I was reminded this weekend that not everything interests everyone else. My daughter was studying for an anatomy and physiology test at college, and her text book was laying around the living room. I grabbed it to leaf through, and was immersed in the mysteries of the body. My main course of study was biology, and the information just clicks for me. With her, not so much. Even though we are alike in many ways, we each have different things that get us excited and eager to learn more.
There is so much out there to discover, and we are not going to resonate with it all. It sure is fun finding all the things that do bring our hearts joy. I love the fact that everyone is different.
We bounce all around the world today for the news, so strap in and let’s get ready to fly.
First fossil fuel energy contracts awarded in Brazil since 2011.
Brazil has been suffering severe drought over the past few years, and this greatly affected their ability to produce sustainable energy from their hydroelectric plants. While they recently came into new partnerships to increase solar powered projects, they also awarded contracts to build liquid natural gas powered plants.
The situation in Brazil highlights how changes in weather can affect the long term viability of sustainable energy projects.
Brazil Awards First Contracts Since 2011 for Coal and Gas Power by Vanessa Dezem for Bloomberg News
UK prime minister announces changes in EU migrant benefits.
UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced changes in the way European Union migrants become eligible for social service benefits. This policy shift comes after a dramatic increase in EU migrants, who immediately apply for benefits such as health care and council housing.
New EU migrants must obtain jobs within 6 months of entry into the UK, and remain there for 4 years before they become eligible for benefits. These changes are being put into place in lieu of a hard number EU immigrant cap.
PM announces tougher measures for EU migrant benefits on ITV News
New for-profit college rules issued by US government.
The cost of university education has far outpaced inflation in the US, but the cost of private education has risen exponentially. The federal student loan system accounts for over 90% of the revenue stream for private universities, who sometimes charge twice as much for tuition and board than public institutions.
Most private institution programs do not meet the new minimum standards set forth by the government related to advising students about debt. These programs will have to be reworked or face removal from the federal loan system.
These stricter guidelines went into effect four months after Corinthian Colleges, Inc., a for-profit education conglomerate, failed. They are currently closing or selling 107 campuses. University trade groups have been fighting these changes for over 4 years. They believe that new guidelines would curtail lending to poor students.
Woman, claiming to be former NASA employee, says she saw humans on Mars in 1979.
Recently, a woman named “Jackie” called into an AM coast-to-coast radio show in the US, saying that she was a former employee of NASA. She went on to say she had worked with the ground crew on telemetry for the 1979 landing of Voyager on Mars.
She, along with a number of other employees, saw human like figures in protective suits walking toward the rover via the live video feed. She ran upstairs to see her supervisors, but they slammed the door in her face. The official report on the Mars landing said that no life existed there, but all the components for life were present.
This information adds to the mounting evidence that there is a secret space program that has been operating since the early 60’s.
And finally…
Rare parrot bounces back in Australia.
The Orange Bellied Parrot is among the rarest species in Australia. It is currently on the critically endangered list. Previous attempts to bolster the population, by introducing captive-bred parrots into the wild all failed.
This time around, researchers released captive-bred birds into small populations of wild birds. The wild birds taught the other birds how to forage for food, and how to migrate the thousands of miles to ancestral wintering grounds.
The number of birds returning to breeding grounds doubled the next year, and some of the new birds were fledglings of old pairs. This shows that genetic memory was effectively being passed down to young.
Since the balance of sexes in the returning parrot population is about even, researchers believe there will be a successful breeding season.
That’s the news for today. Have a fantastic day. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for more news!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex