Good News Headlines 12/9/2024
Larry and Kelly Peterson with daughter Hadley. Photo courtesy Shriners
Adoption Approved For Couple With Spina Bifida Who Lovingly Adopt Daughter With Same Condition
by Good News Network
Larry and Kelly Peterson first met when they were just 10 years old at a Spina Bifida camp where they discovered they were born on the same day. After dating in high school, they lost contact for 10 years, but they reconnected on social media and fell (back) in love. In 2015 the Indiana couple got married, and decided to pursue adoption so they could raise a family. Although Kelly—who isn’t able to give birth to a biological child—was once told that her disability might also prevent her from adopting, she and Larry never gave up. Through a special needs adoption agency, they discovered baby Hadley’s story and knew they could offer her the love, support, and understanding she needed.
AI Scambaiters: O2 Creates AI Granny To Waste Scammers’ Time
O2 has created human-like Daisy, an AI ‘granny’ to answer calls in real time from fraudsters, keeping them on the phone and away from customers for as long as possible. With Daisy revealing how you’re not always speaking to the person you think you are, O2 is urging customers to remain vigilant, leave ‘scambaiting’ to the AI experts and report suspected fraudulent calls and texts for free to 7726.
EVs, Plug-In Hybrids Lead To 11% Emissions Drop For New Vehicles In U.S.: EPA Report
by Paige Bennett, EcoWatch
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 50th annual Automotive Trends Report, model year (MY) 2023 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have led to an 11% decline in carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles. The report noted that fuel economy reached a record high and greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles reached a record low for MY 2023 vehicles, in part thanks to EVs. Further, the report found that all 14 of the major automotive manufacturers were meeting the light-duty greenhouse gas program requirements set by the EPA for the MY 2023 vehicles.
‘Dancing With The Stars’ Finalists Make Black History In Show-Stopping Ensemble Dance
by Kamrin Baker, Good, Good, Good
Actress Chandler Kinney and professional dance partner Brandon Armstrong were the first Black duo on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” to make it to the show’s final competition round. On Tuesday night’s finale episode, the pair made even more history with their third-place finish, as well as their “freestyle dance,” which featured an ensemble cast of all Black dancers — a first in the show’s 33-season history. “Everyone who has come before us, who has broken down barriers for us to even be in this space, that’s what that freestyle was about,” Kinney said in an interview after the show.
‘Monumental Victory For The Ocean’: Norway Halts Plans For Deep-Sea Mining
by Olivia Rosane, Common Dreams
Environmental organizations cheered as Norway’s controversial plans to move forward with deep-sea mining in the vulnerable Arctic Ocean were iced on Sunday. The pause was won in Norway’s parliament by the small Socialist Left (SV) Party in exchange for its support in passing the government’s 2025 budget. “Today marks a monumental victory for the ocean, as the SV Party in Norway has successfully blocked the controversial plan to issue deep-sea mining licenses for the country’s extended continental shelf in the Arctic,” Steve Trent, CEO and founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation, said in a statement.
