Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

What It Looked Like When São Paulo Removed Over 300,000 Advertisements

Over 300,000 billboards and signs were torn down.

Tod Perry
By Tod PerryOct 29, 2015
Tod Perry
Tod Perry is a freelance writer from Long Beach, California.
See Full Bio

In the United States, advertising is so ubiquitous that when you’re not surrounded by billboards and video screens it almost feels creepy. Just imagine if an iconic U.S. intersection or thoroughfare such as Times Square, the Las Vegas Strip, or Hollywood Boulevard suddenly went ad-free. It would feel pretty empty, right?

Back in 2006, the São Paulo, Brazil, cityscape was so cluttered with advertisements, both legal and illegal, that the city was plagued by what the mayor called “visual pollution.” On New Year’s Day 2007, the Lei Cidade Limpa (Portuguese for “Clean City Law”) took effect in São Paulo, and 15,000 billboards and 300,000 storefront signs were taken down. Photographer Tony de Marco was there and took some amazing pictures of a city in transformation.

(H/T Tony de Marco)



cities

The Latest

catherine o'hara, john candy, eulogy, friendship, speeches
Culture

Catherine O'Hara's tear-jerking eulogy for John Candy was a master class in honoring a friend

child medical tests, fear, toy, tips, mri
Health

Hospital buys $20,000 toy to calm child patients. Doctors say it’s worth every penny.

President, Donald J. Trump, Trump, forest, national forest, Roadless Rule, roll back
Environment

Public united and adamantly opposes Trump’s plan to roll back the Roadless Rule

Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Disease, research, memory loss
Health

A new scientific study says this simple plan could reduce one-third of all Alzheimer's cases

More For You

free speech, first amendment, constitution, freedom of the press, movies

Here are 5 thought-provoking films that explore free speech.

Photo credit: Canva, Aflo Images from アフロ（Aflo) (left, cropped) / indahlestar29 | Indah Lestari (right, cropped)

For absolutely no reason, here are 5 thought-provoking films about free speech

We don’t need an excuse to write about free speech and the mass media—the First Amendment is always a worthwhile topic. There’s truly no particular reason we’d choose to do that in September 2025, on a lovely early-fall afternoon. Well, OK, I guess there is one natural jumping-off point: the still-simmering saga involving Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Disney, President Trump, the FCC, and displeased affiliate-station owners.

Following Kimmel’s (as of this writing) short-lived suspension following a controversial monologue joke, the concept of free speech has been top of mind for many Americans. (Just look at the Google Trends data—interest for the search term "first amendment" surged in mid-September.) It’s only natural to extend that curiosity over to your cinema or streaming platform, whether you’re looking for an intriguing documentary, harrowing biopic, or disturbing sci-fi dystopia. Here are five acclaimed films that feel especially worth watching any time—but also, maybe, especially, right now.

Keep ReadingShow less
social security, retirement, economy, money saving tips, america

There are some states where you can live entirely off of Social Security benefits.

Photo credit: Canva

A surprising new map shows the 10 states where people can live entirely on their Social Security

According to the Pew Research Center, 73.9 million people in the United States collect some form of Social Security benefit. By design, it has become a primary source of income for retirees in our country to help boost their accounts and pay for needs during their golden years. As the economy ebbs and flows, it can still be difficult for retired people to make ends meet even with Social Security benefits. However, a new map could help those folks find a place to live where their Social Security funds stretch further.

A new map created through data collected by Realtor.com has found ten states in the U.S. in which retirees could live comfortably off their Social Security benefits alone—provided their mortgage has been paid off. That is considered the most important factor. While other costs such as food, transportation, and health care are factors, the difference in those costs from state to state is minimal compared to the cost of shelter. If the cost of housing is lower, the more surplus Social Security money a person can have to use elsewhere.

Keep ReadingShow less
therapy, therapist advice, mental health, therapy lessons, anxiety

People say these small lessons from therapy felt like "bombshells."

Photo credit: Canva, Alex Green from Pexels

5 small 'bombshell' lessons learned in therapy that shifted people's perspectives

Therapy can be life-changing, but the "Eureka" moments aren’t always highlighted, underlined, and screaming at you, "This is important!" Sometimes there are seemingly minor pieces of wisdom or advice that sneak up on you, lingering past your sessions and ultimately helping reshape your thinking in a crucial way.

Clearly, combing through Internet forums is no replacement for speaking with an actual flesh-and-blood therapist, but it’s interesting to look around online and read about people’s experiences. Which brings us to one particularly intriguing thread on Reddit titled, "What’s a small bombshell your therapist dropped during a session that completely shifted your perspective?" There are thousands of responses, and a small handful seemed to really resonate.

Keep ReadingShow less
wedding, father-daughter dance, viral TikTok, chosen family, family dynamics, feel-good story, kindness, in-laws, emotional moment, marriage

A couple dances at their wedding

Canva

Her father refused to dance with her at her wedding. Her father-in-law's response was perfect.

For many brides, the father-daughter dance is one of the most anticipated moments of their wedding day—a cherished tradition symbolizing a lifetime of love and support. For bride Jess Anastasi (@jessanastasi_), that dream turned into a moment of acute pain, which was then transformed by an incredible act of love from an unexpected person.

In a now-viral TikTok video, Anastasi shared the emotional story. "I waited my whole life and was so excited to dance with my dad," she wrote. "Little did I know that my dad would refuse to dance with me. I was so heartbroken."

Keep ReadingShow less
preschool sweethearts, Amy Giberson, Justin Pounders, viral love story, dating app, meant to be, where are they now, St. Petersburg, PEOPLE magazine, serendipity

Two young children play outside

Canva

They met on a dating app. Their preschool class photo revealed an unbelievable secret.

Nearly a decade ago, the internet fell in love with a couple whose story felt like something straight out of a movie. Amy Giberson and Justin Pounders reconnected on a dating app as adults, only to discover their love story had actually begun 30 years earlier in a preschool classroom.

Their journey back to each other began when both found themselves single and living in their hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. When Pounders came across Giberson’s profile on a dating site, he felt an immediate pull. "I saw her photo and for whatever reason, was instantly drawn to her," he told PEOPLE. "I can’t explain it, but I knew I had to get to know this girl."

Keep ReadingShow less
body language, first impressions, communication skills, nonverbal cues, charisma, confidence, social skills, eye contact, likability, self-improvement

A happy woman celebrates with a fist pump

Canva

Five simple body language shifts that can make you instantly more likable

Before you ever say a word, you’re already communicating. The way you stand, the gestures you make, and the expression on your face tell a story, and people begin reading it within seconds of meeting you. Some research suggests judgments about trustworthiness are formed in as little as a tenth of a second.

While you can’t control how others perceive you, you can influence it by being more intentional with your body language. Adopting a few key habits can help you appear more confident, open, and instantly more charming. Here are five to focus on.

Keep ReadingShow less
mini retirement, sabbatical, time off, vacation, work break, career break, mental health, generations

Young couple on vacation.

Image via Canva - Photo by Rido

New trend has workers blowing their savings in favor of enjoying 'mini-retirements'

The markets consistently rise and fall like a roller coaster. One person's savings have them retiring like kings on a Monday, and then by Friday, the floor falls out. Suddenly, sandy beaches are replaced with hard work for an extra decade instead. The truth is, we can plan for the future, but there is no way to secure a perfect outcome.

Some bold individuals in every generation have decided to take dominion over what they actually can: the present. Why wait for the future when you can implement the best parts throughout your life, today? People are taking breaks from work by dipping into their funds for "mini retirements." It's not just one generation. It's all of them.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion, students, education, core values, evolution, creationism, conversation, science, faith

Creative interpretation of the evolution of man.

Image via Canva - Photo by Petrovich

These 5 conversation tools helped religious students embrace evolution

When it comes to the discussion of evolution versus faith, the battle lines can be fiercely defended. Finding common ground on a complex topic can be challenging. Things that people hold as core values are more than ideas; they're emotional. Learning how to have more effective and rewarding conversations with people who hold differing opinions is crucial to maintaining a healthy community.

A 2025 study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion aimed to understand why the Culturally Competent Instruction Model (CCIM) helps students think differently about the Bible. In essence, it's a learning model that effectively allowed students to keep their religious beliefs without having to choose between faith and science. The success suggests that specific conversation tools can be used to help people find common ground over complicated conversations.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025