Researchers studying a rare and endangered species of penguin have uncovered a previously unknown species that disappeared about 500 years ago.
(Associated Press story via Yahoo News)
Doctors Transplant Windpipe in a New Healthier Way
Doctors have given a woman a new windpipe with tissue grown from her own stem cells, eliminating the need for anti-rejection drugs. (Associated Press story on CBS News) Or, watch the video below
Teen Who Lived 4 Months With No Heart Leaves Hospital
Incredible story of a young girl who lived for 100 days with no heart, just the artificial pump, before finally getting a new heart and becoming healthy enough to leave the hospital. D’Zhana Simmons says she felt like a “fake person” for 118 days when she had no heart beating in her chest. “But I know that I really was here,” the 14-year-old said, “and I did live without a heart.”
New Hope For Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis causes lung problems that claim its victims in the prime of life and there is no cure. But, now one inspiring patient proves there is new hope for the lung condition, as he crosses the finish line of New York’s marathon.
We are sorry. The content item you requested needs to be replaced since the sydicator has abruptly ended this news service. The Good News Network is committed to finding another version of this news story elsewhere and adding the replacement link by mid-January, 2009. Please check back!
Immigrant Worker Turns in $7500 Found in Goodwill Shoebox
Honesty is paying off for a Bulgarian immigrant who was employed at the Glen Carbon, Ill., Goodwill store. When she found $7,500 in cash among donated shoes Nov. 7, she immediately turned in the money to her employer. The rightful owner was found and the Goodwill employee, Teodora Petrova, has since received at least four checks – one from the family, one from Goodwill and two from private donors moved by her honesty in news accounts. (Read the story in St. Louis Business Journal)
Sunflower photo courtesy of Sun Star.
Obama Vows to Engage World on Climate Change
US president-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday vowed he would “engage vigorously” in global climate change talks and that denial was no longer an acceptable response to global warming. Obama said in a surprise video message to an international conference hosted by Gov. Schwarzenegger and four other state governors, that he would show new leadership on the issue as soon as he takes office in January.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008
Feast your eyes on five of the winning photographs of the London Natural History Museum and BBC Magazine’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 Competition. Both professional and amateur, youth and adult photographers are invited to submit pictures in 17 categories. An exhibit of all the winning photos is on display at the Natural History Museum.
Right: Troublemaker by Stefano Unterthiner, Italy, Animal Portraits winner – Nikon D2X + Nikon 12-24mm lens; 1/250 sec at f10; ISO 125; graduated neutral-density filter; flash. — “I think Troublemaker’s expression captures the spirit of these wonderful monkeys,” Black-crested macaques.
Healthiest Cities in US: Lincoln, Nebraska is #1
The top four healthiest cities for 2007 according to the US Centers for Disease Control are: Lincoln, Nebraska; Fargo, North Dakota; Boulder, Colorado; and Burlington, Vermont. The ranking is created by asking people who in metropolitan areas if they feel they are in great health, good health, or poor health. Topping the healthy list was Lincoln, Neb., where 92.8% of residents say their health is good or better and only 7.2% report fair or poor health. The people in cities with the highest numbers citing poor health were Mobile, AL; McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX; Laredo, TX; and ranking most unhealthy, Huntington, West Virginia. (Entire list follows below)
(Photo courtesy of Sun Star)
Giant Clams Make Comeback in Philippines Thanks to Science
Once a common sight in waters around the Philippine islands, the giant clam had virtually disappeared until marine biologist Edgardo Gomez decided to do something about it. “Giant clams are essential to coral reefs and so it was a race against time to build stock up.” Now reefs and bays in many parts of the Philippines are being restocked with mature giant clams as part of his project. Educating local fisherman is also key.
Obama Campaign Donates Leftover Office Supplies to Needy Schools
It was like Christmas in November for needy school districts nationwide as the Obama campaign donated 100 percent of the leftover campaign supplies from 200 recently closed offices. Obama’s Pittsburgh campaign office, for instance, donated to the local district at least five flatbed trucks of office supplies, including 12 Dell computers, 17-inch LCD monitors and several printers.
“The district was also invited to clear out the office of everything — and the schools took file cabinets, file folders, paper shredders, pens, clipboards, paper, paint and butterfly clips. Much of the haul was bulk ordered by the Obama campaign and never used.
…They are just as excited about the donor. Old campaign signs have been a hit in the Pennsylvania school district’s high schools — with teenagers lining up by the principal’s office to claim pieces of Obama campaign memorabilia that were donated along with the other supplies.” (Read more at ABC News.com)
Encouraging People to Buy High-Efficiency Toilets
Manitoba is trying to encourage people to stop flushing so much water and money away. The province has announced a new WaterSmart conservation program that will provide rebates to people who buy dual-flush, high-efficiency toilets. (The Winnipeg Sun)
Giving Injured Vets A Lift (Video)
Veterans Airlift Command is an organization that offers free flights to injured soldiers and their families, thanks to pilots volunteering their services, planes, and even paying for the fuel costs. Chip Reid reports on the service and the vet who started the project after learning how big a difference it makes to have a family near you when you are trying to heal after a war injury. (Video below)
Visit Veterans Airlift Command website, which displays the motto, “They’ve got heart. They need wings.”
We are sorry. The content item you requested needs to be replaced since the sydicator has abruptly ended this news service. The Good News Network is committed to finding another version of this news story elsewhere and adding the replacement link by mid-January, 2009. Please check back!
Uganda Civil War Orphan Turns Successful Entrepreneur
One young Ugandan, orphaned by the country’s civil war, has managed to support his five younger siblings and pay for their education by setting up his own business in the slums of the capital.
New York Times Building Sees 70% Energy Savings with Lighting System
With the installation of a lighting management system, the New York Times Building has seen a 70 percent savings on its energy usage. That reduction translates into savings of $315,000 and 1,250 metric tons of CO2 a year for the building. (Read more at EcoGeek)
Ten Extraordinary Americans Recognized for Innovation in Health Care
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced the 2008 recipients of its Community Health Leaders Award for individuals who overcome the odds to improve the health and quality of life for underserved communities across the United States.
The CHL honorees represent the diversity of America, working in many geographical, ethnic, social and economic neighborhoods. From providing deaf patients better access to medical care with interpreters, to giving low-income children a fair start on their education with eye exams, to violence prevention programs for teens, the awardees have dedicated themselves to tackling some of the most intractable problems affecting the health of their communities.
Giant Prehistoric Fish Rebounding in Canada
When dozens of white sturgeon began washing up dead on the banks of British Columbia’s Fraser River in the mid-1990s, some feared that North America’s largest freshwater fish could be headed toward extinction.
But now, thanks to an alliance of government agencies, environmentalists, aboriginal groups, and fishing interests, the sturgeon has been spurred to a robust recovery in the lower river.
(READ the story from National Geographic News)
Britain’s Historic Water Mills Gearing Up to Provide Clean Energy
Britain’s iconic water mills, some of which date back to the 11th century, are to become a major force in the fight against climate change.
Mill owners around the UK have started to refurbish their old buildings and install turbines in order to show that they can be used as a source of clean electricity. Government figures suggest that if the resource is fully tapped, small-scale hydropower from the old mills and weirs could provide up to 10,000GWh per year – 3% of the UK’s electricity needs. (Read more at UK Guardian)
Photo is from the blog, Memories Are Made of This, where you can see more water mills.
Waiting 87 Years to Dance (Video)
As long as she can remember, Ginger Ann, 93, has wanted to dance. After being married to someone who refused her for 53 years, Ginger Ann has found a partner and today she lives to dance. She found love and fulfillment in her golden years. (Read full text at CBSNews, or watch Video below)
Baghdad Opens Bridge of Love and Reconciliation
Sunnis and Shi’ites made an emotional reach across the sectarian divide on Tuesday, reopening a Baghdad bridge between the two communities closed since a 2005 stampede, the deadliest incident of the war. Sunni children from one side raced to see their Shi’ite friends on the other. Women from the two communities met up on the bridge, hugging each other with joy. A banner across the bridge read: ‘The bridge of love and reconciliation between the people of Adhamiya and Kadhimiya.’ (Reuters News has the full report )
“Holiday Mail for Heroes” to Deliver One Million Cards to Service Members
Holiday Mail For Heroes invites the public to send holiday cards with their message of thanks and support to service men and women in the U.S. and around the world. The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have teamed up to provide a special post office box to collect the cards until Wednesday, December 10. They will then sort and package the cards, and deliver them to military bases, hospitals, and other locations during the holidays.