Weekly News Recap: January 19, 2024

Weekly News Recap: January 19, 2024

Marlene Engelhorn has teamed up with a research organization to strike a council of diverse Austrian residents to redistribute $35.6 million worth of her inheritance. (Hanna Fasching/Guten Rat)

We are not born to accommodate tyranny over our hearts, minds, bodies, or souls. We are here to confirm an abundance of love-inspired possibilities greater than such restrictions. ― Aberjhani, Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays

SOME GOOD NEWS

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. AFP Canada Responds to Media Reports about Canadian Charity Compensation Packages (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY "AFP Canada appreciates media stories on charities as they help to raise awareness of our sector’s contribution to our country. We were, however, disappointed in the recent articles that focused on the compensation packages of the heads of some Canadian environmental charities. These articles failed to consider important factors, most notably the impact of the work of these organizations."

  2. Gen Z and millennials have an unlikely love affair with their local libraries (The Conversation) #BooksStillMatter "A phone fixation may seem at odds with an attraction to books. But the latter may offer a much-needed reprieve from the former. In our recent study of American Gen Z and millennials, we discovered that 92% of them check social media daily; 25% of them check multiple times per hour. Yet in that same nationally representative study, we also found that Gen Z and millennials are still visiting libraries at a healthy clip, with 54% of Gen Zers and millennials trekking to their local library in 2022."

  3. The Stanley water bottle craze, explained (Vox) We loves our Stanley. "All over the US, in suburban pockets and college towns especially, 'a Stanley' has become the accessory of the season. After the 2023 holidays, when the cup was a wildly popular gift or stocking stuffer, it seems that it is nearly inescapable. People will wake up early and wait in line for the opportunity to purchase one."

  4. BOTTLED WATER INDUSTRY SAYS PLEASE DISREGARD THIS HORRIFYING DISCOVERY ABOUT OUR PRODUCT (Futurism) #Yuck "Earlier this week, a disturbing study found that a one-liter water bottle contains hundreds of thousands of 'nanoplastic' particles. They're so small — measured on a scale down to a billionth of a meter — that they can enter human cells, a possibility that has alarmed scientists. These tiny compounds, which are significantly smaller than microplastics, 'can cross into the blood, and then can cross the different barriers to get into the cells."

  5. 2024 in charts: Experts predict what’s to come for housing, jobs, wages, interest rates and more (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY Thanks to Christine Fraser for sharing this excellent and information-rich article. "After a year of surprising resilience in the face of high interest rates, Canada’s economy enters 2024 in an uneasy state. It’s almost universally accepted that rate cuts are coming, but when, and by how much, is uncertain. Will recession come to Canada? What will happen to housing markets? Can paycheques keep up with inflation? And is your job safe from artificial intelligence?"

  6. Austrian heiress giving away $36.6M because the government won't tax her inheritance (CBC) What an amazing young woman. "[Marlene] Engelhorn has long campaigned for greater taxes on the wealthy in Austria, including an inheritance tax. But since the government won't redistribute her wealth for her, she says she's asking the people do it."

  7. Calgary YMCA eSports pilot looks at league system with in-person tournaments (Livewire) CALGARY STORY As the world turns. "The Calgary YMCA’s goal of providing healthy competitive eSports options for youth has taken a big step towards a higher level of competition, with the launch of in-person tournaments starting this month. Youth between eight and 17 years old are being invited to take part in Mario Cart and Super Smash Bros. tournaments [...] at the Rocky Ridge and Brookfield Residential YMCAs."

  8. The super-rich are trying new approaches to philanthropy (The Economist) "A nudge is not always enough to force change within an industry. Sometimes a series of forceful shoves is required. In the rarified world of Western philanthropy, the shoves began in 2020. The covid-19 pandemic, protests for racial justice across America that summer and the outflow of refugees from Ukraine starting in early 2022 created a new urgency around charitable giving and revealed failings in how it worked. Donors began to consider how they could disburse money faster and with more impact."

  9. Art and Science: An immersive Da Vinci exhibit is coming to Calgary & it looks amazing (Curiocity) CALGARY STORY I can't wait to go and see it. "Art lovers have had a whole lot to get excited about over the last few years and this month a new immersive experience will take them back in time! [Curious] cats will be encouraged to visit the TELUS Spark Science Centre in Calgary for Da Vinci, an exhibition developed by Aurea Exhibitions and Imagine Exhibitions, Inc."

  10. Krishan Mehta appointed Vice-President, University Advancement and Alumni Relations at TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University) TORONTO STORY Congrats Krishan. We are lucky to have a leader like you as a fundraising professional in Canada. "I am pleased to announce that Krishan Mehta has been appointed Toronto Metropolitan University’s next vice-president, university advancement and alumni relations [...]. An experienced and respected leader in fundraising, stewardship and alumni engagement, Krishan has been a valued member of the TMU community since 2013."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. VIDEO: The Weekly Planning Matrix. (Carl Pullein) A simple and straightforward planning strategem.

  2. VIDEO: 6 Lessons to Learn from the World’s Fittest 100 Year Old (Boxrox) His rules for long live are surprisingly simple.

  3. Google shapes everything on the web. (The Verge) In case you want to see how the sausage is made. And, really, who doesn't?

  4. VIDEO: Photographer Shares “Fundamentals of Posing” So Anyone Can Be an Effective Model (My Modern Met) I suck at posing. This helps.

  5. Best diets 2024: Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets best for overall health (Medical News Today) #Duh

  6. Place Name Policy of Canada | CEMVC (Place Names) CANADIAN STORY This is AWESOME. Thanks to ViTreo Research Lead, Ken Kempcke, for sharing this article.

  7. VIDEO: A Brief History of Art Movements | Behind the Masterpiece (YouTube) You can learn a lot from YouTube.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. $10M donation drives Assiniboine Community College’s ‘Prairie Innovation Centre’ closer to reality (QCountry) WINNIPEG STORY "Manitoba Ag Days is getting kicked off in a big way. A $10 million donation has just put the planned Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture closer to reality. This donation, from a philanthropist who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, plays a pivotal role in the next steps for the marquee project for the newly minted Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment at Assiniboine Community College."

  2. $10 Million donation to Trillium Health Partners will innovate diagnostic imaging program (Hospital News) MISSISSAUGA STORY "Trillium Health Partners’ (THP) diagnostic imaging program is set to get a major boost in size, innovation and technological advancement due to a remarkable $10 million donation from local family and longtime supporters Brent and Jodie Cator."

  3. $2.5 million donation will help Cobourg hospital build a fourth operating room (Penticton Herald) PENTICTON STORY "The NHH Foundation is celebrating a donor's gift of more than $2.5 million, which will be used to construct and equip a fourth OR at the Cobourg hospital, which serves west Northumberland County residents. The gift from the William B.G. Humphries' Radlett Foundation of $2.538 million was directed towards the foundation's Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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