The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup
News & Politics
About
Do you like the stories from around the world that recognize and celebrate the people and events making a positive change? Tune in to The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup, where our solutions-focused stories continue, and hear behind-the-scenes discussions from the people bringing you the news.
Episodes
- Gene therapy restores hearing, Gaza teens win a global prize, and eight more wins
This episode covers ten positive news stories, including gene therapy restoring hearing, Gaza teens winning an environmental prize, and China
- Antarctic whales by the hundreds, the UK's generational smoking ban, and more positive news this week
The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup discusses a UK law banning tobacco purchases permanently, Antarctic whales, and clean energy exceeding global electricity demand. It covers ten solutions for positive change.
- Good news for donkeys, rats, wildflowers, and people who hate step trackers
This episode covers positive developments including Etsy
- Why you keep falling for the same person, and 9 other things worth discussing this week
This week’s roundup covers a rapid smartphone-based water contamination test, a simple gardening trick, a startup’s approach to recycling festival urine, and a discussion on the psychology of relationship patterns. It also touches on Earth…
- (Guest Interview) Given Two Weeks, She Lived a Year: The Woman Who Built a Rescue for the Dogs Everyone Overlooks | National Pet Day 2026
Erica Psaltis, founder of Silver Linings Rescue Ranch, shares insights on operating a senior dog rescue, detailing the intake process, common misconceptions about older dogs, and coping with the emotional toll of the work.
- Good Friday good news: speed friending, fire fungi, and the science of sleep
This week starts with casino Easter eggs and a prom-posal, because apparently Good Friday is full of surprises. Then Arielle and Karissa get into the actual news: a teenager built a working microplastic filter in her garage, Mexico's monar…
- Touching the Veiled Christ, urban coyotes, and the truth about your allergies
Arielle and Karissa are back this week, and the stories span everything from marble sculptures in Naples to coyote dens in American cities. A museum in Naples opened its barriers so blind visitors could touch the Veiled Christ, led by blin…
- From psilocybin to ocean robots: 10 solutions you'll actually want to hear about
This week, Arielle and Karissa cover a tiny African island paying locals to protect its rainforest, the lion DNA case that just sent two poachers to prison, and new research on music, overthinking, and quitting smoking. Oh, and the humming…
- Golden frogs are back, bacteria are eating cancer, and cherry blossom season is almost here
Spring is in the air, and so is this week's roundup of solutions, breakthroughs, and good news worth sharing. Arielle and Karissa are back together after last week's Sambhali Trust guest interview, and they've got a full lineup: wildlife c…
- (Guest Interview) From 18 Women to 80,000: How Sambhali Trust is Empowering Girls in India | International Women's Day 2026
This episode is dedicated to Badan Kanwar. In the early 1990s, a woman named Badan Kanwar was widowed in Rajasthan, India. Her world shrank the way it does for widows there — she lost status, voice, and belonging. Her son, Govind Singh Rat…
- New Year, New Us: The Optimist Daily Weekly Roundup goes bigger with 10 solutions
It's our first episode of the year! And the Optimist Daily Weekly Roundup is officially refreshed. Karissa and Arielle kick off the new format (hello, "tasting menu" of all ten weekly solutions), explain the difference between Emissaries a…
- Holiday gifts for a loved one with cancer + a powerful Miwuk land-back victory near Yosemite
This week, Arielle and Karissa dive into two very different but deeply connected stories about what it means to truly support healing. First, we unpack new research on what people going through cancer actually find helpful during the holid…
- Should kids be banned from social media? Inside Australia's bold online safety experiment
Australia just became the first country to ban social media accounts for kids under 16... but will it actually keep them safer online? In this episode, Arielle and Karissa unpack the data that pushed lawmakers to act, the huge loopholes cr…
- Holiday health etiquette plus the first female crash test dummy is (finally) here
This week, Karissa and Arielle tackle two big, very real-world solutions: how to gracefully ask friends and family if they're sick before a holiday hangout, and why the U.S. finally introducing its first female crash test dummy is a major…
- Thankful for optimists: a Thanksgiving shout out to The Optimist Daily community
In this special Thanksgiving mini-episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup , Karissa and Arielle press pause on the usual headlines to say thank you. They share what they are personally grateful for this year, celebrate the Emissarie…
- From bike buses to art therapy: The uplifting solutions changing everyday life
In this week's episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup , Arielle and Karissa return from a fall break with a fresh wave of uplifting stories, diving right into two standout solutions of the week. First: the "bike bus" phenomenon tur…
- The science of saving lives: new breakthroughs in immunity and allergy prevention
In this week's episode, Arielle and Karissa gab about two groundbreaking medical solutions changing lives: a one-time gene therapy that helps children with ADA-SCID develop healthy immune systems, and new pediatric guidelines that could dr…
- From chemo care to creative flair: two stories changing how we heal and create
This week, Arielle and Karissa talk about two powerful wins for compassion and creativity. New York's new law makes scalp cooling treatments more accessible for cancer patients, while a D.C. author reimagines book access with her "LitBox"…
- Can concrete power cities? Can aspirin prevent cancer? The science says maybe.
This week, Arielle and Karissa spotlight two game-changing breakthroughs: MIT's new battery concrete, which could turn buildings into energy storage devices, and a Swedish study showing that low-dose aspirin may significantly reduce the ri…
- Why women live longer (and what men can learn from it) + the world's first Indigenous-led ocean reserve
In this episode, Karissa and Arielle begin in the Pacific Islands, where Indigenous leaders are creating the world's first ocean sanctuary designed to preserve migratory routes across national borders. Then we turn to the science behind wh…
- Bite-Sized Roundup: Cold Plunges, Kimchi, and Global Wins for the Planet
Arielle opens the episode with a quick update—she's feeling under the weather, so Karissa is taking the reins this week. In this bite-sized round-up, Karissa highlights some of the most intriguing stories from Optimist Daily , including sc…
- Underground libraries, rethinking BFFs, and other uplifting solutions
In this week's Optimist Daily Roundup , Arielle and Karissa explore solutions that inspire connection and community. From Warsaw's new underground library that encourages commuters to swap scrolling for stories to expert insights on why yo…
- Hope after heartbreak: divorce support in India and 7 uplifting benefits of getting older
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 (spo…
- 5 simple fitness tests for longevity + turning wind turbines into tiny homes
In this week's roundup, Arielle and Karissa explore two powerful solutions shaping the future of health and sustainability. First, discover how five simple fitness tests—like balancing on one leg or your natural walking speed—offer surpris…
- Celebrating Local Changemakers: Nominate Your Community Heroes of 2025
This week, Arielle spotlights the return of our Local Changemakers Series! From food justice in Olympia to climate activism and dog rescue in Thailand, last year's nominees inspired us with their creativity and compassion. Now we're inviti…
- How Adults Can Capture Back-to-School Joy, and How Rocky Mountain National Park is Expanding Access
This week Arielle and Karissa are exploring solutions both personal and global—from Rocky Mountain National Park's inspiring accessibility upgrades to playful ways adults can tap into back-to-school energy. They also take time for an I'm a…
- From mind-reading BCIs to ER-proof life tips: this week's top 10 innovations
This week on the podcast, Arielle and Karissa explore surprising yet powerful solutions—from Stanford's breakthrough brain-computer interface that decodes inner speech (complete with a mental privacy password!) to the top five preventable…
- Hormone-free male birth control + one-minute wellness check-ins
This week, Arielle and Karissa explore two powerful shifts in health and wellness. First, they dive into YCT-529, a promising hormone-free male birth control pill that may finally bring more balance to reproductive responsibility. Then, th…
- Safer streets, smarter cities: protecting women, wildlife, and well-being
In this week's episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Arielle and Karissa explore two powerful stories that spotlight how cities are becoming safer, smarter, and more inclusive for both people and animals. Arielle shares how Ams…
- Turning tragedy into hope: Rebuilding after wildfires and the future of canine cancer research
In this episode, Karissa and Arielle explore two uplifting stories of transformation. First, they look at how Southern California communities are rebuilding sustainably after the Eaton Fire—repurposing concrete, steel, and trees into roads…
- From clutter to connection: The screen-free movement and the magic of Poppins
In this episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Arielle and Karissa explore two uplifting solutions that challenge overconsumption and digital overwhelm. First, they dive into the growing trend of screen-free living among younger…
- From pinecones to predators: wildfire tech and the misunderstood vulture
This week on The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Karissa and Arielle explore two unexpected environmental heroes: a pinecone-inspired wildfire sensor called Pyri, and the misunderstood but essential role of vultures in ecosystem health.…
- Support for Texas flood relief and emotional recovery after disaster
In this special episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup, Arielle and Karissa discuss the devastating Texas floods and how to respond with both compassion and care. They walk through trusted ways you can contribute to flood relief ef…
- Effective allyship in action + Belgian seniors hit the club in joyful resistance
In this week's episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Arielle and Karissa revisit Part II of our popular 2020 series on allyship—this time diving into what effective allyship really looks like in practice. If you missed Part I o…
- Burial reefs and dissolving plastics: hopeful headlines for our oceans
This week on The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup , Arielle and Karissa dive into ocean-inspired solutions. From sea moss superfoods and memorial reefs that turn human ashes into coral habitats to breakthrough plastics that dissolve in seaw…
- Pride, periods, and little pleasures: spotlighting dignity, endometriosis, and daily joy
This week, Arielle and Karissa dive into the science of little treats —those small, joyful moments that can regulate stress, boost dopamine, and support mental health. They also spotlight a record-breaking $50M donation launching a global…
- Fridge-Free Tortillas, Sunshine Guilt, and Science-Backed Self-Compassion
This week, Arielle and Karissa explore the science behind sunshine guilt and share simple tips for reframing guilt with self-compassion. Then they chat about fridge-free tortillas helping vulnerable communities in Mexico. Plus, they highli…
- From Reproductive Rights to Small But Mighty Chia Seeds
In this week's round-up, Karissa and Arielle dive into the mighty chia seed's digestive benefits and Cadence's push to make emergency contraception as accessible as a pack of gum. Join them as they explore real-world solutions making a dif…
- The science of a sincere "sorry" and Boise's geothermal energy solution
What makes an apology feel sincere? Hint: It's in your syllables. This week, Arielle and Karissa dig into the psychology of saying sorry, celebrate Boise's bold geothermal energy system, and share other global solutions that are heating th…
- Snakebites, sunscreen, and solutions: ancient humans, modern science, and unexpected heroes
This week, Arielle and Karissa dive into the wild and wonderful world of solutions—from ancient humans using ochre as sunscreen during a magnetic pole shift, to Tim Friede, a man who willingly took 200 venomous snake bites to help research…
- The quiet power of being average + life-sized animal puppets for climate action
Is an average life a failure—or a hidden strength? In this episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Arielle spotlights The Herds , a stunning climate art project featuring life-sized animal puppets parading through cities to raise…
- What Iceland and Switzerland can teach us about happiness, health, and healing
In this uplifting episode, Arielle and Karissa explore how Iceland's connection to nature, social supports, and resilience boost national happiness—and how Swiss doctors are now prescribing museum visits to improve mental health. From cott…
- From oysters to ice baths: what boosts your health and helps the planet
In this week's episode, Arielle and Karissa dive into two feel-good stories they didn't expect to love: the science-backed benefits of shellfish and the surprising cellular perks of cold water immersion. From bivalves that clean oceans to…
- Uncontacted tribes, wildfire-resilient homes, and hope in tough times
This week, Arielle and Karissa explore a groundbreaking move by Colombia to protect uncontacted Indigenous communities and biodiversity, a California builder's creation of the first wildfire-resilient neighborhood, and the personal impact…
- How crafting and friendships foster healing, joy, and upward mobility
This week, Arielle and Karissa explore the powerful intersection of creativity, mental well-being, and community. They dive into a groundbreaking study on how friendships across income lines can increase social mobility—and why inclusive s…
- Bloodless Bulls & Biodegradable Beads
This week, Karissa and Arielle explore creative sustainability in action—from biodegradable, seed-filled Mardi Gras beads developed by LSU students to Mexico City's bold move toward bloodless bullfighting. Join in for a hopeful conversatio…
- Why Calling Your Friends Matters + A Win for Accessibility in France
In this episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup , Karissa and Arielle dive into two compelling stories: why picking up the phone to call your friends can strengthen relationships and improve mental well-being, and how France finally…
- Coping with Travel Anxiety and Thriving in Uncertainty: Science-Backed Solutions
In this episode of The Optimist Daily Weekly Roundup , Arielle and Karissa dive into some of the most anxiety-inducing headlines of the past week—from plane crashes to media overload—and explore how to manage travel anxiety when the news i…
- Mastering Eye Contact for Better Communication + Norway Bans Fur Farming
In this episode of The Optimist Daily's Weekly Round-up , Karissa and Arielle explore Norway's groundbreaking decision to ban fur farming, diving into how activism, consumer choices, and political action shape a more compassionate world. T…
- Naps & Net Worth: How Sleep Boosts Problem-Solving + Discussing Female Invest
In this episode of The Optimist Daily Weekly Roundup , Karissa and Arielle explore the surprising link between naps and enhanced problem-solving skills—because sometimes, sleeping on it really is the best strategy. Then, they dive into the…