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Weekly News Recap: September 17, 2021

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: September 17, 2021

Students, staff and visitors at nine Alberta post-secondary institutions will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will have to provide proof of their vaccination status. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role. — Yehuda Berg

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • 100-year-old Tampa grandma sets Guinness World Record for weight lifting (ABC) Oh my. I don't think I can lift 150 lbs one day a week. #Legend "Some 100-year-old grannies knit others play bingo, but not Edith Murway-Traina she likes to bench press. ABC Action News first told you about the weight-lifting grandma from Tampa three years ago, when she was powerlifting more than 150 pounds three days a week."

  • 1,500-Year-Old Gold Treasure Trove Found by Danish Man with Metal Detector (Art News) Nice find. Almost $75,000 CAD. "Using a metal detector, a man in Denmark’s countryside discovered a cache of 1,500-year-old gold objects. The treasure trove offered up more than two pounds of gold, according to the Vejlemuseerne, the museum consortium in Vejle, [Denmark.]"

  • Amazon offers to pay college fees of 750,000 frontline US workers (Guardian) This is amazing. #Wow "Amazon has offered to pay the cost of college tuition fees for 750,000 of its frontline workers, the latest move by a major US company to offer perks to attract and retain staff amid a labour shortage. The company, which is investing $1.2bn (£0.86bn) in the scheme by 2025, said it would cover the cost of college tuition fees and textbooks for US hourly staff after 90 days of employment for as long as they remain at Amazon."

  • Denmark lifts all Covid restrictions as vaccinations top 80% (Guardian) Yay Denmark! "Denmark’s high vaccination rate has enabled it to become one of the first EU countries to lift all domestic restrictions, after 548 days with curbs in place to limit the spread of Covid-19, The return to normality has been gradual, but as of [this week], the digital pass – a proof of having been vaccinated – is no longer required when entering nightclubs, making it the last virus safeguard to fall. More than 80% of people above the age of 12 in the Scandinavian country have had the two shots, leading the Danish government to declare as of midnight it no longer considers Covid-19 a 'socially critical' disease."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Full vaccination — and proof — to be mandatory at 9 post-secondary institutions in Alberta (CBC) ALBERTA STORY We are going to see this happen across the sectors. Good move. "The University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and seven other Alberta post-secondary institutions will require all students, staff and visitors to be fully vaccinated to attend campus, building on previously announced plans. Enhanced safety measures against COVID-19 have been adopted by the U of A, the U of C, University of Lethbridge, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, NAIT, SAIT, Medicine Hat College and NorQuest College."

  2. 10 shows about nonprofit and philanthropy that would be way better than “The Activist” (Nonprofit AF) Ah Vu, as usual, you are bang on the money as the Russell Crowe famously said in the movie, The Gladiator: 'Are you not entertained!' "By now you’ve probably heard about the new show to debut on CBS called 'The Activist,' in which six activists compete for funding and attention for their causes, success measured by social media engagement and the input of celebrity mentors Usher, Priyanka Chopra, and Julianne Hough. Of course, everyone is rightly up in arms. There are so many things wrong with this concept. Forcing activists to compete against one another in a Hunger Games for the crumbs thrown out by the wealthy. Measuring success through social media engagement. Having celebrities who know little to nothing about these issues judging activists with years of experience. And doing it all as [entertainment.]"

  3. Charity regulator launches investigation after donation to Charles’ foundation (Yahoo) "Scotland’s charity regulator has launched an investigation following claims the Prince of Wales’ charitable foundation accepted a six-figure sum from a wealthy Russian donor. Charles wrote a letter thanking the businessman for his generous offer of more than £500,000 to the Prince’s Foundation last year, and suggested they could meet after the Covid crisis. The charity initially received £100,000 but the total sum was reportedly rejected by the ethics committee of the foundation, whose headquarters are in Scotland, following concerns about its [provenance.]"

  4. Calgary is now new permanent home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (Curiocity) CALGARY STORY #Excellent "It should come as no surprise that most Calgarians consider themselves to be big fans of country music. Whether we’re boot-scootin’ our way through Stampede week, or two-stepping at Cowboys, we’ve got the twang and the twang has got us by the heartstrings. As for the artists? Well, they’re practically royalty in these parts, which is why it only makes sense that the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame would decide to move across province lines into our beloved Studio Bell Music Centre, a museum revered for its existing collection of memorabilia and dedication to the arts."

  5. When will international air travel soar again after COVID-19? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I'm watching with more than a bit of interest. "A return to a freer level of international air travel likely won't be possible until there's greater agreement among nations on the COVID-19 tests and vaccination documentation needed to travel abroad, experts say. Yet a year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, it's still not clear when such a consensus will be reached. 'Every country wants to do its own thing and they really have to get over that and get on the same page,' said Marion Joppe, a professor at the University of Guelph's School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management."

  6. Alberta introducing printable COVID-19 vaccination card (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Terrific! "Albertans will be able to print card-size copies of their COVID-19 vaccination records starting [Sept. 16.] The same information will be available to show on phones and tablets, the province said in a news release. Health Minister Tyler Shandro encouraged Albertans to sign up for MyHealth Records so they can download their vaccination records."

  7. Harvard’s $42bn fund to end investment in fossil fuels (Mining.com) Good move. "Harvard University has announced it will no longer invest in fossil fuels and will instead use its $42 billion endowment to support the world’s transition to green energy, drawing praise from stakeholders that had long pressed the educational institution to exit such holdings. President Lawrence Bacow, who for years publicly opposed divesting, said in a letter that the university’s endowment had no direct investments in fossil fuel exploration or development companies as of June and will not invest in them in the future."

  8. How Gander's response to 9/11 changed the lives of its teenagers (CBC) GANDER STORY A beautiful story all around. If you have not seen Come From Away, you really must. I watched it for the first time in NYC just a few steps away from Ground Zero. #NeverBeenProuder "Trent's family hosted six stranded passengers from Mexico and Pakistan at their home. They cooked together and learned about different types of food, as well as how to communicate with people who didn't speak the same language as them. It was an intense cultural exchange for a teenager. "[Gander] was a tight knit community and we all treated each other well, but it was a little bit of a silo culturally, so that experience I think really just exposed us to things we wouldn't have seen," he said. It inspired Trent and Jennifer to travel."

  9. Charitable gaming grants to Sask. organizations drop significantly from pre-pandemic level (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY I am more than curious as to whether this will be the case in Alberta as well. "The province of Saskatchewan distributed significantly less money in charitable gaming grants this year compared to the amount for the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic. From April 1 to June 30 in 2019, the government gave out close to $2.7 million in charitable gaming grants. For the same period this year, the government gave out around $900,000 in the grants to organizations, the provincial government said in a Tuesday news release. The grants are given to volunteer groups and organizations that fundraise through charitable gaming events such as raffles, bingo, poker games or break-open ticket sales. Charitable gaming reports submitted by the groups are used by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority to calculate the grants."

  10. Canada's first Inuk heart surgeon returns from U.S. to take job in St. John's (CBC) ST JOHNS STORY #Inspiring "Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, Canada's first Inuk heart surgeon, has taken a job in Newfoundland. At 31, 'Dr. K,' as she's known, has a plethora of awards and designations behind her, including a 2018 Indspire Award for Inuit youth. Now — as cardiac surgeon at Eastern Health Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John's — she has a platform that comes with new opportunity and new responsibility."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The 30-Day Habit Stacking Plan for Optimal Productivity (Better Humans) The stacks are simple. Staying focused on just one at a time for 30 days at a stretch...not so simple."

  2. 4 Japanese Philosophies That Will Change The Way You See The World (Buket Tilki) I have always loved learning from these simply stated yet deeply meant philosophies. #YoureWelcome

  3. How to Present a Strategy in 6 Slides (Shea Cole) A strategy is not a plan. So true.

  4. Your Attention, Please: What’s the Future of Business Travel? (Better By) A very interesting take on business travel. I am curious to hear our reader's thoughts.

  5. This May Be One of the Most Important Things Missing In Your Life (Personal Growth) Due you suffer from decision-anxiety? Well, read on. Another thoughtful piece by Mr. Weiss.

  6. 4 Things You Realize When You Tidy Your Home (Mind Café) Do you own things...or...do they own you?

  7. The Most Important Teachings of My Solo Travels (Better Humans) This is why all of us should travel. See the world. Learn things. Grow.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. School of Nursing receives largest-ever donation (Yale Daily News) "Linda Rodman [...] and her husband Larry Rodman [...] gave a $6 million gift to the Yale School of Nursing this summer to create a new full-time ladder faculty position in gerontology, or the study of aging."

  2. Fox Corp. announces $1M donation to Tunnel to Towers in support of first responders, military heroes (Fox News) #WeWillRemember "Fox Corporation announced it will be making a $1 million donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit organization that honors fallen firefighter Stephen Siller, who sacrificed himself to save others on Sept. 11, 2001. Saturday marked 20 years since the terror attacks that forever changed America."

  3. McKibbon Family Foundation Makes $5 Million Donation to Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management for New Alumni Center and Technology-Focused Programming (Hospitality Net) Gotta love a professor named Rocco. Right? "The McKibbon Family Foundation, led by philanthropists John and Letitia McKibbon, today announced a $5 million contribution to Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The transformational gift was presented during a recent event celebrating well-loved and influential professor emeritus, Rocco M. Angelo’s 90th birthday, and will be used to establish an alumni center, new technology-focused programming, as well as scholarships for hospitality students."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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