Good News Headlines 10/7/2024
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Port Strikes End With Deal On Wages, Averting Economic Disaster
by Andrea Hsu, NPR
A strike by tens of thousands of dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts, that could have seriously hurt the U.S. economy had it continued, has been called off. All workers were called back to work Thursday, after a three-day strike, following a tentative agreement on wages between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, representing ocean carriers and port operators. The two sides have agreed to a 62% wage increase over six years, according to sources who were familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly about it.
When Dying Boy’s Life Support Was Turned Off He Began Improving–And Went Home With Parents
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
A 4-year-old has become the first patient known to British medical history to be taken off life-support and proceeded to recover—so much so that he went home with his parents. This story revolves around a sensitive topic about terminally ill patients, decisions around the ends of lives, sometimes young ones, and what roles do parents, physicians, or courts play in making those decisions. The decision to take him off life support was ordered by the UK High Court following a hearing in which the boy’s doctors said the artificial ventilation was not leading to any improvement.
California Bans ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Tampons: Here’s What to Know
by Jessica Rendall, CNET
California has become the first state to take a stance against “forever chemicals” in tampons and other menstruation products, such as discs and period underwear. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a bill that, by 2025, will prohibit the sale of products that contain “intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” or PFAS, similar to existing California law on PFAS in cosmetics taking effect next year. By 2027, PFAS in menstruation products sold in the state must be kept below a specific level. PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because of their ability to stick around in our bodies.
Virginia State Parks Install Viewfinders For Colorblind Visitors–Just In Time For Autumn Leaves
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
In preparation for leaf-peeping season, Virginia State Parks have equipped all 43 managed properties with special viewfinders for the colorblind. The lenses in the viewfinders allow those with red-green Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) to experience the full breadth of color inherent in the autumnal leaf displays that Virginia is famous for. Red-green CVD is the most common form worldwide, affecting around 300 to 350 million people, and 13 million Americans. While people with normal color vision see over one million shades of color, those with red-green CVD are estimated to see about 10% of hues and shades.
This Hurricane-Proof Florida Development Easily Endured Helene, Ian, and Idalia–Proving Climate Designs Work
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
First Ian, then Idalia, now Helene—a special housing development in Florida has withstood them all. Without any doubt, the neighborhood at Hunter Point in Cortez along the Gulf Coast has lived up to its billing of hurricane-proof, as the storm that has ravaged the southeastern United States was endured without issue. Helene made landfall last Thursday, and Cortez was battered with waste-deep storm surges that turned the roads to rivers. Not only did Hunter Point stay dry, but kept the lights on as well thanks to a bevy of storm-resistant architectural and landscape designs.
