Weekly News Recap: July 4, 2025

Weekly News Recap: July 4, 2025

Mike Myers ignited a movement on Saturday Night Live with his ‘elbows up’ rallying cry in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 51st-state threats. In conversation with The National, the actor and comedian tells CBC’s Paul Hunter what pushed him to that moment, revealing a deep gratitude for what Canada has given him.

Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. - Jack Layton

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: Passenger video shows 'miracle' rescue after child and father go overboard on Disney cruise (CBC) This is an incredible example of what a well-trained ship's crew does during a MOB (man over board). #Heroes "A trip aboard a Disney Dream cruise nearly turned into a nightmare this weekend after a child reportedly fell overboard and her dad jumped in after her."

  • VIDEO: New Zealand ad campaign to make country ‘best place in the world to have herpes’ wins top prize at Cannes Lions (The Guardian) Well, if you are going to be first at something... "A public health advertisement that campaigned to make New Zealand 'the best place in the world to have herpes' has won a top prize at the Cannes Lions – one of world’s most prestigious advertising awards. The campaign, launched by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation [...] last year, attempts to challenge decades of entrenched stigma around genital herpes – a condition that affects up to 80% of New Zealanders at some point in their lives, the foundation said."

  • Photos: How one program is changing surf culture in San Francisco (San Francisco Standard) This makes my heart sing. "Rosa Preciado dreamed of surfing, just as her father and grandfather had when they lived in Mexico, chasing waves in Baja California and Sinaloa. But growing up, her dad spent his days running the family taco truck and didn’t have much time to teach his daughter to surf."

  • At adoption event, shelter dog alerts man he is about to have a seizure (Yahoo News) Dogs are amazing! "At a recent adoption event, Sienna - a 3-year-old lab and pit bull mix - made a beeline for a man she’d never met and gently placed her paw on his leg [...] Poppe tried to pull Sienna away, but she would not leave the man’s side. That is when the man’s wife - who had been shopping nearby - turned around and noticed something was wrong. 'He looked like he was definitely going to have a seizure,' Kristen Davis said about her husband, Josh Davis, who has epilepsy."

  • At Jackie Robinson's high school, Altadena rebuilds after fire (ESPN) Most of us have no idea what adversity looks like. These kids definitely do. Congrats to them all. "ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINE days after the fire, around 70 seniors from John Muir High School rise from their seats inside Pasadena's historic Civic Auditorium. Like their 200 classmates seated around them, their dark blue gowns are draped with colorful ribbons and stoles. Blue-and-yellow tassels hang from their graduation caps."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a B.C. man built a cheese curd catapult (CBC) WEST KOOTENAY STORY Definitely a Canadian story. "Jeremie Gurvan recounts the moment a local francophone association asked him to build a ‘poutine catapult’ using fake cheese curds for an event in the West Kootenay region of B.C."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment firefighters rescued a pet squirrel from a tree (CBC) WHITE ROCK STORY STORY Hmmm, and you have a pet squirrel why? "Kelly Blair recounts the moment his pet squirrel, Douglas, was rescued from a tree by his local fire department in White Rock, B.C."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a moose stuck its head in a car in Jasper (CBC) JASPER STORY #Wow "Kellie Paxian recounts the moment a moose approached her car and popped its head through the window as she and her husband were passing through Jasper National Park."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. France and Switzerland shut down nuclear power plants amid scorching heatwave (Euro News) Unanticipated outcomes of global warming. Nuclear power is arguably one of the solutions or...is it? "To cool down, nuclear power plants pump water from local rivers or the sea, which they then release back into water bodies at a higher temperature. However, this process can threaten local biodiversity if water is released which is too hot."

  2. Gen Alpha slang baffles parents—and AI (Fast Company) The safety issues warrant this research alone. "A researcher tested top AI models and adults on phrases like ‘Let him cook’ and discovered neither group truly speaks the language of today’s kids." See the report here.

  3. New pet major shows university’s pragmatic spirit (Global Times) I did wonder. "An undergraduate major dedicated to pets was recently launched at China Agricultural University (CAU), the first such major ever offered in China. The new major might make one wonder why a university would see the need to cultivate pet talents. Yet, its establishment shows how Chinese higher education has evolved to resonate with emerging social trends and industry demands."

  4. He’s Ringo. And Nobody Else Is. (New York Times) #LoveRingo "As he turns 85, one of the last surviving Beatles is still musically curious, dispensing his signature wisdom, and preaching the gospel of peace and love."

  5. VIDEO: What are the chances of Earth being hit by a big asteroid? (CBC) "A week ago, the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory released its first images. It also included a video of all the asteroids it discovered. In just 10 hours, the Simonyi Survey Telescope with the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) camera captured more than 2,000 previously undetected asteroids. It's a reminder that, while there's a lot of space in space, our solar system still has a lot going on."

  6. Gates Foundation commits $1.6 billion to Gavi over five years (Philanthropy News Digest) This is terrific. "The Gates Foundation has announced a five-year, $1.6 billion commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in support of its global vaccination work. The commitment is a renewal of a longstanding partnership between the organizations as well as a response to the declining budgets of international development organizations and shifting political priorities."

  7. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon announces 83 appointments to Order of Canada (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT Congrats to all including Drs Bonnie Henry and Theresa Tam and also including the amazing author Miriam Toews and the great UFC fighter Georges St. Pierre. "Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has announced 83 appointments to the Order of Canada — a list that includes doctors, activists, artists and economists. Simon's office announced one new companion — the highest level of the Order of Canada —16 officers, two honorary officers and 64 new members, the introductory honour level in the order."

  8. VIDEO: He made the decision on impulse, but it sparked a movement. Mike Myers on elbows up (CBC) CANADIAN STORY A true Canadian. "For all in Canada who happened to be watching Saturday Night Live, that March night was an unforgettable moment. Mike Myers, the one-time SNLer who'd performed in the opening skit as a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk, stood onstage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show as they all waved goodnight. Then he did it."

  9. VIDEO: London woman off insulin for Type 1 diabetes after a single dose of experimental manufactured stem cells (CTV) LONDON STORY As a member of a family with three diabetics, this is very promising news. "'I remember, like, being scared and excited, and it’s history now,' she said. The 36-year-old nurse and mother is part of a small, but what some call 'milestone study,' of patients with Type 1 Diabetes using manufactured stem cells, designed to grow in the liver and become the full array of pancreatic islet cells that naturally control blood sugar levels."

  10. VIDEO: The Dalai Lama has shared plans for his succession. China has other ideas (CBC) "It was news that many Tibetan Buddhists had been anxiously waiting for, as the Dalai Lama gathered his senior monks in Dharamshala, the Himalayan Indian town where he has lived in exile for decades: a clear plan for his succession. In a pre-recorded video message, the Dalai Lama, who will turn 90 [...] and had previously speculated that he could be the last of his line, confirmed that he will be reincarnated and that the role he occupies will continue after his death. He added that the Dalai Lama's non-profit foundation, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, has the 'sole authority' to recognize his reincarnated self."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Birthplaces of Every Popular Style of Beer [MAP] (Vine Pair) Beer nerds everywhere...celebrate.

  2. What is a micro-retirement? Inside the latest Gen Z trend (Fast Company) I will leave it to you dear reader to find out what DIFTP means.

  3. The value of ‘almost.’ Why coming in second can be the best thing to happen to you (Fast Company) Interesting perspective. Takes the downsides of competition out of the equation.

  4. 5 reasons why the 4-day workweek is a win for everyone (Fast Company) As it turns out, it also allows for more people to have jobs.

  5. The Biggest Meat Marinating Mistake To Avoid This Summer (The Takeout) Spoiler alert: don't use solid ingredients like rosemary sprigs.

  6. Stressed Out? Try This Simple 30-Second Trick a Fitness Expert Recommends to Calm Your Mind (Men's Journal) Breathe.

  7. Old people admit the 45 Gen Z and Alpha slang words they secretly love (Upworthy) Trying to keep up is a full time job.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Royal Roads University receives largest donation in school's history (Victoria News) VICTORIA STORY "Royal Roads University received a gift consisting of two acreages on Salt Spring Island, valued at over $9.9 million, making it the largest donation in the universities history. The contribution came from the Bloom Canadian Alter Ego Trust 2020 and the estate of the late Susan Bagley Bloom, an environmental philanthropist, conservationist, and long-time resident of Salt Spring Island."

  2. Mining Sector Unites to Support Manitoba Wildfire Relief with C$1.25 Million Donation to the Canadian Red Cross (Junior Mining Network) MANITOBA STORY Nice work! "In response to the devastating wildfires impacting communities across northern Manitoba, three leading mining companies that operate in the region—Hudbay Minerals Inc., Vale Base Metals and Alamos Gold Inc.—have collectively donated C$1.25 million to the Canadian Red Cross to support emergency relief and rebuilding efforts."

  3. Generous donation creates new bursary for Durham College students (Durham Radio News) OSHAWA STORY The ongoing legacy of Tim Hortons. "It comes from a $1.5-million donation by the Joyce Family Foundation. 'The foundation’s primary focus is to provide access to education and opportunities for children and youth with significant financial need or facing other socio-economic barriers,' explained Executive Director Maureen [O’Neill]."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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