At 10 p.m. on June 27, 1980, Jose Artiga received word that El Salvador’s death squads were hunting him. The then-23-year-old engineering student had been involved in political protests — and for that, he and his friends had a target on their backs. “They had already found the other four and cut them into pieces,” recalls Artiga, who had been a supporter of left-wing groups as the Salvadoran civil war broke out. The young man dropped everything, said goodbye to his home and by 5 p.m. the next day had arrived across the border in Guatemala. But he faced persecution there, too, and finding a place to call home in Mexico, his next stop, proved nearly as difficult. So he continued to the U.S., first landing in Austin, Texas, before settling in California in 1982. It was there that Artiga would end up in one of the world’s first sanctuary cities. Jose Artiga speaking with a bishop in California in 1987. Courtesy of Jose Artiga In 1971, Berkeley, California, declared itself a “refuge city” for conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War. Then in the 1980s, following the lead of local churches, the city extended the remit of sanctuary in response to the exodus of thousands of refugees like Artiga fleeing violence across Central America. Ronald Reagan’s administration refused to recognize Salvadoran refugees and thus considered them illegal migrants. But Berkeley’s resolution, refusing to criminalize those seeking a better life in the face of suffering, stated that no employee should “violate the established sanctuaries by … engaging in or assisting with arrests for alleged violation of immigration laws by the refugees in the sanctuaries … or by refusing established public services.” Cities such as San Francisco and Santa Fe, New Mexico, soon followed with declarations or binding ordinances — and the policy eventually spread to hundreds of jurisdictions. “It was the birth of the Sanctuary City movement,” says Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, a professor of political science at San Diego State University, referring to Berkeley’s case. Weighed down by negative news? Our smart, bright, weekly newsletter is the uplift you’ve been looking for. [contact-form-7] Today, amid mass, often violent immigration raids led by the Trump administration, sanctuary cities have come into the spotlight as a tool to protect the human rights of undocumented people, recognizing the often fundamental social and economic roles that they play in local communities. “In the U.S., the system for immigration has been broken for decades,” adds O’Brien. “We have long depended on immigrant labor, particularly from Mexico but also labor from Central America. That labor has helped to build the country today. But often immigrants are treated as scapegoats, as disposable and removable.” But sanctuary cities, at a time when national migration agendas are increasingly demanding the intervention of municipal authorities, are providing communities with a way to resist and to protect their immigrant neighbors — while simultaneously putting local priorities and needs ahead of polarizing partisan politics. Berkeley was one of the first sanctuary cities in the world. Credit: Daniel Ramirez / Flickr So what exactly is a sanctuary city? Though cities have implemented different kinds of sanctuary approaches, they largely center on two major policies: to not inquire into the immigration status of residents when they use municipal services and to limit local cooperation with, or participation in, federal immigration enforcement. And the data shows this decades-old approach helps reduce deportations of otherwise law-abiding, non-violent immigrants. A 2020 study, which analyzed ICE deportation data and FBI crime data, found that between 2010 and 2015 sanctuary policies reduced deportations of people with no criminal convictions by half. “It’s not members of MS-13 [the Los Angeles criminal gang], or drug dealers, it’s people working at local stores that are being dragged down [by hardline deportation policies],” says O’Brien. At the same time, studies suggest that sanctuary city policies have not led to spikes in crime as some critics might suggest. A 2017 study of U.S. cities from 2000 through 2014, both before and after the implementation of sanctuary policies, found no link between implementation and an increase in crime rates. “We found no relationship between sanctuary cities and crime,” says O’Brien, who was a co-author of the analysis. “In fact, the opposite: In some cases, they had lower levels of crime.” A separate analysis by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center found that sanctuary jurisdictions on average had higher median household income, less poverty, higher employment-to-population ratios and lower unemployment rates. Supporters argue that these core humanitarian protections bring a number of wider benefits. David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, a Washington D.C.-based thinktank, says that sanctuary means undocumented migrants are more likely to report crimes — on average immigrants already report crimes more than U.S.-born people — and that local police can focus on their job of enforcing state and local laws.  “It’s in the interest of the state government to have you show up, not to be deported for a minor crime,” he explains. “The job of local police is to enforce state and local laws against violent and property crimes, not civil violations that have no victim.” Meanwhile, evidence shows that immigrants — documented and undocumented — make a huge contribution to the U.S. economy. Research by the Cato Institute published in March found that over the last 30 years immigrants have reduced federal, state and local government budget deficits by a combined $14.5 trillion, including $1.7 trillion from undocumented immigrants. “Removing immigrants is a big punch to budgets and the economy,” says Bier. “It’s not something that cities are rationally interested in. It’s going to be a huge problem, a death spiral of lost tax revenue, businesses will close.” Yet Bier says it’s important to note that the data on the effectiveness of sanctuary cities during the Trump administration is currently limited. They are facing more hostility than ever — in August the Department of Justice threatened to sue 35 “sanctuary jurisdictions” — and that could have an impact on their efficacy. “The empirical evidence is largely on the side of sanctuary city policies,” he says. “But it’s very different now to what it was in the past. ICE doesn’t really care who they are picking up, which makes it difficult to assess what the impact is.” O’Brien, who last year published a study of 379 municipal sanctuary policies, also warned that much research “treats sanctuary cities the same,” even though in reality, limits on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement can vary a lot. But to protect themselves from outside inference, cities are increasingly codifying their sanctuary policies into municipal law, as Berkeley did last year. “The City of Berkeley’s commitment to protecting immigrants is consistent with our community values and spans more than four decades,” said Mayor Adena Ishii in an emailed statement. “We want people to feel safe reporting crimes to the police, without fear of deportation. People should feel comfortable leaving their homes and going to work, school, grocery stores, or government buildings for services and information.” Other cities have also been moving their resolutions to ordinances — making them part of the city code and therefore legally enforceable. And there have been efforts in other countries, by cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, to introduce similar policies. But their effectiveness, says O’Brien, depends a lot on the national context. “In the U.S., because of the federal system, cities, counties and states have a lot more power to resist than you would get in a province in Canada,” he explains. Meanwhile, Artiga, who has since founded the humanitarian nonprofit Share El Salvador, argues that sanctuary city policies can only do so much and that the U.S. has a responsibility to improve conditions in home countries. “The flow of immigrants to the Global North is the result of policies by the U.S. government,” he says.  Bier also argues that authorities could pull on other levers to improve the reception of migrants, such as better highlighting their economic contribution through tracking tax payments, and making it easier for them to obtain documentation such as driver’s licenses and therefore contribute. He then criticized the “tepid” response from some cities, failing to sue federal authorities for unconstitutional behavior and prosecute for police killings. 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 Berkeley is one of the exceptions in launching lawsuits against the Trump administration for threatening to cut funding for sanctuary cities. “We have received threats from the federal government due to our Sanctuary City status,” said Mayor Ishii. “We made it very clear that we would not be bullied into abandoning our values and our community.” For Artiga, immigrants bring immense cultural, societal and indeed gastronomic value to the U.S., far beyond any financial indicators. “We need to embrace the immigrant,” he says. “With immigrants you can learn how to cook chicken 1,000 different ways with the same ingredients. The Chinese, Mexicans, French, Italians. It’s beautiful. They have made this country what it is today.” The post Do Sanctuary Cities Work? appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In many cities, entering a park is a deliberate act. You adjust your route, find a gate, and cross from public pavement into a space that operates by its own rules, even if those rules are minimal. Hanoi is dismantling that dynamic. Across four major parks, including Cầu Giấy, Bách Thảo, Thống Nhất, and Indira Gandhi, the city has been removing the iron fences that long marked their edges. The gates are gone. The boundaries now blend into surrounding streets and sidewalks. You can enter from any direction, at any time, as part of a commute rather than a detour. “Before, we had to walk far to get in through the main gate,” said Hoàng Thị Hiền, a resident of Thanh Xuân Ward. “Now I can enter the park from anywhere. It feels open and natural, like it’s part of my neighbourhood.” The shift is aligned with Hanoi’s longer-range urban planning goals and reflects a rethink of what public space is supposed to do. What open access actually changes At Thống Nhất Park, one of the earliest sites in the program, more than two kilometres (about 1.2 miles) of fencing has been removed, connecting the park to the street grid around it. The effect on foot traffic was immediate. “Now people can enter and exit from many directions, making access much more convenient and significantly increasing usage,” said Nguyễn Tiến Quang, vice chairman of Hai Bà Trưng Ward. “The park is no longer just a place to visit. It has become directly integrated into residents’ daily lives.” That shift shows in who turns up and when. Early mornings and late afternoons now draw a broader cross-section of residents than the parks ever saw before, from elderly exercise groups to young families, with international visitors and students adding new layers of activity. At Bách Thảo Park, the change has attracted a younger crowd. “We are seeing more young visitors coming to take photos, picnic and children playing in areas newly connected to sidewalks,” said Nguyễn Thị Lành, head of the park’s maintenance team, noting that the simultaneous removal of entrance fees made the change more accessible across income levels. The psychology of a fence Architect Phạm Anh Tuấn of Hà Nội University of Civil Engineering draws a distinction worth sitting with: physical access and felt access are not the same thing. “Even before the fences were removed, access to parks was not particularly difficult,” he said. “However, in terms of spatial organization, removing the fences has created a much more open environment. More importantly, it brings a sense of closeness. Parks become a natural part of daily life.” A fence, even an unlocked one, sends a message about separation. It marks the park as a space that operates on different terms, and entering it requires intention. Without that boundary, the park reads differently. At Indira Gandhi Park, that change in reading is reshaping perception of the surrounding area. “When the fences were removed, the park fully integrated with surrounding sidewalks and streets,” said Nguyễn Anh Dũng, vice chairman of Giảng Võ Ward. “The open views help reduce the sense of congestion from surrounding concrete blocks, creating a softer transition between urban spaces.” Urban planners observe that green space is particularly effective at easing visual density in built environments. Without a fence framing it as a distinct object, a park becomes woven into the city’s fabric rather than set against it. Openness brings new management demands The transition is not frictionless. Higher foot traffic has introduced challenges around illegal parking and unauthorized vendors at some locations. “In the past, management was concentrated at entry gates. With open parks, control must now extend across the entire space,” said Quang, whose ward responded by increasing patrols and reorganizing activity zones within the park. Tuấn sees community ownership as the more durable answer over time. “Organizing cultural and artistic activities suited to each space will attract more people. When they participate, they not only use the space but also own it in a spiritual sense, which helps raise awareness of preservation,” he said. The underlying logic is that people who feel ownership over a place tend to look after it. Whether that holds across Hanoi’s parks in the long run remains to be seen. What the early results show is that removing a barrier achieved something that urban planning often struggles to accomplish: it made people feel that a public space was genuinely theirs.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post What Hanoi learned by tearing down its park fences and opening up to everyone first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM With Mother’s Day just behind us, conversations about everything that mothers give are top of mind. However, the biology of pregnancy has something more to say: the exchange runs in both directions, and some of it lasts a lifetime. There is a phenomenon in pregnancy that sounds more like science fiction than medicine. During gestation, some of a baby’s DNA can cross the placenta, enter the mother’s bloodstream, and settle into her organs, including her kidneys, liver, heart, and brain. Those cells can stay there for decades. In a literal, measurable sense, a mother carries her child inside her long after birth. This phenomenon, called fetal-maternal microchimerism, is still an active area of study, but early findings suggest these cells may be protective. They have been linked to possible defense against certain cancers, faster wound healing, and potential neurological benefits. “They may be protective in terms of Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Shazia Malik, a consultant OB-GYN. “They could be stem cells and help the mother repair sites of injury, or they might have an impact on the immune system. It’s an emerging field, but it’s quite fascinating. In a sense, when you become a mother, you carry your child with you for years.” Microchimerism is one of seven documented ways pregnancy leaves lasting marks on the body. Not all of them are as poetic. Some are structural. Some are early warning signals worth knowing about. Dr. Malik’s approach to all of them is consistent. “I like to tell my patients that you see every change as a true badge of honor that you did this,” she said. The structural shifts Among the most commonly overlooked physical changes is one that surprises women long after delivery: shoe size. The hormone relaxin, which loosens joints and ligaments throughout the body to help it adapt to a growing baby, also affects the feet. “Relaxin is a hormone responsible for influencing and loosening the joints and ligaments in the feet, which can cause changes in shoe sizes,” said Dr. Sherry Ross, an OB-GYN and co-founder of the women’s health podcast Pair-a-Docs. “Swelling of the feet and weight gain, especially in the third trimester, also contribute to a change in shoe size.” For some women, the feet return to their previous size after delivery. For others, the change is permanent. Some women also find their hands grow slightly larger during pregnancy and stay that way. The mechanism behind this isn’t fully understood. It is, as Malik put it, “one of the great mysteries of life.” Relaxin also loosens the ligaments supporting weight-bearing joints more broadly. Combined with a shifting center of gravity and added body weight, this can produce lasting changes in posture and spinal curvature, along with chronic back pain, hip pain, and stiffness in the knees and pelvis. The abdominal muscles can be permanently affected, too. During pregnancy, the two vertical muscles running down the front of the abdomen must stretch to accommodate a growing baby. In some women, these muscles stretch further than typical, and the resulting gap never fully closes, a condition called diastasis recti that can cause ongoing pain and backache. “It’s really important that you see a physiotherapist, maybe do some Pilates and really strengthen your abs post-delivery,” Malik said. Pelvic floor weakening is another lasting change that often goes undiscussed until it becomes a problem. The pelvic floor supports the uterus, bladder, and bowel, and pregnancy can significantly weaken it, even after a single vaginal birth. “Loss of urine with coughing, sneezing, or laughing is common even after having one vaginal birth,” Ross noted. Pelvic organ prolapse, where weakened muscles allow organs to drop and create pressure or leakage, affects a significant number of women postpartum. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help manage these changes; for some, ongoing management becomes part of everyday life. What pregnancy predicts about future health One of the less-discussed aspects of pregnancy is what it reveals about a woman’s long-term health. Complications like gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, preterm labor, or delivering an unusually small baby can indicate elevated cardiovascular risk in the decades ahead. “Pregnancy is the first ‘stress test’ on a woman’s body,” said Ross. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, affecting one in four. Pregnancy-related complications can bring that risk to light early, potentially years or decades before problems would otherwise surface. “Most pregnant women are surprised to learn that pregnancy can shine a light on future illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, or autoimmune conditions worsening after pregnancy,” Ross said. Knowing those risk factors exist and being able to monitor and manage them sooner is a meaningful advantage. The trade-offs in breast health Breastfeeding’s long-term effects on health are more complex than the cultural conversation usually captures. On the protective side, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of ovarian cancer, with each additional child lowering the risk further. The relationship with breast cancer is more nuanced: while pregnancy slightly raises the risk of certain aggressive breast cancers, breastfeeding may partially offset that. The physical changes to breast tissue are real and lasting. Breasts can grow two to three times their pre-pregnancy size during pregnancy and continue growing while nursing. After weaning, the glandular tissue developed for milk production is lost, and fatty tissue composition shifts. “This can ultimately lead to smaller, less dense, and less firm breasts,” Ross explained. For many women, breast size doesn’t return to where it was before pregnancy. None of this makes the changes unwelcome. It makes them worth understanding, on their own terms, rather than through the lens of a culture that treats postpartum bodies as problems to be reversed.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post What OB-GYNs want every mother to know about how pregnancy changes you first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Saved by the Bell star Tiffani Thiessen celebrated Mother’s Day with a photo of her children, and she and her daughter are absolute twins. The ’90s starlet is a mother of two. She and her husband Brady Smith welcomed a daughter, Harper Renn Smith, in 2010 and a son, Holt Fisher Smith, in 2015. Her kids don’t make many cameos in her social media posts, but Mother’s Day was an exception for obvious reasons. To honor the two people who made her a mother, Tiffani shared a picture of herself with Harper and Holt. In it, the three pose in front of a treescape. Tiffani and Harper wear black tops with jeans and both have long, dark brown hair styled in loose waves. They also share a pop of color with bright berry-colored lipstick. Holt stands out against them with a shite and black striped tee-shirt and blonde hair. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiffani Thiessen (@tiffanithiessen) “My most cherished role…. being their mother,” she wrote in the caption. “Happy Mother’s Day to all who nurture, mentor, and love.” Tiffani Thiessen’s Fans Wish Her a Happy Mother’s Day Fans loved seeing a glimpse of Tiffani’s family, and they couldn’t get over how much both her children look like her. But seeing Harper at 15, the same age as Tiffani when in the first episode of Saved by the Bell was a hit of nostalgia because she looks just like a modern-day Kelly Kapowski. “Your daughter looks just like you,” someone commented. “And you still look like you’re 30 .” “Happy Mother’s Day!!! Harper and Holt are truly the luckiest kids! They are your minis as well!” shared another fan. “Happy Mother’s Day! Your daughter is your twin!!” someone commented. This story’s featured image is by Leon Bennett/Variety via Getty Images.

Wise people often advise us to put our dreams into action. It’s a nice thought, and possible, if, say, your dream is to buy a new blender. But how practical is it when our dreams involve enormous mansions in foreign countries? Sometimes it just takes a little imagination, gumption, cooperation, and a dash of magic, which is exactly what just over 300 women happened to have when they pooled together to buy Château de Béduer and later, L’Abbaye-Château in the French countryside. They dreamt big and turned a little “what if” into an incredible reality. @camp.chateau This is the true story of Camp Château, a summer camp founded by women, for women. #summercamp #castle #france ♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer It all began when Leah Lykins, her mother Philippa Girling, and Girling’s friend Lynda Coleman stumbled upon a French property online. What if, somehow, they could fix it up? The three began turning the wheels to make it happen. In a piece for Marie Claire, writer Kathryn Madden shares, ” Their vision was to create a place where women and people who identify as women could just be.” On a TikTok posted to their Camp Chateau page, we see stunning photos of a French castle and videos of women drinking wine in luscious vineyards. The chyron reads, “POV: You bought a medieval chateau with your best friend, eldest daughter and 300 other women. And now you’ve created space for women to gather and embrace, celebrate and lift one another up. Freely. Joyfully. Wholeheartedly.” The clip explains what the camp embodies. “Camp Chateau is not just a picturesque summer camp located in France. It is a testament to female empowerment and community. Founded by women for women, Camp Chateau celebrates the essence of what summer camp can offer – friendship, adventure, and personal growth in a supportive environment.” View this post on Instagram The Instagram site Nurtle (@therealnurtle) added some context, sharing, “More than 300 women pooled around $2.3 million to buy a 1,000-year-old château in southern France, creating a women-only retreat known as Camp Château. The project was funded through a shared ownership model, where participants collectively contributed to the purchase and restoration.” As for what people get if they book a stay: “The château hosts six-day, all-inclusive stays where guests can shape their own experience, from organized activities like kayaking and workshops to simply spending time on the grounds. Camp Château has since expanded beyond a single property, with plans to host thousands of participants across multiple locations in the coming years.” The clip spawned many comments, some of which seem inspired to follow in their footsteps. “This sounds so magical and wonderful,” writes one Instagrammer. Some even offer their services: “Can I be your chef starting in September?” The Camp Château official website explains what’s in store at their different properties. Château de Béduer, they share, “has a storied past of remarkable women and is nearly 800 years old. It has 20 acres of stunning grounds and gardens for catching a quiet moment or playing outdoors.” On the premises of the 13th-century chateau, they also include a more modern 19th-century farmhouse. Their more recently acquired location, the L’Abbaye-Château de Camon, sits “atop one of France’s official plus beaux villages. This former Benedictine abbey-turned-château is steeped in nearly a thousand years of history.” View this post on Instagram Traveler Victoria Goyet shared with Business Insider that attending the camp at age 75 changed her life. “When I returned and told a friend about my experience, I said attending camp made me stop, re-center, and think about my life and what I want to do. I don’t know how many years I have left, but I’m closer to the end than the beginning. Camp made it clear to me that it’s important I start making time for things I want to do.” The post 300 women bought a French chateau for $7,700 each and made it an ‘adult summer camp’ for all women appeared first on Upworthy.