ENCOURAGING: Meanwhile, another student called 911, ensuring help was on the way.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/brother-sister-spring-into-action-to-help-save-their-school-bus-driver-from-medical-emergency/?utm_source=newsletter.goodnewsnetwork.org&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=brother-and-sister-save-the-day&_bhlid=cf3cf024260334bd3a789a9735873968f30e5b46

Brother-Sister Spring into Action to Help Save Their School Bus Driver from Medical Emergency
By Andy Corbley – Dec 31, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Siblings Leap to the Rescue When School Bus Driver Faces Medical Crisis

When an Ohio school bus driver suffered a medical emergency, 8-year-old Catrina quickly noticed and asked if she was alright. Realizing the driver was in distress, Catrina ran to the back of the bus to alert her older brother, Charlie.

Charlie, a 7th grader, rushed to the front and used the radio to call the school for help. Meanwhile, another student called 911, ensuring help was on the way.

The bus driver had previously taught her riders how to use the radio in emergencies, and she later expressed gratitude that they remembered her instructions.

Their calm, quick actions were praised by the school superintendent, who called the siblings’ response truly outstanding.

*** end quote ***

Well maybe the children of a future generation will not be helpless mind-numbed robots?

I note the story because one child had a cell phone and used it.  

Remember the politicians and bureaucrats want to take cell phones away from children in Gooferment Skrules!

I STILL disagree.  I remember student using their phones during more than one school shooting.  Hard to do that if they are not there, or in a secure Faraday pouch, or locked in school principal’s office, or a a child’s locker.

Children should ALWAYS be able to connect to their parents,

It’s up to the school’s leadership how to make that happen and “confiscation” is NOT the answer!

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HEALTHCARE: AI App That Quickly Appeals Denials

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/big-insurance-uses-ai-to-quickly-deny-claims-physican-fights-back-with-ai-app-that-quickly-appeals/?utm_source=newsletter.goodnewsnetwork.org&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=your-5-min-dose-of-good-news-ducks-take-over-town-center&_bhlid=9ae55e2f638cb4ac2fda40c6fc7c6f7bac698b74

Big Insurance Uses AI to Quickly Deny Claims, One Man Fights Back with AI App That Quickly Appeals
By Andy Corbley – Aug 5, 2025 

*** begin quote ***

The idea that American health insurance companies are using AI to analyze and adjudicate claims for approval or denial sounds terrifying, but one North Carolinian is using AI to fight back.

When Raleigh resident Neal Shah had a claim denied for his wife’s chemotherapy drugs, he thought it was rare, that he was the only one, that it was just bad luck.

Litigating his case on phone calls that lasted for hours changed the husband and father, and he set about creating a sophisticated app that uses artificial intelligence to compare claims denial forms against health insurance contracts, before automatically drafting an appeal letter.

*** and ***

they’ve built Counterforce to the point where it boasts a 70% success rate in appealing claims.

*** end quote ***

https://www.counterforcehealth.org/

# – # – # – # – # 

I like the “fight fire with fire” approach.

Completely free?  Astonishing. Wish I had a claim to arbitrate!

(Surprised that Big Insurance hasn’t bought them out or engaged in “lawfare” against them.)

To me, “health” and “healthcare” is not just about “the care you get or don’t get for your health”, but also all the “systems” adjacent to it.

Wonder if this will inspire other efforts to enlist AI against other “insurance” abuses (i.e., raising premiums; denial of coverage; use alf drones and AI against ordinary folks; credit card appeals)?

One could apply the concept to all sorts of adversarial interactions like “eminent domain”, intrusive Gooferment actions like regulations, or “cash confiscations”.

What a great time to be a programmer with today’s opportunities.

How about AI to lobby politicians and bureaucrats to “do the right thing”?

Any other uses?  Leave a comment.

— 30 —

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ENCOURAGING: A local champion and educator for proper childhood nutrition overcomes challenges

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Nurse Swaps Medicine for Mangos After Epiphany: Patients Were Malnourished While Fruit Rots All Around

Nurse Swaps Medicine for Mangos After Epiphany: Patients Were Malnourished While Fruit Rots All Around

By Andy Corbley – May 23, 2025 

*** begin quote ***

In Uganda, a nurse was excited to start practicing medicine, but realized only afterwards that his patients didn’t so much need pharmaceuticals as proper nutrition.

14 years ago in northern Uganda’s Yumbe district, Francis Asiku was riding home from that nursing job having witnessed a four-year-old suffering from acute malnutrition. It was a disturbing experience he admits, but while passing by some mango trees in the village of Midigo, he saw birds feasting on mangos that were rotting on the ground.

A question stopped his pedals and his mind: why were the birds eating that nutritious fruit? Why was it left to rot? The epiphany which followed gave rise to the Mango Project, a local-led initiative to preserve mangoes from the two harvests per years, and get them into the mouths of the least-fortunate children.

*** and ***

“Should we wait for the government to come to our rescue, and yet the situation keeps getting worse?” he remembers asking his earliest colleagues on the Mango Project.

*** and ***

Asiku has become a local champion and educator for proper childhood nutrition, armed with an orchard of 310 hybrid mango trees bred to resist fruit flies and erratic weather. He knows that mangos alone can’t resolve the problem: for example they contain virtually no protein or iron, vitamin B2, B1, choline, or zinc.

So in response to the interest in the project from donations, Asiku managed to squirrel away enough money to afford a solar-powered drier, with which he dries okra and eggplant, adding sources of vitamin K, B1, magnesium, and calcium.

He hopes to obtain a government license to distribute his foods further afield.

*** end quote ***

Amazing what one human can accomplish from a simple observation and follow thru.

I was shocked at his realization that Gooferments really don’t help and often frustrate solutions.

If the fellow had a GOFUNDME, then I’d have chipped in.  A few dollars may translate into saved lives.

Never underestimate the power of one motivated individual.

“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“Give me the place to stand, and I shall move the earth.” Attributed to Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 BC – c. 212 BC) was a Greek mathematician, philosopher, scientist and engineer. 

This fellow found his lever, his place, and moved the world!

—30—

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ENCOURAGING: Bicycle Refurbishers Pedal Good to the World for 26 years

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/chicago-bicycle-refurbishers-pedal-good-to-the-world-for-26-years-with-150000-bikes-saved-from-landfills/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=29-04-2025

Chicago Bicycle Refurbishers Pedal Good to the World for 26 Years With 150,000 Bikes Saved from Landfills
By Andy Corbley – Apr 24, 2025 

*** begin quote ***

Working Bikes, located at 2434 S. Western Ave in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, has seen an awful lot of bikes pass through its doors; pulling them from landfills, picking them up off the curbside, or accepting them from community members. Over 150,000 have been repaired since the registered 501(c)3 got its wheels turning in 1999.

12% of all the bikes they restored are sold in the Working Bikes storefront. 15% meanwhile are donated right back to the people of Chicago through local program partners that will ensure they arrive in the hands of people in need of transportation.

The whole operation is volunteer-supported: anyone can come in and fix a bike or learn how. A few dedicated employees ensure that salable models are in excellent condition, or boast unique designs and features.

*** end quote ***

I love the international economic chain that they have created.  Micro-loans to buyers and training local talent  — here and overseas  — in repair and maintenance.

That’s America in action!

—30— 

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HEROIC: Child Born with Heart Outside Chest … …

Sunday, May 4, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/child-born-with-heart-outside-chest-becomes-solitary-survivor-thanks-to-surgical-procedure-invented-for-her/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=01-05-2025

Child Born with Heart Outside Chest Becomes Solitary Survivor Thanks to Surgical Procedure Invented for Her
By Andy Corbley – Apr 28, 2025

*** begin quote ***

Their patient was Vanellope Wilkins, the solitary survivor known to British medicine of ectopia cordis, a condition where a fetus develops with its heart outside its body.

Over a period of 9 hours, the team which included visiting surgeons from London would form a protective cage around Vanellope’s heart by reforming her ribs, and though her team included some of the best pediatric surgeons in the country, the procedure had never been done before, and was invented specifically for Vanellope’s case.

*** end quote ***

Team of 50 are all heroes in my book.  Saving a life, creating a unique approach, and following thru for 7 years is heroic in my book.

Compared to all the abortions performed for “convenience” makes this effort a statement about the value of human life.

—30—

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ENCOURAGING: Demonstration project shows improved yields, diversified crops, and boosted incomes

Friday, March 14, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/degraded-lands-transformed-into-productive-farms-with-science-we-can-create-wonders/

Degraded Lands Transformed into Productive Farms: With Science, We Can Create Wonders
By Andy Corbley – Mar 3, 202

*** begin quote ***

In a degraded and semi-arid farming area in India, simple science-driven changes to the landscape have colored the horizon, and a village’s fortunes, with green.

In the Latur district in the central western state of Maharashtra, 40 years of erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, and crop failures have impoverished the local people.

In the village of Matephal, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched a project in 2023 that aimed at addressing these challenges through integrated landscape management and climate-smart farming practices.

*** and ***

“This ICRISAT project improved yields, diversified crops, and boosted incomes. It also spared women from walking over a kilometer for drinking water, now available in the village for people and animals,” said Mr. Govind Hinge of Matephal village.

*** end quote ***

Pretty amazing results.  Went from “dirt poor” with no water to abundant water and good soil.  

Unfortunately, the author doesn’t itemize the capital investment that went into creating this miracle.  While obviously significant, far beyond what a poor village could afford, one wonders what the ROI would be?  For example, the 30 tons of fish harvested might be a source of capital.  A 13 foot rise in the water table might be economically exploitable.  The extra acreage that become productive might be a source of capital to be used.

I wonder if the world’s engineering schools could be an educational resource?  Imagine instead of funding football teams with expansive coaches, Universities could complete for whose intervention produces the most results.  Funny?  No fill the stadium with two equally sized plots and see which produced the best tomatoes.  Yeah, now that is exciting. 

Listen to the 4 minute video and see if you’re not as impressed as I am. 

Interesting to me is that this intervention made a permanent positive change in peoples’ lives.

# – # – # – # – # 

Note: I learned that a hectare (symbol: ha) is a unit of area that is accepted in the International System of Units (SI). It is primarily used to measure land area. One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters and is equivalent to approximately 2.471 acres.

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ENCOURAGING: Baltimore Ravens fans make a positive gesture in a sport plagued by poor sportsmenship

Saturday, February 8, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/classy-ravens-fans-return-the-favor-for-foes-after-bills-player-drops-ball-in-heartbreaking-playoff-loss/

Classy Ravens Fans Return the Favor for Foes–After Bills Player Drops Ball in Heartbreaking Playoff Loss

By Andy Corbley – Jan 29, 2025 

*** begin quote ***

The quality among Baltimore Ravens fans have donated to a GoFundMe to raise money for an autism charity supported by Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, who just dropped a key pass that could have taken the franchise to the Super Bowl.

In a bizarre reversal of circumstances, the fundraiser mirrors what happened last week: when Bills fans set up a GoFundMe to raise money for a diabetes charity supported by Ravens tight end, Mark Andrews, who also dropped a key pass that may have taken his franchise to the Super Bowl.

*** end quote ***

This is a tremendous counterweight to all the bad stories we read about out-of-control fans and players.

I’m proud to put my money where my mouth is and donate to Dalton Kincaid’s gofundme.

https://gofund.me/84651e43

While good works should be done in secret, this needs to be encouraged.

(Ever heard that old Irish adage about “good works only count if done in secret”. Funny, I learned that from my maternal English Protestant grandmother who wanted to teach me about my maternal grandfather’s “heathen Irish culture that has a few good points”. ROFL!)

—30—

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CRYPTO: It may have been fraud, but savers did NOT diversify

Sunday, November 17, 2024

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/life-savings-of-an-entire-small-town-recovered-from-the-depths-of-a-cryto-scam-by-fbi/

Life Savings of an Entire Small Town Recovered from the Depths of Cryto-Scam, Thanks to FBI
By Andy Corbley – Nov 7, 2024

*** begin quote ***

A Wichita courtroom rang out with sobs and cheers when over two dozen people learned that their life savings had been recovered after being lost by a local bank.

Over $8 million in children’s university funds, retirement accounts, funds for eldercare, and bequeathments to children and grandchildren were returned after the FBI located and seized a cryptocurrency wallet linked to an account in the Cayman Islands.

The bank’s founder Shan Hanes, claims he had unintentionally lost it all by investing in a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam, though he ultimately lost his defense and received 24 years in prison for defrauding depositors and investors.

In August, Heartland Tri-State Bank was put into receivership by federal regulators after being drained of cash. The FDIC paid out $47 million to everyday depositors and other investors, but the rural, community-owned bank had 30 shareholders who had carefully planned long-term accounts that were not insured.

*** end quote ***

While I am happy that the insured depositors were made whole, they should have diversified their deposits.

One lady had 250k$ in one IRA account.  That far exceeds the risk she should be taking.  Four partial roll over accounts of 50k$ each would have mitigated her losses.  She was lucky to get it back.  Yeah, it makes for more paperwork, but look at the alternative,

There are accounts available with private insurance up to ¼ million last time I looked.

In short, having large sums of money requires you to take a modicum of care.

Don’t trust anyone.  (Even me!)  Verify!  Lawyers and accountants may seem expensive, but are cheap in the long run.

YMMV but I know what I do and preach.  

—30—

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ENCOURAGING: I thought only Batman fought crime sinsle handedly?

Friday, September 13, 2024

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/after-police-didnt-take-it-seriously-he-exposed-an-international-bike-theft-ring-on-his-own/

After Police Didn’t Take it Seriously He Exposed an International Bike Theft Ring on His Own
By Andy Corbley – Aug 30, 202

*** begin quote ***

As one might imagine, the police in counties like Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz didn’t listen to him. “We’re not Interpol” they would say.

*** and ***

Hance had been clued into the Colorado bike smuggling ring with a Modus Operandi extremely similar to that of the one he believed was behind the thefts all over California, but was even more bold—bike thieves at one point smashed through the front of a bike shop with a van, loaded up the van with a dozen bikes, and drove off.

As to the California smugglers, Hance believes the man at the end of the trail is operating out of Jalisco, and Hance’s sleuthing turned up perhaps the chief fence on this side of the border. Victoriano Romero—who was then subsequently raided by police and found to be in possession of bikes similar to ones reported stolen on Bike Index, along with $200,000 cash in a strongbox in his San Jose auto shop.

The arrest of Romero hasn’t disrupted the network, and Hance still sees that the Jalisco seller routinely offers high-end bikes for sale on his social media pages: accessible only because Hance uses a VPN to funnel his connection through Mexico.

*** end quote ***

Maybe the politicians and bureaucrats of Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz should put Brian Hance in as their Police Commissioner?  

I can’t imagine a bigger slap in the face than a private individual cracking international crime rings.

Argh!

—30—

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Why is this a problem that is NOT quickly permitted?

Thursday, September 12, 2024

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/elon-musks-starlink-to-provide-free-emergency-phone-coverage-in-wilderness-areas/

Elon Musk’s Starlink Offers Free Emergency Phone Coverage in Wilderness Areas Worldwide
By Andy Corbley – Sep 2, 2024 

*** begin quote ***

The satellite internet service Starlink is seeking approval to facilitate 911 calls from wilderness areas to help improve search and rescue efforts and reduce deaths.

Elon Musk’s satellite constellation has served a variety of publicized uses, like giving Ukrainians the ability to communicate during wartime. The most recent is a partnership between Starlink and T-Mobile seeking FCC regulatory approval for a direct-to-cellular service that would allow those deep in the mountains and forests to reach emergency services.

“SpaceX Starlink will provide emergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

“This applies worldwide, subject to approval by country governments. Can’t have a situation where someone dies because they forgot, or were unable to pay for it.”

Direct-to-cellular functions would have a greater scope than just emergencies. Speaking about their application to the FCC, the chairwoman of the regulatory agency referred to it as the beginning of the “Single-network future” which she described as one in which the user “won’t need to think about what network, where, and what services are available; connections will just work everywhere, all the time.”

*** end quote ***

Excuse me, but in stead of the the FCC chairwoman “speaking”, why hasn’t this been “approved” without further “Barbara streisand”?

Sorry, but I don’t understand.

Musk made an offer.  The response should be: “Go ahead with all due haste”!

Argh!

Argh!

—30—

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