There are certain moments that give us pause, inspiring us to reflect on the past. Graduating from high school is certainly one of them. Five lucky young men at McCallie School were able to do so in a way that very few of us can: Each one of them answered questions from their younger self. Back in 2018, the school interviewed Canon Brock, Will Turrell, Nkenge Ashford, Christian Lawhorn and Ward Richey when they were only in the 6th grade. The school had these young boys ask their future selves a range of questions. Some were more lighthearted, like the one about their favorite movie. But others allowed the graduating students to reflect deeply on all that they’ve accomplished over the past seven years. Watch these heartwarming conversation in the video below! @wearemccallie In 2018 we interviewed McCallie 6th graders. Now it's time for these same McCallie seniors to answer their childhood questions. In order of appearance: Canon Brock '25 Will Turrell '25 Nkenge Ashford '25 Christian Lawhorn '25 Ward Richey '25 #mccallieschool #boardingschool #chattanoogaschools ♬ original sound – McCallie School “THE ROLL TIDE WAS SO EMOTIONAL OMG,” someone writes in reply to this heartwarming video, another person adding, “They’re all so well spoken oh my god I’m crying at these strangers.” There is Not a Dry Eye in the Room When These Graduating Teens Answer Several Questions from Their Younger Selves We don’t have to know these teens personally to get emotional over that heartwarming video. Part of the reason why is because it’s so relatable. How many of us can say that, as children, we wished we could know what our futures would hold? Heck, we feel that way as adults, too! Plus, the way these young men answer their younger selves is so sweet. We can never truly know what the future has in store. But this video is a great reminder that, when we try our best and never give up on our dreams, some pretty amazing things can happen. We’re wishing these young men, and the rest of their class, all of the luck as they start this new, exciting phase of life! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Graduating High Schoolers Answer Questions From Their Younger Selves appeared first on InspireMore.

'Should be thanking ICE officers'

'He is looking at over a decade of jail'

Face facts, lefties: America is no longer WOKE

At a UNESCO Heritage Site in Peru, archaeologists have announced the discovery of over 100 additional hidden structures belonging to a pre-Incan civilization. Gran Pajatén is located high in the northeastern Peruvian Andes, and was likely a major center of the Chachapoya civilization, which thrived for 400 years before being conquered by the Inca. Discovered […] The post Hundreds of Newly-Found Structures Reveal True Scope of Hidden Pre-Incan Civilization appeared first on Good News Network.

Movies & TV revival Revival Showrunners on Melanie Scrofano’s “Magic,” Pulling the Rug Out From Under Viewers     Reactor interviewed showrunners Luke Boyce and Aaron B. Koontz about the SYFY series. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on June 9, 2025 Photo by: Mathieu Savidant/Lavivier Productions/SYFY Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by: Mathieu Savidant/Lavivier Productions/SYFY Revival, SYFY’s television adaptation of the Image comics series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, is set to premiere in mere days. The show stars Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) as a local police officer in a town where the recently deceased suddenly rise of their graves, alive as they once were and largely unchanged… except for a few key differences. The series’ showrunners, Luke Boyce and Aaron B. Koontz, both have horror backgrounds, and Revival certainly has horror elements. It also, at times, will make you laugh. That balance in tone, Koontz told me in a joint interview with Boyce, was intentional: “I think it’s about finding humanity within these crazy situations. That’s what allows you to connect better with people, because if something is light, and then it’s scary, you let your guard down, and then the scare hits a little bit more.” Read on for my full discussion with Koontz and Boyce, including how Scrofano got involved in the production, and what they’ve planned out for the arc of the show relative to the comics. Photo by: Lavivier Productions/SYFY This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. I want to hear about the origin story for adapting the comic to a television series. Luke Boyce: I met [Revival comic creators] Tim Seeley and Mike Norton in 2016. We started talking about making stuff, and it just so happened that Revival was available at the time. I was a huge fan of comic, and Tim and Mike really wanted to do something in the indie space, so we started talking about that, and started talking about what that would look like as an adaptation. We started looking at it as a feature. But then Aaron came on board after we had worked together on my feature, Revealer, and we started talking about doing it as television show. I sent him the book, and he really took to it, and he saw that first issue and loved how it played out potentially as a pilot. And from there, we started talking about what would this look like, to adapt this as a series. Aaron B. Koontz: Yeah, and I’ve made a lot of movies, produced 25 or so features, directed a few of my own. I’ve never made a TV show, but I wanted this to be a TV show—that first issue just felt like the pilot. And so I was like, “Let’s pair up on this. I don’t just want to help get it made; I want to make it.” I was so attached to the material and drawn into the comic. Photo by: Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY How did you get Melanie Scrofano involved to be to play Dana? Koontz: We knew that our Dana was going to be the domino that led to everything else, right? So our casting directors had sent a number of people out, and some big names were on the list, and we looked at a bunch of stuff, but I had known Melanie—I’d seen a couple episodes of Wynonna Earp, but had not watched a lot of it, but I’d also seen her in Letterkenny, and she was so crafty, crazy in that. And then in Ready or Not, she had all these scene-stealing moments. Luke was watching her in Strange New Worlds, and we’re like, “Hey, this is a really great actress.” And then we watched her reel and saw all this stuff, and we’re like, “Oh my God, she’s magic.” She not only has the elements to play Dana, but Melanie as a human is like Dana in real life—like we went to her Instagram, and we’re laughing at everything she’s doing. And we were like, if we create a place for her to be able to play, she could make all these stupid words we’re writing sound really, really funny and really great. And so it just became so obvious—just put some freckles on this person. Photo by: Naomi Peters/Lavivier Productions/SYFY I wanted to talk about what your thoughts are for the arc of the TV show versus the story in the comics: Have you thought at all about where you think you know the show might go past the first season? Boyce: We have many plans. Some very solid, some still being worked on. But we definitely have an interesting plan that we’re excited for people to view. I think when people get to the end of season one, they’re going to be like, “Whoa! Wait a minute! What are we doing here?” It’s interesting—I don’t think I’ve seen it before, just in terms of adaptation… the comic is expansive, but a big portion of that comic are these side quests that it goes on, and it introduces new characters and new ideas and a lot of it veers from the murder mystery. So we really wanted to focus on that murder mystery in season one. We wanted that to be the crux of the show. And so we rearranged things. Aaron and I had this Miro board where we would say, “Okay, this has got to happen, and it’s got to happen around here. So how do we build to that organically, through our own version of the story, our own version of these characters?” The spirit of the comic is definitely there, the characters the world. But we zig where you might think we’d zag, and we really wanted to play with that. And then as a whole, broadly speaking, future seasons and things like that, we have interesting ideas of how we’re going to play with that stuff from the comics, but we’re going to do things that nobody’s expecting as well. Koontz: And things that Tim and Mike wanted to do that they didn’t quite get to do. We’ve really spoken with them about ideas, so I feel very good about it. I have a very interesting idea of a three-season arc in particular that is very exciting to us. Photo by: Mathieu Savidant/Lavivier Productions/SYFY One of the things I appreciate about the show was the balance with the tone. Because it’s pretty dark, but there’s definitely some levity and fun moments as well. Can you talk about how you made sure you kept that balance? Koontz: This permeates a lot of work. So my main company, Paper Street Pictures, one of our mottos is, “horror with heart.” And that’s really what we’re trying to strive for. I think it’s about finding humanity within these crazy situations. That’s what allows you to connect better with people, because if something is light, and then it’s scary, you let your guard down, and then the scare hits a little bit more. And then if you have a little more emotion, and that person’s being chased or they’re in danger, now we care more about the person that’s in danger. I think all these things go hand in hand, and they’re two sides of the same coin in so many different ways. But in the comic itself, it also had this rural noir, or farm noir, is how Tim would put it. When we were selling it, I was like, “Look, this is Fargo characters in a Mare of Easttown kind of mystery, with a massive supernatural twist and horror elements within.” And these are all things I love. And I think it makes for a more entertaining show, personally, rather than if we were just a drama. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but let’s pull the rug where you think we’re going to go. Revival premieres Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on SYFY.[end-mark] The post <i>Revival</i> Showrunners on Melanie Scrofano’s “Magic,” Pulling the Rug Out From Under Viewers     appeared first on Reactor.

Books Wind and Truth Reread Wind and Truth Reread: Chapters 67 and 68, Interludes 9 and 10 It’s the end of Day 5, featuring an Unmade, a crimson parrot, and some red herrings… By Paige Vest, Lyndsey Luther, Drew McCaffrey | Published on June 9, 2025 Comment 0 Share New Share Greetings, Cosmere chickens, and welcome to this week’s installment of the Wind and Truth reread! We’re finishing up Day 5 and delving into not one but two interludes today, and hoo boy is this one a doozy… We’ve got battlefields and honorspren and flashbacks and Vasher chained to a ceiling and oh, don’t forget Taravangian being utterly TERRIFYING, so please join us as we leap in headfirst! Wind and Truth has been out long enough that most of you will hopefully have finished, and as such, this series shall now function as a re-read rather than a read-along. That means there will be spoilers for the end of the book (as well as full Cosmere spoilers, so beware if you aren’t caught up on all Cosmere content). Paige’s Commentary: Plot Arcs We jump into today’s discussion of plot arcs with chapter 67, titled “Field Commission.” We begin with an Adolin POV (YAY!) in which he’s speaking with Captain Notum, who came to help the war effort, though he still refuses to take a Radiant bond. May, who is writing a missive to Urithiru, is a little annoyed that Notum won’t take a Radiant bond because they could use another Windrunner. However, Adolin isn’t about to force a bond on anyone and grants Notum a field commission as a captain in the Cobalt Guard, where he will head up the messenger team and help relay messages amongst the troops. After Colot takes Notum out, May and Adolin have a brief discussion during which she says she’s glad they didn’t work out as a couple and notes that Shallan is good for him. He tells her she had no idea. Adolin’s thoughts drift to Shallan and he hopes she’s doing well, wondering when he’ll see her again. Major sad face right now! POV SHIFT! Sigzil and Leyten are in the chasms, heading toward something that Heavenly Ones are guarding and attempting to hide. What they discover is disheartening: a massive singer force. They can’t imagine how they could have arrived there and Vienta, Sig’s spren, puts forth the suggestion that they might be using an Elsecaller. Knowing that they need to get a better picture of what the Heavenly Ones are guarding, Sig flies up high, near the Everstorm, which is concentrated in that area. He sees what Vienta guessed: an Elsegate through which the gathering army is entering onto the Shattered Plains. He uses a spyglass to see if he can see anybody using an Honorblade and spies a silvery figure kneeling by the Elsegate. He assumes correctly that it is Dai-Gonarthis, a very, very scary Unmade who “wishes to break and burn this world.” That’s not ominous at all. Then a familiar figure jumps through the Elsegate. It is none other than Moash, Teft’s killer, the traitor, with glowing eyes. Grrr… Chapter 68 is a Szeth flashback titled “Acolyte,” and takes place 18 years prior to the present. This flashback follows immediately after the last, in which Szeth burned the ships of the invaders and allowed one to escape as a warning against further invasions. He stands outside the General’s office where the General, the Honorbearers, his father, and the Farmer discuss his fate. He waits to see what his punishment will be. On the outside, he remains calm and collected, but he is literally trembling on the inside, breathing slowly so that he doesn’t cry. Again, I feel so sad for this version of Szeth in his youth, before he became the Assassin in White. He’s still but a child, forced to be a killer, and my heart breaks for him. As he stands there in misery, he thinks about how even the Voice has shunned him lately and he’s angry at the prospect of punishment when he was only taking the initiative and following orders. His sister Elid approaches, and comments on how he’s screwed up again. She asks if they will kick him out and he doesn’t think so, though he does worry… “They can’t,” Szeth said softly. “I subtract. They can find something miserable for me to do, they can execute me, or…” Or worse. They wouldn’t make him Truthless, would they? Sad to see that he worries about such a thing now because, of course, it does eventually happen. He defends his actions to his sister, who tells him that he wasn’t told to take initiative,  but simply to watch for any invaders that struck inland. She says that the offerings are there for a reason, so the invaders take the goods and leave without causing destruction in their wake. However, Szeth thinks about how the Voice says something different: how the offerings would only make the invaders hunger for more, hence the need for the warnings sent back with the ship you allowed to escape. He apologizes to his sister for ruining her life and she hugs him, telling him that it will be okay because everyone knows that his heart is good. Szeth himself is not sure of this, however. His sister backs away as the door opens and his father invites him inside where three Honorbearers, the head shaman of the monastery with no Blade, and the General wait for him. The General tells him that he should be sent to the mines. He agrees that if they felt he was insubordinate, that he should be decommissioned. The Farmer, on the other hand, says that his suggestion was to send Szeth to the high pass to watch for stonewalkers. He mentions that Szeth could herd sheep, though it was a lonely post. Szeth is amazed by the suggestion and longs for the opportunity. Well, we all know that pipe dream of his won’t happen. We know where his story goes and what will eventually happen during these flashbacks. But the fact that he was so excited by the prospect of being sent to a lonely post in the mountains is, once again, utterly heartbreaking. Brandon really tugs at the heartstrings with Szeth’s backstory, doesn’t he? Then, the cursed Voice is back. Well, this won’t do, the Voice said in his head. Not after you finally started proving yourself. I’m sorry for getting distracted. I nearly missed this meeting, didn’t I?Suddenly, all three Honorbearers stood up straighter and went alert, as if they’d been slapped. Then, as if one, they focused on Szeth.“OUT,” Pozen said. “Everyone but Szeth.” They ask him how long the Voice has been speaking to him and he admits that it began when he was a child, the day he killed the soldier with the stone. And they decide to make him… an acolyte. He is to be taken from the monastery that very day and commended for his bravery. Seth sees the possibility of a peaceful future slipping away from him. Brandon, why did you do this to this poor boy? The Honorbearers announce the change in plans to the General, the Farmer, and Neturo, who says he’s going with Szeth. He’s told he can’t go, that Szeth must go alone. Neturo insists that his family must join him and it’s recommended that he take over administration of the city outside the monastery. As they prepare to leave, Szeth apologizes to his sister for the change in her life but Elid is actually excited. Then he realizes that Zeenid, his mother, isn’t going to join them. Thus ends Day 5, with Szeth again brokenhearted, this time at the loss of his mother. Interlude 9 is a Zahel POV. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen him! And it’s no wonder why; he thinks about how many times he’s been chained to the ceiling. Just, what…? He hangs naked in a room lined in aluminum, with the bright red, very depressed Aviar trapped in a cage near him. Poor Lift would be so distraught knowing that the red chicken was trapped. The aluminum apparently keeps anyone from sensing him, even spren. He was taken the day of the invasion and think that it’s been weeks that he’s been held captive, though he’s unsure as he has to keep erasing his memory due to the torture they’re subjecting him to. Axindweth enters with a green Aviar on her shoulder… and a painrial. She calls him Vasher, of course, and states that he can give her half his Breaths and she’ll let him go. Zahel knows that this is just a tactic, that if he gives up half his Breaths, she’ll just demand more. So he says nothing. As he starts to scream, he feels bad for the red Aviar for having to watch. Interlude 10 is a Taravangian POV titled “The Moment of Decision.” He stands atop a mountain, his attention concentrated on Shinovar, thinking that if he can’t dominate this country, how can he dominate the entire cosmere? Cultivation appears asking if he has tried as she asked and he states that both halves of him reject her assumptions. He thinks about how he respects Jasnah and Dalinar more than any other on the planet, which is frankly surprising to me, considering what happens with Jasnah later in Thaylen City. That was when, for the first time, Taravangian legitimately wavered. This problem was not academic, and not one simply of passionate instinct. The question of opposing his friends cut to his very soul. For by its light, he saw that he had been lying, even to himself. The cosmere must have one god, and if he didn’t become that one, someone else would, and he admits to himself that he wants it. (Greedy son of a cremling.) He briefly considers what Dalinar might do and then finally decides to Dalinar is wrong and that it must be proved. And who’s going to prove it but Taravangian? Because he’s the most brilliant human on the planet, who now happens to be a god. Once again, this is the scariest shit ever. He creates an avatar dressed in gold with shining eyes and Cultivation, realizing that he’s made his decision—and that it’s not good—departs We are left with this thought: Odium—fully aligned at last—began his work in earnest. For there were two people he respected who needed lessons to help them grow. Dun-dun-dunnn… Until next week, Sanderfans. What a distressing note to end this week on! But as we head into Day 6, we’re halfway to the deadline and things are getting interesting… Lyndsey’s Commentary: Character Arcs and Maps Chapter 67’s arch has two Heralds, Jezrien and Kalak. Jezrien is likely here for Adolin, who is—as usual—being the quintessential leader. Kalak is a little more subtle; I believe that he’s symbolic of Sigzil. Kalak’s attributes are “Resolute/Builder,” and Sigzil is certainly resolute in his defense of the Shattered Plains. In chapter 68, Nale is here as usual for his role as a Skybreaker. Chana, on the other hand, has attributes that play well with Szeth’s nature; specifically, those of being obedient and a guard. Zahel’s interlude has two Heralds as well; Vedel (Edgedancers, Loving/Healing) and Pralla (Truthwatchers, Learned/Giving). We don’t have a lot to go on here since this interlude is pretty short and brings more questions than it answers. It almost seems as if it’s working on the principles of opposites; rather than loving/healing for Vedel, we’re seeing torture. And Zahel/Vasher isn’t giving up any answers in response to the torture, so perhaps is embodying the opposite of Pralla’s Learned/Giving attribute? Finally, we have our second interlude, which has another two Heralds: Ishar (Pious/Guiding) and Pralla (Learned/Giving) Taravangian certainly believes that he is pious and learned, and we can also surmise that these two Heralds are symbolic of the two parts of his divinity: the passionate side, and the logical one. Notum “I determined to come join the fight, though I’m not going to be a Radiant spren. I will not give any human that power over me. I can’t really blame him for this. The last time the honorspren gave themselves fully to humanity, they were horribly betrayed. He’s protecting himself here, and that’s understandable. Adolin “Your spren?” Notum asked.“She doesn’t belong to me,” Adolin said. “She’s my comrade in arms. Reason #527 why I adore Adolin. He views his partnership with Maya as just that—a partnership. They are equals, and friends. She’s not his subordinate. Now, to be fair, I don’t think most of the current batch of Radiants view their spren as subordinates (with the possible exception of the Skybreakers, but we have a pretty small sample size on this). The fact that Adolin feels the need to emphasize Maya’s individuality is worth noting, especially since he’s also so accepting of his wife’s autonomy. He worries about her, but doesn’t stop her from putting herself into harm’s way. He trusts Shallan to take care of herself. I don’t believe the same could be said of most of the men of Alethkar. “I formally request a battlefield commission under your command, Adolin Kholin. Adolin’s out here inspiring everyone to fight, even the spren. Incredible. Plus, he’d had enough of being like his father. Echoes of that reverberated from earlier in the day—being the killer the situation required.Not simply a killer, he thought, remembering his mother’s voice and face. I kill for a cause—something that matters. I’d argue that current Dalinar follows the same creed. The Blackthorn, on the other hand, followed the Thrill a little too closely. What if it was weeks until he saw [Shallan] again? OOF. It’s gonna be a lot longer than that, Adolin my dear. He couldn’t quash the fear that once again, he wouldn’t be enough. I can relate with Adolin on this one. Imposter syndrome is bad enough when you don’t have a horrific defeat looming in your recent past. Shallan/Adolin “I’m glad you found someone better suited to you, though I thought you and Shallan a strange pairing until I realized something. You both share the same sense of whimsy.” Whimsy, eh? I do have to wonder if that’s a direct call out to the Shard of the same name. It’s not capitalized, so it’s honestly a 50/50 shot as to whether Brandon’s being sneaky with this one or it’s just a coincidence. It does seem a little out of place to just mention it offhand using that specific word, to be honest. Neither Adolin nor Shallan seem particularly whimsical to me. Vienta\Sigzil “So many things to learn.” In a rare moment, her billowing cloth retracted around her face, and she smiled toward him. I love these two and their shared love of research and science. Which is going to make her eventual destruction all the worse. Sig has finally found someone who gets him… only to have her ripped away in practically the most brutal way possible. Szeth He wished he could hear what they were saying. He could not, so he remained standing. Angry. Increasingly sick. Who wouldn’t be terrified, when their life was being decided for them—AGAIN? Poor Szeth has had so little agency in his entire life to actually do what HE chooses. Perhaps that’s why he fears choice so much and wants to be told what to do; because he wasn’t raised with any ability to choose for himself. Elid navigated rules and social expectations like a fish in water. Whereas Szeth did it like a sword through entrails. I don’t have a specific character thing to talk about here, I just really wanted to point out how awesome this analogy is. Szeth felt his freedom evaporating. Rainwater disappearing under the sun. To be given a glimpse of everything he’s ever wanted, then to have the Voice rip it all away from him… his whole life is one cruelty after another. “I’m not going, Neturo,” she said. “I’m not letting you do this to me again.” […] Mother spun and walked back toward camp. She didn’t say goodbye. It occurs to me that Kaladin and Szeth are opposites in this; Kaladin had an unsupportive father and a loving mother, while Szeth’s father is the supportive one. However, they share the experience of having a parent who has turned their back on them. At least in Kaladin’s case, Lirin and he found a reconciliation. Szeth will never get that chance, as his mother dies of cancer. Zahel The timing wasn’t clear though, because he had to keep erasing his memories to help neutralize his captor’s torture. This is certainly a handy trick to have in order to withstand torture. Zahel seems to be taking it all pretty calmly, so we can assume that he’s accustomed to pain. Not for the first time, he wondered why he kept struggling. Centuries. Friends failed. Most recently a woman abandoned, when she’d so believed in him…He had told himself he was retiring.In truth, he’d simply run. Talk about more questions being raised than answered! Vasher, what the heck have you been up to?! How and why did you wind up here on Roshar anyway? Is the woman you’re referring to Azure/Vivenna? Here’s hoping Drew digs into this a bit more, as I have no answers. Taravangian There were two on this planet who, even as a divinity, he respected almost as equals. Jasnah Kholin and Dalinar Kholin. Interesting that Taravangian still sees these two as his equals. One would think that as a divine, omniscient being, he’d cease seeing any mortal as an equal. And yet… I almost wonder if he sees them as equals to the two separate parts of himself. Dalinar is certainly a being of passion; in the past, he let his passions control him to his detriment. Now he chains them and uses them to drive him towards the betterment of the world. Jasnah, on the other hand, is cold, hard logic. The question of opposing his friends cut to his very soul. For by its light, he saw that he had been lying, even to himself. I find it fascinating that he manages to do one of the hardest things one can do, in terms of self-analysis, and still comes to the worst possible conclusion. Why conquer?Because someday, someone would do it.And he wanted to be that one. Taravangian is allowing his selfishness to drive him, and at long last he not only recognizes it, but embraces it. And then… There, on that mountaintop, Taravangian—Odium—was truly born. There’s a sentence that gives me the shivers. The only thing worse than an omnipotent villain is an omnipotent COMPETENT villain. He’s come to terms with his motivations and refuses to let himself question them any longer. Drew’s Commentary: Invested Arts & Theories You feign altruism. But you have another motive, do you not? Well, you always have. Sanderson leaves us on this teasing statement for the end of the day and the end of Endowment’s letter to Hoid, thanks to an epigraph-less Szeth flashback in chapter 68. I have to say, Endowment’s tone in these epigraphs is even more accusatory than it was in Oathbringer—maybe even what I’d call outright antagonistic. She obviously sees Odium as a problem, but she seems to view Hoid in a similar light. The question is: Does Endowment dislike Hoid because he’s meddling in things and her promise to keep apart clashes with that, or does she dislike him because of his ulterior motive? Or is it something else entirely, perhaps going back to before the Shattering? This was a quiet feminine voice, calling me to arms. Notum’s experience here is another nice mystery. The narrative wants readers to assume it was Maya, because the narrative wants us to think Maya is going to get honorspren. It’s a red herring, to throw readers off the scent of the deadeyes and the eventual Unoathed moment. But there are other options, even on a first reading. Was it Cultivation? Was it the Wind? Because at the center of the gathering army was a hole in the ground—a wide ring of violet light, the inside falling away like a pit. Soldiers jumped up from within it, soaring out of the hole, being seized by companions and stabilized as they landed. This scene is one of those moments in Sanderson’s books where I can very clearly visualize the events. It reminds me a bit of the vivid description of the stormforms at Narak back in Words of Radiance: the glowing red eyes in the darkness, the building storm. Here, it’s the Dai-Gonarthis Elsegate glowing with otherworldly light and singers falling the wrong way. It’s a great moment, and one that brings us back to the El interlude. I wish we had gotten any answers at all about Dai-Gonarthis and the “price” necessary to secure an Elsegate through this Unmade. The easy answer is that she needs Investiture, but the way it’s spoken of in the interlude—and the overall sense of grim eeriness here—would make that feel pretty lame. The sense I have is that there’s some sort of eldritch ritual at hand. She wishes to break and burn this world. I mean, come on. You can’t just drop a line like this and then have the answer be “well, we had to empty our stores of Voidlight to get her going.” I hope the back five books delve a lot more deeply into the Unmade, just as they’ve been promised to explore the Heralds. Dai-Gonarthis is near the top of my list of Mysteries to Illuminate after Wind and Truth (right under Chemoarish, who has gone totally unexplored so far in the series). Then a figure jumped up out of the portal near the Fused. A human with brown hair flecked with black, in a black uniform, carrying a familiar Honorblade. As he looked up, Sigzil could swear that this man’s eyes glowed violet. As if… as if they were gemstones full of Voidlight. Another excellent visual to close the chapter. We’ve already talked about Moash, so I don’t have much more to say here. But… yeah. Excellent, creepy vibes to leave on. But though that’s the true end of Day Five, there’s still another chapter. Another flashback, to Szeth’s first real steps on the path to becoming an Honorbearer. And like the previous chapter, this one centers on another big red herring. The Honorbearers served the Voice? This is supposed to be a big WTF moment, thinking that the Honorbearers of Shinovar were serving an Unmade decades earlier. The impact is lessened quite a lot upon a reread, knowing that it’s Ishar speaking (even an insane Ishar). But it’s a good reminder that Sanderson loves these red herrings. Going back to his earliest books, he has a long track record of using misdirection like this to hide real foreshadowing in plain sight. Beside him, out of reach—if his hands had been free—a sad, sorry parrot hung in her cage. Bright crimson, with shades of cherry, and a maroon on the darker parts of her wings. Very striking. And hello, Vasher! The mystery of what he was up to during Rhythm of War is solved here, and in just a few short pages we get a nice, heaping serving of Cosmere crossover content. It starts with the red Aviar—which we still don’t know anything about—and ends in the revelation that, though Vasher moved to Roshar because it was easier to get and use Stormlight as fuel for his lengthened life, he still has access to a huge reservoir of Breaths. And Axindweth, the Feruchemist, is hellbent on getting her hands on that store of Investiture. We’ll be keeping an eye on the comment sections of posts about this article on various social media platforms and may include some of your comments/speculation (with attribution) on future weeks’ articles! Keep the conversation going, and PLEASE remember to spoiler-tag your comments on social media to help preserve the surprise for those who haven’t read the book yet. See you next Monday with the start of Day 6 and our discussion of chapters 69, 70, and 71![end-mark] The post <i>Wind and Truth</i> Reread: Chapters 67 and 68, Interludes 9 and 10 appeared first on Reactor.

In April, New Zealand announced it aimed to nearly double defense spending to reach 2% of its GDP in the next eight years—a step that marks a major shift in New Zealand’s national security strategy. While a member of the Anglosphere “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, New Zealand has not sufficiently funded its defense in decades. It also previously sought a close relationship with the People’s Republic of China, with former governments pursuing economic relations with China over geopolitical alignment with the U.S. and neighboring Australia. In 2008, for example, New Zealand and China signed a free trade agreement, one of Beijing’s first with a Western state. Since then, China has become New Zealand’s main trading partner, ahead of Australia and the U.S. This close economic relationship has also affected political ties between New Zealand and China—a fact best evidenced by a 2019 visit to Beijing by then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Recently, however, New Zealand has begun to wake up to the dangers of an overly collaborative relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. In 2022, at the end of her term as prime minister, Ardern acknowledged that China had become more assertive—though she still failed to offer any tangible means of addressing this problem. In November, New Zealand issued technology warnings for companies and citizens working in China, an acknowledgement of China’s aggressive economic tactics. In March 2024, New Zealand’s intelligence agency accused China of cyber espionage after discovering hacked data systems associated with New Zealand’s parliament.  The head of the intelligence agency condemned China for “malicious cyber activity,” and recently-elected conservative Prime Minister Christopher Luxon asserted that liberal democracies have a responsibility to call China out for its cyber espionage activities. Incidents like this, and the election of Luxon, have contributed to New Zealand’s gradual recognition both of China’s malign influence and of the need for a more active foreign and defense policy from Wellington. New Zealand’s 2025 Defense Capability Plan acknowledges that investments need to be made to “first stabilize the New Zealand Defense Forces (NZDF) and then build it to be better prepared for future events.” The defense capability plan includes significant investments in frigate sustainment, maritime helicopters, enhanced strike capabilities, and improved intelligence functions and cybersecurity. This poses a clear contrast to New Zealand’s 2023 national security strategy under Ardern’s government, which had more photos of scenic hikes and references to climate change than it does to weapon acquisition and China. New Zealand’s historic neglect of defense spending will not be solved overnight, and despite Luxon’s goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense, he has emphasized starting with capability rather than spending. Nonetheless, the Defense Capability Plan has provided some clarity by recognizing the capability gaps facing the New Zealand Defense Forces and indicating potential pathways to address them. That said, its investments are not guaranteed. According to the prime minister, each individual purchase will be presented to the cabinet for approval and the plan will be reviewed every two years. The U.S. pursues a free and open Indo-Pacific—so it should welcome and encourage steps by New Zealand and others to move in the right direction on China policy and defense spending. Luxon should be applauded for taking his country’s sovereignty seriously and working to strengthen it. The post New Zealand’s Step in the Right Direction appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Facing growing scrutiny over privacy and legal challenges, genetic testing firm 23andMe is heading into a second auction after its first sale attempt fell apart. Former CEO Anne Wojcicki, now aligned with a California-based research group, has submitted a $305 million bid to reclaim the company’s core asset: a massive collection of consumer DNA data. Her offer exceeds the previous high bid by close to $50 million. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals had initially been declared the winner of the first auction with a $256 million proposal. That decision was quickly contested by Wojcicki in federal court, where she argued the auction process had been skewed. This legal fight prompted all parties, including 23andMe, Regeneron, and Wojcicki, to meet before a bankruptcy judge to negotiate new auction terms. The revised structure agreed upon this week in St. Louis, lays out a sequence of offers designed to resolve the disputes that marred the first round. More: Who Owns Your DNA Now? Wojcicki’s group will lead with a $305 million opening bid. Regeneron will then be allowed to respond with a minimum offer of $315 million. If they do, Wojcicki and her partners can counter with a higher bid, followed by one final opportunity for Regeneron to match or exceed it. While Wojcicki’s legal team pushed back against a rule that gives Regeneron the final bid, they accepted the terms as a fairer setup. “We don’t like the last look” rule, said her attorney Susheel Kirpalani in court. Even so, he added, the new process offers a more level playing field for his client and the TTAM Research Institute. The dispute revolves around control of one of the largest privately held genetic databases in the world. 23andMe amassed its data from more than 15 million users through direct-to-consumer health and ancestry testing. Despite strong brand recognition, the company filed for bankruptcy in March, having failed to convert its customer base into a sustainable revenue stream. Multiple stakeholders, including unsecured creditors and shareholders, have endorsed the updated auction process in hopes of a more transparent resolution. The outcome also carries broader implications for data protection. The unfolding sale of 23andMe’s vast trove of consumer DNA data should serve as a wake-up call about the serious risks of treating biometric information as a commercial asset. Millions of individuals voluntarily submitted their genetic material to the company, often believing it would be used strictly for personal health insights or ancestry tracing. Now, amid bankruptcy proceedings, that deeply personal data is on the auction block, where it may end up in the hands of the highest bidder. While the courts negotiate terms between bidders, the individuals whose DNA is being bartered have little to no say in how their data might be used, shared, or monetized moving forward. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post The High-Stakes Auction Where 15 Million People’s DNA is the Product appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Ho-Hum, Nothing to See Except 'Lawful' Angelenos Attempting to Murder Cops; Dem Govs Endorse!