Weekly News Recap: May 13, 2022

Weekly News Recap: May 13, 2022

In this image published April 19, 2022, a Ukrainian bomb sniffing dog, Patron, is seen standing on top of a shell in Ukraine. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. -- Heraclitus

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Ukraine's mine sniffing dog Patron receives state honour from President Zelensky | WION English News (YouTube) #Hero "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has honored a little dog named Patron. The country’s little fighter has helped sniff out Russian mines and explosives in the northeastern city of Chernihiv and acts as a mascot of the country’s State Emergency Service."

  • Extreme Pogo Stick Riding (kottke.org) These are amazing. And beyond this, they are mesmerizing (and meditative) to watch.

  • 'She's my guardian angel': DoorDasher saves Massachusetts woman's life while delivering pizza (CNN) #AnotherHero "According to Officer Jillian Jodoin of the Fairhaven Police Department, Furtado spoke with the dispatcher while rendering aid. 'At that moment Sophia became a part of our team to aid Caryn.' Jodoin told CNN, 'I asked her if it was possible for her to keep stabilizing Caryn's neck to keep her spine safe, her answer was, "I'm not going anywhere."'

  • Karine Jean-Pierre to become White House press secretary, the first Black and out LGBTQ person in the role (CNN) And she speaks French. #Progress and #Congrats "Karine Jean-Pierre will become the new White House press secretary when Jen Psaki departs her role next week, President Joe Biden announced in a statement Thursday, becoming the first Black and out LGBTQ person to hold the position. Jean-Pierre currently serves as the White House's principal deputy press secretary."

  • Anonymous donor pays off student debt for Texas college graduates (CBC) #Wow What a gift! "Students graduating from a historically Black college in East Texas were told at their commencement ceremony that an anonymous donor had paid their balances, officials said. Wiley College said in a news release that over 100 students were gathered for graduation Saturday when the school's president made the announcement. [...] The college said in the news release that the estimated total for the balances owed to the college by the graduating class of 2022 was about $300,000 US."

  • 'I still can't believe it': Young Yankees fan who got home-run ball in Toronto speaks on his incredible week (CBC) TORONTO STORY It always pays to do the right thing. "It has been an incredible week so far for nine-year-old Yankees fan Derek Rodriguez: he watched his favourite baseball player, Aaron Judge, hit a home run; a Blue Jays fan snagged the ball and gave it to Derek; and then Judge signed the ball in person. 'I still can't believe it,' said Derek on Tuesday night, just after meeting Judge and shedding a few tears of joy. 'It's so amazing.'"

  • This 96-year-old has been singing to hospital patients for 30 years (CBC) TORONTO STORY #AndOurThirdHero "If you've seen a 96-year-old man lugging a guitar or belting out a tune in Toronto hospitals, it was probably George Linton. For the past three decades, the former journalist from Toronto has been volunteering his time to sing to patients and hospital staff in need of a pick-me-up. Last month, the Governor General awarded him the Sovereigns' Medal for Volunteers to recognize his work."

  • 80-1 shot Rich Strike races to stunning upset win in Kentucky Derby (CBC) This is the craziest horse race I have ever seen. Well done Rich Strike and Sonny Leon. "Anyone anticipating a return to normalcy in the Kentucky Derby got a dose of crazy Saturday when an 80-1 shot came charging up the rail to win at Churchill Downs. With favourite Epicenter and Zandon engaged in a duel at the front, Rich Strike stole the show with the second-biggest upset in the Derby's 148-year history. The chestnut colt beat 4-1 favourite Epicenter by three-quarters of a length. Zandon finished another three-quarters of a length back in third." RELATED: Overhead view shows how Rich Strike pulled off the impossible at 2022 Kentucky Derby.

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. 4 reasons why SAIT has the best hospitality school in Canada (SAIT) CALGARY STORY I could not agree more. Congrats to all. "Expert instructors, valuable industry partnerships and access to the latest industry tech tools makes an education with SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism a cut above the rest."

  2. Pediatric cardiologist and public health changemaker Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai to receive honorary degree (Ulethbridge) ALBERTA STORY Congrats to all and especially to Dr. Collins-Nakai. "An influential medical doctor who has significantly enhanced the health and well-being of Canadian society, Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai is the second of four distinguished individuals who will be awarded an honorary degree by the University of Lethbridge at its Spring 2022 Convocation."

  3. Centre Pompidou Halts $619,000 Donation From Russian Oligarch Vladimir Potanin—Who Already Gave the Museum $1.4 Million (artnet) "The Centre Pompidou in Paris is suspending a gift to the museum made by Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs, in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. The decision comes two months after Potanin resigned from the board of the Guggenheim Museum in New York."

  4. Jenny Belzberg Theatre opens in Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Calgary Herald) BANFF STORY Well done all and thank you to the Belzberg family. "The revitalization project was completed in October 2020, a year after it began and 10 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. The Banff Centre held some limited capacity events there but delayed an official celebration until it could safely fill the venue. Both the grand opening concert on Saturday and the Sunday free community show were at capacity."

  5. Scotiabank no longer a member of oil and gas lobby group CAPP (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Scotiabank has chosen not to renew its long-running membership in the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, a move that comes at a time when financial institutions are facing growing scrutiny for their role in contributing to climate change. The Toronto-based bank — which in an email confirmed its exit from CAPP but declined to provide a reason for the change — not only held an associate membership in the oil and gas lobby group, but for many years was also the title sponsor of the annual Scotiabank CAPP Energy Symposium."

  6. Andy Warhol portrait of Marilyn Monroe sells for $195M US (CBC) #Boom "Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold for a cool $195 million US on Monday, making the iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe the most expensive work by a U.S. artist ever sold at auction. The 1964 silkscreen image shows Monroe in vibrant close-up — hair yellow, eyeshadow blue and lips red — on a rich blue background. It's also the most expensive piece from the 20th century ever auctioned, according to Christie's auction house in New York, where the sale took place. The Warhol sale unseated the previous record holder and another modern master, Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose 1982 painting Untitled of a skull-like face sold for a record $110.5 million at Sotheby's in 2017."

  7. Neo Financial becomes Calgary's latest $1 billion tech 'unicorn' (CBC) CALGARY STORY Well done Neo Financial! "Calgary's tech community can boast another 'unicorn' with fintech company Neo Financial's close of a funding round that values the startup at more than $1 billion. Neo Financial — which was founded in 2019 by Andrew Chau and Jeff Adamson, co-founders of food delivery app Skip the Dishes, as well as Kris Read — announced Thursday that it has raised $185 million in a series C fundraising round featuring New York-based Valar Ventures as Neo's lead investor."

  8. Steak, service and satisfying sips: How Caesar's Steak House continues to prosper 50 years later (CBC) CALGARY STORY Been there a few times. Every time, a magical moment. It's like going back in time. Congrats to Caesar's. "It's a restaurant interior you don't expect to see in 2022: red and gold carpets, wood-panelled walls, immaculate chandeliers and Grecian-style pillars. But it's an esthetic Caesar's Steak House has stood by for the past 50 years. Even its open flame grill — on display in the centre of the main dining room — looks like a gold-plated chalice."

  9. Federal government chips in $40M for Glenbow renovation (CBC) CALGARY STORY
    Boom. And thanks. "The federal minister of infrastructure confirmed on Thursday that the Trudeau government will contribute $40 million for the renovation of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Work on the project is already underway and the Glenbow's main building closed last year. It will reopen in 2024. Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the money will help ensure the renovated Glenbow remains one of the premier cultural institutions in Alberta and that it will be greener."

  10. Charity celebrates recovery of truck full of adaptive bikes for kids with disabilities (CBC) CALGARY STORY #Whew "A Calgary charity was breathing a sigh of relief Friday afternoon after a truck full of adaptive bikes for children with disabilities was successfully recovered. A day earlier, Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families was left scrambling after the truck and bikes were taken from the Great West Kenworth dealership in southeast Calgary. The five-tonne truck had about 25 adaptive bikes inside. The vehicle's disappearance was particularly worrying as the charity, which offers programs and resources for families living with disabilities, is hosting a bike clinic at the dealership next week."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Only 4 YouTube Channels You Need To Build Muscle and Be Insanely Fit Anywhere (Better Humans) Bodyweight training is the bomb. I highly recommend it.

  2. The Psychology of Pricing (The Startup) Pricing is such an art. This article helps us 'get behind the curtain'.

  3. 10 Powerful Quotes From the Ancient World That Are Full of Sheer Wisdom (Raisul Islam) Ah, I am sucker for good quotes. And these are.

  4. 5 Stoic Habits To Spend Less Time On Your Phone (Personal Growth) Seems a bit weird: the stoics and phones. But, it does track. My favourite: progress over perfection.

  5. Slow Down Your Biological Age by Altering One Thing Daily (In Fitness and In Health) Move people. MOVE!

  6. 10 Incredibly Successful People & the 10 Books That Changed Their Lives (Books Are Our Superpower) When a booklist starts with "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin, you know the list is going to be great. And, it is.

  7. The Real Reason Your Fundraising Pitch Sucks (The Startup) This is an article about getting investor capital. One of the key items here is return on investment. Imagine, though the philanthropy lens, that you are asking a donor and their calculus is using the same multiple as the investor is expecting, is your philanthropic capable of delivering on a 10X social impact multiple?

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Scotiabank and YMCA announce $2.15 million partnership to help increase school graduation among vulnerable youth (Newswire) TORONTO STORY Well done Scotiabank. "Scotiabank today announced a community investment of $2.15 million to the YMCA Alternative Suspension (AS) program, an initiative founded on the principle that traditional suspensions from school are missed opportunities for students, their families, their school, and their community. The program acts as a catalyst for positive behavioural change helping students improve their school experience, stay in school, and graduate high school."

  2. Houston Grande Dame Gives a Record $10 Million to Houston Ballet — Inside Margaret Alkek Williams’ Monumental Legacy Donation (Paper City Magazine) "The reveal of Margaret Alkek Williams’ unprecedented $10 million legacy gift to Houston Ballet Monday evening saw one of the most beautiful soirées in recent memory, a flower-decked celebration befitting the philanthropist’s gentility and generosity."

  3. $25M donation to help establish College of Dentistry (Manisteen News) Nice anonymous gift! "An anonymous donor gave a $25 million gift to the University of Pikeville, school officials said. University of Pikeville President Burton Webb said the gift will help establish a College of Dentistry and expand access to health services in Appalachia."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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