(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
GNR for January 7, 2025 — Good news from everywhere [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-01-07
Biden will honor tribal requests by designating 2 new national monuments in California
More last-minute gifts from the Biden administration.
From AP:
Medicine Lake is part of Sáttítla, a diverse landscape cherished by the Pit River tribe that President Joe Biden is declaring a national monument. President Joe Biden is signing a proclamation to establish two new national monuments in California, in part to honor two tribes, a person familiar with the decision said Monday. The proclamation will create the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans that were to be announced Tuesday in California. The declaration bars drilling and mining and other development on the 600,000-acre (2,400-square-kilometer) area in Southern California and roughly 200,000 acres (800 square kilometers) in Northern California. ✂️ The Pit River Tribe has worked to get the federal government to designate the Sáttítla National Monument. A number of Native American tribes and environmental groups began pushing Biden to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument, named after the large desert lizard, at the start of 2023. The area would protect public lands south of Joshua Tree National Park, spanning the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River. Advocates say the monument will protect a tribal cultural landscape, ensure access to nature for local residents and preserve military history sites. The California Legislature passed a resolution in August 2024 to urge Biden to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and another National Park Service-managed national monument adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, as well as the Kw’tsán National Monument, which would border Mexico and Arizona.
Hakeem Jeffries speaks truth in the House
And Mike Johnson can’t help nodding along with him!
x YouTube Video
“Are we defeated? No, we’re not defeated.”
x YouTube Video
* * * * *
🍿 Repellent Republicans Rampaging Recklessly 🍿
Judge finds Giuliani in civil contempt in 2020 election workers' case
FO, mu-fuh.
From Reuters:
A judge on Monday found Rudy Giuliani to be in civil contempt of court in a case brought by two Georgia election workers that the former New York City Mayor falsely accused of trying to help steal the 2020 U.S. presidential election for Democrat Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan said Giuliani had not complied with requests from the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Moss, for information that could help them determine which of his assets may be turned over to pay off the defamation judgment. ✂️ Liman said on Monday he had not yet determined the punishment Giuliani would face for contempt.
A sing-along for the MAGA cult
x YouTube Video
* * * * *
The media messing up
As a diary on Friday pointed out, this very important story about the continuing erosion of freedom of speech at The Washington Post has gotten no attention from DKos staff writers. T Maysle posted some quotes and the cartoon in a comment on Saturday, but I think it’s important enough to boost again here.
Why I'm quitting the Washington Post
From Ann Telnaes on Substack Open Windows:
I’ve worked for the Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist. I have had editorial feedback and productive conversations—and some differences—about cartoons I have submitted for publication, but in all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now. The cartoon that was killed criticizes the billionaire tech and media chief executives who have been doing their best to curry favor with incoming President-elect Trump. There have been multiple articles recently about these men with lucrative government contracts and an interest in eliminating regulations making their way to Mar-a-lago. The group in the cartoon included Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook & Meta founder and CEO, Sam Altman/AI CEO, Patrick Soon-Shiong/LA Times publisher, the Walt Disney Company/ABC News, and Jeff Bezos/Washington Post owner. While it isn’t uncommon for editorial page editors to object to visual metaphors within a cartoon if it strikes that editor as unclear or isn’t correctly conveying the message intended by the cartoonist, such editorial criticism was not the case regarding this cartoon. To be clear, there have been instances where sketches have been rejected or revisions requested, but never because of the point of view inherent in the cartoon’s commentary. That’s a game changer…and dangerous for a free press. ✂️ (rough of cartoon killed) As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post. I doubt my decision will cause much of a stir and that it will be dismissed because I’m just a cartoonist. But I will not stop holding truth to power through my cartooning, because as they say, “Democracy dies in darkness”. Thank you for reading this.
* * * * *
Good news from my corner of the world
From safer buses to phone fixes: A rundown of new Oregon laws
From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
‘Right to repair’ With the passage of Senate Bill 1596 in early 2024, Oregon became the fourth state to enact a “right to repair” law. As of Jan. 1, the law requires companies that make cell phones and other consumer electronics to offer the tools and know-how to repair those devices. ✂️ Drug use on transit Lawmakers recriminalized possession of drugs like heroin and meth during the February 2024 session, setting new penalties in motion in September. But another new drug law takes effect Wednesday. Responding to safety concerns on public transportation, the Legislature created new penalties for anyone openly using illicit drugs while riding a bus or light rail. That’s now a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail – a stiffer penalty than the unclassified misdemeanor on the books for drug possession. ✂️ Cleaner state investments After years of unsuccessfully attempting to force the state to pull public investments in fossil fuel companies, advocates succeeded with a softer approach in 2024. Under House Bill 4083, the Oregon State Treasury and Oregon Investment Council – two entities that have a hand in investing the $96 billion state pension fund – need to “act reasonably” to ensure the money isn’t invested in companies that mine coal or provide coal-powered energy. ✂️ School bus cameras School bus drivers and their employers told lawmakers this past year that they’ve seen a growing problem: drivers who refuse to stop as required when school buses turn on their flashing red lights and extend their stop arms. ...Now that the bill has taken effect, school districts are allowed to install cameras on the stop arms of buses, and to forward footage of drivers to police, who can then write a citation. School board cameras Starting Wednesday, school boards around the state will be required to post video or audio recordings of their regular meetings on the web within a week of the meeting. ✂️ Saving for a ‘rainy day’ One wonky change lawmakers took up last year could ensure that Oregon is prepared when economic hard times hit. Senate Bill 1562 raises the maximum amount that can sit in the state’s Rainy Day Fund before lawmakers are allowed to forego paying into the fund. Under prior law, the Legislature was not required to make its regular payment into the fund as long as it contained enough money to cover 7.5% of the state’s general fund revenues. With a tiny tweak, lawmakers upped that threshold to 12.5% – theoretically ensuring the state will save more in the future. ✂️ Maybe the most gruesome topic lawmakers considered in 2024, House Bill 4145 established criminal penalties for people who create, distribute, or access footage of animals being killed or tortured. Torturing or maliciously killing animals – which does not include legal and licensed fishing, hunting or trapping – was already a felony under state law. Now creating footage of such acts is also.
Portland and Multnomah County will open 2 overnight shelters next week
Our new mayor Keith Wilson really is hitting the ground running, and it’s a pleasure to see.
BTW, for those interested in how the newly expanded and more representative Portland City Council is doing, they came through their first challenge in a way that impressed me: the vote for City Council President (an important role) was deadlocked between a progressive and a moderate, so after several rounds of voting, the Council compromised on a third candidate who looks like she’ll do an excellent job. Local media clutched their pearls over the fact that “politics” had entered into Council decisions, which struck me as laughably naive. I expect everyone is going to settle down now.
From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson didn’t waste any time in advancing his plan to end unsheltered homelessness. On his first day on the job this week, Wilson joined Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson to announce plans to open two temporary overnight shelters on Jan. 7 “My goal was to hit the ground running and I’m happy to report that we’re going to do that,” Wilson said at a Thursday Portland City Council meeting. “We are here to come together to treat the crisis on our street like a crisis.” Mayor Elect Keith Wilson walks through the overnight shelter room in Portland Central Church of the Nazarene in southeast Portland, Ore., Nov. 19, 2024. Addressing homelessness by increasing the number of overnight shelters like this one was a central focus of Wilson's mayoral campaign. Two Salvation Army buildings, one located on Southwest 2nd Avenue and the other on North Williams Avenue, will accommodate up to 200 people each night in total. They will be open 12 hours each night, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and offer pads for guests to sleep on in a shared room. The shelters are first come, first served, though people who stay once are guaranteed a bed the following night. Using nighttime shelters to address Portland’s homelessness crisis was Wilson’s main policy pitch on the campaign trail. But, he said, his overarching goal to end unsheltered homelessness by 2026 can’t be solved by these shelters alone. “Two hundred beds is a great first step, but it is not the only step,” he said. “We will need to continue expanding capacity rapidly and aggressively to meet the need on the street.” To Wilson, that means continuing to invest in shelters open around the clock, affordable housing and other programs that help people leave homelessness behind for good. Wilson characterized the nighttime shelters as a way to immediately keep more people from having to sleep outside.
* * * * *
Good news from around the nation
What Could Go Right? The Best News of 2024 – United States Edition
This is an impressive list! Click the link for full details.
From The Progress Network:
Health Abortion and contraceptive rights Overdose deaths down Few teen smokers Affordable ambulances Innovations EDUCATION Better schools Free community college Labor Time off with baby Minimum wage Paid sick leave Manufacturing is back Crime Low violent crime Prison reform Environment 100% renewables Rights LGBTQ No child brides
New Co-Pay Cap on Life-Saving Medications taking effect in January [in MN]
Good work, Minnesota!
From house.mn.gov:
As part of numerous new state laws taking effect on January 1, 2025, health plans will be required to cap co-pays at $25 per one-month supply of prescription drugs used to treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and allergies requiring the use of epinephrine auto-injectors.
The new law, authored in the Minnesota House by Rep. [Michael] Howard (DFL - Richfield), would also place a $50 cap per month on related medical supplies. ✂️ The listed price of these medications has soared over the past decade, putting incredible stress on Minnesotans. More than 500,000 Minnesotans have been diagnosed with asthma and around 390,000 Minnesotans have either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. The medical supplies covered by the law include syringes, insulin pens and pumps, test strips, glucometers, continuous glucose monitors, epinephrine auto-injectors, and asthma inhalers. Under the law, the cost-sharing limit for related medical supplies will not increase with the number of chronic diseases for which an enrollee is treated, and coverage would not be subject to a deductible.
Chicago keeps its New Year’s resolution: All city buildings now use 100% clean power
Good work, Chicago!
From Grist:
It takes approximately 700,000 megawatt hours of electricity to power Chicago’s more than 400 municipal buildings every year. As of January 1, every single one of them — including 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet — is running on renewable energy, thanks largely to Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm. The move is projected to cut the carbon footprint of the country’s third-largest city by approximately 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year — the equivalent of taking 62,000 cars off the road, according to the city. Local decarbonization efforts like Chicago’s are taking on increasing significance as President-elect Donald Trump promises to reduce federal support for climate action. With the outgoing Biden administration doubling down on an international pledge to get the U.S. to net-zero emissions by 2050, cities, states, and private-sector players across the country will have to pick up the slack. ✂️ Chicago’s switch to renewable energy has been almost a decade in the making. The goal of sourcing the city’s power purely from carbon-free sources was first established by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2017. His successor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, struck a 2022 deal with Constellation, an electricity supplier, to purchase the city’s energy from the developer Swift Current Energy beginning in 2025. Swift Current began construction on the 3,800-acre, 593-megawatt solar farm in central Illinois as part of the same five-year, $422 million agreement. Straddling two counties in central Illinois, the Double Black Diamond Solar project is now the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi River. It can produce enough electricity to power more than 100,000 homes, according to Swift Current’s vice president of origination, Caroline Mann.
Network of AI Monitors Detected 77 Wildfires in California This Year Before a 911 Call Had Been Made for Any
Like most of us, I’m ambivalent about AI, but this is a perfect use for it. Waiting for human eyes to see the small beginnings of fires on cameras often allows them to grow exponentially before fire crews can get to them.
From Good News Network:
2024 saw the unparalleled success of an artificial intelligence detection system in California that alerts authorities to the breakout of small wildfires in the state’s dry forests. A partnership between the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Univ. of California San Diego called AlertCalifornia has already detected 77 wildfires before a 911 call was made for any of them. CAL FIRE’s Wildfire AI Detector works alongside UCSD’s AlertCalifornia program to monitor over 1,000 cameras throughout the state with AI to detect wildfires. Governor Newsom’s first budget in 2019 funded 100 of these cameras, and the program has grown ever since. California has suffered the 8 largest wildfires in the state’s history in just the last 6 years. The interlinked network of cameras, AIs, satellites, and humans is an accommodation a decade in the making. ...It’s designed to detect more than just fires, but all natural disasters. Neal Driscoll, a professor at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said that the AI system and its algorithms not only need to detect flames, but also smoke and how smoke is moving. It has to detect which direction the fire might move first, and where first responders would be most effective.
* * * * *
Good news from around the world
Ukraine will set up a grain program for cooperation with the new Syrian authorities
I love how Ukraine is stepping up to help other struggling democracies. Truly heroic.
From BabelUA:
Ukraine will set up a humanitarian program "Grain from Ukraine" to cooperate with the Syrian administration and "all partners who are ready to support". This was reported by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky following the report of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha and Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval on their visit to Syria. "This year, we can add more countries to our reliable partners, including Syria. We are preparing to restore diplomatic relations with Syria and interaction in international organizations," the President of Ukraine said. Ukraine will also increase trade with Lebanon, and will also cooperate more actively with African countries. "Each such new partnership is greater opportunities for our diplomacy and greater opportunities for our economy," Zelensky said. ✂️ After [the fall of the Assad regime], Ukraine resumed contacts with the new Syrian administration. Ukraine has already sent 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria. And on December 30, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha met with the new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. Now Ukraine is ready to resume diplomatic relations and political dialogue with Syria. “Grain from Ukraine” is a humanitarian food program launched on November 26, 2022, on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933. Its goal is to deliver grain to the poorest countries in Africa. The program has now been expanded to include Syria.
The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire, despite the fall of former President Bashar al-Assadʼs regime. According to the UN, more than 12 million Syrians lack adequate access to food. The World Food Programme notes that three million Syrians are facing acute hunger. The civil war has destroyed agricultural production, significantly reduced food imports and caused prices to rise.
Telegram blocks Russian state-owned media channels in several EU countries
Telegram is the major social media platform in many parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. This is an important blow against Russian disinformation.
From The Kyiv Independent:
A number of major Russian news outlets had their Telegram channels blocked across several European Union countries on Dec. 28. Users attempting to access these channels now see a notice saying that the content has been restricted and is no longer available. Restrictions apply to several Russian state-run or controlled media outlets, including RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Rossiya 1, Channel One, NTV, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Russia has waged a systematic international campaign of media manipulation and disinformation to justify its aggression against Ukraine and destabilize neighboring countries and the EU. These efforts target Ukraine and its citizens, as well as European political parties, civil society, and democratic institutions, with a focus on election interference and vulnerable groups. While it is not yet confirmed if the measures are enforced across the entire EU, the channels have reportedly been blocked in Poland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and Czechia.
Hungary loses out on about $1 billion in EU aid
🎩 to T Maysle for mentioning this in a comment last Thursday and adding “FAFOtime for tinpot criminal sleaze..”
From Yahoo News:
Hungary will not receive 1.04 billion euros ($1.08 billion) in aid from the European Union due to violations of the rule of law, the German news agency DPA reported on Dec. 31, citing a European Commission spokesperson. The aid package was conditional on Hungary implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024. These included changes to laws on preventing conflicts of interest and fighting corruption. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, and thus lost funding, according to the European Commission. This was the EU's first such action against a bloc member.
* * * * *
My favorite recent quotes, memes, and laughs
Thank you, Bluesky!
My New Year’s wish for all is from the wonderful Neil Gaiman as it seems very apropos for 2025… bravery and joy @thejenniwren.teamlh.social) December 31, 2024 at 1:21 PM
It’s Sunday, so let’s share the good word: If churches want to play politics, they can pay taxes like the rest of us. God doesn’t need a tax break, but millionaire pastors sure seem to love one.
@cwebbonline.com) January 5, 2025 at 11:33 AM
* * * * *
Good news in medicine
Foundational technology to make cancer cells revert to normal cells?
This is truly an astounding breakthrough.
From Science Daily:
Despite the development of numerous cancer treatment technologies, the common goal of current cancer therapies is to eliminate cancer cells. This approach, however, faces fundamental limitations, including cancer cells developing resistance and returning, as well as severe side effects from the destruction of healthy cells. KAIST [The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology], represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee, announced on the 20th of December that a research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has developed a groundbreaking technology that can treat colon cancer by converting cancer cells into a state resembling normal colon cells without killing them, thus avoiding side effects. The research team focused on the observation that during the oncogenesis process, normal cells regress along their differentiation trajectory. Building on this insight, they developed a technology to create a digital twin of the gene network associated with the differentiation trajectory of normal cells. Through simulation analysis, the team systematically identified master molecular switches that induce normal cell differentiation. When these switches were applied to colon cancer cells, the cancer cells reverted to a normal-like state, a result confirmed through molecular and cellular experiments as well as animal studies. This research demonstrates that cancer cell reversion can be systematically achieved by analyzing and utilizing the digital twin of the cancer cell gene network, rather than relying on serendipitous discoveries. The findings hold significant promise for developing reversible cancer therapies that can be applied to various types of cancer.
Stanford Medicine scientists design workaround that improves response to flu vaccine
I really hope this approach makes the annual flu vaccine more effective. The vaccine hasn’t been helping me and my husband much these past few years.
From Stanford Medicine:
The influenza virus is studded with molecular hooks that it uses to latch on to vulnerable cells in our airways and lungs. This hook-like molecule, called hemagglutinin, is the principal antigen in the influenza vaccine. The standard flu vaccine contains a mix of four versions of hemagglutinin — one for each of four commonly circulating influenza subtypes. The goal is to protect us from whichever of those subtypes eventually slips through our nostrils and takes up residence in our airways. The vaccine’s efficacy isn’t as high as it could be, though. In recent years its effectiveness has ranged between about 20% and 80%, said Mark Davis, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology...That’s largely because many vaccinated people fail to develop enough antibodies to one or more of the subtypes represented in the vaccine, said Davis, the study’s senior author… Strangely, most of us develop a robust antibody response to only one of them, Davis said. But he and his colleagues have figured out why that happens and have found a way to force our immune systems to mount a strong antibody response to all four subtypes. That could make a huge difference in the vaccine’s ability to keep us from suffering even mild consequences from influenza infections, let alone more severe ones.
* * * * *
Good news in science
Chicago School Kid Discovers New Cancer-Fighting Compound in Bird Poop
This is such a great story, from the fact that a middle-schooler found the bacterium to the promise that it could lead to treatments to slow the spread of both melanoma and ovarian cancers, two cancers that are notoriously hard to treat.
From ScienceAlert:
With the supervision of researchers from the University of Illinois, [a middle school] student carefully isolated a bacterium from goose poop that showed antibiotic activity. A natural compound produced by the bacterium is wholly new to science, and in the lab, it shows cancer-fighting properties. ✂️. [The students] were part of a 14-week educational outreach program to promote scientific careers with hands-on experience. The initiative was designed to involve young learners in the search for new antibiotics, and as part of the project, students were asked to explore their neighborhood for new bioactive compounds. The kids were then taught how to safely grow bacteria and select colonies for further evaluation by university scientists. The student that brought in the goose feces was able to isolate a species of gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas idahonensis. In the lab, researchers found this bacterium could inhibit more than 90 percent of the growth of a gram-positive bacteria species that can cause skin infections. "Efforts are underway to determine the compound(s) responsible for the original antibiotic activity observed," the team writes in a published and peer-reviewed paper on the discovery. ...The middle schooler who found the bird poop is listed as a co-author. The Pseudomonas bacterium not only showed antibiotic properties, it also produced a novel natural product, called orfamide N, which has not been seen by scientists before. ...In the lab, orfamide N slowed the growth of melanoma and ovarian cancer cells.
Weird bumps in UK quarry turn out to be 166 million-year-old dinosaur 'highway' for some of Jurassic's biggest dinosaurs
What a cool discovery!
From LiveScience:
Tracks crossing on the dinosaur highway at Dewars Farm Quarry. Researchers and quarry workers have uncovered a massive dinosaur "highway," which includes hundreds of footprints left by some of U.K.'s biggest dinosaurs. The tracks were uncovered at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire and date back to the middle of the Jurassic Period (201.3 million to 145 million years ago). It is the largest dinosaur footprint site in the U.K., researchers said. A quarry worker named Gary Johnson discovered the first footprints after he felt strange bumps on the quarry floor last year. In June, researchers worked with quarry staff to excavate the dinosaur "highway," according to a statement released on Jan. 2. One of the trackways belonged to the 30-foot-long (9 meters) predator Megalosaurus, the largest-known carnivorous dinosaur that lived in what is now the U.K. during the Jurassic. The other four trackways were from giant sauropods — most likely Cetiosaurus. At up to 60 feet (18 m) long, Cetiosaurus — a close relative of the famous Diplodocus — is likely Britain’s largest-known dinosaur from that time. ✂️ Oxfordshire was a tropical coastal area during the Jurassic period with shallow marine lagoons and mudflats, similar to the Florida Keys today. This environment was good at preserving the footprints of dinosaurs that stomped through. ✂️ Researchers used cameras and drones to document the site and create 3D models of the footprints. The Megalosaurus tracks were around 2 feet (65 centimeters) long, while the longest sauropod tracks were 3 feet (90 cm) long. From the size and spacing of the tracks, the team estimated that Megalosaurusand the sauropod walked at around 3 mph (5 km/h), which is about the same speed as a human walks, according to a statement released by the researchers.
* * * * *
Good news for the environment
MIT engineers convert soda cans and seawater into zero-emission fuel
Imagining that old soda cans and seawater could produce hydrogen is already pretty creative thinking, but the genius touch turned out to be coffee grounds, which according to the full article was added “on a whim.” Wow.
From The Optimist Daily:
In a breakthrough for sustainable energy, MIT engineers developed a way to produce hydrogen fuel from ordinary elements such as aluminum from old soda cans, saltwater, and coffee grounds. This novel technology could transform sustainable energy production by providing a quick and environmentally benign way to manufacture hydrogen—a fuel that powers motors and fuel cells without producing carbon. MIT engineers Aly Kombargi (left) and Niko Tsakiris (right) work on a new hydrogen reactor, designed to produce hydrogen gas by mixing aluminum pellets with seawater. The MIT research team discovered that pure aluminum undergoes a chemical reaction that spontaneously releases hydrogen gas when mixed with seawater. Hydrogen, with its clean-burning features, can be employed in a variety of energy applications, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. However, this reaction is generally slow. In a recent study published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the team revealed that adding caffeine, a common stimulant present in coffee grounds, can greatly expedite this process. By pretreating aluminum with a rare-metal alloy and exposing it to saltwater, the team was able to create a process that produces hydrogen gas considerably faster when caffeine is added. ✂️ The MIT team’s next steps include testing the hydrogen reactor in marine and undersea conditions. They estimate that a reactor containing around 40 pounds of aluminum pellets might power a small underwater glider for about 30 days by continuously producing hydrogen from the surrounding saltwater. “We’re showing a new way to produce hydrogen fuel, without carrying hydrogen but carrying aluminum as the ‘fuel,'” Kombargi wrote. The team is also looking into applications for trucks, trains, and potentially airplanes. Future developments may involve absorbing water from ambient humidity to generate hydrogen, increasing the system’s usefulness.
* * * * *
Beauty in space
I can’t get enough of the gorgeous images from NASA that are showing up on Bluesky.
The Cartwheel Galaxy
Colliding spiral galaxies
The Bubble Nebula
* * * * *
Good news for and about animals
Brought to you by Rascal and Margot, and the beautiful spirits of Rosy and Nora.
Drones and amps helped seabirds reclaim their home
Rascal is delighted to share this story of some beautiful birds being able to return to their traditional home.
From Positive News:
Endangered Polynesian storm petrels (pictured) have returned to a remote island in the South Pacific after a century-long absence, thanks to a hi-tech restoration effort. Conservationists used poison-laden drones to eradicate the invasive rats, which had populated Kamaka in French Polynesia. With the ground cleared for the storm petrels’ return, they then used solar-powered loudspeakers playing birdcall to attract them back to the island. The birds have since been spotted scouting the area for nesting sites. With as few as 250 mature Polynesian storm petrels remaining in the wild, the hope is that Kamaka can sustain new breeding colonies. “This remarkable progress brings hope for the future, as the Polynesian storm-petrels reclaim their island home,” said Tehotu Reasin, landowner of Kamaka Island. “These seabirds bring critical nutrients from the ocean to the island, which cascades down into the surrounding marine environment benefiting fish and corals. The entire ecosystem can once again thrive.”
8-year-old Boy Trades His Skateboard for the Feral Kitten Kids Were Picking on
Margot would love to give some kisses to this sweet, smart boy. His quick thinking is as impressive as his compassionate heart.
From Good News Network:
When a young skateboarder saw some kids picking on a feral kitten, he wanted to stop them, although he didn’t stand a chance against so many. Instead, 8-year-old Zayin Berry used diplomacy—trading his skateboard away for a promise that they would leave the animal alone. It worked, and now the kitten is his “best friend.” And according to Zayin’s mom, the fortunate feline knew it from the start. “He just fell in love with it, and you could see it… you could see the cat just loved him,” his mom told CBS 5/AZ Family. After the Berrys took the cat home they realized he needed urgent medical attention. His breathing came in difficult, congested labors, and he had an eye infection. Taking him to the Yuma Humane Society, veterinarians told the family that the animal, whom they had called ‘Peaches,’ needed surgery to remove the infected eye. Thankfully, the procedure was a success and Peaches is recovering well. According to local news, the manager from the Humane Society, along with the retailer Zumiez which sells skateboards, came together to give Zayin a gift card to buy a new skateboard.
Rescue Pup with 'Special Powers' and 'Old Soul' Saves Owner's Life and Wins Award for His Heroics
Rosy would have loved hearing about Wallace. What a good boy!
From People:
As a puppy, "Wallace was relaxed and chill, lumbering around the in slow motion like Snuffalupagus off Sesame Street," his owner, Allison Redgrave LaField, tells PEOPLE… LaField, the head swim coach for the Masters Team at the Alamo Heights Independent School District (ISD) in Texas, had long dreamed of caring for a sheepdog. So, when Wallace became available for adoption in May 2020 at the rescue where she volunteered, she acted quickly. ✂️ Not long after adopting Wallace, LaField started to experience episodic seizures. LaField believes the first of these events happened several years ago when she fell while adjusting her automatic pool cleaner. "I had a fall — most likely the first episodic event — broke my hip, got a concussion, and somehow found myself on the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool, quite dazed and confused," LaField recalls of the frightening moment. Disoriented and at the bottom of the deep end, LaField struggled to find her way to the surface. As a swim coach, she knew to stay calm and "save every ounce of air in my lungs." Luckily, Wallace, who was nearby when LaField fell into the pool, also knew he had to act. "All of a sudden, there's a giant splash, and these big feet are moving through the water, and with the kick or stroke he took, he pulled down air bubbles I could see from the bottom — he was the way up," LaField shares. She followed the air bubbles up to the surface, where Wallace awaited. The dog "stayed by my side and got me to the edge of the pool. He never left me. I was still breathing because of this dog. That dog knew I was in trouble and acted like a trained lifeguard," she adds. LaField clarifies that Wallace has never received seizure alert dog training; "He just seemed to know. He knows a lot of things. It's like the dog has special powers." After saving LaField from the pool, Wallace has started to alert his owner to her subsequent seizures. ✂️ The rescue dog has also used "special powers" to bring support to strangers and LaField's swimmers. "He reads people. He senses their emotional and mental states and, at times, their medical state...” At the pool where LaField works, Wallace quickly noticed when a swimmer was struggling, allowing lifeguards more time to assist people in need. After repeatedly watching Wallace use his skills and senses to help others, LaField, with encouragement from one of her master swimmers, signed the sheepdog up for the therapy dog training program at the Brooke Army Medical Center. Wallace excelled at the rigorous training program and emerged as a certified therapy dog ready to help people in need at hospitals, schools, pools, and other locations. Allison LaField with Wallace. "Currently, Wallace does therapy work at the Alamo Heights ISD Natatorium in the military and amputee programs and at the Alamo Heights Middle School. Also, he does therapy work for Texas Para Regional Sports, the Veterans Administration Hospital, Harbour Hospice, and Ft. Sam Houston Military Base in the Soldier Recovery Unit," LaField lists. Unsurprisingly, Wallace has improved a lot of lives. His dedication to comforting others earned him a 2024 AKC Humane Fund Award for Canine Excellence. Wallace won the therapy dog category.
* * * * *
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/7/2294090/-GNR-for-January-7-2025-Good-news-from-everywhere?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
