Weekly News Recap: April 26, 2024

Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark holds her jersey following a WNBA basketball news conference, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Overpower. Overtake. Overcome. – Serena Williams

SOME GOOD NEWS

A baby had no home after a stay in the NICU. Her nurses adopted her. (MSN) #BeautifulStory "Nurses Taylor and Drew Deras doted on tiny and fragile baby Ella, one of their premature NICU patients who was born at 23 weeks, weighing just over a pound. The couple, who met during an overnight shift and got married a few years later, both treated Ella when she was at her weakest. There were points they thought she wouldn’t make it."
VIDEO: Kevin Bacon returns to ‘Footloose’ high school to mark film’s 40th anniversary (CNN) Great to see Kevin Bacon make good on this. "Kevin Bacon has delivered on his promise to return to the Utah high school where his iconic 1984 film 'Footloose'was filmed. Bacon appeared at Payson High School [...], months after the school’s students launched the #BacontoPayson social media campaign. As part of the effort, students recreated movie scenes and choreographed videos in hopes of catching the actor’s attention so that he’d appear at the school’s final prom."
A first look at the restored art deco 9th floor of the Montreal Eaton Centre (CBC) MONTREAL STORY Gorgeous. "The ninth floor of the Montreal Eaton Centre may have been frozen in time after it was shuttered in 1999, but this year it's being plunged back to 1931, revived to its former glory."
VIDEO: Stampede unveils 2024 cowboy boot (YouTube) CALGARY STORY #GiddyUp "There will be not one, but five versions of the commemorative Stampede cowboy boot this year. Each boot celebrating First Nations language and culture."
Nothing to see here, just an escaped circus elephant strolling down a Montana street (CBC) "The sound of a vehicle backfiring spooked a circus elephant while she was getting a pre-show bath in Butte, Mont., leading the pachyderm to break through a fence and take a brief walk, stopping noontime traffic on the city's busiest street before being loaded back into a trailer."
McDonald's new marketing: Billboards that smell like its French fries (Business Insider) Mmmm...McDonald's fries. "Fast food giant McDonald's released a new and quirky marketing campaign this week. The company has found a novel way to leverage some of its iconic products by making the billboards smell like their fries. It released a series of blank yellow and red billboards in the Netherlands that don't even carry the McDonald's golden arches logo. But the marketing creatives behind the campaign don't reckon you need to be told what is being advertised; the smell alone will get the message across."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Meet eight honorary degree recipients who are building a better world (uAlberta) EDMONTON STORY Congrats to all and a special shout too to my former boss, Dr. Lorne Tyrrell. "A law professor who champions Indigenous Peoples’ rights, a search-and-rescue expert and a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who helped make laser eye surgery possible are among this year’s eight inspiring spring honorary degree recipients."
Caitlin Clark is set to sign a new Nike deal valued at $28 million over 8 years, reports say (Yahoo Finance) "Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record. The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28 million contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe." RELATED: Women's sports are having a moment, but sexism is still holding back success.
How ‘Yes, and’ Philanthropy Could Unite the Charitable World’s Opposing Forces (Philanthropy) I love this approach. "If donors make a gift to their alma mater, they should pair it with an equally large gift to a program that makes online textbooks free to all college students. Or they could pair a gift to a research institution in a wealthy country with a gift to fund research on infectious diseases that primarily affect poor people in developing countries."
Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation' (NPR) I am seeing this with my kids and I like it. "Sy Kirby dreaded the thought of going to college after graduating from high school. He says a four-year degree just wasn't in the cards for him or his bank account. 'I was facing a lot of pressure for a guy that knew for a fact that he wasn't going to college,' Kirby says [...]. Instead, at the age of 19, Kirby took a job at a local water department in southern Arkansas. He said the position helped him to develop the skills that helped him start his own construction company."
The use of AI in war games could change military strategy (The Conversation) Umm...eek. "The rise of commercially viable generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform a vast range of sectors. This transformation will be particularly profound in contemporary military education. Generative AI will fundamentally reshape war gaming — analytical games that simulate aspects of warfare at tactical, operational or strategic levels — by allowing senior military and political leaders to pursue better tactical solutions to unexpected crises, solve more complex logistical and operational challenges and deepen their strategic thinking."
Climate Doom Is Out. ‘Apocalyptic Optimism’ Is In. (New York Times) "The philanthropist Kathryn Murdoch has prioritized donations to environmental causes for more than a decade. She has, she said, a deep understanding of how inhospitable the planet will become if climate change is not addressed. And she and her colleagues have spent years trying to communicate that. 'We have been screaming,' she said. 'But screaming only gets you so far.'"
UBC prof Suzanne Simard named in Time's 'most influential' list (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "When Suzanne Simard heard she was going to be named one of the 100 "most influential people" in the world on Wednesday, she had a hard time believing it at first. The Finding the Mother Tree author, who was included in Time magazine's annual list alongside a handful of fellow Canadians, said she wondered whether her inclusion was real or not. A University of B.C. forestry professor, Simard's research on how trees communicate with one another in forests has gained her global acclaim, and even a mention in the the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso."
The Role Of The CEO In Nonprofit Fundraising (Philanthropy News Digest) "A nonprofit organization’s ability to fulfill its mission, to grow and to positively impact the world often comes down to fundraising. Fundraising is a vital component of a nonprofit’s success, making or breaking the pursuit of major strategic goals and your overall impact vision. So what role should the CEO of a nonprofit play in financial giving and cultivation? The lead role."
At the Brink (New York Times) A great piece which I highly recommend we all read. "Nuclear war is often described as unimaginable. In fact, it’s not imagined enough."
VIDEO: How might retirement look different for millennials (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Retirement may seem farther away than ever for millennials after the pandemic, inflation and Canada’s skyrocketing housing prices. But what does the long-term outlook hold for this generation just coming into its own? Given the economic times, what does retirement look like for millennials?"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

10 things I want to do as a manager after reading Radical Candor (Lauren Tormey) This is a life-changing book.
These 7 Simple Everyday Japanese Habits That Transformed My Life (Illumination) I love Japan.
Why Younger Generations Are Saying ‘No’ to Alcohol (Rooted) I am still trying to figure this out. It feels like a great thing.
The Perfect Prompt: A Prompt Engineering Cheat Sheet (The Generator) You're welcome.
Great Leaders Deal With Ambiguity Using These 7 Practices (Code Like a Girl) Working in the gray.
A Simple System to Take Meeting Notes Like Top Strategy Consultants Do (Management Matters) Great tips.
3 Simple Rules To Boost Your Storytelling and Your Life (The Startup) We can all be better at this.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Holland Ice Park starts construction thanks to $1 million donation by teacher (ABC) *"Work on Holland's ice rink has begun [...]. Those overseeing the project say they're not taking the credit on this one, thanking a retired school teacher for his $1 million donation. 'Today, we're breaking ground on a project that will create wonderful Frank stories for generations to come,' said Mayor Nathan Bocks about his friend of 30 years, Frank Kraai."
Lindner family makes 'major' donation for $10M sports complex at local high school (Local 12) "One of Cincinnati's richest and most philanthropic families has made a large gift for a new multipurpose sports complex at the school their forebears helped found. Carl H. Lindner III, co-CEO of American Financial Group and controlling owner of FC Cincinnati, and his son Christopher Lindner made the gift to build the facility on Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy's Founders' Campus in Symmes [Township.]"
Goucher College receives largest donation in 140 year history (NPR) "Goucher College is expecting its largest donation since opening as an all-women's liberal arts college in Towson 140 years ago. The $55 million gift comes from the estate of 1951 alum Anica Donnan Rawnsley. Fifty million dollars will be directly invested in the college’s endowment."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthApril 26, 2024Comment