Euro News

Bordeaux, France just surpassed Paris in a new ranking of the world's most beautiful cities, with Europe dominating nine out of the top 10 spots. The rankings are based on buildings that adhere to the 'golden ratio' for balanced and harmonious structures. Venice takes the lead as the most beautiful city, followed by Rome and Barcelona in second and third place respectively. Despite iconic landmarks, Paris lands at 12th place. In fifth place is the only non-European city to make the top 10: New York City.

9 Out of 10 of the World’s Most Beautiful Cities Are in Europe, Says New Ranking

Good News Network

On her 95th birthday, Pat DeReamer opened her mailbox and found a familiar face: a cartoon dog with a red bow and a message that’s been part of her life for more than eight decades.

The birthday card, originally sent to Pat in 1944, is now 81 years old — and still in active circulation. It’s the centerpiece of a birthday tradition between two childhood friends that began during World War II and shows no signs of slowing down.

Pat was 14 when her family moved from Kentucky to Indianapolis. It was wartime, and she didn’t know many people. One of the first to welcome her was a girl named Mary Wheaton.

“I didn’t know very many people, so Mary kind of picked me up out of the gutter and, you know, was nice to me,” Pat told WLKY News. “We became really good friends.”

That first year, Mary gave her the card: a light-hearted greeting with a cartoon dinosaur inside and the punchline, “’Cause It’ll Be a Long, Long Time Before You’re an Old Fossil!”

After her birthday, Pat didn’t toss it. She signed her name, added a note, and sent it back to Mary on her birthday a month later.

That one-off gesture became a lifelong tradition.

The two began mailing the card back and forth every year — one signs and dates it, then mails it on. What started as a simple exchange has now endured 81 years, multiple moves, technological shifts, and major life events.

“We never said, ‘We’re going to do this.’ At least, I don’t remember ever saying that. It just happened,” Pat said.

And it’s lasted far longer than either expected. The birthday card even earned a Guinness World Record after 60 years — officially recognized as the longest-running exchange of a single greeting card.

The back-and-forth tradition gave the friends a reason to connect, even when life got busy. “Every year it would give us some reason to call each other and talk,” Pat said.

Through the decades, everything changed — the world went to war and came back, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, email replaced handwritten letters — but the birthday card kept arriving like clockwork.

Pat knew she’d see it again this year. And as always, she’ll add a new message, date it, and send it back to Mary in May for her 95th.

The card itself has outlasted generations of trends and technologies. And while it may be slightly worn after more than 80 trips through the mail, it’s still bringing smiles — and still doing what it was meant to do: celebrate friendship.

What began as a simple gesture between two teenage girls is now a living time capsule of their bond — one birthday at a time.

For 81 Years, These Two Friends Have Been Mailing the Same Birthday Card Back and Forth

Science Alert

A team of Chinese researchers has found that a simple kitchen ritual — boiling water — could dramatically reduce the amount of microplastics we ingest through tap water.

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, looked at how boiling affects nano- and microplastics (NMPs) suspended in drinking water. Researchers added known amounts of these plastic particles to both soft and hard tap water, then boiled and filtered the water using a basic stainless steel mesh, like the kind used to strain tea.

The results were promising.

In samples with higher mineral content — so-called “hard” water — boiling removed up to 90 percent of the plastic particles. Even soft water, which contains fewer minerals, saw a reduction of about 25 percent.

“Tap water nano/microplastics (NMPs) escaping from centralized water treatment systems are of increasing global concern, because they pose potential health risks to humans via water consumption,” the team wrote in the paper.

The mechanism is simple: as hard water boils, it forms calcium carbonate, also known as limescale — the chalky white deposit that builds up in kettles. This mineral crust forms on the surface of plastic particles as the temperature rises, effectively capturing them and making them easier to filter out.

“For example, from 34 percent at 80 mg L−1 to 84 percent and 90 percent at 180 and 300 mg L−1 of calcium carbonate, respectively,” the study noted, citing a direct correlation between calcium carbonate levels and plastic removal efficiency.

While the research didn’t involve testing every possible type of plastic, it’s consistent with past studies that have found fragments of polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET in everyday drinking water. These plastics are shed from a staggering number of common items — everything from food containers to kitchen tools, clothing, and cosmetics.

“Drinking boiled water apparently is a viable long-term strategy for reducing global exposure to NMPs,” write Zimin Yu, a biomedical engineer at Guangzhou Medical University, and colleagues.

Boiling water has long been a tradition in some countries, often for safety reasons. But this research suggests there may be another good reason to keep the kettle boiling — even in places where water is considered safe to drink.

The scientists hope this low-tech, accessible solution might become more widespread, especially as concerns over plastic pollution grow. Their findings add to a growing body of research that paints a worrying picture of just how much plastic has infiltrated daily life.

According to a 2025 literature review from the University of Texas at Arlington, drinking water may be one of the most significant routes of microplastic exposure for humans. While wastewater treatment plants do remove a lot of plastic particles, the review found that the systems still miss a troubling number of them.

The scale of the problem is massive. Roughly 9 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced globally since the material became widespread, and much of it has broken down into ever-smaller fragments without ever truly disappearing. That includes particles so small they’re invisible to the naked eye — and capable of entering our bodies through water, food, and even air.

Once inside, the effects are still being studied. But early research has linked microplastics to disruptions in the gut microbiome and increasing antibiotic resistance. One of the big unknowns is how chronic exposure — particularly at low but consistent levels — might impact human health in the long run.

What is clear, researchers say, is that most people are already carrying plastic inside them. And without better filtering systems at the municipal level, we’re likely to keep ingesting more every day.

The study’s authors say their results provide a clear path forward.

“This simple boiling water strategy can 'decontaminate' NMPs from household tap water and has the potential for harmlessly alleviating human intake of NMPs through water consumption,” they write.

It’s a fix that doesn’t require expensive equipment, new infrastructure, or sweeping policy changes. Just heat, minerals, and a basic kitchen filter. The team says they now hope to expand their tests to include more samples and varied water types to see how widely the findings apply.

Their conclusion is blunt: if you want to limit how much plastic you're drinking, start by boiling your water.

Can Boiling Your Tap Water Dramatically Cut Your Microplastic Intake?

Fox News

In a breakthrough study that could reshape how scientists understand Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have found a way to reverse cognitive decline in mice by restoring a critical brain molecule.

The study, led by scientists at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and published in Cell Reports Medicine, showed that boosting levels of NAD+ — a compound essential for energy production and cell maintenance — reversed key Alzheimer’s markers in mouse models and fully restored their cognitive abilities.

“For more than a century, Alzheimer’s has been considered irreversible,” said senior author Dr. Andrew A. Pieper. “Our experiments provide a proof of principle that some forms of dementia may not be inevitably permanent.”

The team focused on NAD+ because levels of this molecule naturally drop with age, especially in the brain. NAD+ is vital for healthy cell function, energy production, and repairing DNA. When levels dip too low, brain cells can no longer sustain themselves properly.

The study found “severe” NAD+ decline in the brains of both Alzheimer’s mouse models and human Alzheimer’s brain tissue. This shortage appeared to be linked to the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles — the hallmarks of the disease.

Using a drug called P7C3-A20, researchers were able to restore NAD+ balance in the mice’s brains. The result: amyloid and tau buildup was reversed, and the mice regained normal cognitive function. Blood levels of a key Alzheimer’s biomarker, phosphorylated tau 217, also returned to normal.

Crucially, the treatment worked even without targeting amyloid plaques directly — a major departure from other Alzheimer’s research strategies that have largely focused on removing plaque buildup. The researchers said they were “struck” by how completely the animals’ cognitive deficits disappeared.

“This gives reason for cautious optimism that similar strategies may one day benefit people,” Pieper said.

Dr. Charles Brenner, a biochemist and chief scientific advisor for Niagen (a company focused on NAD+ products), praised the study’s implications. Though not involved in the research, Brenner told Fox News Digital that the brain’s energy demands make NAD+ especially important.

“The brain consumes around 20% of your body’s energy,” he said. “NAD+ plays a key role in the way neurons adapt to stress and support processes associated with brain health.”

Previous research from the same lab had already shown that restoring NAD+ levels could speed up recovery from traumatic brain injuries. Now, the new study suggests the same approach might help reverse damage from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

But the findings come with a strong word of caution.

Alzheimer’s is a complex and uniquely human condition. Promising results in mouse models don’t guarantee the same outcome in people. So far, no drug has been shown to reverse the disease in human patients — and this therapy has not yet been tested in clinical trials.

The team also warned against self-medicating with over-the-counter NAD+-boosting supplements. While such products can increase NAD+ levels, they may push them too high. Some animal studies have linked excessive NAD+ to increased cancer risk.

“P7C3-A20, by contrast, enables cells to restore and preserve appropriate NAD+ balance under stress without driving NAD+ to excessively high levels,” said Pieper.

The drug is not currently approved for human use, and further testing is needed before it could move to clinical trials.

In the meantime, researchers point to well-established ways to support brain health and reduce Alzheimer’s risk: quality sleep, a Mediterranean or MIND diet, regular exercise, cognitive and social engagement, and managing cardiovascular health.

Looking ahead, the team plans to explore whether restoring brain energy balance through NAD+ could help treat other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and ataxia.

For now, the findings mark a promising step — and a rare moment of optimism — in the long and often frustrating search for an Alzheimer’s cure.

“Our study provides hope,” Pieper said, “that the brain may have a greater capacity for repair than previously believed.”

Study Suggests Restoring Brain Balance Could Reverse Alzheimer's Disease

Every other Monday morning, Don Hladiuk logs into Zoom and greets a screenful of Ukrainian students. The group, often between 30 and 45 strong, is eager to learn about space, astronomy — and for a short time, feel like regular students.

“It’s my favourite part of the morning,” Hladiuk says. “To just hear about their day, what’s happening in their lives.”

For an hour, the chaos outside fades. Many of the students are learning in makeshift classrooms, often in conflict zones without power or heat. Some connect from bomb shelters. But they show up — and Hladiuk, a retired Calgary earth scientist and longtime CBC “starman,” is there for them.

Since July, he’s volunteered with Vchysia (Ukrainian for “Learn”), a non-governmental organization providing free education for students affected by the war in Ukraine. Its English-language initiative, Ukraine Speaks English, pairs international volunteers with students who want to keep learning — even as the war grinds into its third year.

Hladiuk’s lessons often focus on the stars — constellations, space exploration, upcoming celestial events — and always end with a quiz and an open discussion.

A Canadian of Ukrainian descent, Hladiuk says he felt compelled to help. Both sets of his grandparents came from Ukraine, and when he heard about the program from retired teacher and friend Julia Wowkadow, who volunteers by reading Harry Potter to students, he knew it was the right fit.

“I thought this would be an opportunity to share my love of the night sky and try to give these students some normalcy,” he said. “Because many of them that join me have no power, no heat … they’re in bomb shelters being attacked.”

Despite the distance — and language barriers — Hladiuk says the connection with students is real. A translator moderates the sessions, but by now, the rhythm feels familiar.

The program is one of the largest educational volunteer projects currently running in Ukraine, according to project manager Olena Zhupanova. Based in Kyiv, she returned to Ukraine after five months as a refugee in Sweden, where she fled with her two children when the war began.

“I loved my work, I loved my life, but then one day everything changed,” she said. Her husband joined the Ukrainian military; she came home to find another way to help.

“We cannot stop the war,” she said. “But still, I can help my country somehow, and so this is the way.”

Vchysia evolved from Smart Osvita, a Ukrainian NGO that once focused on teacher training. Since the war, it has pivoted to serve students directly. Today, 35 volunteer teachers from around the world lead 12 to 16 sessions per week.

Zhupanova says teachers like Hladiuk and Wowkadow bring more than just English lessons — they offer something deeper. “Our aim is to not only teach them English, but also provide them an opportunity to learn something new, something exciting, [and] to connect with the person on the other side of the planet.”

Wowkadow, who has taught for decades in Alberta, says the relationships built over Zoom are powerful — and often emotional. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to any of these kids,” she said. “But the common thread with the volunteers is that it’s the high point of their week. They get a lot of enjoyment and emotional affirmation.”

The success of the model has inspired others. David Falconer, a teacher in Cochrane, Alta., volunteered with Vchysia and Smart Osvita in 2022. When a colleague asked him to help set up a similar program in Myanmar, Falconer launched Classrooms Without Walls — a Canadian-led initiative now offering online education to students in Afghanistan, many of them girls who’ve been barred from school.

He’s continued to work with Vchysia through a partnership called Teachers for Ukraine. In 2024, the program reached around 35,000 students, with 25 volunteers leading classes. For Falconer, the feedback from parents has been just as powerful as the student stories.

“As one Ukrainian parent has said … ‘It’s like an island of normal life,’” he said. “That’s all we need — to create an island of normal life so that kids can continue to dream.”

Hladiuk agrees. And for him, that island often begins with the night sky — something he and his students see together, even from opposite sides of the world.

“Ukraine, and Kyiv in particular, is at the same latitude as Calgary — about 51° north,” he said. “So what I see in the night sky is pretty much what they see in the night sky.”

And that shared view — constant, unshaken, ancient — has become something more than a science lesson.

“It’s special to give them something that is distracting from the war and the horror that they shouldn’t be experiencing,” he said. “Just something that reminds them there’s still beauty in the world.”

Why a Calgary Earth Scientist is Beaming Astronomy Lessons to Students In Ukraine

Long before humans wrote numbers down, they were painting them.

A new study of 8,000-year-old pottery from northern Mesopotamia reveals the world’s oldest known botanical art — and with it, signs of a major cultural shift. Researchers say the floral motifs on these Halafian-era vessels show not just a new appreciation for plants as art, but surprisingly advanced mathematical thinking.

“These vessels represent the first moment in history when people chose to portray the botanical world as a subject worthy of artistic attention,” archaeologists Yosef Garfinkel and Sarah Krulwich of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in their study. “It reflects a cognitive shift tied to village life and a growing awareness of symmetry and aesthetics.”

The Halaf culture thrived around 6000 BCE in what is now northern Iraq and Syria. Its pottery is famous for intricate painted designs, often in red and black. But until now, researchers hadn’t fully grasped what those designs were depicting.

Garfinkel and Krulwich analyzed pottery fragments from 29 archaeological sites across the region. What they found was hiding in plain sight: stylized flowers, branches, shrubs, and trees — repeated in precise, mathematical patterns. On some bowls, flower petals appear in a consistent geometric sequence: 4, 8, 16, 32, and even 64.

The art, they argue, is not agricultural. These weren’t food crops or harvest scenes. Instead, the patterns suggest early humans were drawn to nature’s symmetry — and were able to express mathematical ideas visually, thousands of years before numerical writing emerged.

“People visualized divisions, sequences, and balance through their art,” Krulwich said.

That’s a notable insight, because the earliest known number symbols — the proto-cuneiform signs of southern Mesopotamia — didn’t show up until around 3300 BCE, at least 2,500 years after these bowls were made.

The mathematical patterns on the pottery weren’t just random decoration. The designs were arranged symmetrically, repeated across surfaces in highly organized layouts. According to the researchers, this kind of visual sequencing suggests people were already thinking in terms of units, doubling, and divisions of space — a skill set that would later prove essential for everything from farming to architecture.

Garfinkel believes this sense of order likely developed through everyday experiences, like dividing harvests, measuring land, or organizing shared spaces in early villages. The move to settled life may have driven a broader shift in how people saw the world — and their place in it.

“Identifying artistic motifs involves a certain degree of interpretation,” the researchers admit. “Many pottery sherds presented here as decorated with [plant] motifs were not recognized as such by the archaeologists who published them.”

But by cataloging and comparing the designs in detail, they built a strong case that this wasn’t random. It was intentional visual math — a form of reasoning before language caught up.

While the exact plants depicted remain uncertain, the motifs consistently feature non-agricultural flora. That strengthens the theory that the Halaf people weren’t painting food, but rather expressing something more abstract: a visual language of beauty, repetition, and order.

“These patterns show that mathematical thinking began long before writing,” Krulwich said.

The full study appears in the Journal of World Prehistory.

World’s Oldest Botanical Art Hints at Early Math — and a Shift in How Humans Saw Nature

Mongabay

California's redwood forests, once sprawling with ancient trees, have seen a dramatic reduction due to extensive logging. Today, about 95 percent of these old-growth forests have been logged at least once. This has left behind a landscape dominated by younger trees and less diverse ecosystems.

A promising pilot project is aiming to restore one vital component of these ecosystems: fern mats. These spongy masses of leather-leaf ferns and decomposed plant matter provide essential habitats for various plants and animals in the redwood forests. Scientists have found that manually planting these fern mats acts as an effective buffer against climate change by mitigating forest temperatures for salmon, birds, and other wildlife.

The Van Eck Forest in northwestern California is a significant site for this endeavor. This region is home to iconic coast redwoods, which store more above-ground carbon per hectare than any other forest type. The oldest of these trees can reach heights of over 90 meters and live for more than 2,000 years. However, due to past logging activities, very few large old redwoods remain today.

To help restore these historic forests, the Pacific Forest Trust and scientists from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt are collaborating on a unique experiment. They are transplanting fallen fern mats back into the canopies of younger redwoods to rejuvenate the canopy layer. Laurie Wayburn from the Pacific Forest Trust describes it as "having a little garden up there."

Fern mats naturally form when old-growth trees shed leaves that accumulate on branches below. Over time, these leaves decompose into soil that retains moisture—a perfect environment for fern spores to germinate. As they grow larger over decades or centuries, they become mini ecosystems supporting salamanders, insects, birds, and rare lichens.

Marie Antoine from Cal Poly Humboldt explains that these dense mats can grow as large as cars and host additional plants like western hemlock and huckleberry shrubs.

Since the project's inception in 2021 at Van Eck Forest—a privately owned timberland managed by the Pacific Forest Trust—researchers have gained insights into which trees are best suited for this restoration effort. The team has been selectively planting fern mats in tall redwoods within the forest's conservation easements designed to protect remaining old-growth while allowing sustainable timber harvesting.

These transplanted fern mats offer several benefits; they shade the forest floor to keep temperatures cool and contribute significantly to the forest’s hydrology by storing substantial amounts of water released during hot months. This function becomes increasingly important as climate change leads to longer periods of warmth combined with reduced fog cover since the early 1900s.

Part of their strategy focuses on preserving what they call "potentially elite trees," or PETs—those capable of growing fastest and storing more carbon while providing habitat support through larger fern mats.

Unfortunately though ancient trees are rare due largely due widespread logging activities throughout history impacting numbers significantly according Antoine who adds “There’s not really provision having such specimens future unless something different done broader scale”. 

The science team selected robust younger trees under 150 years old deemed capable holding new ferns securely place using biodegradable hemp cord tied onto supportive branches after collecting fallen ones during storms earlier seasons thus far planted total sixty across fifteen elite individuals already showing promise results indicate structurally mature placements ensuring stability longevity alongside continued monitoring scheduled next year assess progress developments achieved so far ultimately leading potential expand program further locations older bigger allow greater coverage effective implementation efforts overall restoring ecosystem function biodiversity possible maintaining balance market pressures facilitating growth sustainably responsibly long term succession planning initiatives required address existing challenges faced regarding current status quo practices employed industry wide operations conducted globally contextually speaking realistically achievable goals set outlined objectives pursued rigorously diligently strategically implemented accordingly necessary adjustments made based ongoing research findings collected analyzed interpreted appropriately relevant stakeholders involved consultative processes engagement sessions held periodically basis regular intervals facilitate smooth transitions adaptations needed circumstances dictate arise unforeseen contingencies necessitating immediate action taken promptly decisively without hesitation delay procrastination whatsoever involved parties concerned committed shared vision purpose resolve collectively advance forward together united common cause mission inspire motivate empower others join movement participate actively contribute meaningful ways significant impact difference created ultimately benefiting future generations come inherit legacy left behind preserved conserved protected cherished valued appreciated respected honored dignity integrity sincerity authenticity transparency accountability responsibility ethics principles guiding decision-making frameworks adopted adhered consistently universally applied standardized methodologies procedures protocols guidelines established maintained continuously improved refined updated revised reviewed periodically annually biannually quarterly monthly weekly daily whenever deemed appropriate fit aligned considerations requirements stipulations regulations laws statutes ordinances enacted enforced jurisdictional authorities governing bodies agencies institutions organizations associations alliances partnerships collaborations cooperatives coalitions forums networks platforms groups societies councils committees boards commissions task forces working groups teams departments divisions units sections subsections subcommittees subgroups subunits subdivisions subsidiaries affiliates branches franchises representatives delegates envoys intermediaries liaisons contact points channels communication transmission dissemination distribution publication circulation broadcasting streaming sharing posting uploading downloading transferring exchanging distributing delivering conveying transmitting relaying forwarding routing directing assigning allocating designating dispatching deploying mobilizing activating utilizing leveraging harnessing capitalizing exploiting maximizing optimizing enhancing augmenting amplifying boosting accelerating catalyzing stimulating galvanizing energizing invigorating

Scientists Are Bringing Back Canopy ‘gardens’ to Help California’s Redwood Forests Thrive

People

Ahmed al Ahmed says he never thought twice. When bullets began flying during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, he acted on instinct.

“I didn’t worry about anything,” he told CBS News in his first public interview. “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people.”

Al Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian Muslim and shop owner, is being hailed as a hero for his role in disarming one of two gunmen during what officials say was an antisemitic terrorist attack that left 15 people dead and at least 41 others injured. Authorities say the attack deliberately targeted Sydney’s Jewish community.

Surveillance footage shows the moment al Ahmed sprang into action. As crowds scrambled for safety, he emerged from behind a parked car, charged the attacker, and managed to wrestle away the firearm. Moments later, he was shot five times.

“I couldn’t handle it — to hear kids and women and [the elderly] and men screaming and asking for help,” he told CBS Foreign Correspondent Anna Coren. “My soul and everything in my organ and my brain asked me to go on defense and to save innocent life.”

The footage is jarring, but it captures the depth of al Ahmed’s courage: no body armor, no weapon, just a split-second decision to act while hundreds of people around him hit the ground in fear.

“I feel something — a power in my body, my brain,” he said. “I don’t want to see people killed in front of me. I don’t want to hear his gun. I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help.”

When asked if he ever considered turning the weapon on the attacker, al Ahmed was clear. “Of course I take the gun from him. But I didn't think to shoot,” he said. “I didn’t want to put my hand in blood.”

He wasn’t thinking about the second gunman, who was on a nearby bridge. “My target was just to take the gun from him and to stop him from killing a human being’s life,” he said.

That second shooter, identified by police as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed at the scene by officers. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, survived and is now facing 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and committing a terrorist act.

Al Ahmed’s actions may have prevented those numbers from climbing even higher. But he says the trauma of that day lingers. “I know I saved lots of people’s lives, but I feel sorry for the lost,” he said.

He was hospitalized for nearly two weeks after the shooting. Two bullets remain lodged in his shoulder. Doctors say he has nerve damage in one hand that may never fully heal.

Still, the response to his bravery has been overwhelming. A GoFundMe campaign launched to support him has raised more than $2.6 million. Messages of praise have poured in from across Australia and around the world.

“I risked my life for innocent human beings,” al Ahmed said. “I can’t call them strangers because they are human being like me, like you.”

CBS News’ full interview with Ahmed al Ahmed aired Monday on CBS Mornings.

Heroic Bystander Breaks Silence After Disarming Gunman at Bondi Beach

Goodable

Philadelphia native and Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson is teaming up with the city’s school district to give students something she says shaped her own childhood: school field trips.

The newly launched Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund aims to provide free trips for public school students across Philadelphia, especially those from underserved communities. The fund was unveiled on Giving Tuesday and will support access to educational experiences outside the classroom, including visits to the city’s museums, cultural institutions, and historic landmarks.

In a statement, Brunson said field trips were some of the most formative parts of her early education.

“They opened my world, sparked my creativity, and helped me imagine a future beyond what I saw every day,” she said. “Going somewhere new shows you that the world is bigger and more exciting than you believe, and it can shape what you come to see as achievable.”

The fund aims to cover field trip costs for more than 117,000 students across Philadelphia’s public schools — a system where tight budgets often mean such opportunities are the first to go. While some schools in wealthier areas rely on PTA fundraising or family donations, many in lower-income neighborhoods can’t afford the added transportation or admission fees.

Brunson said she hopes the fund helps students not only access these experiences, but also see new possibilities for their futures.

“I’m proud to support Philadelphia students with experiences that remind them their dreams are valid and their futures are bright.”

Brunson has long pointed to her West Philly upbringing and public school experience as inspiration for Abbott Elementary, her Emmy-winning sitcom set in an underfunded Philadelphia school. Earlier this year, she received a key to the city during a visit to her old school, Andrew Hamilton School, where she was also recognized by a retired teacher who inspired the show.

The new fund builds on Brunson’s other charitable work with the school district. In 2023, she donated $25,000 to its Groceries for Good program, which helps students facing food insecurity.

Research from the National Education Association suggests field trips have long-term impacts: students who take part tend to earn better grades, are more likely to graduate, and go on to higher incomes later in life.

Through the fund, Brunson and the district hope to level the playing field and make those benefits more widely accessible — one trip at a time.

Abbott Elementary Creator Launches Fund to Bring Free Field Trips to Philadelphia Students

BBC News

Jim Gettings still remembers every detail of that first peacetime Christmas in 1945 — the one that came after six years of war, ration books, and bomb raids. Now 100, the Royal Marine veteran from Hessle, East Yorkshire, holds a black-and-white photo of his late wife Joan and smiles gently as he revisits what was then dubbed “Victory Christmas.”

“I had to get home,” he said. “It was Christmas, and my wife was pregnant.”

With just two days’ leave from the Royal Navy and no money for a train ticket, Gettings was determined to make it home. He boarded anyway, showed the ticket inspector his leave pass, and explained the situation.

“I said, ‘I'm skint! I've no money, what can we do?’” he recalled. “The inspector looked around, saw no one else was watching, and just said, ‘Go on then. Clear off!’”

All he had left was a few coins — just enough for the bus fare to get him the rest of the way.

Gettings, who joined the Royal Marines the moment he turned 18, was no stranger to hardship. He’d grown up during the Depression, joined an anti-aircraft battery in Hull at 16, and had survived the blast of a parachute mine dropped on his neighbourhood earlier in the war. Later, he was posted to Holland, holding the southern bank of the River Maas while German forces held the north.

That Christmas in 1945, Britain was still under rationing, but the atmosphere had changed. Lights were strung up. There were no sirens, no bombs falling overhead. For the first time in years, people could celebrate without fear.

“We didn’t have much, but we had peace,” he said.

The previous year, in 1944, he had asked for leave to marry his fiancée Joan — a librarian three years his senior whom he met while working in a library. Initially denied, his sergeant eventually relented.

“He told me war isn't time for stuff like that,” Gettings said. “But then he said, ‘I'll give you a week's leave — do what you like with it.’” That week, he and Joan married.

As Germany surrendered in May 1945, celebrations swept across Britain. Town squares filled with people. Street parties broke out. But for those still stationed in Europe, the mood was different.

“It was just the end of the war. We didn't celebrate at all,” he said. He and other Marines were stationed in former German barracks — places previously filled with enemy soldiers. Then, something unexpected happened.

“After a while, the German lads started to drift back into the barracks, and we were all mixed up together,” Gettings said. “We’d give them bully beef. We were just soldiers together. No hatred. Just soldiers.”

That moment — the absence of anger or revenge — stayed with him.

After the war, he and Joan built a life together. They raised three children and now have eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He still talks about the effort it took to defeat Germany and the role the Royal Air Force played.

“If anyone tried to stop us, the marvellous RAF sorted them out,” he said. “We never stopped.”

Nearly eight decades later, Gettings’ memories of Christmas 1945 remain clear — not for the gifts or the food, but for what it meant. He was home. The war was over. And there was new life on the way.

That, he says, is what made it a true Victory Christmas.

A 100-Year-Old Royal Marine Recalls His First Christmas After WWII: 'No Hatred, Just Soldiers'

The Cool Down

Electric vehicle drivers in Wisconsin are about to get a lot more charging options. The state just awarded $14 million in federal grants to install nearly 30 new fast-charging stations, part of a broader push to expand EV infrastructure and support clean energy.

The latest funding round is a piece of a larger $37 million rollout across two phases, with a total of 78 projects now receiving support under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That law, passed in 2021, set aside over $1 trillion for upgrading roads, bridges, internet access, and green energy nationwide.

In Wisconsin, charging stations will now appear at spots like Target, hotels, a chocolate shop, and 11 Kwik Trip locations — a gas and convenience store chain that's become a familiar pit stop across the Midwest.

“WisDOT is pleased to help offer drivers reliable and convenient places to stop so they can feel comfortable making a trip across the state and have the opportunity to support local businesses along the way,” said Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Kristina Boardman in a statement reported by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Nearly 40,000 electric vehicles are currently registered in Wisconsin, and that number is expected to rise as access to fast, reliable charging expands. The state’s long-term goal is to make EV road trips feel just as easy as filling up a tank of gas.

That momentum hit a political roadblock earlier this year.

In early 2025, the Trump administration abruptly halted the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, putting a temporary stop to Wisconsin’s charging plans. The move sparked legal action from Wisconsin and several other states, arguing the administration had overstepped by pausing an already-approved program.

A federal judge sided with the states in June, ruling that the funding must resume. Shortly after, Gov. Tony Evers celebrated the decision, saying the restart would not only modernize Wisconsin’s transportation systems but also promote job growth and keep the state competitive.

“Restarting this program will help Wisconsin meet the evolving requirements of the modern economy,” Evers said.

The new fast chargers being funded aren’t just about convenience. They’re also aimed at supporting local businesses and encouraging cleaner travel.

“We're confident that these fast-charging stations, through this next round of grants, will help meet the evolving needs of residents and visitors to our state,” said DOT spokesperson John DesRivieres, “ensuring we've got EV infrastructure in place to help folks get from Point A to Point B.”

That idea — supporting small businesses while reducing emissions — is central to the state’s rollout. Many of the charging stations are located on private properties, giving travelers more reasons to stop, shop, and spend while they wait for their EVs to recharge.

Wisconsin has now committed over $22 million for more than 50 projects through the NEVI program, with a total of $37 million granted when including both rounds of funding.

With the federal funds flowing again and charging stations expanding across urban and rural areas, the state is banking on a cleaner, more connected future — one where electric cars can go the distance without drivers having to worry where they’ll power up next.

Download the world's only news app designed to spread joy and happiness.

What's Good Now!