Weekly News Recap: July 15, 2022

This image provided by NASA on Tuesday shows Stephan's Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies captured by the Webb Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). (NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI)

We are the representatives of the cosmos; we are an example of what hydrogen atoms can do, given 15 billion years of cosmic evolution. -- Carl Sagan

SOME GOOD NEWS

Fin whales return to historic feeding grounds in conservation win (Axios) #ReallyGoodNews "Fin whales, once hunted to the brink of extinction, have returned to their historic feeding grounds in the Antarctic Peninsula in large numbers, according to new research published in the journal Scientific [Reports.]"
Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Gabby Giffords, Simone Biles, John McCain (NPR) Awarding this posthumously to John McCain was a generous and thoughtful gift. "The 17 honorees range from 25-year-old Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in history who has become an advocate for victims of sexual assault, to 91-year-old Fred Gray, who Biden called one of the 'most important civil rights lawyers in our history.'"
Sandra Douglass Morgan Makes History as Raiders Team President (Sports Illustrated) #GoRaiders "The Raiders announced the historic hiring of Sandra Douglass Morgan to serve as team president on Thursday, making her the first Black woman to assume the role in NFL history. Las Vegas introduced Morgan in a press conference [...] after announcing the move in a letter obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Morgan, the chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board from 2019 to ’21, will now join Kristi Coleman (Panthers) and Kim Pegula (Bills) as the only women to hold the title of team president, and Sashi Brown (Ravens) and Jason Wright (Commanders) as the only Black individuals named to the position in league history."
One woman dominated the awards at a Virginia county fair. Then the internet went wild (NPR) This is more than incredible. "Deep in southwest Virginia, there's a county fair where, last month, one woman won first, second and third place for best cookies. She also swept all three awards for candy and for savory bread. In fact, she won the blue ribbon for cake, pie, brownie, sweet bread and best overall baked good (that was strawberry fudge.) It didn't stop there. She also won for canned tomatoes, canned corn, pickled peppers, sauerkraut, relish, spaghetti sauce and both jelly and jam. Then she took top honors in quilt embroidery. And after the Virginia Kentucky District Fair posted these utterly dominating results to Facebook in June, you guessed it — she went viral."
Researchers name newest baby orca spotted in B.C. waters (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Makes my heart sing. "A young southern resident killer whale spotted swimming in the waters off the west side of Vancouver Island now has a name. The Center for Whale Research (CWR) based in Washington state says it has dubbed the latest addition to the K pod as K45 after staff spotted it in a tight group with other family members northeast of Race Rocks, an ecological reserve at the southern end of Vancouver Island. The centre says it received video and photographs of a possible new calf in April and June, and a field biologist is among those who have confirmed its presence, though the calf's sex is not yet known. It says K45 is K pod's first baby since 2011, when K27 gave birth to a calf called K44."
Unconditional love: The pets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Animals will save us all. "It's known as Vancouver's poorest postal code, but the city's Downtown Eastside is a vibrant residential and commercial neighbourhood of more than 20,000 people. It's also a space where many people live with addiction and homelessness, which carries with it stigma and judgment from others. For some in this position, pets are a non-judgmental companion that offer unconditional love. Vancouver-based Radio-Canada videojournalist Alexandre Lamic spoke with several residents about the importance of their pets and captured their relationships in pictures."
Kevin Bacon the pig busted his legs. Amherst is determined to get him a wheelchair (CBC) NOVA SCOTIA STORY Sweet. "Now, business owners and community members in Amherst are raising money to get Kevin Bacon a special wheelchair. The pig rig will cost about $25,000. Dwayne Ripley owns Curly's Sports and Supplements. 'When the little guy comes into my store it just makes my day.' Ripley's business is one of many raising funds for Kevin Bacon's wheels. 'It's great to see the community come together to help out Kevin.' Some shops are donating small portions of their sales, which is adding up. Local print shop Underground Graffix has been selling clothes and blankets with Kevin Bacon on them to raise funds."
Renowned sand artist up against the clock as tide threatens massive installation in Tofino, B.C. (CBC) TOFINO STORY Beauty is ephemeral. "Jim Denevan is about as zen as it gets when it comes to an art project he's creating in Tofino, B.C. Four months of painstaking planning and execution will be washed away by the Pacific Ocean[...] But two days before it happens, he's still working away. 'It's a good life lesson,' said the artist from Santa Cruz, California. 'Nothing is permanent.' Denevan is a world-renowned artist who creates geometric sand paintings — called 'land art' — that exist briefly before succumbing to the elements."
Elks-Blue Bombers set to be 1st CFL game to be broadcast in an Indigenous language (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Love this! "For the first time in league history, a CFL game will be broadcast in an Indigenous language. Edmonton Elks president and chief executive officer Victor Cui announced [...] the franchise's July 22 home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be broadcast live in Cree. It will air across Alberta on Windspeaker Media's radio stations CFWE (98.5 FM in Edmonton) and CJWE (88.1 FM in Calgary). The Canadian national anthem will be performed in both Cree and English, the pre-game coin toss will be handled by Grand Chief of Treaty 6 First Nations George Arcand Jr., and there will be an Indigenous performance at halftime."
What a hoot! Owl chicks hatch at the Calgary Zoo (CTV) CALGARY STORY So cute. "The Calgary Zoo is now home to two great grey owl chicks. Officials with the zoo took to social media on [...] to share a photo of the feathery new additions. The chicks hatched over a month ago and zoo staff say they're 'doing great.' It's the first time great grey owl chicks have hatched at the zoo since 2018."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

James Webb Space Telescope captures cosmic cliffs, dancing galaxies (CBC) I am in awe. #JawDropping "NASA on Tuesday unveiled a new batch of images from its new powerful space telescope and photo illustrations, including a foamy blue and orange shot of a dying star. The first image from the $10 billion US James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was released [...] at the White House — a jumble of distant galaxies that went deeper into the cosmos than humanity has ever seen."
Calgary fire department looks to test first electric fire truck in Canada (CBC) CALGARY STORY The future is electric. "The City of Calgary's fire department may soon be in line for testing the first electric fire truck in Canada. An American manufacturer, Pierce, wants to try out their electric fire trucks on the job in different markets and climates, according to Calgary's Fire Chief Steve Dongworth. 'They wanted one in a cold climate so they came to Calgary,' Dongworth said. The fire truck can run on batteries for 24 hours. However, it can use a diesel motor if the batteries run out or another call prevents firefighters from returning it back to the station for a 90-minute recharge."
Banff's Whyte Museum celebrates 200 years of canoe art in new exhibition (CBC) BANFF STORY Eminently Canadian. "From Indigenous peoples to settlers to modern-day recreational explorers, the canoe has been instrumental in shaping our society as we know it. A private art collection detailing that history is on display now at the Whyte Museum in Banff, Alta."
Canadian charities hit by double whammy of rising costs, more demand (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Yet another reason justifying the existence of the charitable sector. "The school year may be over, but a team of staff and volunteers at Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids is sorting granola bars and other snacks for children attending summer camps in the city. Like many charities across the country, demands on the organization have never been higher as inflation costs put a squeeze on many families who are already on a limited budget. During the last school year, the number of kids requiring food from the charity rose almost 20 per cent from September to June to about 5,400 children everyday. At the same time, those rising prices are impacting charities themselves. Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids receives some food donations, but still spends more than a million dollars a year to provide nutritious lunches."
The world’s highest-paid celebrity angered fans after she asked for donations to pay for her makeup stylist’s medical expenses. (Twitter) Um, you're a billionaire. #Ugh
First Specimen Ever of Gorgosaurus Hits the Auction Block at $8 Million (Nature World News)
I ask again: Why is our natural history for sale? #Argh "As per the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, Gorgosaurus, a high point wild animal, managed to survive from 80 million to 73 million years back, hundreds of thousands of years prior to its actually more renowned close family member, the formidable Tyrannosaurus rex; it harassed its food source in sections of what is today the western United States and Canada. The creature's carcass, which stands nearly 10 feet tall and 22 feet in length, or roughly the size of three king-size beds set up from head to toe, is likely to fetch at least $5 million and maybe as much as $8 million, according to Sotheby's."
Rogers outage shows need for Plan B when wireless, internet services fail, analysts say (CBC) CANADIAN STORY We, as in the nation, need a Plan B. "You didn't have to be a Rogers customer to feel the sense of dread when waking up to the news of a widespread wireless and internet outage [earlier this month]. The day, for millions of Canadians, was already off to a bad start. At a Starbucks in Toronto, there was no quick tap of a debit card to get your caffeine fix on the run, as the disruption affected online payment systems across the country. Commuters in Vancouver were advised they may not be able to pay transit fares with debit cards. Cafes and libraries still offering Wi-Fi became makeshift offices. Any convenience to working from home became an inconvenience for those relying on the telecom giant's services."
Suncor boss Mark Little stepping down 'effective immediately' (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Calgary-based oil giant Suncor Energy announced [...] that its chief executive Mark Little is stepping down, stating the move was 'effective immediately.' The company said its board and Little mutually agreed he would depart as president and CEO and resign from the board. Suncor's executive vice-president of downstream operations, Kris Smith, has been named interim CEO. The development comes a day after Occupational Health and Safety announced it is investigating the death of a 26-year-old contractor who was struck by equipment at Suncor's Base Mine near Fort McMurray, Alta. [This] death was the fifth workplace fatality at a Suncor site in Alberta since 2021."
Kings add women's hockey pioneer Manon Rhéaume to front-office staff (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT Another great move on the heels of last week's announcement about Haley Wickenheiser. "The Los Angeles Kings have hired former star goaltender Manon Rhéaume to a front-office position, furthering the recent trend of women landing high-profile jobs with NHL teams. The Kings said in a release Thursday that Rhéaume will join the team as a hockey operations adviser with a focus on prospect development."
Air Miles hits turbulence after Sobeys and Safeway pull out of program (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I hear a knell of a bell. And not the good kind. "The long-running Air Miles rewards system could be facing turbulence after the withdrawal of one of its only remaining national grocery chains from the program, say experts in the Canadian loyalty points industry. In early June, Canadian grocer Empire Company Ltd. announced it would be switching loyalty programs to Scene+, best known for its acceptance at Canadian movie chain Cineplex. Empire owns Sobeys, in addition to Safeway, Foodland, some IGA stores in Canada, FreshCo, Needs, Thrifty Foods, Les Marches Tradition, Rachelle Bery and Lawtons Drugs."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

9 Of The Best Websites That You Are Not Using(But Should Be) (Piyush) Some really great sites on this list. I am very interested in them all but the Nomad List is going to be my first stop.
Your “Silent To-Do List” is Stealing Your Time and Focus (Mind Cafe) Think dirty dishes, clothes that need washing, unfiled digital detritus...you get the picture. It's debilitating.
Mind-Relaxing Facts That Sound Completely Fake But Are Actually True (Shining Star) These are surprisingly satisfying facts.
French Women Do This Simple Thing To Always Stay In Shape (Illumination) Making exercise part of your natural everyday life vs. going to the gym to exercise.
Out of a Zillion Productivity Hacks I Experimented With, These 5 Worked (Better Humans) Lots of repeats here but that is kind of the point.
Top-10 Life-changing books (Estefania H.) Any list that has both Dale Carnegie and Marie Kondo on it, is a good list.
9 Simple Rules That Can Change Your Life (Personal Growth) All good but #6 and #9 are big for me.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Charles Barkley announces surprise $1 million donation to Spelman College (The Grio) Talk about paying it back. Nice moves Mr. Barkley. "Charles Barkley continues to pay it forward with his generous financial contributions to historically Black colleges and universities. The NBA Hall of Famer recently announced that he will donate $1 million to Spelman College in Atlanta, making it his sixth 'significant' donation to an HBCU, AL.com reports."
Dartmouth’s Tuck School gets $52M donation, largest in its history, for ‘Wicked Problems’ summit
(The Keene Sentinel) Wow, that is a wickedly cool anonymous gift. "A $52.1 million donation made by an anonymous donor to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth will establish a new annual summit to solve 'Wicked Problems' facing the world. The donation, which is the largest in Tuck’s history, creates an endowment for a Health, Wealth and Sustainability Summit."
Philanthropist Mark Dunajtschik donates up to $50 million for new mental health unit at Hutt Hospital (New Zealand Herald) #NoWords "A concentration camp survivor turned philanthropist will donate $40 million-$50 million towards a new acute mental health unit at Hutt Hospital. Mark Dunajtschik, who also donated $50m in 2017 to build a new children's hospital for Wellington, has offered the latest donation to help expand the new unit to 34 beds. Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry said he and others were 'lost for words' when the announcement of the donation was made."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthJuly 7, 2022Comment