This High School Opened a Campus Grocery Store–And Students Pay in Good Deeds

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Dec 4, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords.” – Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) was a poet, essayist, moralist, biographer, and editor, whose contributions to English literature cannot be understated—especially his massive work, “Dictionary of the English Language,” which after nine years of research was first published in 1755, a century and a half before the “Oxford English Dictionary”.

Photo by: Jeswin Thomas

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?

Missing Boater Rescued 86 Miles From Shore Clinging To Capsized Boat: ‘I thought that was it’

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Dec 3, 2020

“You know the world’s most interesting man? Well, I’m just the opposite,” 62-year-old Florida resident Stuart Bee told a news reporter.

Interesting or not, when Bee and his 32-foot pleasure boat, Sting Ray, went missing from Port Canaveral Marina in Florida last Friday he became the focus of an intensive ocean search and rescue mission.

Bee experienced engine trouble early in the trip. Figuring he’d be able to fix it himself, he didn’t radio for help. He’d fallen asleep Sunday night after tinkering with the motor, only to be awakened by a gush of water flooding the cabin that pushed him up toward the bow and out through the front hatch as the stern sank.

That was sometime after midnight.

An experienced sailor, Bee knew he was in real trouble. Once the Sting Ray stabilized, he made several dives back inside to try to retrieve his personal locator beacon, to no avail. Unsure how much longer he’d be able to hang on, just after sunrise, Bee was preparing to make another attempt when he caught sight of a cargo freighter—aptly named the Angeles.

Using his shirt as a flag, Bee was able to get the watch crew’s attention. After the Angeles’ pulled as close as possible, a flotation device was dispatched to reel him in. The crew then used a ladder to haul Bee on board.

CHECK OUT: Two Surfers Save a ‘Starving, Cold’ Dog From Sea Cave After It Had Been Missing For 3 Months

“We just rescued one person from a capsizing boat at sea,” the captain of the Angeles confirmed in a satellite call with the Coast Guard. “Bee. Stuart Bee.”

#MustSee: Stuart Bee is recovered by the 225-foot motor vessel, #Angeles. The crew spotted the man clinging to the bow of the vessel and took him aboard and will transport him to shore. #BREAKING
Photo credit: crew member aboard the m/v Angeles. pic.twitter.com/1MSKcVRYG5
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) November 30, 2020

That Bee was found at all floating 86 miles from shore was a matter of pure providence. “This case, honestly, it’s an incredible outcome,” Petty Officer First Class David Micallef, spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard told the New York Times.

“I think it demonstrates the strong ties that the maritime community has with one another. We’re thankful that he’s going to be able to be on dry land soon.”

After confirming Bee’s identity, the Coast Guard search was disbanded. Bee opted to remain aboard the Angeles until its next scheduled stop in Wilmington, Delaware, where the Liberian container ship was set to deliver a cargo of bananas.

MORE: Lucky Dog Gets Adopted By Oil Rig Worker Who Found Him Swimming 135 Miles From Thai Coast

“They’re just the nicest people ever,” Bee said humbly of the men who’d saved his life.

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Justin Timberlake Buys Wheelchair-Accessible Van for Teen With Cerebral Palsy: ‘It’s a blessing’

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Dec 3, 2020

justin timberlake-cc-Gage Skidmore-jake stitt-copyright-jake stitt — Justin Timberlake, CC Gage Skidmore, Jake Stitt

Chances are, when the Stitt family was raising money to buy a wheel-chair-accessible van to give their 17-year-old son who has cerebral palsy a better quality of life, they weren’t wishing on a star—but that didn’t stop music legend Justin Timberlake from stepping in and making their dream come true.

When fellow Tennesseean Timberlake learned of the Stitts’ crowdfunding campaign, he didn’t just hop on the bandwagon, he decided to pay for Jake’s custom-built van and arranged to have it delivered to the family.

Justin Timberlake, CC Gage Skidmore, Jake Stitt

“He caught the story and was just very touched… and he wanted to reach out,” Tim Stitt told news channel WJHL. “It was just a blessing to be able to speak to that gentleman and for him to be able to meet Jake and see what he needed.”

Timberlake broke the news to Jake during a Zoom call. Then, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a parade made its way to the Stitts’ house, heralding the van’s arrival.

The entire family, including Jake, was ecstatic. Almost as priceless as the van itself is the independence it can afford Jake and his caregivers in Morristown.

While the Stitts had already raised a substantial sum toward the purchase of the van, Timberlake’s gift made it possible for that money to be used for Jake’s future care and expenses.

MORE: Shaq Pulls Over to Help Florida Woman After Her Car Crashed

“God’s always provided for us and we keep our faith and we’re thankful every day,” Tim Stitt said. “It is a true meaning to thanksgiving and all that’s happened… It’s a blessing to our family to make us be able to have peace and relax more and not have to have worries is amazing. It’s very humbling.”

(WATCH Jake’s story in the WKHL video below.)

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First-of-Its-Kind Med School Makes History For Cherokee People

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MORE: Huge Indigenous Solar Farm Opens in Remote Northern Community: ‘We work with the sun for the children of the future’

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Dec 3, 2020

cherokee-medical-graduation-women-OSU Center for Heakth Sciences — OSU Center for Health Sciences

In rural Oklahoma, a brand new medical school sits in the Cherokee Nation, training Nation members to become physicians at Nation clinics

Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation (COMCN) is the first tribally associated medical school in the country, and they just had their inaugural class after opening this fall.

Bill John Baker, the former principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, is widely credited with spurring the project as far as it has come, which even included the decision to sell the Nation’s private jet to help begin the new investment in a Cherokee Nation medical system, which first drew the attention of Oklahoma State University (OSU) to the idea of opening a medical school on reservation land.

“After we were removed from tribal lands and there were no teachers, we invested our treasury into teachers,” said Bill John Baker, according to MedScape. “This is a natural progression. Just as our ancestors grew their own teachers 150 years ago, we want to grow our own doctors.”

Indeed less than half of 1% of physicians in the country are eligible for tribal citizenship, but before growing their own doctors, Bill John Baker refurbished rural Nation clinics and financed the largest tribally owned outpatient facility in the country; a stunning four-story, 469,000-square-foot piece of architecture at W.W. Hastings Hospital campus, offering optometry, audiology, physical rehabilitation, dental, behavioral health, radiology, lab, and pharmacy services.

“The Cherokee Nation is excited to open this beautiful new facility that allows us to serve more of our citizens, and offer more services than they ever had before,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in October at the grand opening.

“This facility is a real game changer that will improve our overall health system and is a huge investment in our local economy. It is a blessing for me to see former Chief Bill John Baker’s vision come to fruition because of what it means for our citizens.”

OSU and the tribes take notice

Bill John Baker was still the Principal Chief when OSU approached the Nation with the idea of opening a medical school.

Rendering of the medical school, OSU Center for Health Sciences

They jumped at the opportunity to have a medical school at home rather than sending their kids off to Harvard or Stanford.

The Cherokee Nation general fund paid $40 million for the 84,000-square-foot facility, the construction of which, while being delayed to spring 2021 by the pandemic, is nearing completion. Like the outpatient facility, the building is striking to look at, and will marry modern medicine with traditional healing practices in both service and decor.

Interior art and decoration will be provided by Cherokee artisans, and the landscaping for the building will be exclusively medicinal plants used by Cherokee medicine men and women for generations such as yarrow, blue indigo, rattlesnake master, coneflower, and elderberry.

While the school sits on Cherokee land, the agreement to create it was supported by four other tribal nations: the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole. All five tribes are providing funds for scholarships and clinical rotation sites within their tribal clinic systems.

Being a state school, COMCN isn’t beholden to train Cherokee or Chickasaw physicians, however 22% of the inaugural school identify as Native American, whether Cherokee or otherwise.

In an effort to keep them connected with their communities and their heritage, COMCN is preparing residency programs in Nation clinics and volunteer programs to be able to work and study traditional healing medicine and its benefits.

“We’re hoping an unwritten curriculum will emerge from the healing practices of the Cherokee people,” Natasha Bray, the school’s associate dean for academic affairs, told Medscape.

The success of these new Cherokee medical facilities involves marrying the future with a rich cultural past, and could go a long way to improving the lives of rural Oklahomites, Cherokee, Choctaw, or Chickasaw alike.

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Temperature Analysis Shows UN Climate Goals ‘Within Reach’ Thanks to International Pledges

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Dec 3, 2020

A new report from a climate research group suggests that updated policies from major countries have put the targets of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement within reach.

This good news comes off the back of recent political announcements in Asia, and has climate-focused experts excited of the possibility of more countries following suit and updating their commitments.

The report, from a think tank called Climate Action Tracker, states that if every country which has made a net-zero carbon emissions pledge targeted for 2050 fulfils it, that would be enough to limit warming in this century to 2.1°C, strikingly close to the Paris Agreements made five years past.

Previous estimates have suggested that earlier commitments might create a limit of around 2.7, which is dangerously close to the 3°C threshold where general climate hypothesis suggests many major catastrophic effects would take place.

President-elect Joe Biden seems to want to make carbon emissions a major focus of his administration, and announcements from Japan and South Korea also involve carbon-neutrality by 2050.

Xi Jinping told the UN in June that his country, which recently installed some of the world’s largest renewable energy infrastructure, is aiming for carbon-neutrality by 2060.

“Five years on, it’s clear the Paris Agreement is driving climate action,” said Prof Niklas Höhne of NewClimate Institute, a Climate Action Tracker partner organization.

“The Paris Agreement introduced the goal of global net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and now we’re seeing a wave of countries signing up to it. Can anyone really afford to miss catching this wave?”

These are the sorts of commitments from the sorts of countries which organizations like Climate Action Tracker are constantly pushing for. Large carbon producers like China, Japan, and the U.S. can affect real change when they make commitments like this, not only because of their production of carbon, but their significant place as center pieces in world carbon markets like oil, coal, and gas.

Their policy sends out market signals that are important for driving private sector reductions in carbon as well.

“We now have north of 50% of global emissions covered by big countries with a zero emissions by mid-century goal,” said Bill Hare from Climate Analytics, another partner organization.

“When you add all that up, along with what a whole bunch of other countries are doing, then you move the temperature dial from around 2.7C to really quite close to two degrees.”

MORE: New Zealand Prime Minister Pledges to Reach 100% Renewable Energy Across Nation by 2030

“It’s still a fair way off from the Paris Agreement target, but it is a really major development,” he told BBC News.

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“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.” – Matsuo Bashō

Quote of the Day

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Dec 3, 2020

library philosophy thinking books wisdom-pubdomain-Giammarco Boscaro — Credit: Giammarco Boscaro

Quote of the Day: “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.” – Matsuo Bashō

Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan and internationally recognized as the greatest master of haiku with many of his poems reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. He was also well known for his travel essays beginning with “Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton”.

Photo by: Giammarco Boscaro

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?

This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Dec 2, 2020

We’ve partnered with our friend Rob Brezsny, who for years has championed a positive approach to life through astrology. His weekly wisdom can enlighten your thinking and motivate your mood with ‘PROnoia’ instead of paranoia. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column that appears 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 beginning December 1, 2020
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked,” observed Sagittarian author Jane Austen. She wrote this confession in a letter to her niece, Fanny, whose boyfriend thought that the women characters in Jane’s novels were too naughty. In the coming weeks, I encourage you Sagittarians to regard pictures of perfection with a similar disdain. To accomplish all the brisk innovations you have a mandate to generate, you must cultivate a deep respect for the messiness of creativity; you must understand that your dynamic imagination needs room to experiment with possibilities that may at first appear disorderly. For inspiration, keep in mind this quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn novelist Anne Brontë (1820–1849) said, “Smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad.” I suspect you could have experiences like hers in the coming weeks. I bet you’ll feel a welter of unique and unfamiliar emotions. Some of them may seem paradoxical or mysterious, although I think they’ll all be interesting and catalytic. I suggest you welcome them and allow them to teach you new secrets about your deep self and the mysterious nature of your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Aquarian philosopher Simone Weil formulated resolutions so as to avoid undermining herself. First, she vowed she would only deal with difficulties that actually confronted her, not far-off or hypothetical problems. Second, she would allow herself to feel only those feelings that were needed to inspire her and make her take effective action. All other feelings were to be shed, including imaginary feelings—that is, those not rooted in any real, objective situation. Third, she vowed, she would “never react to evil in such a way as to augment it.” Dear Aquarius, I think all of these resolutions would be very useful for you to adopt in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In June 2019, the young Piscean singer Justin Bieber addressed a tweet to 56-year-old actor Tom Cruise, challenging him to a mixed martial arts cage fight. “If you don’t take this fight,” said Bieber, “you will never live it down.” A few days later, Bieber retracted his dare, confessing that Cruise “would probably whoop my ass in a fight.” If Bieber had waited until December 2020 to make his proposal, he might have had more confidence to follow through—and he might also have been better able to whoop Cruise’s ass. You Pisceans are currently at the peak of your power and prowess.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
An anonymous blogger on Tumblr writes the following: “What I’d really like is for someone to objectively watch me for a week and then sit down with me for a few hours and explain to me what I am like and how I look to others and what my personality is in detail and how I need to improve. Where do I sign up for that?” I can assure you that the person who composed this message is not an Aries. More than any other sign of the zodiac, you Rams want to *be* yourself, to inhabit your experience purely and completely—not see yourself from the perspective of outside observers. Now is a good time to emphasize this specialty.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“Humans like to be scared,” declares author Cathy Bell. “We love the wicked witch’s cackle, the wolf’s hot breath, and the old lady who eats children, because sometimes, when the scary is over, all we remember is the magic.” I suppose that what she says is a tiny bit true. But there are also many ways to access the magic that don’t require encounters with dread. And that’s exactly what I predict for you in the coming weeks, Taurus: marvelous experiences—including catharses, epiphanies, and breakthroughs—that are neither spurred by fear nor infused with it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In 1994, the animated movie The Lion King told the story of the difficult journey made by a young lion as he struggled to claim his destiny as rightful king. A remake of the film appeared in 2019. During the intervening 25 years, the number of real lions living in nature declined dramatically. There are now just 20,000. Why am I telling you such bad news? I hope to inspire you to make 2021 a year when you will resist trends like this. Your assignment is to nurture and foster wildness in every way that’s meaningful for you—whether that means helping to preserve habitats of animals in danger of extinction or feeding and championing the wildness inside you and those you care about. Get started!

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Is there anyone whose forgiveness you would like to have? Is there anyone to whom you should make atonement? Now is a favorable phase to initiate such actions. In a related subject, would you benefit from forgiving a certain person whom you feel wronged you? Might there be healing for you in asking that person to make amends? The coming weeks will provide the best opportunity you have had in a long time to seek these changes.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Scientists know that the Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing down—but at the very slow rate of two milliseconds every 100 years. What that means is that 200 million years from now, one day will last 25 hours. Think of how much more we humans will be able to get done with an extra hour every day! I suspect you may get a preview of this effect in the coming weeks, Leo. You’ll be extra efficient. You’ll be focused and intense in a relaxing way. Not only that: You will also be extra appreciative of the monumental privilege of being alive. As a result, you will seem to have more of the precious luxury of time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Adventurer Tim Peck says there are three kinds of fun. The first is pure pleasure, enjoyed in full as it’s happening. The second kind of fun feels challenging when it’s underway, but interesting and meaningful in retrospect. Examples are giving birth to a baby or taking an arduous hike uphill through deep snow. The third variety is no fun at all. It’s irksome while you’re doing it, and equally disagreeable as you think about it later. Now I’ll propose a fourth type of fun, which I suspect you’ll specialize in during the coming weeks. It’s rather boring or tedious or nondescript while it’s going on, but in retrospect you are very glad you did it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“I made the wrong mistakes,” said Libran composer and jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. He had just completed an improvisatory performance he wasn’t satisfied with. On countless other occasions, however, he made the right mistakes. The unexpected notes and tempo shifts he tried often resulted in music that pleased him. I hope that in the coming weeks you make a clear demarcation between wrong mistakes and right mistakes, dear Libra. The latter could help bring about just the transformations you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“Home is not where you were born,” writes Naguib Mahfouz. “Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.” I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the next 12 months, Scorpio. According to my astrological analysis, you will receive all the inspiration and support you need as you strive to be at peace with exactly who you are. You’ll feel an ever-diminishing urge to wish you were doing something else besides what you’re actually doing. You’ll be less and less tempted to believe your destiny lies elsewhere, with different companions and different adventures. To your growing satisfaction, you will refrain from trying to flee from the gifts that have been given you, and you will instead accept the gifts just as they are. And it all starts now.

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)

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‘World’s Loneliest Elephant’ Kavaan Finally Reaches New Home, Gets Hugs From Cher And New Pachyderm Pal

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Dec 2, 2020

It’s been a big week for Kavaan the ‘loneliest elephant’. After spending decades living in poor conditions in a Pakistan zoo, he’s reached the lush sanctuary where he’ll spend the rest of his days. And he’s already made a a new buddy.

Earlier this year, GNN reported that Kavaan was ordered by Pakistan’s High Court to be freed from Islamabad’s Murghazar Zoo, which is in the process of being permanently shut down.

There were many groups and people fighting for the elephant’s release, including, most famously, Cher, who celebrated Kavaan’s win, tweeting, “THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE.”

Since that May ruling, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has been working behind the scenes to find the lonely elephant an ideal home. They found the perfect site in Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary.

MORE GOOD NEWS: African Elephant Poaching Has Fallen By More Than 50% Over the Course of the Last 6 Years

In a rescue led by the animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS, alongside IWMB and Cher’s Free The Wild organization, veterinarians and elephant experts have been busy preparing Kaavan for his departure to a new location.

For weeks, the team has been helping Kavaan learn how to make a stress-free entry and exit into and out of an air-shipment crate. Given the male elephant weighs 4.35 tons, that’s been no easy task.

This weekend, though, Kavaan was finally ready for his departure. With a military escort, the pachyderm was taken to Islamabad International Airport and onto a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. After a stopover in India, he made the 10-hour flight to a new country, arriving at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital of Siem Reap on Monday.

Since he’s been there?

Kaavan has left his transport crate and enjoyed a warm welcome with a fruitcake and a banana tree leaves trail made just for him.

After eight years with no animal friends, he’s made his first integration with another elephant.

He’s met one of his biggest supporters.

That’d be Cher, who tweeted that she sang to relax him.

Woke EARLY Day Be-4 yesterday,& Went 2 see Kaavan. Men Milling around made Him anxious.I Was There,but I Only given him food,& Sing 2 Him. With Asthma Sound like🐸.4PAWS IS ASTONISHING, MARK Has Moved 350🐘, Cher=🐘.Can Learn From 4PAWS & Mark.Think K Likes Me & Dumbo Song pic.twitter.com/pEjYkJzAyE
— Cher (@cher) November 30, 2020

In around a month, Kavaan will be introduced to three female elephants, and he’ll have 25,000 acres to roam in. That’s an area 50,000x bigger than the zoo enclosure he was confined to until the court ruling helped set him free.

With Kaavan’s years of isolation finally at an end, FOUR PAWS says he’ll finally have the chance to live a species-appropriate and peaceful life.

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Missy Elliott Surprised a Stranger With A Dream Dress After Bride Makes Emotional Post on Twitter

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Dec 2, 2020

missy elliott-CC 4.0-Atlantic Records — Atlantic Records

As much as being able to say “yes to the dress” looms large in many a bride’s twinkling eye, budget woes have forced compromise for more than their fair share of wedding dreams.

Such was the case for bride-to-be Ireanna Bradshaw, who between saving for the big day and moving into a new home with her intended, had a budget that was stretched to the wire.

Bradshaw found her dream dress at David’s Bridal, but fretted that even though she’d been scrimping and saving, at $1,300 it was simply beyond her means. Despondent, she tweeted a photo of the dress and some words of distress to her Twitter feed:

“Im getting Married in March &trying to move into our own place… “Excited but overwhelmed. I have been saving money; but its still a struggle. I found my dream dress and I want to get it so bad but between saving for the move- i dnt think it will be possible.”

Bradshaw also posted her cash app info hoping for a little help, never dreaming a famous fairy godmother might be waiting in the wings to grant her wish.

When music legend Missy Elliott got wind of Bradshaw’s yearning for the perfect gown, she decided to make some wedding magic of her own. The star stepped in and paid for the dress in full, tweeting:

Your Dress is paid for now🙂 I don’t know you but I saw you said the dress of your dreams & figured I would help when I saw you post ya cash app🙂May Blessings pour on your Beautiful Wedding Day with your Future husband💍🙏🏾🙌🏾
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) November 18, 2020

We just love Cinderella bridal story with a happy ending, don’t you?

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Image: Atlantic Records

Celebrity Chef David Chang Won $1 Million – And He’s Giving It All to Restaurant Workers

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MORE: Kevin Hart Steps in Where Jerry Lewis Left Off, Raising $10.5 Million During Muscular Dystrophy Telethon – WATCH

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Dec 2, 2020

david-chang-youtube-screenshot-who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire — YouTube/Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Celebrity chef David Chang, founder of the wildly successful Momofuku restaurant brand, is a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world, but he’s also pretty savvy on a lot of other fronts as well.

Momofuku means lucky peach, and luck was certainly with Chang when he sank his teeth into the top prize on last week’s episode of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’

Winning a million bucks may be about as exciting as life gets and Chang was certainly amazed to have beaten the odds—but even more thrilling was the prospect of just how all that money would be spent.

That’s because no matter what he earned on the show, Chang had already earmarked his winnings to go to a charity that’s near and dear to his heart: the Southern Smoke Foundation, an emergency relief fund for folks in the food and beverage industry.

According to their website, to date, the Southern Smoke Foundation has “distributed more than $5.7 million, both directly to people in need via the Emergency Relief Fund and to organizations that represent the needs of people in our industry.”

While Southern Smoke was established in 2017, COVID-19’s devastating impact on restaurants, bars, and catering companies in 2020 has made the need for financial crisis intervention all the more urgent.

“I’m so honored that Dave chose Southern Smoke as his charity,” founder Chris Shepherd told CNN. “Now, more than ever, with indoor dining shut down in many parts of the country and temperatures dropping to prohibit outdoor dining, food and beverage industry employees are desperate.”

When Chang reached the $500,000 mark, Millionaire host Jimmy Kimmel cautioned him that no celebrity contestant had ever taken home “the big check.” Chang seriously considered walking away, but trusting his luck, he decided to go all in.

“Having a million dollars right now, in this moment, is a game-changer for many, many families,” he said during the show. “And yes, half a million is as well… and I want to say ‘No, just take the money!’—but I’m not.”

With the help of lifeline buddy, ESPN correspondent Mina Kimes—who coached him that Benjamin Harrison was likely the first U.S. President to have electricity in the White House—Chang gave his final answer.

Within seconds the set erupted in celebration.

“Always wanted to hold a giant check on television,” Millionaire writer/director Alan Yang gushed, tweeting a photo of Chang, Kimmel, the check, and himself. “Thanks @MillionaireTV! Asian trivia dream team ftw.”

CHECK OUT: Tyler Perry Picks Up the Tab for All Groceries Purchased During Senior Shopping Hour at 73 Supermarkets

While the camera-friendly big check is likely just a stage prop, the money it represents will have a huge impact. Southern Smoke estimates Chang’s million-dollar “lucky peach” will benefit approximately 500 food and beverage workers in need.

(WATCH David make his big win in the Jimmy Kimmel Live! Video below.)

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Dutch Man Invents Coffin That Turns Bodies Into Mushrooms: ‘We are nutrients, not waste’

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MORE: Student Treks to Yellowstone and Finds Bacteria That Eats Pollution and ‘Breathes’ Electricity

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Dec 2, 2020

mushroom-coffin-released-loop-bob-hendrikx (2) — Bob Hendrikx, Loop

In the Netherlands, an 82-year old woman was recently laid to rest in a coffin made entirely of fast-composting mushroom fibres that will considerably increase the health of the soil in the years that follow.

Dubbed the ‘Living Cocoon,’ the coffin gives an option for a more ecologically conscious generation who may want to leave a positive impact on the planet after they’ve gone.

Created by 26-year-old Bob Hendrikx, a bio-designer from the University of Delft, the Living Cocoon is made by growing mycelium around a coffin-shaped frame. Mycelium is the part of the mushroom we can’t see—the underground fibrous network that makes up most of the lifeform.

Hendrikx also referred to it as “nature’s recycler,” as mycelium has been shown by mushroom scientists, called mycologists, to be able to process things which other agents of decomposition can’t tackle.

“Mycelium is constantly looking for waste products–oil, plastic, metals, other pollutants–and converting them into nutrients for the environment,” Hendrikx said, according to the Guardian. “This coffin means we actually feed the earth with our bodies. We are nutrients, not waste.”

In contrast to the years it can take a conventional coffin—with artificial cloth fibers, laminated wood, and metal components—to break down, local newspapers covering the funeral claimed the Living Cocoon “takes one week to grow and then, containing the body of the deceased, takes an estimated two to three years to decompose.”

Currently the coffin costs around $1,350, but Hendrikx hopes that as more and more people become interested, he can drive the cost down.

Hendrikx, a radical thinker, imagines a day where every coffin used on earth is made of mycelium, allowing our species that has grown to dominate every corner of the world to constantly give back to the soil we owe so much of our prosperity to.

Living Cocoon’s parent company, Loop, is actually conducting research on the impact of human bodies on soil quality, with the hope of “convincing policymakers to convert polluted areas into healthy forests–with our bodies as nutrients.”

In this way, rather than designating lush and picturesque areas for cemeteries, societies could create more lush and picturesque areas through use of the Living Cocoon.

Hendrikx also wants to harness the power of mycelium, which has even been shown to be able to make canoes, and to make sustainable furniture and other goods.

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‘It’s working!’ From Bobcats to Bears, Utah’s First Wildlife Bridge is a Hit–And There’s Video to Prove it

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Dec 2, 2020

A video posted on Facebook in mid-November shows the outstanding success of the i-80 wildlife overpass in Utah, where you can watch elk, moose, small mammals, black bears, coyotes, and even what appears to be a porcupine safely cross a dangerous stretch of road.

For wildlife researchers, it demonstrates that the time it takes for animals to adapt to using wildlife overpasses may be years shorter than first anticipated.

“From what we can tell, the number of accidents there is down dramatically. At least initially, it appears the investment in safety is paying off,” Utah DoT spokesman John Gleason told the Salt Lake Tribune in 2019. “And we expected it to take several years before the animals got used to using it, so this is great.”

Completed in 2018 by Utah’s Dep. of Transportation and costing $5 million, the wildlife overpass was lobbied for by a group called Save People Save Animals, after a particular stretch of i-80 was unfortunately dubbed “Slaughter Row” due to the large number of traffic collisions with crossing wildlife.

The bridge incorporates miles of fencing in both directions on both sides of the road, funneling mammals to the bridge which is covered in soil, boulders, and logs to make it feel like a natural environment.

Not only are the animals using it instead of crossing the highway further down the corridor, but they are treating it like their natural habitat. A cougar was recorded scratching and stretching on one of the logs, which it wouldn’t do in a stressed state.

Collisions with cars are a real danger to millions of animals, but even 15 years ago, there were already more than 700 terrestrial and aquatic wildlife crossing points in North America, with more and more being built every year, including the largest in the world to help California’s isolated mountain lion populations, which is to be completed in 2021.

(WATCH the video showing the wildlife crossings so far.)

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“Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.” – Irving Berlin

Quote of the Day

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Dec 2, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.” – Irving Berlin

Berlin was an American composer and lyricist called one of the greatest songwriters in American history. His hits included White Christmas, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Easter Parade, Puttin’ on the Ritz, Cheek to Cheek, Happy Holiday, Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better), and There’s No Business Like Show Business. (1888–1989)

Photo by: Abdelrahman Mohamed

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?

Americans Reveal How They’re Staying Positive in 2020 With 66% Agreeing Their Communities Are Closer Than Ever

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Dec 1, 2020

Eight in 10 Americans in a new poll said they were desperate to hear some positive news in the remainder of 2020—and believed the constant stream of bad news has taken a toll.

The survey asked 2,000 Americans nationwide about how they’ve coped with the stress of this year.

The ‘good news’ is that 7 in 10 respondents have made it a priority to do something positive every day as the quarantine continues.

The top goal, shared by 43% of respondents, is just to make at least one person smile every day. 34% are trying to make someone laugh daily, and to make it a priority to share positive news with their loved ones.

And when respondents need some cheering up themselves, their recipe is turning on their favorite movie (46%) and eating their favorite snack (43%).

Forty-three percent of respondents also go for a walk, four in 10 respondents call a friend, and 38% snuggle up with their pet.

A quarter of respondents also shared that they sing in the shower for a pick-me-up and 19% even have a solo dance party to get in better spirits.

Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed mentioned they’re donating to local charities to foster positivity and 28% are finding a safe way to volunteer.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vitamin Angels for Giving Tuesday, the survey included six in 10 respondents who said the difficulties of 2020 and COVID-19 have led them to give back to their community even more—and 66% were in agreement that their communities are closer than ever.

Despite the stress of COVID-19, 78% of respondents also said the pandemic has made it more important than ever to give back to their local communities.

In fact, 42% of those polled have increased their donations to charities during COVID-19, saying they have donated to an average of four charities throughout the year, with the average totaling $36.47 a month.

CHECK OUT: Performing Acts of Kindness Can Boost Both Physical Health and Happiness Levels, Study Finds

Half of those polled are also donating to charities that are currently addressing COVID-19, with 87% of whom saying they’re more likely to support causes that are specifically helping women and children impacted by the pandemic.

Over half of respondents (57%) also plan to increase their planned holiday donations because of the impact of COVID-19.

“Communities in the U.S. and around the world were already vulnerable before COVID-19 and now is the time when they need us most,” said Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels Founder & President.

MORE: 8 in 10 Americans Say Positive Memories Have Been a ‘Lifeline’ During the Pandemic

“Right now, we have an opportunity to come together and take what has been one of the hardest years in our lives, and turn it into one of our best, positive actions; to help the most vulnerable in our communities.”

And as respondents look to the new year, three-quarters are hoping to start off fresh and share positivity as much as they can, with another eight in 10 hoping others will do the same.

The top goals to share positivity in 2021 included having a more positive outlook in life (52%) and trying not to focus on the negative things as much (50%).

Forty-eight percent of respondents are also aiming to take better care of their mental health, and a third of respondents want to donate more to charity and to amp up their volunteering commitments.

“This holiday season is a great opportunity to connect with loved ones and share some much-needed positivity,” said Schiffer. “Another way to share positivity is giving back to at-risk members of our communities.”

TOP THINGS AMERICAN DO TO CHEER THEMSELVES UP IN 2020
Watching their favorite movie – 46%
Eating their favorite snack – 43%
Going for a walk – 43%
Calling a friend – 40%
Cuddling their pet – 38%
Taking a nap – 37%
Hugging a loved one – 37%
Baking cookies – 31%
Singing in the shower – 25%
Having a solo dance party – 19%

TOP POSITIVITY GOALS DURING COVID-19
Try to make someone smile once a day – 43%
Donate money to local charities – 38%
Share positive news with their loved ones – 34%
Try to make someone laugh once a day – 34%
Volunteer in a safe, social distancing compliant fashion – 28%

GOALS FOR 2021
Have a more positive outlook in life – 52%
Try not to focus on the negative things in life as much – 50%
Take better care of their mental health – 48%
Donate more money to charity – 34%
Volunteer in their community more – 32%

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Canadian Man Drives Stranded American Family 1,000 Miles to Alaska

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Dec 1, 2020

gary-bath-lynn-marchessault-copyright-Gary Bath — Gary Bath

Though most modern-day women generally don’t like to think of themselves as damsels in distress, when fate lands them in peril, sometimes the only thing to do is call for a knight in shining armor to come to the rescue. For one American woman, that knight turned out to be a Canadian ranger.

Lynn Marchessault was behind the wheel of a pickup towing a large trailer as she and her two children headed to Alaska to join her husband at the military base where he currently serves.

Although Marchessault is former military and used to tough situations, even after upgrading to studded snow tires, the Southerner wasn’t prepared for the snowy conditions that gradually worsened the further north they traveled.

Rather than risk harm to her children or herself, Marchessault decided to pull off the road and bivouac at a highway lodge that had been set up to house temporary workers. Her husband, stranded due to COVID-19 protocols, was unable to come to their assistance, so Marchessault sent an online plea for help.

The message was spotted by the watchful eyes of Gary Bath, who lives with his wife, Selena, in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Though the trek was close to 1,700 kilometers (roughly 1,056 miles), he was determined to see this woman he’d never met and her kids to their destination.

MORE: Selfless Cop Picks Up Smelly Hitchhikers, Drives Them 40 Miles – And Stops For BBQ

“I didn’t care how far it was, I just knew they needed help and they had a few short days to hit the border before they were going to get in trouble,” Bath told CBC News.

In addition to the stressful driving conditions, as a ranger, Bath knew Americans are only allowed a certain grace period to reach Alaska from the lower 48 states.

Bath and his wife, their car loaded with provisions, met up with Marchessault and her family at the inn. Entrusting them to Bath’s care, Selena drove home, leaving Bath behind to perform his knight in shining armor chauffeuring duties.

With Bath as pilot, the rest of the trip was uneventful. Everyone in the car observed COVID-19 precautions and the group reached their destination at the Alaskan border near Beaver Creek in the Yukon in good spirits.

His charges safely delivered, Bath now faced the daunting undertaking of making the return trip, but he needn’t have worried. News of his good deed had quickly spread.

Thanks to word of mouth among his fellow rangers, combined with generous public contributions for his airfare to complete the final leg of his journey, Bath made it home in good time.

Bath says as happy as he was to help out, he was also touched by the generosity of others who pitched in along the way.

Marchessault was full of praise for the man who’d saved the day—and for his wife as well. “We are forever grateful to Gary and I’m thankful to his wife for bringing him up and loaning him out,” she said.

It seems that Marchessault and Selena Bath really hit it off, and are hoping to renew the friendship when the family heads back south.

And if that’s not a heartwarming ending for a story that started on a snowy winter day, we don’t know what is.

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Additive That Makes Plastic Harmless Has Potential to Be Biodegrading Game-Changer

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Dec 1, 2020

plastic bottle on leaves biodegradable-pubdomain-Erik Mclean — By Erik Mclean

Branding itself as the only plastic that ‘truly’ biodegrades, a new materials company is manufacturing plastics that break down into harmless component elements in less than a year.

A special ingredient is added to the manufacturing stage of plastic to create completely normal forms of plastic that can be used to make both rigid or flexible products, allowing no great overhaul of production lines or schedules.

Seriously big companies are not waiting for extensive testing to begin adding Polymateria’s special biodegrading plastic to their operations, even though the UK firm has done tests that confirm their claims that after around 226 days, a harmless wax, edible by microbes, is the only thing that will remain of something like an ice-cream wrapper if left on the side of the road.

Polymateria Ltd was developed at Imperial College London and is chaired by former Marks & Spencer CEO Mark Bolland. The firm aims to tackle the plastic problem head on, with a plan to launch their products as soon as possible in Asia, and to target the two most common types of polluting plastic polymers, polyurethane and polypropylene.

Though designed to be recycled normally, a light breeze, a forgetful hand, or an irresponsible decision which normally can leave plastic loitering on the roadside or by dumping sites for years won’t affect Polymateria plastic: It will eventually turn to a waxy sludge that’s harmless to plants, animals, and river systems.

One of the major advantages is that the plastic is turned into normal organic elements like carbon dioxide and oxygen, not merely more easily breaking down into microplastic granules that, while making it easier to recycle, causes oftentimes worse and harder to detect pollution effects in an ecosystem.

The sportswear brand Puma will be the first to incorporate Polymateria’s plastic, adding it to a whopping 160 million plastic bags according to The Sunday Times. Other brands haven’t been revealed but reports say that Polymateria is on shelves in the UK, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, and Kenya.

Niall Dunne, the company CEO, told National Geographic that they “are testing in India, and due to launch soon, and we are talking to manufacturers in China and the USA.”

Frederic de Mevius, dynasty part-owner of the Anheuser-Busch InBev global brewing conglomerate, is a director and investor in Polymateria, and told Sunday Times reporters that “Within two to five years we will be supplying 20 to 50 of the largest brands that are responsible for plastic pollution.”

The British Standards Institution has confirmed many of the company’s claims through working with Polymateria to develop a rigorous testing standard using a “weatherometer” to measure biotransformation of the materials in precise conditions of UV light, moisture, and more.

Any Polymateria products would come with a “recycle by” date, after which they would gradually return to nature.

With the Pacific Garbage Patch recently recognized as a country, with its own citizenship, monarchy, currency, and passports, truly biodegradable plastic that won’t trouble the environment even if it isn’t recycled would, at anypoint, be a timely intervention.

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They Canceled Their Big Wedding But Took a $5k Catering Deposit And Served Thanksgiving Meals To The Needy

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Dec 1, 2020

couple-copyright-Sophie Cazottes Photography-food-released-Big Delicious Planet — Billy Lewis and Emily Bugg, Sophie Cazottes Photography https://www.sophiecazottes.com/; turkey meals, Big Delicious Planet

Wedding events last a few hours. Marriages are meant to last a lifetime. In the wake of COVID-19, although disappointed by the necessity of having their big days significantly scaled back, some special couples have been able to embrace the bigger picture with open hearts.

Billy Lewis and Emily Bugg, Sophie Cazottes Photography; dinners, Big Delicious Planet

Such was the case for Chicago residents Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis. Originally, the pair had planned fairly lavish nuptials, but as the pandemic wore on, rather than wait to wed, they eventually decided to trade-in their upscale plans for a small ceremony at City Hall.

Love may have won the day, but it did leave the newlyweds with a conundrum. What to do about their non-refundable deposits and wedding-related purchases?

Some things—like the dress and the D.J.—were write-offs. However, Bugg and Lewis decided that having their health and being together more than made up for those things.

And all was not a loss: The reception venue agreed to let them put their deposit on hold to be used for a future charity event, and the wedding photographer shifted gears to record the couple’s small but heartfelt City Hall ceremony for posterity.

That left the $5,000 catering deposit—but rather than roll the money into an event to be named, Bugg and Lewis decided instead to spread their joy to others less fortunate.

Bugg, an outreach worker at Thresholds, a nonprofit geared toward helping sufferers of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric illnesses, knew exactly where she wanted the money to go.

With an enthusiastic thumbs’ up from caterer Heidi Moorman Coudal, owner of Big Delicious Planet, and the blessing of Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug, the designated fare from the original 150-person guest list was transformed into 200 boxed Thanksgiving dinners for Windy City residents dealing on a day-to-day basis with severe mental health challenges.

Charitable donations have taken a big hit as a result of the financial impact of the Coronavirus, so Ishaug was especially grateful for the couple’s inspiring gift to the Threshold community. He was also greatly heartened by “the copycat effect” the generous gesture seems to have spawned.

“Other people start asking themselves, ‘What can I do for others at Thanksgiving?’ There’s been so much anger and fear this past year … and then we have something like this from Emily and Billy, which is just about humanity and kindness,” he told the Washington Post.

In addition to tying the knot, Bugg and Lewis recently adopted a rescue dog they named June, adding a little more love to the family. While she might be wistful at not having had the chance to wear her wedding dress, Bugg believes even though theirs wasn’t the traditional start to a marriage, it was beautiful nonetheless.

It’s clear Lewis shares the sentiment and couldn’t be prouder of his bride. “I’m lucky to have a wife who is clever and thoughtful enough to change a not-so-good situation into something positive for a lot of people,” he said.

And we think Chicago is lucky to count both of them among its citizens.

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“Hope is one of the principal springs that keep mankind in motion.” – Andrew Fuller

Quote of the Day

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Dec 1, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Hope is one of the principal springs that keep mankind in motion.” – Andrew Fuller

Photo by: Jason Olliff

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?

A ‘Beaver Full Moon’ With Lunar Eclipse Happened This Morning—And Folks Took Some Stunning Photos

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