Katherine Watt has been corresponding with a reader who is researching the history of US public health and regulatory agencies.  Records before 1973 are difficult to locate.  However, what has become clear […]

by Pepe Escobar, The Unz Review: In the year of the Russian presidency of BRICS, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) had to deliver something special. And deliver it did: over 21,000 people representing no less than 139 nations – a true microcosm of the Global Majority, discussing every facet of the drive towards […]

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. Cool story Editorial Director Rebecca Worby lived in Austin for several years, and though she has many nice memories of that time, she can also attest to one less nice but undeniable fact of Austin life: It gets really hot. So she was delighted to discover a bit of forgotten air-conditioning history thanks to KUT, Austin’s public radio station. Becca says:   This is fascinating: the story of an air conditioning “test village” in Austin in the 1950s. These days, though air conditioning is commonplace, many Austinites swear by the cooling powers of a dip in Barton Springs. Credit: Wally Gobetz / Flickr All sunshine A couple of years after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, how is the United States doing on renewable energy? A recent New York Times story that Executive Editor Will Doig shared with our team put it plainly: “As Solar Power Surges, U.S. Wind Is in Trouble.” Will says:   A mixed bag here, as the headline indicates, but the skyward climb of solar power since the Inflation Reduction Act passed is pretty eye-catching. (We ran a whole series on positive changes brought about by the IRA). What else we’re reading Opinion: Why Miami’s Approach to Addiction Is Working — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from the New York Times Vermont becomes 1st state to require oil companies to pay for climate change damages — shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas from NPR Electric Cars Are Suddenly Becoming Affordable — shared by Rebecca Worby from the New York Times In other news… RTBC contributor MaryLou Costa sent along a BBC story about “an Indigenous community in Argentina looking to legally protect their skyline which would in turn help the region’s flora and fauna.” Worth a read — and worth lingering over the beautiful dark sky photos. In case you missed it, MaryLou’s latest for us was a great story about how “farmfluencers” are making Vietnam’s rice fields more sustainable. The post What We’re Reading: Forgotten Air-Conditioning History, Solar’s Skyward Climb and More appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

1792 - British explorer Captain George Vancouver lands on the site of what is now Vancouver, British Columbia 1899 - New Richmond Tornado: the eighth deadliest tornado in U.S. history kills 117 peoples and injures around 200 1901 - In Cuba, the constitutional convention - knowing that the USA will not withdraw its troops until does so - adopts the Platt Amendment as part of its constitution 1910 - Dutch soccer club PEC forms in Zwolle; renamed FC Zwolle in 1990 and back to PEC Zwolle in 2012 1947 - British Amateur Women's Golf, Gullane GC: Babe Didrikson becomes first American to win event; beats England's Jacqueline Gordon 5 and 4 1972 - Apple Records releases John Lennon and Yoko Ono's political album "Sometime in NYC" in US; includes studio recordings of songs "Woman is the Nigger of the World", "Attica State" and "Luck of the Irish"; and some live tracks from 1971 concert with Frank Zappa 1977 - Groundbreaking ceremony for John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts; architect I. M. Pei's design would take over 2 years to build 1996 - Marge Schott gives up day-to-day operations because of her numerous insensitive comments about Adolf Hitler, working women and Asians 2016 - Stanley Cup Final, SAP Center, San Jose, CA: Pittsburgh Penguins defeat San Jose Sharks, 3-1 for a 4-2 series victory; Penguins 4th title 2018 - Battle for key Yemen port of Hudaydah begins with assault by Saudi backed pro-government forces against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1772 - Marion du Fresne is killed at Tacoury's Cove, Bay of Islands, New Zealand, by local Māori 1933 - Financial and Economy World conference opens (66 countries) 1950 - 2 Air France DC-4s crash near Bahrain, about 100 die 1963 - "Cleopatra" directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton premieres in NYC, then most expensive film ever made 2002 - 1st CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards: Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, and Kenny Chesney win 2020 - African American Rayshard Brooks shot dead in drive-through carpark in Atlanta leading to further protests at police violence and the resignation of city's police chief More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1835 - George Atzerodt, American conspirator who failed to attempt an assassination of Vice President Andrew Johnson on the night Abraham Lincoln was murdered, born in Dorna, German Confederation (d. 1865) 1878 - James Oliver Curwood, American journalist and writer (Kazan the wolfdog), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1927) 1942 - Bert Sakmann, German cell physiologist (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1991), born in Stuttgart, Germany 1945 - Alfred Gell, British social anthropologist (d. 1997) 1963 - Philippa Baker, New Zealand rower (World C'ship gold LW1x 1991; W2x 1993, 94), born in Wanganui, New Zealand 1973 - Jason Caffey, American NBA forward (Chicago Bulls), born in Mobile, Alabama More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1687 - Jurriaen van Streeck, Dutch still life painter, buried 1761 - Meinrad Spiess, German composer, dies at 77 1888 - Carel Vosmaer, Dutch poet and art critic (Netherlands Spectator), dies at 62 1994 - Ron Goldman, waiter, murdered with wife of O.J. Simpson at 27 1995 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian classical pianist, dies at 75 2022 - Phil Bennett, Welsh rugby union fly-half (29 Tests Wales, 8 British and Irish Lions; Barbarians FC; Llanelli RFC 414 games and 2,535 points), dies at 73 More Famous Deaths »

Happy 50th Birthday to Hideki Matsui, aka “Godzilla”. The DH and outfielder was one of the best Japanese visitors to these shores who ever played in the Major Leagues. He enjoyed a 7-year career with the New York Yankees, during which he won the World Series in 2009 and was named the MVP. Playing his […] The post Good News in History, June 12 appeared first on Good News Network.

A group of House Democrats are launching a task force intended to stop a project by conservative leaders to restructure the federal bureaucracy under a future conservative president. The “Stop Project…

Fathers. Who  needs them? So say many feminists and other enemies of the traditional family. After all, Dad is portrayed in media as a buffoon who is ignorant compared to his longsuffering wife and…

California restaurant chains are continuing to try to manage the state's big minimum wage increase. Last week Rubio's Coastal Grill announced it was closing 48 stores, in part because of the wage hike.…