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The world is all abuzz about Taylor Swift's latest hit album this week. While her 11th studio masterpiece, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is shattering streaming records, it's Taylor's heart of gold that truly sets her apart.

In her hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift generously donated 6,000 books to the local library, fostering a love for reading among young enthusiasts. Her humanitarian reach extended to Tampa, where she provided meals for 125,000 people, and to California, supporting food security by donating enough to feed 50,000 people monthly.

Taylor’s creative genius helped pen a heartfelt song about a brave boy battling cancer, and she collected all the proceeds into cancer charities. It’s her special way of blending art with heart.

She’s donated a whopping $50,000 to enrich education and a million dollars to aid flood-stricken communities in Louisiana. And let's not forget about the $10,000 miracle she made happen for a boy with autism to get a life-changing service dog.

During the pandemic’s gloomy days, Taylor sent out personal stimulus checks to her fans. And as a cherry on top, she celebrated the unsung heroes driving her tour trucks by handing out $100,000 in bonuses, plus another million for tornado relief in Tennessee.

A glimpse into Taylor Swift's extensive charitable work shows a legacy of more than just her musical achievements. Her enduring generosity and support for those in need is 
a testament to her deep commitment to making a difference wherever she can.

Why Taylor Swift’s Kindness is Making a Splash as Big as Her Latest Album

Good News Network

At 80 years old, most people are slowing down. Betty Kellenberger was speeding up.

The retired schoolteacher from Carson City, Michigan, became the oldest woman ever to hike the entire Appalachian Trail this past September—breaking the previous record by six years. It was a dream more than seven decades in the making, sparked by a story in a school reader when she was just a child. “I remember thinking, ‘How long do you think you have to think about it? You know, I’m pushing 80,’” she told AARP. “Am I going to wait until I’m pushing 90?”

The Appalachian Trail stretches 3,500 kilometres from Georgia to Maine, a grueling test of stamina that takes months to complete. Even for fit hikers in their 20s and 30s, it’s a brutal journey across 14 states and terrain so steep and rocky it’s often compared to climbing Mount Everest—16 times over, in elevation gain alone. It’s estimated that three-quarters of those who attempt a full through-hike don’t make it.

Betty wanted to be one of the ones who did.

Her first attempt came in 2022 with her hiking partner Joe Cox, but both were forced to quit early. Cox fell while descending Mount Katahdin in Maine, and Betty left the trail days later after suffering from dehydration, Lyme disease, and a concussion.

She tried again the next year, this time beginning in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and heading north. She made it to Massachusetts before another fall ended her hike. Then came knee replacement surgery, and devastating news—Cox had passed away. That was when Betty decided she would finish the trail in his honour.

In 2024, she returned to Harpers Ferry and set off south. But nature had other plans. Hurricane Helene swept through the southern section of the trail, knocking over trees and rendering large parts impassable. Trail officials offered a rare concession: any hikers who left then would be allowed to resume their trek the following year and still count their mileage toward a completed hike.

So Betty went home to train. With no hills nearby, she climbed the stairs at her local hospital in Michigan every day.

By the time she returned to the trail in March 2025, she had two sections left: the south, from Virginia to Georgia, and the north, from Massachusetts to Maine. She finished the southern section first. The final stretch, in the steep, slippery mountains of New Hampshire and Maine, loomed largest.

“I was hiking alone, and I just thought, if I have to do this alone, I’m not sure I can do it,” she told AARP. That’s when she met another hiker, a stranger who gave her a piece of advice she never forgot: “You can quit, and nobody will point fingers at you and blame you or anything. But you’ll never know whether you could have done it or not. If you go and you take it on and you try it, then you’ll at least know.”

So she kept going.

Betty faced sore feet, heavy packs, flooded trails, mud bogs, roots, and what felt like an endless field of rocks. “Early on I decided the Lord must love rocks because He made so many of them,” she joked to The Trek, a hiking website.

On September 12, 2025, she reached the summit of Mount Katahdin and completed the trail.

“I’ve had a ‘series of unfortunate events’, I call them. But each one, I learned something,” she said. “Each one, I got a little stronger. Each one, I got a better story. And so then, this year, I was able to do it.”

She says she’s proudest not of the record, but of what the trail taught her—and what she hopes others can take from her journey.

“Get out, move, set a goal and work toward it. The bigger the goal, the greater the reward,” she said. “Don’t let society or friends and family set your limitations.”

This 80-Year-Old Retired Teacher Just Became the Oldest Female Hiker on the Appalachian Trail

A New Jersey police officer was lauded as a “hero” after jumping into a frozen lake to save a dog on Wednesday, December 17.

Footage from the Sparta Township Police Department shows Patrolman Michael Poon entering the frigid waters of Lake Mohawk and pushing the dog back onto the ice.

The police department said Poon had shown “outstanding bravery and professionalism” during the rescue, calling him a “hero on the ice,” and also thanked the “concerned citizens” who called the police after spotting the dog in distress.

“This incident serves as an important reminder about the dangers of ice,” the department said. “Ice conditions can change rapidly and are often unpredictable. Please use caution around frozen bodies of water and help us keep everyone safe—people and animals alike.”

A New Jersey police officer was lauded as a “hero” after jumping into a frozen lake to save a dog.Footage from the Sparta Township Police Department shows Patrolman Michael Poon entering the frigid waters of Lake Mohawk and pushing the dog back onto the ice.The police department said Poon had shown “outstanding bravery and professionalism” during the rescue, calling him a “hero on the ice,” and also thanked the “concerned citizens” who called the police after spotting the dog in distress.“This incident serves as an important reminder about the dangers of ice,” the department said. “Ice conditions can change rapidly and are often unpredictable. Please use caution around frozen bodies of water and help us keep everyone safe—people and animals alike.”

Heroic Police Officer Saves Dog From Frozen Lake In New Jersey

Archaeologists working to preserve a grand Roman villa near Pompeii have uncovered dazzling new frescoes—including a lifelike peacock and a comically tragic character from ancient theater—along with the precise layout of a tree-lined garden that hasn’t been seen in nearly 2,000 years.

The finds come from ongoing conservation efforts at the Villa di Poppea, a luxury residence believed to have belonged to Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero. The villa was buried in ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, along with the nearby town of Oplontis, located just south of Naples.

Work is currently focused on the villa’s western wing, where archaeologists have documented an astonishing 103 rooms so far. The latest discoveries come from one of the most elaborately decorated spaces yet—a room now being called the “Hall of the Peacock.” There, workers uncovered two vibrantly colored male peacocks on the south wall, preserved in remarkably vivid pigment.

One nearby fresco shows a figure from Roman popular comedy: Pappus, a recurring character in Atellan Farce, a type of improvised theater. Known as a foolish old man easily manipulated by younger women, Pappus was often portrayed trying to recapture his youth in increasingly ridiculous ways. His appearance on the villa wall adds a rare layer of humor to the otherwise refined surroundings.

“These first results offer new and promising research perspectives for our understanding of the plan of the villa and for the study of the interactions between human settlement and the natural environment in the long term,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

Researchers also revealed several newly documented spaces—small rooms called cubicula, which may have served as bedrooms or private studies. The name might sound familiar: it’s the origin of the modern “cubicle.” These rooms were decorated with floor mosaics, painted vaults, and intricate stucco and fresco artwork.

Beyond the rooms themselves, archaeologists are learning more about the landscape that surrounded them. Using cast molds to capture the negative space left behind by ancient roots, they’ve now confirmed the exact positions of trees that once stood in the villa’s southern garden. The layout shows a carefully designed ornamental scheme, with the trees mirroring the pattern of a nearby colonnade.

Delicate pigments found throughout the site—including Egyptian blue—are undergoing careful conservation to preserve their original luster. Despite the devastation caused by the eruption nearly two millennia ago, the ongoing work at the Villa di Poppea continues to reveal its former grandeur, and offer new insights into Roman life, luxury, and design.

The discoveries are the latest in a series of breakthroughs in the so-called Greater Pompeii area. Just last month, archaeologists unearthed a lavish private spa in a different part of the ancient city, suggesting a culture of extravagant leisure among the Roman elite.

Peacocks, Plays, and Precise Gardens: New Frescoes Uncovered in Lavish Roman Villa Near Pompeii

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Ron Howard has had a remarkable journey in Hollywood—from child actor on The Andy Griffith Show to iconic sitcom star on Happy Days, and eventually, one of the most respected directors in the industry. But one collaboration from early in his directing career still stands out to him: working with Michael Keaton.

Howard directed Keaton’s breakout performance in Night Shift (1982), a sharp-witted comedy that launched a working relationship between the two. The pair teamed up again on later projects including Clean and Sober and The Paper, creating a dynamic that many fans still talk about.

More than three decades later, Howard says he’s eager to work with Keaton again.

“I’ve been so lucky in this business, I’ve worked with so many great people,” he said in 2015, while accepting his second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it’s been far too long since Michael [Keaton] and I made a movie together, so I’m hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later.”

That wasn’t a one-off comment either. Howard brought up Keaton again in 2013 at the British Academy Film Awards. “Michael Keaton is great, and I’m dying to work with Michael again,” he said. “If I find the right role, he’ll be my first call. I’d love to.”

The admiration seems to go both ways. Keaton has often spoken fondly of Howard’s creativity and collaborative style.

While both men have stayed busy—Howard with award-winning directorial projects and Keaton with critically acclaimed performances in films like Birdman and Dopesick—fans haven’t given up hope that the two will reunite on screen.

As Howard put it, he’s just waiting for the right story to bring them back together. For many moviegoers, that moment can’t come soon enough.

Ron Howard Reveals His Dream Collaboration With a Hollywood Legend

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell dressed up as an NHL referee as he watched the Los Angeles Kings take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, January 1.

LA Kings arena host Mikey Alexander, @mikeydelorean on X, posted this footage of the Anchorman actor attempting to make calls from behind the glass.

“You never know if one of these guys go down, I may have to put on the skates and get out there,” Ferrell said during a mid-game interview.

Unfortunately for Ferrell, his team, the Kings, were defeated 5-3.

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell dressed up as an NHL referee as he watched the Los Angeles Kings take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, January 1.LA Kings arena host Mikey Alexander, @mikeydelorean on X, posted this footage of the Anchorman actor attempting to make calls from behind the glass.“You never know if one of these guys go down, I may have to put on the skates and get out there,” Ferrell said during a mid-game interview.Unfortunately for Ferrell, his team, the Kings, were defeated 5-3.

Will Ferrell Suits Up as NHL Referee at LA Kings Game Against Tampa Bay Lightning

Video from Italy’s national fire service shows you can be as sure-footed as a mountain goat and still occasionally need some help from the experts.

The Vigili del Fuoco said a team was called in on December 28 to Tessari, in the hills north of Verona, where a chamois had become tangled in ropes on a disused climbing wall.

The area was described as “inaccessible from above due to dense vegetation, and even less so from nearby areas due to the lack of passable roads and trails.”

A Drago 149 helicopter spotted the chamois from above and lowered two rescuers who reached the animal, the fire service said.

Video from Italy’s national fire service shows you can be as sure-footed as a mountain goat and still occasionally need some help from the experts.The Vigili del Fuoco said a team was called in on December 28 to Tessari, in the hills north of Verona, where a chamois had become tangled in ropes on a disused climbing wall.The area was described as “inaccessible from above due to dense vegetation, and even less so from nearby areas due to the lack of passable roads and trails.”A Drago 149 helicopter spotted the chamois from above and lowered two rescuers who reached the animal, the fire service said.

Air Crew Rescues Chamois in Distress

A community café in Rushden, Northamptonshire, that opened just six months ago is already eyeing expansion after turning a profit in its very first month.

Café 16:15, launched in July by Stan Robertson—a former rough sleeper—is part of Project 16:15, a local initiative aimed at helping homeless people in Northampton. The café is entirely volunteer-run, and all profits are reinvested directly into the charity's outreach work.

“We were in profit in our first month and we haven’t looked back really,” Robertson said. “It’s grown steadily. We’ve become well-established in such a short space of time. We’ve really become part of the community.”

That early success has already funded two new welfare and outreach volunteers and is now fueling Robertson’s broader plan: a new café in Wellingborough, followed by a drop-in centre in Northampton.

The café, located in Hamblin Court, serves homemade food sourced from local suppliers. The popular sausage rolls, in particular, have developed a following. Linda Nightingale, who came to Rushden on a pensioners’ trip from Raunds, said she made a point of stopping by.

“It’s a fantastic idea,” she said. “It’s word of mouth that has spread the news that it is such a lovely, welcoming, bright, wonderful facility... and the prices are so good.”

Regulars like Shirley Heard, from nearby Irchester, now stop in for soup and a chat. “I like the company, the food is good, and it’s a bonus helping others,” she said. She recently donated a sleeping bag to the charity. “I like to give him [Stan] a bit extra so he can put it into the charity.”

Lorna, a volunteer from Northampton, said she helps out a few days a week to give back and connect with others. “It’s a chance to meet new people and work within the community,” she said.

David Gillings, a local from Rushden, was already familiar with Robertson’s work through his job and said he was quick to support when the café opened. “It’s brought an empty unit back into use, Stan’s great, the volunteers are great, and it’s great quality food,” he said. “Nice quality, and good-sized portions.”

Robertson emphasized that this is just the beginning. “This is only phase one of a three-year plan,” he said. “The cafés are being established to help fund the future plans as well.”

Café 16:15 is set to reopen on Saturday, January 3 after a short festive break—ready to keep serving meals, community, and a mission with real impact.

Charity Café Turns First-Month Profit, Plans Expansion to Help More Homeless

People

Ra-Jon James wasn’t sure he would survive—let alone walk again.

The Virginia Beach man was left paralyzed in July 2025 after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own nerves. Now, after months in the hospital and intensive rehab, he’s defied the odds and is sharing his story to raise awareness.

“I told myself when all of this stuff happened, when I was fully recovered, I said this could happen to anyone,” James told WTKR 3.

His ordeal began on July 28, when he started feeling weak and others noticed his eyes were unusually red. He went to urgent care, but test results came back normal. Hours later, his condition worsened dramatically.

He collapsed on the floor at home and couldn’t get up. His father tried to take him to the hospital, but James couldn’t walk. He remembers hearing a voice that told him, “You’re gonna be okay.”

Once admitted, he was rushed to intensive care. “I was on the trach, I was on the ventilator. I was actually paralyzed,” he said. “Am I going to live? That was my thought.”

GBS typically appears after an infection and can quickly escalate. “For some reason, your body creates antibodies that attack your own nerve cells,” explained Dr. Jennifer Quilter of Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. “This is a nerve problem. It’s not a muscle problem.”

James was treated with plasma exchange therapy and spent nearly three months hospitalized. Doctors told him he had been “close to death.”

But thanks to intense rehab, he slowly regained movement. When he returned to visit the hospital team, Dr. Quilter and her colleagues were stunned.

“We were like, ‘Holy smokes—we can’t believe it.’ He looked great,” she said. “We don’t often see it that severe.”

Now fully mobile, James wants to use his experience to help others recognize the early signs of GBS and seek help quickly. Symptoms can include tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and loss of coordination.

His message is simple: this could happen to anyone. But with fast action and the right care, recovery is possible—even from the most frightening of circumstances.

Virginia Beach Man Paralyzed by Rare Syndrome Walks Again After Near-Death Ordeal

When a group of Buddhist monks set out on a peace walk across India, they didn’t expect to gain a four-legged companion. But along the way, an abandoned dog—now named Aloka—joined them, and never left.

The monks, who now live at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana temple in Fort Worth, Texas, first met Aloka during a 112-day journey in India meant to spread messages of peace and unity. The stray dog followed them step by step across the country, enduring heat, illness, and even a car accident.

At one point, the monks loaded him onto a truck to rest and recover. He jumped out and returned to walking beside them.

“He followed us the whole time,” one of the monks said in a TikTok video. “He’s a true hero. He wanted to walk. That inspires a lot.”

Aloka—believed to be an Indian Pariah dog—has since joined the group on a new journey: a 2,300-mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C. that began in October. The mission, known as the Walk for Peace, will take 110 days and cross through 10 states before arriving at the U.S. Capitol in February.

“It really touches the hearts and minds of people,” said Texas Representative Nicole Collier. “We live in a time when the noise often drowns out understanding, where division can feel louder than unity—but this is what the community and interfaith solidarity looks like.”

By late December, the group had made it to Atlanta, with a live tracker on Facebook documenting their route. Along the way, the monks and Aloka have been welcomed by strangers offering meals, checkups, and encouragement. A Dairy Queen in Texas served them ice cream—and made sure Aloka got a treat, too. In Alabama, doctors gave him a free health check.

The walk isn’t just symbolic. It’s a daily act of endurance. “It’s a journey filled with both known and unforeseen challenges,” the group shared on Instagram. “Yet, with hearts anchored in calmness and minds set firmly on their purpose, the monks move forward—step by step—embodying peace, resilience, and unwavering determination.”

Aloka, now affectionately known as the “Peace Dog,” has become a symbol of that resilience. He’s also developed a fan base of his own, with followers keeping up via his dedicated Instagram account.

“Aloka is a very good boy helping to carry the message of peace and harmony,” the group wrote.

The peace walk has drawn attention not only for its spiritual mission but for the quiet joy and connection it sparks wherever it goes. Crowds have gathered to meet the monks, ask questions, and share meals. For many, it’s a chance to slow down and connect with something hopeful.

And through it all, Aloka remains right there—leading, watching, and walking alongside them.

Rescue Dog Leads 19 Buddhist Monks On 2,300-Mile Peace Walk Across The US

BBC News

Every day for the past five years, Hilary Fleming has put on a different hat—some silly, some colourful, all worn with purpose.

The retired NHS podiatrist from Wroughton, near Swindon, has now worn 1,825 unique hats and raised £5,000 for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, the charity she credits with saving her husband Shaun’s life.

“They got him to hospital quickly and basically saved his life,” she said. “So as a payback I try and raise money.”

The air ambulance was called out twice for Shaun, once in 2013 and again in 2014, after he fell from a ladder. That experience became the inspiration for Hilary’s unusual fundraiser—a daily ritual she calls “hatsercise,” where she dons a new hat each day for a brisk half-hour walk.

Over the years, friends, neighbours, and even strangers have donated hats to the cause. Some were given by her husband, others by people who’ve crossed her path during her daily walks. She’s kept many of them, sold others to raise more money, and sparked countless conversations along the way.

“If I’m out for a walk and I’ve got a silly hat, I often get into conversations,” she said. “I’ve met so many people who have used the air ambulance who want to tell their story. It’s raising awareness and also giving people a chance to have a chat and also just have a laugh.”

The Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance team responded to a record 1,343 incidents last year, with doctors onboard for more than half of those callouts. For many, like the Flemings, the service has meant the difference between life and death.

To mark the fifth anniversary of her daily hat challenge on 8 January, Hilary hopes to visit the air ambulance’s base in person to celebrate.

Amy Noad, marketing and communications manager for the charity, said volunteers like Hilary are essential to keeping their service running. “Our volunteers play a vital role,” she said, “from supporting us at events, distributing collection tins across the community, to becoming our mascots.”

Hilary, it seems, is all three.

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