A $500,00 gift from the embassy of the United Arab Emirates to spend on laptops is the latest donation aimed at helping tornado-damaged Joplin, Mo., schools prepare to open next week.
School district officials said on Wednesday the $500,000 will help meet a goal of providing all 2,200 Joplin High School students with a personal laptop, to make up for a the lack of other resources.
The US stock markets rose more than 3 percent in late morning trading today after hearing the latest U.S. economic data on unemployment claims.
The government reported that weekly initial jobless claims fell to their lowest level in four months — the first time that number has dropped below 400,000 since April.
Twitter and Facebook users are harnessing the power of social networking to coordinate a massive clean-up operation in areas affected by the riots across England.
An account on Twitter called @riotcleanup has so far attracted more than 70,000 followers and is helping people to co-ordinate efforts in the London.
But, the effort, started by artist Dan Thompson, 37, has taken on a life of its own with local clean-up projects organized around the country.
For folks living in West Chicago, it is hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables for sale, which is why one man took it upon himself to transport fresh produce into the neighborhood.
Steve Casey bought a bus and spent four years raising the $50,000 to turn it into a produce market on wheels that travels to the people. The Fresh Moves program now visits six locations that are described as food deserts twice a week.
Eight-year-old April Sanity was gathering golf balls in her California backyard when she found a diamond. At first the family thought it was fake, but it passed all the tests. She now has a one carat diamond to sell for a thousand dollars and plans to keep it until she needs the money.
A remote control toy truck sent to a soldier in Afghanistan helped to save six of his friends after the toy triggered a bomb meant for the Americans.
In 2007, to help keep his brother safe, Ernie Fessenden teamed up with a hobby store owner in Rochester, Minnesota to create a radio-controlled model truck outfitted with a wireless video camera to check for bombs under trucks and along roadsides.
That souped-up toy ended up preventing the potential deaths of six soldiers two weeks ago in Afghanistan, after Sgt. Chris Fessenden lent the truck to a group going out on patrol.
Ernie learned about his invention’s success via email.
“At first I was just absolutely shocked,’’ Ernie told TODAY.com in a phone interview. “It could have been [Chris] out there. Then after that it was, ‘Do you need another truck?’’’
A remote control toy truck sent to a soldier in Afghanistan helped to save six of his friends after the toy triggered a bomb meant for the Americans.
In 2007, to help keep his brother safe, Ernie Fessenden teamed up with a hobby store owner in Rochester, Minnesota to create a radio-controlled model truck outfitted with a wireless video camera to check for bombs under trucks and along roadsides.
That souped-up toy ended up preventing the potential deaths of six soldiers two weeks ago in Afghanistan, after Sgt. Chris Fessenden lent the truck to a group going out on patrol.
Ernie learned about his invention’s success via email.
“At first I was just absolutely shocked,’’ Ernie told TODAY.com in a phone interview. “It could have been [Chris] out there. Then after that it was, ‘Do you need another truck?’’’
Another micro-finance initiative is improving the economic outlook for poor families around the world, this time through the financing of college tuition for students.
Although microfinancing usually raises funds for small businesses, the Seattle-based non-profit Vittana has been helping students around the world graduate from post-secondary schools by asking donors to pay for their tuition. Like the business loans, money for education can immediately steer a family out of poverty. And, so far, the Vittana record has been stellar.
Another micro-finance initiative is improving the economic outlook for poor families around the world, this time through the financing of college tuition for students.
Although microfinancing usually raises funds for small businesses, the Seattle-based non-profit Vittana has been helping students around the world graduate from post-secondary schools by asking donors to pay for their tuition. Like the business loans, money for education can immediately steer a family out of poverty. And, so far, the Vittana record has been stellar.
Frustrated employees are voluntarily quitting their jobs at the highest level in almost three years as confidence rises that they will be able to find another, even with unemployment at about 9 percent for more than two years.
Almost 2 million Americans quit their jobs in May, a 35 percent rise from the lowest level in January 2010, according to the Department of Labor.
The Measles Initiative this week announced it has vaccinated one billion children in more than 60 developing countries, making significant gains in the global effort to stop measles.
The child who received the history-making measles vaccination was one of 3.5 million immunized in Mozambique this May. The Measles Initiative began in 2001 with five founding partners – the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and World Health Organization. In 1980, before such vaccination programs, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.
Kinetic sculptor and artist Theo Jansen builds free roaming beasts powered only by the wind using yellow plastic tubing readily available in his native Holland.
The graceful creatures evolve over time as Theo adapts their designs to harness the wind more efficiently. Some even store some of the wind’s energy in plastic bottle ‘stomachs’ to be used when there is no wind.
Comcast is rolling out a new initiative in 39 states to help bring broadband internet to low income families at deeply discounted rates. The cable and Internet provider is making good on its deal with regulators who required the company to help connect low income households in exchange for approval of the company’s NBC Universal acquisition.
Comcast is offering the discounted service for $9.95 per month (with no price increases) to families that have at least one child receiving free school lunches, in locations where Comcast already offers Internet service.
Iowa is one of the leading U.S. states for wind power growth. The American Wind Energy Association announced Aug. 4 that Iowa generated 20 percent of its electricity from wind in the first quarter of 2011, up from 15% last year.
The industry is continuing to surge this year in Iowa with 630 Megawatts of construction underway. Only Texas has a higher amount of installed wind power capacity.
Elaborate marriage proposals are everywhere. But this Missouri man wanted to keep things simple.
When his girlfriend picked him up at the Kansas City Airport Thursday, he seized the moment and dropped to one knee.
But the private moment was accidentally caught on tape, in the background of a reporter’s LIVE shot.
Elaborate marriage proposals are everywhere. But this Missouri man wanted to keep things simple.
When his girlfriend picked him up at the Kansas City Airport Thursday, he seized the moment and dropped to one knee.
But the private moment was accidentally caught on tape, in the background of a reporter’s LIVE shot.
The Independent Transportation Network of America (ITNAmerica), a national organization is helping older people with their transportation needs at a time of dwindling state and city funds and growing demand.
Most impressive, the ITN doesn’t rely on state money. They recruit a roster of drivers large enough to guarantee seniors rides 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One of ITN’s successful initiatives is to allow elders free rides if they are willing to donate their cars to the program.
The Independent Transportation Network of America (ITNAmerica), a national organization is helping older people with their transportation needs at a time of dwindling state and city funds and growing demand.
Most impressive, the ITN doesn’t rely on state money. They recruit a roster of drivers large enough to guarantee seniors rides 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One of ITN’s successful initiatives is to allow elders free rides if they are willing to donate their cars to the program.
For foster children, the prospect of ever completing college is remote: fewer than 3% of all kids in foster care ever earn a degree.
But a privately funded pilot program at UCLA hopes to improve the odds.
The kids live on campus, study, go on outings and for participating, they get laptops, flip cams and four UC credits.
A solar-powered bikini designed by Brooklyn-based designer Andrew Schneider is now available for charging your cellphone or iPod right on the beach.
The high-tech swimsuit comprises thin, flexible photovoltaic film strips and USB connectors.
