OGN Friday
- Editor OGN Daily
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Rounding off the week with a global collection of positive news nuggets.
Whoopi's New Venture
Whoopi Goldberg is making her mark on the sports world by putting a spotlight on women athletes. She has had a longtime passion for sports, which she credits to her brother. "He took me everywhere. When I got famous, I took him everywhere," Goldberg said. "I wanted to do all the things he did. He played softball. He played baseball. He played basketball … and I wanted to do it, and there was no place for us." So Goldberg co-founded the All Women's Sports Network, the first-ever global sports network exclusively dedicated to female sports. The network features sports like table tennis, cricket, field hockey, basketball and soccer. But it took time to create. Goldberg said she's been working on this network for 15 years. Goldberg hopes to engage women in each corner of the world.
Sports Bras
Is 2025 the year of women’s sports bars? At the start of this year, there were six watering holes in the U.S. dedicated to playing women’s sports on the TVs - but that number is expected to quadruple within the coming months. The boom aligns with the recent uptick in interest in women’s college and professional sports, and many of the new bar owners cite Portland, Oregon’s Sports Bra (not a typo) as an inspiration.
"Ghost Elephant"
It’s not every day a ghost is caught on camera, and this one has a trunk, tusk, and large ears. An elusive elephant dubbed a “ghost elephant” was spotted by a camera trap in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park. The animal is a critically endangered African forest elephant, so this sighting is energizing conservationists about saving the species. The rare footage, captured by the wild cat conservation organization Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate, shows a glimpse of the elephant during an evening stroll. He pauses in the camera’s direction before carrying on walking in the moonlight, not realizing he’s providing the first images of his species in the park in five years.
Bare Bike Riders
Cyclists in the London edition of the World Naked Bike Ride bare all as they pedal along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace. The annual nude ride combines a protest against car culture with a celebration of body positivity. There was no mention whether or not the curtains were twitching inside the royal residence.
Honorary Oscars
Tom Cruise (now the holder of two Guinness World Records) and Dolly Parton will be among this year’s recipients of honorary Oscars. The pair join choreographer, actor and director Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas, all scheduled to receive special Oscars at this year’s governors awards in November. Academy president, Janet Yang, called them “four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our film-making community continue to leave a lasting impact” in a statement. The honorary Oscars are given “to honour extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy”.
Earth’s Surface
A new satellite that can detect changes on Earth’s surface down to the centimetre is set to launch imminently from India. Weighing almost three tonnes, the US$1.5 billion NISAR satellite will track the ground under our feet and the water that flows through it, providing valuable information for farmers, climate scientists and natural disaster response teams.
End of Epidemic?
US health officials approve twice-a-year preventive HIV shot after clinical trials showed a reduction of at least 96 percent in new infections; researchers say it may bring a long-sought end to the AIDS epidemic.
"Some of the best memories are made in flip-flops." Kellie Elmore
On This Day
20 June 1903: American automobile-racing driver Barney Oldfield accomplished the first mile-a-minute performance in a car, at Indianapolis, Indiana. Picture shows Henry Ford standing beside his 999 racing car, with Barney Oldfield at the tiller.
Today's Articles
Era-Defining Documents: Slavery-ending documents signed by Lincoln going under the hammer next week. Could go for $18 million.
Vast New Ocean Reserve: World’s first Indigenous-led ocean reserve is a whopping two million square miles.
Health Benefits of Ginger: For centuries, people have proclaimed ginger's healing properties. But what do scientists of recent times think?
Mood Boosting Video
This funny John West salmon commercial became an award winner and a viral hit 25 years ago.
