Breaking Fake News Update (v2)

 Fake News Broke on August 8, 2025!

This news broke after MAGA Reps. Elise Stefanik and Nick Langworthy wrote a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on August 6th, telling him to do something about the wildfires burning in his country and causing smoke issues for New Yorkers. The letter stated

The scale and severity of these fires continue to raise concerns about forest mismanagement and lack of effective deterrence of human-caused fire.

No word on Carney's response, but the fake news response was quick, and we're grateful to Rawanda for taking these two pesky representatives on with the next planeload of undocumented immigrants the US is shipping there.

We'll continue to share fake news as it breaks.

TGIF 6/3/22

Hip hip hooray - it's Friday, and time for our weekly list making. I'm going to change things up a little, and do every story from the 'good week' side of the ledger, no matter what. Ready to dive in?

This first one's an easy 'good week' entry: goats are clearing brush, weeds, grass, and more in West Sacramento, CA, and it's helping lessen the damage from wildfires. According to the city's public information officer, "About 400 goats can clear two acres a day and get in places mowers can't reach," and they've already protected a housing complex by creating a firebreak. You can watch the goats being herded across a street here. Pretty cool, and much more interesting than brooms and rakes. 

Speaking of brooms, it seems finally the DOJ is cleaning up a desk or something. Former Trump Administration trade guru Peter Navarro, was indicted and charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to comply a request from the House January 6th committee to have a chat and turn over relevant documents. 

Navarro, who wrote a book on overturning the 2020 election, thinks he has executive privilege or something. He's wrong, and it could cost him two years in prison and $200K in fines if he's convicted. Should that happen, he'll probably face a much less significant penalty, but it's nice to dream...

Speaking of dreams, a boat made by New Hampshire middle-schoolers washed ashore in Norway, over 460 days after it was launched. The boat was badly damaged during its 8,000-mile journey, "losing its hull, mast and keel." Sheila Adams, the kids' science teacher, said

This project tapped into so much more than the science curriculum. The students needed to use their writing skills to inform others about their miniboat project, describe our school and town to people of other languages, just in case, and write requests to get the boat deployed."

All that, and I'd say some pretty powerful dreams to help keep their little boat together long enough to make it across the ocean.

Keeping both oars in the water, there's a non-profit that's turning mining pollution into pigments that are used in paint. Rural Action, based in Ohio, works "to create environmental change in rural Appalachian communities." Contaminated water is collected, then a base and oxygen are added, creating pigments that are being used to make paint. You can see some of the artwork created with the paints here. This isn't 'new' news, but it's new to me and it's pretty cool.

This one is new news, and it comes from Lake Tahoe. 

A scuba dive team has completed an extraordinary clean-up of Lake Tahoe after a full year of work, pulling up more than 12 tons of submerged trash. 

Organized by the nonprofit Clean Up The Lake, the team restored every inch of 72 miles of the crystal blue lake’s shoreline and sub-shore, collecting 24,797 pieces of litter weighing a total of 25,281 pounds.

Among the things they team found? Wallets and engagement rings. Which is a really good thing for the people who lost them, who probably never dreamed they'd see their belongings again.

TGIF, everyone.

TGIF 8/7/20

How about we have an all 'good week list' post to close out the week - sound good?

First up, the devastating explosion in Beirut, which caused so much pain and heartbreak, but there was also much kindness and love at the same time.  There have been many compelling images in the aftermath, one of which was of the nurse holding three newborns.

According to the story relayed by the photographer and published on Nurse.org, the nurse had been knocked unconscious by the blast and when she came to, her first thought was of the patients. She grabbed the three babies and carried them around with her, keeping them safe.

"I noticed the nurse's calm, which contrasted the surrounding atmosphere just one meter away, he explained. “However, the nurse looked like she possessed a hidden force that gave her self-control and the ability to save those children. People stand out amidst these violent and dark and evil circumstances and this nurse was up to the task," he added. 

Also related to Beirut, I saw an image of Rio de Janeiro's famous Christ the Redeemer statue overlaid with a projection of the Lebanese flag; there's also one of French president Emmanuel Macron hugging a Beirut resident.

What else was on the good news list this week? Well, did you hear about the two little girls - sisters aged 9 and 11 - who started a business after coming up with a sweet treat?

In June, using a special recipe they developed for cheesecake-filled ice cream cones, Zyaire and Char’Les launched their dessert business, Little Sistas Treats.

Their mom mentioned what the girls were doing to the owners of Sugar Sisters Bakery and asked if maybe her daughters could come in and see what their future could be like. It took a while, but the Little Sistas eventually met the Sugar Sisters. You can be sure this story has a sweet ending!

There's so much more good week list stuff out there; here's a sampling:

• Buck the dog, lost and then rescued by firefighters battling the Apple fire;
• the nearly 50-year effort to return an escaped convict to jail; 
• educators like this one, doing everything possible to make kids comfortable returning to school during a pandemic.

And finally, because I can, I leave you with this touching moment, when a groom turns to see his bride, in her gown, for the first time. It's a good one, I promise!

TGIF, everyone - hope you had a good week, and a great weekend!