Weekly News Recap: August 21, 2020

Weekly News Recap: August 21, 2020

Sewing businesses are seeing a surge in interest as handmade masks become a prominent part of life under the COVID-19 pandemic. (Submitted by Peter Konidas)

In Seattle you haven’t had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it’s running. – Jeff Bezos

FUNDRAISING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

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+ Here is ViTreo's most recent blog post: HIGHER EDUCATION - ATTRACT, ENGAGE AND ACTIVATE ALUMNI DURING THIS GLOBAL CRISES AND IN THE FUTURE Do The Fundamentals Of Alumni Engagement Need To Change?

+ And a freshly updated (as at August 21, 2020) set of resources: Fundraising In The Time Of COVID-19

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Portugal president helps rescue two women in trouble at sea (BBC) Now, this is cool. "The president, 71, was pictured [...] swimming over to the kayakers who were struggling in the water. He later told reporters that the women had been swept by currents from a neighbouring beach into the bay."
  • Australia surfer saves wife by punching shark (BBC) "'This fella paddled over and jumped off his board on to the shark and hit it to get it to release her and then assisted her back into the beach,' [...]. 'Pretty full on, really heroic.' No kidding!

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Calgary warehouse robotics company attracts $50M in funding from Ontario teachers (CBC) CALGARY STORY I love this! More please! "A Calgary-based firm that bases its warehouse robotics system on the structure of ant colonies says it has attracted $50 million US in funding from a group led by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board. Attabotics employs robotic shuttles moving inside a vertical structure to store and fetch goods from within for workers on the perimeter. It says its system can reduce a retailer's warehouse footprint by up to 85 per cent, allowing the company to place warehouses closer to city centres for faster delivery times while lowering real estate costs."
  1. University of Victoria's new president joins school from Australia (CBC) VICTORIA STORY Welcome back to Canada Dr. Hall! "A year-long search for a new president has taken the University of Victoria to Australia to hire a Canadian man. Kevin Hall is a senior administrator at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales but has deep roots in Canadian education. Hall's family came to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1964 and he earned a bachelor and a master of science degree at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., where he was a research fellow for a decade."
  1. Calgary arts organizations launch initiative to support artists struggling during pandemic (CBC) CALGARY STORY Nice work folks. "The COVID-19 pandemic will leave a lasting impact across all industries — but those in Calgary's arts industry are warning that theirs may be among the last to recover. [...] Calgary Arts Development, along with organizations including the National Music Centre, Theatre Calgary and Tourism Group, announced an initiative called RISE UP on the rooftop of the King [Eddy.]"**
  1. Here’s why things will never be the same at the grocery store (Troy Media) CANADIAN CONTENT We have never cooked so much at home...and it is really a lovely change. "From online grocery shopping to home delivery to cooking with fresh ingredients to higher prices to fewer choices in stores."
  1. Edmonton sewing surge: Interest in age-old practice spikes during pandemic (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I have a pair of home-sewn 'pandemic pants' to prove it! "It's a story playing out across the industry's supply chain, with the biggest manufacturers and sellers reporting a sewing machine shortage. In a matter of 24 hours, Walmart's 100-day supply of machines was whittled down to just five days worth at the outset of the [pandemic]."
  1. How professors and students across Canada are preparing for a university year like no other (National Post) "It was a hot day in the middle of summer, the time of year when Heard, who studies the interaction between plants and insects, would typically be focussing on his own research. But this is not a typical year, to say the least. So instead of working in his own lab, Heard was perched that day between wet rocks, in hiking shoes and cargo shorts, looking for larvae and trying to remember to smile."*
  1. French Canadian association suing Alberta government, U of A over Campus Saint-Jean funding (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY "Alberta’s French Canadian association is taking the province and the University of Alberta to court, claiming chronic underfunding at Campus Saint-Jean violates a more than four-decade-old agreement."
  1. Speaking out comes at a cost in Alberta. Just look at the former CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce (Canada's National Observer) CALGARY STORY "The press release announcing the decision described it as a 'repositioning,' although changing leaders in the midst of a major crisis is pretty much the opposite of what conventional wisdom would recommend."
  1. From WE to why: Revisiting the purpose of charities (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY Amen to this. "Charities are about something different. Charitable donors establish and fund scholarships. They help remedy food insecurity. They fund medical research. They support the arts, museums, animal welfare, human rights, the environment, education, religion and so much more. Governments have long since occupied many of these fields as well. But there is a big difference: Governments mandate financial contribution through compulsory taxation. Charities are about the voluntary choice to share with others outside of the government."
  1. Edmonton Oilers' 50/50 contest unlikely to name winner until next week (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Ugh...what a mess. "A winner of the Edmonton Oilers' 50/50 contest is unlikely to be named until next week [...]."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Therapeutic Power of Gardening (New Yorker) I love gardening. I just need to make the time to do more of if.
  1. If You Have The Self-Discipline to Do It, Honing These 4 Habits Is Totally Worth It (The Ascent) Honestly, all four are equally great. But, if pushed, #2 is the one I am putting into place right now.
  1. The Ten Most Influential Books I’ve Read (The Startup) Any book list that has both 'Shoe Dog' and 'The Book of Joy' on it has my vote. Lots here.
  1. 9 Micro-Habits That Will Completely Change Your Life in a Year (Living Your Life On Purpose) Micro habits grow into permanent behaviors (i.e. "big" habits). I especially liked #1, #2, and #8.
  1. What I Learned from Malcolm Gladwell’s Masterclass on Writing (The Writing Cooperative) I love Masterclass. If I had all the time in the world, I would watch them all. Interesting advice on jargon -- not what I expected.
  1. 5 Habits of Truly Cool Couples (P.S. I Love You) Do you communicate assertively? I don't. But this article helps with how to do that and quite a bit more.
  1. This One Trick Will Help You Actually Feel Good When You Run (Runner's Life) Yep...it's a warm-up but...not just any warm-up.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. $5M Marks Largest Hospital Donation From Muslim Community in Canadian History (Muslim Link) Woot! This is really great! "In a record-breaking pledge, the Muslim community announced $5 million to support the redevelopment of Mississauga Hospital, one of three sites that together comprise Trillium Health Partners (THP), as part of THP’s larger redevelopment plan. Individuals, families, corporations, mosques and community associations from the Muslim community have a long history of giving back to THP and other health care institutions across the country."
  1. Haslam Family makes $40M donation to UT’s Haslam College of Business (CBS) Nice gift! "The University of Tennessee announced that the Haslam family has made a $40 million gift to the Haslam College of Business."
  1. Nike Announces 1st-Ever 'Mamba Week,' $1M Donation in Honor of Kobe Bryant (Bleacher Report) "Nike announced it will launch 'Mamba Week' in honor of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant [...]. Nike will honor Bryant's memory in three parts: by making a $1 million donation to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation, furthering Bryant's message through the Mamba League and offering a line of Bryant-related products, including his Lakers jersey and Protro shoes."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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