Lady Liberty’s Crown Opens July 4th, First Time Since 9/11

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Jul 4, 2009

Today will mark the first time visitors can tour the crown of the Statue of Liberty since it was closed following the 9/11 attacks.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will officially reopen the crown to the public this morning. About 20 lucky visitors will be among the first to climb the 354 steps to the top, but thanks to the power of technology, everyone can join in the celebration. The public can view photos of the day’s events on Flickr and follow Lady Liberty on Twitter.

About 240 visitors per day will be able to tour the crown, but you can visit the Statue of Liberty anytime from home by taking the new Statue of Liberty National Monument virtual tour.

Read all about Lady Liberty activities and order crown reservations at www.nps.gov/stli.

Katelyn Sabochik is the Director of New Media for the U.S. Department of the Interior

Alzheimer Symptoms Reversed With Stem Cells

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Good News Network

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Jul 4, 2009

3d rendering of human brain on technology background — Fotolia licensed image

A new stem cell treatment reverses Alzheimer-like memory impairment in mice, according to researchers at the University of South Florida and James A. Haley Hospital. Based on the promising findings, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is funding a pilot clinical trial on humans.

The researchers studied 52 elderly mice with symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed through a series of tests that the treated mice demonstrated clearly improved memory, performing as well on behavioral tests as their non-Alzheimer’s counterparts.

(Read about the science at Science Daily)

Sears Tower Unveils 103rd Floor Glass Balconies (Video)

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Good News Network

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Jul 4, 2009

Visitors to the new glass balconies at Chicago’s Sears Tower all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest. The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out four feet from the building’s 103rd floor Skydeck.

Paralyzed Man Writes Book With Just His Blinking

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Andrew Norris

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Jul 4, 2009

Patients who are conscious but almost entirely paralyzed, unable to move or speak, could be aided by French research that reads their brain activity to help them communicate.

suffered “locked-in syndrome” when he woke up from a coma caused by a massive stroke to find his mental faculties intact, but body useless. He could only blink.

Despite this he managed to write a memoir entitled The Diving Bell and the Butterfly to give the world a rare glimpse into the internal lives of the locked-in.

(See video or read more at BBC)

Federal Court Overturns Bush Administration Logging Rule

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Good News Network

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Jul 3, 2009

bisons-roam — By US Interior Department / FWS (Wikipedia)

Protections were restored this week to 193 million acres of national forest by a federal court that struck down the Bush administration policy of relaxed restrictions on logging in 170 national forests and grasslands.

14 environmental groups filed the lawsuit claiming the action violated the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act. The decision means the Forest Service will have to reinstate rules protecting fish and wildlife in national forests from Alaska to Florida.

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Muslims in America: A New Day Under Obama

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Al-Husein N. Madhany

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Jul 3, 2009

Because the notion of Muslims as scary “others” was so pervasive in some areas of America, I had hoped the election of Barack Obama might make a difference. It has.

The day before the November presidential election, I was checking in my bags at the San Francisco airport. I handed my driver’s license to the woman behind the counter and told her my name. When she looked at me, I could tell there was confusion and apprehension behind her mask of polite professionalism. I’d seen that look many times before.

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Blackberry Prevents Skier From Falling 700 Ft

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Good News Network

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Jul 3, 2009

David Fitzherbert, 52, was skiing off-trail in Switzerland when the snow gave way and he fell 70 feet into a crevasse. The only thing that saved him from plunging a further 700 feet was the BlackBerry phone in his pocket which became wedged between the sides. It kept him stuck there for two hours until he was rescued by climbers.

Remarkably, the Blackberry still worked afterward.

(Read more in the UK Telegraph)

From Bush to Bikes, a Bamboo Revolution

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Geri

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Jul 3, 2009

On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year’s crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda.

“We planted this bamboo last year,” he says, “and now the stems are taller than me. When it’s ready we’ll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames.”

Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain.

Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football.

(Continue reading in BBC News)

India Judge Overturns Century-Old Law Against Gay Rights

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Good News Network

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Jul 3, 2009

In a historic judgement Thursday, India’s high court decriminalized homosexuality striking down a 150-year colonial ban against gay sex between consenting adults for violating fundamental rights protected by the constitution.

“The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone,” said Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice S. Murlidhar.

“Oppressive laws such as Section 377 drive people underground, making it much harder to reach them with HIV prevention, treatment and care services,” UN AIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “On top of violating individuals’ human rights, the prohibition of homosexuality in over 80 countries impedes the response to HIV, hampering treatment to access for people living with the disease, according to UNAIDS.”

(Read more in Times of India)

Co-existence Thrives in Israeli Elementary School for Arabs and Jews (Video)

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Good News Network

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Jul 2, 2009

Enrollment is up for Jewish and Arab students attending the Hand-in-Hand bilingual school in Jerusalem. Kids study together learning the language of friendship and goodwill with two teachers guiding each class in both Hebrew and Arabic.

Despite being in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, these kids know nothing of ethnic hatred.

Watch the Common Ground video below, or on YouTube.

Most Stood by, But Two Braved an Explosion to Save Stranger

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elizabeth allen

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Jul 2, 2009

A South Carolina city has something to be proud of this week:

Two men braved a burning car to save a stranger seconds before the car exploded into an inferno because, they said, they couldn’t live with themselves if they hadn’t acted.

“I just couldn’t stand by and watch while someone burned to death,” said Jason Whittle, 36, a city of Columbia traffic safety officer.

Michael Samuels, 37, saw sparks near the car. “She was in the car with power lines on top of it and people were shouting, ‘Don’t touch the car! Don’t touch the car!’ But somebody had to get that woman out. My heart told me to go.”

“Within a minute after Whittle and a civilian, Michael Samuels, pulled the woman from the car, it exploded,” reports The State.

–File photo courtesy of Sun Star

Retired Doctors Give Free Medical Care at their Community Clinic (Video)

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Good News Network

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Jul 2, 2009

Two boyhood friends who know what it’s like to struggle in lower income families, together made it through medical school and now, 60 years later, they’ve come together again to provide free medical care to their community.

They coax companies into giving them free supplies or drugs to ease the burden.

Watch the Making a Difference video below, or at NBC website .

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

28,000 Pizzas With Beer Being Sent to Troops in Iraq for July 4th

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Good News Network

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Jul 2, 2009

Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will taste a slice of home on July 4th after the delivery of 28,000 pizzas from UNO Chicago Grill.

The pies were shipped from JFK Airport in special containers to arrive fresh on battlefield thanks to the nonprofit organization Pizzas 4 Patriots, founded bytretired Master Sgt. Mark Evans.

Evans calls it a world record pizza party, which will serve almost 90,000 soldiers. DHL Express is delivering the entire load in a 747 aircraft for free — including 30,000 cases of beer.

AT&T joined the party sending along free calling cards so the troops can call home.

(Read more from NY Daily News)

Peace Project Displays Flags of Every Nation Rendered All in White

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Good News Network

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Jul 1, 2009

A sculptural peace project displays the flag of every nation in the world rendered entirely in white.

Aaron Fein began the project in the year after 9/11 as he observed how all the U.S.A. bumper stickers on cars were fading. Such an enduring symbol, he thought, the nation’s flag to which we all turned for comfort, was poignantly subject to change just like the Twin Towers.

The project, White Flags, has grown slowly in the intervening years towards the ultimate goal – the completion of all 192 flags of the United Nations – to stand as a symbol of world unity.

Aaron had been content with the project’s slow growth until this spring, when he met Barb Pemberton, whose sister lost her life in the attack on the World Trade Center.

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Wal-Mart Backs Health Care Employer Mandate

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Good News Network

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Jul 1, 2009

In a major break with most large companies, Wal-Mart Inc. Tuesday told the White House that it supports requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers.

Support of the nation’s largest private employer could give momentum to one of the most-contentious aspects of proposed health care legislation — government mandates that would force all but small employers to provide insurance for workers or help pay for it.

(Read more in the Wall Street Journal)

Google Street Maps Helped Identify Muggers

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Good News Network

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Jul 1, 2009

Police in the Netherlands have arrested two men after the alleged muggers were identified on a picture taken at the crime scene by Google’s internet map service.

On a lark, the young tech-saavy teen who was mugged searched for the exact location of the scene using Google’s street photos and actually saw the pair (with their faces blurred out) walking along in the image.

He went to the police who requested from Google the original unblurred photo…

(Read the story in the BBC)

First $1 Million Find for Antiques Roadshow

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Good News Network

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Jul 1, 2009

A woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts on the Public Television show “Antiques Roadshow,” the producers said on Monday.

Four pieces from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million.

The popular U.S. TV show, on the government/viewer supported PBS network, invites people to bring in their “treasures” from home to be scrutinized by antique specialists who reveal the item’s true value after exploring the item’s history with the guests.

(Read more in Reuters)

Free AIDS Drugs Save Lives of Quarter Million in Malawi

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Good News Network

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Jul 1, 2009

Malawi, which launched a free AIDS drug program five years ago with 5,000 initial beneficiaries, is now supplying 250,000 HIV positive citizens with the life-saving treatments.

President Mutharika had more exciting news on Sunday. Malawi is beginning an effort to establish a local company to produce these anti-retroviral drugs locally, enough to even export to neighboring countries.

(Read more from AFP)

Listening to Music Helps Stroke Patients – Especially Opera

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Andrew Norris

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Jul 1, 2009

Listening to the right kind of music can slow the heart and lower blood pressure, a study has revealed.

Rousing operatic music, like Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, full of crescendos and diminuendos is best and could help stroke rehabilitation, say the authors.

Groups like Music in Hospitals, a UK-based charity that provides live music to hospitals, hospices and care facilities, can make a big impact on people’s wellness.

(Read the report in the BBC)

Microsoft Donates Eight Meals For Each Internet Explorer 8 Download

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Andrew Norris

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Jul 1, 2009

In June, Microsoft launched “Browser for the Better,” and vowed to donate the equivalent of eight meals to the Feeding America Network of food pantries for every completed download of Internet Explorer 8.

The program will last through Aug. 8, 2009.

(Read the press release at Feeding America)

Good News Network

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Native Americans Were Making Dice and Gaming Thousands of Years Before Anyone Else

Why You Feel Rejected When Someone Doesn’t Text You Back: Your Brain is Trying to Protect You

The Science of How Your Brain Forms Habits (and How to Take Control)

How To Love Yourself: 5 Ways to Let Go of the River Bank and Go With the Flow

Lady Liberty’s Crown Opens July 4th, First Time Since 9/11

Alzheimer Symptoms Reversed With Stem Cells

Sears Tower Unveils 103rd Floor Glass Balconies (Video)

Paralyzed Man Writes Book With Just His Blinking

Federal Court Overturns Bush Administration Logging Rule

Muslims in America: A New Day Under Obama

Blackberry Prevents Skier From Falling 700 Ft

From Bush to Bikes, a Bamboo Revolution

India Judge Overturns Century-Old Law Against Gay Rights

Co-existence Thrives in Israeli Elementary School for Arabs and Jews (Video)

Most Stood by, But Two Braved an Explosion to Save Stranger

Retired Doctors Give Free Medical Care at their Community Clinic (Video)

28,000 Pizzas With Beer Being Sent to Troops in Iraq for July 4th

Peace Project Displays Flags of Every Nation Rendered All in White

Wal-Mart Backs Health Care Employer Mandate

Google Street Maps Helped Identify Muggers

First $1 Million Find for Antiques Roadshow

Free AIDS Drugs Save Lives of Quarter Million in Malawi

Listening to Music Helps Stroke Patients – Especially Opera

Microsoft Donates Eight Meals For Each Internet Explorer 8 Download