podcast
CNN 5 Good Things
Saturdays are for sunshine — especially for your ears. With another election, ongoing wars and natural disasters, we know the news can be a lot to take in and we’re determined to share the bright side of humanity. Every Saturday, take a breather from the headlines and hear all the uplifting happenings across the world with 5 Good Things from CNN.
Betty White Gets a Stamp
CNN 5 Good Things
Nov 23, 2024
A 17-year-old girl won a prestigious award this week advocating for the rights of girls in Afghanistan. Scientists have discovered the world's largest stretch of coral. A TV legend is getting her own stamp next year. A society of magicians wants to welcome back a member who tricked them. Plus, this 31-year-old woman smashed the record for hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.
Episode Transcript
Krista Bo
00:00:00
Hey there! Here's your weekly dose of feel good stories. A TV icon that made us all laugh for decades is making a special comeback next year. Hint it's not on the small screen.
Tara Dower
00:00:12
Plus, my job was to be the race car and they were the pit crew keeping me going. So it wouldn't have been possible without them?
Krista Bo
00:00:20
How an athlete was able to break a special hiking record. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo, and this is Five Good Things.
Krista Bo
00:00:32
'Nila Ibrahimi had one simple desire at 14-years-old -- to sing. Unfortunately, in March of 2021, education officials in her home country of Afghanistan banned girls over the age of 12 from singing in public. But she refused to stay silent.
Krista Bo
00:00:54
Nila recorded a heartfelt protest song that quickly became an anthem of resistance. It was part of the #IAmMySong campaign, which caught on, and within weeks the ban was overturned.
Nila Ibrahimi
00:01:07
So that was the first time that I thought, well, like, if I do want it, if I do think this is the way I want to live, I can speak up and that can be accepted.
Krista Bo
00:01:17
'A few months later, after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the Taliban seized power and implemented oppressive rules for women, forcing Nila and her family to flee to Pakistan and then to Canada, where she continues to advocate for Afghan girls. She co-founded a nonprofit called Her Story, which spotlights the voices of those still in Afghanistan and helps over 4000 girls access education opportunities.
Nila Ibrahimi
00:01:43
When I left Afghanistan, I was in grade nine. Now, three years later, I'm in grade 12, preparing to graduate and go to university. My friends back home, however, are still in grade nine. Their lives frozen in time. Knowing this, how can we stand by and do nothing?
Krista Bo
00:02:04
'This week, the now 17-year-old was honored with the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize from KidsRights for her work. At the award ceremony, she sang the same song that started it all and had this hopeful message.
Nila Ibrahimi
00:02:19
The world can be a scary place, but don't let these cruelties fade your light. Your light can brighten the world, or at least shine on a little corner and make a change.
Enric Sala
00:02:37
Many people believe that there is nothing left to explore or discover on our planet, but this finding proves them wrong.
Krista Bo
00:02:44
'Scientists have just discovered the world's largest coral in the southwest Pacific Ocean. It's more than 100 feet long, at least 300-years-old, and it's visible from space. Marine biologist and underwater cinematographer Manu San Felix drove down to take a look at it up close.
Manu San Felix
00:03:03
It's huge. The size is close to the size of a cathedral.
Krista Bo
00:03:08
Corals are vital for both the marine creatures that rely on them for food and shelter and for humans as well. They're an indirect food source for an estimated 1 billion people. By helping support fisheries and coral, provides a buffer against storms and sea level rise. This discovery is some rare good news in a sea of bad. More than 40% of warm water reef building coral species face extinction, primarily due to climate change. Enric Sala is the executive director of National Geographic's Pristine Seas Project, which led the exhibition. He's one of many ocean conservation experts who sees how long this ancient coral has been able to survive and think not all hope is lost.
Enric Sala
00:03:52
Finding a mega coral like this one is a powerful reminder of why we need to accelerate ocean protection.
Betty White
00:04:02
Well, I've been around the block, okay? I mean, I've seen a lot of things, and I've done one or two, and...
Krista Bo
00:04:09
'The U.S. Postal Service announced that the hilarious and beloved actress Betty White will be honored with her very own stamp. It's part of a new slate of stamps for 2025 that will honor nature, history and cultural icons. And Betty White certainly fits the bill. Her stamp comes nearly three years after she died in 2021 at 99-years -old, weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
Betty White
00:04:35
'How lucky can a 90-year-old broad be? I have no idea.
Krista Bo
00:04:40
Best known for her roles in The Golden Girls and the Mary Tyler Moore Show, she was a showbusiness superstar, beloved by Hollywood and generations of fans.
Betty White
00:04:49
Well, if you thought you couldn't get rid of me before, now, you're really stuck with me.
Krista Bo
00:04:58
'Okay, so back in the 90s, a woman managed to fool a world famous male only magic society into letting her into the club. They kicked the magician out for being a girl. But the good news is now, decades later, the group of magicians want to welcome her back in -- if they can find her. My podcast partner in crime, Eryn Mathewson, is here to tell this pretty wild story. Hey, Eryn!
Eryn Mathewson
00:05:22
Hey, Krista!
Krista Bo
00:05:24
So tell me about this club. What's it called again?
Eryn Mathewson
00:05:26
It's called the Magic Circle. And the whole goal is to promote the art of magic. Fun fact, King Charles is even a member. And, you know, it was founded in 1905 in London, and it only allowed skilled male magicians into the group. So you can imagine some women in the field did not like that, especially a woman named Sophie Lloyd. So she tried to get into the circle in the most magician way possible.
Eryn Mathewson
00:05:53
She applied to join and takes the entrance exam just like any other prospect. But she did it disguised as a man. So she's performing magic tricks, she's hanging out with the members, and no one knows the truth. In fact, she's so good and so convincing, they just go ahead and make her a member later that year.
Krista Bo
00:06:10
Oh wow. Did anyone ever find out like that she was a woman all along?
Eryn Mathewson
00:06:15
Well, that's where it gets tricky. Pun intended. Basically around the time that Sophie joined the Magic Circle, there was this whole other separate campaign to pressure the group to admit women. The Magic Circle takes a vote, they agree to let women join, and when Sophie hears this, she reveals her true identity.
Krista Bo
00:06:32
Okay, like, abracadabra! I'm a woman.
Eryn Mathewson
00:06:36
Exactly. I wonder if she said that. She thought the society would find it funny. But they did not. And in fact, they were so mad they expelled her for deceiving them.
Krista Bo
00:06:47
I thought that's what magicians are all about, you know, like the art of illusion. I thought that's like the ultimate magic trick.
Eryn Mathewson
00:06:54
Ultimate magic trick!
Krista Bo
00:06:55
So what did she do next?
Eryn Mathewson
00:06:57
As far as I know, she kept doing magic and used it to educate people about bullying, and then she just kind of disappeared. So while the Magic Circle now accepts women, they've done some reflecting and they'd like a chance to apologize to Sophie and welcome her back as a member.
Krista Bo
00:07:12
Okay, that's nice. How many members do they have?
Eryn Mathewson
00:07:14
The group has over 1700 members and more than 80 of them are women. So, like I said, they want to make it right with Sophie and let her back in. The only problem is they have to find her. It seems like Sophie Lloyd is more of a stage name. So we'll see.
Krista Bo
00:07:28
Wow. All right. Well, I mean, it's great that the Magic Circle's now more inclusive and trying to make amends with someone, you know, they did kind of dirty. Sophie, if you're listening. Let us know if you end up reconnecting.
Krista Bo
00:07:47
'It typically takes a hiker five to seven months to traverse the entire Appalachian Trail. We'll tell you how long it took the fastest person ever to do it after a quick break. But before we go, we want to hear from you. Do you personally have any good news to share? Maybe you accomplished a big goal or tackled a fear of yours. Or maybe you felt good about a random act of kindness. It doesn't matter if it's big or small. We want to hear about it. So give us a call. Tell us your name and the good news you're excited about. The number is (404) 981-2293. We'll be right back.
Krista Bo
00:08:28
Professional ultrarunner Tara Dower from Virginia has some pretty badass bragging rights.
Tara Dower
00:08:33
So I completed the Appalachian Trail from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, in 40 days, 18 hours and six minutes, becoming the fastest person ever to hike, run the trail.
Krista Bo
00:08:48
'The 31-year-old posted a video on her YouTube channel, Tara Treks, reflecting on her fastest known time achievement or FKT for short. On August 12th, she embarked on the 2189 mile long journey south across 14 states. At 11:53 p.m. on September 21st, she beat the previous record held by Belgian hiker Karel Sabbe by 13 hours, hiking an average of 54 miles a day. She said she had about 40 people help her with her pace, mapping out her path and making sure she was fed properly, including her mom and her best friend, Rascal.
Tara Dower
00:09:30
My job was to be the race car and they were the pit crew keeping me going, so it wouldn't have been possible without them.
Krista Bo
00:09:37
With help from sponsors and donations, Tara also raised over $95,000 for the nonprofit, Girls on the Run, that hosts running programs for girls across the country.
Tara Dower
00:09:48
I wanted to do the Appalachian Trail to inspire and encourage women and girls to go for a tough goal. I wanted to inspire women to go for long FKTs like the Appalachian Trail, go for that overall record, because I think we have this untapped ability.
Krista Bo
00:10:12
All right. That's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. CNN's Nick Payton Walsh breaks down the steps the Biden Administration is taking to aid Ukraine before President elect Donald Trump takes office.
Krista Bo
00:10:24
Five good things as a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Eryn Mathewson and me, Krista Bo. Our senior producers are Felicia Patinkin and Faiz Jamil. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our technical director, and Steve Lickteig is the executive producer of CNN Audio. We get support from Joey Salvia, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to Katie Hinman. And thank you for listening. Take care. Till next time.
