The Good News This Week
What if hope were a crocodile?
I don’t usually read the news, but when I do I begin sobbing within four minutes. Ukraine is being pummeled and the seas are rising. In the words of a great philosopher, we’re neck deep in the big muddy.
But I finally found reason for hope, in this article about the possible, final demise of the orange menace and his odious offspring. Could it be that the Trump organization will be brought to its knees by their former accounting firm, Mazars?
Technically, this isn’t news but an op-ed but in these times, the definition of news is broad.
I can imagine better news. Maybe Putin will be visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and future and learn the true meaning of love. Maybe Jeff Bezos will use his money to solve existential threats to humanity. Perhaps Musk will finally produce a truly affordable electric car.
So I went looking for other good news. Here’s what I found (it wasn’t easy):
Nearly 150 Protestors Arrested in Canada
Ottawa police arrested another 47 protestors on Saturday. The truck drivers have been working nonstop to shut down traffic in Ottowa, according to CNN. Truckers with a right-wing agenda were upset by the mask-wearing laws in Canada and decided to park their rigs in the capital city to shut down traffic flow. Some came in body armor and several brought smoke grenades.
They’ve been protesting for three weeks, but Canadian authorities finally decided enough was enough when the situation turned violent.
Protestors assaulted officers on Friday, attempting to get their weapons. A man was arrested after throwing a bicycle at a police horse. That day, the Canadian cops placed 100 protestors under arrest.
Epstein Associate Commits Suicide in French Prison
Jeff Epstein associate and former French modeling agency head Jean-Luc Brunel committed suicide in prison. He was accused of multiple counts of rape and sex abuse with underage models.
Brunel denied all allegations of sex abuse, but police have interviewed multiple women and decided to re-arrest the former executive recently. He’d been previously jailed but had been granted bond.
Brunel was initially arrested in December 2020 when trying to flee to Senegal. He was accused of procuring over 1,000 girls and women at the behest of Epstein.
According to The Daily Mail, Ghislaine Maxwell — who is currently jailed in Brooklyn — is “scared.”
Shipment of Luxury Cars Canceled
A cargo ship packed with Porches and Bentleys is on fire.
While this is also another environmental disaster, the knowledge that some filthy rich guy will have to wait a few more months for his Bentley is heartening. All 22 crew members aboard the “huge” ship are safe after rescue at sea.
Art Teacher Wins Discrimination Settlement in Texas
An art teacher in Ft. Worth, Texas, twice awarded “Teacher of the Year,” was suspended when she showed her students a photo of her fiancé, a female. The photograph in question showed the two women dressed up as characters from Finding Nemo.
A parent complained the photo promoted a “homosexual agenda” and the school board placed Stacy Bailey on administrative leave.
Bailey won a $100,000 judgment this week against the Mansfield Independent School District, as well as a promise of a “neutral” letter of recommendation for her next teaching job.
Bullet Trains Are a Reality in Beijing
China currently has 108 miles of railroad track for its bullet trains. The high-speed trains run between 75 and 217 miles per hour, serving Beijing to Zhangjiakou. They have been built with environmental safeguards, including tunnels to preserve the landscape of various ecological systems.
That was all the good news I could find in major news outlets, so I searched “weird news” until I found this feel good story.
Crocodile Gets a Tire Removed from Her Neck
The Huff Post and others reported that a bird catcher in Palu, Indonesia took pity on a giant croc with a motorcycle tire around her neck. The tire had been around her neck for the last six years, but 35-year-old Tili told press he thought he could free the beast based on his experience catching animals.
Several others had tried to remove the tire with no success.
The country has grown fond of the 14.8 foot saltwater crocodile, and everyone was worried to tire would become too tight and choke her.
Tili set a trap using ropes, baiting it with chicken and ducks. After several attempts, he and two friends finally got hold of the croc, using a saw to cut through the tire.
Conservation officials believe the tire was deliberately put on the crocodile by someone trying to trap her.
Plenty of good news is out there, but the 24/7 news cycle — especially in the United States — is hyper-focused on tragedy. The feel good stories I found in major news outlets usually include the downfall of despicable characters.
But at least one saltwater croc will swim free, and for that we can be grateful.
