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‘This is a historic moment’: 35-Year Saudi Cinema Ban Ends With Men, Women Seated Together For ‘Black Panther’

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Saudi Arabia has just opened up their first movie theater in 35 years – and their first showing was available to both men and women.

The theater, which opened yesterday in the capital of Riyadh, kicked off the kingdom’s new cultural revolution by playing a showing of Marvel’s empowering box office hit Black Panther.

To celebrate the landmark event, the theater was filled with the country’s most honored officials and icons, such as government representatives, ministers, diplomats, and celebrities.

“It is just great to watch a superhero fighting for his kingdom, surrounded by women empowered as warriors, while the issues of race and colonialism were tackled,” a 27-year-old political scientist told ABC News. “And all of this in Riyadh.”

RELATED: Defying Stereotypes, Female Mechanic Fixes Worries of Women Drivers in the Middle East

The lifted ban is just a part of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to create a more “open and moderate Islam” for the country. In addition to opening up theaters for men and women, he has also passed legislation that allows women to attend sports games, drive cars, vote, run for office, and pursue health care and education without a man’s permission.

The Saudi government, which is already planning on adding 350 more cinemas with 2,500 screens by 2030, hopes that adding such cultural investments will help steer the country’s economy away from their oil dependency.

“The restoration of cinemas will … help boost the local economy by increasing household spending on entertainment while supporting job creation in the Kingdom,” Culture and Information Minister Awwad Alawwad said in a statement.

(WATCH the news segment on the historic event below)

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends – Photo by WION

After Grandmother Loses Ability to Speak, Man Uses Tech to Get Her Voice Back

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GNN.org is the exclusive media partner for the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. Chosen annually, the 12 Fellows are each matched with an executive mentor, leadership coach, and $10,000. Hand-selected from 2,400 applicants in 100 countries, these visionaries are being celebrated—one each day on GNN—leading up to the 6th Annual Global Good Fund Gala, on April 26.

Danny Weissberg is a perfect example of how anyone can turn tragedy into inspiration.

After witnessing his grandmother suffer a stroke that left her with intelligible speech, Danny realized the hardships one faces after losing their basic ability of voiced communication – a privilege that we so often take for granted.

RELATED: If You Have Urgent Need of an EpiPen, This App Finds a Stranger to Rescue You

That’s why he created Voiceitt, a speech recognition technology that enables people with speech disabilities to communicate with anyone, anywhere.

“I was frustrated by the lack of options, and created Voiceitt to foster independence, empowerment and social inclusion for the speech impaired”, Danny explains.

There is no other voice assistive solution like Voiceitt in existence. The app records and learns a user’s personal speech patterns and pronunciation. After a brief training period, the app can turn statements into clear speech in real time for immediate use in audio, text messaging, and face-to-face communication. Not only that, but it can identify unclear words that cannot be understood by other people or generic speech recognition software like Siri or Google Voice.

MORE: Because His AirBnb Guest Had a Heart Attack, Man’s Ingenuity is Now Saving Thousands of Lives

The service is catered towards children and adults with conditions such as autism, Down syndrome and ALS, so that it can offer them the chance to be heard.

A civil engineer turned serial entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in Israel’s high-tech scene, Danny started his career at the leading cyber firm, Checkpoint. He worked at several other cutting-edge technology companies, and ultimately co-founded a mobile device brand called YubiTech, where he served as CEO until launching Voiceitt in May 2012.

The Tel-Aviv-based startup has received a total of $3.7M in grants and competition prizes alone, and Danny spends time sharing his knowledge and wisdom through lectures on non-traditional fundraising and social entrepreneurship.

CHECK OUT: 12-Year-old Creates First App to Help Alzheimer’s Patients Keep Track of Things

Danny set out to become an entrepreneur who could create something positive in this world – and that is exactly what he has accomplished. He says, “I’m completely fulfilled. My work and my life goals are intertwined. I’m part of a venture that is not only for money, but also one that’s meaningful and can improve the lives of millions.”

Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.

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Fans Break into Keanu Reeves Property–But Instead of Calling Cops, He Invites Them in for Beer

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McKinley Corbley
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Just in case we needed more proof that Keanu Reeves is the nicest celebrity to grace the planet, a woman named Chris Johnston just wrote about a personal story that seals the deal.

Back in 1990, Johnston and her cousin had been visiting California to see her boyfriend Ned play in a softball tournament. Since Johnston was a big Reeves fan at the time (and still is), her cousin offered to take her to the movie star’s property.

The two young women mustered their courage, jumped the fence, and walked up the driveway to knock on the front door.

While telling this story now on Facebook, Johnston has no delusions about her actions at the time.

LOOK: People Are Posting Stories of Celebrities Being Nice to Them and it is Incredibly Refreshing

“If this happened today, I am not sure the outcome would be the same,” she wrote.

“It was a calmer time, and I also think a more innocent time. I think if it were today, I would for sure be on the news … but I also would not do it today. Of course, older and wiser. I think being young ‘silly’ girls helped too!”

But instead of accosting the youngsters for trespassing, Reeves started a polite conversation with the fans.

WATCH: Keanu Reeves Has Been a Secret Charity Badass for Years

“After we told him the story and asked him not to call the police, he invited us in, gave us a beer and spoke with us,” says Johnston. “I told him how I was there for my boyfriend’s softball tournament and … [Reeves] wrote that note for Ned and I [with] best wishes to him in the softball tournament. He was such an awesome guy!”

After getting a few pictures with the movie star as evidence of the sweet encounter, they bid him farewell and went to get the pictures developed. Due to a mishap with the film, however, Johnston was very close to losing the photos.

“When we left, I had accidentally exposed the film in the camera, we went right to a one hour photo shop with the hopes of having the pictures saved… after an agonizing wait, there were only 3 pictures that were not all yellow from exposure… I was so grateful because no one would have ever believed us. Sometimes I still can’t believe it.”

While most of us would probably not repeat Johnston’s actions, her story is an excellent reminder that not all celebrities have their heads in the clouds.

Click To Share The Excellent Adventure With Your Friends – Photos by Chris Johnston

Boy With Autism’s LEGO Replica of the Titanic is So Impressive, it is Now on Display at the Ship’s Museum

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McKinley Corbley
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An Icelandic boy who is fascinated by LEGOs built a 26-foot replica of Titanic, the fabled ship that sunk into the ocean after hitting an iceberg 106 years ago.

His replica is so impressive, it has traveled to a dozen destinations around the world before finally being placed in the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where it will be on display for the next year.

Brynjar Karl Bigisson first started playing with LEGOs at just 5 years old. As he got older, he became more and more inspired by people using the bricks to build giant, life-like sculptures.

At the age of 10, he decided to express his interest in the Titanic by making a replica of the ship.

LOOK: Bullied Boy Finds Beauty in Himself After Adopting Cat With the Same 2 Rare Conditions as Him

With the help of his grandfather and an engineer to make the blueprints, Brynjar started building the toy ocean liner in a warehouse near his home in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The impressive creation took 700 hours (roughly 11 months) to build with 56,000 bricks and 120 tubes of crazy glue.

“The estimated cost for the … bricks I needed to start the project was $8,000 and then other costs (platform, tools, glue,) were around $2,000,” says Brynjar. “We managed to raise $3,000 with crowdfunding and $3,000 with book sales and sponsors. The LEGO group in Denmark gave me 30% discount on the LEGO Bricks I bought from them and some people donated their old LEGO bricks.”

RELATED: Strangers Rally Around 13-Year-old Whose Rock Museum Was Robbed

Now 15 years old, the youngster has traveled all over the world to give speeches on his autism and what it was like to build the LEGO Titanic.

“This whole journey has helped me out of my autistic fog,” he said. “I was totally unable to communicate when I started the project and now I’m standing on stage and giving interviews. It has given me confidence. When I started the building process I had a person helping me in school in every step that I took, but today, I’m studying without any support. My grades have risen and my classmates consider me as their peer. I have had the opportunity to travel and explore and meet wonderful people.”

(WATCH the video below)

Build Some Positivity: Click To Share The News With Your Friends – Photo by the Titanic Museum

“The only people with whom you should try to get even with, are those who have helped you.” – John E. Southard

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Quote of the Day: “The only people with whom you should try to get even with, are those who have helped you.” – John E. Southard

Photo: by Chiara Cremaschi, CC

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?

After 399 Rejections, Woman is Saving the Earth With BBQ Chips Made From Bugs

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Good News Network
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GNN.org is the exclusive media partner for the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. Chosen annually, the 12 Fellows are each matched with an executive mentor, leadership coach, and $10,000. Hand-selected from 2,400 applicants in 100 countries, these visionaries are being celebrated—one each day on GNN—leading up to the 6th Annual Global Good Fund Gala, on April 26.

Tortilla chips made from insects – now there’s a concept.

You may be surprised to learn that this snack actually does exist thanks to Rose Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of Chirps Chips.

Chirps Chips exists to normalize eating insects so that society can envision a sustainable food system where insects are grown in urban areas and fed on food waste. Unlike factory farming, insects can be raised humanely in cities, without antibiotics or growth hormones. Chirps Chips uses crickets milled into a flour to make high-protein tortilla chips – and they’re delicious, with three times more protein and 40% less fat than a regular chip.

MORE: Drinking Alcohol Boosts Longevity—Even More Than Exercise, Says 14-Year Study

The goal? To substitute animal protein with insect protein, which will in turn reduce land and water usage and greenhouse emissions.

During her senior year of college, Rose was dared to eat a fried scorpion while studying abroad in China. Although terrified, she took on the challenge and was pleasantly surprised – the bug tasted like shrimp!

Her fears quickly disappeared, and she started to wonder why people were eating bugs in other parts of the world, but not in the US – in fact, around 2 billion people already eat bugs as part of their diet.

LOOK: World’s First Mass-Produced, 3D-Printed Car is Electric and Costs Under $10K

Rose became infatuated by the subject. Upon further research, she discovered that the livestock industry contributed to more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. Insects on the other hand are one of the most sustainable protein sources available, and could be the key to reducing the food system’s impact on climate change.

Rose and her college roommate, Laura D’Asaro, began experimenting with crickets that they bought from a local pet shop and co-founded the startup venture soon after.

When the business was first getting off the ground, everyone called them crazy, believing there was no way a company working to re-build the food system with insect protein could thrive. Rose and Laura had to call 400 manufacturers to try and sell their product, and received 399 no’s before they got one yes.

MORE: Woman’s Ingenious Invention Generates Electricity Using Wind From Trains, Subways

Now, Chirps Chips is backed by Mark Cuban after winning a deal on “Shark Tank“, and the snack is being sold on thousands of store shelves across the nation in flavors like BBQ and cheddar.

In addition to being a Shark Tank survivor, Rose is a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur, Elle USA Impact Award winner, Echoing Green Climate Fellow, MassChallenge Gold winner, Harvard Dean’s Design Challenge winner, and TEDx speaker.

MORE: Buy Your Coffee to Help 40 Firefighters Who Lost Their Homes in Wildfires

Chirps Chips manufactures the first of what Rose and Laura hope will be a long line of bug-based snacks.

“We would like to have all sorts of insects and brands under our company. Our planet and resources are important, and we are going to keep fighting no matter what,” says Rose.

Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.

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North and South Korea Reportedly Prepare to Officially End Their 68-Year War

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McKinley Corbley
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The leaders of North and South Korea may finally put an end to the conflict that has been affecting the two nations for the last 68 years.

At the end of the Korean war in 1954, South and North Korean officials signed a truce. Though it put an end to the violence between Pyeongchang and Seoul, they never actually agreed to sign a peace treaty.

The countries came closing to ending the war in 2007 during the “Sunshine Policy” peace talks, but it was not to be. In addition to North Korea resisting international inspections of their nuclear facilities, South Korea elected a new president in 2008 who abandoned the negotiations.

But now according to a report published by the South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo, an unnamed Seoul official says that the two nations will be announcing their intention of ending the decades-long war during a leader’s summit later this month – which is the third-ever meeting between South and North leaders in history.

RELATED: In Proposed Summit With US, North and South Korea to Push Serious Goal of Peace Without Nuclear Weapons

If the countries successfully end the war, it could also spell the end of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean border. The 2.5-mile stretch of land would return to its original state, and all troops, artillery, and other weapons would be pulled back from both sides.

The negotiations could also pave the way for a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in May or June, which would make history as the first ever sitting between an American president and a North Korean leader.

Click To Share The Exciting News With Your Friends

Disabled Man is Inundated With Job Offers After Holding Sign on the Road Asking For Work

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This man’s determination for a job has finally paid off after a photo of him on the side of the road was shared to an Australian community Facebook page.

After moving from Brisbane to Mackay three weeks ago in order to be closer with his family, 33-year-old Mathew Magrath has been trying to find a job.

When applying to positions online and dropping off his resumé failed to land him any interviews, he decided to put himself out there and sit on the side of the road in his wheelchair with a “Work Wanted” sign boasting his experience in sales, accounts, and administration.

For the first few days, he didn’t have any luck.

RELATED: After Denver Hired Homeless People to Perform Day Labor For the City, More Than 100 Landed Regular Jobs

“It’s a tough time for everybody, but especially when you’re disabled. I find some workplaces are not prepared to take you on because they don’t have the right layout or accessibility for wheelchair users,” Magrath told The Daily Mail.

Magrath lost his ability to walk after he broke his neck 14 years ago by falling off of a 6-foot balcony – but that hasn’t stopped him from working as hard as his able-bodied counterparts.

“I know I can work, I like working. I don’t want to be on the dole or anything,” he told the Daily Mercury. “It’s easier to give up, it is a little bit daunting watching everyone go past but at the end of the day it’s working.”

WATCH: Student Saves Man’s Life Minutes Before Interviewing to be Paramedic

“People also sort of look at disability as an inconvenience in some sense,” he told the Mail. “There is a stigma against disabled people, but they’re often very loyal and hard-working.”

Finally, after several days without any responses, he was spotted by Katelyn Neal, who snapped a photo of his sign and posted it to the “Jobs in Mackay” Facebook group.

“I’ve seen this person two days in a row down on Lagoon street at around 7:30AM yesterday and today. Thought it might be worth a share and in turn this might help them out.

LOOK: Starbucks Worker Receives Apology Note, Tip From Sassy Customer

“I know what it’s like to try to find work and constantly get knocked back. It takes courage to do what he is doing.”

Since she posted the photo, Magrath has been inundated with job offers. With several interviews lined up during the coming weeks, he says he feels very optimistic about the future and he “expects to have employment by the end of next week”.

Pass On The Positivity To Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by Katelyn Neal

UK’s Largest Coffee Chain is Now Shelling Out Cash to Recycle Everyone’s Cups

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Costa Coffee, the UK’s largest java retailer, is pledging to recycle half a billion single-use cups per year by 2020.

The initiative will make Costa Coffee the first ever coffee chain in the UK to commit to recycling the same volume of cups it puts onto the market, which will amount to roughly one fifth of the 2.5 billion takeaway coffee cups consumed as a nation each year.

Costa Coffee is going to achieve the ambitious goal by paying waste management companies to collect all the disposable coffee cups destined for the landfill and transport them to paper mills that can recycle the cups.

Though there are already three paper mills in the UK that are equipped to recycle paper, it has never been economically viable for the waste management companies to send them the cups. This means that all the paper products that could have been processed and reused either end up being incinerated or sent to a landfill.

RELATED: World’s Second Largest Fast Food Chain Begins Phase-Out of Plastic Straws

Costa plans on addressing this issue by simply paying the waste companies an additional $106 (£75) per ton of recycled paper cups, which is 140% more than what they’re paid already.

The company has already partnered with five waste companies that collectively manage a large majority of UK public spaces, “including hospitals, universities, and transport hubs”.

“The main issue is that effectively the price per tonne to the waste management companies received for cups has meant it hasn’t been economic for them to take the cups to the paper mills – there hasn’t been enough profit it in it for them,” Costa managing director Dominic Paul told The Independent.

MORE: Netherlands to Build Roads With Recycled Plastic From the Ocean

“We realized that was actually the hurdle we had to overcome if we were going to cut through this, and as the market leader we felt we should.”

All the consumer will have to do is throw their cup into a recycling bin.

“Costa is putting its money where its mouth is to find an immediate solution to increasing the volume of takeaway coffee cups being recycled in the UK. It also dispels the myth that coffee cups can’t be recycled!” says Paul.

“Following today’s announcement up to 100 million cups will be recycled this year alone and if the nation’s other coffee chains sign up, there is no reason why all takeaway cups could not be recycled by as early as 2020.”

We’ll Cheers To That! Click To Share The Good News With Your Friends – Photo by Nirzar, CC

NFL Player Makes Good on His Promise to Return Home and Take Special Needs Girl to Prom

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For some high schoolers, prom is a night that they will never forget – especially for this 18-year-old student with special needs who had a superstar date for the dance.

NFL defensive back player Don Jones II made good on his promise to return to his home county in Alabama and take Lindsey Preston to prom.

Jones is acquainted with the Preston family because his mother taught Lindsey in elementary school. So despite having a busy schedule playing for the San Francisco 49’ers, the 27-year-old traveled back to Lawrence County and took Lindsey to a special needs prom on Friday.

RELATED: Street Fighter is Giving Back – 14-0, The Inspiring Story of UFC’s Brian Ortega – Hispanic Athlete of the Year

“Anything I can do to make some kids smile, I would be more than willing to do,” Jones told local media. “I think the most fun was all of the guys, I showed the guys about five or six new dance moves…all of the guys followed me around all night and I was just glad I could dance and put smiles on the kid’s faces.”

And according to Preston’s mom, Jones was exceptional at making “all of the kids feel special”.

In addition to joining his second season with the 49’ers, Jones has played with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans.

Score Big With Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by Kristi Martin

“We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie

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Quote of the Day: “We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie

Photo: by Sam Antonio Photography, CC

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?

Divorce Lawyer Shares What He’s Learned From Failed Marriages –and Why He Still Believes It’s a Good Idea

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Good News Network
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The Lesson: With such high rates of divorce, it can be scary to think about the future of your romantic relationships and the possibility of failure in your marriage – but this divorce lawyer has worked with over 1,000 clients who have endured the difficulties of separation, and he’s learned a thing or two. In this podcast, James Sexton talks all about the wisdom and advice that he has garnered from his extensive career in divorce law and how people preparing for marriage can learn from it all.

Notable Excerpt: “The analogy I tell people is, if I said to you right now, you can have any car you want. What car would you have? [They might say] ‘I want a Maserati,’ okay? Now, if I then said to them, ‘Okay, you get one car, though. Whatever car you pick, that’s the car you’re going to have for the rest of your life.’ Suddenly a Lamborghini is a terrible idea, because you can’t put a car seat in it for a kid. And you can’t, when you’re eighty years old, get into that car, right? So if you’re only allowed to have one car, you got to find a car that not only makes sense when you’re twenty, and thirty, and forty, but when you’re seventy, and when you have kids, and when the kids have gone away.

“Well, marriage is a technology where you’re signing on with one person and saying, ‘For the rest of my life, I’m going to be with this person.’ And that’s a very challenging thing. But here’s the thing: I actually think people give more thought to the car they’re buying, than they do really to the technology of marriage, and what about it specifically they like or don’t like.”

The Guest: James Sexton is a New York City-based divorce lawyer who has managed over 1,000 clients since he graduated from Fordham Law School. His newly-published book “If You’re in My Office, It’s Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Staying Together” offers comprehensive advice on how romantic partners can preserve their relationships and why he still believes in successful marriages even after spending his career around heartbreak.

The Host: After spending years of his young life and athletic career struggling with his own emotional wellbeing, a crippling injury left Lewis Howes without an identity and without any work. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, however, Howes recreated himself as a multi-million dollar media producer, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host. The ex-football player now spends his days chatting with the most inspirational icons of this generation on his School of Greatness podcast.

Podcast: The School of Greatness podcast is available for download on Soundcloud and iTunes. You can also watch footage of the interviews on Howes’s YouTube channel.

Books: Howes is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The School of Greatness”: an in-depth collection of lessons and wisdom that he has gathered from interviewing hundreds of the world’s greatest role models and thinkers. Howes’s latest book, “The Mask of Masculinity”, is based on his experience with the dangerous stereotypes and expectations that are placed on men in modern society.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below or read the transcript here) – Photo by James Youngson, CC

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Watch Amusing Video of Two Cats Trying to Pass Each Other Atop a Narrow Doorframe

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Good News Network
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Most people have become familiar with the cat mantra, “If it fits, I sits.” But what about trying to fit on top of a narrow doorframe?

Well, that’s exactly what these two Siamese cats were caught doing in the most recent feline video to charm the internet.

LOOK: When Goats Get Themselves Stuck on Narrow Ledge of Bridge, Humans Come to Their Rescue

Both of the acro-cats can be seen facing each other on top of a thin ledge in a woman’s household. As they both try and bypass each other in order to get to the other side of the frame, they can be seen jostling uncomfortably in the middle of their balancing act.

Though some animals may have called it quits, the two felines eventually find a way to slip past each other in a sufficiently elegant – albeit amusing – fashion.

As the video’s description so wisely states, “cats always find a way.”

(WATCH the video below)

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Man Keeps Kids From Chopping Trees, Puts Them Into School, and Saves Environment at the Same Time

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Good News Network
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GNN.org is the exclusive media partner for the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. Chosen annually, the 12 Fellows are each matched with an executive mentor, leadership coach, and $10,000. Hand-selected from 2,400 applicants in 100 countries, these visionaries were celebrated—one each day on GNN—leading up to the 6th Annual Global Good Fund Gala, on April 26.

Born and raised in Kitabi, a poor village in the south of Rwanda, Jean Bosco Nzeyimana grew up in a home without electricity or running water.

The overwhelming majority of his fellow villagers relied on wood charcoal as their main source of fuel. Because of this, he was instilled with a passion to change the status quo, by providing more ecological and affordable biofuels.

Over 80% of the people in Rwanda are still forced to use wood as a means to live, which means more than 3 million trees will be cut down to satisfy this energy need alone.

Children are dropping out of school because they are working to help their parents collect firewood for cooking, creating another problem for the country’s future.

LOOK: Trees Growing Out of Buildings Could Help Heal China’s Air Pollution Problem

As the only person from his village to graduate high school, Jean Bosco’s most pressing issue became figuring out a way to quell the fuel needs that had been robbing so many of his peers of their rights to a proper education.

“I’m trying to create a world that is environmentally stable, not by trying to find fancy, expensive, solutions. I think we’ve had the solutions for many years, we just needed a business model we could apply”, Nzeyimana explained.

Jean Bosco’s solution: He created a company that produces affordable and environmentally friendly services and fuels in the form of biomass briquettes and pellets made from waste. This serves as a sustainable alternative to wood, while also improving sanitation and air quality in the home.

RELATED: The Feminine Reason for African Girls Dropping Out, and An Engineer’s Simple Solution

After raising startup capital for Habona, Ltd., he provided permanent jobs to more than 25 Rwandans.

For his efforts, Jean Bocso was recognized as the 2014 Top Young Entrepreneur of Rwanda, and received a prestigious 2015 Top Young Achievers award from the First Lady of Rwanda.

At the 2016 Global Entrepreneur Summit, Jean Bosco spoke on a panel alongside Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. The following year, he was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs in Africa.

Despite the worldwide attention, Jean Bosco still resides in Kitabi, fulfilled by the fact that Habona is uplifting the lives of people in marginalized communities by providing sustainable products and new local jobs: “My greatest inspiration is that every little thing I do makes an impact in somebody else’s life.”

MORE: Kenyan Schoolgirls Invent App to Stop Female Genital Mutilation

This year, Nzeyimana became one of the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place.

Through its Fellowship program launched in 2012, The Global Good Fund invests in high potential leaders committed to social impact worldwide. It also created the 360 MIRROR – the first evidence-based leadership assessment for social entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Plant Some Positivity: Click To Share The Good News With Your Friends

Scientists Accidentally Create Super Enzyme That Can Devour Plastic Pollution

By
McKinley Corbley
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Scientists have engineered a mutant enzyme that can eat and digest hard-to-recycle plastics – and they created it entirely by accident.

The enzyme is a more developed model of the bacteria that Japanese researchers discovered in 2016. Their breakthrough made international headlines because of the bacteria’s ability to digest polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

PET is favored for its lightweight, colorless, and durable properties that make it an ideal material for water bottles, plastic trays, blister packaging, and polyester clothing. Because it’s virtually invincible against microbes, however, the plastic never degrades, making it a pollutant scourge on the environment.

Since the bacteria’s discovery, scientists at the University of Portsmouth and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been trying to better understand how the bacteria is able to digest the plastic.

RELATED: This Pollution-Gobbling City Bench Can Absorb as Many Toxins as 275 Trees

In the midst of their studies, the scientists accidentally created a super enzyme that is derived from the bacteria – except it is even stronger than the original.

The enzyme currently has the ability to break down the plastic in a matter of days, as opposed to the centuries it would take to naturally degrade in the ocean. The research team is now pursuing a patent on the enzyme so that they can develop its potential and increase its digestion time in order to wield the enzyme on a more industrial scale.

RELATED: Netherlands to Build Roads With Recycled Plastic From the Ocean

And since enzymes are non-toxic and biodegradable, the discovery could be a major breakthrough in sustainably recycling the millions of tons of plastic that are polluting the planet.

“What we are hoping to do is use this enzyme to turn this plastic back into its original components, so we can literally recycle it back to plastic,” said McGeehan. “It means we won’t need to dig up any more oil and, fundamentally, it should reduce the amount of plastic in the environment.”

LOOK: Los Angeles is Painting Streets Grey in Bid to Fight Climate Change and Spur Cooler Summer

Professor McGeehan, Director of the Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the School of Biological Sciences at Portsmouth, said: “The engineering process is much the same as for enzymes currently being used in bio-washing detergents and in the manufacture of biofuels – the technology exists and it’s well within the possibility that in the coming years we will see an industrially viable process to turn PET and potentially other substrates like PEF, PLA, and PBS, back into their original building blocks so that they can be sustainably recycled.”

“Serendipity often plays a significant role in fundamental scientific research and our discovery here is no exception,” Professor McGeehan said. “Although the improvement is modest, this unanticipated discovery suggests that there is room to further improve these enzymes, moving us closer to a recycling solution for the ever-growing mountain of discarded plastics.”

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Click To Share This Incredible Breakthrough With Your Friends – Photo by Snemann, CC

Yale is Letting Anyone Take Its Most Popular Class Ever for Free

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Good News Network
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Yale University has been teaching classes for 316 years – but none of their courses has been as popular as their course on happiness.

Almost a quarter of the student body signed up for “Psych 157: Psychology and the Good Life” during its inaugural year. That’s about 1,000 youngsters all expressing interest in learning about mental health and wellbeing.

The course was so popular, the Ivy League School decided to start teaching the class online for free – and anyone can enroll.

The modified 6-week class, which is called “The Science of Well-Being”, is being taught by psychology and cognitive science professor Laurie Santos on Coursera, a free online college education platform.

RELATED: How to Follow Negative News Without Getting Depressed

The class description says: “The purpose of the course is to not only learn what psychological research says about what makes us happy but also to put those strategies into practice. The first half of the course reveals misconceptions we have about happiness and the annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do. The second half of the course focuses on activities that have been proven to increase happiness along with strategies to build better habits.”

“The hope is that this isn’t gonna be an ordinary class or lecture series,” Santos says in the introduction video. “This is the kind of thing that we hope will change your life in a real way.”

(WATCH the video below)

Pass On The Positive News To Your Friends: Click To Share

911 Calls From the Chronically Ill Dropped By 62% After the City Launched Simple Initiative

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McKinley Corbley
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This impressive program in Wisconsin is having a huge impact on chronically ill citizens and the first responders who used to have to answer their calls.

In 2015, the Milwaukee Fire Department was surprised to find out that 7% of the roughly 63,000 calls for emergency medical services that were received during the previous year — which is about 4,300 calls — came from the same 100 people.

That’s because the patients who had a consistent track record of dialing 911 were all people who suffered from chronic illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“They call 911, and we go back and go through the same process again — taking them to the ER. It’s very expensive, very time-consuming,” Milwaukee Fire Department Assistance Chief Daniel Berendt told WITI in 2015.

WATCH: When Man Suddenly Collapses, People Line Up For 96-Minute CPR Marathon to Save Him

The fire department then came up with the Community Paramedic Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program: an initiative that employs a separate group of specially-trained paramedics to take care of chronically ill patients before they ever have to dial 911.

34 paramedics assess the health and homes of the patients so that they can use preventative care and guidance to prevent the illnesses from resulting in a trip to the emergency room. Over 300 patients have participated in the program free of charge since its launch in 2015.

RELATED: If You Have Urgent Need of an EpiPen, This App Finds a Stranger to Rescue You

The program’s trial period resulted in a 26% decline in emergency calls from chronically ill patients. In 2016, those calls dropped by 56%. Then in 2017, they fell by 62%.

“We’re serving the most at-risk citizens in a proactive way,” Capt. Michael Wright, the department coordinator who spearheaded the project, told JS Online. “I see it first-hand. People are getting better.”

Pass On The Positive Article To Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by Journal of Emergency Medical Services

“The drive to be authentic is more powerful than our greatest fear. And when we bump up against that authentic voice, we are called to face our fear—and overcome it.” – Unity Rev. Larry Schellink

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The drive to be authentic is more powerful than our greatest fear. And when we bump up against that authentic voice, we are called to face our fear—and overcome it.” – Unity Rev. Larry Schellink

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?

How Hydrogen is Being Used to Treat Some of Our Most Common Illnesses

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Good News Network
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File photo by Zero Emission Resource Organization, CC

The Lesson: Scientists have only been researching the benefits of molecular hydrogen for the last ten years or so – but the studies are turning out to be extraordinarily promising. In this podcast, Tyler LeBaron uses his background in biochemistry to outline exactly how molecular hydrogen could be used to treat everything from Parkinson’s disease to rheumatoid arthritis.

Notable Excerpt: “If we look at some of the clinical studies, and some of the animal studies, hydrogen is still very much in its infancy. We don’t have, you know, 20-30 years of clinical research with hundreds and hundreds of studies. It’s in its infancy. There’s just over 1,000 publications on molecular hydrogen and its medical benefits. But, what we’re seeing if we look at the human studies, for example, I mentioned inflammation and its connection with rheumatoid arthritis. Well, there was a study published in 2012, and some other ones in 2013 and 2014 where they showed in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized fashion that the ingestion of hydrogen-rich water was very significant in improving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and decreasing the markers of oxidative stress … insomuch that some of the patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis actually had a complete remission of the disease. Their markers of the acetylated proteins, [which] are markers of the disease, were back to normal levels, as though they did not have the disease anymore. This is very powerful, and it’s being followed up right now with another study [that is including about] 170 or so patients to really show the effects in the [disease].”

The Guest: Tyler LeBaron is the founder and executive director of the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to studying the medicinal benefits of molecular hydrogen. His credentials include researching cell signaling pathways at Nagoya University in the Department of Neurogenetics in Japan, and becoming the director of the International Hydrogen Standards Association.

The Host: Dave Asprey, the CEO and Founder of Bulletproof, is a biohacker (changing his environment from the inside-out to have full control of his biology). For nearly two decades, he’s been questioning the status quo of nutrition and medicine so he could feel better—and have more energy in his 40s than he had in his 20s. Join more than 1 million biohackers who follow Bulletproof for leading-edge information on how to supercharge your body and upgrade your brain.

Books: Asprey is the author of “The Bulletproof Diet” – a guide on how to feel more energized and lose weight – and “Head Strong: The Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Work Smarter and Think Faster-in Just Two Weeks”.

Podcast: The Bulletproof podcast is available on PodcastOne, iTunes, Stitcher, and YouTube.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below or read the transcript) – Representational photo by ZERO, CC

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After Securing Release of 2 Men From Decades in Prison, Woman Ensures That No One Will Suffer Same Fate

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Good News Network
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GNN.org is the exclusive media partner for the 2018 ‘Global Good Fund’ Fellows—12 extraordinary young social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. Chosen annually, the 12 Fellows are each matched with an executive mentor, leadership coach, and $10,000. Hand-selected from 2,400 applicants in 100 countries, these visionaries are being celebrated—one each day on GNN—leading up to the 6th Annual Global Good Fund Gala, on April 26.

Kelly Orians has helped bring freedom and wellbeing to dozens of people who have struggled with the judicial system – and it is all thanks to her unlikely relationship with two men who had spent nearly half a century in prison

Kelly grew up in a family that was impacted by incarceration. She is all too familiar with the predatory price of phone calls, the random and unexpected lockdowns that prevent visitation, the court dates and continuances that drag on for years, and the lengthy parole supervision that follows, making real freedom seem nearly impossible.

Additionally, her home of Louisiana is the world’s prison capital, imprisoning more of its people per capita than any of its U.S. counterparts. The state’s incarceration rate is nearly five times that of Iran, 13 times China’s, and 20 times Germany’s.

RELATED: Recovering Addict Gives Free Gym Memberships to Those Who Want to Stay Sober

Because of her upbringing, Orian has managed an astonishing career in advocating for prisoner’s rights with The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL). Additionally, she has managed the statewide campaign to End Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles (JLWOP).

“When I first started working in the Louisiana prison system I learned my most important lesson: that even though my family struggled, we still enjoyed incredible privileges compared to people of color from low income communities who have family in prisons and jails,” Kelly explained. “It wasn’t my family’s experience with incarceration that motivated me to pursue this work, it was what was so dramatically different about ours.”

Kelly worked on the legal team that secured the release of the first two people in the country under the US Supreme Court ruling Graham v. Florida, which declared JLWOP sentences unconstitutional in non-homicide cases. After nearly half a century in jail, the two men named Bob and Josh were released in the middle of the night from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

MORE: Street Fighter is Giving Back: 14-0, The Inspiring Story of UFC’s Brian Ortega – Hispanic Athlete of the Year

She met them at the gate, drove them home, and with a brave heart, personally guided them through their transition back into everyday life.

“The moment Bob and Josh stepped out of the prison van and crossed the threshold of the front gate is one I will absolutely never forget. I remember every detail of that night. I remember thinking ‘We won! We did it. We finally won.’ Then, about 30 minutes later, on the long ride back down highway 66 from Angola, Bob turned to me and asked, ‘where do I get my medications tomorrow?’ It occurred to me then that although we had won their release from prison, we had not even begun the fight to ensure they would never have to go back to prison. We had not yet done anything to ensure they would have the opportunity to live with dignity and respect.”

It was during these very exciting (albeit uncertain) weeks that Kelly launched her first “communal loan fund” which raised and dispersed zero interest loans to assist her clients with meeting the demands of their reentry process.

Continue Reading The Inspiring Story Below…

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