Non-Profit News

Des Moines Food Pantries Face Spiking Demand As The Iowa Region’s SNAP Enrollment Declines

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 5:00am

As part of its drive to cut federal spending, the Trump administration has paused over US$500 million of funds that had previously flowed annually to food banks across the U.S. It’s not the only policy change that could make it harder than it already is for many Americans to get enough to eat.

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Maine's Hidden 'Sistine Chapel' Inspires Artists With 70-Year-Old Frescoes

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 4:00am

The unassuming South Solon Meeting House, built in 1842, is pictured Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Solon, Maine.
(Robert F. Bukaty / AP Photo)

SOLON, Maine (AP) — From the outside, it looks like any other New England church building: a boxy, white structure with a single steeple surrounded by an old stone wall, set against rolling hills and pine forest.

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Miami Researchers Are Testing A Textured Seawall Designed To Hold Back Water And Create A Home For Marine Organisms

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 3:00am

Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience.

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Former Nebraska State Senator Heads Back To Ukraine To Show Support

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 7:00am

The front-line of a military group in Donetsk, Ukraine, shelters from artillery. State Sen. Tom Brewer joins them in the bottom left.
(Courtesy of Noah Philson)

LINCOLN – A former state senator and decorated U.S. Army veteran is headed again to Ukraine in hopes of providing reassurance that Americans still support the country’s fight for freedom against Russia.

This month, former Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon is making his fifth trip to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022, and he feels it might be the most precarious.

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Spoons in Brains

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 6:00am

I recall growing up, before doom scrolling on phones and tablets was a thing, there would be a new commercial that would show up every month or so about some miracle pill to stop some new health problem. “Bananas are radioactive! They cause cancer! Here is BigBossPill5000 to cure it!” At this point in our lives to say that doom scrolling has made the problem worse would simply be as effective as beating a dead horse to get it to run faster.

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Assisted Living Isn't Just For People. A Zoo In Spain Helps Elderly Elephants Age Gracefully

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 4:00am

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — At the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant places her foot through the metal barrier where a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole — the beloved pachyderm gets her “pedicure,” along with apple slices every day.

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Southeast Asia Water Festivals Begin, But Earthquake Recovery Blunts Myanmar's Celebrations

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 3:00am

Thai people with faces stained with paint take part in the Songkran water festival to celebrate the Thai New Year in Prachinburi Province, Thailand, Sunday, April 13, 2025.
(Wason Wanichakorn / AP Photo)

BANGKOK (AP) — Several Southeast Asian countries kicked off their annual water festival holiday on Sunday, but in the wake of a devastating earthquake last month, Myanmar is missing out on the fun.

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Global Warming Isn't Funny -- Except In The Hands Of These Comedians

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 2:00am

Esteban Gast performs during Stand Up For Climate, a comedy show at Flappers Comedy on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Burbank, Calif.
(Ethan Swope / AP Photo)

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Esteban Gast remembered a feeling of shame he had in high school while calculating how much carbon dioxide, the main driver of climate change, his daily activities created, known as a carbon footprint.

“Have you ever driven a car or flown in an airplane?” were among the long list of questions posed by the calculator.

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Thousands In Memorial Park Protest Federal Actions As Part Of National ‘Hands Off!’ Protests

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 7:00am

Protesters gather in central Omaha’s Memorial Park, across Dodge Street from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
(Courtesy of Lucy Mason / The Gateway)

OMAHA — Thousands of protesters took to Dodge Street and Memorial Park in a wave of national demonstrations Saturday and a companion protest in Lincoln opposing the recent actions of the federal government with the hope of instilling change locally and nationally.

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Timber, Pollen And Mass Bee Death

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 6:00am

From an early age in our schools, children are taught about, “Environmental absolutes.” They are not titled so, rather that is a term I have just come up with to better conceptualize their necessity. Trees (especially old-growth trees) provide oxygen to all living things. They provide homes to many small creatures and a plethora of bugs, moss, and vines; as well as maintaining erosion with widespread roots, providing shade and ultraviolet-light protection to that which grows and lives on the ground.