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Weekly News Recap: January 24, 2025

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: January 24, 2025

This image, taken from NASA TV, shows astronaut Suni Williams working on the outside of the International Space Station on Thursday, just feet away from the parked SpaceX spacecraft. (NASA TV)

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one. -- John Lennon

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Conan O’Brien to Receive 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (Hollywood Reporter) Congrats and well-deserved. "Conan O’Brien will be the next recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor [...] The comedian, podcaster and erstwhile late night host — who is also set to host the Oscars on March 2 — will be the 26th person to receive the award, joining a list of honorees that includes Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, and his late night predecessors Jay Leno and David Letterman."

  • Guitar Center launches initiative to replace instruments lost in Los Angeles wildfires (NME) #Awesome "Together, Guitar Center and its Guitar Center Music Foundation have confirmed that they will support musicians and music programs affected by the Los Angeles fires with a special one-time grant that will allow them to replace their destroyed instruments or gear."

  • ‘Everyone thought it would cause gridlock’: the highway that Seoul turned into a stream (The Guardian) #LoveThis "On a crisp December morning, office workers and tourists stroll along a tree-lined stream in central Seoul, pausing on stepping stones that cross its flowing waters. It’s difficult to imagine that just over 20 years ago, this was a vast elevated highway carrying 168,000 cars daily through the heart of South Korea’s capital. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs for about 3.5 miles (nearly 6km) through Seoul, was one of the earliest experiments in an increasing trend in cities globally: turning spaces where there was once car or rail infrastructure into spaces for pedestrians and cyclists."

  • VIDEO: Bride's reaction goes viral after groom pulls out NFL tickets during vows (CBC) HALIFAX STORY "Newlyweds Sean Smith and Olivia Doiron of Bedford, N.S., will be heading to New York state this weekend to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL divisional round playoff game. Smith surprised Doiron with tickets during his vows at their wedding a month ago. The video of the reveal has gone viral. "I vow to be truthful with you, to share with you my honest self, inside and out, and to hold no secrets," Smith said. He then paused. "But not always. Sometimes I may have to hold on to a secret bonus gift to give you during our ceremony." Smith then reached into his jacket to produce two tickets to a Bills game against an opponent of Doiron's choice."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a man tearfully reunited with his dog that survived the L.A. fires (YouTube) One of three dog reunification stories this week. Who knew?! "Casey Colvin recounts the moment he reunited with his dog Oreo after five days of frantically searching through the rubble of the Los Angeles wildfires."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a drone was used to help find a dog lost in rural Ontario (CBC) ONTARIO STORY And here is the second. "Videographer Nolan Dennhardt recounts the moment he helped find Honey, a golden Labrador that had been missing for five days, by flying a drone over the five-square-kilometre search area."

  • VIDEO: 'Should we go on an adventure and try to find this dog?': Man reunites owners with lost pet (CBC) CANADIAN STORY And...number three. "Recently, an Ontario couple's dog ran off while they were passing through Regina. Local animal lover Matthew Wesley rescued Bear from the extreme cold but didn't expect his family to fall in love with the pet along the way."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Hershey Canada sending Cherry Blossom to the chocolate graveyard (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Love #Hate Where do you sit? "Some are grieving; some will dance on its grave. Hershey Canada is discontinuing Cherry Blossom, the novelty candy that consists of a syrupy maraschino cherry encased in milk chocolate with bits of coconut and peanut."

  2. Cutting off oil is Canada's nuclear option. What would it mean if it happens? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "In Canada's arsenal of possible responses to a Trump tariff, the nuclear option is the threat to withhold, reduce or place export tariffs on Canadian energy."

  3. VIDEO: This woman went blind after a night out in Bali. She's warning other tourists about methanol in their drinks (CBC) CALGARY STORY ViTreo has worked with Ashley. She is an #AmazingHuman "Ashley King went to a bar on a Bali vacation in 2011, and woke up blind just a few days later — a result of drinks spiked with methanol. 'I woke up in my hostel and I wasn't able to breathe. And shortly after I wasn't able to see,' said King, a 32-year-old Calgary woman who is sharing her story in a new podcast called Static: A Party Girl's Memoir."

  4. Students design tiny, cheap, off-grid homes for others to copy (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY #Cool "Every weekend, Chapman and a group of her peers gather at a grassy lot near UBC's main campus — geared up in hard hats, vests, work boots and heavy gloves. They're working hard to assemble a prototype structure that aims to tackle both climate change and the demand for affordable housing — the Sustainable Mobile Research Testbed (SMRT) — a tiny home powered by renewable energies."

  5. Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo names new president and CEO (CBC) CALGARY STORY Congrats and welcome to Calgary, Kyle. "Kyle Burks was named the new president and CEO of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo [...] The zoo says Burks has more than 20 years of experience in management, wildlife conservation and animal care. He has held leadership positions at the Sacramento Zoo, Denver Zoo and The Walt Disney Company, most recently working as the chief operating officer of the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans."

  6. VIDEO: The simple thing you can do that might help beat the winter blues (CBC) EDMONTON STORY It works for me. "Researchers from Concordia University of Edmonton are looking at how observing nature could impact your mental health. Holli-Anne Passmore is the lead researcher on a project called Noticing Nature Intervention."

  7. Lethbridge Polytechnic expecting deficit due to international student restrictions (Lethbridge News Now) LETHBRIDGE STORY #Eeek "One of Lethbridge’s post-secondary schools says it is facing 'significant financial challenges' due to recent changes to federal policy. The Government of Canada announced in September 2024 that it would be reducing the number of international student visas by around 48,000 for 2025/26. It was a decision that will impact many colleges and universities across the country."

  8. Animal rescue group shutting down Edmonton location, shifting operations to Calgary (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "An animal shelter in Edmonton is closing its doors due to operational constraints and a lack of resources to maintain two facilities. The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) plans to focus its efforts on its main location in Calgary, where it says it can better serve the community's needs."

  9. VIDEO: How far is too far to push your workout? (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "With a new year, many people are flocking to the gym with new fitness goals. It’s normal for muscles to be a bit sore after a workout but pushing too hard can lead to serious damage, especially with popular high-intensity training such as CrossFit."

  10. VIDEO: Stranded NASA astronaut gets change of pace with spacewalk, after 7 months in orbit (CBC) "One of NASA's two stuck astronauts got a much welcomed change of scenery Thursday, stepping out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago. Suni Williams, the station's commander, tackled some overdue outdoor repair work, alongside colleague Nick Hague."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Most Beautiful Destinations Around The World To Experience Bioluminescence (Explore.com) These are all going on my bucket list.

  2. Buy Once, Cry Once: The $2,000 Kitchen Knife Lesson (At Home Publication) We have good knives and they are worth every penny.

  3. The Daily Rituals of Highly Effective Leaders (The Good Boss) I try to start with clarity.

  4. As a Former Wine Store Owner, If I Had $20 to Spend on a Bottle of Wine This Is What I Would Buy (Rooted Publication) I have loved wine since my early 20s. And I feel I am reasonably knowledgeable. This article taught me some new and important ideas.

  5. An 83-Year-Old Neurologist Reveals His Daily Habits That Preserve Brain Health and Boost Longevity (In Fitness And In Health) One of the secrets: read more fiction.

  6. VIDEO: This Is Why You Can't Hula Hoop, According to Science (Science Alert) Ha, and I thought I was just uncoordinated.

  7. Incredible Winners of the 2024 Ocean Art Underwater Photography Contest (My Modern Met) #Wow

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Anonymous donation boosts Spectrum's mission for Franklin County youth (NBC) "Spectrum Youth and Family Services, an organization dedicated to supporting young people in need, has received a $1 million donation from an anonymous donor."

  2. City National Bank and RBC announce $3 million donation to support wildfire relief efforts in Southern California (PR Newswire) "Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), together with City National Bank, announced they are donating US$3 million to support victims of the devastating wildfires in Southern California."

  3. University of Montana receives $9.4 million for K-12 education (Philanthropy News Digest) "The University of Montana (UM) and the University of Montana Foundation have announced a $9.4 million gift from the Missoula-based Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation in support of efforts to address challenges in K-12 education and behavioral health in the state."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo President & CEO Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca.

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