海角大神

This article appeared in the June 28, 2019 edition of the Monitor Daily.

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What blue socks, cupcakes, and one amazing sprinter have in common

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File
A blue-footed booby pair are unafraid of the tourists on North Seymour, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. This island is home to one of the biggest populations of nesting blue-footed boobies.
Peter Grier
Washington editor

Welcome to your Daily. Today we look at what the Democrats鈥 debates revealed about the party, what outsiders (including diplomats) should know about the people of Iran and South Korea, the business ethics of the border crisis, and a collection of works from a master-class essayist.

First, is it time for some blue socks? Or a 鈥渇reedom fighter鈥 cupcake?

Maybe. Whatever it takes for you to realize you鈥檙e in a 鈥渕agic moment.鈥

We say all this because it鈥檚 Friday, finally. The news in recent days seems to have poured upon us nonstop. It has been one of those weeks when it seems almost impossible to keep up.

This is when lighter stories help. Whatever they鈥檙e called 鈥 human interest, heartwarmers 鈥 they help put in perspective self-important 鈥淲ho Won and Who Lost, Five Takeaways鈥 list stories.

Thus blue socks.

Will Gladstone is an Arlington, Massachusetts, high schooler. He鈥檚 worried that the population of blue-footed boobies, a wondrous Galapagos bird, has dropped by 60% in the past 30 years. Since he was in eighth grade, he and his little brother have raised more than $80,000 to fund research on reversing the decline.

Michael Platt makes the cupcakes. At age 11, the Bowie, Maryland, teen started a bakery as a two-for-one charity. For every item he sells, he to a homeless shelter. Every month, his special 鈥渇reedom fighter鈥 cupcakes honor a personal hero.

Julia Hawkins is a record-holding sprinter. She is also 103. At the National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this month she competed in the 50- and 100-yard dashes. Her nickname is 鈥淗urricane.鈥

鈥淗ave many passions,鈥 she told . 鈥淎nd look for magic moments.鈥

Our hot take: only winners here. No losers at all.


This article appeared in the June 28, 2019 edition of the Monitor Daily.

Read 06/28 edition
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