Military-grade weapons are now standard for UC campus police, raising urgent questions about constitutional rights and American values on college grounds. UC Regents Approve Military-Grade Equipment for Campus Police On September 17, 2025, the University of California Board of Regents granted campus police across five major campuses—including UCLA, Irvine, and San Diego—permission to replenish and expand their military-grade arsenals. These requests included thousands of pepper-ball rounds, rifle ammunition, sponge foam rounds, and new drones. The approval process follows strict annual reporting mandated by California Assembly Bill 481, which was enacted in 2021 to ensure transparency and public oversight in police acquisitions of military-style equipment. This move highlights the ongoing tension between campus safety measures and protection of constitutional rights. The Regents’ decision is set against a backdrop of intensifying campus protests, most notably pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024, where UC police deployed pepper-ball rounds and acoustic devices at UCLA. While the official narrative insists these tools are primarily for training, campus incidents show their active use in crowd control. The UC administration maintains that no surplus military equipment from federal programs is used, but the array of crowd-control devices and surveillance drones mirrors tactics seen in broader law enforcement trends post-9/11. Students and advocacy groups argue such deployments chill campus activism and threaten free speech, cornerstones of American liberty. California Law Mandates Transparency, but Concerns Persist California’s AB 481 requires all law enforcement agencies—including campus police—to publicly report and justify their requests for military-grade tools each year. This law was designed as a check on the growing militarization of police forces, both in cities and on university grounds. Despite these transparency measures, critics argue that annual approvals have become routine, with limited pushback from oversight bodies. Student groups, faculty, and civil liberties advocates have voiced strong opposition, warning that the normalization of these weapons risks eroding basic rights and transforming campuses into surveillance zones. The Regents, meanwhile, emphasize the need to balance campus safety with public accountability, but the debate remains fierce. During Regents’ meetings, student protesters and advocacy organizations have consistently raised alarms about excessive force and the suppression of free speech. The use of drones and long-range acoustic devices for patrol and crowd management at UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz further fuels concerns about privacy and the militarization of academic settings. Law enforcement experts counter that such equipment is vital for officer safety and effective incident management, especially amid rising unrest. The ongoing struggle reflects broader national debates about police powers and the role of government in regulating public spaces. Impact on American Values and Campus Climate The short-term effect of these approvals is clear: UC police now possess greater capacity for forceful crowd control and incident response. This escalation has already led to heightened tensions between law enforcement and student activists, with direct impact on campus climate and the exercise of civil liberties. In the long term, the routine presence of military-grade equipment risks normalizing government overreach, undermining the principles of limited government and individual freedom cherished by conservatives. The economic cost of continued equipment purchases and training adds to public scrutiny, while the political debate over appropriate law enforcement standards on college campuses intensifies. Pepper balls, rifle rounds, drones: UC police get green light for military-grade weapons https://t.co/MG9Xk2oHst — Military.com (@Militarydotcom) September 18, 2025 This precedent set by the UC system could influence other public universities nationwide, raising critical questions about the future of higher education and the preservation of American constitutional values. As scrutiny from lawmakers, students, and the wider public grows, the Regents and campus police remain under pressure to justify their policies and practices. For conservative Americans, the ongoing militarization of campus police is not just a campus issue—it’s a test of the nation’s commitment to individual liberty, common sense governance, and respect for the Constitution. Sources: UC police get green light for military-grade weapons, LA Times Pepper-balls, rifle rounds, drones: UC police get green light for military-grade weapons, Military.com UC Regents September 2025 Military Equipment Approval Report 2024 Annual Military Equipment Report (AB 481), City of Berkeley

Vincent Ledvina is a Space Physics Ph.D. student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who calls himself “The Aurora Guy.” Although the northern lights have been more visible in the lower United States this past year, there is no comparison to seeing them in Alaska. If you view the videos and images on Vincent’s TikTok page, you will want to add seeing the northern lights in Alaska to your bucket list. Vincent steps out of his door, and a brightness appears over the horizon. When he turns to his right, the full splendor of the aurora borealis becomes visible. The vibrant greens dance across the sky like a prima ballerina performing The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. @vincentledvina The aurora tonight was absolutely unreal! ♬ Great Mother In The Sky – Lionmilk As the lights dance across the sky, undulating in a perfect rhythm, it is easy to get lost in their beauty. Vincent wants to share that beauty. He is passionate about science, nature, and especially the northern lights. His first memory of the lights was the “Halloween Storm” in 2003. The lights were visible in his home state of Minnesota. His goal is to inspire and educate people about the wonders of space weather and how it affects the northern lights in Alaska. @vincentledvina 99.9% of people have never seen the aurora… ♬ original sound – The Aurora Guy There is no adequate way to describe the myriad of colors and shapes that brighten the sky. In Alaska, the best time for a northern lights adventure is February and March. This is when they experience the clearest skies, and auroral activity is at its peak. Vincent maintains a website and blog, and offers guided aurora tours. He is working on his doctoral thesis on “auroral beads – how they form and their relation to the substorm process.” Vincent’s TikTok page is full of videos featuring the lights. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Alaskan Opens His Door To “Absolutely Unreal” View Of Northern Lights appeared first on InspireMore.

Episode Description: This week, Karissa and Arielle dive into stories of transformation. From India’s empowering divorce retreats to science-backed reasons to embrace aging with open arms. They discuss why aging might just be the best chapter of your life (spoiler: less stress, more joy), how one woman’s loss became a movement for survivors, and what we can all learn from the quiet power of sisterhood and resilience. Whether you’re healing from heartbreak or aging like fine wine, there’s something here to lift your spirits. If you are in the United States and experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for 24/7 confidential support. In India, you can reach the national women’s helpline at 181 or contact the Aks Foundation crisis line at +91 87930 88814 and aksfoundation.org. If you are outside the US or India, visit www.befrienders.org to find international hotlines and support resources in your country. Click here to nominate your Local Changemaker of 2025. Every nomination enters you to win a cozy Optimist Daily mug! Want to be part of the Optimism Movement? Become an Emissary. Follow us on Instagram, X, and Blue Sky. The Optimist Daily is a project of the World Business Academy. Donate link: https://www.optimistdaily.com/donate-to-support-the-optimist-daily/?gift=Y%20http:// Transcript: Theme music  Karissa:  Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Roundup. I’m Karissa.  Arielle:  And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.  Karissa:  Well, we’re back with another episode of the Pod to share the solutions from the Optimist Daily this week. If you want all of these solutions to your inbox each and every day, you can sign up for our free daily newsletter and get all of these before we cover them on the podcast.  Arielle:  If you’re more of a social media type of person, then don’t fear. You can follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Blue Sky, X… We are @OptimistDaily on basically everything except for X. There we are @OdeToOptimism.  Karissa:  As always, thank you to our Emissaries for supporting the Optimist Daily, and if you want to become an emissary and help our small team, you can find out how in the show notes.  Arielle:  We’d also like to extend a really big thank you to everyone who supports us in non -financial ways; so that includes engaging with our social media posts, sharing stories with people that you love, all of those sorts of things. Oh, also five star reviews help us quite a bit.  Karissa:  And we also have to mention that our Local Changemakers submissions are still open until September 26th. We’re looking for the solutions in your communities. So, you can find out more in our show notes.  Arielle:  Yeah, we’ve been getting a lot of submissions rolling in, and it’s been so fun to go through them with our team. Yeah, it’s really been helping us get through some pretty difficult times in terms of… the news cycle.  Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. Uh, the news in the past week especially has just been one of those weeks where it’s a lot to handle. There’s so much going on out in the world, and it’s just, you know, so great that the Optimist Daily can be an island of good news in a sea of very negative news. And of course, that is our mission.   Arielle:  Mhm. It’s an honor to be able to share these solutions with you and to be able to focus on something positive, especially when everything feels like. It’s… it’s kind of crumbling down around us. There are so many issues that are polarizing right now. It seems like no matter how you talk about certain events, it will just get you a lot of… Hate seems like a strong word, but unfortunately it does seem like the appropriate word to use.  Karissa:  Yeah  Arielle:  Um. So yeah, I guess that’s how we’re both feeling this week. A little overwhelmed with the negativity.  Karissa:  That kind of brings us to I’m an Optimist, but… and this week it’s not “I’m an Optimist, but…” it’s “I’m an Optimist, and…” you know, I’m recentering.  Arielle:  Mm-hmm.  Karissa:  Refocusing on what’s important.  Arielle:  Yeah, I know. I totally agree with you. I didn’t really want to go into the I’m an Optimist, but… because I feel like you can’t even really get into all of the negativity that’s going on without… you know, drowning in it or getting lost in it. So, I’m with you on that one. I’m an optimist, and I’m really grateful just that we can focus on these solutions. So, on that note, Karissa, what do you have to share with us today.  Karissa:  Well, I’m really excited about the solution. I think it was very hopeful to me. So, its title is Breaking free: the Indian retreats helping women heal from divorce and rediscover hope. I guess before we dive in, we do have a content warning because this article does touch a bit on domestic violence. If you do want to skip over, then you can go ahead to Arielle’s solution.  Arielle:  Good to know.  Karissa:  I was really optimistic from seeing this because India’s first divorce camp is a retreat founded by 31-year-old Rafia Afi to help women who are divorced, separated, widowed, or struggling in toxic marriages. And she says that the idea is to normalize divorce and give it dignity.  Arielle:  I mean, divorce can be a great thing, but I know there’s still so much stigma out there for divorcees, especially for women.  Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. And Afi knows the weight of stigma firsthand, because after her first divorce, she began sharing her healing journey and single parenting stories online. And she said that many people connected with that and began messaging her. She said that it was disturbing to realize that not everyone had the support system that she did, and most of them faced judgment and couldn’t speak up.  Arielle:  Mhm.  Karissa:  That realization inspired Break Free Stories, a series of nature -themed weekend camps across Kerala.  Arielle:  Such a great idea. It’s so fascinating. This sounds like a really fun retreat, but do participants have to pay for them? Is there, like, a high price tag?   Karissa:  Yeah. So, it’s a very modest fee, or sometimes it’s free for those who can’t afford it, and 15 to 20 women gather at these retreats for games, hikes, music, and storytelling. The aim is simple yet profound: to build a safe space where strangers become friends, and shame transforms into strength here.  Arielle:  Hmm, that sounds really great. And it seems like a place for women to reclaim their stories, reclaim their sense of self, and reclaim their narrative.  Karissa:  Yeah, absolutely. And it goes even deeper than this because legal guidance is also provided here. Zaki J., who is a musician and lawyer, first joined to lead music sessions here. But she soon found that many participants needed legal guidance, most especially survivors of domestic violence. So, she explains that I started conducting legal sessions to bridge that gap, and the objective is to break societal norms around gender abuse and educate every woman on her rights. And her advocacy is actually personal because she says that her mother died at the hands of her father, which pushed her to become an advocate. Today, she uses her voice to ensure that others can take the right step at the right time.  Arielle:  Wow, that is so powerful that she came out of such a horrible, horrible situation and is now using that story, even though it’s so filled with sadness…   Karissa:  Yes.  Arielle:  …To, like, help inspire change for other women experiencing something similar. So yeah, great to hear that they’re not just providing, you know, emotional support and community, but also essential assistance for this matter. Because domestic violence is obviously a serious problem across the world, and it’s not as simple as just divorcing a violent partner to solve the issue.   Karissa:   Yeah, exactly. And I mean, the urgency couldn’t be clearer. According to India’s National Family Health Survey, 32% of married women aged 18 to 49 report domestic violence, which is just… Breaks my heart. But cultural norms in India still pressure many to stay in harmful marriages. Afi warns that too many people see separation as shameful, choosing death over divorce. And society romanticizes silent suffering, and that’s dangerous. So, she says that she really wants to change that narrative.  Arielle:  Yeah, those statistics are just really, really disheartening. And yeah, more than that, it’s so painful because you know that for everyone that speaks out or for everyone that, like, reports, there are so many that don’t. But yeah, there’s so much work to be done to change this narrative in India and beyond, but it seems like these divorce retreats are really making a difference to participants.   Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. And participants do say that the retreats are actually life-changing.  One described her divorce as traumatic until the camp helped her release years of bottled-up emotions. And she says, “We cried, we laughed, and I let out all my emotions for the first time in 15 years.” And, you know, she says that we realized divorce can be freeing. Another attendee found sisterhood and understanding through listening to other people’s stories. She says, “Earlier I was gloomy and depressed. Now I feel motivated to move forward within a day. We became like sisters.”  Arielle:  I love to see the powerful bond of sisterhood making a real difference for these women, and it really makes me appreciate my own sisters. And I know you have a sister, too. Karissa.   Karissa:  Mm-hmm.  Arielle:  It’s so strange that divorce has such a stigma. Like, whenever my friends go through breakups, I know that it’s really sad, but I also try to, umm, like, congratulate them in a way, because in the end they are making a decision for themselves and most likely for the other person to free themselves and open themselves to a partner or a love or a lifestyle that just aligns with them better. So, I think it really is a triumph for people to go through it.  Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think divorce can be so good for both partners and for entire families. The demand for Break Free Stories is growing rapidly, actually, and Afi plans to expand the retreats to more cities in India, and she’s creating more English -language content to reach wider audiences.  Arielle:  Yeah, amazing. Sounds like this has the potential to reach far beyond the borders of India. Yeah, which is already a huge country.   Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. As Afi says, divorce is not an end. It’s the beginning. So, I think this is just beautiful that these women are, you know, providing the support network for other women. Congratulations to them. And I hope that it continues to be successful and make a real difference. And on that note, if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, we’ve included some links in the show notes to give you some support resources. There’s a couple of hotlines for in the US and India. And if you’re outside of those countries, there’s a website called befrienders.org that will help you find international hotlines and support resources in your country.  Arielle:  Amazing. Yeah, we will definitely link those in the show notes so that they are easy to find. All right, your solution has to do with the stigma of divorce. Mine is actually addressing the stigma of aging.  Karissa:  OK, well, I’m glad that both our solutions are addressing some prominent stigmas.  Arielle:  Yeah, and I know that this is maybe not as, like, well, I don’t know. I don’t want to say that it’s not as extreme as what your solution was tackling. Because there are a lot of negative feelings about aging, and I don’t think that that just comes naturally. It… it also comes from society.   Karissa:  Yeah.  Arielle:  I am not old. I am in my 30s though, so I’m not necessarily the youngest. And there was always this fear growing up about, you know, reaching 20s.  Karissa:  Mhm.  Arielle:  Reaching 30s. You almost reach these milestones with dread, especially as a woman.  Karissa:  Yeah.  Arielle:  And all of the advertisements make you think about how to make yourself look younger and how much better that is, if you present as younger. So, it’s given me kind of weird feelings about aging. I don’t know how you feel about it.  Karissa:  Yeah, I mean, similar to you, I think ever since we were young… I mean, I remember being young and thinking 20 is so old, and you know, your life is practically over at 20, which is so far from the truth. But especially like with the beauty industry, there’s so much focus on, you know, trying to look younger. There’s so much like plastic surgery going on right now to make people look, you know, super youthful, and just skin care, like, no wrinkles, blah blah. So that’s a huge thing that’s still so prominent in our society. So, there is a lot of negative talk around aging, but I think it could be a beautiful thing, and I do think there has been kind of a shift recently with more people online to talk about, you know, it does get better when you’re older. People are just like, you know, I’m in my 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s.  Arielle:  Mm-hmm.  Karissa:  Just really living my best life.  Arielle:  Yeah, I think the messaging is changing a little bit, and I’m really grateful for that, and it’s good to see and hear other people’s stories when they’re at all of these different ages and see how much they’re thriving. Yeah, aging can be a beautiful thing, and that is what my solution is about.  As a society, it has felt like we’ve collectively decided that growing older means becoming invisible or irrelevant, especially in Western culture. But that’s not what the data shows at all, which is, like I said, what this article I’m going to be talking about dives into, and it’s titled 7 science-backed benefits of getting older you might not expect.  Karissa:  Ah, I love it. Some benefits. Let’s hear it!  Arielle:  All right, so as psychologist Michelle Feng puts it, everyone talks about aging as this decline. But aging is just living. It literally means that you’re alive, and once you shift your mindset from loss to possibility, it turns out there’s a lot to look forward to. So, the first point is, stress doesn’t run the show anymore. It’s not that older adults don’t have stress, they definitely do, but their relationship to stress actually improves.  Karissa:  That kind of surprises me because I would have guessed the opposite, that, you know, more years, more worries.  Arielle:  Hmm, that’s a fair assumption, and I honestly thought that way too. But studies have shown that people in their 60s. And beyond are better at managing stress. Aanand Naik, who directs the Conservatorium on Aging at UT Health Houston, explains it like this. Older people have a lot more ability to understand stressful or difficult circumstances, and they’re actually less reactive.  Karissa:  Yeah. I mean, it’s not that life gets easier. It’s just that we get better at life and rolling with the punches, it sounds like.  Arielle:  Exactly. One study found that adults between 65 and 84 had lower stress hormone levels and calmer heart rates than people in their 20s.  Karissa:  That makes a lot of sense because as someone in their 20s, I do feel like I’m stressed out all the time and for no good reason. I mean, sometimes there is, but it makes me very hopeful about aging to a point where I won’t be as stressed.  Arielle:  And your heart rate will, like, slow down a little bit. If you think about it, like when we’re in our 20s and when we’re younger in life, we’re assuming that we have, like, decades and decades of life left to provide for ourselves and, like, have to figure it out. And then the older you get, the less time stretches out before you.   Karissa:  Yeah.  Arielle:  So then you have, I guess, less to worry about in terms of having to, like, save all this money and, like, make sure you’re going to be OK for retirement and all of that is kind of… maybe not 100% figured out, but like more figured out.  Another thing is that emotions get easier to handle. Older adults report stronger emotional resilience, they’re better at holding on to the good.  Karissa:  Mm-hmm.  Arielle:  And letting go of the bad.  Karissa:  Yeah. Well, it kind of sounds like the emotional version of work smarter, not harder.  Arielle:  Yeah, it kind of is. Feng and Naik both say older people are more likely to reframe situations rather than suppress emotions, which can lead to better overall well-being.  Karissa:  Yeah. And I feel like that kind of goes hand in hand with the stress point that you made about carrying less, you know, not in a bad way, but it’s just easier to roll with it.  Arielle:  Yeah, and it’s easier to stay present, I suppose, which is like, yeah. Basically, all mindfulness practice is all about just being in the moment. So yeah, maybe there’s more of that to look forward to.  Karissa:  Yeah, exactly.  Arielle:  Another point is that knowledge becomes wisdom. Your memory for names or where you left your keys might take a hit. With. Age, but other kinds of intelligence, like vocabulary, experience, and big-picture thinking, often get sharper. This is what’s called crystallized intelligence. Feng describes that as your deep knowledge base. And it actually improves with time. In one study out of Japan, older adults outperformed younger ones in ecological knowledge. How the environment and natural systems work.  Karissa:  I mean, our whole lives are just one giant project and database and events. And I know that across indigenous communities, elderhood is seen as a position of leadership and cultural preservation because, you know, they know all these stories and years and years of wisdom. So, it’s not just poetic; it’s practical.  Arielle:  Mhmm. Another thing is that you stop caring what people think in a good way, and this is definitely what I’ve heard from older friends.  Karissa:  Mhmm.  Arielle:  As we get older, we care less about outside opinions, and there’s a theory called socioemotional selectivity that explains it. Basically, when people feel like their time is more limited, they prioritize what matters now. So, I guess that random guy across the street who thinks you are weird just doesn’t matter.  Karissa:  Yeah, I mean that makes a lot of sense. It’s less about the next promotion and more about meaningful conversations or a great cup of coffee with a friend.  Arielle:  Feng puts it beautifully. How much time you feel you have left actually shapes what you focus on, which is kind of what I was touching on earlier. That leads to a deeper appreciation of the present.  Karissa:  Yeah. Since, you know, Arielle, I’m kind of curious… just talking about aging and our bodily functions and stuff. There’s a stereotype I’d love to bust. Does intimacy actually decline with age?  Arielle:  Oh, this is a good and spicy question, but before I go further into this part, for listeners to know, this point acknowledges the existence of sex. Nothing graphic or anything. But in case it’s best for you or someone you’re listening with to not encounter that topic today, then feel free to skip ahead a couple minutes. But back to your question, Karissa.  Karissa:  Mhmm.  Arielle:  Thankfully, the answer is not necessarily. Naik says that for many in long-term relationships, sex actually improves in their 50s and beyond.  Karissa:  Oh my gosh. Improves. That’s… that’s cool! Great.  Arielle:  In fact, studies show that women between 55 and 80 often report greater orgasm satisfaction.   Karissa:  Wow!   Arielle:  Even if physical arousal shifts. So, the story is a lot more nuanced than just everything slows down.  Karissa:  Well, that’s good news. I remember in high school one of my teachers, who was, you know, older… I had him for one of my psychology classes. So, sex was talked about, and the psychology of sex. But I do remember him saying, like, sex does not slow down just because you’re old. Like my wife and I still get it on or whatever. As high schoolers especially, that cracked us up. It doesn’t stop, and it’s nice to hear, especially for women, that it might even get better.  Arielle:  Yeah, maybe we’re just more inclined to ask for exactly what we want, you know.   Karissa:  True. Because it sounds like the theme of this is, you know, you know what you want and you…  Arielle:  Yeah. You prioritize it. Another point is that happiness doesn’t peak when you’re young.  It is often thought that your younger years, your 20s, your 30s, whatever. These are like the happiest years of your life. But it doesn’t just rebound after midlife. It actually can keep climbing. Many older adults actually report midlife as one of their happiest phases, and satisfaction often grows in the 60s and 70s. It’s not a U-curve anymore; it’s more like a steady incline for a lot of people.  Karissa:  I love that, and it makes me really hopeful that hopefully my life never peaks. It’s always just like on a good incline, and every day, year, decade keeps getting better and better.  Arielle:  That’s a great mindset to have, because that’s actually the last point. Mindset might be the secret. Ultimately, how you think about aging can shape how you experience it. And that’s not just a nice idea. It’s also backed by science.  Karissa:  Yes, I love this. I’ve heard this before, that our beliefs about aging can become self-fulfilling and you know, kind of beliefs about other things too. We have this one article in our archive at the Optimist Daily that I really love. That gratitude can boost your longevity, which is awesome, and so can so many other things just related to your mindset.  Arielle:  Yes, Feng warns that if people think depression is a normal part of aging, then they might not get help. But on the flip side, people with a positive outlook on aging live, get this, an average of 7.5 years longer.  Karissa:  That’s actually pretty significant.  Arielle:  Probably has something to do with the gratitude thing as well, because if people have a positive outlook on aging, then they’re probably also putting a positive spin on, you know, just their everyday life.   Karissa:  Yeah, absolutely.   Arielle:  It shows that perspective isn’t just fluff; it’s a tool. And it’s a really powerful one.  Karissa:  Yeah, yeah, that’s a great point and I love that.  Arielle:  Wrinkles happen, but alongside them there’s more calm, more connection, more wisdom, and maybe even more joy. Getting older might just be one of the best things that happens to you, and I hope it is for me!  Karissa:  Yeah, me too. And honestly, this whole solution gives me so much hope. And I’ll take the laugh lines if it means more emotional clarity and less stress in my life.  Arielle:  Yeah. Same. So, here’s to aging, not as a decline. But as an incline, or a deepening!  Karissa:  And also one more note, just on our mindset and perspective, this all ties in so beautifully to focusing on the positive news and solutions and optimism. There’s a lot of other stories on the Optimist Daily to help you keep that positive mindset.  Arielle:  Yes, and they include. The power of pumpkin: Nutritional benefits and delicious ways to enjoy.  Yeah, I guess it is that season now.  Karissa:  Pumpkin spice season!  Arielle:  Koala comeback: new national park and vaccine offer hope for Australia’s iconic marsupial, How the Chicago River went from dumping ground to eco destination, and From lack to abundance: shake off your scarcity mindset with these expert-backed tips. What else do we have Karissa?  Karissa:  We have, Want to boost birthrates? Research says men need to do their part at home, Ovarian cancer symptoms you shouldn’t ignore: what to watch for and how to lower your risk, Mexico’s jaguar numbers rise: conservation sparks a 30 percent increase, and Is chlorophyll the miracle supplement TikTok claims… or just pricey green water?  Arielle:  All right. Well, hopefully all these solutions will carry everyone through their weekend and the rest of their week,  Karissa:  I have to say this round of the solutions really got me in a positive mood, so I hope it got all of our listeners to feel a little more optimistic about what’s going on out there in the world. And we can’t wait to be back next week with even more solutions.  Arielle:  All right, until then, bye!  Karissa:  Bye!  The post Podcast Transcript September 19, 2025— Hope after heartbreak: divorce support in India and 7 uplifting benefits of getting older first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'Group of psychopaths'

'Not an iota'

Hotly debated

'His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant'

Movies & TV Peacemaker Peacemaker Makes a Lot of Bad Decisions in “Back to the Suture” They made Adrian cry; it’s time to get mad. By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on September 19, 2025 Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max Comment 0 Share New Share Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max Sometimes the best jokes are seeing someone’s full name spelled out at a funeral. Recap Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max Three years ago, we see Harcourt and Economos at Rick Flag Jr.’s funeral. Flag Sr. talks to Harcourt about wanting vengeance for his son’s death, and how he knew they were close. He wants Harcourt to give him the name of his son’s killer, but she can’t do that. She promises that the person who killed Rick Jr. will pay. At the park, Chris arrives with A.R.G.U.S. everywhere, but he’s doing a great job staying hidden behind various civilians. It turns out that when Harcourt texted back “copacetic” at his request to meet, that was a warning word to keep him away. He tells her that he knew, but needed to ask her a question: whether them sleeping together meant anything. She tells him no and that he’s an idiot because now he’s surrounded with no hope of escape. Chris nabs one of the A.R.G.U.S. team as a body shield, but Sasha Bordeaux has a shot she can take that would kill him. Before she can make it, Harcourt charges in and knocks Chris unconscious. Back at the cabin, someone calls to answer Adebayo’s ad, though they clearly think it’s for sex work (which Adrian eventually informs her of, along with the fact that he doesn’t kill sex workers, regardless of his vigilante code to kill people who break the law). Chris is brought back to HQ, where Flag demands that they turn off the security cameras in the interrogation room. He proceeds to brutally beat Chris while the man tries to apologize for killing his son. Outside, Harcourt gets Economos alone and demands that he book Chris’ arrest to save his life. Economos caves, and once it pops up in the system, Bordeaux goes and tells Flag. They release Chris to Adebayo and Adrian, not knowing that Rip Jagger is tailing them. Flag explains to Bordeaux that he wanted Chris to think this was all about revenge to get his guard down. Bordeaux claims she’s impressed, and they wait to find out what Jagger learns. At cabin, Red St. Wild tries to poison Eagly, accidentally killing a fox instead, then shoots the wrong eagle. He finds himself surrounded by eagles, and the prime eagle symbol appears over Eagly. Red tries to apologize for attempting to kill the prime eagle, but the birds descend and begin pecking him to death. Chris tells Adebayo that Harcourt turned him over to A.R.G.U.S. for her job, and that he’s done with all of this. He asks to be left alone, and whistles for Eagly as Adebayo and Adrian drive off. Chris leaves a note to his friends as Rip Jagger calls Fluery to let the team know they should head over. Then Chris opens the quantum door, but programs the device to close soon after he enters. He and Eagly walk through together, and Jagger follows, leaving a note telling A.R.G.U.S. where he’s gone. Adebayo gets one last text from Chris and u-turns right back to the cabin. They find the quantum door missing, along with Rip and Chris’ notes. Adebayo takes the door device, and she and Adrian leave as A.R.G.U.S. rushes to the scene. The 11th Street Kids all get together back at Harcourt’s apartment, and Adebayo reads Chris’ goodbye note and explains what he did. She asks Harcourt if she really turned Chris over, and she explains that Bordeaux would have murdered him if she hadn’t knocked him out. Adebayo heads into the other room and finds Adrian crying, and holds him while she cries too. Harcourt tells the group that they need to take the door device somewhere more robust to use it so they can find Chris. In the alt-dimension, Keith tells Chris they’ve got a kaiju to fight, and he suits up with his family. After the battle, Chris heads to see Emilia and the two rush to embrace. Commentary Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max You’d assume that our kick-the-dog moment of this episode was intended to be the (multiple!) animal deaths—when it’s really making Adrian cry. This episode is a mess cohesively, mostly due to the fact that we’re still stuck in the midway storytelling points, but also due to the Eagly side plot being… awful? I can’t think of any better descriptors, it’s just bad, back to front, and reads like it was shoved into the scripts just to give Michael Rooker something to do. James Gunn claimed, as I mentioned in a previous recap, that he wanted to give Eagly his own nemesis, and while I’m not sure if the guy is fully vanquished yet, the question remains: Why? Why does Eagly need his own antagonist, and more importantly, why does it have to be a human one? I would’ve happily watched an entire side plot where Eagly had a grudge match with a puma or a bear, or something. Whatever is going on here with this faux vision-questing eagle spirit Hitchcockian-attack nonsense needed absolutely no time in this episode. It’s distracting, confusing, and offers nothing to the story whatsoever. Is it mired in racial insensitivity toward Indigenous Peoples, too? Maybe! I’d have to understand what was going on here to be sure, though—which only makes the sloppiness read as intentional. It’s unfortunate because without these weird glaring misfires, the core of the second story’s season is so clear. We’ve got a story about Chris Smith, who is trying to handle the death of his father by controlling the rest of his relationships. But you can’t. You can’t control other people and make them fit your personal patterns, no matter how misunderstood you’ve been in your life. Adebayo finding Adrian crying brings that message home without a word: Chris wants Keith back in his life, so he abandoned the brother he has.  And of course he doesn’t really get that—Chris was a little brother. In his mind, he can’t be Adrian’s big brother because it’s not a role he’s ever thought to assume. But Adrian clearly thinks of him that way to some degree: He admires Chris, idolizes him, would do anything for him, wants to believe he’s the person Chris confides in ahead of all others even when he’s not. We already know the mistakes Chris is making in choosing Emilia over Harcourt (and there’s a special kind of mind fuckery to be had in the fact that Chris can’t truly understand that they are not the same woman even if they look exactly alike), but Adrian’s pain lands differently because we haven’t been focused on his character enough this season to expect that hurt was coming. Rick Flag Sr. is on a slight parallel of the journey Chris is going on; he claims that he beat Chris because he wants the guy to think he’s a liability, and that might be true after-the-fact, but that beating was from the heart. And Flag clearly didn’t get what he wanted from it. He wanted Chris to fight back, but yet again—you can’t control other people. You can only see to yourself. Part of the issue here is that Chris is still trying to speedrun his own recovery from his father’s death. He knows he’s changed, but he hasn’t actually put in enough work yet, or given himself time to heal anything. Rather than realizing that’s part of the reason he’s running up against road blocks, he’s taking the quick and easy path out so he doesn’t have to feel how uncomfortable all that work is. He has one true asset in all of this: an entire car of people who gear up to rescue him when he makes a stupid mistake. It’s the greatest asset any person can have, in fact. And Chris Smith about to find out why. Keeping the Peace (Thoughts and Asides) Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max Richard Bill Flag Jr.? Oh, yes. Thank you for that. Okay, so the problem is that Harcourt considered Rick Jr. her best friend—but then I still don’t know why we needed them to sleep together to illustrate that. It’s like any time a man and a woman need to have a serious conversation on screen, it has to be a “morning after” one. The same thing is ultimate true for Harcourt and Chris here, too. Regardless of how shitty Economos can be as a person, the comment about having a picture of Bordeaux’s mangled body as his phone screen falls on the other side of the Too Fucking Far line. Sometimes Gunn over-leans into those edgelord tendencies, and he sure hit it there. Obviously, Bordeaux is playing Rick here (that look she gives him at the end of the episode), but the real question remains: Who is she working for? If you know the character’s comics background, there are some obvious options, but my real hope is Amanda Waller. (Bordeaux’s initial background as a Batman character is… absolutely no fun whatsoever, sorry.) Even Fluery wasn’t feeling good about potential prisoner beatings—good to see the humanity start showing in the guy. (Though this episode did prompt my partner to look up the origin of the word “munchkin,” which was a fun Thursday night rabbit hole.) Back to the alt-reality next week, and I’m dreading it…[end-mark] The post <i>Peacemaker</i> Makes a Lot of Bad Decisions in “Back to the Suture” appeared first on Reactor.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. At the Haaretz Conference in Toronto, Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s opposition Democratic Party, made clear that restricting online speech would be a top priority if he comes to power. Among a list of proposed governmental reforms, Golan said he would move quickly to clamp down on digital platforms. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/Golan983288792712.mp4 “The next thing I will do, we will do, is to put restriction on the social media in a way that not allow to make brutal propaganda in the social media,” he stated during his talk, framing online expression as a threat to democratic stability. He added, “This is a worldwide problem and it should be initiated by the United States of America, the place where all the big firms are settled. Facebook and X and all the rest. This is a major problem for democracy all over the globe and we need to treat it seriously. We can do it.” Golan’s remarks echo a growing international trend among political leaders who portray unregulated speech on social media as inherently dangerous, while simultaneously calling for tighter control of what can be said and shared online. His proposal to enlist the US, home to many of the major platforms, in spearheading global censorship efforts further illustrates the trend toward demands for coordinated state intervention in online speech. The idea that governments should be arbiters of what constitutes “brutal propaganda” is exactly what many free speech advocates have long warned against. Allowing states to define and suppress undesirable speech under such vague terms opens the door to political abuse and censorship of dissent. Golan’s comments show the increasing willingness among political figures to view open platforms not as tools for public discourse, but as threats to be controlled. Current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a large-scale investment in media influence efforts to combat growing international criticism of Israel. Speaking at a Finance Ministry conference, Netanyahu outlined what he described as a communications strategy. Claiming that sanctions and deteriorating global sentiment were being driven by “anti-Zionist and extreme Islamist ideology” coming from minority groups in Europe, as well as by the influence of countries like Qatar, Netanyahu called for new influence operations. “We can break out of this isolation, but we must invest heavily in countermeasures, particularly in media and social media influence operations,” Netanyahu said. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Yair Golan, Leader of Israel’s Opposition Democratic Party, Calls for Global Social Media Restrictions appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A recent clash between Hack Club, a nonprofit that organizes high school coding clubs, and Slack has brought attention to a growing concern for organizations that rely heavily on third-party platforms. When the tools you use control your data and access, a sudden policy change can leave you scrambling. Hack Club had been operating with Slack at the center of its communications. After Slack ended its free nonprofit plan, the organization accepted a $5,000-per-year deal, which seemed fair for the value it provided. But that arrangement changed without warning earlier this week. On Tuesday, Slack informed the group that unless it paid $50,000 within the week and committed to a $200,000 annual fee, its workspace would be deactivated and its message history permanently deleted. Mahad Kalam, a Hack Club volunteer, shared the experience in a public post. “However, two days ago, Slack reached out to us and said that if we don’t agree to pay an extra $50k this week and $200k a year, they’ll deactivate our Slack workspace and delete all of our message history,” he wrote. The sudden change threw the nonprofit into disarray. Staff and volunteers were forced to begin an urgent migration of data and tools while trying to maintain their ongoing programs. “The small amount of notice has also been catastrophic for the programs that we run,” Kalam said. The incident illustrates a broader risk. When essential operations are deeply tied to a proprietary system, organizations become vulnerable to changes they cannot control. Kalam emphasized the importance of maintaining ownership over your data. “This experience has taught us that owning your data is incredibly important, and if you’re a small business, especially, then I’d advise you move away too.” Hack Club has started transitioning to Mattermost, an open source alternative that gives users more autonomy. While the move has required effort and resources, it also ensures the organization is no longer at the mercy of a single vendor’s decisions. The situation gained wider attention, eventually prompting Slack CEO Denise Dresser to reach out with a new proposal. According to Kalam, the offer was “better than the plan we were on previously,” though he did not share details. Despite the revised terms, Hack Club is now rethinking how it manages vendor relationships and how much control it is willing to hand over to external platforms. “This ordeal has made us think more deeply about entrusting data with external SaaSes and ensuring that we own our data is definitely going to be a very big priority going forward,” Kalam said. “I’d encourage you to think the same way.” For any organization that relies on cloud-based services, this serves as a warning. If the tools you use don’t give you flexibility or a way out, you may find yourself locked in when the terms suddenly change. Open source platforms may not always be easier, but they offer one thing that’s becoming increasingly valuable: control. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Hack Club Hit With $200K Slack Fee Demand Spurs Urgent Switch to Open Source Tools appeared first on Reclaim The Net.