Happy News Friday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Wrapping up the week with a global selection of good news nuggets.
Dog Surfing Champ
This intrepid pit bull was one of the dozens of pups riding the waves in Del Mar, California, for the 20th annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon - the longest-running dog surfing competition. The event not only delivers unbelievably adorable footage of dogs on surfboards, but also raises funds for the nearby Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Coral Hotspot
Another important victory for marine conservation has been achieved in the Philippines, where a new law establishes a protected area off Panaon Island, covering approximately 151,000 acres and home to some of the world's most climate-resilient coral reefs. This action, championed by local communities over many years, not only safeguards endangered species but also supports the livelihoods of local fisherfolk. It also brings the Philippines closer to its international conservation goals. The country is a signatory of the global 30×30 pledge, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030.
'What Are The Odds?
Just weeks after losing his home in a devastating fire, Daniel Drouin has found himself holding the winning ticket to a brand-new cottage. “It’s life-changing really,” Drouin told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “It’s just such a weird coincidence that … I get picked out of that many people. And then all the circumstances that’s happened with me and my family in the last month, and then you go and win the house. You know, it’s, what are the odds?” He had purchased the $50 raffle ticket before the house fire. When he got the call telling him he had won a new home, Drouin didn’t believe it. “I thought it might have been a prank call… but it wasn’t,” he recalled. “After he gave me all the details, he called me back just to make sure I understood it was not a prank.”
Ask Ralph
Ralph Lauren is rolling out an in-app AI chatbot, dubbed 'Ask Ralph', designed to be a personalized shopper and stylist for customers. As chatbots take over the internet, retail is set to enter a new era and Ralph Lauren’s chatbot may be a canary in a coal mine for the entire industry - a transition that Microsoft VP Shelley Bransten calls a move from “scroll-based” shopping to “goal-based” shopping. Ask Ralph is now available for iOS and Android devices in the US.
New Ireland Policy
This week brought another small but symbolic step forward in Ireland: free public transport for all children under nine as part of the country’s broader effort to reduce costs for families and cut emissions by getting more people onto buses and trains, says the Irish Times.
River Recovery
Following the Seine in Paris, the Chicago River is now biodynamic and swimmable once again. Even though it turns green every year to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, that was about the only thing ‘green’ about the Chicago River for a very long time. But following the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act, things began to change, reports Inside Climate News. It’s now about to welcome swimmers back into its course for the first time in over a hundred years, and many different people, activities, and initiatives have gone into reaching this historic moment.
Alzheimer's Test
More than 1,000 people across the UK with suspected dementia are to be offered a blood test for Alzheimer's disease which it is hoped could revolutionise diagnosis of the disease. The blood test can detect biomarkers for rogue proteins which accumulate in the brains of patients with the condition and will be used in addition to pen and paper cognitive tests, which often misdiagnose it in its early stages. Scientists leading the trial at University College London believe the blood test will improve the accuracy of diagnosis from 70 percent to more than 90 percent and want to see how that helps patients and clinicians. If the trial is deemed successful, the blood test could become a standard part of Alzheimer's diagnosis. This will be crucial in years to come as a raft of new drugs to combat early-stage disease are in the final stages of clinical trials.
“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” Elvis Presley
On This Day
12 September 1953: U.S. senator and future president John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island.
Today's Articles
Mood Boosting Video
Glorious Africa: A passion project from a man who quit his corporate job and created this fabulous short film.