Happy Saturday, dear readers, and welcome to the weekend! I hope you all get some time to relax, and unwind on this blessed day. So, let’s all get together virtually, to enjoy some brunch and the news.
Today we refer back, to a few topics we have covered in the past, and then hop around the news from there.
The Hong Kong government backs out of talks with Occupy Central demonstrators.
The Hong Kong government, has backed out of talks with pro-democracy protestors. They state that calls for increased demonstrations in the city by Occupy Central inconveniences the lives of those who live and work in the city, and this cannot be used as a bargaining chip in the situation. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive secretary said that demonstrations must end before discussions begin, and stressed that the government is not prepared to discuss protestor’s demands for democracy in Hong Kong.
An editorial reaction to celebrities as poster children for the gender equality movement.
Roxane Gay is an author who recently published the novel An Untamed State, which details a deeply dramatic look into gender violence. She is also releasing a collection of essays entitled Bad Feminism soon. She writes, in this commentary, about the fact that many feel feminism must be re-branded, with celebrity spokespeople like Emma Watson and Jennifer Lawrence, to be palatable to the masses. It’s a very interesting take on the subject, but at the end of the day, I believe all peaceful roads to gender equality are valid.
Please, feast your eyes on the car of the future.
There was quite a bit of showmanship involved in the unveiling of Tesla motors’ new car model this week, but the reason I am sharing it is not to advertise a new car, but to show you the video, which reveals a car that can practically drive itself. Tesla, the world’s first fully electric sports car, has added auto-driving features to its car, that whisper of huge changes to come in the way people get from one place to another.
Moving on…
Two young women with fearless voices win the 2014 Nobel Prize for Peace.
The Nobel Peace Prize was announced on Friday and the award is a shared one. Two women are honored for their outspoken roles as advocates for the rights of children in all nations, and the rights of children, especially girls, to receive an education. Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay are bright examples of young women courageously advocating for their rights, even in the face of extreme gender violence, repression and ignorance. They are to be commended and congratulated! Hopefully this acknowledgement will spark more young women and men alike, to speak up for what is right in this world.
The 2014 Nobel Laureates for Peace Announced on Nobelprize.org
Glowing microscopic cell explorers are one step closer to reality.
Researchers at MIT and other leading institutions have created nanoparticles that glow with phosphorescence and can be moved around in the body via magnets. This could lead to huge advances in pin-point diagnostics in the future, that will be much less invasive for patients. The particles are small enough to move into individual cells, not just the circulatory and organ systems, so their activity can be more precisely tracked.
Nanoparticles get a magnetic handle by David L. Chandler on MIT News
Aboriginals in the US celebrate a victory over management of their tribal lands.
The Navajo Nation, which represents the largest percentage of aboriginal tribes in the United States, has agreed to a $500 Million settlement in a case it brought against the US government, relating to the mismanagement of natural resources and land, that the government holds in trust for the nation. The government admits to mismanagement, and the Navajo nation case is only one of 100 filed against the government since 2012. The government has resolved 80 of these cases, amounting to $2.5 Billion in damages. The Navajo nation says it will put a majority of settlement funds towards education, and infrastructure which is sorely needed on tribal lands.
A news reporter is honored by his industry, and makes a bold statement about freedom of the press.
James Risen is a veteran New York Times reporter, who has been silently battling the demand to testify against a source by the US government since 2006. He received the NewsGuild Herbert Block Freedom Award, and at his awards ceremony, he strongly stated that reporters must speak out against the government crack down on whistle blowers and leaks, which he sees as a blatant threat to a free press in America. Let’s all hope reporters heed his call.
The United Nations reports record food harvests world wide.
The Food Outlook is a biannual report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The latest report shows that world harvests have been abundant, and stockpiles are sufficient to keep food prices stable, or declining in the near future, even with dire drought warnings publicized in numerous locations on earth. With enough food, and stable prices, let’s all hope more effort is made to ease hunger where it exists.
That’s the news for today! I hope you enjoy your day, and you come back on Sunday for my favorite sharing of Feel Good News!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex