It wasn’t all bad
■ A choking giant panda was saved in China by a handler well-trained in the Heimlich maneuver. When a caretaker at the Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Chengdu saw a panda struggling with a carrot, he did the Heimlich, then lifted the bear and shook him until the carrot was dislodged.The rescue by the caretaker, identified only by the surname ofYang, was caught on video and became a viral hit. China has worked to restore the population of giant pandas, which were taken off the country’s endangered species list in 2021.
■ Last month, approximately 100 children with autism recorded public service announcements for the transit systems of New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta. Many autistic kids cling to familiar phrases they listen to while being deeply focused. Hearing kids repeat the phrases inspired JonathanTrichter, creator of the project, to ask transit systems to have children record real announcements, adding their own words and twists. Morgan Calles, a 6-year-old NewYork boy, warned passengers about the dangers of the tracks. Morgan’s mother said it was moving to see her son get the recognition he deserved, while Morgan himself just thought it was “super duper duper duper duper exciting.”
■ Dillon Reeves, a student in Michigan’s Carter Middle School, knew exactly what to do when his bus driver passed out on his way home.The 13-year-old ran to the front of the vehicle and took hold of the steering wheel while pumping the brakes. Despite his classmates’ screams, he calmly stopped the bus and asked them to call 911. After his feat, Reeves, who dreams of being a hockey player or a police officer, was recognized in a ceremony. “In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity,” said district superintendent Robert Livernois.