, Julia, with the song Grow Old With You while on an airplane.

“We’ve sung versions of that song to each other because we often quote or act out movies to entertain each other but she had no clue about my wider plan,” he said.

Sam Riber sings his girlfriend a proposal mid-flight – via SWNS

“I was lucky enough to have the support of the flight attendants, especially Teri Ramirez, who you see helping me with the PA system.

“The team went above and beyond to help, even introducing our code word ‘juice’ so I would know when to go up and grab the guitar they’d been hiding for me.

“I had no idea he was going to propose then and there,” says Lissy.

“When it first started, I assumed it was because it was my birthday, as he’d already done things like bumping us up to first class.

“But, when he got down on one knee, I realized what was happening and just felt so happy.”

Sam Riber surprised Lissy Alden with proposal mid-flight-via SWNS

“It was definitely a peak life moment.” (Watch the video below, but the audio is poor…)

AWWWW: When Tornado Interrupts Wedding Their First Dance was in Basement Shelter: ‘Restored my faith in humanity’

The new couple has now been enjoying their engagement—and, though they haven’t made plans for their big day, booking a wedding singer couldn’t be far behind…

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How 65% of Americans are Determined to Improve Their Money Habits in 2025

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Good News Network
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By 金-运
By 金-运

According to a recent survey, a wide majority of Americans want to improve their financial habits in the coming year.

The survey of 2,000 adults found that 65% are hoping to improve their money habits in 2025.

Nearly half (49%) are planning to hibernate in January, to be less active and social, and to spend less money after the holiday season.

Commissioned by global savings platform, Raisin, the poll also found that one in four respondents (26%) would like to improve their financial literacy this year.

This lack of financial literacy shows up, for instance, in 26% of those surveyed who don’t know what interest rate they’re earning from their bank or financial institution.

When quizzed, most (59%) didn’t know what APR (annual percentage rate) meant and 78% were confused by the abbreviation APY (annual percentage yield).

Respondents in the poll, conducted by Talker Research, also weighed in with reflections on 2024, with 89% saying they’d not accomplished everything they set out to in 2024.

The most common resolutions from last year left undone include:

  • Not saving enough money (51%)
  • Not being as fit and active as planned (38%)
  • Not traveling enough (32%)
  • And, not spending money thoughtfully enough (31%)

In fact, 44% said they were challenging themselves in January to only spending money on what’s absolutely necessary.

29% of respondents said they would pause dating or going out to restaurants and estimated they would save over $3,000, on average.

“If you’re not consciously budgeting and spending, the dollars quickly add up,” said Cetin Duransoy, CEO at Raisin.

“It’s so important to have a solid financial plan in place. That way you can be intentional and spend on what brings you joy while working towards financial security.”

“Finance can be an intimidating topic, so ask for help, if needed, from a trusted family member, friend, finance expert, or institution.”

Neighbors Save a Stranger’s Home From Burning Embers Flying Above Hollywood Hills (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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File photo by Daniel Lincoln
File photo by Daniel Lincoln

Amid the tragic property loss from Southern California wildfires comes a story of neighbors helping neighbors—and possibly saving Hollywood—by working together.

A new brush fire had started spreading on Wednesday evening near Runyan Canyon and the hills overlooking the densely populated area of Hollywood Boulevard.

Evacuation orders were issued, but luckily, some residents stayed put and were able to stop a possible catastrophe.

Blowing embers from the fire ignited a tall palm tree above a house in a neighborhood where the homeowners had already fled.

A half dozen neighbors jumped into action with a ladder, tossing hoses onto the roof to spray the palm tree, as its embers starting scattering onto the driveway and home below.

A roving ABC-7 news crew was on the scene with reporter Tim Caputo describing the actions of the Good Samaritans:

“The concern is all these ashes are falling on top of this house and the house next door. To this point with this fire, we have not seen any houses go up in flames, but you know how it gets, one turns to two, turns to a dozen really quickly,” said Caputo in a video report posted on Twitter/X. (Watch the dramatic video below…)

Afterward, Caputo talked to Tony, one of the people who helped save the neighborhood.

“The balcony was on fire and I went around back to grab the garden hose and luckily they had a Ring camera as well. They were like, ‘Hello, what are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘Your house is on fire; I’m trying to save it.’ So, they were grateful.”

After 40 minutes of hosing down the palm tree, the embers finally went out.

“These people are absolute heroes. Probably saved a lot of homes from catching fire,” commented one viewer of the video on X.

RELATED: Malibu Resident Runs Toward Blaze to Wake Family in Unheralded Hero Story

Los Angeles Firefighters gained the upper hand around midnight, over what had been dubbed the Sunset Fire, fully containing the brush fire behind the Hollywood Hills. And the city lifted evacuation orders for the area on Thursday.

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“Anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live.” – Jimmy Carter

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Quote of the Day: “Anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live.” – Jimmy Carter

Photo: Seb Mooze

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, January 12

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Good News Network
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The Hitsville USA building in Detroit MI, where Motown was founded, and which now hosts the Motown Museum - Public domain.

66 years ago today, Berry Gordy founded what would become Motown Records, a Black-owned label that achieved crossover success and played an important role in the racial integration of popular music. In the 1960s, Motown ruled the airways with a style of soul music that had a mainstream pop appeal. It became the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million in 1960s dollars. In its first 10 years, Motown tallied 79 top-ten records on the Billboard Hot 100—by artists such as the Supremes with Diana Ross, the Four Tops, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes, and the Miracles. LEARN where the word Motown came from… (1959)

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A Deep Sleep Clears the Mind at Night Like a Dishwasher Cleaning–But Beware of Sleeping Pills

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Credit: Nadia Alzoubi and Natalie Hauglund
Credit: Nadia Alzoubi and Natalie Hauglund

A good night’s sleep clears your mind, suggests new research, like turning on a dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain.

The international team of scientists describes the process as washing away waste that builds up in the brain during waking hours.

Their findings also offer insights into how sleeping pills may disrupt the “brainwashing” system, potentially affecting cognitive function in the long term.

Researchers already know that the brain has a built-in waste removal process called the ‘glymphatic system,’ which circulates fluid in the brain and spinal cord to clear it out.

The process helps remove toxic proteins that form sticky plaques linked to neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease—but what drives the system had remained unclear, until now.

Danish scientists from the University of Copenhagen found that a molecule called norepinephrine plays a key role in brain cleaning in mice.

During deep sleep, the brainstem releases tiny waves of norepinephrine about once every 50 seconds.

The study’s senior author, Professor Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester in New York, explained that norepinephrine triggers blood vessels to contract, generating slow pulsations that create a rhythmic flow in the surrounding fluid to carry waste away.

She said, “It’s like turning on the dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain.

“We’re essentially asking what drives this process and trying to define restorative sleep based on glymphatic clearance.”

To find clues, she and her team looked into what happens in mice when the brain sleeps. They focused on the relationship between norepinephrine and blood flow during periods of deep sleep.

They found that norepinephrine waves correlate to variations in brain blood volume, suggesting norepinephrine triggers a rhythmic pulsation in the blood vessels.

The researchers then compared the changes in blood volume to brain fluid flow, finding that the brain fluid flow fluctuations correspond to blood volume changes. The vessels act as pumps to propel the surrounding brain fluid to flush out waste.

“You can view norepinephrine as this conductor of an orchestra,” explained study lead author Dr. Natalie Hauglund, of the University of Copenhagen and the University of Oxford.

“There’s a harmony in the constriction and dilation of the arteries, which then drives the cerebro-spinal fluid through the brain to remove the waste products.”

Dr. Hauglund then wanted to know if all sleep was created equal.

To find out, the research team gave zolpidem, a common drug to aid sleep, to mice.

They found that the norepinephrine waves during deep sleep were 50% lower in zolpidem-treated mice than in naturally sleeping mice. Although the zolpidem-treated mice fell asleep faster, fluid transport into the brain dropped more than 30%.

SMART SLEEP: Brain Matter May Remain Higher In People Who Love Taking a Nap

The researchers say their findings published in the journal Cell show that the sleeping pills likely disrupt the norepinephrine-driven waste clearance during sleep—and the findings probably apply to humans, as well, because also have a glymphatic system.

Scientists have observed similar norepinephrine waves, blood flow patterns, and brain fluid flux in humans.

“More and more people are using sleep medication, and it’s really important to know if that’s healthy sleep,” said Hauglund in a media release. “If people aren’t getting the full benefits of sleep, they should be aware of that, so they can make informed decisions.”

Their findings may also offer insights into how poor sleep may contribute to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

CHECK OUT: 8 Weeks of Lifestyle Changes Reduced Biological Age by 3 Years In Groundbreaking Proof-of-Concept Study

“Now we know norepinephrine is driving the cleaning of the brain, we may figure out how to get people a long and restorative sleep,” concluded Prof. Nedergaard.

SLEEP-AID ALERT: Share the Latest Data With Friends On Social Media…

She Found Her Dream Wedding Dress for $25 at a Thrift Store–and ‘It Fit Like a Glove’

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Julia Webber and Michael Webber at their wedding – SWNS
Julia Webber and Michael Webber at their wedding – SWNS

After she couldn’t find a gown she liked in any bridal shop, a Florida woman bagged her dream wedding dress in a thrift store for just $25.

Julia Webber felt disheartened after trying on dresses at a boutique shop and not finding anything that was right.

“I wanted something simple and elegant… something form-fitting at the top.

So she couldn’t believe it when she found the perfect dress in a local thrift store.

Accompanied by her mom and sisters, the 26-year-old walked into her favorite second-hand store, the Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation Resale Shop, and immediately spotted the dress.

“It was the first one we went to,” she said. “I zipped it up and it fit like a glove. I knew immediately it was the one.

“Life can be so serendipitous.”

“It was completely meant to be,” said the speech pathologist from West Palm Beach. “Everyone had the same reaction; their jaws were on the floor.”

Julia Webber trying on wedding dress at thrift store – SWNS

Last month she married her school sweetheart, who cried when he saw her walk down the aisle.

Julia has always been passionate about thrifting and grew up hunting through second-hand stores with her mother and two sisters, so looking for a wedding dress was a natural Plan B.

The dress was priced at $50 but that day it was ‘half-off day’ so Julia took it home for just $25.

“I loved the beading,” Julia said. “And it had a brand new tag on it.”

She couldn’t find the Casablanca dress new online but estimates it might have cost up to $3,000.

Julia Webber and Michael Webber at their December wedding – SWNS

The arm straps needed to be shortened, which cost $40, and she paid $75 to have it professionally cleaned.

“At the wedding I started telling people the cost and the live reaction of disbelief was amazing.”

WATCH: Grandma Dances All Night at Granddaughter’s Wedding After Being Told She Wouldn’t Live to See it

Julia shared her thrifting discovery on social media and hopes it has inspired others to go hunting for second-hand pieces—and she plans to pass on the dress to a bride who can’t afford a new one.

INSPIRE A BRIDE-TO-BE By Sharing The Idea On Social Media…

Man Gets Free Life-Changing Surgery to Remove Baseball-sized Tumor from his Jaw

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Alex had baseball-sized tumor removed from his jaw – Mercy Ships / SWNS
Alex had baseball-sized tumor removed from his jaw – Mercy Ships / SWNS

A man with a huge tumor on his jaw finally got life-changing surgery, after it got so big he almost couldn’t eat or speak.

Alex first noticed a swelling on his jaw as a teenager. It turned out to be a non-cancerous tumor, but it kept getting larger and larger.

By the time Alex was 23, the benign mass had grown to the size of a tennis ball and began to affect his ability to speak, eat, and swallow.

He was warned that it may eventually make it impossible to breathe, but none of the local hospitals around Freetown, Sierra Leone, were able to help—nor did any medications or herbal treatments.

He suffered with infections and tooth loss and, perhaps worst of all, from social isolation as most people shunned him and he was unable to make friends.

“I found it difficult to sit among people because they would laugh at me. I used to run away from them and sit alone in my room.”

Two years ago, he was told that global health charity ‘Mercy Ships’ would be docking one of their hospital ships in Freetown—and it became his last hope.

Once the Christian charity assessed his situation, they agreed to help and Alex had his first surgery aboard the ‘Global Mercy’ which removed his jaw in October 2023. The second surgery was in April 2024 to reconstruct the jaw using a bone from his head.

The surgery changed Alex’s life—and he has since made new friends and got his confidence back.

“After the surgery, I was very happy, especially when people were around me and when they were hugging me.”

“People were afraid to be close to me, but now, everybody wants to be my friend.”

Mercy Ships / SWNS

One of his doctors was Manjit Dhillon, a consultant surgeon in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland.

CHECK OUT: Boy with Rare Skin Condition Can Sleep with Eyes Closed for The First Time in 7 Years

“In the UK, we see benign jaw tumors like Alex’s, but they are most likely picked up very early during a routine dental scan,” explained Dr. Dhillon.

“The patient would have the tumor removed at an early stage and so it would never grow to the size we see in Alex’s case.”

His mother, Zainab, greeted him when he emerged from the ship.

“I shed tears of joy when I first saw him after his surgery. He had been so isolated and shunned from society.

“The place was crowded with people who were surprised and happy for him. It was incredible to watch Alex come alive and be part of his community again.”

LOOK: Schoolgirl With Severely Bowed Legs Gets Life-Changing Surgery to Straighten Them–And is Now 5 Inches Taller

Dr. Manjit said it was “amazing“ to be part of his journey and “to see him embracing a future of hope”.

HAIL THIS HEALTH CARE HERO By Sharing on Social Media…

Your New Weekly Horoscope from ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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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 January 11, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
One of my paramount wishes for you in 2025 is this: You will deepen your devotion to taking good care of yourself. You will study and learn more about the sweet secrets to keeping yourself in prime mental and physical health. I’m not suggesting you have been remiss about this sacred work in the past. But I am saying that this will be a favorable time to boost your knowledge to new heights about what precisely keeps your body and emotions in top shape. The creative repertoire of self-care that you cultivate in the coming months will serve you well for the rest of your long life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
To fulfill your life mission, to do what you came here to earth to do, you must carry out many tasks. One of the most important is to offer your love with hearty ingenuity. What are the best ways to do that? Where should you direct your generous care and compassion? And which recipients of your blessings are likely to reciprocate in ways that are meaningful to you? While Jupiter is cruising through Gemini, as it is now and until June 2025, life will send you rich and useful answers to these questions. Be alert!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Mysteries of the past will be extra responsive to your investigations in 2025. Persistent riddles from your life’s earlier years may be solvable. I encourage you to be aggressive in collecting previously inaccessible legacies. Track down missing heirlooms and family secrets. Just assume that ancestors and dead relatives have more to offer you than ever before. If you have been curious about your genealogy, the coming months will be a good time to explore it. I wish you happy hunting as you search for the blessings of yesteryear—and figure out how to use them in the present.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
If you worked eight hours per day, seven days a week, it would take you 300 years to count to the number one billion. I don’t recommend you try that. I also discourage you from pursuing any other trivial tasks that have zero power to advance your long-term dreams. In a similar spirit, I will ask you to phase out minor longings that distract you from your major longings. Please, Aries, I also beg you to shed frivolous obsessions that waste energy you should instead devote to passionate fascinations. The counsel I’m offering here is always applicable, of course, but you especially need to heed it in the coming months.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In 1951, minister and author Norman Vincent Peale was working on a new book. As he wrote, he would regularly read passages to his wife, Ruth. She liked it a lot, but he was far less confident in its worth. After a while, he got so discouraged he threw the manuscript in the trash. Unbeknownst to him, Ruth retrieved it and stealthily showed it to her husband’s publisher, who loved it. The book went on to sell five million copies. Its title? The Power of Positive Thinking. I hope that in 2025, you will benefit from at least one equivalent to Ruth in your life, Taurus. Two or three would be even better. You need big boosters and fervent supporters. If you don’t have any, go round them up.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
I love how colorfully the creek next to my house expresses itself. As high tide approaches, it flows south. When low tide is on its way, it flows north. The variety of its colors is infinite, with every shade and blend of green, grey, blue, and brown. It’s never the same shape. Its curves and width are constantly shifting. Among the birds that enhance its beauty are mallards, sandpipers, herons, grebes, egrets, and cormorants. This magnificent body of water has been a fascinating and delightful teacher for me. One of my wishes for you in 2025, Gemini, is that you will commune regularly with equally inspiring phenomena. I also predict you will do just that. Extra beauty should be on your agenda!

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Are there a few parts of me that get most of the goodies that my life provides, while other parts of me get scant attention and nourishment? The answer is yes. For example, the part of me that loves to be a creative artist receives much of my enthusiasm, while the part of me that enjoys socializing gets little juice. How about you, Cancerian? I suggest you explore this theme in the coming weeks and months. Take steps to achieve greater parity between the parts of you that get all they need and the parts of you that don’t.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar theorizes that most of us have limits to our social connections. Typically, our closest circle includes five loved ones. We may also have 15 good friends, 50 fond allies, 150 meaningful contacts, and 1500 people we know. If you are interested in expanding any of these spheres, Leo, the coming months will be an excellent time to do so. In addition—or as an alternative—you might also choose to focus on deepening the relationships you have with existing companions and confederates.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century. It was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her story about the enslavement of African Americans in the US was not only popular. It awakened many people to the intimate horrors of the calamity—and ultimately played a key role in energizing the abolitionist movement. I believe you are potentially capable of achieving your own version of that dual success in the coming months. You could generate accomplishments that are personally gratifying even as they perform a good service for the world.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be teased with an abundance of invitations to grow in 2025. You will be encouraged to add to your current skills and expertise. You will be nudged to expand your understanding of what exactly you are doing here on planet Earth. That’s not all, Libra! You will be pushed to dissolve shrunken expectations, transcend limitations, and learn many new lessons. Here’s my question: Will you respond with full heart and open mind to all these possibilities? Or will you sometimes neglect and avoid them? I dare you to embrace every challenge that interests you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Scorpio-born Rudolf Karel was a 20th-century Czech composer who created 17 major works, including symphonies and operas. His work was interrupted when Nazi Germany invaded and occupied his homeland. He joined the Czech resistance, but was eventually arrested and confined to Pankrác Prison. There he managed to compose a fairy-tale opera, Three Hairs of the Wise Old Man. No musical instruments were available in jail, of course, so he worked entirely in his imagination and wrote down the score using toilet paper and charcoal. I firmly believe you will not be incarcerated like Karel in the coming months, Scorpio. But you may have to be extra resourceful and resilient as you find ways to carry out your best work. I have faith that you can do it!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
What is the perfect gift I could offer you this holiday season? I have decided on a large square black box with nothing inside. There would be a gold ribbon around it bearing the words, “The Fruitful Treasure of Pregnant Emptiness.” With this mysterious blessing, I would be fondly urging you to purge your soul of expectations and assumptions as you cruise into 2025. I would be giving you the message, “May you nurture a freewheeling voracity for novel adventures and fresh experiences.”

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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