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How A Group Of Local Italian Lawyers Are Helping Ukrainian Refugees
Ukrainians fleeing across the border to Poland have found a group of supporters in the form of a north Italian law practice. Just ten days after Russia invaded Ukraine, lawyer Andrea Boni jumped in his van and drove to the Poland-Ukraine border. Him and his team brought food, water, first aid, and other supplies to help refugees
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Young Boy Raises Funds For Local Animal Shelter, Inspired By School Lessons On Charity
When four-year-old Easton Peterson learned about charity at his preschool in Oxford, Michigan, he took the lesson to heart — and decided to turn it into action. For the past month, Easton has been collecting pop cans, donations, and supplies to help his local animal shelter, the K9 Stray Rescue League, which has been rescuing and rehoming dogs for more than 30 years. “At his school, each month they pick a virtue of the month, and back in September the virtue was charity,” said his mother, Alexandra Peterson. “We had some conversations with Easton about what that meant and how we could show charity and give to our community, and after looking at a couple of different options he decided he wanted to help out the dogs.” The K9 Stray Rescue League primarily takes in dogs from Detroit Animal Care and Control and finds homes for roughly 300 dogs each year. Right now, the nonprofit is caring for about 30 dogs at its shelter and several more in foster homes. Lead evaluator and trainer Kelly Barker said Easton’s act of kindness came as a welcome surprise. “I love when kids get involved and I love, especially a four-year-old, that is going to have such empathy and compassion and an interest in helping dogs at such a young age,” she said. Easton and his family began sharing his project on social media, and the community quickly rallied behind him. So far, he’s raised more than $300 and collected over 30 items from the shelter’s Amazon wishlist — everything from dog food and treats to toys and cleaning supplies. “Any donations, especially since we’re funded strictly by donations, is very helpful and keeps our doors open,” Barker said. For Easton, who has always loved animals, the effort has been pure joy. “He just absolutely loves animals in particular, so it’s so great that the shelter that we’re helping is right here in Oxford,” said his mom. His dad, Chad Peterson, says watching his son’s compassion in action has been inspiring. “It’s beautiful to see that innocence in the world and to see him so excited about it and also carry this forward in his life,” he said. Donations to support Easton’s cause can be made directly through the K9 Stray Rescue League website — proof that even the smallest hands can make a big difference.
Score (90)
'Tron: Ares' Steers To $33 Million Opening At Domestic Box Office
“This is a solid opening for a character-driven comedy about a fugitive living a double life who falls for a divorced mom,” said David A. Gross, author of the industry newsletter FranchiseRe, noting that comedies of this type typically open around $6.4 million domestically. Holding third was Warner Bros.’ One Battle After Another with $6.67 million, bringing its three-week total to $54 million. Fourth place went to Universal Pictures’ Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie with $3.35 million, followed by Sony’s Soul on Fire at $3 million. Dergarabedian called Gabby’s Dollhouse “an unsung hero of the month,” noting that while its numbers are modest, it has remained steady thanks to family audiences. “It’s a very rare movie, in as much as it’s a G-rated film. Usually it’s PG movies that attract the family audience,” he said. Analysts noted that October has been light on major studio tentpoles, with most blockbuster releases pushed to the final weeks of the year. Upcoming heavy-hitters include Wicked: For Good (Nov. 21), Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Dec. 5), and Avatar: Fire and Ash (Dec. 19). Until then, Dergarabedian said, audiences will have to dig a little deeper. “Moviegoers have to research and find the movies that really grab them,” he said.
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Score (97)
Thrift Shop Find Could Be Priceless Glasswork of Scottish King
A Scottish antique dealer who picked up a dusty stained glass window at a thrift shop for just $25 believes he may have stumbled upon a priceless piece of medieval history — one possibly linked to King Robert the Bruce himself. Richard Drummond spotted the colorful glass panel while browsing a charity shop in Moffat, Scotland, and was told it had been found in an abandoned local house. After decades of grime were cleaned away, the glass revealed an image of what appears to be a knight, surrounded by a Latin inscription reading “Robert Rex Scotorum” — “Robert, King of the Scots.” “I cleaned it off with a brush, then I could see it said ‘Robert Rex Scotorum,’” said Drummond, 49. “That’s when I thought this was going to be interesting.” Intrigued, he began researching online and consulting experts across Scotland and abroad. Many agreed the craftsmanship suggested it could date as far back as the 14th century, around the time of Robert the Bruce — the Scottish king celebrated for leading his country to independence after victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. “It could be priceless,” Drummond told SWNS. “If this is proven to be of that period, it’s a massive historical find for Scotland.” He noted that the engravings, paintwork, and glass structure convinced a local museum curator that the piece was “hundreds of years old.” Some experts have speculated it might have originated in France and arrived in Scotland through the Knights Templar, while others believe it could have come from a castle once occupied by Robert the Bruce himself. “Which castle that is, I have no idea,” Drummond said. “I’m on a mission to get the artifact dated and find out exactly where it came from.” Drummond and his son Alfie recently appeared on the BBC program The Bidding Room, where the show’s experts confirmed the glass could be up to 700 years old. “Is this something that was made in Scotland or England for Robert the Bruce? Is it part of treasure that left France in 1307? Was it made in memory of him?” Drummond wondered. “It’s medieval art; it’s medieval Scottish history, and in my eyes, it’s just stunning.” He hopes to have the piece authenticated and displayed in a museum if its royal connection is confirmed. “It’s so well preserved, it’s been looked after,” he said. “It’s a piece of history that’s been forgotten about in Moffat.”
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Brave 10-Year-Old Saves Brother From Choking With Quick Heimlich Maneuver
A 10-year-old girl in Texas is being praised as a hero after saving her younger brother from choking — using a life-saving skill she learned from a babysitting guide and her mom. Lia and her 7-year-old brother, Logan, were playing on their backyard trampoline when the frightening moment happened. The two were eating sour candies when Logan suddenly began to choke. He clutched his chest and struggled to breathe. Without panicking, Lia sprang into action. She first patted her brother’s back, then quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver. Within seconds, the candy flew out and Logan could breathe again. Local police later shared video of the rescue, calling Lia’s response calm, fast, and effective. Lia’s mother, Heather James, works with the Lavon Police Department’s special programs unit, which offers life-saving courses. She said her daughter had learned the Heimlich technique from both her and a babysitting safety guide. “It was very hard to watch that moment, but I am proud of her,” Heather told NBC News. Heather said she was in the kitchen when it happened, and Lia ran in to tell her what she’d done. Logan, now fully recovered, also learned a lesson from the experience. According to his mom, he promised not to “jump on the trampoline with candy” ever again.
Score (97)
Detroit Students Pedal Toward Better Attendance With School-Provided Bikes
Every morning, 17-year-old Elyazar Holiday faces a two-hour, four-bus journey to school across Detroit. With no car at home and few yellow buses available for high schoolers, public transit is his only option — and it’s unreliable. Last year, his school found a simple way to make that trek easier: they gave every student a bike. At Davis Aerospace Technical High School, Principal Michelle Davis launched the program as part of a broader effort to tackle chronic absenteeism. Funded through community donations, nearly 100 students received bicycles — a gesture that, for many, has been life-changing. “Giving the students bikes is just one problem that we’ve solved for,” Davis said. “What we do intentionally is solve for all of the problems that the kids have, because that has to be our major responsibility.” For Holiday, the bike means independence — and safety. When a bus is late or doesn’t show, he can ride to a different stop or even pedal the rest of the way to school. “With the bike, I can still make up the distance or go to a different street to get on a different bus and still make it there on time,” he said. “A bike in itself is protection. You can use it to get away from the situation … or even throw it.” Other students say the bikes help them navigate the city and their lives more freely. Senior Myron Dean uses his to get to school in seven minutes, freeing up time for driver’s ed classes. Junior Tryve Roberts said his commute dropped from an hour-long walk to a 16-minute ride, and he’s rarely late now. Principal Davis said the idea was personal. As a teenager, she remembered the freedom she felt when her mother bought her a pink Huffy. So, she wrote “bikes” at the top of her “big ideas” board — and made it happen. It’s part of a larger cultural shift at Davis Aerospace, where improving attendance has become a community-wide mission. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped more than 14 percentage points last year and nearly 23 points since 2018–19. While more than 42 percent of students still missed too many days, the progress stands out in a district where some schools see rates close to 80 percent. Inside the building, attendance is tracked publicly, with monthly prizes for the most consistent classes — cookies, nachos, or a movie day. A “free boutique” offers clothes, coats, and shoes to students who need them, while another room provides hygiene products and laundry machines. Davis says staff even discuss launching a carpool program for nearby families. “What we know is that there’s not just one thing that’s going to decrease absenteeism,” Davis said. “Every kid that has a barrier for attendance, we talk to those students. We see what the barriers are, and we solve for the student and their challenge to getting to school.” For some, the bikes are more than transportation — they’re a taste of freedom. Junior Roderic Pippen said riding has become a hobby. “I like to adventure on the bike — find new places to be at,” he said. “My bike trips are more fun than just sitting in the car, scrolling on the internet.” Seniors Savannah Robinson and Ciana Carter said their bikes gave them independence during the summer when their parents were at work. “Anytime she had a bad day, I’d be like, come on, girl, let’s go ride our bikes and get fresh air,” Robinson said. For Holiday, it’s also opened new doors. This year, he’s using his bike to get to biweekly events for the Midnight Golf Program, a mentorship and college readiness group. “When you’re a teenager, bikes are your first form of transportation,” Davis said. “It gives you a form of freedom. You explore the world with your bike.”
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From Qualifier to Champion: World No. 204 Beat Novak Djokavic, Then His Cousin, to Claim First Major Title
Of all the ways Valentin Vacherot could have won his first major tennis title, this one feels straight out of a movie. The world No. 204 had to fight through qualifying just to make it into the Shanghai Masters. Then, one by one, he toppled four seeded players—each ranked far above him—before shocking world No. 11 Holger Rune in the quarterfinals. Next came the ultimate test: Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Somehow, the 26-year-old from Monaco beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to reach his first-ever Masters 1000 final. And there, waiting for him, was his own cousin. Arthur Rinderknech, ranked No. 54 in the world, had just taken out Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal. The two cousins, who once played college tennis together at Texas A&M, were suddenly facing each other in one of the sport’s biggest tournaments. In a match that felt more like a family reunion than a professional showdown, Vacherot came back from a set down to beat Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3—becoming the lowest-ranked player ever to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. The moment was historic for more than one reason. It was the first time in ATP history that cousins had played each other in a Masters 1000 final, and the first time family members had met in a major ATP final since John McEnroe beat his brother Patrick in 1991. “Grandpa and Grandma would be proud,” Vacherot wrote on the camera lens afterward. Both men struggled to speak in the post-match interview, overcome with emotion. “It is unreal what just happened. I have no idea what is happening right now. I am not even dreaming, it is just crazy,” Vacherot said, according to the ATP Tour. “I am just so happy with my performances the past two weeks. I just want to thank everyone who has helped with my career since the beginning. There has to be one loser but I think there is two winners today. One family that won and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.” Rinderknech, who had dominated the first set with 12 winners and only two unforced errors, could only smile after watching his cousin’s comeback. “To Valentin, my love, you just gave everything, I’m so happy for you, I hope we’re going to have more,” he said. For Vacherot, the win changes everything. Before Shanghai, he had just one ATP match victory and a total of $594,077 in career prize money. This single tournament earned him $1.12 million and a massive leap into the world’s top 50. But on Sunday night in Shanghai, the money and ranking points seemed secondary. The image that will endure is of two cousins, arms around each other, barely able to speak through the tears—one of them holding a trophy that neither could quite believe was real.
Score (97)
Austin's Scream Club Offers Unique Stress Relief and Community Connection
On a quiet Sunday evening in Austin, the scene along Lady Bird Lake feels peaceful — runners glide by, a busker strums his guitar, boats drift lazily in the water. Then, suddenly, the calm is broken by a chorus of screams. This isn’t a protest or a movie shoot. It’s Scream Club Austin — one of the city’s newest social groups dedicated to a simple idea: sometimes you just need to yell it out. Every Sunday around 7 p.m., dozens gather on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge downtown to do just that. For a few cathartic minutes, they release whatever’s been building up inside — frustration, anxiety, sadness, or just the pressure of trying to keep it all together. The group was started by Austin local Krystal Morris, who admits the inspiration came from her own bad stretch of luck. “After my A/C went out and I stubbed my toe multiple days in a row, I needed to get it out without punching someone in the face,” she said. When she heard about Scream Club Chicago, which launched earlier this year and quickly inspired similar gatherings across the U.S., Morris decided to bring the idea home to Texas. She held Austin’s first Scream Club meeting in early September — and 150 people showed up. “There were multiple people who cried,” she said. “Most people laughed. And I had, immediately afterwards, many, many people coming up saying how much they enjoyed it.” Each session begins with Morris holding a sign that reads “Ever feel the need to scream?” before leading everyone through some light stretches and breathing exercises. Then comes the main event — a few minutes of unrestrained noise. Long battle cries echo across the lake, guttural roars rise over the bridge, and even a few boaters join in from the water. Morris says the act of screaming together hits deeper than people expect. “Sometimes we need permission to scream,” she said. “We’re so used to holding things together or feeling like we should be able to handle whatever is going on in our life. Just having permission to release is a really big part of it.” But the gatherings aren’t only about letting go — they’re about connection, too. “You have that camaraderie with not even knowing the person next to you,” Morris said. “People either are pretty lonely or they don’t feel like they can vent to their friends because they’ll be judged.” That sense of connection is what keeps regulars coming back. “I actually made a new friend,” said Kenken Gorder, who’s been attending since the first meeting. “We met, talked for two hours, walked downtown and then made plans to go to Uchiko.” For others, like first-timer Gustavo Seixas, it’s about finding release. “I’ve been having some ups and downs in my life, like with depression and stuff,” he said. “I was like, why not? There’s so much sh— I want to scream about.” By the end of the session, he was smiling. “It’s really good, just vent out all your frustrations, all your things you have to let go of. Being around everyone doing that, it builds community.” As the final screams fade and the sun sets over the water, the mood shifts from chaos to calm. “It’s a nice way to end the week, nice way to start a new week,” said first-timer Teddy Tesfaye. “Refreshed.”
Score (97)
New Research Suggests Moon's South Pole Holds Clues to Its Origins
When NASA astronauts land near the moon’s south pole in the coming years, they may be walking on top of one of the most important scientific archives in the solar system. According to new research led by Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, the region could hold answers to how the moon itself was born. The study, published October 8 in Nature, reconstructs the violent impact that shaped the South Pole–Aitken basin—an enormous crater spanning 1,900 kilometers from north to south and 1,600 kilometers from east to west—and offers new insight into one of lunar science’s biggest mysteries: why the moon’s far side is so much rougher than the near side we see from Earth. About 4.3 billion years ago, a massive asteroid slammed into the far side of the young moon, gouging out the South Pole–Aitken basin. The crater’s elongated, teardrop shape suggests the asteroid struck at an angle rather than head-on. By analyzing that shape and comparing it to other large craters across the solar system, Andrews-Hanna’s team concluded that the impactor likely arrived from the north, not the south as previously thought. “This means that the Artemis missions will be landing on the down-range rim of the basin — the best place to study the largest and oldest impact basin on the moon, where most of the ejecta, material from deep within the moon’s interior, should be piled up,” Andrews-Hanna said. The researchers found that the southern rim of the crater, which faces the incoming direction of the asteroid, is layered with thick debris ejected from deep below the surface. That debris could contain clues to the moon’s inner structure and chemical evolution. For decades, scientists have known that the moon once had a global “magma ocean.” As it cooled, heavier materials sank to form the mantle while lighter minerals floated to form the crust. But a peculiar mix of elements — potassium, rare earths, and phosphorus, known together as KREEP — became trapped in the final stages of solidification. Those ingredients are now concentrated on the near side of the moon, where they helped drive the volcanic activity that shaped the dark plains forming the “face” visible from Earth. “If you’ve ever left a can of soda in the freezer, you may have noticed that as the water becomes solid, the high fructose corn syrup resists freezing until the very end and instead becomes concentrated in the last bits of liquid,” Andrews-Hanna said. “We think something similar happened on the moon with KREEP.” But why the KREEP-rich material ended up on the near side has been unclear. The new study offers a compelling explanation: as the crust thickened on the far side, molten material beneath it was squeezed toward the near side — “like toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube,” Andrews-Hanna said. The team found that the South Pole–Aitken basin bears signs of this process. The crater’s western rim is rich in radioactive thorium — a marker of KREEP — while the eastern side is not. This uneven distribution suggests that the impact exposed a boundary between two distinct layers of the moon’s crust, offering a rare window into its ancient interior. “The distribution and composition of these materials match the predictions from our models of how the lunar magma ocean evolved,” Andrews-Hanna said. “The last dregs of the lunar magma ocean ended up on the near side, but a thin, patchy layer also existed beneath parts of the far side, explaining the radioactive ejecta we see on one side of the basin.” Many mysteries remain about how the moon formed and cooled, but the Artemis program could soon help answer them. Samples collected from the south pole region will allow scientists to test these ideas in detail. “Those samples will be analyzed by scientists around the world, including here at the University of Arizona,” Andrews-Hanna said. “With Artemis, we’ll have samples to study here on Earth, and we will know exactly what they are. Our study shows that these samples may reveal even more about the early evolution of the moon than had been thought.”
Score (98)
Grade School Teacher Dances for Six Days to Break World Record
When Carrie Swidecki stepped into an arcade 25 years ago, she had no idea she was about to change her life — and the record books. At 49, the California grade school teacher holds the Guinness World Record for the longest video game marathon ever after dancing for an astonishing 138 hours straight on Just Dance. She’s broken 13 dance-related records since 2011 and has even been inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame. Her obsession began in the summer of 2000, when she was 24 and struggling with her weight and confidence. “My mindset at the time was that my best years of my life were when I was an athlete in high school,” she told Guinness. Then one day, while walking past an arcade after buying a donut, she noticed Dance Dance Revolution flashing on a nearby screen. Curious, she gave it a try. “I quickly died after 10 steps and some guy came up to me and pointed at me and said, ‘You suck,’ because I was a woman and obese,” she recalled. “This moment struck a nerve with me and set me off on a journey to master the game. I had enough with people laughing at me due to my weight and I decided to fight back.” From that day on, she went back to the arcade every single day to practice. Within months, she placed third in a tournament and lost 34 kilograms in the process. What started as a personal challenge soon became a mission. “Age is truly just a number,” she said. “The impossible is possible if you have the courage to chase your dreams.” Swidecki now trains 45 hours a week and continues to use video game dancing to push her limits. In 2015, she officially claimed the Guinness record for the longest overall video game marathon, dancing for nearly six days straight. Now, she’s aiming even higher: “I’m on a journey to make history at the 2027 inaugural Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia at the age of 51 years old, where I hope to break my iconic 138 hours Just Dance Guinness World Records title live on the global stage of the Olympics,” she said. She hopes her story motivates people of all ages to believe in themselves. “At 49 years old I am in the best shape of my life thanks to gaming and dancing,” she said. “I hope to show that strength and endurance comes in all shapes, sizes and ages.” Outside the spotlight, Swidecki teaches fourth grade and integrates her passion for movement into her classroom. She runs afterschool programs where kids play dance-based video games to stay active, and she’s now working to launch an elementary esports league for her school district. Her message to her students — and to anyone watching — is simple: it’s never too late to start something new, and determination can outlast even the toughest critics.
Score (95)
Woman, 53, Becomes Uk's Longest Survivor Of Heart And Lung Transplant
At 15, doctors feared Katie Mitchell wouldn’t live to see adulthood. Her heart and lungs were failing from a rare congenital condition known as Eisenmenger syndrome, which causes dangerously high blood pressure in the lungs and leads to irreversible heart and lung damage. That was nearly four decades ago. Today, at 53, Mitchell is the UK’s longest-surviving heart and lung transplant recipient — and proof of how far organ donation can go in transforming lives. Mitchell received her combined heart and lung transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital in September 1987, a procedure so rare that only about five are carried out in the UK each year. “Thanks to organ donation, I was given the gift of a normal life,” she said. She still doesn’t know much about her donor — only that she was a young woman. “I think about my donor a lot, especially on the anniversary of the transplant,” Mitchell said. “I think about their family and what their family must have felt at the time. I am so grateful.” Living for 38 years after such a complex procedure is remarkable. Many patients are told they might expect only five to 10 years after a heart-lung transplant. “It’s quite difficult to put into words how it feels to know I am now the longest-lived heart-lung recipient in the UK,” she said. “It’s mixed feelings. People I know who had the same transplant have passed away in front of me, but it’s a blessing and amazing to feel I’ve had all this extra time.” She believes her success may partly come down to how her body has responded to the medications that keep her immune system from rejecting the organs. “Perhaps the immunosuppressants suit me well,” she said. “Everybody has so many different reactions to the medications, and everyone has their own regimen.” Mitchell’s transplant continues to function well, even after two additional kidney transplants — both from deceased donors — in 1994 and 2015. Now living in Sidcup, south-east London, she’s using her story to encourage others to sign up as organ donors. “I went to an event at Papworth and there were a couple of young women who had their heart-lung transplants recently,” she said. “I think it did them good and their parents good to see how long I and other people have lived. To be able to see me and other people who had lived for many years made a big difference to them.” There are currently more than 8,000 people on the UK transplant waiting list, including 12 waiting for a heart and lung transplant. Mitchell hopes her story gives them hope. “I think my story is just proof that organ donation and transplantation do work and you can live a normal life,” she said. Her surgeon, Marius Berman, the surgical lead for transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s fantastic to see Katie continuing to live life to the full, 38 years on from her transplant. To see it succeed so profoundly is a testament to the skill of many NHS teams, the generosity of donors and the resilience of patients like Katie.” “Her journey offers real hope to others currently waiting for transplants and reminds us all of the importance of organ donation,” he added.