The New York Times’ Peter Baker says Washington, D.C., is safe -- but a growing number of Americans want him to prove it. On Tuesday, Baker disputed the very real notion that the capital is dangerous. He slammed the Trump administration for sending in National Guard troops and federalizing the...

A bizarre confrontation at an Oregon dog park has gone viral after a woman berated a man for buying his dogs instead of adopting them, and then tried to frame him as a racist attacker. The incident happened at Mount Tabor Dog Park in Portland, Oregon, according to the U.K.'s...

President Donald Trump is proving all the naysayers and globalists wrong, months into his tariff regime, as revenue to the federal treasury spikes and inflation remains low. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reported that in July alone, Trump's tariffs brought in approximately $25 billion to the federal treasury,...

CNN wasn't the problem for once -- but its viewers sure were. When a Christian church opened its doors to the liberal network for a report posted to YouTube on Friday, the church's leaders were so ready for a "hit piece" that they'd insisted on recording the segment being recorded,...

God moves in mysterious ways, the old saying goes, and that certainly appears to be true in the case of President Donald Trump. Even the establishment media appears to be picking up on the fact that Trump losing in 2020 was a blessing in disguise in terms of how effective...

Some bands make all the right noises but never achieve the riches they deserve

The relentless innovator explains why he can never stay in a creative space for long, claims credit for the Paris student riots of the 60s, and recalls giving up music entirely rather than going commercial

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Camping season is wrapping up, and as you unpack from one last weekend in the woods, you might find yourself eyeing a well-loved, slightly tattered sleeping bag. Maybe it’s ripped, faded, or just not as cozy as it used to be. But before you throw it away, take a pause; there are several surprisingly useful ways to repurpose that old sleeping bag at home. Giving your gear a second life isn’t just satisfying, it’s eco-conscious too. Instead of adding to landfill waste, try one of these practical and creative ideas to get more mileage from your retired camping companion. 1. Make a cozy pet bed Your furry friend doesn’t mind a few tears or patches. Fold or stuff the old sleeping bag into a pillowcase or fabric cover and voilà! You’ve got a plush, washable bed your pet will love. The insulation makes it soft and warm, perfect for dogs or cats who love to burrow and nest. 2. Store it as an emergency car blanket If the bag still holds some warmth, tuck it into your trunk for unexpected chilly nights or roadside emergencies. It can double as a cozy wrap, a seat warmer, or even extra padding for spontaneous picnics or car naps. 3. Use it as moving or storage padding Don’t shell out for bubble wrap during your next move. Cut your sleeping bag into wide strips to cushion fragile items, or drape it over large furniture like dressers or mirrors to prevent scratches. You can also use it to wrap up delicate seasonal decor or heirlooms before storing them. 4. Create soft knee pads for cleaning or gardening A worn-out sleeping bag still has plenty of padding making it perfect for protecting your knees during chores. Fold a piece to kneel on while scrubbing floors or pulling weeds, or cut out small squares and tie them around your knees using a scarf or elastic bands. No fancy gear required. 5. Turn it into a play mat for kids If you’ve got little ones, that old sleeping bag can be transformed into a portable play mat. It’s padded, lightweight, and easy to roll up for park trips, messy playtime, or impromptu nap zones. Bonus: you won’t mind if it gets dirty. 6. Use it for quick insulation fixes Need a temporary insulation solution? Cut the sleeping bag into strips and wrap them around exposed pipes, the inside of a garage door, or even the walls of a doghouse. It’s not a long-term fix, but in a pinch, it can help retain warmth where it counts. 7. Get crafty with a DIY quilt If you enjoy sewing or want to try a new project, turn your sleeping bag into a patchwork quilt. Its built-in insulation makes it perfect for picnic blankets or cozy layers at the cabin. Stitch together the best sections, add a backing, and you’ve got a charming, resourceful creation to enjoy or gift. Give your sleeping bag a second chance Camping gear is built to last, but when it’s finally time to retire your sleeping bag, think twice before tossing it. With a little creativity, you can transform it into something surprisingly useful (and landfill-free). Whether it becomes a beloved pet bed or a backseat blanket, your sleeping bag’s journey doesn’t have to end at the trash bin.  The post 7 creative ways to repurpose your old sleeping bag before tossing it first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Flossing just got a serious glow-up. In a development that might finally make your dentist proud, scientists have created a needle-free vaccine that works by delivering inactive viruses directly into the gumline using dental floss. Yes, dental floss. Reported recently in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the method showed that a protein-coated strand of floss can spark a robust immune response in mice; one strong enough to protect them from the real influenza virus. “I had honestly never thought of using floss as a vaccination strategy,” said Yale immunologist Akiko Iwasaki. “The results are quite impressive.” Why the gums? For years, scientists have looked at mucosal tissues like those in the nose and mouth as ideal vaccine delivery zones. That’s where many viruses first enter the body. The problem is that those areas are naturally good at blocking outside substances. According to James Crowe, a Vanderbilt University immunologist who was not involved in the research, that makes effective delivery tricky. But engineer Harvinder Gill of North Carolina State University saw potential in an unlikely spot: the gingival sulcus, the tiny pockets between your teeth and gums. While reading up on gum disease, he found studies noting this zone’s high permeability. “That sort of struck a spark,” said Gill, senior author of the study. “If it is highly permeable, could we not use it for vaccination?” Flossing mice is as hard as it sounds Gill and Rohan Ingrole, the study’s lead author, had to get creative. Since nobody had ever tried to floss a mouse before (unsurprisingly), they devised a two-person technique: one scientist gently held the mouse’s jaw open with a keyring while the other worked the floss into its gums. In their initial test, floss coated with a fluorescent protein successfully delivered about 75 percent of the dose to the gums. Two months later, the mice still had antibodies circulating in their lungs, noses, feces, and spleens. Enter: the flu test Encouraged by those results, the team took the next step. They coated floss with an inactivated flu virus, the kind typically used in vaccines, and flossed 50 mice every two weeks over a 28-day period. Four weeks after the last treatment, the mice were exposed to the real influenza virus. The results were striking: All the vaccinated mice survived. All the unvaccinated mice did not. The vaccinated group showed a full-scale immune response, with flu antibodies detected in their saliva, feces, and bone marrow, as well as increased T cells and enlarged lymph nodes. Gill noted the response was comparable to what you’d see from nasal spray vaccines like FluMist. From mice to men To test its human potential, the team conducted a small pilot study. Twenty-seven healthy adults used dental picks coated in colored food dye. On average, 60 percent of the dye was successfully delivered to the gums. Afterward, participants were asked how they felt about the concept. Most said they’d be open to a floss-based vaccine and would even prefer it over a shot. (Who wouldn’t choose floss over a needle?) Still, experts advise caution. William Giannobile, a periodontics researcher at Harvard who was not involved in the study, was intrigued but wants to see how well this works in people with gum disease, a condition that affects around 40 percent of American adults. Crowe also emphasized that larger-scale clinical trials are needed to confirm viability. “It’s a clever idea,” he said, “but more data is needed.” What comes next? Gill and his team are already working to refine the method. And Giannobile can imagine a future where you go in for a dental cleaning and come out vaccinated. “You could imagine going to the dentist,” he said, “and your provider administers one of these vaccines during your visit.” It turns out, the path to a painless flu shot might run right through your gums. So yes, flossing might just save your life in more ways than one.The post Could flossing be the future of flu shots? first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.