🐶 Dogs Travel the City

Good morning. In New York, one man’s creative kindness is helping shelter dogs find loving homes, one backpack ride at a time.

On Chicago’s South Side, vacant lots are blooming into flower farms, providing jobs and inspiration for local youth.

And in China, a pioneering facility is turning seawater into both pure drinking water and clean hydrogen fuel, pointing the way toward a more sustainable future.

—Stephanie S

Bryan Reisberg discovered the power of a dog’s presence when his Corgi, Maxine, brought smiles to New York subway riders from inside a backpack. Inspired by the joy Maxine spread, Bryan began sharing their adventures online, quickly gaining millions of fans.

He soon partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to help shelter dogs find homes. Each week, Bryan takes a shelter dog on a city adventure in his backpack, complete with an “Adopt Me” sign, and shares their stories on social media.

The results have been heartwarming. Every featured dog except one has found a home, and the shelter has seen a significant rise in adoptions.

Bryan’s creative approach reminds us that a little kindness and visibility can change lives—both for dogs and the people who meet them.

Six-year-old Bryn Ailinger is thriving this Christmas after overcoming a rare, aggressive leukemia thanks to CAR T-cell therapy. Last year, standard treatments failed, leaving her family fearing the worst.

Doctors at Roswell Park offered the innovative therapy, which engineers a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer. Bryn responded so well that her cancer is now undetectable.

Her story brings hope to families facing similar diagnoses and highlights advances in childhood cancer care.

Quilen Blackwell, named 2025 CNN Hero of the Year, is transforming vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into vibrant flower farms. Through his nonprofits, Southside Blooms and Chicago Eco House, he employs local youth to grow and sell flowers, offering hope and opportunity.

Blackwell’s work not only beautifies neighborhoods but also addresses poverty and reduces reliance on imported flowers.

His team’s efforts are helping young people and communities bloom every day.

A new facility in Rizhao, China, is turning seawater into both pure drinking water and green hydrogen fuel at record-low costs. Using waste heat from a nearby steel plant, the process is efficient and eco-friendly.

The plant produces enough hydrogen to power city buses and delivers fresh water for just $0.28 per cubic meter, far cheaper than other major desalination plants.

This innovation could help address water scarcity and the need for clean energy worldwide.

🚗 North Dakota: The iconic South Unit Scenic Road in Theodore Roosevelt National Park has reopened after six years of repairs.

👟 California: A professor has launched adaptive shoes that help people with mobility issues walk more safely and confidently on uneven surfaces.

🌍 World: INTERPOL's Operation Thunder rescued 30,000 animals from illegal captivity in the largest wildlife trafficking raid in history, spanning 134 countries.

💧 South Sudan: The city of Bor transformed its water crisis into a success by building a clean water system that now serves nearly 100,000 people.

🥙 Ohio: A refugee learning English brings homemade food to share with his entire class every week, spreading kindness and hospitality in his new community.

92 years ago today, the first American professional football championship game was played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, marking a turning point in the sport’s history. The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23–21 in a matchup called the Championship, a contest that would later be recognized as the direct precursor to the modern Super Bowl.

The 1933 season was the NFL’s first to introduce divisional play, an idea proposed by Boston Redskins owner George Preston Marshall. Division leaders advanced to the championship game, drawing a crowd of roughly 21,000 paying fans, with several hundred more climbing fences to watch. Newspapers called it one of the most spectacular games of the year, highlighted by inventive offense, including a famous Bears play where center Mel Hein ran nearly 60 yards after hiding the ball under his jersey.

Other notable December 17 events:

1967: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Air Quality Act, laying groundwork for the Clean Air Act.

1969: SALT I nuclear arms control talks began between the United States and the Soviet Union.

2003: SpaceShipOne completed its first supersonic flight.

2017: François Gabart set a solo round-the-world sailing speed record.

— Henry Fielding

Every day brings amazing advances and uplifting moments that remind us just how wonderful the world can be. Here are five reasons why today is the best time ever to be alive:

📸 Protecting Wildlife: Wildlife camera traps and AI monitoring are uncovering hidden species and helping prevent poaching.

🚲 Cargo Bikes: Electric cargo bikes are replacing delivery trucks in cities, reducing emissions.

💨 Local Turbines: Community wind turbine projects are generating income and energy for remote towns.

🛣️ Plastic Roads: Plastic road technology is turning discarded plastics into durable, eco-friendly highways.

🧊 Green Ice Plants: Renewable-powered ice factories are supporting fishers by sustainably preserving catches.

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