Victories — Week 1
By: Marcus Day
New York — Welcome to the first week of Victories, a new column by Via News.
What we’ve noticed over the last couple of months is that although so much of what we report on is necessary to cover, it is usually about the things the world needs to improve—or things that need to leave the world entirely. In other words, this necessary news can often be sad or discouraging.
While we spend hours every day looking for leads and talking to sources, we occasionally come across some more encouraging news, stories about how the world is getting better. We feel these narratives need more light.
So, every two weeks, in addition to our traditional articles, we’ll be sharing five news stories we’ve come across that give us hope. The layout of the column will be simple: a title, an excerpt, and a link—easy stuff.
Despite the constant negativity and dispiriting headlines, things are getting better in the world. We started this column to show that—we hope you enjoy.
Sea turtles, whales, and dolphins may soon be free of the deadly possibility that they will get entangled in the huge driftnets floating off the coast of California.
Small gillnet – USFWS
“The U.S. Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to phase out the use of the harmful mesh gillnets in federal waters there—the only place the nets are still used in the United States.”
Read more on the story here.
2. Despite Mistrust and Numerous Setbacks, Nigeria is Officially Free of Wild Polio
National Stop Transmission of Polio | Nigeria
“ June 2020 marks the month that Nigeria has been officially declared wild polio free by the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for wild poliomyelitis eradication. Wild polio, the strain of virus that exists endemically, has not been detected in the country since 2016. Nigeria was the last remaining African country where wild polio existed, making this achievement a major milestone for the health of all Africans.”
Read more on the story here.
3. Sudan lifts death penalty and flogging for gay sex.
“Sudan's decision to lift the death penalty and flogging as punishment for gay sex was hailed by LGBT+ activists on Thursday as a promising sign after almost four decades of Islamist rule, with calls for prison sentences to be abolished as well.”
Read more on the story here.
4. Minnesota and Pennsylvania join just two other American states in outlawing child marriage in all circumstances.
Photo by Phan Minh Cuong An
“Though the frequency of adolescent marriage is declining, approximately 248,000 children as young as 12 were married between 2000 and 2010. Currently, there is no federal law that regulates child marriage, providing discretion to each state and territory.”
Read more on the story here.
5. Washington Man Rescues 2.4 Million Pounds of Farmers’ Crops Going to Waste, Gets Them to Food Banks Across State
Photo by EastWest Food Rescue – Facebook
“When George Ahearn heard that farmers in Washington state were giving away onions and potatoes they suddenly couldn’t sell, his instinct for goodwill led him on a journey that would lead to the rescue of 200 tons of vegetables arriving in food banks to support people in need.”
Read more on the story here.