Category: Uncategorized

  • John Deere Workers Win 10% Raise, Ending Historic Five-Week Strike
  • United Auto Workers members approved a new six-year contract with Deere & Co. on Wednesday, putting an end to a five-week-long strike that has come to symbolize the impact the pandemic has had on the economy.  Approximately 10,000 union members ratified the new contract offer by a vote of 61 percent to 39 percent — they had rejected the two previous offers.  “UAW John Deere members did not just unite themselves, they seemed to unite the nation in a struggle for fairness in the workplace. We could not be more proud of these UAW members and their families,” the union said in a statement. Deere workers on strike last week near the company headquarters in Moline, Illinois, said that they wanted recognition for the sacrifices they made over the past two years during the pandemic. Many worked grueling shifts in masks to keep farm and construction equipment in production that had been declared essential to the economy.  The initial contract between Deere and UAW on Oct. 1 included immediate raises of 5 to 6%, and an additional 3 percent in 2023 and 2025. It also proposed eliminating pensions for new hires. Workers denied this offer by large margins. The second agreement offered an immediate 10% raise and an $8,500 bonus, plus 5 percent raises in 2023 and 2025. Workers denied this one, too, but the margins were closer. The latest contract made “modest modifications” to the second offer, but workers wanted adjustments for how bonuses would be calculated for workers who meet production targets. Kristin Jordan, a 19-year veteran at a Deere combine factory, said she was relieved to see the vote pass. “I’m exhausted and nervous, but I’m proud of what was accomplished,” she said. Deere employees have chimed in on the matter. “I’m pleased our highly skilled employees are back to work, building and supporting the industry-leading products which make our customers more profitable and sustainable,” John C. May, chairman and chief executive, said in an emailed statement. “John Deere’s success depends on the success of our people. Through our new collective bargaining agreements, we’re giving employees the opportunity to earn wages and benefits that are the best in our industries and are groundbreaking in many ways,” he added. Image source: WIRED
  • Serbian Soccer Team to Donate €1 million World Cup Qualifying Bonus For Treatment of Sick Children
  • The Serbian national soccer team secured their spot at the 2022 Qatar World Cup in a comeback win of 2-1 over Portugal during the Group A Qualifying round. Serbian president Aleksander Vucic offered the national team players a one million euro bonus before the game if they managed to clinch the direct qualification to next year’s tournament. As the national team returned home, the sum was immediately transferred to the account of the Football Union of Serbia (FSS). However, the players chose to donate the money “to those who need them more — sick children for their treatment.” “We came here to play football and having been the better side, we earned it all,” goal-scorer Aleksander Mitrovic told Serbia’s Nova television. “We are reaping the rewards of hard work and the belief that we would be able to defy the odds and beat Portugal. We are overjoyed, for our country and the people first and foremost.” Image source: Indian Times
  • Rescue Cat Walks Little Girl to Bus Stop Every Morning
  • Jessica Leatherman’s 7-year-old daughter began first grade this year — and simultaneously began riding the bus to school. But, she does not wait at the bus stop alone. The family cat, Craig, accompanies her every day. Leatherman adopted the black-and-white feline in 2019 after spotting him at an adoption event. Craig had been in a shelter for over eight months, but fit right in as soon as he joined the Leatherman family.  “He is very, very laid back. I don’t think there’s a single thing that can rattle him — there could be thunder and lightning, and he doesn’t even wake up,” Leatherman told The Dodo. “When he is awake, he’s like a clown. He loves to knock things off of countertops to make you pay attention to him.” When Leatherman’s daughter started the school year, Craig took note of her new routine. “The bus stops right in front of our house, and I figured I’d let him come outside [so he could] hang out with me,” Leatherman said. “But instead of me, he chose to hang out with her, and he followed her down the sidewalk and down the driveway and just sat there the entire time she was waiting for the bus.” “When it happened, I was like, ‘Is he really doing this?’ And as soon as she got on, I expected him to wander back to me, but he sat there and made sure she got on the bus and then watched it drive away,” she continued. “He will not leave the corner of the bus stop until it is out of sight.” Craig has walked her to the bus stop every single day since. “He’s given himself the job,” said the girl’s mother. “I don’t know why but it’s super sweet.” “Now all the neighborhood kids know him, and the whole bus is like, ‘Craig!’ whenever they pull up,” Leatherman said. “So he’s just kind of become this sweet little neighborhood mascot in a way.” Image source: The Dodo
  • Single Man Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts Three Boys
  • At 20 years old, Barry Farmer was unsure what he wanted to do with his life. Having grown up in foster care, he understood the important role of a foster parent for children in the system, so, when he saw an ad looking for foster parents, he decided to apply.  “After talking to the director of programs she was like, ‘Wow, impressive maturity. I’m willing to take a chance and license you as a foster parent,’” the now-34-year-old told TODAY Parents. “The director was like, ‘I can get you a license. But to be honest a young, single male, social workers are not going to be kicking down the door asking for you.'” One year later, Farmer met his first placement: a 16-year-old who was living in a group home. The teen stayed with Farmer for about six months. Two months later, Farmer received a call that changed his life.  “They asked if I want to try another teenager or do I want to go with a 7-year-old,” Farmer explained. “(I thought) ‘Why don’t we go with the 7-year-old and see how it is going to go?' It seemed like I could be a little more active and take him places.” In his head, Farmer, who is Black, assumed the child was too. “When I got there, he was just the whitest white child that I ever worked with … I thought, ‘Wow this is going to be interesting.’ Because I have no clue what I am doing,” he said. Farmer soon realized that the boy, Jaxon, wanted what any other child wanted. “He was so loving and caring,” said Farmer. “He just wanted some hugs and to call me dad.” Jaxon left to be adopted by another family, and Farmer missed him immensely. “I didn’t realize how close he was to me until he left,” he said. “I was sad and he was sad. He did end up coming back and that’s when we both decided that I would adopt him.” Farmer was just 22, but it felt right. Almost immediately, Jaxon told his new dad that he wanted a sibling. “We were on our way back from the courthouse and I heard a little voice in the backseat saying, ‘So am I going to have a brother?’ and I’m like ‘I just became your dad like 30 minutes ago can we just calm down?’” Farmer said. “Once I was taking care of him, he did need a sibling.” Farmer said that his own childhood led him to fostering and adopting children. He was in kinship foster care and raised by his grandmother. “What motivates me are those feelings of rejection of not having my parents around,” he said. “My grandmother, she didn’t have to take me in. I didn’t even know her. “Why she did it, it was to help. She didn’t have to, she wanted to. Those are my reasons as well. I didn’t have to, I wanted to,” he said. “It just really gave me a sense of purpose and I enjoyed it.” He then adopted a boy named Xavier, followed by another boy named Jeremiah. Jaxon is now 19; Xavier is now 17 and Jeremiah is 11. The family enjoys going on road trips together on the East coast to visit amusement parks, explore new cities and go to the beach.“We have a bunch of laughs,” Farmer said. “That really brought us all together. Every time we did it, they got to meet some of my extended family along the way.” As for what he has learned about himself along the way, Farmer said he has a lot more patience than he thought. “It’s also given me an opportunity to be the father I wish that I had.” Image source: TODAY
  • Bride Surprises Blind Groom by Wearing Tactile Wedding Dress
  • When Kelly Anne Ferraro began shopping for her dream wedding dress, she knew that she wanted to find something extra special for her husband-to-be, who is blind. She searched for a dress that incorporated small details and varying textures so that he could feel how she looked. At their outdoor wedding in Maine on Oct. 2, Kelly wore a white dress and told her groom, Anthony Ferraro, “I’m coming! I’m coming!” Anthony is a Paralympian in judo, musician and motivational speaker. He said he was overwhelmed once his bride reached the altar. "Once she gets to me, she puts (my) hands on (her) dress. My mind was blown and I started crying," he told TMRW. "Tactile stuff is really big to me. It creates an image of what you look like in my head. Kelly looked like an angel." He remembers every detail. "It had a velvet strip around it and these lace things. Embroidered flowers from a soft cotton. Her back even had a texture. To top it all off, she surprised me with this amazing custom jacket she put on later and had this crazy fringe hanging off her arms," he said. "It reminded me of our first date." Kelly often finds ways to create tactile experiences for her husband and ensures their living spaces are accessible. Sharp objects in their home are covered with pillows and bubble wrap. The poles at their wedding were covered in bubble wrap and flowers so that Anthony did not have to worry.  The couple recalls their wedding day as being perfect. Anthony remembers listening to the video of his wife putting on her dress. "When she put it on, she started ugly crying, so I started crying listening to the video," he said. "It was the perfect dress." Image source: TODAY
  • Canadian Blood Services to Recommend Removing Sexual Orientation-Based Donation Limitations
  • Within weeks, Canadian Blood Services is expected to ask Health Canada to allow it to remove questions about gender or sexuality, basing screening on higher-risk sexual behavior instead. Potential blood donors could be asked if they have had multiple sexual partners, and about their sexual behavior rather than sexuality and gender. "Sexual behaviour, not sexual orientation, determines risk of sexual transmission of HIV. Our proposed criteria will aim to precisely and reliably identify those who may have a transfusion-transmissible infection, especially in the window period, regardless of gender or sexual orientation," said Catherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Services. Before giving blood, men who are volunteering are currently asked if they have had sex with a man in the last three months. Women are asked, if in the last three months, they have had sex with a man who has had sex with another man in the last 12 months. Canadian Blood Services says it will cite evidence from countries that do not ask donors such questions and include research on the risk of HIV transmission. "There's a way in which to create solutions that are gender-neutral, meaning it's not about who you are in terms of your sex and gender," said Nathan Lachowsky, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at University of Victoria. "That simplifies the system and makes it more accessible to more Canadians." Image source: Canadian Blood Services
  • Will Smith Wrote Bonus Checks to ‘King Richard’ Co-Stars
  • Will Smith decided to write personal bonus checks to his King Richard co-stars after Warner Bros. decided to shift the movie from a theater-only release to day-and-date, meaning it will also premier on streaming services. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smith got a $40 million payday for his role as the father of Venus and Serena Williams. “A source described the payments as a nice bonus, given by Smith on top of what they already received from the studio as compensation for the pivot to simultaneous HBO Max release strategy,” THR writes. The co-stars include Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis and Tony Goldwyn, who in an interview with Access praised Will’s generosity, recalling Smith telling the cast he was “gonna make this right.” “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, I have never worked with anyone as generous as Will,” said Goldwyn, 61. “When Warner Brothers decided to put it in streaming, there was a lot of controversy as people know, and we just got a call from Will saying ‘I’m gonna make this right.’ I’ve never experienced it. I was floored, I just couldn’t believe it.” Layla Crawford also said that Smith’s generosity went beyond simply writing a check. “He gave us all Polaroid cameras and different treats all the time,” Crawford said. “He’s such a generous and sweet person. He also gave us iPhone 12 Pro Max gifts in boxes. We ripped them open and everyone started crying. I literally cried my eyes out—it was the best gift ever.” Crawford added that Will is “a blessing” and she “learned so much from working with him.” Image source: Forbes
  • Hawaii Boy Scout Helps Rescue Couple and 100-Pound Dog on Hiking Trail
  • A couple named J.D. and Aimee found themselves in a scary situation  on Aug. 29 when they made a wrong turn while hiking on the Waimano Trail above Pearl City in Oahu, Hawaii. It was supposed to be a short hike, but instead, the couple and their 100-pound dog, Smokey, ended up seven miles deep into the trail with sunlight fading, no water and dead cell phones — worst of all, Smokey was injured and no longer able to walk. Then, they turned around and came across 12-year-old David King and his mother, Christine. “We asked ‘oh do you need any help?’ They said ‘yeah,’ they showed us the dog’s paws had some cuts on it. So, it hurt when the dog would walk. When the dog would walk, it would just be really painful,” David told KHON 2. The Kings were hiking the 15-mile trail so that David could earn his Boy Scouts Merit Badge.  The blue pitbull was too heavy to be carried alone, so David’s Boy Scout training kicked in. “We built them a stretcher using a big tree branch that we broke in half and used our shirts and slid it on using the armholes to fit the sticks through,” explained David, who learned the trick from his older brother, who is an Eagle Scout. “It was his idea to make the stretcher. We didn’t think it would work because we didn’t think the dog would get onto the stretcher. Smokey was just very happy to get on the stretcher. We just carried him out,” Christine added. The group took turns carrying Smokey the remaining three miles out to the start of the trail. “It was really tough, but we rotated,” David said. “Sometimes we did four people, two on each side, two people — my mom and the man — and then the dog would get off and walk some which was really helpful and let us relax.” They made it out, and Smokey was treated for his injuries and is doing well. David said it felt good to help others in need. “I think that when you help someone out it’s like joy in you that just like you know you did something good that day,” he said. Image source: KHON-2
  • A Doctor Said He Would Not Live Past Two. He Just Graduated as Valedictorian.
  • Jonathan Tiong was born with type two spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic condition where the muscles become weaker as time goes on. A neurologist told his parents that he would not live past the age of two. Fast forward to Oct. 2021: Tiong turned 24 years old and was crowned valedictorian for the National University of Singapore’s Class of 2021 on the same day — he graduated with a degree in Communications and New Media. Tiong humbly told Channel News Asia that he was a “very plain and average student” throughout university. “I studied a lot, got good grades, but so did a lot of other people. So I didn't really feel outstanding,” he said. He also secured an esteemed job at Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, where he currently works full-time as an editorial writer. Tiong had to overcome much more than the average student to earn his degree. National University of Singapore is known for its hilly terrain, and Tiong referred to it as the “National University of Stairs.” “Sometimes able-bodied people can take a short cut, walk up a grassy slope. But I can't do that,” said Tiong, who requires a full-time caregiver — a role that was taken on by his father, who had to load, unload and accompany him to his destination each day. The pandemic and remote learning became a game changer for Tiong. “It takes away a lot of our limitations from the equation. When I'm at home, I don't have to travel anywhere so that takes away the accessibility and the logistics issue,” he said. “I don't have to involve other people who have to bring me physically around, so I’m a lot more independent in that sense.” Tiong believes that more flexibility would help others like him. “A lot of the time we are told by administrators that: ‘Oh we can’t do this because – rules.’ Or ‘because we cannot lor.’ “But a lot of accommodations are actually a mindset thing," he continued. "People seem to have this concept that if you want to accommodate the disabled, we need billions of dollars. I don’t think that’s true.” Image source: Channel News Asia
  • 9-Year-Old Girl Saves Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  • Jayline Barbosa Brandão, a 9-year-old girl from Brockton, Massachusetts, is being hailed a hero after saving her entire family as carbon monoxide filled their home after a strong nor’easter blew through the area. Jayline was in bed on Oct. 28 when she heard her dad yelling — she jumped out of bed and ran to find him with her mom, who had lost consciousness. "I heard my dad screaming and saw my mom passed out," she told CNN affiliate WFXT. Her dad had also become overwhelmed by the carbon monoxide from a generator they had borrowed for the storm. Jayline grabbed her dad’s phone to call 911, but the iPhone was locked. Thanks to quick thinking, she was able to unlock it with facial ID by holding it up to her dad’s face. Her mom, Marcelina Brandão, said that Jayline then took her 7-year-old sister out to get help from a neighbor. She said the family had been without power for three days, so they borrowed a generator and put in what they thought was a safe place, but it was too close to the house. The National Weather Service says you should keep a backup generator at least 20 feet away from any doors, windows or vents. Brockton Fire Department Chief Brian Nardelli told CNN that five people from the house were taken to the hospital for treatment. Brandão and her husband are doing better and that the rest of the family was mostly unaffected by the gas. She credits Jayline with saving her family. "She was so smart," Brandão said. "That was very scary. If it wasn't (for) her to call right away I don't know what would have happened." Image source: Yahoo News