Photo: Red Morley Hewitt/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: Amsterdam outlaws meat and fossil fuel advertising in public spaces; free prison calls are linked to lower costs and better outcomes for inmates across the US; and Brazil begins officially marking protected land for the uncontacted Kawahiva people.
Amsterdam has become the first capital city in the world to prohibit public advertising for meat products and fossil fuel-related industries. From 1st May, ads promoting burgers, petrol-powered vehicles, and airlines have disappeared from billboards, tram stops, and metro stations across the city.
Source: BBC News
More than 330,000 incarcerated people across the US now have access to free phone calls and other communication services, with advocates claiming the shift helps families stay connected, improves conditions and supports successful reentry after release.
Source: Stateline
Chile’s decision to extend maternity leave from 12 to 24 weeks led to higher rates of formal employment among mothers for up to three years after childbirth, a new study has found. Researchers reported no negative medium-term effects, arguing that longer leave policies can improve women’s connection to the workforce.
Source: Vox Dev
This year, New Mexico became the first US state to offer free child care to all families, regardless of income, using surplus oil and gas tax revenues to help fund the programme. The move comes as rising child-care costs place growing pressure on households, with many single parents spending as much on care as they do on housing.
Source: Governing
Housing shortages have begun to ease in most US states since 2020 as new apartment and home construction outpaced population growth, according to newly released census data. Increased supply has helped lower median rents and improve affordability for some homebuyers.
Source: Stateline
South Korea’s National Assembly has passed a bill letting libraries reject AI-generated publications from the national deposit system. The amendment targets rapidly produced “one-click” books created with generative AI, which officials say have been used to claim public compensation payments and strain library budgets.
Source: Seoul Economic Daily
New data suggest that increasing urban tree cover could reduce city temperatures and counter the heat island effect. Researchers found that trees can offset up to half of the extra heat generated in urban areas, while neighbourhoods with little canopy cover experience far higher temperatures than greener communities. Expanded tree planting could also improve biodiversity and mental health for residents.
Source: Grist
Cities across Chile are turning polluted landfill sites into restored wetlands via grassroots environmental projects. In places such as Valdivia and Concepción, these efforts are helping reduce flood risks, naturally filter rainwater and create new habitats for endangered wildlife within urban areas.
Source: BBC News
More than 25 years after the existence of one of the Amazon’s most vulnerable nomadic hunter-gatherer communities was confirmed, the Brazilian government has begun demarcating the Pardo River Kawahiva Indigenous territory. The zone of 410,000 hectares of territory is intended to defend the Amazonian community against farming, illegal mining and logging.
Source: The Guardian
Roma students in two Czech communities are now succeeding in mainstream schools after years of being placed in lower-quality education. Local reforms and political support have helped improve outcomes in places like Okraj, potentially providing a model for more inclusive schooling.
Source: TOL
