All News - Page 124 of 1690 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 124

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

By
Good News Network
-
Fudia – before and after surgery to straighten legs –Mercy Ships via SWNS
Fudia – before and after surgery to straighten legs –Mercy Ships via SWNS

A bow-legged African girl was given life-changing surgery to straighten her legs, ending her pain and letting her stand tall—a full five-and-a-half inches (14cm) taller.

Fudia was born with a progressive orthopedic condition that worsened over time and caused her feet to turn inwards at a 90-degree angle, making it extremely difficult and painful to walk.

Local hospitals in Sierra Leone were never able to help her, but her uncle Joseph realized there was still hope—in the form of Mercy Ships, an international hospital charity that travels the world.

As her guardian, he moved with Fudia to Freetown, so they could apply for help the next time Mercy Ships docked there. After waiting six years until it returned in 2023, the 9-year-old was taken aboard and diagnosed with Blount’s disease, which causes severe leg deformities.

British volunteer surgeon Rachel Buckingham performed a four-hour procedure on Fudia in January that fully straightened her legs and left her able to walk with confidence.

“We noticed it on the very first day she was born; her legs were not normal,” said Joseph.

“She got rejected in school by her friends and colleagues. Even after changing schools because of that, she was still suffering mockery from people.

“When she was selected for surgery, I was very happy, and when I heard that her surgery was successful, I was overjoyed for all that has happened for Fudia.”

Her recovery was both challenging and emotional, with unexpected delays and additional wound care needed, but she stayed strong and is now back on her feet—a fair bit taller—and much happier, thanks to the free surgery from Mercy Ships (support the charity here with donations or by volunteering).

“I will never forget the first time I met Fudia,” said Dr. Buckingham. “Every step was an agonizing effort. Her legs were so severely twisted that walking was a daily battle.”

Physical Therapist Declan Osborne working with bow-legged girl – Mercy Ships via SWNS

“As a volunteer children’s orthopedic surgeon with Mercy Ships, I’ve met many children who need urgent surgery, but something about Fudia’s quiet courage struck me deeply.

MORE MERCY SHIP MIRACLES: Boy Who Got Free Life-Changing Leg Surgery Returns to Same Hospital Ship a Decade on–Wanting to Be a Doctor

“Despite the suffering she’s endured—like being turned away from hospitals that couldn’t help her—she held on to hope.

“I’m so thankful we were able to provide the right surgery, and she can now walk, run and play happily.”

Fudia’s aunt and caregiver, Massa, said the little girl now loves playing with her friends and going to school.

Even more inspiring, Fudia now wants to be a doctor when she grows up—so she can help others, just like the Mercy Ships team helped her.

INSPIRING: Paralyzed Man Sets Off to Cycle Entire Length of Britain on a Motorized Bike Controlled by His Chin

“She was ashamed to go to school,” reported Massa. “But now, no more shame.”

SHARE THE BEAUTIFUL OUTCOME With Friends On Social Media…

Vet the Vote Recruits Over 163,000 Poll Workers for US Elections Dedicated to Rules and Fair Play

By
Good News Network
-
Vet the Vote
Vet the Vote

Every election year America needs around one million volunteers to work at polls across 50 states and territories to arrive before dawn, gather in community centers, schools, and fire stations to set up election polling stations—a task that has become increasingly challenging, as seniors retire from this critical role.

To close the gap on the deficit of 130,000 election poll workers in 2022, a coalition of more than 38 veteran and civic groups, in partnership with sports giants like the National Football League, the NBA, and NASCAR, have spearheaded a nationwide recruitment campaign called Vet the Vote.

Veterans who have served in the U.S. military take an oath to support and defend the U.S.Constitution—and many consider that oath to remain in effect even after they remove the uniform.

In furtherance of that oath, the initiative has successfully recruited more than 163,000 military vets and family members to serve as poll workers, proving that service to country continues long after hanging up the uniform.

“The same spirit of teamwork that drives success in sports and military service is essential to our election system,” said Anil Nathan, Vet the Vote Co-Founder.

“Our veterans understand the importance of working together toward a common goal, and alongside these major sports leagues, we’ve created a powerful force for protecting and supporting our electoral process.”

The initiative highlights how the collaborative nature of sports mirrors both military service and election administration:

  • Teams working together toward a common objective
  • Dedication to rules and fair play
  • Commitment to excellence under pressure
  • Service to community and country

“This groundbreaking partnership demonstrates that when we join forces, we can achieve remarkable results,” said the group in a statement.

Veteran volunteers for polling shift – Vet the Vote

When poll workers open the doors, they welcome voters, ensure they are eligible to vote, provide instructions and assistance, and count every ballot.

MORE GOOD ELECTION NEWS: New AI Task Force Led By Michigan and Arizona Combats Deep Fakes and Election Misinformation in US

“This election cycle, the need for veteran assistance at the polls is clear, so we are proud to join with other national leaders in sports to help fill this gap,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR’s Chief Impact Officer. “We are deeply grateful for these veterans and military families who have once again stepped up to answer their nation’s call in this critical capacity.”

“Sports have the capacity to unite our communities around the issues that bring us together,” said NBA President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs, Kathy Behrens. “We are proud to partner with Vet the Vote, empowering those who have served and strengthening our democracy.”

The 163,000+ election worker recruits have volunteered to serve in four out of five counties across America, ensuring at least one-in-five poll workers will be a veteran or military family member.

Vet the Vote is hosting five pep rallies today, Sunday, Nov 3rd, in Las Vegas, Detroit, Mesa, Arizona, Washington, DC, and Houston, to say thank you to the veteran and military family members who will be serving as poll workers this week.

ANOTHER WAY TO SERVE: Democracy Made Delicious: ‘Pizza to the Polls’ Delivered Free Food to Hundreds of Thousands of Voters in Long Lines

To volunteer with Vet The Vote and find opportunities to serve as a poll worker, visit their website.

SEND THE OPPORTUNITY To Veterans in the US By Sharing On Social Media…

“Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment, but as an endless succession of surprises, zigzagging toward a more decent society.” – Howard Zinn

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment, but as an endless succession of surprises, zigzagging toward a more decent society.” – Howard Zinn

Photo by: Aldrin Rachman Pradana

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?

Dog Rescued After it was Seen Floating Down Canal on Shopping Cart–And Gets Adopted into Loving Home

By
Good News Network
-
Dorothea floating in canal – Arizona Humane Society
Dorothea floating in canal – Arizona Humane Society

A dog was rescued after it was found floating down an Arizona canal on a submerged shopping cart—and no one knows how long it was stranded.

Passersby alerted the Humane Society after they spotted the pup stuck in the middle of a canal in Phoenix.

An emergency animal medical technician from the nonprofit was dispatched, and together with the help of the city’s fire department, they were able to save the Chihuahua mix.

Video shows the team using a ladder and a rake to pull the dog out to safety.

The senior pooch called ‘Dorothea’ was assessed in the AHS Pet Ambulance where she was found to be dehydrated, hungry and covered in ticks.

The 10-year-old pup was later examined by a veterinarian at the Zin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital where she was found to only have sustained minor injuries.

Arizona Humane Society

After news reports of the pup’s trauma, Dorothea has since found a new home and is now living with a family in Youngtown, Arizona.

LOOK: Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted

Watch the rescue video below…

SHARE the Great News With Dog Lovers on Social Media…

Rats With Tiny Backpacks Being Used to Sniff Out Wildlife Smugglers Trafficking in Animal Parts

By
Good News Network
-
Credit: Maria Anna Caneva Saccardo Caterina / APOPO via SWNS
Credit: Maria Anna Caneva Saccardo Caterina / APOPO (via SWNS)

Rats with tiny backpacks are being used to sniff out illegally trafficked wildlife items.

African giant pouched rats have been trained to recognize the scent of illegal animal parts such as elephant tusks and rhino horns.

The rodents had previously been used to detect explosives and tuberculosis, but a new scientific study has shown they could be equally successful in detecting illicit articles being smuggled.

The sixteen rats were trained to detect wildlife products inside shipping containers—and during the proof-of-principle phase they identified commonly trafficked wildlife items while in a controlled laboratory setting.

It was proven the rats could be trained to detect items such as pangolin scales and threatened African hardwood, even when hidden among other “smelly items” used by smugglers to conceal their presence.

The study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science showed the animals could quickly learn to wear a vest and trigger an electronic microswitch to remotely indicate when they had located a wildlife target while working in a mock port environment.

Rat using its microswitch by Maria Anna Caneva Saccardo Caterina / APOPO (via SWNS)

Upon finding items, they were rewarded with a food mixture loaded with avocado, banana, and crushed chow pellets.

The research was conducted by the Dutch foundation APOPO, founded in 1995 to protect people and the planet with innovative solutions using trained rats.

RESCUE RODENTS: Rats Trained to Carry Tiny Backpacks Into Earthquake Zones – So Rescue Teams Can Talk to Survivors

The founder, Bart Weetjens, had been exploring solutions for the landmine problem, and as a rat pet owner, he came across a publication using gerbils as scent detectors. He consulted with Prof. Ron Verhagen, a rodent expert at the University of Antwerp, who believed that the African Giant Pouched rat was the best suited candidate, especially due to its average eight-year lifespan.

“Rats have low training and maintenance costs, flexibly work with multiple handlers, have a long lifespan, and a sophisticated sense of smell,” said researchers at their training headquarters in Morogoro, Tanzania.

“Their small size also offers unique capabilities for the screening of shipping containers, such as being able to navigate densely packed areas or be lifted to assess contents of sealed containers by screening ventilation systems.”

SCHOLARLY RAT RESCUER: For the Last 20 Years, College Professor Has Been Helping Intelligent Lab Rats Find Good Homes

The research report concluded the trained rats could now be assessed for “operational feasibility of being deployed at ports”.

SHARE THE BETTER MOUSE TRAP With Wildlife Lovers On Social Media…

New Flea Toad Discovered in Brazil is Second Smallest Vertebrate Ever Found

By
Good News Network
-
Photo by Lucas Machado Botelho / Projeto Dacnis
Photo by Lucas Machado Botelho / Projeto Dacnis

The world’s second-smallest vertebrate has been discovered—a tiny toad living in a Brazilian rainforest.

Researchers measured the flea toad at just over a quarter-inch in length (6.95 millimeters) and can fit on the tip of a finger. Even more unique, it emerges from an egg fully formed, rather than as a tadpole.

The name of the new species, B. dacnis, pays tribute to Project Dacnis, a conservation, research and education nonprofit that maintains private areas of the Atlantic Forest, a South American rainforest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil, where the animal was found.

“There are small toads with all the characteristics of large toads except for their size,” explained Luís Felipe Toledo, corresponding author of the study and a biology professor at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). “However, this genus is different. During its evolution, it underwent what we biologists call miniaturization, which involves loss, reduction and/or fusion of bones, as well as fewer digits and absence of other parts of their anatomy.”

This is the seventh species of flea toad described in the genus Brachycephalus. The only smaller vertebrate belongs to a different species in the same genus (B. pulex).

Living among leaf litter, the researchers’ attention was drawn to the animal by its vocalizations, which are distinct to the species.

Flea toad by Lucas Machado Botelho / Projeto Dacnis

DNA sequencing confirmed that the toad found in Ubatuba, on the coast of the São Paulo state, was indeed a new species. Toledo said the use of historical DNA sequencing obtained from zoological museums and herbarium specimens cleared up any remaining uncertainty.

FUN FROG NEWS: Seven New Frog Species Were Named After Star Trek Captains: ‘To Boldly Croak’

In their description of the new species, besides the requisite anatomical traits, the researchers included information about the skeleton and internal organs, as well as molecular data and details of its vocalizations.

Credit: Lucas Machado Botelho / Projeto Dacnis

“The diversity of these miniature frogs may be far greater than we think. Hence the importance of describing as many traits and features as possible, to expedite the description process and get to work on conservation as quickly as possible,” Toledo said.

MEAT-EATING FROGS? ‘New Species’ of Frog With Fangs Hunts Crabs Even Though it’s No Bigger Than a Quarter

The article was published in the journal Peer-J Life & Environment.

SHARE THIS CUTIE With Frog-Lovers By Sharing On Social Media…

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

By
Good News Network
-

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 November 2, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Scorpio painter Pablo Picasso has been described as a “masterfully erratic pioneer.” He influenced every art movement of the 20th century. His painting *Guernica* is a renowned anti-war statement. Though he was a Communist, he amassed great wealth and owned five homes. Today, his collected work is valued at over $800 million. By the way, he was the most prolific artist who ever lived, producing almost 150,000 pieces. I nominate him to be your role model in the coming weeks. You are due for a Season of Successful Excess. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been an eccentric, charismatic genius.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian Keith Richards, guitar player for the Rolling Stones since 1962, is a gritty, rugged man notorious for his rowdy carousing. Lots of observers predicted he would die at a young age because of his boisterous lifestyle, yet today he is 81 years old and still partying. But here’s his confession: “I never sleep alone. If there is no one to sleep next to, I’ll sleep next to a stuffed animal. It makes me feel secure and safe. It’s a little embarrassing to admit it. It’s important to me, though.” I bring this up, Sagittarius, because I feel that no matter how wild and free you are, you will be wise to ensure that you feel extra secure and supported for a while. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a stuffed animal or a lover of stuffed animals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Halloween offers us a valuable psychological opportunity. We can pretend to perform our shadowy, wounded, and unripe qualities without suffering the consequences of literally acting them out. We can acknowledge them as part of our make-up, helping to ensure they won’t develop the explosive, unpredictable power that repressed qualities can acquire. We may even gently mock our immature qualities with sly humor, diminishing the possibility they will sabotage us. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a dictator or tyrant. If you have fun playing with your control-freak fantasies, you will be less likely to over-express them in real life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Paganism and astrology have key affinities. For instance, they both understand that our personal rhythms are connected with the Earth’s cycles. I bring this to your attention because we are in the season that pagans call Samhain, halfway between the equinox and solstice. For Aquarians, this festival marks a time when you are wise to honor and nurture your highest ambitions. You can generate fun and good fortune by focusing on lofty goals that express your finest talents and offer your most unique gifts. How might you boost your passion and capacity to make your mark on the world? One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been your dream career.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
I like how you are opening, widening, and heightening! Keep up the good work, Pisces! I am cheering you on as you amplify, stretch, augment, and burgeon. Here’s a small alert, though: You may be expanding so fast and so far that it’s a challenge for less expansive people to keep up—even your allies. To allay their worries, be generous in sharing the fruits of your thriving spaciousness. Let them know you don’t require them to match your rate of growth. You could also show them this horoscope. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a broader, brighter, bolder version of yourself.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Many people believe in the existence of ghosts. If you’re not yet one of them, you may be soon. The spirit world is more open than usual to your curiosity and explorations. Keep in mind, though, that the contacts you make might not be with ghosts in the usual sense of that term. They might be deceased ancestors coming to deliver clues and blessings. They could be angels, guardian spirits, or shapeshifting messengers. Don’t be afraid, they’re not dangerous. Learn what you can from them, but don’t assume they’re omniscient and infallible. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been one of your ancestors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
When you attended kindergarten, did you ever share your delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich with friends who didn’t like the broccoli and carrots in their lunch boxes? If so, you may be well-primed to capitalize on the opportunities now in your vicinity. Your generous actions will be potent catalysts for good luck. Your eagerness to bestow blessings and share your resources will bring you rewards. Your skill at enhancing other people’s fortunes may attract unexpected favors. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a philanthropist, charity worker, or an angel who gives away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
For you, dear Gemini, the coming weeks could be the least superstitious time ever. There will be no such thing as bad luck, good luck, or weird luck. Fears rooted in old misunderstandings will be irrelevant. Irrational worries about unlikely outcomes will be disproven. You will discover reasons to shed paranoid thoughts and nervous fantasies. Speaking on behalf of your higher self, I authorize you to put your supple trust in logical thinking, objective research, and rational analysis. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a famous scientist you respect.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Indigenous people study the intelligence of animals and incorporate it into their own lives. If you’re game to do that this month, I suggest you choose elephants as a source of teaching and inspiration, studying and meditating on their ways. Here are a few facts to get you started. Problem-solving is one of their strengths. They are experts at learning how to get what they need and passing that knowledge on to their offspring. They seldom suffer from sickness, but if they do, they often self-medicate with plants in their environment. Elder females are the knowledge keepers, retaining inner maps of where food, drink, and other resources are located. I hope your Halloween costume included a long, gray trunk.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In ancient Egypt, onions were precious because they symbolized the many-layered nature of life. Just as some modern people swear oaths while placing a hand on a Bible, an Egyptian might have pledged a crucial vow while holding an onion. Would you consider adopting your own personal version of their practice in the coming weeks, Leo? It is the oath-taking season for you—a time when you will be wise to consider deep commitments and sacred resolutions. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a spiritual initiate or devotee.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Two of the world’s most famous paintings are the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Both were made by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), one of the world’s most famous painters. Yet the brilliant artist left us with only 24 paintings in total, many of which were unfinished. Why? Here are two of several reasons: He worked slowly and procrastinated constantly. In the coming months, Virgo, I feel you will have resemblances to the version of da Vinci who created The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Some of your best, most enduring work will bloom. You will be at the peak of your unique powers. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been Leonardo da Vinci or some great maestro.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“When you are faced with a choice between two paths, it’s always better to take the most difficult one.” What!? No! That’s not true! A shamanic psychotherapist gave me that bad advice when I was young, and I am glad I did not heed it. My life has been so much better because I learn from joy and pleasure as much as from hardship. Yes, sometimes it’s right to choose the most challenging option, but on many occasions, we are wise to opt for what brings fun adventures and free-flowing opportunities for creative expression. That’s what I wish for you right now. One appropriate Halloween costume this year would have been a liberator or bliss specialist.

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)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

“My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.” – Raoul Dufy

By
Good News Network
-
JC Gellidon

Quote of the Day: “My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.” – Raoul Dufy

Photo by: JC Gellidon (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?

You Can Buy the Recording Console the Beatles Used to Make Their Iconic Album ‘Abbey Road’

By
Andy Corbley
-

For the ultimate Beatles fan, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has come around to bid on the recording console used to track Abbey Road.

Acquired by a second-hand music equipment outlet called Reverb, the EMI-TG12345 console was built specifically to be the best in the world, and was a prototype when Abbey Road was created upon it.

Its provenance is a bit strange. After the Fab Four finished using it, the TG12345 was disassembled and put into storage. Five years ago, Brian Gibson, a former Beatles collaborator and EMI technician, decided to reassemble and restore the device, using faithfully created replacement parts when the originals were too ruined.

With help from several audio companies and other EMI gearheads, about 70% of the original recording console remains intact: which is to say, built on a blank check to be the best in the world.

“Abbey Road is one of the best albums that’s ever been made, and it sounds so good because of this recording console,” said Dave Harries, who participated in numerous Beatles recording sessions with the console in the 1960s. “Because of the way that Abbey Road was recorded, the album has a distinctive sound that hallmarked the future of pop recording.”

While the console only recorded one full band Beatles project, all four members would go on to use it for their solo projects, Reverb wrote in a statement on the sale.

Some of these projects include John Lennon’s standout single Instant Karma! and his John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band record, Paul McCartney’s McCartney, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and Ringo Starr’s Sentimental Journey record.

OTHER HISTORIC AUCTIONS: He Found His Dad’s 1930s Car at An Auction–and Got it Working Again (LOOK)

According to Harries, the console’s sound was so superior and distinctive that George Harrison asked EMI if he could buy one for himself, only to be turned down for fear that the console would be replicated and sold to one of their competitors.

“This particular console is a one-off. It’s unique. You can’t replace it,” said Harries. “It sounds so good that it holds up against any modern console and, in many respects, it’s probably better. Because in those days, it was built to a different standard—cost, no object. EMI built this to be the best in the world.”

BEATLES MEMORABILIA: Ringo Sells Beatles Drum Kit, Other Treasures, Raises $9.2M for Charity

Apart from its connection to the famous living (and not) Liverpudlians, the console is only one of 17 ever made by EMI—which is now owned by Sony, and so by itself it would typically fetch a high price.

Smithsonian Magazine writes that a similar console, dubbed the Mark IV, was sold at auction for $1.8 million. It was used by several Beatles individually, along with The Cure, Pink Floyd, and Kate Bush.

WATCH a short documentary on the restoration and use of the TG12345…

SHARE This Story With Gearheads, Music Nerds, And Beatles Fans In Your Life…

When Missouri School Wanted to Rename Their Building, They All Agreed to Honor the Longtime Janitor

By
Andy Corbley
-
Claudene Wilson, longtime custodian at Swedeborg District III Elementary School in Missouri – Credit Swedeborg School District
Claudene Wilson, longtime custodian at Swedeborg District III Elementary School in Missouri – Credit Swedeborg School District

A Missouri K-8 school was debating long and hard over what to rename their school.

The decision-makers could have picked any number of famous Missouri natives, or perhaps a national figure that would inspire the kids to strive for similar achievement and recognition.

But no; in the end they picked the person they all decided meant the most to them: Claudene Wilson, the school custodian.

Claudene Wilson, pictured here in center (grey) – credit, Swedeborg R-III School District

The 64-year-old has been at the Swedeborg District III Elementary School for decades, working not only as a custodian-janitor, but plumber, landscaper, school bus driver, in cafeteria service, and even as a greeter for the kids when they arrive at school.

At a certain point, she told CBS News’ ‘On the Road’ with Steve Hartman, she would be working 13-hour days.

Why did she tolerate such long hours?

“The kids,” she said.

The school board, led by President Chuck Boren, voted unanimously over the summer to designate the school as the Claudene Wilson Learning Center. Boren was in the school’s 8th grade class when Wilson started working there. His son Canaan, now 14, spent his whole childhood learning the same lessons from Wilson that Boren did.

“That’s what makes Claudene what she is,” Boren told CBS. “…These kids get sick, you think they go to the nurse to start with? They go to her. If they had a bad night, they go to her. And she’s there for each and every one of them.”

MORE SMALL TOWN HEROES: Families in Tiny Texas Town Have Adopted 77 Hard-to-Adopt Kids Inspired By Their Baptist Church Leaders

You’ll find one gas station, a few churches, and a couple of restaurants on the single country road that runs through the unincorporated communities that make up the Swedeborg School District 100 miles from Kansas City in rural Pulaski County.

“If you go out in the community and say you’re from Swedeborg, if they know anything about Swedeborg, the first thing they’re going to say is, ‘Is Claudene still there?’” Mark Sasfy, the school’s assistant administrator, told CNN.

Many of the school’s employees have never seen the building without her in it—even after she officially retired as the custodian in July. By the start of the school year, she was back as a bus driver.

SIMILAR STORIES LIKE THIS: After 6 Months Searching for New Doctor, Small Town’s Viral Video was ‘Just What the Doctor Ordered’

“It’s awesome that someone that’s been here, spent their whole life, for 30 years working at one place and having all those connections mean something,” added Jacob Miller, a fifth and sixth-grade teacher who remembers a moment during his first day in the classroom when Wilson passed by the door and gave him a thumbs up through the window.

There’s still one person in the school district who doesn’t feel the honor was deserved, and that’s Wilson herself, telling Hartman at CBS that while it touches her heart, her relationships with the kids are the only reward she requires.

WATCH the segment from ‘On the Road’… Those Outside the US: View video at CBS.com…

SHARE This Local Hero Getting The Recognition She Deserves…

New US Rule Banning Fake Online Reviews and Testimonials Is Now in Effect, Thanks to FTC

By
Andy Corbley
-
By Valeria Nikitina / Unsplash+
By Valeria Nikitina / Unsplash+

The final ruling from an FTC decision made in August that will combat fake reviews and testimonials by prohibiting their sale or purchase entered into effect today.

During a proposal and comment period lasting from November 2023 to June 2024, the FTC found that the ruling had broad support.

FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that fake reviews are a nasty diversion away from honest business towards nefarious suppliers and sellers who waste people’s time and money.

“By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive,” said the chairwoman in a statement.

The final rule in exact wording addresses reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone actually exists, but in fact, does not. This would include AI-generated fake reviews, those who did not have actual experience with the business or its products or services, or that misrepresent the experience of the person giving it.

It prohibits businesses from creating or selling such reviews or testimonials. It also prohibits them from buying such reviews, procuring them from company insiders, or disseminating such testimonials when the business knew or should have known that the reviews or testimonials were fake or false.

With an exception for clear and honestly conveyed messaging, the ruling prohibits businesses from providing compensation or other incentives conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment, either positive or negative.

CONSUMER PROTECTIONS: FTC Moves to Update Rules That Govern How Tech Companies Can Track Your Kids

It also prohibits certain reviews and testimonials written by company insiders that fail to clearly and conspicuously disclose the reviewer’s material connection to the business.

The ruling also took into account how a business or service might dishonestly try to control or obscure unwanted reviews.

RECENT REGULATORY RULINGS: After 9 Years of Work, Chumash Tribe Finally Seals Protection of CA Marine Reserve Bigger Than Yosemite

As such, it prohibits businesses from using unfounded or groundless legal threats, physical threats, intimidation, or certain false public accusations to prevent or remove a negative consumer review, and from misrepresenting that the reviews on its website represent all or most of the reviews submitted when reviews have been suppressed based upon their low ratings or negative sentiment.

SHARE This New Consumer Protection Regulation With Your Friends…

Man Fights Every Day to Help Homeless Pups in Miami’s ‘Dead Dog Alley’

By
Andy Corbley
-
credit - Eddie's Dogs, retrieved from Facebbok
credit – Eddie’s Dogs, retrieved from Facebook

Alongside a spider’s web of dirt roads in south Miami-Dade, sandwiched between the mighty Everglades and an Air Force Reserve base, a man can be seen driving a pickup truck every morning.

His name is Eddie Alvarez, and now retired, his day-to-day begins with a ride down these backroads helping the curiously large concentration of stray and abandoned dogs that live there.

He stops, fills up some bowls, and dogs appear out of the derelict, fallow, and actively farmed fields and tangles. Many of them he knows very well, but he doesn’t give them names.

Alvarez runs Eddie’s Dogs, a 501(c)3 that tries to organize food, medical care, and eventually either adoption or foster care for these homeless pooches.

Speaking with NBC 6, Alvarez reckons he feeds about 25 dogs every day; not because there are only 25 dogs along those roads, but because he runs out of food before getting to the rest.

“I deworm them, give them their shots, booster shots, take care of their flea problems and that sort of thing,” he said. “I think they’re God’s greatest gift to man.”

MORE LIFESAVING WORK: Inmates Training Hard-to-Adopt Dogs in New Mexico Creates Joy On Both Ends of a Leash

If they live in the area too long, many of these homeless dogs are hit by vehicles, earning the area the nickname ‘Dead Dog Alley.’

Though they live in junkyard-like environs, many are not junkyard dogs. Many are abandoned when their owners can’t afford to care for them any longer. Alvarez said he has noticed on two occasions, following hurricanes, that the number of new dogs in the area has risen suddenly.

HEROES TO THE ANIMALS: Unwanted Shelter Dogs Get the Supermodel Treatment to Help Them Find New Forever Homes (LOOK)

Anyone in Miami-Dade County who is interested in helping Alvarez’s lifesaving work can visit his website or Facebook page to donate towards food and medicine, offer to adopt or foster one of the dogs, and, if you were ultimately seeking to surrender your dog humanely, you can do it through Eddie’s Dogs.

WATCH the story below from NBC 6…

SHARE This Lifesaving Work Among Neglected Dogs Down In Florida… 

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

Photo by: James Lee

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?

Lost Chopin Music Unearthed 200 Years After Composer’s Death Is His Most Intriguing Waltz

By
Andy Corbley
-
Waltz written in the hand of composer Frédéric Chopin – Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum collection
Waltz written in the hand of composer Frédéric Chopin – Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum collection

A museum curator uncovered a previously unknown waltz written in the hand of composer Frédéric Chopin, something which hasn’t happened since the late 1930s.

Found in the Morgan Library & Museum’s Satz Collection, the manuscript music sheet consists of twenty-four notated measures that the composer asks the pianist to repeat once in their entirety.

Chopin famously wrote in “small forms,” but this work, lasting about one minute, is shorter than any other waltz by him. It is nevertheless a complete piece, “showing the kind of ‘tightness’ that we expect from a finished work by the composer,” the Morgan Library & Museum said in a statement released on the discovery.

“The beginning of the piece is most remarkable: several moody, dissonant measures culminate in a loud outburst before a melancholy melody begins. None of his known waltzes start this way, making this one even more intriguing,” the statement explains.

The manuscript is only slightly larger than an index card (about 4 x 5 inches); based on other similarly-sized manuscripts by Chopin, it is assumed that it was meant as a gift. Chopin usually signed manuscripts that were gifts, but this one is unsigned, suggesting that he changed his mind and withheld it.

The Morgan Library’s Associate Curator of Music Manuscripts and Printed Music, Robinson McClellan, first came across the manuscript when he began cataloging a collection that came to the library in 2019.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Previously Unknown Mozart Song Discovered in German Library After 200 Years

Although the piece was identified as “Chopin” in the collection, he found it peculiar that he could not think of any waltzes by Chopin that matched the measures on the page. McClellan called upon leading Chopin expert Professor Jeffrey Kallberg of the University of Pennsylvania to work with him to verify the manuscript’s authenticity and to understand the role of the work in Chopin’s musical life.

Extensive research points to the strong likelihood that the piece is by Chopin, and a spokesperson for the library told CNN that much of the handwritten notations seem to point to Chopin’s interest in hearing it performed.

“The penmanship matches other examples of Chopin’s handwriting,” said the spokeswoman. “The score contains fingerings and dynamic markings, suggesting that Chopin thought the piece might be performed someday.”

MORE LOST MASTERPIECES: Renaissance Masterpiece Found Hanging in 90-Year-Old Woman’s Bedroom

“This newly discovered waltz expands our understanding of Chopin as a composer and opens new questions for scholars to consider regarding when he wrote it and for whom it was intended,” said Robinson McClellan. “To hear this work for the first time will be an exciting moment for everyone in the world of classical piano.”

The discovery comes—bizarrely—about one month since the debut in Leipzig of the first newly discovered Mozart work in 200 years, and shows that these classical geniuses can still top the charts—centuries after their deaths.

SHARE This Incredible Discovery With Your Friends Who Love Classical…

Newly-Found Metropolis with Pyramids Shows We’re Not Even Close to Discovering Every Mayan City

By
Andy Corbley
-
In this composite image, topographical data from a lidar survey is superimposed over the green forest canopy it surveyed, revealing how easily it is to hide even dramatic buildings in the jungle, and how easy it is for lidar to find them - Photo courtesy Luke Auld-Thomas.
In this composite image, topographical data from a lidar survey is superimposed over the green forest canopy it surveyed, revealing how easily it is to hide even dramatic buildings in the jungle, and how easy it is for lidar to find them – Photo courtesy Luke Auld-Thomas.

A major Mayan urban center has been found in a recent lidar survey on the Yucatan Peninsula that includes pyramids and ball courts.

The archaeologists triumphantly declare that the world is yet far away from the last major discovery under the jungles of Central America.

The survey was published in a recent study wherein the authors sought to answer a simple question: was the Mayan Lowland densely populated, or does it merely seem that way because of the collection of famous sites located there?

Lidar is an aerial survey tool that uses laser pulses to measure distances. It allows archaeologists to create detailed 3D topographs of forest area quickly whilst completely removing the trees from obscuring the view below, and as such has revolutionized archaeology in South and Central America.

Researchers avilaing themselves of lidar’s powers have shown that “low-density urbanism” is widely spread around many parts of Central and South America, where tens of thousands, even millions of inhabitants lived in collections of sophisticated settlements centered around keystone structures like the pyramid in Tikal or Tulum.

But doctoral student Luke Auld-Thomas and Francisco Estrada-Belli, a research professor in Tulane’s Department of Anthropology, wanted to test just how densely-populated the Mexican state of Campeche was during the Mayan Classical Period (250 CE – 900 CE) by essentially picking several survey plots in the state’s unexplored southeastern forests at random.

What they found is proof of what many of the most radical historians and archaeologists in the world are now proposing: that low-density urbanism in tropical forest was widespread across the continents.

“We didn’t just find rural areas and smaller settlements. We also found a large city with pyramids right next to the area’s only highway, near a town where people have been actively farming among the ruins for years,” said Auld-Thomas to his university press.

The most populated survey area, with the city of Valeriana to the northeast corner – credit, Auld-Thomas, Canuto, et al.

“The government never knew about it; the scientific community never knew about it. That really puts an exclamation point behind the statement that, no, we have not found everything, and yes, there’s a lot more to be discovered.”

6,500 pre-Hispanic structures, including both habitation and landscape elements, were turned up across 5 survey blocks of about 50 square miles, or about 32,000 acres.

The city was dubbed Valeriana by the authors of the study, who note that none of the structures, to their knowledge, have ever seen archaeological fieldwork. As such, the number of buildings may be less, though the authors add that never has the number of sites in a lidar survey been subsequently reduced after field excavations—the technology has a robust track record of accuracy.

LEARNING TO LOVE LIDAR: 

“The larger of Valeriana’s two monumental precincts has all the hallmarks of a Classic Maya political capital: multiple enclosed plazas connected by a broad causeway; temple pyramids; a ballcourt; a reservoir formed by damming an arroyo; and a probable E-Group assemblage, an architectural arrangement that generally indicates a founding date prior to [150 CE]” the authors describe.

Settlement and agricultural infrastructure completely fill the 4,000 acre survey area, dominated by landscape engineering spilling over the topography to the south and west.

“Lidar is teaching us that, like many other ancient civilizations, the lowland Maya built a diverse tapestry of towns and communities over their tropical landscape,” said Professor Marcello A. Canuto, advisor to Auld-Thomas, and co-author on the study.

“While some areas are replete with vast agricultural patches and dense populations, others have only small communities. Nonetheless, we can now see how much the ancient Maya changed their environment to support a long-lived complex society.”

SHARE This Unbelievably Important Discovery On Social Media… 

This Innovation Could Extend Little-Used Zinc Battery Lifespan Hundreds of Times to Create Battery Revolution

By
Andy Corbley
-
- credit, Advanced Energy Materials (2024). DOI 10.1002aenm.202403030
– credit, Advanced Energy Materials (2024). DOI 10.1002aenm.202403030

German scientists have found a way to extend the lifespan of zinc-ion batteries more than 100-fold, allowing the fringe battery technology to potentially replace the controversial lithium-ion standard found in today’s mobile phones and EVs.

This means instead of just a few thousand charge-discharge cycles, a zinc-ion battery could last hundreds of thousands of cycles—exactly the kind of reliability society needs for a major energy transition.

Fully-developed in 2011, aqueous zinc-ion batteries haven’t entered the market in any truly measurable way. The most publicized use in the modern economy today is probably the EOS 1.0 GWh energy storage plant for solar power in Texas.

In theory, zinc-ion batteries hold many advantages over lithium-ions, but problems, including the growth of needle-like zinc structures—known as zinc dendrites—as well as unwanted chemical side reactions that trigger hydrogen formation and corrosion, remain.

Engineers at the Technical University of Munich crafted a unique material to counter these unwanted reactions in the form of a porous organic polymer called TpBD-2F.

This material forms a stable, ultra-thin, and highly ordered film on the zinc anode, allowing zinc ions to flow efficiently through nano channels while keeping water away from the anode.

“Zinc-ion batteries with this new protective layer could replace lithium-ion batteries in large-scale energy storage applications, such as in combination with solar or wind power plants. They last longer, are safer, and zinc is both cheaper and more readily available than lithium,” said Da Lei, Ph.D. student and lead author of the research published in Advanced Energy Materials.

Known as a ‘base metal,’ zinc is the 23rd most abundant mineral in the world, and is produced in large quantities in many of the world’s top mining nations and by many of the world’s largest gold and copper mining companies which end up with zinc as a common byproduct of their operations.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Long-lasting Solid-state Lithium Battery From Harvard May Solve a 40-year Problem

A firm like Southern Copper Corporation can generate gold, silver, zinc, and copper from a single pit, lithium is often mined from deposits of brine in once salt-rich areas, often without yielding any other materials.

“This is truly a spectacular research result. We have shown that the chemical approach developed by Da Lei not only works, but is also controllable,” said Professor Roland A. Fischer, Chair of Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry at the TUM School of Natural Sciences.

MORE BATTERY REVOLUTIONS: World’s Largest Battery to Revolutionize Renewable Energy Storage in Maine with ‘Reverse Rusting’

“As fundamental researchers, we are primarily interested in new scientific principles—and here we have discovered one. We have already developed a first prototype in the form of a button cell. I see no reason why our findings couldn’t be translated to larger applications. Now, it’s up to engineers to take up the idea and develop appropriate production processes.”

SHARE This Great Innovation In Battery Technology With Your Friends…

Boston Hospital Is Treating Food as Medicine with its Own Rooftop Garden

By
Andy Corbley
-
First Hospital Rooftop garden-released by Boston Medical Center
First Hospital Rooftop garden-released by Boston Medical Center

It’s a paradox found all over the world: why is it so common for hospital food to be essentially bad for you?

Tackling the problem head-on, Boston Medical Center—already one of the greenest hospitals in the nation—has opened two large rooftop gardens, giving patients and physicians alike access to fresh food while adding green space to the hospital campus.

BMC had one rooftop garden through which it supplied fresh foods to its cafeteria and inpatient catering, but now a second one, utilizing the ample rooftop space of the hospital campus, is also able to provide fresh foods to underserved communities, cementing the BMC as a place of healing, whether through a shot in the arm, or a vibrant kale salad.

Through a partnership with Boston Area Gleaners, fruits and vegetables cultivated in the 4,915-square-foot grow space will be distributed to local non-profits and community centers twice weekly during the growing season, addressing food insecurity and increasing access to essential fresh foods across Boston.

Called the ‘Newmarket Farm,’ it triples the total grow space at BMC and quadruples the amount of produce BMC expects to grow annually. The new garden will specialize in growing vegetables, including collard greens, kale, and arugula, as well as culturally relevant crops including Aji Dulce peppers, bok choy, and callaloo.

It will also advance BMC Health System’s commitment to sustainability. The green space reduces heat-absorbing pavement in the community and slows stormwater runoff impact, as plants directly collect and retain rainwater. The garden operates while reducing water waste through high-tech irrigation that waters the crops directly at the root.

ROOFTOP GARDENING: Rooftop Forest Planned for London Courthouse Includes 100 Trees, 10,000 Plants, and Much More

“Our rooftop farms increase green space in our community, reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint, and strengthen at-risk local food systems. We are proud to expand fresh food availability in the local community while adding more pathways to support critical clinical programs, like the Preventive Food Pantry, in our hospital,” said David Maffeo, Senior Director of Support Services at BMC.

“The Newmarket Farm models how hospitals can further invest in the health of our communities while building environmentally resilient spaces.”

BMC actually has a program called Food Is Medicine, which works with a local grocer to craft labeling formats that speak directly to citizens’ disease risks and/or desire for knowledge about better nutrition.

OTHER STORIES LIKE THIS: Spain’s Olive Oil Producers Turn Tons of Their Pits into Fuel–For Homes, Planes and Industry

For example, food items that may help control blood sugar are expressed as being better for diabetics on the packaging, or foods that may help lower blood pressure are labeled as being potentially heart-healthy.

The cultural diversity of the city has seen the labeling materials printed in a variety of languages, from Vietnamese to Haitian-Creole.

SHARE This Story Of A Hospital Practicing What Its Doctors Preach… 

“When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” – Saul Bellow

By
Good News Network
-
ePi.Longo-CC BY-SA 2

Quote of the Day: “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” – Saul Bellow

Photo by: ePi.Longo, CC BY-SA 2

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?

ePi.Longo-CC BY-SA 2

2 Unwanted Dogs Spending Months in Shelter Become Best Friends–Now They’re Family After Adoption of Both

By
Andy Corbley
-
credit - Greenville Humane Society
credit – Greenville Humane Society

When added together, Boone and Rellie spent over 450 days at a shelter in a South Carolina human society.

One was deaf, the other shy, but a prospective owner who had been following their stories through social media decided enough was enough—and both deserved a happy loving home.

Rellie, with a reputation of being sweet to dogs and shy to strangers, had been up for adoption at the Greenville Humane Society for 10 months, the last 4 of which were spent tail-in-tail with a new arrival named Boone.

Another long-term resident, Boone’s stay would end up spanning 150 days.

“He was deaf and we were struggling to find him a home that would be patient and understanding with him,” the shelter wrote in a Facebook post. 

“Boone and Rellie took daily walks together at the shelter,” said Emily Zheng, marketing manager for the Greenville Humane Society, according to The Herald. “They played every day in the play group. They were the best of friends.”

Boone’s owner was unable to continue to provide the care he needed, but in his previous life the large white dog with different colored eyes had learned to understand sign language and use a vibrating collar to help better navigate his surroundings.

The new owners had followed Rellie’s story online and decided to come in and meet her. She had to live with another dog, the society told them. With spare room in their home and hearts, they met Boone and decided he was the one.

NEW HOMES FOR HARD-TO-ADOPT DOGS: Abused and Stuck in Shelter for 450 Days ‘Mind-blowing’ Dog Charms Everyone at Rehab and Finds Forever Home

“This is a reminder of why we do what we do. Why we show up every day for the homeless pets in our community. Why we never give up,” the society wrote on Facebook.

SHARE This Happy Ending For Too Furry Friends Who Became Siblings… 

30-50% of Twins Develop a Language Exclusive to Them During Childhood

By
Andy Corbley
-
retrieved from Superpolyglotbros.com
– retrieved from Superpolyglotbros.com

From the BBC comes a delightfully educational story about a pair of identical twins who developed their own language.

‘Umeri’ is not anything you’ll find on Google Translate: it has only two speakers, Matthew and Michael Youlden.

It’s written here as being “developed” rather than invented because Umeri is a sophisticated and extremely rare example of a phenomenon known as “twin speak.”

Twin speak is a mutually intelligible communication pattern developed by twins that is typically unintelligible by anyone else. It arises naturally in twins—or even very closely aged non-twin siblings, around the time that the child is developing their earliest concepts in language.

The technical term is “cryptophasia” or ‘secret talk’ but this Greek designation is a rather cold and heartless way of viewing the fascinating phenomenon. Experts in the little-researched field of understanding twin speak say it has nothing to do with keeping dialogue secret from parents, but rather emerges as both children babble their way to correct speech.

“In most cases it seemed to be a developmental phenomenon occurring in the second year of life with the emergence of immature speech, and decreasing considerably over the next 16 months,” reads a cohort study published in 2010 examining twin speak. “A small group of children, primarily male twins, was reported to use a private language at 36 months.”

However, the Youlden Twins insist Umeri isn’t about keeping anything private.

“Umeri isn’t ever reduced to a language used to keep things private,” the twins told the BBC in an email. “It definitely has a very sentimental value to us, as it reflects the deep bond we share as identical twins.”

Their story of developing their twin speak into a flushed-out language comes from their fascination with languages in general. With the social media handle Superpolyglotbros, they work as language consultants, and speak a whopping 25 languages each.

It started during a trip to Spain when the twins were 8 years old. Worried they’d be unable to order ice cream, they set about learning Spanish armed only with a phrase book. Worrying not a wink for the grammar, they directly translated English phrases into Spanish, before slowly doing the same for Italian and Portuguese, building up a love of languages to last a lifetime.

As the 2010 study notes, flourishing twin speak can often be attributed to less stimulative, less responsible household environments. This can sometimes happen when twins learn to communicate with each other, and parents don’t speak to each twin individually.

ALSO CHECK OUT: This Inuk Woman Is Teaching Her Indigenous Language Online to Help Others Reconnect With Inuit Culture

The study found that the twins who had the poorest language skills between the ages of 4 to 6 were those twins who had the most robust twin speech. However, continued research on the topic eventually found that use of a private language was not a statistically significant factor in the delay of speech in twins.

SUPERPOLYGLOTS: Carpet Cleaner With Autism Has Learned 40 Languages – Watch His Talent in Action

To wit, the Youldens were never discouraged from using their twin speak, they were just “off doing their language thing.”

The Youldens are constantly developing Umeri, and always have been, by adopting grammatical structures that stimulated their curiosity from other languages into it.

MORE LANGUAGE STORIES: Cree Leader Surprises Tribe With Genius YouTuber Who Learns Dying Language to Promote it (WATCH)

They routinely have to decide words for modern terminology, particularly as it relates to technology. However, neither has any intention of sharing Umeri with, for example, their own children.

It’s an intimate language spoken by two people, and as such, they admitted, it has an expiry date.

SHARE This Fascinating Story About Language Development On Social Media… 

1...123124125...1,690Page 124 of 1,690
© Copyright 1997–2025 GNN, LLC