Private sector employers added 93,000 jobs in November, the largest number in three years. Small businesses were responsible for 58% of the hiring, with 54,000 of those jobs offered by businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
(READ more numbers at ABC News, or the small biz gains in CNN)
The former Soviet republic of Belarus announced today that by 2012 it will give up its stockpile of material used to make nuclear weapons.
It is a significant step toward keeping nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists, and follows similar commitments made by other former Soviet republics, including Kazakhstan.
(READ the AP story at NPR)
I had intended for weeks to write on the Editor’s Blog about the significant speed increase we’ve achieved for the Good News Network viewers. Thanks to subscription fees from our fans, even the smallest amount of $2.00 per month, I was able to invest in a new fully dedicated server, which has delivered whizzing speeds since November 1.
It took a full month for me to get here and post this, but, did you notice how fast the site became around the start of November? Now, all the files and processes occur on my very own server, not shared with any other site. . . A terrific improvement.
Thanks to all my supporters! We are busting the myth, proving that Good News really DOES sell!
(Look for a great give-away – offering 25 free Gift Subscriptions – coming in December to social network hubs of Facebook and Twitter.)
xxoo, Geri
You wouldn’t expect a landfill to be a place where you could turn something (with a high yuck factor) into a thing of beauty. But decorative tile maker Paul Burns saw an opportunity. He’s taking discarded porcelain toilets and using them to make lovely tile.
You wouldn’t expect a landfill to be a place where you could turn something (with a high yuck factor) into a thing of beauty. But decorative tile maker Paul Burns saw an opportunity. He’s taking discarded porcelain toilets and using them to make lovely tile.
The Troubled Assets Relief Program, which was widely reviled as a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street titans, is now expected to cost the federal government a mere $25 billion – the equivalent of less than six months of emergency jobless benefits.
A new report released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the cost of TARP has plummeted since its passage in October 2008.
The turnaround is due mostly to the financial success achieved by GM, AIG and the big banks.
(READ the report in the Washington Post)
On November 13, unsuspecting shoppers got a big surprise while enjoying their lunch. More than 100 choir participants joined in this Christmas singing flash mob.
The flash mob was organized at the Welland Seaway Mall by Alphabet Photography to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
An extraordinary cache of hundreds of works by Pablo Picasso, which were unknown for more than a half century, was introduced to the art world by an unassuming retired French electrician.
Art experts suspected they were forgeries, but on close examination many of them were found to carry a numbering system known only to the painter.
The Obama Administration this week designated more than 187,000 square miles along the north coast of Alaska as “critical habitat” for the polar bear, safeguarding under the Endangered Species Act lands and waters in the U.S. that are vital to the polar bears’ survival.
The habitat rule comes in response to an ongoing lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace against the Department of the Interior on behalf of the threatened species. Under current law, federal agencies are prohibited from taking any actions that may harm or damage critical habitat. The new designation would likely add restrictions to any future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
The Obama Administration this week designated more than 187,000 square miles along the north coast of Alaska as “critical habitat” for the polar bear, safeguarding under the Endangered Species Act land and waters in the U.S. that are vital to the polar bears’ survival.
The habitat rule comes in response to an ongoing lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace against the Department of the Interior on behalf of the threatened species. Under current law, federal agencies are prohibited from taking any actions that may harm or damage critical habitat. The new designation would likely add restrictions to any future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year.
Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll running for eight weeks on CNN.com. She won the majority of two million votes cast, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed that result at the conclusion of the fourth annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.”
“Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,” Koirala said earlier in the evening after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. “I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters.”
Koirala was introduced, and then embraced, by actress Demi Moore, who along with her husband, Ashton Kutcher, created DNA, The Demi and Ashton Foundation, which aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide. “Every day this woman confronts the worst of what humanity has to offer,” Moore said of Koirala. “She says, ‘Stop. Stop selling our girls.’
Koirala will receive $100,000 to continue her work with Maiti Nepal, in addition to the $25,000 awarded to each of the top 10 Heroes honored.
Learn more on Koirala’s fan page on CNN Heroes, and watch her CNN Hero video there…
The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen from an initial pool of more than 10,000 nominations, were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter, including Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Renee Zellweger, Gerard Butler, Kiefer Sutherland, Marisa Tomei, Aaron Eckhart and Holly Robinson Peete.
(WATCH the video wrap-up of the show below, and watch the entire show rerun this weekend – See Showtimes) – And, learn more about 9 more heroes below the video…
Here are the other nine 2010 top CNN Heroes in alphabetical order:
Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega founded a hospital in Juarez, Mexico, that cares for about 900 people daily — regardless of their ability to pay. Despite the escalating violence in the city, the 74-year-old travels there several times a week to make sure residents get the care they need. Learn more about Guadalupe
Susan Burton was once caught in a cycle of addiction and incarceration. Today, her nonprofit A New Way of Life Reentry Project provides sober housing and other support services to formerly incarcerated women in California. Learn more about Susan
With her weight-loss challenge, Shape Up Vicksburg, Linda Fondren is helping her Mississippi hometown battle the bulge. Through free fitness activities and nutrition classes, residents have lost nearly 15,000 pounds to date. Learn more about Linda
Narayanan Krishnan brings hot meals and dignity to India’s homeless and destitute — 365 days per year — through his nonprofit Akshaya Trust. Since 2002, he has served more than 1.2 million meals. Learn more about Narayanan
Since 1992, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow has dedicated his life to helping people in need. Today, his program, Mary’s Meals — run from a tin shed in the Scottish highlands — provides free daily meals to more than 400,000 children around the world. Learn more about Magnus
Harmon Parker is using his masonry skills to save lives. Since 1997 he has helped build 45 footbridges over perilous rivers in Kenya, protecting people from flash floods and predatory animals. The bridges also connect isolated villagers to valuable resources. Learn more about Harmon
Aki Ra is helping to make his native Cambodia safer by clearing land mines — many of which he planted years ago as a child soldier. Since 1993, he and his Cambodian Self Help Demining organization have cleared about 50,000 mines and unexploded weapons. Learn more about Aki Ra
Evans Wadongo, 23, invented a way for rural families in Kenya to replace smoky kerosene and firelight with solar power. Through his Use Solar, Save Lives program, he’s distributed an estimated 10,000 free solar lanterns. Learn more about Evans
Since 2005, Texas home builder Dan Wallrath has given injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans homes of their own — mortgage-free. He and his Operation Finally Home team have five new custom homes under construction. WATCH his moving video below, or see more at GNN here…
A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year.
Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll running for eight weeks on CNN.com. She won the majority of two million votes cast, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed that result at the conclusion of the fourth annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.”
Like countless small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez agonizingly resolved to trim her firm’s nine-person staff when the economic recovery began to sputter last spring.
Unlike other entrepreneurs, she picked an unlikely employee to lay off: herself.
The owner of Accurate Background Check in Ocala, Fla., says she couldn’t bear to fire employees who have worked there for years.
(READ the story in USA Today) – Thanks to JR for sending the link!
Three New Zealand teenagers have been rescued after 50 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean in a tiny boat.
The trio survived by drinking rainwater and sharing raw fish and a seagull that landed in their boat.
The parents of the boys aged 14-15 had held memorial services for the boys, assuming they had been lost at sea.
(READ the story in MSNBC)
Thanksgiving is not like the consumer-driven winter holidays: With natural decorations, seasonal food, and an emphasis on family and friends instead of buying stuff, it may well be the greenest holiday.
Want to make it even greener? Here is a slideshow of seven tips, including this one: Give your kids a history lesson: The bounty surrounding the Pilgrims and Native Americans provided the ingredients for their first community dinner, so try to incorporate more local, organic foods from the farmers’ market into your bounty.
A mother and daughter thought the reason they were invited as special halftime guests at an NFL Titans game was their winning Veteran’s Day essay.
But, 101st Airborne soldier Mark Foster surprised his wife Jodi and daughter Kayla with an on field homecoming in front of 70,000 cheering people Sunday. Foster is on leave from his duties in Afghanistan and hasn’t seen his family for eight months.
(WATCH the video below)
A mother and daughter thought the reason they were invited as special halftime guests at an NFL Titans game was their winning Veteran’s Day essay.
But, 101st Airborne soldier Mark Foster surprised his wife Jodi and daughter Kayla with an on field homecoming in front of 70,000 cheering people Sunday. Foster is on leave from his duties in Afghanistan and hasn’t seen his family for eight months.
Whether you are taking public transport to work, looking for a farmers market, or shopping for groceries — there are dozens of apps for your mobile phone that help get you the latest government information. From locating the nearest alternative fuel station to instantly connecting with the nearest embassy, these five apps are worth checking out:
Whether you are taking public transport to work, looking for a farmers market, or shopping for groceries — there are dozens of apps for your mobile phone that help get you the latest government information. From locating the nearest alternative fuel station to instantly connecting with the nearest embassy, these five apps are worth checking out:
During the nearly 30 years of a raging AIDS epidemic, never has there been a more hopeful time than this.
Three striking developments took place this week: U.N. officials said new HIV cases are dropping dramatically worldwide. A study showed that a daily pill already on pharmacy shelves could help prevent new infections in gay men. And the pope condoned the use of condoms to help prevent AIDS.
(READ full story from Yahoo! News)
