Weekly News Recap: August 18, 2023

Lead claimant Rikki Held, 22, confers with members of Our Children's Trust legal team before the start of the nation's first youth climate change trial at Montana's First Judicial District Court on June 12, 2023 in Helena, Montana.

The power of youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people. -- Kailash Satyarthi

SOME GOOD NEWS

PB&J: An American Love Story (Saturday Evening Post) I loves me my PB&J. "According to some estimates, the average American will consume nearly 3,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lifetime; if those sandwiches were stacked on top of each other, they’d form a delicious, precarious tower taller than the Statue of Liberty. And it’s not just kids who love PB&J — that same survey, commissioned by Peter Pan peanut butter, revealed that the average American adult eats three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a month."
How Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Conquered the World (New York Times) I am definitely becoming a Swiftie. "'The only thing I can compare it to is the phenomenon of Beatlemania,' said Billy Joel, who attended Swift’s show in Tampa, Fla., with his wife and young daughters."
VIDEO: #TheMoment a young fan became a Savannah Banana for a day (CBC) I heart the Savannah Bananas. "Mark 'Swaggy' Lane lives with a rare seizure disorder, and the Make a Wish Foundation granted him his dream — to become a Savannah Banana for a day."
Ailing and baby hummingbirds nursed to health at woman’s apartment-turned-clinic in Mexico City (AP News) "With dozens of the tiny birds buzzing overhead, along walls and the window of her bedroom, Lattouf explained that she began caring for them a year after surviving colon cancer in 2011. It started with one hummingbird that had an eye injured by another bird. A veterinarian friend encouraged her to try to help it. She named it Gucci after the brand of the glasses case she kept it in. The bird became her inseparable companion, perching on her computer screen while she worked."
Scorched by Maui wildfire, historic Lahaina banyan tree appears still standing (NPR) "For 150 years, an enormous banyan tree has stood at the center of the Maui town of Lahaina. Now, that tree appears to be badly charred by wildfire that has killed at least 36 people. But it's still standing. Lahaina was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, as well as an important whaling village."
How a Hamilton community responded when a thief stole bleachers from a kids' baseball field (CBC) HAMILTON STORY "The bleachers used by young players, who are a part of the Ancaster Little League, were stolen from the baseball park on Jerseyville Road in late June. Just weeks later, thanks to help from people in Ancaster, new ones were in place, Davies said."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

China snubs Canada on its list of approved travel spots, setting back tourism's post-COVID recovery (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Pretty sure this not just an 'apparent' snub. "In an apparent snub, the Chinese government has left Canada off a list of countries approved as international travel destinations for tour groups — a decision that threatens to leave Canada's travel industry at a competitive disadvantage as it continues its post-pandemic recovery."
Artist Collaborates With Bees To Create Sculptural Wax Skulls (My Modern Met) #CrazyCool "For nearly 20 years, Slovakian artist Tomáš Libertíny has been working with bees to produce collaborative sculptures. Libertíny, who views himself as the conductor of this orchestra of bees, uses his art to explore the beauty and intelligence of nature."
Judge sides with youth climate activists in first-of-its-kind U.S. lawsuit (CBC) Finally, someone is listening to youth. "A Montana judge on Monday sided with young environmental activists who said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate. The ruling in the first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change. District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits — which does not allow agencies to evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions — is unconstitutional."
Sask. city drops 'handicapped' term from parking signs, councillor hopes other communities will do the same (CBC) WARMAN STORY Good move Warman! "A Saskatchewan city councillor says small changes to parking signs in their community are making a big impact. Earlier this year, Tracy Johnson convinced her fellow councillors to pass a bylaw so the city could remove the word 'handicapped' from parking signs in Warman, Sask., a community located about 20 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Now the signs will display a symbol of a person in a wheelchair or use the word 'accessible.' Johnson said the word handicapped is limiting and shouldn't define people."
Military members can now file sexual misconduct complaints directly to human rights commission (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This is an important move for human rights. "The federal government announced [...] that soldiers filing complaints about sexual misconduct or sex and gender discrimination now have the option of taking their grievances directly to the civilian Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). The change implements two recommendations former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour made in her report on the culture of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) last year."
Avril Lavigne will get a star on Canada's Walk of Fame (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Congrats to all. "Avril Lavigne is among the five newly announced inductees to Canada's Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and says the singer-songwriter who rose to fame with hits such as Complicated and Sk8er Boi will be one of the notable Canadians it honours."
U of A research team studying tech that can corral cattle with the touch of an iPhone (CBC) EDMONTON STORY This is cool. "Cattle domestication began some 10,000 years ago. Controlling the movements of the creatures has been a human endeavour for millennia, using all manner of tool from herding dogs to electrified fences. Now, it can be done with an iPhone [...] Virtual fencing is a technology that tells cattle where a virtual boundary is through audio warnings and electric shocks. It's not intended to replace physical perimeter fences but be used as a kind of cross fencing, dividing the main pasture for rotational grazing."
An extraordinary friend of Red Deer Regional Hospital honoured (TOCA) RED DEER STORY A beautiful and fitting tribute. "Red Deer Regional Health Foundation paid tribute to a great friend of Red Deer’s hospital by naming the Pediatrics Unit in honour of Joan Donald Jr. on Thursday. It is the first unit at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre to be named in recognition of an individual. Donald was an influential donor and volunteer with the foundation and other community organizations that support the development of health care infrastructure and programs in Central Alberta. One of her lasting legacies was the renovation and enhancement of the Pediatric Unit."
'Swift-onomics': When a tsunami of Swifties crashes into Toronto, it will leave an economic boost in its wake (CBC) TORONTO STORY "When Abigale Valliere saw Taylor Swift perform 44 songs over the course of four hours in Detroit this summer, her pulse was sky-high. The experience was 'life-changing,"'the Toronto resident said, and even though it cost her more than $1,500, she's ready to pay another $1,000 for a ticket when the Eras tour comes to Toronto in November 2024."
The Canadian flag felt heavy as I carried a fellow soldier's coffin. I still feel it 17 years later (CBC) CANADIAN STORY May he continue to Rest In Peace. We are forever grateful for his service. "The military uniform is as uncomfortable as it is inspiring [...] Deeds and qualifications rest with perfection on the chest and sleeves of the wearer, telling a story. One such profound moment of my life in service occurred on a hot August day some 17 years ago. I was assigned with the sobering task of transporting the remains of a fallen comrade. On Aug. 11, 2006, Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom was killed by a suicide bomber after volunteering for one last mission. He was a medic of 1 Field Ambulance — the same unit I was in — and was due to return home in two weeks. But that was a return he would never live to see. He was just 23."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

Your Body Needs Exfoliation (Valet Magazine) Yes, men, us too.
Wall squats and planks best at lowering blood pressure (BBC) This is a very achievable goal with a high impact on health.
The 8 Stages of Life That Make or Break You (Darius Foroux) Very interesting overview.
What It Was Like to Design for Barbie (Literary Hub) What a cool job!
The Tribes: A Spotter’s Guide To The People Of The Airport (Mr. Porter) A wee bit of fun. See if you can guess which one is me.
Transform Your Life with 25 of Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Must-Read Book List (Novel Nest) Some great titles here and the focus is on health.
Are Naps Good for You? (Scientific American) Apparently, 20 minutes or more than 60 minutes is best. Between 20 and 60, not good.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez say they’re ‘heartbroken’ by the Maui fires and will donate $100 million to help the island ‘get back on its feet’ (Fortune) "Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and fiancee Lauren Sanchez said they will give $100 million toward restoration efforts in Maui after deadly wildfires devastated the Hawaiian island."
Cleveland Clinic doubling nurse scholars through $12M donation (Heathcare Finance News) "In a bid to bolster the healthcare workforce and promote diversity, Cleveland Clinic has received a gift of more than $12 million from The Howley Foundation to double its number of nurse scholars, beginning this fall."
Fanshawe announces $5 million donation to establish Centre of Excellence for XR in Health Care (Newswire) LONDON STORY "Fanshawe College is announcing a ground-breaking donation of $5 million from Toronto-based philanthropist Diane Blake to establish a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence for XR (Extended Reality) in Health Care."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthAugust 24, 2023Comment