This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you. *** Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week. TSA regulation comedy: They’re here all week I’m still reeling from being able to leave my shoes on for airport security. But suddenly we’re not allowed to bring live beavers and jugs of ranch on the plane? How are we supposed to live like this? While it’s still gonna be a no on World Cup fans hauling 40-ounce bottles of ranch dressing back to Europe in their carry-ons (stay tuned for TSA-approved Kraft packets), the TSA’s recent live beaver restriction was a playful rib at the tourist fever around Buc-ee’s. Does Buc-ee’s stock beaver merch? Yes. Live ones? No. But Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets are real, and they’re cleared for takeoff. I’m more of a Buc-ee’s Milk Chocolate Cashews person myself. Europeans are blown away by Buc-ee’s More videos that will make you smile! So many Europeans are finding America to be an amazing place!❤️ pic.twitter.com/gAORs1XPnv — Americaforever (@onetexgal9) June 19, 2026 Soccer can be a pretty boring low-scoring game if you’re new to the sport. Maybe that’s why we’re talking about salad dressing and gas station snacks so much. I’ve lived through many scoreless games thinking about how the sport could be made-over for American audiences. How about a time clock to force advancement on the field or shots on goal, or a ban on telenovela drama at a tugged jersey? (Eyeball popping double-take! Arms in the air! Susan was her own evil twin this whole time?)  Still, even with its international quirks, maybe fútbol is perfect just as it is. As someone posted on X, “The World Cup is proof that, if it weren’t for our leaders, the vast majority of people around the world would get along just fine.” I could chug an overpriced stadium beer and honk one of those anti-vuvuzela “pleasant horns” in agreement.  Bill Gates just gave you all his money. Go. Wait, wait, wait. You’re not getting his real money. But a game designed by creative programmer Neal Agarwal gives you the sensation of making it rain on Microsoft’s dime.  Starting with $100 billion in your bank, Spend Bill Gates’ Money lets you throw down on everything from $2 Big Macs to a $3,000 acre of farmland, a $15,000 Rolex, and $780,000,000 for the Mona Lisa. I’m pretty sure a Big Mac costs a little more than $2 these days (Blame Big Shredded Lettuce), but designating billions of fake dollars to specific purchases really shows you how far that kind of cash can — or can’t — go!  If that kind of game isn’t your speed, Neal also built his Every Second series where you can visualize the heartbeats per minute of everything from elephants to hummingbirds, or how many trillions of neurons just fired in your brain while you were reading this sentence.  It’s official: Meet the world’s loudest talker FYI, it’s not Doug from the company retreat. The loudest person in the world trashed his vocal chords proving his talents, but he holds the Guinness World Record now, so — worth it! Australia’s Joseph McGrail-Bateup is just a 58-year-old guy who cleans air conditioners for a living and has a voice that cuts through the noise. He also spends his free time LARPing as the town crier. But after competitively “crying” to his heart’s content, he knew he had to level up. “What can I do that’s a little bit different?” he asked himself. He then hit 122.4 decibels with a single shout. “It took me seven attempts just for one word, which was the word ‘now,’ and my voice was shot for the next couple of days as well.”  Guinness World Records has recognized Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a 58-year-old professional air conditioner cleaner, as the world’s loudest person. He was recorded yelling the word “now” at 122.4 decibels. pic.twitter.com/D8Gp0YFTm4 — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 24, 2026 Possibly my favorite part of this important history is that the previous record was held by Irish schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan, who hit 121.7 dBs in 1994 by ironically shrieking the word “quiet.” (Then, and probably every afternoon until she retired.) I was impressed, but also curious about how loud this sound might be. (I also didn’t know the average human ear can actually detect zero decibels, did you?) Normal conversation hits around 60 to 70 dBs. A motorcycle? 100 dBs. Metallica at Madison Square Garden? 110 to 120 dBs. And at about 130 dBs, you’re gonna feel the pain.   Hailing from a culture that takes pride in its enthusiastic talking volume, my Puerto Rican boyfriend might be able to best 122 dBs. But for now, Joseph’s the guy to beat. Not even the 85-decibel music at Abercrombie & Fitch can hold a candle to the reigning champ. The cutest critter in the Land Down Under While I was giving the algorithm a break from my newfound obsession with meticulously snatched corgi butts (they’re groomed like fluffy peaches!), it came to my attention that there’s a creature called a quokka (Thanks, J.K. Rowling.)  Today I discovered not only that there is such a thing as a quokka but also that my whole life I’ve been missing a quokka. https://t.co/sR0m9so38H — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 24, 2026 Native to Western Australia, and known as the “happiest animal in the world,” quokkas are the cute, cat-sized cousins of kangaroos and wallabies. They constantly look like they’re smiling and want to be your friend. You’re not supposed to touch or feed them, but the Nature Conservancy of Australia offers tips on taking selfies with them. You’ll have to pose like Keanu Reeves does with open hands hovering behind his fans.  If you’re trying not to book a flight to Australia to get some quality quokka time, don’t watch this video of a pet quokka snuggling and licking its owner. Next up, nonstop watching dogs watch other dogs eat hot dogs content because this is the content we need right now.  About last week’s Bright Side featuring the “Asian squat” flex, one fabulous reader emailed me a priceless photo of everyone in his family (except him) happily relaxing in deep squats, noting: “Last month, my family (including my 64-year-old wife) was making fun of my (white dude with bad knees) inability to execute the Asian squat.”  This kind of self-deprecating humor warms my heart. I sincerely invite you to share your stories and favorite moments in the comments! Feel free to email me too. I’m off to shop for the perfect July 4th fit for next weekend! Let’s go, America! — Lauren