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Weekly News Recap: August 16, 2024

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: August 16, 2024

Canadian swim star Summer McIntosh holds up the four medals she won at the Paris Olympics during a press conference on Aug. 5. The 17-year-old from Toronto became the first Canadian to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games, summer or winter. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative — that's my strength, my creativity...I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage. -- Australian breakdancer Raygun.

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • The unsung hero of the Olympic-champion US women’s gymnastics team is a very good boy (The Guardian) #DogsSaveLives "Their rock-star showing over the past week in Paris might have had something to do with the sugar rush from the French pastries that Biles has been raving about on social media. Or one could look to another hack: their time spent with Beacon, the four-year-old golden retriever who has been trotting around with America’s best and brightest gymnasts for the past year with the aim of helping keep their serotonin and stress levels in check."

  • Farmers honor ‘Peanuts’ creator Charles M. Schulz with corn mazes across US and in Canada (AP News) CANADIAN CONTENT I LOVE this. "Visitors to corn mazes across the country are finding a familiar and joyous figure in the winding labyrinth of tall stalks. Snoopy. More than 80 farms in the U.S. and Canada have teamed up with Peanuts Worldwide to create 'Peanuts'-themed mazes to celebrate the beloved strip’s 75th birthday this summer and fall."

  • How Lahaina's more than 150-year-old banyan tree is coming back to life after devastating fire (Yahoo News) Trees are amazing. "When a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina on Maui [...] the wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town's Front Street. But the sprawling tree survived the blaze, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back — and even thriving."

  • VIDEO: Phil (Wizard) Kim's breaking gold helped introduce sport to the world, mentor says (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Congrats Wizard, we are all proud of you. "A gold medal win by Canadian Philip Kim at the Paris Olympics in breaking has introduced the world to the sport and its culture that is all about peace, love and unity, his former coaches say. Kim, who competes as B-Boy Phil Wizard, took the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's breaking in Paris by defeating French hometown favourite [Dany Dann]."

  • Stop and smell the sunflowers: Lambton County fields bloom for boy taken by leukemia (CBC) LONDON STORY "It's a sight to see. The fields upon fields full of bright, yellow sunflowers in Lambton County are hard to miss. More than two million sunflowers will bloom in memory of two-year-old Max Rombouts of Thedford, Ont., who died of leukemia [...]. Since the first seeds were planted five years ago, the farmers behind Miracle Max's Minions have raised more than $450,000 for [charity]."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. $18 million dollars committed to enhance existing community parks and open spaces (CJWE) CALGARY STORY Thanks City of Calgary. "The Parks and Playground Amenities program has begun with over 20 projects that enhance existing community parks and open spaces. The addition of new and upgraded playground equipment, recreational amenities, and infrastructure upgrades, is thanks to over $18 million dollars committed over the next three years by the city of Calgary."

  2. VIDEO: Will we ever see breaking at the Olympics again? (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Breaking might not be in L.A. for the 2028 Olympic Games, but it’s not because of Raygun’s performance. CBC's Ashley Fraser breaks it down."

  3. Order of Canada Appointees – June 2024 (Governor General of Canada) CANADIAN STORY I totally missed this in June. Congrats Nima! Well deserved. "For decades, leading engineer and Tibetan human rights activist Nima Dorjee has devoted his time and expertise to the well-being of others. He transformed the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering internship program into Canada’s largest. Under his leadership as president of Project Tibet Society, he has played a pivotal role in the resettlement of more than 1000 displaced Tibetans in Canada."

  4. VIDEO: Olympic moments that made us laugh, cry, and cheer at Paris 2024 (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT It was, as always, an inspiring two-and-a-half weeks. Congrats to all the athletes of showing the joy of ultimate physical prowess and skill. "Each Games has its share of triumphs and heartbreaks — each one the result of athletes striving for greatness with everything on the line. Here's a look at some of the lasting moments from Paris 2024."

  5. VIDEO: Historic Martin Mars water bomber completes final flight in B.C. (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Rest easy Martin Mars. You have done your duty. "Thousands gathered at Patricia Bay Park on Vancouver Island north of Victoria [...] to witness the final landing of the historic Hawaii Martin Mars, a legendary aircraft that fought wildfires in B.C. for more than 50 years. The massive aircraft, with a capacity to carry more than 27,000 litres of water, departed from its longtime base at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni and landed in Saanich Inlet, before heading to its new home at the B.C. Aviation Museum."

  6. Here's a hot take: Let's focus on how we feel heat, not global warming (CBC) "Author and historian On Barak says that when talking about climate change, we should be thinking less about terms like global warming and more about how we experience heat. 'The problem with the notion of global warming is that nobody really suffers from it. Global warming is an abstraction,' said Barak, a social and cultural historian of science and technology, and a professor in the Middle Eastern and African history department at Tel Aviv University."

  7. VIDEO: Buying your first home isn't easy, even in Sask. Here's how two people in their 20s did it (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY That down payment is usually the doozy. Well done! "The total cost of her home was $272,000. She made a down payment of 20 per cent ($55,000) and pays $1,264/ month toward her mortgage, one with a 25-year amortization period. She secured an interest rate of 4.99 per cent, locked in for a five-year term. Radke had been saving for almost a decade, working multiple jobs through high school, university, and even until recently she'd been saving 90 per cent of what she earned toward the down payment."

  8. VIDEO: Frustrated with dating apps? These experts have tips for a better swiping experience (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "As singletons report being dissatisfied with dating apps, some experts say there are ways to make looking for love online less unpleasant — but it starts with being realistic. 'We've been sold this myth that, 'Oh, you can find love [on dating apps]. They're so easy. They're so efficient' — and they're really not,' said Treena Orchard, an anthropologist and associate professor at Western University in London, Ont."

  9. Lessons From a Burning Forest (New York Times) As it turns out, our radical fire suppression polices have actually significantly increased our risks of wildfire. #ControlledBurnsWork "Canada’s boreal forests are burning faster than they can regrow, but controlled fires may be one of the best ways to protect local communities."

  10. After $237-Million Donation Debacle, FAMU’s Interim President Demands Resignation of Leadership Team (The Chronicle of Higher Education) I think I will call it a day with this story now. "Florida A&M University’s interim president demanded the immediate resignation of multiple senior leaders in his cabinet [...] in an effort to restructure the 'leadership, vision, and strategies' of the historically Black institution, according to a copy of an email [...] obtained by The Chronicle."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. Are You Fit Enough To Live Longer? You Don’t Need A Lab For The Answer (Read Or Die HQ) Finally, a way to test your VO2Max yourself (complete with a spreadsheet).

  2. English is Utter Nonsensical Nincompoopery (Write Under The Moon) Fun.

  3. Tiny Habits That Will Transform Your Leadership in Six Months (Career Paths) Some really good habits here. I have to remind myself to keep up with #1.

  4. A Kinesiologist’s Guide to Getting Abs of Steel in 5 Minutes (David Liira) I have always wanted abs of steel.

  5. How To Instantly Improve Your Cat-Cow Stretch (David Liira) My trainer has me do Cat-Cows every session. I am now going to add some variety to the stretch.

  6. 5 Reasons Reading ‘Breath’ Will Level Up Your Running (Runner's Life) I have ordered this book.

  7. How to Be Good at Managing Stress (Code Like A Girl) Something for all of us here.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Catawba College gets second $200M donation in 3 years (Higher Ed Dive) #Wowzers "Catawba College, in North Carolina, has received its second anonymous $200 million donation in three years, the institution announced Monday"

  2. LA school gets $16.6m donation for Salonen program (Slipped Disc) "The Colburn School in Los Angeles, host to Esa-Pekka Salonen’s conducting Fellowship, has received a huge $16.6 million donation from an Illinois-based foundation."

  3. Texas Woman’s University Receives Record Gift From BuzzBallz Founder (Forbes) "Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas has received a record $30 million gift from Merrilee Kick, a TWU alumna, who is the founder and CEO of the pre-mixed cocktail company, BuzzBallz."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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