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Romania Hits 94% Recycling After Launching Largest Return Plan in the World

A recycling depot operated by RetuRO, Romania's plastic return system organizer - credit Eduard Voicu / RetuRO
A recycling depot operated by RetuRO, Romania’s plastic return system organizer – credit Eduard Voicu / RetuRO

If you had to guess where in the EU you would find the most sophisticated and effective recycling system for beverage containers, how long before you’d say Romania?

Beating out Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, the Romanian government’s private-public partnership with the logistics firm RetuRO, has led to an incredible 94% collection rate of plastic, glass, and metal containers in just two years.

The method is simple, but a RetuRO executive said that its secret to success comes from the fact that there was no existing recycling system already working that had to be overwritten: it was a fresh idea.

Fresh, but not new. Each retailer that sells products which come in recyclable containers are given a tax credit for the cost of installing return infrastructure like reverse vending machines and other installations. Then, the customer, when they buy each item, are charged a deposit that is returned with a few cents extra when they return the items.

With all the extras, one Transylvanian woman was able to buy food for her cats for the whole week.

“We are the largest fully integrated deposit return system globally,” said Gemma Webb, the chief executive of RetuRO, the company running the system in a public-private partnership.

Even though product return rates are as high as 94% in some months, those products as a proportion of the country’s total recyclable waste remains small; less than 15%. As far as that is from seeing the recyclability of all waste, it’s still awfully far from where the country has come.

RECYCLE THIS NEWS:

Between 2011 and 2021, recycling rates for plastic, glass, and metal beverage containers hovered around 11-12%, and rarely changed. Only 1% of all materials recycled or thrown away eventually made it back into the economy, according to the Guardian.

Romanians returned some seven-and-a-half billion beverage containers between November 2023 and the end of September 2025, 4 billion of which were polyethylene terephthalate, the ubiquitous “PET” plastic that permeates world society. One study found that 90% of surveyed Romanians had used the system at least once.

The Guardian reported that the plastic contained in a single PET plastic beverage container can produce 25 more over the materials lifespan if properly recycled.

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A Pile of Puppies Treatment Cheers Up Seriously Ill Kids with Bundles of Cozy Joy

Julia Stults gets treatment from Pile of Puppies – Courtesy of Dina Stults
Julia Stults gets treatment from Pile of Puppies – Courtesy of Dina Stults

Even if cancer can survive chemotherapy, it’s no match, at least for a moment, for the smile that shines from underneath a pile of puppies.

Pile of Puppies is a Portland-based nonprofit that brings large litters of puppies to the homes of chronically or terminally-ill children.

It was founded by Jennifer Trepanier, a woman who grew up with a chronic inflammatory condition and developed an autoimmune disorder while pregnant, who experienced the uncontainable joy of a puppy pile-on.

Her coworker had brought a litter of Swiss mountain dog puppies into work as a surprise, and the resulting exhilaration brought Pile of Puppies to life.

Managed through donations, fundraising activities, and grant money, the $55,000-a-year nonprofit works by identifying a child in need of the pick-me-up potential of a puppy patdown before sending a team of volunteers to set up a play pen and line it with absorbent pads.

The child is positioned inside, and the litter is released.

Pile of Puppies has organized 2,000 such visits, among which was a visit to Julia Stults’ house. The now-16 year old high school junior was in the depths of a struggle against ulcerative colitis, and didn’t have many reasons to smile. She remembers getting the puppy treatment as a bright spot in a childhood marred by pain and dulled by medication.

“It’s those little, tiny special things that are like, ‘Yeah, having (ulcerative colitis) sucks, but then I wouldn’t get all the puppies.’”

Her mother, Dina Stults, was so affected by the experience that she’s gone on to help Trepanier organize other events, and told the Oregonian that watching your child regain some of the joy lost to illness is an incomparable relief.

MORE GREAT NONPROFITS: Boy Had to Go Barefoot for 13 Years After Childhood Injury–But Can Now Wear Shoes Thanks to Free Surgery

“It’s about them as humans and how they interact with the puppies — which things they like and don’t like,” Stults said. “They just open up. They’re chatty, and they brighten up. It’s a very enriching experience for a volunteer.”

For a $100 donation, you can give a Pile of Puppies experience to a child in pain, while another $25.00 will memorialize the special day with a Pile of Puppies plush puppy to stay by their side when pain or fatigue begin to take their toll.

WATCH little Zinnia get a Pile of Puppies Experience…

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“Nature is never finished.” – Robert Smithson

By Kiya Golara

Quote of the Day: “Nature is never finished.” – Robert Smithson

Image by: Kiya Golara

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?

By Kiya Golara

Good News in History, December 2

Aaron Rodgers going down the tunnel at Lambeau in 2008 - CC 2.0. SA CPacker

Happy 42nd Birthday to Aaron Rodgers, the sensational NFL QB best known for his consistency, accuracy, and completions in the end zone. Playing almost his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdown-to-interception ratio with the lowest passing interception percentage for six seasons, and led four seasons in touchdown passing percentage. He is the first hurler to ever have a career passing rating of over 100. READ more… (1983)

Superman No.1 Comic Book Found in Mom’s Attic Bags $9.1 Million in Most Valuable Comic Auction Ever

Superman #1 via CGC and Heritage Auctions
Superman #1 via CGC and Heritage Auctions

Their mother often boasted to her three sons that she had very valuable comic books upstairs, but they never sought to verify or explore her claim.

Now, her Superman No.1 comic book has become the most valuable one ever auctioned, after hauling in $9.1 million on November 20th.

Found where treasures often are—in the attic of a deceased family member—it was kept in excellent condition by the cool San Francisco climate, maintaining its crisp corners, vivid colors, and sturdy spine.

Superman No.1 was released by Detective Comics Inc. in 1939. It followed the introduction of the Man of Steel in a previous comic series that existed as an anthology, with the first print running 500,000 copies.

A small topical in-page advertisement helped identify it as coming from the first print run.

When the brothers put her house up for sale following her death, they finally began to clean it out, and they found the comic book in a box along with other rare, and potentially valuable editions.

“It was just in an attic, sitting in a box—could have easily been thrown away, could’ve easily been destroyed in a thousand different ways,” said Lon Allen, vice-president of comics at Heritage Auctions, who handled the sale.

“A lot of people got excited, because it’s just every factor in collecting that you could possibly want, all rolled into one.”

As part of its journey to the auction block, the comic was brought to Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), where it was authenticated and graded CGC 9.0 out of 10 for quality of preservation, the highest rating ever for an issue at auction.

AWESOME AUCTIONS:

Indeed, another edition of Superman No.1 sold in May 2024 for around $160,000 having been certified CGC 1.8 out of 10.

The previous record comic book sale was also a Superman No.1 with graded CGC 8.0, which sold privately in 2022 for $5.3 million. Action Comics No.1, the anthology that introduced Superman to the world, has also cracked the 7-figure threshold.

Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics was such a watershed moment in the popularity of the mythology-inspired character that Detective Comics decided to launch his own issue.

SHARE This Story Of Stunning Valuation For Comic History With Your Friends…

Popemobile Transformed into Mobile Clinic for Gaza Children: Francis Would Have Loved it

Pope Francis in 2015 rides in Popemobile in Washington DC Parade – Credit Tami Heilemann / U.S. Department of the Interior - CC BY-SA 2.0
Pope Francis in 2015 rides in Popemobile in Washington DC Parade – Credit Tami Heilemann / U.S. Department of the Interior – CC BY-SA 2.0

The global Catholic charity organization Caritas, asked Pope Francis in the final years of his life if he would like to see his old ‘popemobile’ used as a mobile hospital for children.

Blessing the idea, the back of the vehicle was converted under the auspices of the Swedish Caritas chapter into a children’s clinic, capable of treating 200 kids a day in Gaza—where it is set to hopefully be deployed.

The vehicle in question started out its life as a Mitsubishi pickup truck, and had actually been converted into a popemobile-style vehicle and given to the former Pope on the occasion of his visit to Bethlehem by the President of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas.

Pope Francis was known to call the small Christian communities in Gaza every evening during the siege of the last 2 years. He had called for an end to the war, a return of all hostages, and an immediate end to the humanitarian aid blockade imposed by Israel.

“This vehicle stands as a testimony that the world has not forgotten the children of Gaza,” said Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm, who had approached Francis before his death about Caritas’ idea of converting the former popemobile into a mobile pediatric clinic.

MORE GOOD VATICAN NEWS: How a Gift from Pope Francis Inspired a Restaurant Owner to Feed the Hungry for Years

It’s unclear if the Israeli agency will permit the vehicle to enter Gaza, where a ceasefire has failed to hold, even as the staged military withdrawal of the IDF and release of the remaining Israeli hostages has. The agency declined to comment on the matter.

“We know how much Pope Francis loved the people of the Holy Land, the people of Bethlehem, and especially the people of Gaza,” said Father Ibrahim Faltas, representative of the Franciscan Friars to the State of Palestine.

SHARE This Last Act Of The Late Pope Toward The People Of Gaza…

Stunning Photo Captures Gaseous Wings of Butterfly Nebula from the Gemini Telescope (LOOK)

The Butterfly Nebula, taken by the Gemini South Telescope - credit, Noirlab / NSF
The Butterfly Nebula, taken by the Gemini South Telescope – credit, Noirlab / NSF

There are a lot of nebulae in the universe, and they often get given catchy names like the Crab Nebula or Cat’s Paw Nebula.

There needs no explaining the name of this nebula—seen in an image taken from the Gemini South Telescope in Chile.

Located between 2,500 and 3,800 light years away in the constellation Scorpio, the Butterfly Nebula is made up of a really rather unique white dwarf star that around 2,000 years ago began pushing away its outer layers into a hot shell of ionized gas.

This is how what are known as planetary nebulae form: the shell of gas is expelled from a host star and creates a rough sphere of ejected stellar material. This star however, is casting out the gas and dust of its exterior into these long, butterfly wing shapes.

The rich red in the image are areas of energized hydrogen gas, while the stark blue traces areas of energized oxygen gas. The star at the center is actually one of the hottest objects ever recorded, according to the National Science Foundation, which owns 70% of the telescope in Chile, and its cousin, Gemini North, in Hawai’i.

NEWSWORTHY NEBULAE: 

Its surface temperatures reach 450,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat from the star causes the gaseous “wings” to glow as we see it in the picture, taken in a blend of infrared and optical light that, at some 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

This picturesque object was chosen as a target for the 8.1-meter telescope by students in Chile as part of the Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest. The contest engaged students in the host locations of the Gemini telescopes to celebrate the legacy that the International Gemini Observatory has built since its completion, marked by Gemini South’s First Light in November 2000.

SHARE This Beautiful And Aptly-Named Nebula With Your Friends Who Love Space… 

Sanctuary Offers to Care for Pet Pig Adopted by Deceased Wife Until Man Recovers From Homelessness

Tony James bids farewell to his pig, Roscoe - credit, courtesy of Gwen Jakubisin
Tony James bids farewell to his pig, Roscoe – credit, courtesy of Gwen Jakubisin

A Portland man found himself homeless at 44 years of age, along with his dog and a 250-lbs. pet pig.

But the fire department’s special homeless assistance team got the man and arranged for a trip home to his family in Chicago, and for the Roscoe the pig, a spot in the state’s largest farm animal rescue sanctuary.

A burst appendix, an inability to work, a mortal heart attack: Tony James suddenly found himself a jobless widower living out of his car. His only shelter was his car, which he shared with his dog Elvis a fully grown Göttingen breed pig that his deceased wife had adopted 3 years before.

Amid the tragedy, Portland Fire & Rescue’s Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) team identified James as someone on the brink, and stepped in to help, offering him transport to his family’s home in Chicago, and to find a sanctuary for Roscoe.

Within a day, CHAT had contacted the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary in Scio, Oregon, the largest of its kind in the state, and home to some 300 farm animals.

Driving Roscoe to his new home, executive director of Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary‘s executive director Gwen Jakubisin got to watch the man bid farewell to a pig he had cared for even without a roof over his head.

“It was actually quite emotional because the bond between Tony and Roscoe was very apparent,” Jakubisin told Samantha Swindler at Oregon Live. “They love each other very much. We were all crying.”

Roscoe entered into a quarantine period in advance of joining the sanctuary’s 132 pigs, but it was clear by his eyes, tusks, and trotters, that there was nothing wrong with him—James had cared for him excellently.

SHOWING COMPASSION: 

“We have a big oak forest, and so in the fall he’ll have acorns to munch on,” said Jakubisin. “He’ll have wallows, which is something he had never really had before. Tony said that he found a mud puddle in a park once and went wild with it.”

The 250-lbs. Roscoe got cozy in his new home just in time to celebrate thanksgiving with an all-natural pumpkin pie fit for a pig set to live high on the hog until, said Jakubisin, James can get back on his feet, at which point she’d be happy to arrange a reunion.

SHARE This Story Of A Man And His Pig, And Those Willing To Help Them Out…

“Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.” – Euripides

Kira auf-der-Heide

Quote of the Day: “Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.” – Euripides

Image by: Kira auf-der-Heide

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?

Kira auf-der-Heide

Good News in History, December 1

70 years ago today, the seamstress Rosa Parks refused to obey an order from a bus driver to give up her seat to a white man and was arrested for violating Montgomery, Alabama’s racial segregation laws. Although Parks was not the first person to ‘stand up’ in order to stay seated on a bus, her act of defiance sparked a yearlong city bus boycott that galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. READ more… (1955)

Normal Thyroid Function in Pregnancy Linked to Lower Autism Risk in Large Study

Getty Images for Unsplash+
Getty Images for Unsplash+

Persistent hormone disruption during pregnancy trimesters appears to increase the likelihood of autism in children, shows a new large cohort study.

Women who experience continuing thyroid hormone irregularities throughout pregnancy may face a higher chance of having a child diagnosed with autism, according to a study released in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Thyroid hormones supplied by the mother play an important role in fetal neurodevelopment. When these hormones become disrupted during pregnancy, previous work has linked the imbalance to atypical brain development and a higher likelihood of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Autism is a multifaceted condition that shapes how an individual communicates, interacts socially, and interprets the world.

Untreated Multi-Trimester Imbalance Carries Higher Risk

“We found that while adequately treated chronic thyroid dysfunction was not associated with increased autism risk in offspring, ongoing imbalance across multiple trimesters was,” said Idan Menashe, Ph.D., of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

“These findings underscore the need for routine monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels throughout pregnancy.”

A Clear Pattern

The research tracked more than 51,000 births between January 2011 and December 2017
and reported that mothers with persistent thyroid hormone imbalance across their pregnancy had an increased likelihood of having children with autism.

A total of 4409 (8.6%) of the mothers showed abnormal thyroid function.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY: Man Who Didn’t Read or Write Until His Late Teens Becomes Cambridge University’s Youngest Black Professor

The authors also documented a dose-response pattern, meaning the risk rose as the number of affected trimesters increased.

No funding was received for this study.

PASS ON THE HEALTH TIP to Pregnant Mothers By Sharing This On Social Media…

Kelly Clarkson Show Fills With Tears When Mom Meets Cake4Kids Baker Who Makes Birthdays Special for Needy Kids

Cakes4Kids
Cakes4Kids

Even the TV show’s host was crying.

During the “Rad Humans” segment on her talk show, Kelly Clarkson introduced the nonprofit Cake4Kids—and before long, the emotional moment sent happy tears streaming down everyone’s face.

For 15 years, the network of volunteer bakers have been providing custom birthday cakes for homeless kids, foster children, and others dealing with difficult circumstances—and it’s on pace to deliver 20,000 cakes this year.

“They get to choose the flavor and the theme, so it’s personalized just for them, exactly what they want—whether it’s cupcakes, cookies, bars, brownies, or cakes,” explained Cake4Kids Executive Director Alison Bakewell (no pun intended).

It all began in California when Libby Gruender was inspired by an article to start making cakes for foster kids and at-risk youth in the San Francisco area. Before passing away in 2013, Gruender and her volunteers had donated 13 cakes and started a movement that would soon extend across the country, receiving requests from social service agencies that work with kids across the country.

Gruender’s legacy now lives on with a nonprofit that has more than 25 chapters nationwide, delivering joy via baked goods in every corner of America.

“The biggest ingredient that we put in is the love that we feel,” said Roberta, a volunteer baker for Cakes4Kids who was invited to be on the show after creating 825 cakes for kids in need since 2018.

On that day, Clarkson had a surprise waiting in the wings for her.

Cakes4Kids

Clarkson introduced a mom, Kasandra, whose daughter received a custom Toy Story cake. Kasandra, her husband, and their two daughters were dealing with tough times and living together in a small rented room.

“Receiving a cake and seeing my daughter get excited over it made her birthday really magical. You were the one who baked my daughter her first cake,” Kasandra informed Roberta live on the show.

The tears started flowing and Clarkson got up to grab some tissues. (See the video below.)

“I am going to need a minute,” she quipped, overwhelmed with emotion.

Kasandra carried on through tears to express her gratitude: “Sometimes we’re not able to, you know, give her everything that we want. So, seeing her really happy, seeing all the characters on the cake really made me and my husband grateful for you guys.”

MORE SWEET SURPRISES:
‘Instant Tears’ for Principal Who Wished Students Were at Her Wedding – They Surprise-Married Her at School
1,500 Bikers Show Up to Escort Bullied Teen to Prom in Spectacular British Convoy: ‘I don’t feel alone anymore’

Then, the elaborate Toy Story cake was shown on the big screen, which made the live audience swoon, while a big check for $5,000 was presented to the nonprofit.

It was a poignant reminder of the loving care that gets poured into every cake they bake—and the joy that rises up as a result.

CREATE 3 LAYERS OF JOY By Sharing The Good News Bakers on Social Media…

Ultrasonic Device Dramatically Speeds Harvesting of Water from the Air – Drinkable in Minutes Instead of Hours

Device uses ultrasonic waves to harvest water 45x faster - Credit: Ikra Iftekhar / MIT (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Device uses ultrasonic waves to harvest water 45x faster – Credit: Ikra Iftekhar / MIT (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Even in desert conditions, there exists some level of humidity that, with the right material, can be soaked up and squeezed out to produce clean drinking water. In recent years, scientists have developed a host of promising sponge-like materials for this “atmospheric water harvesting.”

But recovering the water from these materials usually requires heat — and time. Existing designs rely on heat from the sun to evaporate water from the materials and condense it into droplets. But this step can take hours or even days.

Now, MIT engineers have come up with a way to quickly recover water from an atmospheric water harvesting material. Rather than wait for the sun to evaporate water out, the team uses ultrasonic waves to shake the water out.

The researchers have developed an ultrasonic device that vibrates at high frequency. When a water-harvesting material, known as a “sorbent,” is placed on the device, the device emits ultrasound waves that are tuned to shake water molecules out of the sorbent. The team found that the device recovers water in minutes, versus the tens of minutes or hours required by thermal designs.

Unlike heat-based designs, the device does require a power source. The team envisions that the device could be powered by a small solar cell, which could also act as a sensor to detect when the sorbent is full. It could also be programmed to automatically turn on whenever a material has harvested enough moisture to be extracted. In this way, a system could soak up and shake out water from the air over many cycles in a single day.

“People have been looking for ways to harvest water from the atmosphere, which could be a big source of water particularly for desert regions and places where there is not even saltwater to desalinate,” says Svetlana Boriskina, principal research scientist in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Now we have a way to recover water quickly and efficiently.”

Boriskina and her colleagues reported on their new device in a study appearing recently in the journal Nature Communications.

Precious hours

Boriskina’s group at MIT had generally assumed that an atmospheric water harvesting system (AWH) in the field would absorb moisture during the night, and then use the heat from the sun during the day to naturally evaporate the water and condense it for collection.

“Any material that’s very good at capturing water doesn’t want to part with that water,” Boriskina explains. “So you need to put a lot of energy and precious hours into pulling water out of the material.”

She realized there could be a faster way to recover water after Ikra Shuvo joined her group. Shuvo had been working with ultrasound for wearable medical device applications. When he and Boriskina considered ideas for new projects, they realized that ultrasound could be a way to speed up the recovery step in atmospheric water harvesting.

“It clicked: We have this big problem we’re trying to solve, and now Ikra seemed to have a tool that can be used to solve this problem,” Boriskina recalls.

45 times more efficient

Ultrasound, or ultrasonic waves, are acoustic pressure waves that travel at frequencies of over 20 kilohertz (20,000 cycles per second). Such high-frequency waves are not visible or audible to humans. And, as the team found, ultrasound vibrates at just the right frequency to shake water out of a material.

CHECK OUT: Las Vegas Scientists Perfecting New Way to Turn Desert Air into Water at Much Higher Yields

“With ultrasound, we can precisely break the weak bonds between water molecules and the sites where they’re sitting,” Shuvo says. “It’s like the water is dancing with the waves, and this targeted disturbance creates momentum that releases the water molecules, and we can see them shake out in droplets.”

The duo designed a new ultrasonic actuator with a flat ceramic ring that vibrates when voltage is applied. This ring is surrounded by an outer ring that is studded with tiny nozzles. Water droplets that shake out of a material can drop through the nozzle and into collection vessels attached above and below the vibrating ring.

 

They tested the device on a previously designed atmospheric water harvesting material. Using quarter-sized samples of the material, the team first placed each sample in a humidity chamber, set to various humidity levels. Over time, the samples absorbed moisture and became saturated.

The researchers then placed each sample on the ultrasonic actuator and powered it on to vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies. In all cases, the device was able to shake out enough water to dry out each sample in just a few minutes.

The researchers calculate that, compared to using heat from the sun, the ultrasonic design is 45 times more efficient at extracting water from the same material.

“The beauty of this device is that it’s completely complementary and can be an add-on to almost any sorbent material,” says Boriskina, who envisions a practical, household system might consist of a fast-absorbing material and an ultrasonic actuator, each about the size of a window.

HERE’S SOME ALREADY IN USE:
Device Pulls Dozens of Liters of Water from the Air–Already Being Installed in Jordanian Desert Homes
92-Year-old Helped His Indian Neighbors Save 200,000 Liters of Water And Cut Their Electricity Bills in Half

Once the material is saturated, the actuator would briefly turn on, powered by a solar cell, to shake out the water. The material would then be ready to harvest more water, in multiple cycles throughout a single day.

“It’s all about how much water you can extract per day,” she says. “With ultrasound, we can recover water quickly, and cycle again and again. That can add up to a lot per day.”

(Source: MIT News)

CONSIDER SHARING THE TECH With Science Lovers On Social Media…

He Transformed a Veteran’s ‘Jungle’ Backyard For Free, Then Hands Over $14,000 and a Car

Ben Saunders gives veteran Nick Joyce a car - SWNS
Ben Saunders gives veteran Nick Joyce a life makeover – SWNS

A 63-year-old veteran could barely access his backyard which overgrown with 6-8-foot weeds, until a kind-hearted cleaning company owner transformed the overgrown jungle for free—then he went above-and-beyond to transform the soldier’s life.

Ben Saunders stepped in after meeting Nick Joyce and hearing the Army veteran had been waiting for the local council to clear the tangled brush for four years.

Ben, who owns Flawless Cleaning Services, said the garden was in a “shocking” state.

“It was affecting his mental health,” said Ben, a father-of-two who lives in the Sidcup suburb of London. “I immediately thought, ‘I need to try and do something now’.”

Ben and his team spent two days last month hacking back the weeds, filling an entire dumpster outside Nick’s home in Suffolk, before replacing his side canopy, cleaning his gutters, and even building him vegetable beds.

The unrecognizable transformation was watched on YouTube by some of Ben’s 596,000 followers, so he set up a GoFundMe campaign to provide more help because the former member of the British cavalry, who has COPD, arthritis, and PTSD, had to leave his factory job in April when his car broke down.

Ben Saunders clearing Nick’s backyard – SWNS

He was also struggling to buy food because he couldn’t drive to supermarkets 12 miles away, so instead had to rely on pricier corner shops.

The video shows Ben surprising Nick with the proceeds—a big check for more than £11,000 ($14,500).

“I feel like a five-year-old kid on Christmas morning.”

“I wasn’t expecting any of it,” Nick said. “And it’s better than the lottery because it’s all done by nice people who give a hoot.”

“Nick’s a really lovely guy,” said Ben. “I feel like a friend of mine has won the lottery—it was amazing.”

Nick Joyce gets a check from Flawless Blessings – SWNS

Nick had lived in the property with his dog Willow for four years, but the garden had been in a sorry state since before he moved in.

“I wouldn’t have liked to have walked into that at 63 with COPD and all the conditions he’s got,” said Ben who received weed-whacking assistance from his dad and uncle.

While working on the garden, Ben realized the extent of the social isolation being faced by Nick, who enlisted in the army back in 1978 and spent five years in regular service followed by eight years as a reservist.

“They don’t have a bus route that way, and the cycle route to his job sounded impossible for a guy his age,” explained Ben. “He was just staring at the same four walls every day.”

The lack of a car was a common denominator in a lot of the problems Nick faced, so Ben decided to help fix that problem too.

“It got to the point (when I lost my car) where I felt like I got knocked down but before I could get back up, I was knocked down again.”

Determined to do something to improve Nick’s life, Ben handed him another gift on the day the garden was finished—the keys to a blue Vauxhall Corsa, which was taxed and insured for a year.

Ben Saunders gets a grateful hug from Nick when Flawless Blessings gives him a car – SWNS

Nick was left flabbergasted.

MORE KINDNESS TRANSFORMATIONS:
Girls Volleyball Team Buys Beloved Custodian a Car to Repay Him for All He’s Done–Watch the Texas-Sized Surprise
Doctor Gave Free Care to Patients for Decades–Now They’ve Raised $280,000 to Pay for His Cancer Treatment
GoFundMe for Teen Who Rushed to Work Instead of Partying After Graduation Skyrockets to $180K

Upon receiving the unexpected windfall, Nick said he plans to find another job.

“I don’t want to end up on the scrapheap,” he said. “It’s not just the money. I need a purpose.”

Ben has already found his purpose—helping vulnerable people through his company’s charitable arm Flawless Blessings—and he got a big bear hug from Nick to say thanks.

“Kindness ripples,” he says. “Seeing how one act can change someone’s life reminds me why I do this.”

SPREAD THE LOVE By Sharing The Heroes On Social Media…

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” – Paul Valery

Quote of the Day: “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” – Paul Valery

Image by: Steve Halama

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?

Good News in History, November 30

Grand Duke Leopold II

239 years ago today is celebrated as the first known date of the abolition of the death penalty in a Western nation-state. Commemorated today as Cities for Life Day, the decision came in the realm of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. Pietro Leopoldo would later become Leopold II, the Holy Roman Emperor. READ how he came to the decision… (1786)

46,000 Knitted Mice Donated to Rescue Cats Setting Guinness World Record for Crafting Community

Credit: Woman’s Weekly magazine / Fortune
Credit: Woman’s Weekly magazine / Fortune

The readers of Woman’s Weekly magazine have a long tradition of coming together through knitting and crocheting—always to provide comfort and joy for others.

This year’s crafty compassion project was their biggest ever, officially breaking a Guinness World Record.

Earlier this year, the magazine invited readers to create woolen mice for rescue cats living in shelters across the UK—and the response enor-mice.

Using the free pattern provided exclusively to subscribers, the volunteers began knitting and crocheting until thousands of parcels began arriving at their London headquarters.

Collectively, they stitched a monumental 46,506 woolen rodents for donation to furry felines awaiting families.

The enrichment toys, which provide both comfort and stimulation, are now being distributed to thousands of kitties at over 300 cat rescue centers.

Woman’s Weekly magazine / Fortune

“The volume received has been extraordinary,” said Nicola Murray, manager of the North West London Cat Centre.

“Enrichment items like these play a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of cats in our care, and we are extremely grateful for the thousands of knitted mice donated.”

The magazine’s editor called this year’s crafting challenge “a remarkable testament” to the generosity and community spirit of its readers.

It builds on past initiatives by Woman’s Weekly focused on getting readers together to knit for a good cause. For instance…

Barty gets some new toys Credit: Woman’s Weekly magazine / Fortune

Successes include donations of: 6,000 hats for people experiencing homelessness; 3,000 blankets for children in Ukraine; 6,651 knitted baby vests for Fuel Poverty; and 2,000 blankets for Battersea Dogs & Cats Homes.

Certificate for the largest donation of handcrafted pet toys – Credit: Woman’s Weekly magazine / Fortune

“Every mouse was handmade with care,” said Woman’s Weekly Editor Geoff Palmer.

“The response from our readers surpassed all expectations, and we are thrilled that their collective effort has resulted not only in a Guinness World Record but in tangible impact.”

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Baby Otter He Rescued Jumps Into His Boat Every Time She Sees Him After He Returned Her to the Wild (WATCH)

Courtesy of Mats Janzon
Courtesy of Mats Janzon

A wild animal is acting like she’s his ‘significant otter,’ after he saved her life, and returned her back to her lake habitat.

Their relationship began when Mats Janzon was on a walk in the woods near his home in Sweden. He heard a soft peeping sound and carefully moved closer to investigate. He soon found a baby otter in distress, starving for food and struggling to breathe.

Janzon had some experience with animal rescues, so he kept his distance for hours, hoping at some point the otter’s mother would return.

It never did, because Janzon discovered it had been killed on a roadway nearby. If he didn’t intervene soon, the baby otter—which was so small it could fit in the palm of his hand—wouldn’t survive either.

Janzon had never rescued an otter before, but he gave it his best shot. It required constant care and attention, and over time, it slowly gained strength. It also started forming a connection with its unlikely foster parent—crying when Janzon left the room and occasionally lying in his lap like a Labrador Retriever.

“The first time she let me pet her, I remember thinking this can’t be real,” Janzon shared with the TikTok account SoulPaws Tails. “It felt like a dream—this wild, free otter choosing to trust me.”

The next step was helping the otter prepare for its return to the wild. Janzon set up a kiddie pool in his backyard and kept watch as the otter seemed to flail at first, but soon found its natural aquatic skills.

Mats Janzon

Before long, the two-legged and four-legged friends headed down to the lake. Initially, the otter was reluctant and even a little timid. But biology won out, though, and the mammal started stretching its limits, slipping further and further out into the water.

During one of those lake sessions, Janzon even settled on a name—Leya. Over time, Janzon’s charge spent more and more time away. His rescue and rehabilitation efforts were successful.

But now, a magical thing happens whenever Janzon takes his yellow kayak to the lake. A furry brown body glides alongside and clambers up into the boat. An adorable scene that Janzon often shares on his Tik Tok page.

“She’s the most playful animal I have ever met,” Janzon said.

Mats Janzon / Tiktok

A YouTube video (below) features images of Leya darting through grass, gliding through the water, and snuggling with Janzon on his kayak. And then it ends with some words of wisdom.

ANOTHER STORY YOU ‘OTTER’ SEE: Zoo Officials Baffled When Lost Otter Cub is Found Snoring Among the Flamingos

“Every bond we form with animals reminds us how deeply connected we all are. Leya’s story shows us that love has no boundaries. It’s built on trust and care.

“When we give kindness, the world gives it back in ways we never expect…”

Like an old friend that climbs aboard your kayak just to snuggle.

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19-Year-old Defeats His Former High School Civics Teacher in Local Election: ‘I’m so proud of him’

Kenneth Bell and Cameran Drew
Kenneth Bell and Cameran Drew

A recent local election in Virginia was surprising not only because of its outcome but because of its unusual civility.

In Surrey County, Virginia, a 19-year-old had the courage and audacity to run against the incumbent Conservative for a seat on the Surry County Board of Supervisors.

But there was a catch: He would need to campaign against his beloved high school civics teacher, Kenneth Bell, who currently held the seat.

But unlike the vitriol and bad vibes that seem to surround today’s politics, this race was destined to create positivity instead. (Watch the Steve Hartman interviews below…)

Cameran Drew called Mr. Bell his favorite teacher and Bell described Drew as a “wonderful young man.”

Cameran credits his 44-year-old teacher for helping to prepare him for his leap into politics.

And, in a refreshing political twist, Mr. Bell often defended his opponent’s age on the campaign trail, rather than resort to easy attacks.

“Yes, he’s young, but he’s really invested in trying to make a difference,” Bell said.

Although he just graduated from Surry County High School in 2024, Cameran started a motivational speaker business (Prez Productions), and a charitable mentorship program called the Produce Your Future Foundation, according to the Smithfield Times.

He wanted the Board of Supervisors job because he believed he could help people. He especially hoped to advocate for the youth in Surry County—and his campaign featured many direct-to-camera appeals touting his government goals on Instagram.

The race was neck-in-neck until the very end.

When the campaigning ceased and the polls closed in the southeastern county, Cameran won by just 10 votes.

By the slimmest of margins, youth had overcome experience and the protege had become the teacher.

Although it was incredibly close, it was a solid victory for goodwill: Mr. Bell conceded, offering messages of congratulations, pride, and love.

“He would have been formidable against any opponent against whom he would have run,” Bell told CBS News.

MORE GOOD POLITICS:
Ohio Man Brings Voters of All Stripes Together to Agree to Disagree Over ‘Dinner and a Dialogue’
Voters Send First Gen Z Congressman to Washington – a 25-Year-old Community Organizer

“I’m just lost for words because of the fact he’s been so gracious,” the new Supervisor said.

If only that same spirit could become airborne and travel 150 miles north to Washington, D.C.

(Watch the CBS episode below…)

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Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing 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 of November 29, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Some seeds can remain dormant for centuries, waiting for the right conditions to germinate. The oldest successfully germinated seed was a 2,000-year-old date palm seed. I suspect you will experience psycho-spiritual and metaphorical versions of this marvel in the coming weeks. Certain aspects of you have long been dormant but are about to sprout. Some of your potentials have been waiting for conditions that you haven’t encountered until recently. Is there anything you can do to encourage these wondrous developments? Be alert for subtle magic that needs just a little nudge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Orb weaver spiders make seven different types of silk, each engineered for different purposes: sticky silk for catching prey, strong silk for the web’s frame, stretchy silk for wrapping food, and soft silk for egg sacs. In other words, they don’t generate a stream of generic resources and decide later what to do with them. Each type of silk is produced by distinct silk glands and spinnerets, and each is carefully tailored for a particular use. I advise you to be like the orb weavers in the coming weeks, Capricorn. Specificity will be your superpower.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Benevolent gossip is the practice of speaking about people not to diminish them but to fondly wonder about them and try to understand them. What if gossip could be generous? What if talking about someone in their absence could be an act of compassionate curiosity rather than judgment? What if you spoke about everyone as if they might overhear you—not from fear but from respect? Your words about others could be spells that shape how they exist in the collective imagination. Here’s another beautiful fact about benevolent gossip: It can win you appreciation and attention that will enhance your ability to attract the kind of help and support you need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Every 21,000 years, the Sahara Desert transforms into a lush green savanna. It’s due to precession, which is a wobble in the Earth’s axis. The African seasonal monsoon becomes much stronger, bringing increased rainfall to the entire area. The last time this occurred was from about 11,000 to 5,000 years ago. During this era, the Sahara supported lakes, rivers, grasslands, and diverse animal and human populations. I’m predicting a comparable shift for you in the coming months, Pisces. The onset of luxuriant growth is already underway. And right now is an excellent time to encourage and expedite the onset of flourishing abundance. Formulate the plans and leap into action.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The Japanese word mushin means “no mind.” In Zen Buddhism, it refers to the state of flow where thinking stops and being takes over. When you are moving along in the groove of mushin, your body knows what to do before your brain catches up. You’re so present you disappear into the action itself. Athletes refer to it as “the zone.” It’s the place where effort becomes effortless, where you stop trying and simply love the doing. In the coming weeks, Aries, you can enjoy this state more than you have in a long time. Ride it with glee!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
For the foreseeable future, salmon are your spirit creatures. I’ll remind you about their life cycle. They are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and live there for years. Then they return, moving against river currents, up waterfalls, past bears and eagles. Eventually, they arrive at the exact stream where they were born. How do they do it? They navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field and their sense of smell, remembering chemical signatures from years ago. I think your own calling is as vivid as theirs, dear Taurus. And in the coming weeks, you will be extra attuned to that primal signal. Trust the ancient pull back toward your soul’s home.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
What if procrastination isn’t always a problem? On some occasions, maybe it’s a message from your deeper self. Delay could serve as a form of protection. Avoidance might be a sign of your deep wisdom at work. Consider these possibilities, Gemini. What if your resistance to the “should” is actually your soul’s immune system rejecting a foreign agenda? It might be trying to tell you secrets about what you truly want versus what you think you should want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I’m only slightly joking when I recommend that you practice the art of sacred bitching in the coming days. You are hereby authorized to complain and criticize with creative zeal. But the goal is not to push hard in a quest to solve problems perfectly. Instead, simply give yourself the luxury of processing and metabolizing the complications. Your venting and whining won’t be pathological, but a legitimate way to achieve emotional release. Sometimes, like now, you need acknowledgment more than solutions. Allowing feelings is more crucial than fixing things. The best course of action is saying “this is hard” until it’s slightly less hard.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The Chinese concept of yuanfen means that some connections are fated. Certain people were always meant to cross your path. Not soulmates necessarily, but soul-evokers: those who bring transformations that were inscribed on your destiny before you knew they were coming. When you meet a new person and feel instant recognition, that’s yuanfen. When a relationship changes your life, that’s yuanfen. When timing aligns impossibly but wonderfully, that’s yuanfen. According to my analysis, you Leos are due for such phenomena in the coming weeks—at least two, maybe more. Some opportunities appear because you pursue them. Others were always going to arrive simply because you opened your mind and heart.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Let’s talk about a forest’s roots. Mostly hidden from sight, they are the source of all visible life. They are always communicating with each other, sharing nourishment and information. When extra help is needed, they call on fungi networks to support them, distributing their outreach even further. Your own lineage works similarly, Virgo. It’s nutrient-rich and endlessly intertwined with others, some of whom came long before you. You are the flowering tip of an unseen intelligence. Every act of grounding—breathing deeply, resting your feet, returning to gratitude—is your body’s way of remembering its subterranean ancestry. Please keep these meditations at the forefront of your awareness in the coming weeks. I believe you will thrive to the degree that you draw from your extensive roots.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
You are currently in a phase when it’s highly possible to become both smarter and wiser. You have a sixth sense for knowing exactly how to enhance both your intellectual and emotional intelligence. With this happy news in mind, I will remind you that your brain is constantly growing and changing. Every experience carves new neural pathways. Every repeated thought strengthens certain connections and weakens others. You’re not stuck with the brain you have, but are continuously building the brain that’s evolving. The architecture of your consciousness is always under construction. Take full advantage of this resilience and plasticity!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The coming weeks will be a favorable time to stand near what you want to become. I advise you to surround yourself with the energy you want to embody. Position yourself in the organic ecosystem of your aspirations without grasping or forcing. Your secret power is not imitation but osmosis. Not ambition but proximity. The transformations you desire will happen sideways, through exposure and absorption. You won’t become by trying to become; you will become by staying close to what calls you.

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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