Quote of the Day: “I am no longer afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good…” – Billy Joel (70-years-old today)
Photo: by Anna-Maria Schupp, CC license via Flickr
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
64 years after this civil rights activist was expelled from an all-white school, she is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
Autherine Lucy Foster became the first black student to attend the University of Alabama in 1956 after a federal court order allowed her to enroll in the school.
She was only able to attend three days worth of classes before riots and threats drove the school to suspend her enrollment.
Now 89 years old, Foster was venerated earlier this week with an honorary doctorate from the university’s board of trustees during their spring commencement ceremony – and though Foster was honored to receive the doctorate, she says that she was even more appreciative of the amount of diversity that she saw amongst the graduating students compared to her own time at the school.
(WATCH the interview and news coverage below) – Photo by WVTM
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Reprinted from Berkeley Lab
Plastic is great until you no longer need it. Because plastics contain various additives, like dyes, fillers, or flame retardants, very few plastics can be recycled without loss in performance or aesthetics.
Even the most recyclable plastic, PET – or poly(ethylene terephthalate) – is only recycled at a rate of 20 to 30%, with the rest typically going to incinerators or landfills, where the carbon-rich material takes centuries to decompose.
Now a team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level, and then reassembled into a different shape, texture, and color again and again without loss of performance or quality.
The new material, called poly(diketoenamine), or PDK, was reported in the journal Nature Chemistry.
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“Most plastics were never made to be recycled,” said lead author Peter Christensen, a postdoctoral researcher at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry. “But we have discovered a new way to assemble plastics that takes recycling into consideration from a molecular perspective.”
Christensen was part of a multidisciplinary team led by Brett Helms, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry.
All plastics, from water bottles to automobile parts, are made up of large molecules called polymers, which are composed of repeating units of shorter carbon-containing compounds called monomers.
According to the researchers, the problem with many plastics is that the chemicals added to make them useful – such as fillers that make a plastic tough, or plasticizers that make a plastic flexible – are tightly bound to the monomers and stay in the plastic even after it’s been processed at a recycling plant.
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During processing at such plants, plastics with different chemical compositions – hard plastics, stretchy plastics, clear plastics, candy-colored plastics – are mixed together and ground into bits. When that hodgepodge of chopped-up plastics is melted to make a new material, it’s hard to predict which properties it will inherit from the original plastics.
This inheritance of unknown and therefore unpredictable properties has prevented plastic from becoming what many consider the Holy Grail of recycling: a “circular” material whose original monomers can be recovered for reuse for as long as possible, or “upcycled” to make a new, higher quality product.
So, when a reusable shopping bag made with recycled plastic gets threadbare with wear and tear, it can’t be upcycled or even recycled to make a new product. And once the bag has reached its end of life, it’s either incinerated to make heat, electricity, or fuel, or ends up in a landfill, Helms said.
“Circular plastics and plastics upcycling are grand challenges,” he said. “We’ve already seen the impact of plastic waste leaking into our aquatic ecosystems, and this trend is likely to be exacerbated by the increasing amounts of plastics being manufactured and the downstream pressure it places on our municipal recycling infrastructure.”
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The researchers want to divert plastics from landfills and the oceans by incentivizing the recovery and reuse of plastics, which could be possible with polymers formed from PDKs. “With PDKs, the immutable bonds of conventional plastics are replaced with reversible bonds that allow the plastic to be recycled more effectively,” Helms said.
Unlike conventional plastics, the monomers of PDK plastic could be recovered and freed from any compounded additives simply by dunking the material in a highly acidic solution. The acid helps to break the bonds between the monomers and separate them from the chemical additives that give plastic its look and feel.
“We’re interested in the chemistry that redirects plastic lifecycles from linear to circular,” said Helms. “We see an opportunity to make a difference for where there are no recycling options.” That includes adhesives, phone cases, watch bands, shoes, computer cables, and hard thermosets that are created by molding hot plastic material.
The researchers first discovered the exciting circular property of PDK-based plastics when Christensen was applying various acids to glassware used to make PDK adhesives, and noticed that the adhesive’s composition had changed. Curious as to how the adhesive might have been transformed, Christensen analyzed the sample’s molecular structure with an NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy instrument. “To our surprise, they were the original monomers,” Helms said.
After testing various formulations at the Molecular Foundry, they demonstrated that not only does acid break down PDK polymers into monomers, but the process also allows the monomers to be separated from entwined additives.
Next, they proved that the recovered PDK monomers can be remade into polymers, and those recycled polymers can form new plastic materials without inheriting the color or other features of the original material – so that broken black watchband you tossed in the trash could find new life as a computer keyboard if it’s made with PDK plastic. They could also upcycle the plastic by adding additional features, such as flexibility.
The researchers believe that their new recyclable plastic could be a good alternative to many nonrecyclable plastics in use today.
RELATED: America’s Largest Grocery Store Chain is Saying Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Bags
“We’re at a critical point where we need to think about the infrastructure needed to modernize recycling facilities for future waste sorting and processing,” said Helms. “If these facilities were designed to recycle or upcycle PDK and related plastics, then we would be able to more effectively divert plastic from landfills and the oceans. This is an exciting time to start thinking about how to design both materials and recycling facilities to enable circular plastics,” said Helms.
The researchers next plan to develop PDK plastics with a wide range of thermal and mechanical properties for applications as diverse as textiles, 3D printing, and foams. In addition, they are looking to expand the formulations by incorporating plant-based materials and other sustainable sources.
Pass On The Positive News By Sharing It With Your Friends On Social Media – Feature photo by Mukhina1 via iStock
This beluga whale captured the world’s attention after it was found wearing a Russian-made harness – and the cetacean is now capturing people’s hearts after it was filmed politely returning a woman’s phone from the ocean.
The beluga was first spotted by Norwegian fishermen at the end of April. The sailors were already suspicious of the whale’s origins based on how comfortably it interacted with the humans. Furthermore, they discovered that it was wearing a GoPro camera harness with the English words “Equipment St. Petersburg” printed on the label.
Since marine mammal training facilities were common during the Soviet Union, many Norwegian locals and news outlets have accused the beluga of being a defected Russian spy.
According to The Guardian, Russian officials have refuted the claims and stated that they no longer use such animal training programs.
LISTEN: Beluga Whale Stuns Navy Team With Amazingly Human Chatter
Regardless, the whale’s mysterious backstory and friendly disposition has made it somewhat of a local celebrity.
Ina Mansika and her friends were just a few of the town residents who took a boat out on the northern harbor of Hammersmith to see if they could catch a glimpse of the amiable beluga earlier this week. Upon spotting the whale in the water, she forgot to properly secure her phone inside of her jacket pocket and it fell into the ocean waters.
Mansika was then surprised to see the whale fetch her sinking phone and casually bring it up to the surface so she could retrieve the device from its mouth.
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After returning the phone, the beluga can be seen surreptitiously returning to its “undercover” position beneath the boat.
Norwegian officials have warned locals not to feed the whale so that it can learn to forage on its own. That being said, they are tracking the whale’s movements to ensure that it adapts to its surroundings, and they are holding local polls in order to decide what to name their new aquatic friend.
(WATCH the video below)
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One of the most iconic US tourist hotspots is set to get an eco-friendly update.
Niagara Falls is preparing to replace their current Maid of the Mist boat with the launch of the first two all-electric, zero-emission passenger vessels constructed in the United States.
The Maid of the Mist ferries over 1.6 million international tourists up to the falls every year. The two new fully-electric vessels will continue taking tourists to the heart of the Niagara Falls, undisturbed by engine noise or exhaust fumes.
Batteries will be recharged for seven minutes after each trip to 80% capacity, allowing for maximum efficiency and battery life.
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“It makes perfect sense for Maid of the Mist to be a world leader with the implementation of this green technology,” said Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn. “The new vessels will carry our guests to the base of Niagara Falls, one of the world’s largest sources of clean hydroelectric power.”
The new integrated vessels are currently under construction by Burger Boat Company in Wisconsin. In mid-May, the boats will be transported to Niagara Falls and lowered onto the Maid of the Mist dry dock and maintenance facility for assembly. Following completion of construction, launch and certification, the new vessels will be placed into service in mid-September.
Maid of the Mist VI (1990) and Maid of the Mist VII (1997), will be removed from service when the new vessels begin operating.
“The Maid of the Mist has offered tours of the world-famous Niagara Falls waterfalls and of the Niagara River Gorge for more than a century, and are a signature tourism attraction of Western New York,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo during the unveiling ceremony for the initiative. “The new zero-emission boats will continue that proud tradition while continuing our efforts to make New York State a premier environmentally friendly tourism destination.”
New York State Parks Acting Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “The Maid of the Mist has been a tremendous partner at Niagara Falls State Park. These new vessels delivering a superior visitor experience while expanding the sustainable practices we need to adapt to protect the natural assets that draw visitors to Niagara Falls and parks across the state.”
Be Sure And Sail This Story Over To Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Maid of the Mist
A woman’s act of kindness towards a group of Maryland high schoolers has made their senior prom night an evening they will never forget.
Therese De Leon and 10 other students from Clarksburg High School had been dressed to the nines for prom night when they sat down at Ted’s Bulletin for dinner last month.
Shortly after they ordered their drinks, their server approached them and said that one of the restaurant’s regular customers had seen the group of students and wanted to tell them that they “looked stunning.”
Not only that, the woman said she would be paying for their dinner and they should order whatever they want.
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At first, Therese and her friends thought it was a joke – but when they realized their server wasn’t kidding, their “jaws dropped.”
After they finished their meal, they got the server to point out the compassionate woman who had picked up their tab. The teens then went to her table and expressed their gratitude for her kindness.
“What we will never forget were the kind words she left with us,” Therese told FOX 5. “Before we left her table she reminded us to ‘always love ourselves’ and to remember that ‘we are beautiful inside and out.’”
never thought this would happen to me...we walk in late for our reservation and after we get our drinks and get seated, the waiter came back and told us this amazing lady said we all looked stunning and paid for our dinner...all 11 of us 🥺 #prom2019 pic.twitter.com/YFjF9ETNdR
— therese de leon (@theresedeleonn) April 27, 2019
Though the youngsters were too emotional to remember to ask for her name, they insisted on taking a picture with her to commemorate the occasion.
Therese later posted the photo to Twitter where it has been shared by various news outlets.
MORE: High School Kids Praise Anonymous Man Who Paid for Their Dinner With One Specific Condition
In addition to Therese and her friends promising that they will pay the good deed forward, she also hopes that the media coverage will help to show the woman how much her good deed meant to the students.
“It was refreshing and enlightening to know that there are still kind-hearted people out there,” she told the news outlet. “All over Twitter, my friends and I have read about people like this woman who are generous and are genuinely kind to regular people like us. We never would have thought we would be able to experience generosity of this scale.”
Pay It Forward By Sharing This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Photo: by Howard Ignatius, CC license via Flickr
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
From a close-up toothy croc encounter to bird attacking a ball of fish under the ocean, some of the best underwater pictures in the world have been revealed in this photography competition.
More than 4,000 pictures were entered for the Underwater Photography contest across 17 categories.
“Winning here, or even just being placed, is [our] most coveted accolade because it says you succeeded in the most competitive environment there is, against the top talent of the moment,” said website owner and competition organizer Tal Mor.
“The panel of judges is comprised of industry professionals. They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and, of course, cannot enter themselves.
“Many other internationally acclaimed photographers have launched their photo careers here over the years … and we are so proud to be having a constant flow of new talent coming in. Our goal is – and always has been – to promote young talent and give them a stage to show off their photos and launch a career as underwater photographers.
“One of our medals is the reward for all the hard work they have put in chasing those great shots in far-flung destinations.”
59-year-old Leena Roy scooped a gold medal in the “Wide-Angle Divers” category with her shot of a diver swimming through a cluster of silverfish in the Cayman Islands.
Reprinted from the University of Waterloo
This exciting new radar system can wirelessly monitor the vital signs of patients, eliminating the need to hook them up to any machines.
Housed in a device smaller than a cellphone, the new technology records heart and breathing rates using sensitive radar waves that are analyzed by sophisticated algorithms embedded in an onboard digital signal processing unit.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo developed the system to monitor sleep apnea patients by detecting subtle chest movements instead of connecting them to equipment in labs via numerous cumbersome wires.
“We take the whole complex process and make it completely wireless,” said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. “And instead of a clinic, it could be done in the comfort of your own bed and run daily for continuous monitoring.”
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In a study at the Research Institute for Aging, a unique facility affiliated with the university, the radar unit was mounted to the ceiling over the bed of more than 50 volunteers as they slept normally in a model long-term care apartment.
The system, which collects and analyzes data from radar waves that are reflected back to the unit from the bodies of patients, achieved results over 90 per cent as accurate as standard hard-wired equipment.
“This is the first time radar has been used for heart sensing with this degree of accuracy and in such an uncontrolled environment,” said Mostafa Alizadeh, a research associate who led the study. “Our subjects slept unobstructed, in any position, for up to eight hours.”
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Researchers are also exploring use of the technology to monitor activity levels and falls by residents of long-term care homes, and in hospitals for routine monitoring of heart and breathing rates of all kinds of patients.
Advantages of the system for apnea monitoring include complete privacy since no cameras are used, much improved comfort and potential use in homes rather than special sleep clinics.
“With traditional systems involving wires and appointments booked weeks in advance, you can’t sleep as you normally do in your own bed at home, making the common sleep study an unpleasant experience,” said Shaker, a cross-appointed professor of electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical and mechatronics engineering.
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In addition to sleep apnea, which involves breathing that repeatedly stops and starts, the system can monitor conditions such as periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome and seizures.
A paper on their work, “Remote monitoring of human vital signs using mm-wave FMCW radar,” appears in the journal IEEE Access.
Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Feature photo by DiverDave, CC
An anonymous act of kindness has sparked a ripple effect of good deeds across Missouri after a woman bought a $17 book from Target last week.
27-year-old Ashley Jost was shopping at the department store in Columbia when she remembered that she had committed to doing a reading challenge with her friends.
The challenge consisted of reading 10 pages of a book every day for 75 days. With this in mind, Jost grabbed a copy of “Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals” by Rachel Hollis.
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Upon returning home, Jost sat down on her couch and started reading. Shortly after she sat down, her dog started barking. Jost then threw the book down onto the cushions so she could soothe her pup.
When she returned, she was surprised to find that a $5 bill had appeared on her floor.
Assuming the cash had flown out of the book, Jost began thumbing through the pages in hopes of finding a clue.
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She then found a pink sticky note tucked between the chapters. The note read: “To the person who buys this book: I am having a tough day. I thought maybe I could brighten someone else’s with this little surprise. Go buy a coffee, donut, or a face mask. Practice some self-care today.
“Remember that you are loved. You are amazing. You are strong. Love, Lisa.”
I just finished a chapter of a book I bought at Target in Columbia, Mo., this morning.
— Ashley Jost (@ajost) April 28, 2019
Afterward, I tossed it on the ottoman and $5 fell out onto the floor. Then I found this note. Wow. People are so cool. pic.twitter.com/U5fOCZjNRy
Needless to say, Jost was touched by the note.
“I thought it takes someone really special to divert the energy and attention on a bad day to improving someone else’s,” Jost told BBC. “I know if I was having tough day I’d just want to sit in my pajamas eating ice cream!”
Jost wanted to share the sweet gesture with her friends on social media, so she posted a photo of the note and cash to Twitter. The photo garnered thousands of retweets and likes until it was eventually publicized by various news outlets.
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Jost now says she is being flooded with responses from people who have been inspired to do their own random act of kindness for a stranger. Even her father told her that he was motivated to pay for the groceries of the person standing behind him at the store.
Jost herself committed to paying the good deed forward by spending $5 on good deeds every day for a week. She has since left her own note and gift card inside of a library book; she gave a gift card to her friend going through a hard time; and she paid for the coffee of the person behind her at the Starbuck’s drive-thru.
Jost says that she hopes the news stories and media attention will eventually reach Lisa, the author of the pink note, so that she knows the full impact of her simple act of kindness.
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photos by Ashley Jost
Pay The Kindness Forward By Sharing This Sweet Story With Your Friends…
In a stunning success story of government efficiency, over one million people were evacuated to safety in anticipation of the brutal summer cyclone that hit the coast of one of India’s poorest states earlier this week.
Cyclone Fani hit the eastern state of Odisha on Friday with winds roaring at over 120 miles per hour. Though tropical storms are generally associated with devastating death tolls, the state’s emergency responders are being praised for the unprecedented speed of their response.
In a matter of days, government officials, volunteers, emergency workers, and media teams were able to evacuate 1.1 million low-income citizens from about 15,000 villages to shelter before the storm. Not only that, the shelters were stocked with food, water, supplies, and resources.
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Despite Odisha being a coastal home to some of the country’s poorest families and citizens, the state’s quick response to the cyclone has reportedly resulted in only three reported casualties thus far.
“Few would have expected this kind of organizational efficiency,” Abhijit Singh, a former naval officer and head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, told The New York Times. “It is a major success.”
“The government is usually dysfunctional in cases like this but the whole mobilization was quite impressive,” he added. “Evacuating a million people in three or four days and providing them with not just shelter but also food is a big achievement in such a short time.”
WATCH: Man Behind the World’s Longest-Running Free Clinic Has Spent 44 Years Treating 2 Million People
The Times goes on to say that state authorities have improved their emergency response plans as a result of having suffered far more devastating consequences from shoddy evacuation preparedness in the past; back in 1999, a supercyclone resulted in over 10,000 casualties across India.
Cyclone Fani is one of only three cyclones to have hit Odisha. Though the region must now recover from the damage caused by the storm, their loss of life is being hailed as a noteworthy cause for celebration.
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media…
In a video that is now going viral, a dedicated mother was surprised with her college degree during a commencement ceremony that was not her own.
Sharonda Wilson was set to graduate from Ferris State University with her degree earlier this week. Unfortunately, her commencement fell on the same day that her son Stephan was graduating from Central Michigan University.
Rather than attend her own ceremony, Sharonda opted to see her son walk across the stage instead.
When CMU president Dr. Robert Davies heard about Sharonda’s act of devotion, however, he contacted her university and asked to confer her degree on behalf of FSU.
WATCH: Autistic Teen Stuns Crowd as He Breaks His Silence and Gives Awe-Inspiring Commencement Speech
CMU’s social media accounts later posted a video of the moment that Sharonda and Stephan got to share their graduation – and their reactions were priceless.
Stephan, who graduated from his 5-year academic career with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and theater, told the Detroit Free Press: “Dr. Davies really shocked me.
“When I heard (she) was getting her degree with me I was speechless,” he added. “My mother is truly the strongest and most compassionate woman I know. That moment tops (any) other moment I have ever shared with my mother.”
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Central Michigan University
To attend her son Stephan’s commencement ceremony, Sharonda Wilson was unable to attend her own from Ferris State University. Learning this, @cmichprez contacted FSU President Eisler and was able to confer her degree on behalf of FSU's president and trustees. #cmichgraduation pic.twitter.com/anCSTHDCdC
— Central Michigan U. (@CMUniversity) May 4, 2019
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Quote of the Day: “Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.” – Rabindranath Tagore (born 158 years ago today)
Photo: Copyright 2019, GWC
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Despite a tiny high school budget, students did such a realistic job bringing the film ALIEN to life that Hollywood showed up to see it, and Ridley Scott sent money. Hear our Good News Guru tell the fun story on the radio in Los Angeles—during the May 3, 2019 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5.
SEE video and the full story on GNN…
Subscribe to our Good News podcast on iTunes, or for Android devices on Podbean.
Also, Check Out Our Little Paperback Book of Good News—Buy on Amazon or White Cloud Press!
Today is MOTH Monday on Good News Network: In partnership with The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling, we bring you the most uplifting speakers from live stages across the world.
Whenever Ashok Ramasubamanian is walking down the street, he is always quick to share his money and food with strangers in need – but he was not always so giving.
In fact, Ashok was forced to learn the importance of the Golden Rule after he had two different experiences with a Kit-Kat bar in college.
Listen to his hilarious story below…
The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year.
The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible is now available for purchase through your favorite booksellers.
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History buffs and book enthusiasts now have a chance to read 100 ultra-rare children’s books that are over a century old.
The collection of British and American titles, which is now available for free thanks to the Library of Congress, was digitized as a means of celebrating the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week.
Back when the first Children’s Book Week was launched in 1919, there were very few American children’s books being released on an annual basis because the printing costs of colored illustrations were more expensive than printing in black and white.
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Thanks to the dedicated efforts of several literary advocates, however, Children’s Book Week has now become an annual celebration of educational literature for youngsters around the world.
That being said, the Library of Congress says that the newly-digitized books are reflective of how literary diversity and modern ideas have evolved over the course of the last century.
Some of the content and characters may be construed as offensive by the readers, but Lee Ann Potter, the director of the learning and innovation office at the Library of Congress, told The New York Times that the library is “celebrating the fact that these books provide us with the opportunity to have conversations about what is appropriate or inappropriate, that they help us understand a different time.”
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The library website goes on to describe the collection by saying: “The books in this collection were published in the United States and England before 1924, are no longer under copyright, and free to read, share, and reuse however you’d like.”
“These selections and related materials are presented as part of the record of the past. They are historical documents which reflect the attitudes, perspectives and beliefs of different times.”
“Highlights of the collection include examples of the work of American illustrators such as W.W. Denslow, Peter Newell, and Howard Pyle, as well as works by renowned English illustrators Randolph Caldecott, Walter Crane, and Kate Greenaway.”
Help Your Friends Read The Good News By Sharing It To Social Media – Photos by the Library of Congress
One man’s compulsion to clean out his closet has resulted in a heartwarming story of patriotic kindness between two strangers.
Upon assessing his necktie collection, retired CIA agent Marc Johnson decided to sell an old red, white, and blue-colored necktie that he had kept specifically for 4th of July celebrations.
The 49-year-old from Ashburn, Virginia put the patriotic necktie up for auction on eBay for just $6.99.
After the auction ended, there was only one person who had bid on the tie: a 41-year-old dad from Ohio named Jacques Campher.
LOOK: Viral Photo Shows Two Kids Stopped in the Road to Pay Respects to Fire Department Flag Being Raised
“So he pays me and I go to ship it and discover a couple of spots on it I didn’t notice before!” Johnson recalled on Twitter. “So I ‘fess up to the winning bidder and tell him I’ll give him a discount if he still wants the tie.
Campher immediately writes back and asks Johnson if it seems the spots might come out with some dry-cleaning. He then goes on to explain that he is eager to get the tie because he plans on wearing it during his swearing-in ceremony as an American citizen.
“I thought about it for a second and just decided to send him the tie gratis and cancel the auction,” writes Johnson. “I sent him a note telling him not to be alarmed that I canceled the auction; I wanted him to have the tie with my congratulations on becoming a citizen.”
WATCH: When a WWII Veteran Couldn’t Walk to His Wife’s Grave, Two Men Carried Him There
Upon reading the message of kindness from states away, Campher became teary-eyed with gratitude.
“I cannot explain how I feel about [it],” he told The Washington Post. “It is a warm feeling.”
Campher, who was raised by his grandparents in South Africa, says that he was finally granted American citizenship five years after marrying his wife in his home country. Though she was able to acquire South African citizenship following their marriage, the couple ended up living in a variety of countries as they waited for Campher to be granted legal status in the US.
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As a means of showing his gratitude for Johnson’s present, Campher sent a picture of himself wearing the American-made necktie at his swearing-in ceremony – and Johnson was equally as touched.
He posted the photo of Campher to Twitter along with the story of its significance. It has since been shared by thousands of people, all of whom are equally as touched by the exchange – and Johnson feels that it is testament to the compassionate attitudes of Americans.
“It’s a thing that reminds us people can be kind to each other, and this is who we are,” Johnson told The Post. “With very few exceptions, everybody in this country is an immigrant in one way or another by ancestry if nothing else.”
UPDATE: I told him he was Twitter famous, and he gave me permission to post this picture of him with his family after the ceremony! ❤️🇺🇸 /FIN/ pic.twitter.com/xY6oMj7Sss
— 🌷🐶 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰 𝗖. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 مارک (@BlogGuero) May 1, 2019
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…
This exciting new study shows that we may finally have the treatment to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic for good.
The 8-year study monitored the health and activity of almost 1,000 gay couples across Europe.
Each couple consisted of one HIV-negative person and one HIV-positive person who was on effective treatment for the virus and had minimal amounts of the virus in their bloodstream.
The researchers are now thrilled to report that there were zero cases of infection amongst the couples, regardless of the amount of sexual contact.
The study’s success builds on earlier research that proved the treatment’s efficacy amongst heterosexual couples. This study nows shows that antiretroviral treatments are just as effective in homosexual couples as they are for heterosexuals.
The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University College London and the University of Copenhagen, was published in The Lancet journal earlier this week.
“Our findings provide conclusive evidence for gay men that the risk of HIV transmission with suppressive ART is zero,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Alison Rodger from the UCL Institute for Global Health.
“This message has been endorsed by more than 780 HIV organizations in 96 countries and can help end the HIV pandemic by preventing HIV transmission, and tackling the stigma and discrimination that many people with HIV face,” she added.
“Increased efforts must now focus on wider dissemination of this powerful message and ensuring that all HIV-positive people have access to testing, effective treatment, adherence support and linkage to care to help maintain an undetectable viral load.”
Dr. Michael Brady, Medical Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “It is impossible to overstate the importance of these findings.
“The … study has given us the confidence to say, without doubt, that people living with HIV who are on effective treatment cannot pass the virus on to their sexual partners.
“This has incredible impact on the lives of people living with HIV and is a powerful message to address HIV-related stigma.”
Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media… (Photo by C Goldsmith, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention)
One of the world’s most beloved couples has just announced the birth of their firstborn child – and people from all over the world are sending in their well wishes.
Duchess Meghan Markle and Prince Harry of Sussex issued a statement earlier this week on their shared Instagram page announcing the arrival of a healthy baby boy weighing 7lbs. 3oz.
After deciding to name their baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the Royal couple conducted an official photoshoot with the newborn two days after his birth.
“The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives,” read the statement.
The boy, who is now seventh in line to the British throne, is the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild.
Archie is also the first Royal youngster who has been born with dual American-British citizenship.
MORE: Harry and Meghan Donate Royal Wedding Leftovers to Cheer Up Hospice Patients
Prince Harry, who was present for the birth of his son, told reporters that the joyous occasion has been truly remarkable.
“This is definitely my first birth. It was amazing, absolutely incredible, and, as I said, I’m so incredibly proud of my wife,” said the Duke, according to BBC. “As every father and parent will ever say, you know, your baby is absolutely amazing, but this little thing is absolutely to-die-for, so I’m just over the moon.”
“It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined,” he added. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Be Sure And Share The Breaking News With Your Friends On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “O, to be delivered from the rational into the realm of pure song.” – Theodore Roethke
Photo: by Jeroen Komen, CC license via Flickr
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