Weekly News Recap: July 24, 2026

Weekly News Recap: July 24, 2026

Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Hannah Peters, Alex Pantling / FIFA via Getty Images

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. -- Bertrand Russell

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • St. Paul's scootering priest a hit with his Kamloops parishioners (Castanet Kamloops) KAMLOOPS STORY #VicarOnABicycle "Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman of St. Paul’s Cathedral can be seen most days zipping around town on his electric scooter, heading to appointments at the hospital, hospice and people’s homes."

  • ‘The pigeon came to them seeking help’: California firefighters give oxygen to suffering bird (The Guardian) #AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall "Heartwarming footage of California firefighters treating perhaps their smallest patient on record has captivated the internet. A crew in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Oakland spotted a pigeon 'in distress' earlier this week after a vehicle fire, and jumped into action to assist."

  • At 91, He’s Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Again. (New York Times) I want to be this guy. "On the first day of summer, just after dawn, Dale Sanders, 91, prepared to start the steep, rocky hike up to Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Mr. Sanders’s mantra might resonate with anyone in their tenth decade: 'It’s a ‘don’t fall’ day today,' he said, slinging a small backpack onto his compact, wiry frame. The roughly 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail runs from Georgia to Maine. Mr. Sanders had been chipping away at it since September, in a bid to reclaim his record as the oldest person to hike the full length. (His goal is to complete a thru-hike, by walking the entire trail in a 12-month period.)"

  • Going with the flow: Renewable energy battery breakthrough (BBC) More please. "A 3D-printed battery developed at Queen's University Belfast could 'make a genuine impact' on the road to net zero, say the researchers behind it. Flow batteries are seen as key to scaling up renewable energy, allowing it to be stored for when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. But they are expensive and typically use a metallic element - vanadium - that is only produced in a few places round the world. Now, scientists at QUB have developed one based on iron, which is much easier to source, and have sent it around the world to help standardise research. It is hoped it will accelerate the renewable energy revolution, making research more reliable and its findings more scalable."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. How Spain won the 2026 World Cup: Conquering Messi, an incredible defence and the ‘world’s best midfield’ (New York Times) Olé Olé España! "They might not boast the superstar attackers such as Brazil in 1970, they didn’t provide the legendary moments of Argentina in 1986, and they didn’t win the final as comfortably as France in 1998. But Spain’s World Cup-winning side of 2026 should be considered among the most convincing winners in the history of this competition. In eight games, they only conceded one goal, never trailed at any stage, and controlled matches in midfield without being negative or unambitious."

  2. The Odyssey is nearly 3,000 years old. But its message about seeking home resonates today (CBC) "The Odyssey may seem ancient, but its message endures across millennia: a reminder that many of us may end up far from home, relying on our wits, the goodwill of strangers and — perhaps — fate to bring us back."

  3. Calgary to open Canada’s first dementia-inclusive public park (Red FM) CALGARY STORY This is amazing. "Calgary is set to become home to Canada’s first public dementia-inclusive park, with the Martin Family Legacy Garden scheduled to open this fall in Southview Park in the Dover community. The park is designed to support people living with dementia, as well as their caregivers and families, while remaining accessible and welcoming to visitors of all ages. Features will include wide, colour-coded walking loops, wayfinding aids, sensory gardens, shaded seating areas, gazebos, bench swings and a multi-generational playground."

  4. Mark Hamill's Star Wars lightsaber sells for record-breaking price at auction (CBC) Gotta hand it to them :-) "Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, one of the most iconic pieces of film memorabilia, sold at auction for $3.75 million US (roughly $5.15 million Cdn), Heritage Auctions shared. The prop was constructed by Star Wars' makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, and includes the model-cast of actor Mark Hamill's hand that detached alongside it in the iconic scene. Initially listed at a starting bid of $1 million US ($1.42 million Cdn), the sale blew past expectations and set a record for screen-used Star Wars props, according to the Dallas auction house. "

  5. NHL player Jordan Eberle and family help fund outdoor learning space at southwest Calgary library (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY A wonderful gift. "The Sticks and Strings Foundation, founded by NHLer Jordan Eberle and his wife Lauren Rodych-Eberle, is funding a $700,000 outdoor early learning centre at the new southwest Belmont Library, which is set to open next year. The nearly 4,000-square-foot space will provide an area for children to learn through interactive outdoor play, and will be the third of its kind across the city. Of the Calgary Public Library’s 15 early learning centres, only two are outdoor spaces."

  6. Canmore workers turn to van living as affordable housing remains hard to find (CBC) CANMORE STORY "Betsalel Mergui moved into his van a few weeks ago after losing his apartment in Canmore, Alta. He didn't even bother looking for a new place, he said, because after living in the Bow Valley for three years, he knew what he would find. 'The rent here — some people pay $1,000 just to share a room with somebody in a shared house with 10 other housemates,' he said."

  7. Should Churches Really Be Exempt from Tax? Why I Changed My Mind (Backyard Theology) "The surprising arguments for — and against — one of the most controversial financial exemptions in modern society."

  8. The Music Mile (Pressreader) CALGARY STORY "Ingle­wood is Cal­gary’s old­est neigh­bour­hood, estab­lished in 1875. Its streets are peppered with Edwar­d­ian and late-vic­torian masonry, sand­stone detail­ing and red brick­work that has stood the test of time amid Cal­gary’s urban sprawl. Today, this sec­tion of the city is alive with micro­brew­er­ies, art gal­ler­ies, long-stand­ing local res­taur­ants and an array of eclectic small busi­nesses. It’s also the begin­ning (or end, depend­ing which dir­ec­tion you go) of Cal­gary’s Music Mile, which includes more than 20 live con­cert ven­ues."

  9. U of A, Edmonton Public Library set to pen new chapter in century-old alliance (UAlberta) EDMONTON STORY Nice partnership. "Two venerable Edmonton institutions, almost as old as the city they serve, are deepening their century-old alliance with a five-year memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting community learning and research innovation. In a signing ceremony held at the Stanley A. Milner Library, Pilar Martinez, CEO of the Edmonton Public Library (EPL), and Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta, formalized a framework between their respective institutions designed to expand experiential learning for students, ignite joint research, and bring university expertise more directly into public spaces. This new chapter in an ongoing tale of city building will scale up joint efforts to better blend services. This includes the popular 'L-Pass' system, which grants U of A students and staff seamless access to the library's vast public collections."

  10. These 3 charts show where Trump's new tariffs could have the biggest impact (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff gambit is the most sweeping trade threat Canada has faced to date. With an unprecedented 50 per cent duty set to hit a wide swath of Canadian-made goods on Aug. 19, the clock is ticking for businesses across the country. These three charts break down which sectors are in the crosshairs, which provinces will be the hardest hit and how the tariffs will be felt on both sides of the border."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. A Step-by-Step Guide for Developing Your Personal Agentic System. (Data Science Collective) I have been wanting to do this for a while. This is a good start.

  2. 7 Quotes That Could Lead To An Existential Crisis (Illumination) Not the most cheery quotes...but good all the same.

  3. VIDEO: Ten Things (Almost) Nobody Knows about Supertankers (Teatime History) Crazy cool.

  4. A Tribute to the Mathematically Marvelous Soccer Ball (New York Times) As we close out this edition of the World Cup, a wee tribute to that little ball.

  5. Scientists Finally Found the Universe’s Missing ‘Ordinary’ Matter (Gizmodo) Whew! Glad we found it.

  6. VIDEO: The Truth Is Out There, We Need This ‘X-Files’ Lego Set (Gizmodo) The video with Gillian Anderson is one of the best parts of this story.

  7. VIDEO: Firefighting drones in the works as wildfires plague US nearly year-round (Ars Technica) Is there anything drones can't do?

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Anthropic is donating another $20 million to Public First Action (Anthropic) "We're contributing an additional $20 million to Public First Action, bringing our total support to $40 million. Public First Action is a nonpartisan organization that educates the public about AI and works with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who are serious about putting sensible AI safeguards in place."

  2. VIDEO: Cleveland Clinic receives $25 million donation from Haslam family to support continued growth and impact (WKYC) "The Cleveland Browns owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, have invested $25 million in Cleveland Clinic to support continued growth and impact."

  3. $2 Million Donation Supports Sanctuary Centers Expansion (CBS) "A major donation is helping expand access to mental health and substance use treatment in Santa Barbara County. Sanctuary Centers has received a $2 million gift to support construction of its new facility, one of the largest donations in the organization’s history. Leaders and the donor will highlight how the funding will help create additional space for treatment programs and allow the non-profit to serve more people in need. The expansion is designed to strengthen access to behavioral health services while meeting the growing demand for care across the community."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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