#067 - The Best News of Last Week - December 12, 2022
π - Meet Van Gogh, the dog who painted his way into adoption
1. Big cats: US Senate unanimously passes bill to curb private ownership
A bill to restrict the private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers in the US has passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would stop people from keeping the animals as pets and from them being exposed to public petting and photo opportunities.
Efforts to curb private ownership have increased in the wake of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King.
The bill now needs to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
2. New Mexico voted a child care guarantee into its constitution.
New Mexico in May became the first state to offer free child care to most of its residents. Now, after a November referendum, itβs also the first state to enshrine child care funding in its constitution, effectively making the service a universal right β and perhaps offering a model for how other states could serve their youngest residents and working parents.
3. Rare good news from the Amazon: Gigantic fish are thriving again
Thanks to sustainable fishing programs that combine education with strict rules and quotas, the pirarucu, one of the world's largest freshwater fish it's now making a comeback.
"The pirarucu population has recovered," says Ana Claudia Torres, who runs the sustainable fishing program for the MamirauΓ‘ Institute, which manages a vast nature reserve covering 4,300 square miles of jungle in northern Brazil.
4. Dog reunited with family 7 days after falling from cliff on Vancouver Island
A beloved pet that went missing in the Highlands area of Vancouver Island was found seven days later by an army of volunteers. Luna, was found desperately clinging to a narrow ledge on a cliff, and was reunited with her owner after a heroic rescue last month.
It's believed that Luna had chased an animal out of her yard and got lost, somehow falling off a cliff and landing on a two-foot wide ledge. She remained there, alone, as her owner and searchers frantically looked for her.
5. Iran Shutting Down Morality Police, Official Says, After Months of Protests
Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code, local media said Sunday, citing a single Iranian official.
"Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished," Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
6. Condoms to be free for young people in France, Macron says
Young people in France will be able to get condoms free of charge from next year in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"In pharmacies, condoms will be free for those aged 18 to 25 from January 1," Macron told reporters during an event about young people's health.
7. One-eared rescue dog Van Gogh paints his way into adoption
A former bait dog in a North Carolina dogfighting ring "paints" artwork for charity and is living his best life in Connecticut.
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Have a great week ahead :)