Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalGood News: The solar system's most powerful phone charger and planet Earth's biggest animal crossing
Welcome to the Good News round-up, your weekly digest of what's going well in the world. We have five positive news stories for you:
A scientific breakthrough that could see you charging your phone using the sun
A man who won €200m on the lottery and spent almost all of it setting up a charity
An initiative turning London buses into treatment centres for homeless people
The world’s biggest animal crossing is being built over one of California’s busiest highways
Brewers making beers to help the humanitarian effort in Ukraine
https://www.euronews.com/2022/04/22/good-news-the-solar-system-s-most-powerful-phone-charger-and-planet-earth-s-biggest-animal
Russian economy feels consequences of sanctions despite Kremlin's denial
Nearly two months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has taken extraordinary steps to blunt an economic counteroffensive from the West.
While Russia can claim some symbolic victories, the full impact of Western sanctions is starting to be felt in very real ways.
As the West moved to cut off Russia's access to its foreign reserves, limit imports of key technologies and take other restrictive actions, the Kremlin launched drastic measures to protect the economy.
These included hiking interest rates to as high as 20%, instituting capital controls and forcing Russian businesses to convert their profits into rubles.
https://www.euronews.com/2022/04/23/russian-economy-feels-consequences-of-sanctions-despite-kremlin-s-denial
Did you know that "muffins" spelled backwards is
What you do when you take them out of the oven? ………
First Mother Jones Festival planned for May 1 in Mt. Olive, IL
East Alton, IL – Will the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor members support the big May Day festivities coming up at the Mother Jones Museum in Mt. Olive?
They better – they have marching orders from Mother Jones herself.
Loretta Williams, the actress who has made a name for herself by portraying the Labor heroine in all her fiery glory, turned up at the Federation’s March 24 meeting in full Mother Jones regalia to draw the Federation into supporting the first Mt. Olive International Mother Jones Festival on May Day (May 1), with a range of scholars, entertainers and Labor leaders participating.
“You came from good stock – you didn’t come from good stockholders!” Williams said as Mother Jones, speaking to the Federation members. “You’ve got courage. Do you want fair wages? Do you want equality? Do you want justice? You’ve got to stand up and organize! Stand together in solidarity! Stand with our brothers and sisters! Be brave, have courage and ask for forgiveness later!”
She was met with rounds of enthusiastic applause.
https://labortribune.com/first-mother-jones-festival-planned-for-may-1-in-mt-olive-il/
Fed-up workers are organizing, and winning
Union election petitions up 57 percent in the last six months
By TIM ROWDEN
Managing Editor
U.S. workers are standing up, speaking out, demanding more from their employers, and turning to unions as the way to make them listen.
U.S. workers and Labor groups filed 57 percent more petitions to be represented by unions in the last six months than they did in the same period last year, Reuters reports.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) received 1,174 petitions for union elections during the first half of fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1 through March 31), compared to 748 during the first half of fiscal 2021.
High-profile organizing campaigns at Starbucks Corp, Amazon and other companies have taken off with workers who labored through the pandemic now demanding more from their employers.
https://labortribune.com/fed-up-workers-are-organizing-and-winning/
Archdiocese, teachers' union reach tentative agreement in contract talks
The St. Louis Archdiocesan Teachers Association (SLATA) reached a tentative agreement on a new contract last week with the St. Louis Archdiocese. A date for a ratification vote is expected to be scheduled soon.
Last month, the Archdiocese attempted to destroy its high school teachers’ union by trying to force its own so-called “contract” on educators and threatening their jobs if they didn’t sign them – an effort that is totally in conflict with the church’s position in support of unions.
SLATA represents about 120 educators at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory, Bishop DuBourg, Rosati-Kain, St. Mary’s and St. Pius X high schools. Negotiations on a new three-year contract began in October. The teacher’s current contract expired March 4.
About 90 percent of teachers rejected the Archdiocese’s last contract offer, which did not include a procedure for placing educators in the event of a school closure or consolidation, proposed meager raises to less experienced teachers and pay cuts to the most experienced teachers with master’s degrees, eliminated seniority within the system, eliminated a functional grievance process, and cut off early retirement incentives.
https://labortribune.com/archdiocese-teachers-union-reach-tentative-agreement-in-contract-talks/
Local union members show solidarity for Bridgeton Starbucks workers seeking unionization
Bridgeton, MO – About 35 local union members and Labor allies gathered for coffee and conversation at the Bridgeton Starbucks April 7 to show their support and solidarity with the store’s workers, who recently filed for a union election.
The group began filing in the store at about the same time the St. Louis Cardinals took to the field for their opening day game at Busch Stadium. A half hour later, the store was filled with supporters.
‘SUPER-PLEASED’
“I’m super-pleased with today’s turnout,” said Maddie Hagan, a barista and one of the store’s organizers. “I’m glad to have their support, and I’m stoked about joining the Labor Movement.”
Employees at 10 U.S. Starbucks locations have voted in recent months to join Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. The Bridgeton Starbucks is one of five St. Louis-area stores to call for a union election in the last few weeks.
https://labortribune.com/local-union-members-show-solidarity-for-bridgeton-starbucks-workers-seeking-unionization/
Kishida agrees with PMs of 3 nations to cooperate on Ukraine situation
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has agreed with his Tuvaluan, Cambodian and Laotian counterparts to cooperate in dealing with the situation in Ukraine.
He met the three prime ministers separately on the sidelines of the fourth Asia-Pacific Water Summit that opened in the southwestern Japanese city of Kumamoto on Saturday.
Kishida told reporters after the meetings that he had useful exchanges of opinions.
He said Japan will continue to work with other G7 countries and the international community as a whole to impose strict sanctions on Russia so that it will stop its invasion of Ukraine.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220423_19/
Asia-Pacific Water Summit opens in Japan
High-level delegations from Asia-Pacific nations and international organizations have gathered in Japan to discuss water-related issues.
The occasion is the fourth Asia-Pacific Water Summit that opened in the southwestern city of Kumamoto on Saturday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako participated in the opening ceremony online.
The Emperor gave an address in English. He said, "I sincerely hope that this fourth Asia-Pacific Water Summit will bear fruitful results and become a momentous step towards meeting water challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world, and thereby will bring about peace and happiness for all human beings."
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220423_16/
Important Information About Avian Flu and Backyard Bird Feeding
What You Need to Know
You may have heard about avian influenza (or “bird flu”) and the development of this disease in North America. At this point in time, wildlife and health experts say you may continue feeding the birds. Here are the facts as we know them today.
Since Fall of 2021, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) has been detected in numerous outbreaks in North America. It is a naturally-occurring virus especially prevalent among wild aquatic birds such as ducks, geese and shorebirds and has been shown to affect commercial and backyard poultry with high mortality.
However, according to the Cornell University Wildlife Health Lab, “Passerines [song birds] do not seem susceptible to HPAI and are not thought to play a significant role in spreading this virus. We are not recommending removal of bird feeders at this point.”
And the Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases at U Penn Vet School states, “According to the USDA, there is no evidence that birdfeeders, or the birds that frequent them, contribute to the spread of HPAI.”
The US Department of Agriculture further states, “HPAI viruses and the illness they cause are not commonly found in wild birds…removing backyard feeders is not somethings USDA specifically recommends to prevent avian influenza unless you also take care of poultry.” Also, the Government of Canada affirms, “The use of bird feeders is still safe but they should be removed from areas that are open to poultry and other domestic animals.”
In addition, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada currently deem H5N1 to be of low human health risk.
To practice the hobby of bird feeding safely and to ensure the birds’ overall health, it is always recommended you clean your bird feeders regularly with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water.
https://florissant.wbu.com
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