For the homeless women who board the Panarosa bus on the streets of Caracas, their first point of contact might be Mariannys Quintero. Quintero, a nursing assistant, welcomes them to the bus, where they will receive gynecological care. She explains what they can expect and emphasizes that they are not alone. There’s hardly a better person for this role: She was in their place less than one year ago. Quintero was one of the almost eight million Venezuelans who left the country — but, after struggling in Colombia, she decided to return to Venezuela with her 10-year-old daughter while pregnant with twins. Back in Caracas, she couldn’t figure out her living situation and ended up on the streets. A doctor at a public health maternity hospital told her about the Panarosa, where she sought medical attention for her high-risk pregnancy. The staff supported her through the difficult time that followed: Quintero received necessary medical and psychological care both during the pregnancy and after she lost the babies. A social worker helped her find a place to live with her daughter — and start working for the organization. On Panarosa, a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics provides the same level of care available in a private health center. Courtesy of Fundación Santa en las Calles “He was like that walking stick, that support, at a moment when I was saying, wow, I’m never getting out of this, you know?” said Quintero. “There came a point where I felt — I imagine it’s the same thing those women feel, the ones who are mothers or who are pregnant, when we say we have no one to help us. But there’s always that person who offers you support, who listens to you, who understands you, who doesn’t judge you.” Aid on wheels The idea behind Panabus — a modified bus; “pana” is Venezuelan slang for friend — is that homeless people are nomadic, therefore services to help them should be, too. Panabus was launched in 2016 by the nonprofit Fundación Santa en las Calles as a mobile clinic offering complete care to the homeless population, including psychosocial interviews, hygiene kits, clean clothes, medical evaluations, basic dental care and treatments for common conditions like infections and colds. The social workers on staff scout the city for places where there might be a homeless encampment and, once they find one, they park the bus there for the day.  Since its launch, the program has carried out more than 6,000 care visits. Weighed down by negative news? Our smart, bright, weekly newsletter is the uplift you’ve been looking for. [contact-form-7] Then, in November of last year, the team realized that while the number of women in need of attention kept growing, Panabus was seeing mostly men. That’s how Panarosa came to life, Panabus’ sibling — “or its boyfriend, we haven’t decided yet what the relationship is,” jokes María Angélica ‘Maru’ Rodríguez. Rodríguez is the general manager of Santa en las Calles, which runs the two programs. The Panabus program has carried out more than 6,000 care visits. Courtesy of Fundación Santa en las Calles The programs work similarly, but for Panarosa, a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics provides the same level of care available in a private health center. That includes physical exams, Pap smears, family planning and ultrasounds when needed. Alejandra Ceballos, the program’s medical coordinator, explains that currently they have three staff doctors, plus the specialist who joins the Panarosa route. Panabus can treat seven patients a day, while Panarosa has a capacity of five. “We return to the same areas as many times as necessary until we’ve reached 100 percent of the people there,” says Rodríguez. During Panarosa’s first route, the team was cautiously optimistic: Gynecological care carries a lot of taboos for women. Rodríguez explains that they told themselves they should be proud of their work, even if they only treated one woman, because they were doing it, and that “little by little, we’ll build on it.” The idea for Panarosa arose when Panabus staff realized they were seeing mostly men. Courtesy of Fundación Santa en las Calles But the experience banished their doubts: They saw five women during that first day and, so far, they have treated 77. The patient number is limited mostly due to the water tank reserves the bus can hold, but Ceballos adds that it also allows for better care. “You can have a real doctor-patient relationship with each person, connect with their story, and in some ways help them even more than you would in a hospital. Because in the hospital, the patient load is very high and time is very limited.” Beyond the bus Now working for Santa en las Calles, Quintero is the most visible case of reintegration success, but far from the only one. If, during the psychological evaluation, a patient expresses a desire to stop living on the streets, and the organization has the right tools to help, the team begins its reintegration program. Panarosa is sometimes able to help entire families. Courtesy of Fundación Santa en las Calles For both Panabus and Panarosa, this includes restoring the individual’s health, family bonds and sense of identity. But Rodríguez explains that in Panarosa it is more common to see complete family units. “In those cases, the reintegration program activates for the entire family, not just the mother, but the children, too. We also add school enrollment and academic catch-up for the children.” According to Rodríguez, the effective reintegration rate sits between two and three percent. While that figure may seem small, it is considered high-impact given that each individual represents the rescue of an entire family. For Panabus, the number of people successfully reintegrated so far is 200. When asked about the future, Rodríguez says that they will continue working on their main goal: restoring the dignity of people living on the street. “It’s extremely important to us that every single visit we provide meets that standard and represents the best care these people could possibly have access to.” But she also adds the bigger goal of continuing to work to destigmatize people experiencing homelessness, while “raising awareness among civil society that everyone can do their small part and make a difference in the life of someone living on the street or in a situation of vulnerability in our country.” Wait, you're not a member yet? Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Cancel anytime Ceballos is full of gratitude for how Santa en las Calles has changed her life — and career. “I must give thanks for what I have been given,” she says. “My dream was to become a doctor — it was something I asked God for — and I think that, in some way, being part of the foundation allows me to be an instrument for helping all these people.” The post The Bus That Brings Reproductive Care to Homeless Women appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Faye Dunaway joined a group of Hollywood heavyweights in Los Angeles from April 30 to May 3 for the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival. Photographers on the red carpet snapped photos of Glen Close, Lesley Ann Warren, Laura Dern, and Faye Dunaway. The 85-year-old Oscar winner shared her trademark smile and grace at her first public appearance in more than two years. Seeing the Network star made many people nostalgic for the good old days of the silver screen. faye dunaway and tcm’s ben mankiewicz discussing the power of film and making so many classic movies #tcmff pic.twitter.com/zHabUdhzk7— ⟡michelle⟡ (@classiccinemich) May 4, 2026 Faye Dunaway Spoke About Her Career at the Festival Faye Dunaway fans listened as she spoke about her legendary career and winning her Academy Award. Many took to X to share sweet memories of Faye and their favorites from her expansive body of work. “what an honor to see faye dunaway talk about her oscar winning role in network (1976) before the #tcmff closing night screening in IMAX!” A fan shared. Others found themselves feeling quite a bit older when they saw Faye. “I was thrilled when Oscar winner Faye Dunaway agreed to appear in our movie The Case for Christ. But when I told a young woman the news, she said, ‘Who’s she?’ I couldn’t believe it!” Another person wrote. Seeing both Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway made this person remember their younger years. “My brain used to mix up Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway way back when. It crossed my mind, so I thought I’d take a look, see if I was right to mix them up. Well, they do look a bit alike, Jane’s probably sexier though. I’ve talked about my brain like it’s someone else, whatever, that’s how I’m feeling right now anyway, it’s not important,” they admitted. We could only hope to look and feel as good as Faye Dunaway does at nearly 90. She’s a true treasure. This story’s featured image is by Screen Archives/Getty Images.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For most of its history, women’s football has played in spaces that weren’t built for it: men’s training grounds, borrowed pitches, stadiums designed for crowds three times the size. Brighton and Hove Albion is changing that. The club has announced plans to build a 10,000-capacity stadium on a site adjacent to its Premier League ground, designed from the start around the needs of its women’s team, its players, and its fans. The stadium, estimated to cost between £75 and £80 million (approximately $95 to $100 million), is planned to open for the 2030-31 season at a site called Bennett’s Field, connected to the Amex Stadium via a bridge walkway. It will include changing rooms, medical and recovery spaces built to elite female athlete standards, breastfeeding rooms, baby-changing areas, and buggy parks, all designed around the audience actually attending WSL matches. Why 10,000 seats is the point Brighton’s average WSL attendance this season is just over 3,000. The Amex Stadium, which the club is currently expanding to a capacity of 33,000, was never a realistic permanent home for the women’s side. “Around 10,000 is a really good capacity for what I think will be the demand for when we bring women’s football home to Brighton,” said club owner Tony Bloom. “The Amex is the most magnificent stadium. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well for women’s football because it will become a 33,000 capacity when we finish.” The idea that smaller can be better runs against how stadium ambitions are usually framed in professional sport. But Brighton CEO Paul Barber made the case directly: “Putting top-class football matches on at stadiums that are too big can be detrimental, because it can give a sense to the crowd that’s there that not everyone cares as much as they do. If you have the right sized stadium which is full, noisy and atmospheric, then everyone feels it’s a major event they want to be at.” If demand eventually outpaces the new ground, the Amex sits next door. The club has left that door open. A different direction from the rest of the WSL Ten of the 12 Women’s Super League clubs are affiliated with Premier League sides, and the broad trend has been to move into the men’s team’s stadium as it expands. Chelsea Women made Stamford Bridge their permanent home this month. Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Leicester City have done the same. Brighton is going the other way. The Bennett’s Field ground will be the first purpose-built stadium in the top flight of women’s football in England, and the first anywhere in Europe. There are only two comparable examples anywhere in the world: Kansas City Current CPKC Stadium in the United States, which opened two seasons ago in the National Women’s Soccer League, and a stadium under construction for the new US franchise, Denver Summit, planned to open in 2028. “It is a project that is the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and one of only three in the world,” said Zoe Johnson, the club’s managing director of women’s and girls’ football. “The prospect of a bespoke stadium, built exclusively for women’s players, staff and supporters, is incredibly exciting.” What it signals for the club and the game Brighton manager Dario Vidosic framed the stadium as a statement about competing seriously at the highest level. “To have a stadium designed specifically for the women’s team is a significant moment for the game,” he said. “It shows real intent and it tells players across the world that we are serious about high performance and long term success.” The club’s investment in women’s football has been growing for several years. In 2021, the women’s team moved into the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre following an £8.5 million (approximately $10.8 million) investment in training facilities, including a gym, medical centre, recovery rooms, and swimming pools. The new stadium is the next phase of that commitment, one that Bloom confirmed will be funded without outside investment. Planning work is underway now. Brighton’s women’s team currently plays most of its WSL matches at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, about 20 miles from the city, a temporary situation that has held since the club lacked a suitable home ground. The Bennett’s Field stadium would end that arrangement and give the team a permanent base designed around what it actually needs.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Brighton is building Europe’s first stadium designed entirely for women’s football first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A study presented at the 2026 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting found that among nearly 147,000 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, GLP-1 use was associated with higher rates of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and gout. The finding attracted a lot of attention, but the fine print matters here. The study had not yet been peer reviewed. It was observational, meaning it identified a correlation between GLP-1 use and these conditions, not a causal link. It did not account for factors known to affect bone health, including exercise habits, nutrition, endocrine conditions, alcohol use, or family history. It also assumed that everyone listed as being prescribed a GLP-1 in their medical records was actually taking it, which is often not the case, given cost and supply barriers. “While well-conducted observational studies can reveal a potential relationship between a medication and a clinical outcome, they cannot determine whether a medication directly causes that clinical outcome,” said Dr. Marci Laudenslager, an obesity medicine physician with The Johns Hopkins Healthful Eating, Activity and Weight Program. Exercise physiologist Kelyssa Hall of Hospital for Special Surgery added that the study “highlights the need for more research on these topics.” Why weight loss, not the drug, is the likely driver There is no sound scientific evidence, as of now, that GLP-1s directly cause bone loss. What the research does support is that significant, rapid weight loss, regardless of how it happens, can reduce bone density over time. Bones respond to the load placed on them: when the skeleton carries more weight, bone formation increases. When weight drops quickly, that load decreases, and bone density can follow. “When you take GLP-1s, there can be rapid weight loss which means there is less load being carried around on the skeleton,” Hall said. “Bone formation or strengthening is improved with load to the skeletal system, so losing weight decreases the regular load on the bones overall.” This applies equally to any method of major weight loss. Dr. Laudenslager noted that weight loss through lifestyle change, medications, or surgery all affect bone metabolism in similar ways. Changes seen in people taking GLP-1s appear to be “driven primarily by magnitude of weight loss rather than a direct, negative consequence of the medications themselves.” What actually helps For people currently taking GLP-1s, or weighing the option, several practical steps support bone health throughout the process. Focus on strength Strength training is the most evidence-backed approach. Resistance exercise has been shown to improve bone density and help guard against the muscle loss that often accompanies rapid weight loss. “Retaining muscle mass is important for strength and stability,” Hall said. Starting with two to three sessions per week, with at least a day of recovery between each, gives the body time to adapt without overdoing it. Don’t skimp on protein Protein intake plays a direct role in building and maintaining bone mass. The standard dietary recommendation for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (approximately 0.36 grams per pound). Dr. Laudenslager suggests slightly higher amounts for older adults and postmenopausal women, who carry a greater risk of bone loss, and less for people with kidney disease. Protein should form part of a balanced diet rather than displace other nutrients; fiber, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals all remain important. Slow and steady weight loss Aiming for gradual weight loss also reduces stress on bone metabolism. A general target is losing five to ten percent of total body weight over roughly six months, which works out to around 0.5 to 2 pounds per week, depending on starting weight. If a GLP-1 is producing faster loss, a prescribing doctor can review and adjust dosing accordingly. Eat enough It is also worth making sure overall calorie intake is sufficient. The appetite suppression that GLP-1s can cause sometimes leads people to eat far too little. “Hunger is an essential hormonal cue we all need in order to sustain health,” Dr. Laudenslager said. A registered dietitian can help calibrate intake to what the body actually needs. Bone loss is not an overnight process. “This means there are a wealth of opportunities throughout a person’s weight loss journey to prevent and treat bone loss early on if it’s detected through surveillance,” Dr. Laudenslager said. Anyone with bone health concerns while on a GLP-1 should raise them with their doctor. For this kind of nuanced management, Dr. Laudenslager recommends seeking out a board-certified obesity medicine physician; both the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the Obesity Action Coalition maintain directories for finding one.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post What doctors want you to know about GLP-1s and bone loss first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Montreal-based 9th-grader Aviana Machnes didn’t only come up with an award-winning science fair idea, she created a device that could save the lives of dementia patients. It all started with a pot left out on the stove.  As reported by Global News, Machnes’ grandmother, who has early-onset dementia, had forgotten to take a pot off the hot stove, subsequently leaving it there overnight. Finding no solutions to this problem, Machnes decided to tackle it herself.  Using current sensors and motion detectors, Machnes created a device dubbed the Forget-Me-Not that will automatically set off an alarm if no one is around for an extended period of time.  This not only earned Machnes a top placement at her regional science fair (beating out older students) but it’s now something she hopes to patent (along with a phone app) that would be implemented into long-term care homes.  The invention is something that Jesse Clair, one of Machnes’ science teachers, calls a great example of how, even in a school environment, students can “get their hands dirty” to “work on actual real-world problems.”  A growing need for everyday safety solutions Machnes’ device taps into a very real and increasing need. Dementia affects millions of people worldwide, and one of the most pressing concerns for families and caregivers is safety in the home when individuals are left without supervision. Everyday tasks like cooking can become dangerous when memory lapses occur. Devices like the Forget-Me-Not aim to bridge that gap, offering a layer of protection without taking away independence. Other innovations are addressing similar concerns. Smart stove shut-off systems, for example, can automatically turn off burners if no movement is detected nearby. Wearable GPS trackers help caregivers locate loved ones who may wander. Some companies have even developed simplified communication tablets designed specifically for those with cognitive decline, allowing users to connect with family through easy-to-navigate interfaces. Breakthroughs in dementia research Beyond assistive devices, scientific research is making unprecedented progress in understanding and treating dementia. In recent years, new medications and lifestyle changes have been developed that may slow cognitive decline in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, these changes may even prevent it entirely. View this post on Instagram Similarly, advancements in brain imaging have improved early detection, giving patients and families more time to plan and seek treatment. There is also growing interest in personalized care approaches, which tailor therapies to an individual’s specific condition and history.  When science fair ideas change lives Science fairs have long been the starting point for inventions just like Machnes’ that later found real-world applications. One well-known example is a student-designed early warning system for heart attacks that used simple sensors to detect irregular patterns. Another young inventor created a low-cost water purification system that has since been adapted for use in communities lacking clean drinking water. These projects often begin with a personal experience, much like Machnes’ story. A problem at home or in the community becomes the catalyst for experimentation. With guidance from teachers and access to basic tools, students can transform these creative ideas into tangible solutions. It really is a team effort.  The post A pot left on the stove overnight led to an award-winning science fair project and life-saving device appeared first on Upworthy.