Wannabe astronaut helps NASA, and more

Wannabe astronaut helps NASA

When Connor Johnson learned that Congress was cutting funding for NASA, he decided to take action. The wannabe astronaut, 6, first wanted to donate the contents of his piggy bank—all $10.41 of it—to the space agency. But his family convinced the boy to post a petition to increase NASA funding on the White House website, where it has so far received 11,000 signatures. The would-be space traveler said he feared for the agency’s future. “NASA is the only space company I’ve known for a very long time,” he said.

Motorcycle gang organizes donation drive

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A motorcycle gang is bringing the spirit of Christmas to inmates of a Georgia jail this year. The Heaven’s Thunder Ryderz chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association organized an online donation drive to fund care packages for the 1,200 inmates of the Jenkins Correctional Center in Millen, Ga., after learning that the prisoners received no gifts at all last year. Each inmate will receive a Christmas gift bag with toiletries, candy, and a seasonal message. “Everybody in this world is one mistake away from making a bad decision,” said motorcyclist Cathy Johnson. “We need not judge them. Everybody deserves love.”

How to save money for a home

A couple from Burlington, Iowa, has moved into a new home after living in a tent for seven months to save up for a down payment. Roy and Katie Appleget ditched their $1,000-a-month rental property in March to live in a local campground for $180 a month. After half a year of frugality, they had saved up $10,000—enough to make a down payment on a three-bedroom house. Roy, a corrections officer, said they were getting re-accustomed to home comforts. “[We can] stay warm, take a shower for free without pumping coins in a machine,” he said. “It’s pretty great.”