Good News Tuesday for April 4, 2023: US FDA Approves Naloxone OTC, Afghan Refugees Create a School, Lawyers of Conscience in England Refuse to Prosecute Peaceful Protesters, a California Prison Uses Scandinavian Rehab, and a Viral Video Gets Cats Adopted

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

FDA Approves Naloxone/Narcan for Over-the-Counter Sale

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved over-the-counter sales of naloxone, also known as Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses. PBS has details HERE.

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Three Afghan Refugees Start “Rise Again” School in Wisconsin

Hundreds of children living at a military base in Wisconsin are among 53,000 Afghans refugees who left their country after the Taliban seized power. Seeing kids roaming around doing nothing, three women refugees decided to set up their own school at the base, naming it “Rise Again”. The school has now has about 20 teachers and 200 students aged seven – 14 and is operating with donations. Read more HERE from GoodGoodGood.

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A Group of Lawyers in England Refuse to Prosecute Peaceful Climate Protesters

A group of lawyers in England have signed a “Declaration of Conscience” saying they will not prosecute peaceful climate protesters. Here’s more from EcoWatch via my Goodnewsletter.

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Prison in California Adopts Scandinavian Rehabilitation Methods

The notorious San Quentin prison in California has adopted Scandinavian methods of rehabilitation that works to turn convicts into good neighbors. Read more here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/san-quentin-prison-is-using-a-scandinavian-model-of-rehabilitation-to-turn-ex-cons-into-good-neighbors/

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Viral Video Helps Cats Get Adopted

An animal shelter in Kansas City, Missouri made a video to help cats get adopted, and it went viral on TikTok. Most of the cats got adopted.

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Good News Tuesday for March 28, 2023: “Hotel Rwanda” Hero Released from Prison, The Latest World Happiness Report, A Circus Comeback without Animals, and a 100-Year-Old Speaks Out for Books and People

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

“Hotel Rwanda” Hero Paul Rusesabagina Freed from Prison

Rwanda’s government has freed Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda” for saving hundreds from genocide. AP reports, “Rusesabagina was credited with sheltering more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis … during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide in which over 800,000 … were killed. He received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.” His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will, convicted of terrorism, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Here’s more of the story from AP, and additional coverage in the following video:

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World Happiness Report: Benevolence is Still Up

Benevolence is about 25% higher than it was pre-pandemic according to the latest World Happiness Report. “Even during these difficult years, positive emotions have remained twice as prevalent as negative ones, and feelings of positive social support twice as strong as those of loneliness,” said John Helliwell, one of the authors of the report in an interview with CNN. The report also identifies the world’s happiest countries. CNN has more HERE.

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Ringling Bros. Circus Coming Back Without Animals

After years of declining ticket sales and public concerns about the treatment of circus animals, the famous Ringling Brothers circus took down their tents. Now, they’re coming back, redesigned without the animals. Read all about it in this article from ABC News.

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100-Year-Old Grace Linn Made a Quilt and Speaks Out For Reading Freedom

You’re never too old to be an activist. One-hundred-year-old, Grace Linn is a great example. She’s been speaking out against book banning and in favor of reading freedom. She’s made a quilt of banned and targeted books. She explains more on MSNBC:

“Every human being is just as important as any other.”

Grace Linn

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Good News Tuesday for February 21, 2023: Solar Lamps to Ukraine, Community Supports Black Author, Women in India Save Endangered Stork, and a Teen Saves a Man and his Dog from from a Frozen Lake

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Sending Solar Lamps to Ukraine

A San Francisco non-profit is sending thousands of solar lamps to Ukraine where the war leaves millions of people without electricity. The lanterns produce 50 hours of light on one solar charge and have a USB port. This ABC affiliate has details.

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Author gets Overwhelming Community Support after his Black History Appearances were Cancelled.

After his Black History Month appearances were cancelled by Alabama schools, author Derrick Barns received overwhelming support from community members who raised money and organized books drives to donate his positive books. Here’s more from Atlanta Black Star.

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Women Save the Rarest Endangered Stork in India

 Stork biologist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman mobilized 10,000 women into the “Hargila Army” to advocate for and protect the rarest endangered stork in India. Read about the success of the movement in this article from the Good News Network.

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Teen Saves a Man and his Dog from a Frozen Lake

Teenager Joseph Salmon and several strangers saved an 83-year-old man and his dog after the man’s car fell through the ice in Iowa. The first video shows the rescue and the second is an interview with Joseph.

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Good News Tuesday for Jan. 17, 2023: Decrease in US Cancer Deaths, a Helper Wins a House, Community Center Replaces a Polluting Factory, and Successfully Stopping Traffic for a Koala

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

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Death Rates from Cancer Decrease 33% in US

US death rates from cancer have decreased by 33% since 1991 according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society. The decrease is attributed to early detection, treatment improvements, decrease in smoking, and the HPV vaccine. Here’s more from CNN.

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Man Who Helped Disabled People Find Houses Wins a House

What goes around, comes around, and sometimes karma works within a person’s lifetime. Such is the case for Grant Carson who spent 27 years helping disabled people in Glasgow find homes and who recently won a £2.5million country house in a charity raffle. The Good News Network has details.

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Town Opens Community Center Where a Factory Used to Pollute a Black Neighborhood

For years, Ruth Reed and Mary Sue Rich worked to shut down a charcoal plant that polluted the air over Black homes in Florida. Finally, in 2018, after the city bought the property, “…Mrs. Reed sat on top of a Yellow Cat excavator and knocked the first wall of that charcoal plant down.” Earlier this month, the community celebrated the opening of the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place on the site now containing a gymnasium, a branch library, a gathering place for seniors, a banquet hall and meeting rooms. NPR has the story.

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Stopping Traffic for a Crossing Koala

Will Thorton was sitting on his balcony in Queensland, Australia when he saw a koala bear trying to cross a busy highway, so he rushed out barefoot to stop traffic to help the koala cross the road.

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Good News Tuesday for Dec. 20, 2022: Respect for Marriage Act, Drones Study Hawaii’s Endangered Plants, CNN’s Hero of the Year, and Diversity Among Santas

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Respect for Marriage Act Becomes Law

US President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law last week. The bipartisan legislation requires that the US government and states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages that were legally performed. Here’s more from Politico. ABC News provides a detailed explanation of the law here.

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Drones Help Fight Plant Extinction in Hawaii

Drones in Hawaii help locate endangered plants growing on cliffs. Robots attached to the drones can collect samples and seeds for planting. In the future, scientists hope to drop seeds encased in fertilizer. This in-depth article appeared in my 1440 Daily Digest. The illustrations, photos, and videos are fascinating. Take a look by clicking the Reuters article HERE

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CNN’s Hero of the Year (Please Watch this Heartwarming Video!)

Nelly Cheboi was voted CNN’s Hero of the Year for her work creating computer labs for children in Kenya.  Ms. Cheboi quit a lucrative job in Chicago to start the nonprofit, TechLit Africa which provides donated and upcycled computers to thousands of students in rural Kenya. I couldn’t wait to share this video showing Ms. Cheboi’s enthusiasm as he honors her mother and thanks others who have helped her.

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Growing Divesity Among Santas

After being harassed for having a Black Santa decoration on his lawn two years ago, Chris Kennedy became a professional Santa Claus. Chris is one of the Santas featured in the documentary, Santa Camp. Below is a video from ABC News about Chris, diversity, and Santa Camp. The video includes a very brief segment reporting on protests of inclusivity from 3:17 to 3:42 in case you want to skip to Mr. Kennedy’s response.

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Good News Tuesday for Nov. 15, 2022: Mindfulness for Anxiety, Baby Born at 1.18 lbs. Goes Home, CNN’s Top Ten Heroes, and a Senior with Alzheimer’s Has a Special Fan Club

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Study Validates Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Therapy

A study published recently in JAMA Psychiatry found a structured course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to be as effective as Lexapro in reducing the severity of symptoms of anxiety disorder. Of course, a person should never stop taking such medications suddenly, but the study gives validation to alternative forms of therapy with the hope of insurance reimbursement. NPR has details.

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Baby Born Weighing Just Over One Pound is Home

Baby Isla was born weighing just 1.18 lbs. with a 10% chance of survival. Now, she’s finally home after 4 months in the Hospital in England. Here’s more from the Good News Network.

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CNN’s Top Ten Heroes

CNN has announced their top 10 CNN Heroes for 2022. Each will receive a $10,000 prize, and the public can vote for hero of the year to be announced in December. Thanks to CNN for honoring hardworking heroes. You can find a video overview and highlights of each hero in this article from CNN.

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A Senior with Alzheimer’s has a Very Special Fan Club

Gene McGehee has Alzheimer’s. His short-term memory resets every 15 minutes. Every weekday afternoon, he waits outside his house without consciously knowing why. Then a bus arrives with kids who greet and spend time with Mr. McGhee. They enrich each other’s lives. This heartwarming story from Upworthy includes lots of photos and a sweet video at the end that you don’t want to miss.

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Good News Tuesday for Oct. 25, 2022: Cooling the Desert, Iranian Men Supporting Women’s Freedoms, Banning Book Bans in Colorado, and Power Rangers to the Rescue!

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Adapting Ancient Technology to Cool the Desert

Yael Issacharov, of the Holon Institute of Technology has adapted an ancient method to cool air indoors without electricity. The technology uses a terra cotta Nave with cold water and works best in dry environments. The Good News Network has details.

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Iranian Men Standing Up for Women, Life, and Freedom

After the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody, it’s not just women protesting oppression in Iran. Men are standing with them. Here’s more from The New Arab.

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Protecting Literary Freedom in Colorado

Almost a month after a group of residents tried to ban books from the public library, the town’s governing board passed a resolution preventing the local government from banning books. Here’s more from Colorado.

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Power Rangers to the Rescue!

Servers dressed as Power Rangers at a Thai restaurant came to the rescue of a woman being attacked. I hope you enjoy this positive energy in this video recounting the story.

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Good News Tuesday for April 19, 2022: Mobile Medics, Cancer Cell Research, Storing Solar Energy, and A Pup is Rescued from Ukraine Rubble

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Nurse from Alaska Leads Mobile Medics

Teresa Gray, a paramedic-turned-nurse from Alaska, created the nonprofit Mobile Medics International. She and several volunteers traveled to Romania last month where they provided care and comfort to hundreds of Ukrainian refugees. Read more about Teresa and the volunteers from CNN Heroes.

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Cancer Cells Killed by Fungus-Cannabinoid Extracts in Cell Research

In cell model experiments at Haifa University, a combination of specific fungus and cannabinoid extracts killed 100% of pancreatic cancer cells without damaging normal cells as reported by this article from the Good News Network.

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Long Term Storage of Solar Energy

Euronews reports: “In 2017, scientists at a Swedish university created an energy system that makes it possible to capture and store solar energy for up to 18 years…. Now the researchers have succeeded in getting the system to produce electricity by connecting it to a thermoelectric generator.” Here’s the story from euronews.green

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Pets Matter, too

Thank you to the all rescue workers, especially in Ukraine, for their hard work, including saving this man’s pup buried under rubble.

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SoCS: Bummers, Blessings, and All I Need to Know Right Now

Our prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “nose/noes/knows.” Use one, use ’em all, bonus points if you use all three. Have fun!

I don’t know if I can get to the fun part. There’s a saying or two about wisdom knows what it doesn’t know. The wise person knows they don’t know a lot.

I don’t know a lot about being a police officer. But I know we can do a lot better in training, screening, and being more compassionate in general. What’s got me going is trying to understand what happened in the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya by a police officer in Michigan earlier this month. I guess a lot of people are trying to understand. Why does this keep happening between Black men (and women) and police officers.

I know there are plenty of good police officers. I know at least one. But why did the police officer who stopped Patrick Lyoya, because his car had the wrong license plate, end up shooting him in the back of the head? The police officer was on top of Patrick who was face down. There was some kind of struggle for the police taser. But Patrick was face down with the officer on top of him. And the officer shot Patrick IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

I’ve been informed by one person on my FB post, that police “don’t shoot to wound,” and my officer friend commented, “we don’t shoot to kill.” They aim for the biggest body part – the torso. So why did Patrick get shot in the head?

Taking a deep breath. And another.

I’m writing this on Good Friday. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross so young? But he wasn’t really young, was he? He was trying to change the world. Trying to help people understand about love. And he did that.

Maybe we can keep on learning about love. Keep loving who we can. Support the good cops. Encourage those who are trying to do good. We can do the little bits of good where we are.

Tomorrow, I’m going to put cans of fruit cocktail, soup, and Chef Boyardee pasta in our church blessing box that David made and I painted with help from kids at church. We do what we can.

I’d like to add that the police officer I know is a blessing. I met her working on community murals. She’s been a cop for many years and does a lot of good.

When Jesus died on the cross, his friends thought things were as dark as they could be. They were filled with despair. But we can turn despair into hope that people will learn from mistakes. We can learn to love in small ways or in big ways. It’s not easy, but it is possible. That’s what I’m telling myself.

This song came to me this morning: “I Don’t Know Much, But I Know I Love You.” I like the sound and images even if the singing is slightly out of sync.

Wishing you blessings at Easter and always,

JoAnna of the Forest

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For more streams and rules for SoCS, visit out host, Linda Hill by clicking HERE. She knows!

Good News Tuesday for April 12, 2022: Resort to House Ukrainian Refugees, Bi-National Park on the US – Mexico Border, Adoption Letters for Shelter Dogs, and the First Black Woman on the US Supreme Court

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Canadian Couple Converts Resort into Ukrainian Refugee Housing

Owners of a nature resort in British Columbia were planning to create an event space and gallery, but renovations are on hold to prepare housing for 100 Ukrainian refugees.  The first 19 people are expected to arrive in about two weeks. Here’s more from The Good News Network.

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A Bi-national Park is Planned for the Border of US and Mexico

Instead of a huge concrete and steel wall, a bi-national river park is planned for the US – Mexico border. The sister cities of Laredo Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas will be working together to create an ecological restoration project along each side of the Rio Grande River. GoodGoodGood has the details HERE.

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Adoption Letters for Dogs, and one Cat

Second grade students wrote persuasive letters with drawings to help shelter dogs (and one cat) get adopted. I’m glad these kids are learning about adopting pets from shelters. Here’s more from Good Morning America.

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First Black Woman on the US Supreme Court

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed Thursday to become the first Black woman to serve on the US Supreme Court. The following video highlights the significance of the confirmation. It’s a very inspiring video except for the negative questioning by opponents from 5:30 to 7 minutes in case you want to skip over that part and focus on the good news.

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