Thumbs Up to…The U.N. for revealing a report showing that the Ozone Layer is slowly healing itself and will make a full recovery around the year 2066. It is great that we’re slowly getting our Ozone layer back. We hope that, with this report, people will understand the damage they are doing to the planet and find ways to help it. [https://theweek.com/briefing/it-wasnt-all-bad/1020028/the-weeks-good-news-jan-12-2023]
Thumbs Up to…The U.S. and China, for beginning the 2023 “Space Race” to put humans on the moon permanently. Hopefully, with this space race, both nations will be able to improve their space technology and be able to help pioneer the stars for future missions. [https://theweek.com/space/1019765/the-new-space-race]
Thumbs Up to…NASA, for beginning development on its “Artemis Program,” which will eventually create a habitable base on the moon and lay down the foundations needed to begin manned missions to the red planet of Mars. If this program succeeds, we’ll be able to establish homes outside of Earth, among the stars, allowing us to study and conduct more research in the abyss of space on the surfaces of other foreign planets. [https://theweek.com/briefing/1016237/what-is-nasas-artemis-program]
Thumbs Up to…Stuart Grant, for inadvertently turning a 200-year-old shoemaker’s cottage into a tourist attraction for Scotland. The reason why was that it looks similar to a cottage the hobbits resided in during the film “Lord of The Rings.” [https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/90-year-old-woodcutter-built-his-own-hobbit-house-where-he-lives-off-grid-in-charming-comfort-look/]
Thumbs Down to…Jeremy Renner, the actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Hawkeye,” getting seriously injured in an accident with his snow plow that resulted in him not only being brought to the local area hospital by care flight but also required a leg amputation. This is bad news for the actor, but hopefully he’ll make a full recovery [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jan/02/jeremy-renner-in-critical-but-stable-condition-after-accident]
Thumbs Down to…Jair Bolosonaro, for instigating a riot in Brazil to try and stay in the seat of the presidency - carrying echoes of the Jan. 6 capital raid and showing the world once again how people in power will abuse it for their personal gain. Thankfully, the riots have stopped and congress has already finalized the votes before the protestors can break through and intervene. [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/09/world/brazil-congress-riots-bolsonaro?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20230110&instance_id=82321&nl=the-morning®i_id=130549008&segment_id=122100&te=1&user_id=255eaf42f1ced0c798ac97a7e0153117]
Thumbs Down to…Southwest Airlines, for creating “the worst service disruption” ever experienced by a major U.S. carrier. Thanks to this, it has not only made passengers late - but incurred upon itself technical debt. [https://theweek.com/airlines/1020044/flying-blind-southwests-epic-meltdown]
Thumbs Down to…The U.S. for nearly reaching its $31.4 trillion debt limit - which is the statutory threshold that limits the amount of money the United States can borrow from other countries and nations to pay off its existing loans. This is rather bad news, as once the U.S. meets this limit, the country will not be able to pay off every loan - resulting in several economical and financial disasters. [https://theweek.com/government/1020162/what-happens-if-the-us-breaks-through-its-debt-ceiling]