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1) 91 YEAR OLD DONATES HIS VACCINE DOSE TO MOTHER OF DISABLED CHILD
2) COPPER AGAINST COVID VIRUS?
3) SEPARATIONS, LAWYERS SAY THEY'RE DOUBLED
4) SOCCER ROUNDUP OF THE WEEKEND
5) FREE CLIMBERS FINED AFTER CROSSING FROM LAZIO
6) PLANE APOLOGY, EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR MYSTERIOUS "ALE"

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Supernova (Argofox release)
Author: EzaOne
License: Creative Commons Attribution
Links: youtu.be/xZDYu5azS-c
https://soundcloud.com/argofox/ezaone-supernova

LINKS TO ARTICLES
https://www.lanazione.it/massa-carrara/cronaca/vaccino-1.6073882
https://www.lanazione.it/cronaca/vuole-donare-vaccino-1.6077656
https://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2021/03/01/news/covid_rame_antivirale_virus-289633539/?rss
https://iltirreno.gelocal.it/prato/cronaca/2021/03/01/news/la-convivenza-forzata-raddoppia-le-separazioni-1.39965605
https://iltirreno.gelocal.it/grosseto/cronaca/2021/02/28/news/sconfinano-dal-lazio-per-fare-arrampicata-in-maremma-multati-1.39965212
https://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2021/02/24/news/spostamenti_tra_regioni_multati_lazio_toscana-289017698/?rss
https://www.ilgiunco.net/2021/02/28/ale-perdonami-laereo-sorvola-la-citta-per-chiudere-scusa-al-suo-amore/

SCRIPT
Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be, however you might be listening, welcome to another episode of What’s Up Tuscany, the daily podcast from L’Arno where you will find the most interesting news of today, Monday March 1st 2021, as selected by our journalists. Let’s start week 3 of this podcast well rested after the weekend and ready to tell the stories of our beautiful Tuscany. Please, if you like what we do, subscribe, share this podcast and let us know what you think of it on L’Arno Facebook page or on Twitter. You can find the links here below.

Let’s start with a story we read Saturday and Sunday on La Nazione, that of a generous senior in Carrara willing to donate his vaccine dose to the mother of a disabled child. Giovanni, a fantasy name as he’d rather not be recognized, stepped forward after reading about the desperation of the mother, afraid of getting the virus and passing it to her child. Giovanni was promptly blocked by the bureaucracy, which doesn’t understand such gestures. Thursday he should receive his dose but will show up with the young woman, convinced not to take no for an answer. He thinks of this as normal behaviour. Quote “I’ve seen the plea of this mother and I didn’t think twice, she needs the vaccine more than I do. I don’t mind the restrictions, I never leave my home, I can see the sea and the mountains from here, I can walk in my garden, as for the rest my sons and nephews take care of me. I’m not a hero” end quote. Well, Mister Giovanni, we don’t see many people around as generous and courageous as you are. We’ll let you know how this story will end in the coming episodes.

Let’s continue with a very interesting article we read this morning on La Repubblica, about a Tuscan company that found a way to reduce the spread of COVID using an ancient material, copper. KME Italy, a firm based in Florence, manufactures a line of products made of copper alloys, a material that, as certified by the virology lab at the University of Pisa, eliminates the COVID virus in no more than 10 minutes. The virus survives up to two days on plastic. The products are being tested in the Malpensa airport, where they will replace handles and bars on the plane shuttles. Copper is recyclable and lasts much longer than many other materials. The real challenge will be to shrink the size of the copper particles so that they can be sprayed on cloth, plastics, metals, paper and to make sure they’re not washed away easily. If the experimentation being carried out at the Pisa CNR laboratory will be successful, the nanoparticles can be added to natural or synthetic fibres, making face masks and clothes much more effective against viruses, bacteria and fungi. Let’s hope they’re successful. Such products would have a massive market.

Let’s move now to the latest chapter of a story we reported a few days ago, that we read this morning on Il Tirreno. A few days ago the Prato registry office reported how the pandemic had reduced the number of separations and divorces. Well, according to many local attorneys those were old data. Since last autumn, the number of separation requests has almost doubled. According to Michele Giacco, women usually ask for an immediate separation, deciding to go back to their parents to regroup and try to get enough money for a divorce. Laura Badiani is sure that being forced to live together has made everything that didn’t work in a relationship almost unbearable, prompting many to break up, even when they have children. Before, when people were outside the house most of the time, a solution could be found. Now that we’re stuck together all the time, people have much less patience. So, just when we thought that the pandemic had brought the best out of many, we’re forced to change our mind. Bummer...

As every monday, let’s move now to a quick recap of the football - soccer if you must - results of clubs from Tuscany. In Serie A new stop for Fiorentina, which was defeated 1-0 in Udine. Eight away loss in 12 matches for Prandelli’s men. The Viola still have 25 points, plus seven from the relegation zone. In Serie B, home draw for Empoli against Venezia: despite this they’re still top of the table with 46 points, three above Monza and 4 above Venezia and Salernitana. Two-all draw for Pisa against Vicenza, with the Nerazzurri coming back from 0-2 in the second half. Mixed bag in Serie C: more or less uneventful draws for Pistoiese and Lucchese, against Albinoleffe and Olbia respectively. Convincing 3-1 win for Grosseto against Pontedera while the downward spiral of Livorno Calcio continues with another loss at Pergolettese. Good 2-all draw in Trieste for Arezzo.

Let’s move on with a story we read Sunday on the Grosseto edition of Il Tirreno, a new border crossing of sporting enthusiasts from Lazio. A few days ago we had read how a couple of surfers from near Rome were caught in Ansedonia chasing the big waves, this time it was two free climbing enthusiasts from Rome to be surprised while climbing the Tagliata cliff face. The two thirty year olds were stopped by the Guardia di Finanza, fined between 400 and 800 Euros and invited to go back immediately to their residences. Their reasons? If the surfers ended there when they couldn’t find decent waves in Tarquinia, the free climbers said they couldn’t find anything as good as the Ansedonia wall in their area. Again, the passion for sport clashed against the harsh reality we’re all living. So far, fines won the day. We’ll see how it will go in the future...

Let’s close today’s episode with a funny story we read Sunday evening on Il Giunco, an apology painted in the sky that puzzled the citizens of Follonica. Saturday afternoon a banner behind a small plane had a cryptic message: “Ale forgive me”. The plane circled over the town several times, enough so that people could snap pictures and post them on social media. In a matter of minutes everyone was looking for the mysterious Ale. Will it be a man or a woman? Who did what? Did he/she betray him/her? How will the story end? The entire town is trying to figure out what happened and if Ale accepted the apology or not. We will definitely keep an eye out for this. We’re curious to know as well.

That was all for today, I’m your host Luca Bocci and I’ll see you tomorrow for another episode of What’s Up Tuscany, the daily podcast from L’Arno where you’ll find the news that, according to us, are well worth a second look. Thanks for listening and goodbye!