Goodable

In Colorado, a passerby saw a bird caught on a fishing hook and struggling to swim.

So she rushed to a nearby fire station, where firefighters arrived to free the bird, giving it a second chance at life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
❤️🐦

In Colorado, a passerby saw a bird caught on a fishing hook and struggling to swim. So she rushed to a nearby fire station, where firefighters arrived to free the bird, giving it a second chance at life. ❤️🐦

These Firefighters Just Rescued a Bird Caught in a Fishing Hook Line

More than 18,000 Delaware residents will end the year with a lighter burden — and less medical debt — thanks to a first-of-its-kind state initiative.

Governor Matt Meyer announced this week that nearly $19 million in medical debt has been eliminated so far as part of Delaware’s new medical debt relief program. The effort is funded through a $500,000 investment in the state’s FY 2026 budget and carried out in partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that purchases and cancels unpaid medical bills.

“With this first $19 million in debt wiped away, we’re showing what’s possible when states invest in practical solutions to deliver real relief,” said Meyer. “We’re already helping over 18,000 Delawareans sleep easier this holiday season, and we look forward to more good news in 2026.”

The nonprofit works by purchasing bundled medical debt portfolios from hospitals and debt collectors at steep discounts — often for pennies on the dollar. On average, $1 can erase about $100 of medical debt, according to the governor’s office.

To date, 18,145 people across Delaware have had a portion or all of their qualifying debt erased. The goal is to reach up to $50 million in medical debt relief statewide in the coming months.

“There is no application process,” said Undue Medical Debt President and CEO Allison Sesso. “Eligibility is based on financial need.”

Residents who qualify will receive official notification letters in the mail confirming that their medical debt has been abolished. The first round of letters is being sent between December 19 and 23, and will serve as a receipt of debt cancellation.

“Medical debt is both a financial and emotional burden; no one chooses to get sick, be in an accident, or have a chronic condition,” Sesso said. “This partnership will provide welcome relief to families facing financial hardship simply from seeking necessary care.”

The Delaware initiative joins a growing wave of local and state governments exploring medical debt relief as a public health and economic strategy — tackling one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. and providing a path toward greater financial stability for thousands of families.

Delaware Wipes Out $19M in Medical Debt For More Than 18,000 People

Space

It might look like winter whimsy from space, but this “snowman” on the coast of Siberia is anything but ordinary.

On June 16, 2025, NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite captured a striking image of a string of frozen, oval-shaped lagoons hugging the shoreline near Billings, Russia. The layout was so precise, the entire formation resembled a perfectly stacked snowman pressed against the Arctic coast.

But this isn’t just a fun pattern. The image offers scientists valuable insights into how ice, land, and water interact in one of the planet’s most dynamic cold regions.

A frozen scene in mid-June

Billings, a remote Arctic settlement established in the 1930s as a Soviet port, sits on a narrow spit of land between the Arctic Ocean and a set of linked coastal lagoons. The area lies along Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula, a prime example of what geologists call an “edge zone” — where land, water, ice, and wind constantly reshape each other.

Despite being the warmest part of the year, mid-June in this part of Siberia still means freezing temperatures. NASA says the average minimum temperature hovers around −0.6°C (−30.9°F), so it’s no surprise the lagoons and coastline remain locked in ice.

The satellite image shows ice-covered lagoons and dense sea ice along the coast — a rare glimpse into how frozen landscapes persist even in Arctic summer.

Why the image matters

The snowman shape might grab attention, but researchers are more interested in what it shows: a clear, consistent view of a permafrost-laden landscape caught mid-thaw.

Images like this help scientists understand how seasonal freezing and melting affect fragile Arctic coastlines. These regions are vulnerable to rapid erosion, habitat shifts, and changes that can disrupt Indigenous communities, shipping routes, and wildlife.

The contrast between the lagoon ice, sea ice, and surrounding land gives researchers critical data on ice coverage and shoreline behavior.

How Landsat 8 does it

Launched in 2013, Landsat 8 is one of the most dependable satellites in Earth science. It orbits roughly 700 kilometers above the planet and revisits the same spot every 16 days. That kind of schedule, combined with consistent, medium-resolution imaging, allows scientists to track changes across time, not just capture snapshots.

Landsat 8 carries two main instruments: the Operational Land Imager (OLI), which captures visible and infrared light in 30-meter resolution, and a panchromatic sensor that sharpens detail to 15 meters. It’s ideal for broad views that still show enough detail to make sense of what’s happening on the ground — or in this case, on the ice.

A record-breaking snowman?

The “snowman” seen from orbit spans roughly 22 kilometers, or about 14 miles, from top to bottom. For context, the tallest actual snowman ever built — according to Guinness World Records — stood just 37.2 meters tall (about 0.02 miles), constructed in Bethel, Maine.

That makes this Arctic version not only natural, but thousands of times larger — even if it melts a little faster.

NASA spots massive ‘snowman’ on Siberian coast — and it’s 14 miles tall

Simon-Pierre Bouchard has spent thousands of hours in the sky, but nothing quite compared to this.

Leaping out of a plane more than 4,200 metres above Florida, the veteran skydiver from Quebec joined 16 other Canadians and dozens of international teammates in an attempt to break the world record for largest canopy formation.

“When we exit the plane, the first few seconds are in free fall, so we see the plane going away,” Bouchard said. “This is exhilarating, this is what gets me to fly.”

The jump happened on November 22 in Lake Wales, Florida. A total of 104 skydivers from around the world leapt from eight separate aircraft, aiming to dock their parachutes together mid-air to form a giant diamond-shaped canopy.

To pull it off, each person had to open their parachute in just the right place, time their descent perfectly, and lock onto others without tangling lines—a mistake that could prove deadly.

Those jumping from the highest altitudes, more than 5,700 metres, had to use oxygen tanks to avoid hypoxia, a condition caused by low oxygen at high elevations. The team had just 11 minutes to complete the formation before the landing zone came too close.

“It was hard to believe at first,” said Quebec City police officer Jean-François Denis, who also took part in the record attempt. “People were giving hugs, high fives and shouting with joy.”

Denis had trained nearly five years to qualify for the elite group. He adopted a strict diet and fitness regimen, losing more than 15 pounds to meet the requirements.

“I didn’t get any cheat days or cheat meals,” he said.

The celebration didn’t begin immediately. After the jump, the team had to wait two hours while international judges analyzed video footage and measurements to determine whether the attempt had succeeded.

Eventually, word came: they had done it.

“We need to trust, individually, everyone that is in this formation, even though we don’t know them personally,” Bouchard said. “I couldn’t stop smiling.”

The record, originally set in 2007, now awaits final approval from the International Skydiving Commission before being officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

“We have to demonstrate that we all have proper lines to hold and the canopies of every jumper needs to be at a certain height above them,” Denis explained.

He has completed over 1,600 jumps, but this was something else. The day after setting the record, the group attempted to beat it again—this time aiming for 111 skydivers—but a few missteps kept them from locking in a second record.

“We were so close to get 111 but there were some mistakes,” Denis said. Still, he’s hopeful there will be another chance.

Getting into an event like this is no small feat. Skydivers had to qualify at one of eight selection camps held globally, including one in Quebec.

Even with years of experience, participating in a large canopy formation goes against what most skydivers are taught early on: stay away from other parachutes.

“The first thing you learn is to stay away from other [parachutes] because getting entangled or wrapped in someone else’s at low altitude can be really dangerous,” Denis said. But when done correctly, he added, “it creates a bond with the people you’re jumping with.”

Gregory Perrimond, owner of Parachute Montréal, said the discipline of canopy formation is something of a lost art. “It must have been really complicated for the organizers,” he said, pointing to the difficulty of finding enough people with the right experience.

While Florida was chosen for its more predictable skies, the wind still proved to be a challenge.

“Imagine the wind isn’t stable on such a huge formation,” Perrimond said. “It takes a lot of work to keep it in place.”

Still, despite the difficulty—and the danger—the thrill of defying gravity with dozens of others in perfect sync continues to draw skydivers like Bouchard and Denis back to the skies.

And next time, they’re aiming for 111.

Quebec City Skydivers Set New World Record With Largest Parachute Formation

Fox News

A surprising drug pairing could offer new hope for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially those who don’t respond to standard treatments.

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) found that combining two existing cancer drugs—venetoclax, typically used for leukemia, and palbociclib, commonly used for breast cancer—led to much stronger and longer-lasting results than venetoclax alone.

AML is one of the most aggressive types of leukemia. More than 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with it every year. While treatment options have improved over the past decade, drug resistance remains a major challenge.

"This drug regimen may be especially effective in patients whose tumors exhibit features that cause resistance to the current standard of care," said Jeffrey Tyner, professor at OHSU’s School of Medicine and the Knight Cancer Institute, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The findings came from an extensive analysis of tissue samples from over 300 patients with AML. The research team didn’t start with any particular drug combo in mind, Tyner noted. Instead, they tested a wide range of pairings—including combinations already used in standard care—and tracked which ones worked best.

It wasn’t close.

"The leukemia and breast cancer drug combination showed the most promising results," said Melissa Stewart, lead author of the study and research assistant professor at OHSU.

Stewart explained that AML cells exposed to venetoclax alone eventually adapt and fight back by increasing protein production. But when researchers added palbociclib, that adaptation process was blocked. The result: fewer surviving cancer cells.

They confirmed the finding both in human tissue samples and in mouse models carrying human leukemia cells.

"In this model, venetoclax alone didn’t extend survival at all—just as we’d expect based on the genetics," Stewart said. "But with the combination, the majority of mice lived 11 to 12 months. In fact, one mouse was still alive when the study ended."

That’s a significant jump. For comparison, even among patients who initially respond well to venetoclax (often used in combination with azacitidine), resistance almost always returns over time. The five-year survival rate for AML remains between 25 and 40 percent.

"Unfortunately, almost everyone will eventually have drug resistance," Tyner said in a press release. "This regimen has improved initial response rates and quality of life, but... we have a lot of work to do."

The study, which has not yet progressed to human trials, helps explain why the new combo appears to work so well. That’s a critical step in moving forward with clinical testing.

Right now, the findings are based on preclinical data. The team is pushing for human trials but emphasized that clinical activity in AML patients hasn’t been formally tested yet—beyond a few anecdotal cases.

"So, the biggest limitation is also our desired next step—of testing this new drug combination in clinical trials," Tyner said.

The research comes at a time when the need for new AML treatments is urgent. Venetoclax, approved by the FDA in 2019, has been a step forward in AML therapy, especially when paired with azacitidine. But the improvements have mostly been short-term.

Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturers of venetoclax for comment on the study.

Until clinical trials begin, doctors and patients will have to wait. But the early results suggest that pairing an existing leukemia drug with a breast cancer treatment could be one of the most promising developments in AML treatment in years.

A New Cancer Drug Combo Offers Hope For Patients Resistant To Standard Treatments

People

A pair of strangers-turned-friends are now forever connected by one of the most unforgettable experiences of their lives — proposing at 17,598 feet on the same day.

Cecilia Lundberg and Kyle Morton, and Dayna Champion and Zac Rub, had never met before joining the same trekking group to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. But on December 13, their separate love stories hit the same dramatic milestone when both men proposed — within minutes of each other — at the top of the world.

The group had spent eight days ascending to Base Camp, the famous staging area at the foot of Mount Everest, battling altitude sickness, fatigue, and freezing temperatures. But for Rub, the moment to pop the question came when he and Champion reached the iconic Everest Base Camp rock. Their guide quietly asked someone to start filming — and just as Champion turned, she found Rub on one knee.

“She was so overwhelmed she didn’t quite get her answer out at first,” Lundberg recalled, “but quickly we heard a ‘Yes!’ alongside the happy tears.”

Unbeknownst to Champion, another proposal was about to unfold.

Lundberg was still filming when Champion and Rub made their way down from the boulder. “I turned off the camera and looked over at Kyle, who I now noticed had a suspiciously box-shaped lump in his pocket,” she said. “He caught my eye and said something like, ‘I guess great minds think alike.’”

Moments later, Morton led her up the same rock, dropped to one knee, and asked if she would be his partner forever.

“Of course, I said, ‘Yes,’” Lundberg said. “I couldn’t imagine a more perfect proposal, altitude sickness and all.”

Both couples had been in their respective relationships for around four years and were thrilled to share the moment — and a few ring selfies — together. “It took a minute to really sink in,” Lundberg admitted. “We had just started the hike back down... I thought to myself, ‘I really need to call my mom and tell her I’m engaged.’ That’s when it hit me — I was engaged! And engaged to my very best friend, at that!”

That hike down, however, was no gentle stroll. Everyone was exhausted and feeling the toll of the thin air. Champion and Rub were hit hardest by the altitude, with Rub, despite being ill himself, running alongside his new fiancée carrying both of their packs.

Meanwhile, Lundberg was in slightly better shape — though she joked she “didn’t speed things up at all by stopping every couple of minutes to look at my ring.”

Once they reached a more breathable elevation, spirits lifted and the full joy of the day set in. That night, the group threw a spontaneous celebration at the only bar open in Lukla, the gateway town to Everest.

Back home, the couples marked their engagements in their own ways: Champion and Rub celebrated with family in Australia, while Lundberg and Morton enjoyed a quiet dinner at their favorite restaurant in Hamburg, Germany, where they both work as professional equestrians.

Despite coming from different places and being at different points in life, the couples clicked immediately. “By the end of the first week hiking, it felt like we had all known each other for much longer,” said Lundberg. “Kyle and I got along especially well with Dayna and Zac, who seemed to be at a similar point in their relationship to us.”

As for the trek itself, the couples say it was unforgettable — and not just because of the proposals.

“Nepal as a country was so incredible,” said Lundberg. “The energy and beauty of Kathmandu, the harsh, stunning Himalayan landscapes, and the people — both fellow travelers and the local guides and porters who made the trek possible.”

Reflecting on it all, she added: “Of course, my most life-changing moment of the trip was getting engaged to my partner, in our business, in our traveling, and now in our lives. I am so happy to be spending the rest of my life with my very favorite person.”

Two Couples, Two Proposals, One Epic Moment at Mount Everest Base Camp

Sunny Skyz

For 42 years, Noel Maguire has been a familiar face on New York’s Upper East Side, working as a doorman, greeting neighbors, and keeping a watchful eye on his building. But it’s what he does after hours that’s capturing hearts around the country.

Maguire is going viral on TikTok for his long-running commitment to helping the city’s homeless—work he’s done quietly and consistently for more than a decade through a nonprofit named after his mother, the Ellen Maguire Foundation.

Every Wednesday night, without fail, Maguire loads up his car with essentials—backpacks, sleeping bags, warm coats—and drives around the city offering them to anyone who needs help. If someone approaches his car asking for something, he never turns them away.

@saraanneleeds, who shared his story online, posted, “After his shifts as an Upper East Side doorman, Noel has spent every Wednesday night for the past 11 years feeding NYC’s unhoused population. This holiday season, more than ever, Noel could use support.”

Whether it's monetary donations or items like clothing, toys, hygiene products, or food, Maguire accepts it all with open arms and passes it directly into the hands of those who need it.

“I love to talk to people,” Maguire said. “It’s like, I feel like I have hundreds of friends just walking by every morning.”

What makes his story so powerful is its consistency. For 11 years, Maguire has shown up—after long workdays, in winter and summer, without cameras or fanfare. Now, thanks to social media, his acts of quiet generosity are being recognized.

Many online are calling him a local hero. Others are donating to the Ellen Maguire Foundation or offering items to support his weekly rounds.

But for Maguire, it’s not about recognition.

His philosophy is simple: if someone needs help, he helps. And that, in one of the busiest cities in the world, might be the most New York thing of all.

NYC Doorman Goes Viral for Quietly Helping the Homeless After Hours for 11 Years

Just days before Christmas, a small dog tossed into a trash compactor in Gardena, California, found a second chance — and a new family — thanks to a quick-thinking police officer.

While walking near Normandy Avenue, Sgt. Nick Beerling of the Gardena Police Department heard faint cries coming from a solar-powered compactor trash can. Inside, he found a terrified terrier mix, huddled on top of a pile of garbage.

“He was just kind of whimpering and shaking, looking for help,” Beerling told NBC Los Angeles.

Animal control responded and safely removed the pup from the bin. The dog, estimated to be around a year old, was taken to the SPCA LA South Bay Pet Adoption Center, where staff nicknamed him Flan — a nod to his dessert-colored fur.

Despite being out of immediate danger, the little dog’s story didn’t leave Beerling’s mind.

On Christmas Eve, he returned to the shelter — this time with his family — and made it official. They adopted the pup.

“The girls and I have been trying to convince him to get another pet for a while, and he hasn't wanted to commit,” a family member said. “But this little guy just tugged on his heart.”

Now renamed Norm, after the street where he was found, the dog joins the Beerling family’s other pet, a Shih Tzu, in his new forever home.

Security cameras were nearby, but SPCA LA said the footage was not made available to police. Even so, they say the dog’s recovery and Beerling’s decision to adopt him turned what could’ve been a tragic story into something far better.

“Flan’s resilience and the officer’s quick actions have turned a tragic situation into a happy ending,” the shelter wrote.

Dog Abandoned in Trash Compactor Gets Rescued — and Adopted by the Officer Who Found Him

CTV News

Hardeep Singh Toor didn’t expect his final fare of the night to turn into a delivery run — quite literally.

Just after midnight this past Sunday, the Calgary Checker cab driver picked up a couple in distress. The woman was clearly in labor, and her companion urgently asked to be taken to the hospital.

“They said they’re having an emergency, [and] they need to go to the hospital,” Toor told CTV. “She was in pain.”

His first instinct was to call an ambulance, but with slick roads and a snowstorm slowing everything down, Toor quickly assessed the situation. “Her body language was telling me she did not have the time,” he said. “I decided to drive.”

For the next 30 minutes, he navigated icy streets, praying for green lights and a smooth ride to Peter Lougheed Centre. Behind him, the woman was shouting in pain, and her partner was trying to keep her calm. Then came the red lights — and more stress.

“Every time I got to a red light, I was afraid,” Toor said. “This kind of situation, it’s someone’s life [at stake].”

About three blocks from the hospital, near McKnight Boulevard N.E., the shouting stopped. The baby had been born — right there in the back seat.

At first, there was silence. No cries. No sound from the mother or baby.

“I was scared,” Toor said. “Then I heard a newborn’s crying. I thought, ‘OK, it’s going to be OK.’”

He didn’t stop. He kept driving straight to the hospital, determined to get medical help as fast as possible.

When he pulled up to the emergency entrance, staff were already rushing outside. Toor stepped aside and let them take over.

“They told me the mother and baby were good,” he said.

That was his last ride of the night, and it’s one he won’t soon forget.

“It’s my first experience getting two people in and three people out,” said Toor, who has been driving a cab for four years. “It’s a once-in-a-life moment, [and] it’s a proud moment.”

Calgary Cabbie Delivers Baby in Backseat During Late-Night Emergency Ride

Samrica Zogar was born with limb differences in her hands and feet—and into a world where disability often came with judgment and stigma. But now, the Liberia-born content creator is using her voice, her style, and her platform to challenge all of it.

“I post because I have built resilience toward words that don't define how I see myself,” Zogar told PEOPLE.

Now 37 and living in Minnesota, Zogar speaks candidly about the discrimination she faced growing up in Liberia. “Because of the lack of knowledge, awareness, social stigmas and marginalization, most Liberians do not have empathy for those born with rare conditions,” she said.

Some of the harshest treatment, she recalled, came from within her own family. “Some said it would have been best if I was not born,” she said.

But the physical challenges were just as relentless. Without access to adaptive footwear, Zogar often had to walk barefoot. “I experienced burns from the hot pavement and sand, and during the raining season, I would travel through muddy puddles,” she said.

Still, in the middle of pain and rejection, she found something to hold onto: fashion.

As a child, Zogar earned money selling her mother’s baked goods. She used it to buy clothes—small indulgences that made her feel like herself. “When I was being bullied, I came to find comfort in dressing up,” she said. “Fashion became therapeutic and an escape from reality.”

That love for clothing has only grown stronger, though shopping today still presents challenges. Most items need to be tailored to fit her body and accommodate her hand. Customized shoes are especially expensive—costing between $3,000 and $6,000 per pair—and Zogar only owns four.

Much of that is thanks to a woman named Michelle Lerach, whom Zogar met while working for a foundation in Liberia that taught women about ethical business. Ever since, Lerach has stepped in to provide Zogar with tailored footwear when she needs it.

Zogar’s love of fashion evolved into something bigger: a desire to model. She built a social media following and began sharing photos that blend bold style with vulnerability. Nearly 50,000 people now follow her on Instagram.

“I believe I have an innate nature to model,” she said. “I don’t let my disability stop me from pursuing my dream.”

And while the internet can be brutal, Zogar said she’s not shaken by negative comments. Her reason for sharing her life so openly is bigger than that—it's her daughter, 15-year-old Joerica.

“I must be strong for my daughter so that she can feed off my strength despite how the world may see me,” she said. “When she sees my strength, it gives her hope.”

Their conversations go beyond survival. Zogar teaches her daughter to embrace who she is fully, to see beauty where the world might overlook it.

“We have conversations about loving the hair and skin we are in,” Zogar said. “I've taught her to look at beauty in a deeper sense—that beauty is not only about appearance, but in the confidence to celebrate unique types of beauty.”

Zogar is still chasing her dreams—and making room for others to chase theirs, too.

Model With Limb Differences Defies Criticism And Embraces Her Unique Beauty

The Cool Down

A new sanctuary on the Gulf Coast is offering critically endangered whooping cranes a much-needed safe haven as their population makes a slow but hopeful recovery.

The Wolfberry Whooping Crane Sanctuary, opened in Texas, will serve as a wintering ground for the 550 birds that migrate each year from their breeding grounds in Canada. The $8.4 million land acquisition was led by multiple conservation organizations and marks a major step forward in efforts to protect one of North America’s rarest birds.

The whooping crane’s story is one of dramatic decline and cautious optimism. In the 1940s, only 21 birds remained in the wild—just 16 of them in Texas. Decades of wetland destruction and illegal hunting had brought the species to the edge of extinction. They were among the first animals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973.

Carter Crouch, director of Gulf Coast programs at the International Crane Foundation, praised the new sanctuary while recognizing how fragile the bird’s recovery still is.

“We have a long way to go still, so there's a lot of story to be written, and I'm super excited to be a small part of that,” Crouch said.

Standing nearly five feet tall, whooping cranes are striking birds with white feathers, black wingtips, and a bright red patch on their heads. Their loud, trumpeting calls can be heard from kilometers away—hence the name.

But they’re more than just a dramatic sight or sound. Whooping cranes are a keystone of wetland ecosystems. They help regulate food webs by controlling prey species and spreading nutrients. Their presence also serves as an ecological signal: if the cranes are thriving, so is the habitat around them.

That’s part of what makes the sanctuary so significant. Rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion are steadily eating away at the coastal wetlands these birds depend on. By securing large tracts of winter habitat now, conservation groups are trying to stay ahead of the environmental changes that could push the cranes back into decline.

Social media reaction to the sanctuary’s opening has been overwhelmingly positive. An Instagram post by @savingcranes celebrating the news drew dozens of upbeat comments, including “Great win conserving one of the Earth’s great habitats for wildlife for future generations!” and “Bravo! Thank You! Congratulations!”

There’s also reason for wider optimism. In another part of the world, a rare crane species has recently made a strong comeback thanks to international cooperation and targeted protection efforts—proof that with enough support, recovery is possible.

Whooping cranes live long lives and are surprisingly resilient, but their survival depends on continued conservation work. For those looking to make a difference, supporting local or global efforts—whether through volunteering, donations, or awareness—can help keep these birds flying for generations to come.

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