Dec 28, 2022
Updated: Jan 14, 2023
Bite sized chunks of good news to help maintain an upbeat holiday mood.
Chef Responder
Whether wildfires in Australia or Covid-19, Chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen mobilize as immediately as any other first responder in the face of a crisis. For example, within 24 hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Andrés and the WCK team had pots and pans on the ground in Ukraine, serving free hot meals to refugees. Since then, WCK - including hundreds of restaurants and thousands of chefs - has served over 150 million meals all over the country to anyone in need.
Morocco Team
One of the great achievements at the World Cup was Morocco's extraordinary success in becoming the first African country to reach the semi-finals. By finishing in fourth place, Morocco earned $22m from the tournament's prize money. And to top everything off, the playing body of the Morocco national team have now pledged to donate their entire World Cup earnings to charity.
SWOT
Bringing a whole new meaning to SWOT analysis, US-French satellite has launched into space and is expected to transform our view of water on Earth. The SWOT mission will map the precise height of rivers, reservoirs and lakes, and track ocean surface features at unprecedented scales. It should improve flood and drought forecasts, and help researchers better understand how the climate is changing.
Christmas Cheer
Rapper Meek Mill spread the holiday spirit by helping women who were incarcerated make it back to their families for the holidays. Mill, a Philadelphia native, paid the bail of 20 women incarcerated at Riverside Correctional Facility in Philadelphia. Each woman also received a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays. "No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can't afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it," Mill said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year."
Monarch Milestone
King Charles's Christmas broadcast was the most watched Christmas TV address by a monarch on record, as the BBC claimed a festive viewing victory over streaming rivals such as Netflix. A record 10.6 million viewers watched Charles's broadcast, making it the most watched program on Christmas Day. It is also the most popular Christmas Day broadcast by a monarch in the two decades that official TV ratings records monitoring audience levels have been kept.
Making a Point
Oregon State University archaeologists have uncovered projectile points in Idaho that are thousands of years older than any previously found in the Americas, helping to fill in the history of how early humans crafted and used stone weapons. The 13 full and fragmentary projectile points, razor sharp and ranging from about half an inch to 2 inches long, are from roughly 15,700 years ago, according to carbon-14 dating. That’s about 3,000 years older than the Clovis fluted points found throughout North America, and 2,300 years older than the points previously found at the same Cooper’s Ferry site along the Salmon River in present-day Idaho. The points are revelatory not just in their age, but in their similarity to projectile points found in Hokkaido, Japan, dating to 16,000-20,000 years ago, Davis said. Their presence in Idaho adds more detail to the hypothesis that there are early genetic and cultural connections between the ice age peoples of Northeast Asia and North America.
“A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” Nelson Mandela
On this Day
28 December 1065: The original Westminster Abbey, located in London, was consecrated and opened this day by Edward the Confessor and became the site of coronations and other ceremonies of national significance in England.
Mood Booster
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - North Korean Edition.