Did you miss Obama’s media blitz this weekend? He was on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Univision, and was exceptionally on-message. In fact, it might be fun to open up all the videos and watch them simultaneously. You might be able to hear the same words in each video at the same time. In case you missed them, here are all the clips:CNNABCNBCCBSI apologize, but I could not find the Univision video (if you have a link, please post it in the comments). In fact, all of these videos were so exceptionally hard to find on these media outlet’s websites, I am amazed these companies even bother to have a web presence. If I interview the president yesterday, I’d make it pretty easy to find.Photo via AP
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Kenyan teens create award-winning, affordable car exhaust filters made with corn cobs and algae
Less air pollution for less money.
When Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki of Kenya turned 12 in 2021, he experienced incredible difficulty breathing. Doctors diagnosed him with bronchitis, explaining that his coughing and breathing issues were connected to the thick layers of exhaust fumes emitted by vehicles in the area. Five years later, the teenager teamed up with his classmate Miron Onsarigo to create an award-winning, inexpensive filter made with agricultural waste.
While air pollution is a global concern, it is particularly an issue in Kenya. A 2024 study found that Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, had 3.7 times higher levels of particulate air pollution than the World Health Organization’s guidelines. This doesn’t just contribute to illness like Kariuki’s bronchitis. Experts estimate that the country’s air pollution is responsible for 400 to 1,400 premature deaths in Nairobi each year.
The global environment issue was personal
Both teens were hardened in their resolve to tackle this air pollution problem largely caused by the matatus (shared minibuses) and boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) common in urban areas.
“The problem of air pollution was very personal to us, and that is why we started thinking about coming up with a solution,” Kariuki told Mongabay. “It was a passion before it became a project.”
“I did not choose this problem. It chose me,” Kariuki said to Daily Nation. “Growing up in Naivasha, my bronchitis got so bad that I stopped thinking of air pollution as an environmental issue and saw it as something being committed against us.”
“Seeing people get sick as a result of fumes from vehicles has become normal back home in Kisumu County. The ‘normal’ did not feel right to me. I wanted to do something about it,” added Onsarigo.
Using waste products to clean the air
With time, intelligence, and hard work, Kariuki and Onsarigo created the HewaSafi vehicle exhaust filter. The HewaSafi, which means “clean air” in Swahili, was made using locally sourced agricultural waste. The entire mechanism is made from steel mesh, copper, corn cobs, coconut shells, recycled batteries, and algae. All of these components help further filter out particles in the air straight from the exhaust pipe.
The results of the HewaSafi were impressive. The device reduced particulate matter in the air by 93.3%. The HewaSafi also reduced carbon monoxide by 42% and absorbed 21.4% of CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
Since the device was made using waste products, the HewaSafi manufacturing cost is around $126. By comparison, conventional filters of this sort typically cost around $390. So, not only is this filter effective, it’s cheap enough for more people to use.
A prize that leads to further opportunity
The ingenuity of these two 17-year-olds won them the 2026 Earth Prize for Africa. They received $12,500 for their regional win and global attention to the HewaSafi.
The teens hope to use the prize money and attention to further develop the HewaSafi. Using connections made through the Earth Prize, they aim to start a full line of emission control products. While they want to work with people with different budgets, their main target is to specifically cater HewaSafi filters toward public transportation vehicles.
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22-year-old gives out toothy smiles by providing free 3D-printed dentures to those in need
He could make dentures within a day.
Much like anything else, the cost of dental care has risen as need grows. A report from the American Dental Association found that, in 2024, dental spending grew by $7 billion from 2023. A young engineer is making a difference, though. He has helped put a smile back on the faces of folks in need by providing free dentures made with 3D printers.
Connor Gibson isn’t a dentist or even an expert on 3D printers. He’s a Tennessee community college student who wants to help people. While studying engineering at Walters State Community College, Gibson volunteered with Remote Area Medical (RAM). RAM is a nonprofit that provides mobile clinics offering free medical, vision, and dental care through volunteers.
An issue that bites
A common issue the clinics found was that many people needed dentures. The cost of dentures can be very pricey, ranging from $452 dollars to over $6,500 depending on the patient’s needs and their insurance coverage. Another issue was availability. Even if a patient could afford dentures, it could take weeks or even months before they could be delivered.
But Gibson had an idea. He thought that if he could 3D print pairs of dentures, it would save money and time. After all, having a 3D printer on-site would allow the dentures to be made within hours rather than weeks. A patient could get a free set of dentures the same day as their visit.
Great idea…but how?
There was a setback: Gibson had no experience in dentistry or 3D printing at all. In spite of his inexperience, Gibson used his engineering and design skills to teach himself how to use a 3D printer. He also got dental experts to teach him how to make dentures the old fashioned way. This way, he was sure to accurately recreate every detail via 3D printing. After taking an impression, Gibson was then able to design specific dentures per patient.
“Honestly, if you told me three years ago this is what I would be doing, I would have called you crazy,” Gibson said to CNN. “I made it my mission and studied up like I was doing a test, studying up on videos and documents — anything I could find on how to make a denture using this specific software and how to 3D print it.”
After Gibson successfully completed a pair of 3D-printed dentures for the first time, he knew it was something special. Seeing the tears of joy on the patient’s face was enough to confirm he was doing the right thing.
“That first delivery was really a huge eureka moment,” Gibson said. “To see that raw, human emotion and just know that I played a change in this person’s life… it’s very humbling, and I’m beyond blessed.”
Gibson has since been helping RAM develop more denture mobile clinics that can quickly develop dentures for patients who drop in.
How to find low-cost dental care near you
If you or someone you know needs low-cost to free dental care, there are options. In addition to Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, you can find local and state programs online. You can also dial 2-1-1 for information.
Another option dental schools and dental hygiene schools that provide supervised, low-cost care from their students.
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Why ‘Main Character Energy’ videos are making everyday life feel extraordinary
“I’m 100% doing this tomorrow.”
A rapidly growing trend on TikTok encourages people to see themselves as the protagonist of their own lives. In “main character energy” videos, creators turn ordinary moments into cinema. Clips of people walking to work, grabbing coffee, or reading a book sometimes attract thousands of views after specialized music and stylized cuts are added.
The social media posts might look like just another aesthetic trend. But the reason people keep returning and liking them seems less about style and more about how they turn a regular day into something special.
What is “main character energy” all about?
“Main character energy” is Internet slang for seeing yourself as the central figure of your own story. Not in an inflated sense, but more in a way that turns ordinary routines into something a little more intentional.
TikTok creators have embraced the trend, creating an easily recognizable video that encourages self-focus and a playful, story-driven way of seeing themselves. Entire feeds are now filled with “main character walks” and similar clips of daily activities where nothing remarkable happens, but the attitude suggests it matters.
Making the ordinary feel extraordinary
People seem to really respond to the trend. Comment sections are filled with thoughts about their own “main character” moments. The video just above, posted by @chelsbol received over 15,000 comments.
“Me every time I walk home from Trader Joe’s”
“my newest coping tool has been: *make it an imaginary situation, you are now playing pretend, cosplaying even*
“this is gonna flip my mindset so much thank you.”
“Im 100% doing this tomorrow”
“Be your starring role in your own movie everyday!”
“Making the best out of any situation”
People generally move through their lives from one obligation to another. Work, errands, commuting, cooking, cleaning, and endless scrolling can make days blend in a blur. In that repeated normalcy, a video that slows down and has a little theatrical fun can feel surprisingly refreshing.
Balancing fun against narcissism
However, these unique videos may point to deeper underlying concerns. In a Psychology Today article, psychotherapist Duygu Balan warns that what begins as self-discovery can turn into content made primarily for clicks and likes. There’s a toxic risk when personal growth becomes something curated for an audience.
The same videos that encourage people to romanticize their own lives can also invite comparison. Videos carefully crafted to elicit audience engagement rarely project reality. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that social comparison on social media can dramatically affect a person’s mental health. Viewers don’t always stop at appreciating someone else’s perspective. Sometimes they get lost in measuring their own lives against it.
Most successful “main character energy” creators focus on more ordinary moments than extraordinary ones. The appeal isn’t necessarily about having a better life. It’s more about finding a different way to approach the one you already have.
Whether people see the trend as a helpful mindset or just another social media trend, its popularity suggests viewers crave it. By framing routine differently, they invite the audience to craft a little more joy in the mundane of their own lives.
At their best, these videos aren’t about becoming the star of a movie. They propose finding meaning from the moments people often overlook. In a culture driven by productivity, infusing everyday life with a little lighthearted whimsy is a big reason people keep watching.
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Environment
Kenyan teens create award-winning, affordable car exhaust filters made with corn cobs and algae
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The drawer problem: Why so many of us can’t let go of our old electronics, and what we can do about it
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