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How a Community Saved a Beloved Local Sporting Hub
The National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Sydney's Redfern was facing closure after 16 years of operation, but a community rally and sit-in averted the immediate shutdown. Federal ministers Linda Burney and Tanya Plibersek heard the voice of the people and committed to keeping the centre open. The NCIE provides crucial after school care, job-ready programs, health and cultural classes, as well as learn to swim programs for toddlers through to elders. It is a community hub and cultural safe space for the local Indigenous community.
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Retired and Feeling Low, He Started Giving Away Soup — and Ended Up Feeding Thousands
In the winter of 2023, Chris Hyde was feeling what he calls “borderline depressed.” Retired and spending long days alone in his Olympia, Washington home, the cold and gray Pacific Northwest skies only made things worse. Then, one day, he had what he describes as an epiphany — not a fleeting idea, but a full-body sensation that stopped him in his tracks. “Giving soup away for free to your community is going to really do something,” he recalled thinking. So he started cooking. From a Pot of Soup to a Movement That moment of inspiration turned into Souper Sunday, a grassroots food-sharing initiative that has grown into a network of community-run meal groups across three states. The concept is simple: make soup, give it away. Hyde began by preparing 25 to 35 portions of soup every day, five days a week. He’d then post in a Facebook group, letting his neighbors know what was available. People responded to claim a portion and arranged pick-up directly with him. No sign-up forms. No income verification. No judgment. Today, that original Facebook group has nearly 6,000 members. And Souper Sunday has expanded to include 11 similar groups across Washington, California, and Montana — all volunteer-powered, all focused on the same principle: free meals, for anyone, no questions asked. “The Sacred Circle of Giving and Receiving” “We believe in ‘the sacred circle of giving and receiving,’ in which accepting a meal is as important as making a meal,” Hyde explains in the group’s mission. “Neighbor helping neighbor.” It’s this inclusive approach that sets Souper Sunday apart. Meals aren’t just for those in dire straits. They’re for the overworked parent, the college student, the artist, the underpaid employee — anyone who could use the gift of a hot, nourishing meal. “There are countless situations where community members can benefit from a free meal,” Hyde writes. “Not everyone who struggles qualifies for assistance.” That last point stuck with him — and inspired him to launch a second nonprofit: The Food Source Foundation. Filling the Gaps Where Government Can’t According to local data, 44% of food-insecure households in Thurston County, where Hyde lives, make too much to qualify for federal SNAP benefits but still can’t afford their grocery bills. The Food Source Foundation was created to help fill that gap. “As the group developed, I began to see a need above and beyond soup,” Hyde wrote. “I was surprised at how many of the people coming to me for food support were fully employed. They’ve been priced out of their basic needs by high rent, a car payment, insurance, and basic bills.” The nonprofit now distributes free groceries throughout Olympia and surrounding areas — no application, no paperwork, just food for people who need it. “At The Food Source Foundation, we believe that access to nourishing food is a basic human right — not a privilege,” Hyde says. There’s only one rule: “As long as you’re, you know, a fairly nice person,” you’re welcome. Soup as a Form of Connection More than just a meal, Souper Sunday has become a way to connect people who might otherwise remain strangers. The act of sharing food, Hyde says, “transcends the powers that work to divide us.” What started as a coping mechanism for one man’s difficult winter has become a lifeline for thousands. And in a world that often divides and disconnects, soup — and the generosity behind it — has turned out to be a surprisingly powerful force. Those who want to support the movement can donate to Souper Sunday or The Food Source Foundation, or even start a group of their own. As Hyde puts it, “The soup may be free, but the connection is priceless.”
Score (97)
Couple Finds Precious Wedding Keepsakes in Rubble After Devastating Fire Tore Through Their Home: 'Miraculous'
In the middle of devastation, a Missouri couple has found a glimmer of hope — their wedding rings and photo albums, miraculously intact among the ashes. Danielle and her husband, residents of Herculaneum, were forced to flee their home in the early hours of November 12 when a fire broke out in their garage. Danielle said she woke up to the smell of smoke and, upon opening the garage door, quickly grabbed her two young children and evacuated before calling 911. The fire spread fast. Flames engulfed not only their house but also their neighbor’s. Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to contain the blaze within an hour. All residents were safely evacuated without injury, but the fire claimed the lives of three of the family’s cats. Two others remain missing. “It’s really been miraculous what things have survived,” Danielle told First Alert 4, standing in the charred remains of their home. “Because when you look at this, it looks like nothing. It looks like there would be absolutely nothing.” Among the soot and ash, the couple recovered their wedding rings and photo albums — small treasures that have taken on enormous emotional weight after the loss of their home. “We were lucky,” Danielle said. The fire’s cause is still under investigation, according to Herculaneum Fire Chief Kevin Baker, who praised the swift response from firefighters and local police, including their quick action in helping nearby residents. But in the days following the fire, the family faced another cruel blow. Danielle said looters had attempted to steal items left in the rubble. “If it wasn’t bad enough, we’ve got people trying to take what little we have left,” she said. “It’s just putting salt in wounds.” Despite the heartbreak, the couple is holding onto the keepsakes that made it through the fire — and the fact that their children made it out safely. “We lost so much,” Danielle said. “But we’re here. And we’ve still got each other.”
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Score (97)
Ronnie Wood Marks 50 Years With the Rolling Stones by Painting the Band That Made Him a Legend
**Ronnie Wood Marks 50 Years With the Rolling Stones by Painting the Band That Made Him a Legend** Five decades ago, Ronnie Wood officially joined the Rolling Stones. This year, he’s marking that milestone not with a guitar riff, but with a brushstroke. To celebrate his 50th anniversary with the band, Wood has released a new set of artworks titled *Paint It Black*, now on view at Redhouse Gallery in Harrogate, U.K. Each piece captures his iconic bandmates in bold, expressive portraits — Mick Jagger in full swagger, Keith Richards caught mid-balance with his guitar, and Wood himself leaning toward an unseen audience. Charlie Watts is there too, frozen in motion with a drumstick in hand. The images are high-energy, rendered in a loose, almost improvisational style against black backdrops. It’s a fitting visual metaphor for the music that’s defined Wood’s life for half a century. Signed and personalized prints of the series are available in limited editions of 100, each priced at £1,250 (about $1,630). In a statement, Wood described how his art echoes his music: “I apply musical theory to my art. I build limited editions in much the same way as studio overdubs; the more defined ones are things that stand out in the mix.” The release coincides with the reissue of *Black and Blue* (1976), the first Stones album on which Wood played as an official member. At the time, he was in competition for the job after Mick Taylor’s departure in 1974. What clinched it, Wood says, was “the ancient art of weaving,” referring to the famously seamless interplay between his and Keith Richards’s guitars. That, and, as he put it, his “musical versatility and bonhomie.” Wood’s creative career, though, didn’t begin with music. He’s been painting since childhood — longer than he’s played guitar — and attended Ealing Art College before fully diving into the rock world. Raised in a West London home where music and design coexisted, he was immersed in the arts from an early age. His website hosts works dating back to the 1970s, covering everything from trees and racehorses to nudes, guitars, flowers, and celebrity portraits, including Robert De Niro. Wood’s range doesn’t stop at the canvas. He’s also worked in bronze, sculpting torsos, horses, and even a rhinoceros. In 2020, a major show of his paintings and sculptures in Hertfordshire raised funds for the U.K.’s National Health Service. Not all critics have been kind. When Wood reimagined Picasso’s *Guernica* with the Stones at its center, *The Guardian*’s Jonathan Jones called it a mix of fascination and horror. “The Rolling Stones are the sexiest and most demonic rock band in history,” Jones wrote. “And Ronnie Wood seems as entranced and appalled by their devilish antics as any bystander.” Still, Wood has never shied away from putting his band on canvas. For the man who helped write the wistful lyrics to *Ooh La La* at 26 — “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger” — 50 years of perspective seems to have only deepened his need to document. Now 76, Wood continues to balance his dual roles as rock star and visual artist, still finding new ways to express the legacy he helped shape — this time, with paint instead of sound.
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‘I Brought in a Dead Child’: Long Island Mom Reunites With Medical Team That Saved Her Son’s Life
Jack Carlin looks like any other 4-year-old boy — full of energy and obsessed with monster trucks. But just over a year ago, his life nearly ended in the back seat of his mother’s car. In July 2024, what began as a routine trip to the hospital turned into a nightmare when Jack suddenly stopped breathing on the way to Huntington Hospital in Suffolk County. By the time he arrived, his lips were turning blue. He had no pulse. “I brought in a dead child,” said his mother, Maria Carlin. “And they brought him back to life.” Maria, a nurse, had recognized the signs of what she thought was croup, something she'd seen before. But during the 10-minute drive from their home in Lloyd Harbor, Jack’s condition rapidly worsened. At the halfway point, he went limp. “None of my choices at the time were ideal,” she said, her voice breaking. “They were terrible, but I had to decide.” On a dark road, with no good options, she chose to keep driving. “It was horrible making this decision,” she said, recalling the terrifying ride. When she pulled up to the hospital, ER doctor Jennifer Gibb and her team were waiting. Within minutes, they had revived Jack. “This is exactly why I do what I do,” said Gibb. But even for experienced staff, the moment hit hard. “The mom started cheering him on, saying, ‘C’mon Jack,’ and then it hit me — that human emotion,” Gibb said. “I got choked up because my own son’s name is Jack.” Jack was quickly transferred to Cohen Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered the cause of his cardiac arrest: a rare and serious separation between his trachea and esophagus. He underwent surgery, made a full recovery, and went back to being a kid — racing trucks and asking big questions. One of those questions is something his mother says she’ll never forget. “He turned to me and he said, ‘Mommy, why didn’t you want me to go to heaven?’” Now healthy, Jack returned to Huntington Hospital on Wednesday to say thank you to the team that saved him. “Thank you so much,” he said shyly, prompting smiles and applause from the room. His father remembers the first thing Jack said after waking up in the hospital. “He just looked up at me and was just like, ‘Dad, can I have a hug?’” he said. “It was like he never missed a beat.” For the Carlins, the reunion was a celebration — but also a powerful reminder of just how close they came to losing their son. And for the medical team, it was a rare chance to witness the impact of what they do. Jack is now back to being a regular kid with a second chance — and a monster truck collection to prove it.
Score (97)
A Single Particle, a Tiny Spark: Could This Be the Key to Understanding Lightning?
For all we know about galaxies billions of light-years away, one of nature’s most dramatic displays — lightning — remains a mystery much closer to home. Now, a curious accident in an Austrian lab might have nudged science a step closer to solving it. When physicist Andrea Stöllner at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria set out to study how light-based tweezers charge tiny particles, she didn’t expect her work to touch on the origins of lightning. But when things didn’t go quite as planned, she stumbled into something bigger: an ultra-precise method to study how particles charge and discharge — possibly mimicking what happens in the early stages of a lightning strike. One of Science’s Big Unsolved Puzzles Despite decades of research and millions of lightning bolts striking Earth every day, scientists still don’t fully understand how lightning begins. The basic setup is clear: inside thunderclouds, ice crystals and soft hail (called graupel) collide, separating positive and negative charges and creating electric fields. But the catch is that the fields measured inside clouds are much weaker than what should be needed to make lightning happen. “This suggests that there is either something wrong with our measurements,” wrote lightning experts Joseph Dwyer and Martin Uman in 2014, “or there is something wrong with our understanding of how electrical discharges occur in the thunderstorm environment.” That gap in understanding has fueled theories involving high-energy cosmic rays, hidden charge pockets, or the idea that ice crystals might act as the first trigger for the massive electrical cascade that follows. Tiny Particle, Big Potential Enter Stöllner, a PhD student working with physicist Scott Waitukaitis and climate scientist Caroline Muller. In a new study, her team used laser tweezers to trap a microscopic silica particle — smaller than a speck of dust — and study how it builds up electric charge. As they increased the laser’s intensity, the particle began to shake inside the electric field. That movement gave them a precise way to measure its charge. It turns out that the particle likely absorbs two photons from the laser, kicking off electrons and becoming positively charged. But then came the surprise: after days of stable measurements, the particle would suddenly discharge — a rapid, spontaneous drop in charge. It wasn’t supposed to happen, and it was eerily similar, on a vastly smaller scale, to what might trigger lightning. “We don’t know how it happens,” Stöllner said. “But basically, the charge just drops very quickly.” That mystery discharge became the team’s new focus. Why This Matters for Lightning Science Lightning is complex. Most lab experiments to simulate it use strong electric fields and metal electrodes — a setup far removed from the messy reality of a cloud. What makes Stöllner’s method different is its precision and realism. The particle hovers in air, not attached to wires. The electric fields are weaker, more like the ones measured inside actual clouds. And the system is small enough to pick up subtle effects missed in larger experiments. “This is exactly the level of precision needed,” said Dan Daniel, a physicist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, who was not involved in the study. “It’s a step toward a truly microscopic understanding of lightning.” He added that the technique could help scientists study how water droplets or ice crystals — key players in thunderclouds — get charged. More Than Just Lightning While the link to lightning is still speculative, the implications stretch far beyond weather. The way particles get charged or discharged is also a factor in atmospheric science, planetary research, and even space exploration. Lunar dust, for example, gets charged under ultraviolet light and solar winds, causing it to levitate and interfere with equipment — a real problem for future Moon missions. Stöllner’s system could help probe that phenomenon too. For now, she’s continuing to study what causes the spontaneous discharges. Could it be the size of the particle? The humidity or pressure in the chamber? She’s testing them all. “In one way, it’s a limitation,” she admits. “Ten electrons doesn’t make lightning. But it’s a very high-resolution way to probe this charging and discharging of a single particle.” And sometimes, in science, that’s all it takes — one particle, one idea, one spark — to light the way.
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Rescue Team Saves Young Dog Named Snow From 50-Foot Well In Romania
A young dog was saved after falling into a well in an abandoned yard in early November, according to Romanian authorities who posted this heartwarming footage of the rescue operation. Emergency officials in the Tulcea region said the female dog tumbled into the well, which was about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, in the town of Valea Nucarilor, and that she “wouldn’t have stood a chance” of getting out had she not been spotted. Footage shows a member of an emergency response team using ropes to rappel down to the dog, then hoisting her back up to safety. The dog, who was later named Snow by her rescuers, was “brave and cooperative” throughout the operation, authorities said. The well was “secured” to prevent further accidents, they added.
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A Breakthrough Blood Test Can Predict Diseases 10 Years Before Symptoms Appear
he future of medicine might start with a drop of blood. Scientists say a groundbreaking new dataset — the world’s largest of its kind — could soon lead to pinprick tests capable of detecting early signs of diseases like cancer, dementia, heart disease and diabetes up to a decade before symptoms appear. The advance comes from the UK Biobank’s newly completed project, which measured nearly 250 key proteins, fats, sugars and other molecules in blood samples taken from 500,000 volunteers. The resulting metabolic profiles offer a detailed snapshot of each person’s health and how their body is functioning at a molecular level. “It’s going to be a real gamechanger for our work,” said Dr Joy Edwards-Hicks of the University of Edinburgh, who studies how blood metabolites influence the immune system. “If we have early predictors of disease, we can tell someone in their 40s that their biomarkers are not looking good for their age and advise on changes they could make.” Unlike static genetic tests, metabolic profiles capture the influence of both genes and environment — including diet, exercise, pollution, stress, and medications. And because these profiles change over time, they can provide a real-time window into how the body responds to damage, disease, or recovery. Working with Finnish company Nightingale Health, UK Biobank scientists measured hundreds of molecules involved in energy production, hormone regulation, tissue repair and waste clearance. When organs fail or malfunction, these compounds shift in detectable ways. A damaged liver can raise ammonia levels; failing kidneys increase urea and creatine; muscle damage shows up in lactate; cancer drives higher glucose uptake. “These metabolic profiles capture all of the genetic predisposition and the downstream consequences of that, as well as the environmental exposures,” said Dr Julian Mutz of King’s College London. “It gives us a snapshot of a person’s physiological state.” Researchers like Dr Mutz are already using the profiles to study dementia risk, with hopes that tests could one day flag warning signs 10 to 15 years before memory loss begins. That kind of lead time would allow for earlier interventions and lifestyle changes to reduce long-term risk. Others are using the data to study how diseases progress differently across sexes. Dr Najaf Amin, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, said early analysis has revealed differences in how men and women age and how they respond to medications. Her team plans to investigate further, looking at whether certain treatments work better for one sex than the other. The UK Biobank, which began recruiting volunteers in 2006, has long been a key resource for medical research. It links detailed health records with genetic, imaging, and now metabolic data — giving scientists an unparalleled look at how biology and lifestyle combine to shape health outcomes. Prof Naomi Allen, chief scientist at the UK Biobank, said the new data could help researchers understand how diseases start and evolve, and how effective treatments really are. “Studying metabolites is a powerful way to unveil new warning signs of disease,” she said. While some metabolic data has been available to researchers in the past, having access to full profiles for half a million people is expected to accelerate the development of early diagnostic tools — including simple blood tests that could be taken at home or in a GP’s office. That shift could have major implications for healthcare systems by allowing doctors to focus more on prevention than treatment. “It fits with the model of prevention that we are moving towards,” said Dr Edwards-Hicks. “To be able to send off a little pinprick blood sample and get an idea of your health — that’s where we’re headed.”
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WWII Vet Runs Across America... Again
When a man running around the world passed through Prescott, Arizona, Ernie Andrus stood cheering on the sidelines — but something stirred inside him. “That sounds like something I’d like to do,” he thought. Then came the twist: “But I want to do something nobody else has ever done.” And so, at 90 years old, Ernie decided to run across America. A Navy veteran of World War II, Ernie had always been driven by purpose. After serving as a medic aboard a tank-carrying LST ship in the South Pacific, he never lost his connection to that vessel — or to the soldiers who served aboard ships like it. When he learned he could become the oldest person to run coast to coast, he saw an opportunity to turn the feat into something bigger. “If I run cross-country, maybe I can raise money for our ship,” he reasoned. That ship was the USS LST-325 — the last of its kind — which Ernie and other veterans had helped restore and sail from Crete to Indiana, where it became a museum. His dream was to send it back across the Atlantic for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. That mission would cost millions. But Ernie, who once joined the Navy the moment he was old enough after Pearl Harbor, wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. Despite his children’s worries — “You can’t do that. That’s impossible!” — Ernie remembered his mother’s words: “There’s no such thing as can’t.” And so, on October 7, 2013, two months after his 90th birthday, he dipped his toes into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego and began a nearly 3,000-mile journey. Three times a week, Ernie walked and jogged 3 to 5 miles, hitchhiking back to his RV after each stretch and driving to the next starting point. Over time, he met strangers who became friends and supporters. His determination was steady: “I am determined to finish no matter what.” Nearly three years later, on August 20, 2016 — just one day after turning 93 — Ernie completed the journey at the Atlantic Ocean in Georgia. A crowd of 2,000 cheered him in. He raised $33,000 for the LST-325. It wasn’t enough to send the ship to Normandy, but he donated it toward its upkeep. More importantly, he proved what grit and spirit could accomplish — and inspired thousands along the way. Back home, he wasn’t done. “I’m getting bored,” he thought. “It’s time to run back the other way.” At 95, Ernie began a second coast-to-coast trip — this time from Georgia back to San Diego. Retired firefighter John Martin joined him. They stuck to the same routine: three miles, three days a week. But in 2020, heart and back issues forced Ernie to pause. He returned home to recover. “I’m going to finish the journey for you,” John told him. And on Ernie’s 100th birthday in 2023, John made good on that promise. Together, they walked into the Pacific Ocean, side by side. Now 101, Ernie lives in an assisted living facility in Redding, California — but he’s still not sitting still. For his birthday, he organized a 1.01-mile walk at a local mall. For his 102nd? Same plan. Even if he has to do it in a wheelchair, he’s committed to showing up. “I never doubted that I could do it,” he said. “Just like when I went to war, I knew I’d survive.” His steps, his miles, his mission — they were all about honoring the past, and showing the rest of us that you’re never too old to chase something bold.
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Paralyzed Adventurer Aims To Break World Record By Sit-Skiing To South Pole
A British adventurer left paralyzed after a devastating climbing accident is preparing to attempt a world record-breaking expedition to the South Pole. Darren Edwards, 35, is aiming to become the first person to sit-ski 137 miles (222 kilometers) across Antarctica, nearly doubling the current record of 69 miles (111 kilometers). Using two specially modified poles, Edwards will ski up to ten hours a day in brutal sub-zero temperatures next month. The journey is more than just a test of endurance. It's a symbol of how far he’s come since the fall that changed his life. On August 6, 2016, during a routine rock climbing trip in North Wales, a section of rock collapsed beneath Edwards’ feet. He plummeted 100 feet and suffered a severe spinal injury, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. “I have had dark times since my accident,” said Edwards, a former mountaineer and army reservist from Shrewsbury, Shropshire. “But I’ve tried to take adversity and turn it into something positive. For me, adventure became that kind of saving grace and I just kept testing myself and proving that I can achieve things with my injury.” Since the accident, Edwards has redefined what’s possible for adaptive athletes. He’s completed some of the most grueling challenges in the UK and beyond. In 2021, he became the first disabled person to kayak the entire length of Britain — an 870-mile (1,400 km) journey from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in northern Scotland. He also pioneered adaptive freediving in the UK and was selected for Great Britain’s Paracanoe Team. This latest challenge, skiing across Antarctica, will be supported by a team of fellow adventurers, including explorer Lucy Shepherd, Chief Scout Dwayne Fields, and award-winning filmmaker Matthew Biggar, who will document the expedition. The team is hoping to raise $100,000 for Wings for Life, a charity focused on funding research into spinal cord injury treatments. It’s a mission that feels personal, Edwards says. “It’s about showing what’s possible when you refuse to let circumstances define your limits,” he said. If successful, Edwards won’t just break a record — he’ll rewrite what’s possible for adaptive adventurers across the globe.
Score (97)
Humpback Whale "Pi" Returns to Isles of Scilly, Delighting Wildlife Enthusiasts
A humpback whale known as Pi has returned to the waters off the Isles of Scilly, continuing a tradition that’s now spanned several winters. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust confirmed the familiar visitor had once again been spotted near the islands, which sit 45 km off the Cornish coast and lie directly along the whales’ migration route. Olivia Willmore, fundraising and communications manager at the trust, called the annual sightings “absolutely wonderful.” She said, “We are so privileged to have them pass by us every single year.” The whale was identified as Pi thanks to the distinctive markings on its dorsal fin, which researchers say function much like fingerprints do for humans. Pi has been observed visiting the area in previous years, including 2023 and 2024, though the whale’s gender remains unknown. “Those markings are incredibly unique from whale to whale,” Willmore explained. While the Isles of Scilly are already known as a hotspot for seabirds and rare wildlife, the return of Pi is adding a new layer of excitement for visitors. “Some people are starting to come with the hope of whale spotting,” said Willmore. The trust hopes Pi’s return will continue to raise awareness of marine conservation and strengthen the islands’ growing appeal as a destination for wildlife watchers.