In recent days, the recipients of various Nobel Prizes have been announced, honoring the pinnacle of human achievement in life-saving sciences and life-affirming art. Also in recent days, a cat earned a trophy for getting stuck in a sofa bed. Oh to be such an animal, beloved beyond reason, lauded for nothing more than one's clumsy existence. It's a good reminder that you don't actually have to achieve anything to be loved. You can just ... be. That is enough. Although, you should probably avoid getting trapped in the furniture.
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Our favorites this week
Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week
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The noble Nobels
The Nobel Prizes are awarded every year to those who, in the words of Swedish benefactor Alfred Nobel, "during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." This year, those hefty honors went to great minds who have fought against injustice and disease and provided new ways of seeing the world. The Nobel Peace Prize, the greatest honor on the list, was awarded to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all." The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to a team of scientists who created a ground-breaking technique using lasers to understand the extremely rapid movements of electrons, which were previously thought impossible to follow. The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to a pair of scientists for their work on mRNA vaccines, a crucial tool in curtailing the spread of Covid-19. A trio of scientists were honored with the Nobel Prize for chemistry for their work to to discover and develop quantum dots, used in LED lights and TV screens, as well as by surgeons when removing cancer tissue. Finally, the Nobel Prize in literature went to Norwegian author and playwright Jon Fosse for “his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable."
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Building on hope
Country superstars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are picking up the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter by building houses this week in Charlotte, North Carolina. The iconic duo participated in Habitat for Humanity’s 37th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, named in honor of the former first couple's dedication to the organization. From 1984 to 2019, the Carters helped build, renovate and repair 4,390 homes, working alongside more than 100,000 volunteers in 14 countries. This year’s project in Charlotte is building 27 single-family homes. The homes are not given away, but are made with the aim of being affordable for families in need. President Carter, who began receiving hospice care earlier in the year, marked his 99th birthday on October 1. Brooks and Yearwood led volunteers in a round of "Happy Birthday," and said Carter's presence was still felt on the site.
Read the full story here.
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Battle of champions
Make way for the fat bears! It is once again Fat Bear Week, the annual competition for the roundest and chunkiest residents of Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Remember, it is GOOD these brown bears are fat: They need all the energy they can manage before months of hibernation. As always, bear enthusiasts can vote for their favorite fat bear, and this year's field is stacked. There's fan-favorite "Otis," who “moves less to catch more," according to the park, as well as reigning champ "Bear 747." Some of the contenders have very good bear names, like "32 Chunk," or "164 Bucky Dent." Now that I think about it, this is another great example of animals being appreciated for exactly who they are. Never change, fat bears. Never change.
Read the full story and learn how to vote here.
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Change your relationship with food
Changing eating habits starts with psychology. Start losing weight today with Noom, a program with daily psych-based lessons, guided coaching, and group accountability to help keep the weight off for the long run.
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Giles, a charismatic black cat who survived getting stuck in a sofa bed with only minor injuries -- and walked away with a shiny trophy. Giles is the recipient of the 15th Annual Hambone Award, given by Nationwide Insurance to the most ridiculous (yet still mild) pet medical claim of the year. The honors were inspired by a claim where a dog got mild hypothermia after getting stuck in a refrigerator and eating an entire ham. While that legendary first feat is hard to top, Giles had stiff competition — including a parrot who got in a fight with a door and a phone charger-chewing puppy. We're proud of you, Giles. You and all of your beautiful idiot friends are perfect.
Read the full story here.
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I only have one word for this year's finalists in the UK-based Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards: DELIGHTFUL. Seriously, these will make your day. There's an extremely round, angry bird, an owl who is the epitome of overwhelmed and so many more amusing, engaging photos of the animal world at play. The awards, founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, also promote wildlife conservation. This year’s competition supports the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK charity that helps fund conservationists around the world.
Read the full story (and see all the pics) here.
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Estefanía Rebellón knows the trauma that stems from being forced to flee your home for safety. She understands the fear and uncertainty felt by the more than 70 million migrant and forcibly displaced children around the world. She was a migrant, too. Rebellón was 10 when her family fled Cali, Colombia, and settled in Miami. After she built her new life and moved to Los Angeles, she volunteered in migrant camps in Tijuana and was so moved, she quit her professional pursuits to make a calling out of helping others. She and her partner spent $1,000 of their savings to buy tents and supplies and set up a makeshift school at the border. They enlisted volunteer teachers to provide learning opportunities in the camps. Over the years, the project has grown exponentially. Today, Rebellón's Yes We Can Foundation educates 250-300 kids a day through its four school locations along the border and three mobile school buses.
Read the full story here.
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Talent knows no boundaries, no socioeconomic statuses — it only seeks a platform. Arts are not extracurricular activities, secondary to the pressing needs of shelter, food and education. When taught well, they are the underpinning of cognitive growth and self-esteem and the myriad benefits that come with them. Every child deserves access to the transformative power of the arts.
- Steven Melendez, the artistic director of New York Theatre Ballet. In a moving personal essay for CNN, Melendez describes his journey from growing up in homeless shelters in New York City to dancing on some of the world's biggest stages. Melendez is also the subject of the new documentary film “LIFT."
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Rec of the week
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Shameless animal video
There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.
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The laugh of a kookaburra is certainly something to behold, but even these vociferous birds start out small -- as little fluffballs, testing out their new set of pipes. (Click here to view) |
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