Best News of Last Week
Here’s your sunshine break 🌞 — I’m Erica, and this is Feel Good News, where the world’s good side always gets the spotlight.
Mexico on Wednesday announced it would boost the minimum wage next year and push to trim the country's long work week, the latest moves by the country's leftist administration aimed at helping workers in Latin America's second-largest economy. Starting in January, the minimum wage will rise 13% to 315.04 pesos ($17.27) per day, part of an agreement between labor, business and government leaders, Labor Minister Marath Bolanos said.
The High Court in Kenya has declared unconstitutional sections of a seed law that prevented farmers from sharing and selling indigenous seeds. This is seen as a landmark win for food security, as the law previously imposed harsh penalties, including imprisonment and fines, on farmers for sharing seeds through community seed banks. The court found that the provisions giving government officials the power to raid seed banks and seize seeds were also unconstitutional. The case was filed by 15 smallholder farmers who are members of community seed banks that have been operating for years to preserve and share seeds.
Jennifer Garner spent Thanksgiving volunteering at The Midnight Mission's annual charity lunch on Skid Row in Los Angeles. In a video posted on the organization's Instagram, Garner expressed gratitude for the day and the community that comes together to support those in need. This wasn't the first time Garner has volunteered for the event - in 2021, she was joined by her ex-husband Ben Affleck and their three children. Affleck has also been involved with The Midnight Mission for several years, as he believes giving back to the community is a powerful and meaningful thing to do.
Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of "Abbott Elementary," has launched the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund to provide free school trips for students in the School District of Philadelphia. The fund aims to eliminate the costs associated with field trips for more than 117,000 students, focusing on the city's vast network of museums and landmarks. Brunson, a Philadelphia native, believes that field trips can open up the world, spark creativity, and help students imagine a brighter future. The fund is part of Brunson's ongoing efforts to support Philadelphia students and their education, including donating to the school district's Groceries for Good program. The initiative is expected to have a positive impact on students' academic performance, graduation rates, and future earnings.
A 51-year-old man has become the seventh person to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat his blood cancer. Significantly, he did not receive stem cells that were resistant to the virus, as was previously thought to be necessary for curing HIV. This case suggests that an HIV cure can be achieved without using stem cells with the CCR5 gene mutation that confers resistance to the virus. The findings upend the previous understanding of what is required for curing HIV through stem cell transplants and open up the possibility that a wider pool of stem cell transplants, including those without the CCR5 mutation, could potentially cure the virus. While this represents an important advance, the author notes that stem cell transplants are a high-risk procedure, and most people with HIV are better off taking antiretroviral therapy, which enables them to live long and healthy lives.
Poland has become the 18th European Union country to ban fur farming, which was welcomed as a historic moment for animal protection in the country. Poland is the largest fur producer in Europe, raising and killing around 3 million mink, fox, raccoon dog and chinchilla annually. The ban follows a damning report by the European Food Safety Authority concluding that animal suffering is systemic on fur farms. The ban will go into effect in 14 days, with existing farms given until 2034 to close, although many are expected to shut down earlier due to compensation offered. Poland's ban further isolates the last few remaining EU countries that still allow fur farming, with over 6 million animals kept on almost 1,200 fur farms across the EU.
That's it for last week :)
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