Sometimes the news can be, well, not so inspiring. When headlines get you down, it’s important to remember that positive things are still happening all around us. Here are five hopeful and encouraging stories to pay attention to this week:
Ringo and Paul Come Together
For the first time in half a century, the two remaining Beatles played onstage at Dodger Stadium together. During Paul McCartney’s concert at the venue, he surprised the lucky audience by bringing out the one and only Ringo Starr. McCartney greeted him with a kiss on the head and an “I love you, man” before Starr found his home behind the drum set. The two brought the crowd back in time with performances of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “Helter Skelter” from The White Album, much to the sold out crowd’s delight. You can’t buy love, and we bet you can’t buy an experience like that again anytime soon! Read more.
California Gives (Electric) Power to the People
If you thought the Magic School Bus was cool, wait until you hear this! The California Energy Commission has approved of $70 million worth of funding for new, electric school buses. While the cost may seem high, the commission estimates that “schools will save nearly $120,000 in fuel and maintenance costs per bus over 20 years.” The energy commission says that the school districts can expect “more than” 200 buses to be brought in. In a time where we all need to be a little more green, these buses are predicted to eliminate thousands of pounds of nitrogen oxides and other emissions annually. Now, to the bus! Read more.
Girl Scouts Adds 42 New Badges
The Girl Scouts have added 42 new badges and programs to help bring girls more opportunities to try a wide variety of subjects and experiences. The new additions include 12 outdoor high adventure badges and 18 coding for good badges that encourage the young members to take an interest in STEM subjects. According to GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo, the organization wants girls to be able to try out everything that might interest them and hope that the girls will be able to decide for themselves what they want to pursue. These new programs are just another step in the right direction for the future generation of women! Read more.
Native Women Running for Change
At age 43, Sarah Agaton Howes created KwePack, a running group for Native American women in the area around the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. After health issues and the loss of her daughter, Howes found that running half marathons improved both her physical and mental health. She wanted to encourage other Native women dealing with personal challenges to follow her lead. Now she and nine other women run once a week. At events, even more join the group, with 125 people going to an event devoted to the missing women in their communities for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. The Kwepack also holds fundraisers for women to buy running shoes and attire. Read more.
‘One Small Step’: Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit Back on Display
Fifty years after the launch of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong’s restored spacesuit is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Museum Director Ellen Stofan explained that “these spacesuits were designed to endure the punishment of a lunar walk, they weren’t designed to last half a century on display.” Conserving the suit was a long process, and now curators are working hard to ensure that the suit can be preserved and on view well into the future. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine commented on Amstrong’s importance, stating that his “name is synonymous with undaunted courage, the American spirit of exploration, and the evidence that humanity’s potential is limitless.” Read more.