Latest news with #Thao
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Heavily Pregnant Mom Captures Bump, Not Knowing Soon Her Baby Will Be Gone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A woman's once-joyful video of her surprise pregnancy belly has become a painful reminder of tragedy in a post online. An Instagram reel showing Wendy Thao cradling her pregnant belly now carries a heartbreaking truth: the baby she was expecting would soon be lost to stillbirth. Thao is now sharing her story of profound loss and the journey of navigating grief while embracing new life online. She spoke about this with Newsweek, explaining how she manages the expectations of motherhood while going through the impossible. "She doesn't know it yet, but her seemingly healthy surprise pregnancy will end in a stillbirth at 33 weeks," Thao captioned her video. "If you're new here and don't know Delilah's story, she was born sleeping at 33 weeks due to a sudden, unexpected placental abruption. I felt her kick at noon, and by 5:00 p.m., she was gone. "There were no signs, no reasons—just an unbearable silence where life should've been. She was perfect in every way, just too perfect for this world." Photos from Wendy Thao's Instagram reel which show her pregnant with her late baby, Delilah. Photos from Wendy Thao's Instagram reel which show her pregnant with her late baby, Delilah. @ourlovinghive/Instagram Thao told Newsweek that everything halted the moment she learned of her daughter, Delilah's, passing. "It felt like the world stopped," she said. "I remember sitting in the ultrasound room, holding my breath, watching the technician's face change...I knew something was wrong before anyone said a word. When they finally told me there was no heartbeat, it felt like I left my body. Like I was watching someone else's life fall apart." The experience of delivering Delilah was profoundly painful. She remembered going to the hospital to deliver a baby she knew was already gone. "The silence in the delivery room was deafening," she said. "No cries, just silence. Holding her in my arms was both the most beautiful and the most painful moment of my life. She was perfect. And yet, I knew I'd never get to watch her grow." 'Eleanor Saved Me' It wasn't the first time Thao had lost a child—before Delilah, she had had a miscarriage. But Thao now has another child, Eleanor, leaving her to navigate immense love and grief at once. "As I hold my sweet Eleanor sleeping on my chest, I can't help but think of the babies I've lost," she wrote in her caption. "Never in a million years did I imagine I'd lose two." Navigating grief while caring for Eleanor has been a delicate balance. "There were days I felt completely shattered, like a part of me was missing," Thao said. "But in many ways, Eleanor saved me. She taught me that it's okay to grieve and still feel joy and days, staying present meant simply holding her close and breathing through the tears. Other days, it meant laughing with her and allowing myself to feel joy without guilt." For others experiencing similar loss, she offered advice. "Let yourself feel it all. There is no 'right' way to grieve, and no timeline for healing," she said. "Lean into your support system, even when it's hard to ask for help. Say their name. Talk about your baby. They existed. They mattered. And they always will. "There were so many moments when I felt completely alone in my grief, like no one could possibly understand the ache of loving someone you never got to bring home. If sharing Delilah's story helps even one person feel less isolated in that darkness, then her life continues to have meaning in this world."
San Francisco Chronicle
07-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland is moving aggressively to clear homeless encampments, including one of the city's largest
Oakland officials are clearing some of the city's most challenging homeless encampments, flush with an infusion of state funds and new homeless housing to offer displaced residents. The city has long struggled to address sprawling, chaotic camps, including what was once the state's largest, because of a shortage of homeless shelters and affordable housing. Oakland also faced uncertainty, as other cities did, over how to legally clear encampments before a key court ruling last year. The city last month removed camps around Lake Merritt, as well as a growing encampment at Mosswood Park. Next week, the city will begin dismantling another one of the city's largest encampments, on East 12th Street, located just east of the BART tracks between Fruitvale and the underground tunnel leading to the Lake Merritt station. The closure of the encampments comes less than a year after the city launched a more aggressive approach to addressing homelessness. Less than two months before former Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled, she issued an executive order directing police, fire and city workers to enforce existing city policy to clear homeless encampments. While Thao's critics said her move was a political stunt to fight the recall, her order came just three months after the Grants Pass ruling from the Supreme Court that gave cities the power to sweep encampments without offering services. The city logged 63 encampment closures in February, the most recent month for complete data, marking the highest of any month in the last four years. The proliferation of camps throughout Oakland has long been a concern for residents. A city survey released in March determined that residents' top priorities were homelessness, safety and cleanliness, in no particular order. Oakland's homeless population, which accounts for more than half of the total across Alameda County, grew 9% from 2022 to 2024 to reach an estimated total of about 5,490 unhoused people. Oakland has a significantly higher rate of unhoused people compared with San Francisco. Thao's order, which remains in effect, still requires the city to offer people shelter and services before closing down an encampment, but it doesn't force residents to accept the offer. The city doesn't have enough beds to meet the demand. Oakland has about 1,300 beds for unhoused people across shelters, RV parking sites, tiny cabins and other housing sites but it has 3,337 unsheltered homeless residents and about 1,400 encampments. There are more resources on the way. Oakland officials announced last month that the city had purchased the Extended Stay America hotel in North Oakland, using $7 million in state funding, $25 million in grant money from the state's social services department, and $4.6 million in city money, to rehouse residents from three encampments. The hotel will provide temporary housing with wraparound services for up to 150 people before the site gets converted to permanent supportive housing, according to the city. Still, homeless advocates have criticized what they view as Oakland's aggressive response to encampments — as well as condemning San Francisco and other cities across the Bay Area for sweeps. 'Since the Grants Pass Supreme Court ruling, cities including Oakland have been emboldened to increase sweeps, often with no accessible shelter being offered,' said Talya Husbands-Hankin, a homeless advocate in Oakland. 'Community members living in trailers and RVs are rarely offered any assistance and the few 'safe parking' programs are almost always full.' Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, who is expected to take office later this month, has not said whether she will continue the current encampment sweeps and did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. During the campaign, she said that she wants to test a guaranteed income pilot for unhoused residents, work with the Veterans Administration to get homeless veterans off the street and hire unhoused people to clean the streets. Lee also released a 10-point plan for her first 100 days in office that pushes for the city to get its fair share of money from Alameda County to tackle homelessness. Lee is referring to a voter-appointed homelessness funding measure, but it's unclear how much help Oakland might get from that money, which is controlled by the county. Still, that funding could help address encampments like Mosswood Park, which officials closed in April, by adding shelter, housing and social services. Over the last four years, Mosswood Park was Oakland's most visited location for encampment sweeps. Residents complained about open drug use, hazardous waste, rats and other safety concerns. A fence now stands to block off a small area of the park where the tents and makeshift shelters once stood. City officials have added 'no re-encampment' signs around the park to deter unhoused people from returning, and they're instructing neighbors to call 311 if they see any tents pop back up. Of the 41 people that Oakland officials called 'core' residents of Mosswood Park, 32 moved into the Extended Stay Americaafter the site was cleared late last month, according to city spokesperson Sean Maher. Even bigger than Mosswood is the encampment on East 12th Street, which spans at least four city blocks and is home to just under 100 people, according to city estimates. The site has more than a dozen makeshift pallet shelters, RVs and vehicles with other living quarters made of tarps, wood and other discarded items. The site, which has angered some neighbors who say the city needs to do more to clean it up, is also a hot spot for illegal dumping and is littered with massive piles of trash. LeAndre Redd moved to the massive site recently after the city closed the encampment where he was living nearly a mile away. 'They took my stuff and destroyed my home,' Redd said. 'It's tough because all my stuff was gone.' In 2022, the city attempted to close the East 12th Street encampment, but Maher said that 'outside parties created an unsafe work environment' and efforts stalled. As part of this month's closure, city officials said they're exploring the addition of new landscaping and parking restrictions to reduce the chances of re-encampment. Outreach workers have spent the past six months preparing encampment residents for the move. All 79 of the 'core residents' of the East 12th Street encampment will be offered temporary housing at the Extended Stay America site, officials said. But some encampment residents, including Hassan Shaghasi and Redd, said they were either never approached by the workers or told they were not identified as one of those 'core residents' who were prioritized for housing. Shaghasi said he has lived at the encampment for more than five years and is stressed about not knowing where he'll go after it's cleared. Harold Duffey, assistant city administrator, acknowledged at a recent public meeting that not all residents at the encampment were offered a spot at the interim housing site. Duffey said the city created a list of longer-term encampment residents who had priority for housing, and that more offers of housing will be forthcoming. Bartholomew Drawsand, 37, has been living at East 12th Street for nearly a decade after his struggles with drug addiction left him homeless. Drawsand said he'd move to the hotel if given the option, but no one from the city has offered him housing or shelter. Some residents are more hesitant about leaving. Raquel Zavala, 51, expressed concern that the hotel stays are temporary and said she has a community at East 12th Street. 'We have established ourselves just like you have your neighborhood,' Zavala said. 'There has to be more input from the people's lives they're affecting. The person who's never been homeless gets to decide, 'what are we going to do with the homeless people.' '
Washington Post
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Progressive icon and ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee wins race for mayor of struggling Oakland, California
SAN FRANCISCO — Progressive icon and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee declared victory Saturday as the new mayor of troubled Oakland, a San Francisco Bay Area city reeling from economic stagnation, crime and homelessness. Lee issued a statement Saturday as mayor-elect, saying that her chief opponent, Loren Taylor, had called to concede the April 15 race. 'While I believe strongly in respecting the democratic voting process and ballots will continue to be counted ... the results are clear that the people of Oakland have elected me as your next Mayor,' she said. 'Thank you, Oakland!' Lee, 78, is a Black female trailblazer who represented the city in Congress for over two decades before retiring last year after running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. 'Oakland is a deeply divided City,' she said, adding that she 'answered the call to run' so the community could work together to solve its problems. Lee was endorsed by former Gov. Jerry Brown and other previous Oakland mayors who said she was the seasoned, uniting presence the city needed after a divisive recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Thao was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges in January. Oakland has about 400,000 residents and is deeply liberal and multicultural, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and claimed by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her hometown. But Oakland also is reeling from homeless tents, public drug use, illegal sideshows, gun violence and brazen robberies that prompted In-N-Out Burger to close its first location ever last year. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent California Highway Patrol officers to help combat what he called an alarming and unacceptable rise in crime. And the city doesn't have enough money to pay for public services. Despite her high name recognition, the race was surprisingly heated with Taylor, 47, a former Oakland city council member who pledged to bolster police, reduce crime and revitalize the city's economy. Taylor said in a statement that 'while the outcome was not what we worked for and hoped for,' he was proud of the campaign and the bold ideas he introduced. On the campaign trail, Lee emphasized the need for more community services as well as more police. Economic development, job creation and ensuring core city services like fire hydrants work properly are among her priorities. She will finish out the remainder of Thao's term and would be up for reelection in November 2026. Lee was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 and became best known nationally as the only lawmaker to vote against the 2001 authorization for the use of military force in response to the Sept. 11 attacks .
NBC News
20-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Progressive icon and ex-Rep. Barbara Lee wins race for mayor of struggling Oakland, California
SAN FRANCISCO — Progressive icon and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee declared victory Saturday as the new mayor of troubled Oakland, a San Francisco Bay Area city reeling from economic stagnation, crime and homelessness. Lee issued a statement Saturday as mayor-elect, saying that her chief opponent, Loren Taylor, had called to concede the April 15 race. 'While I believe strongly in respecting the democratic voting process and ballots will continue to be counted ... the results are clear that the people of Oakland have elected me as your next Mayor,' she said. 'Thank you, Oakland!' Lee, 78, is a Black female trailblazer who represented the city in Congress for over two decades before retiring last year after running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. 'Oakland is a deeply divided City,' she said, adding that she 'answered the call to run' so the community could work together to solve its problems. Lee was endorsed by former Gov. Jerry Brown and other previous Oakland mayors who said she was the seasoned, uniting presence the city needed after a divisive recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Thao was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges in January. Oakland has about 400,000 residents and is deeply liberal and multicultural, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and claimed by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her hometown. But Oakland also is reeling from homeless tents, public drug use, illegal sideshows, gun violence and brazen robberies that prompted In-N-Out Burger to close its first location ever last year. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent California Highway Patrol officers to help combat what he called an alarming and unacceptable rise in crime. And the city doesn't have enough money to pay for public services. Despite her high name recognition, the race was surprisingly heated with Taylor, 47, a former Oakland city council member who pledged to bolster police, reduce crime and revitalize the city's economy. Taylor said in a statement that 'while the outcome was not what we worked for and hoped for,' he was proud of the campaign and the bold ideas he introduced. On the campaign trail, Lee emphasized the need for more community services as well as more police. Economic development, job creation and ensuring core city services like fire hydrants work properly are among her priorities. She will finish out the remainder of Thao's term and would be up for reelection in November 2026. Lee was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 and became best known nationally as the only lawmaker to vote against the 2001 authorization for the use of military force in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Progressive icon and ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee wins race for mayor of struggling Oakland, California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Progressive icon and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee declared victory Saturday as the new mayor of troubled Oakland, a San Francisco Bay Area city reeling from economic stagnation, crime and homelessness. Lee issued a statement Saturday as mayor-elect, saying that her chief opponent, Loren Taylor, had called to concede the April 15 race. 'While I believe strongly in respecting the democratic voting process and ballots will continue to be counted ... the results are clear that the people of Oakland have elected me as your next Mayor," she said. "Thank you, Oakland!" Lee, 78, is a Black female trailblazer who represented the city in Congress for over two decades before retiring last year after running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. 'Oakland is a deeply divided City,' she said, adding that she 'answered the call to run' so the community could work together to solve its problems. Lee was endorsed by former Gov. Jerry Brown and other previous Oakland mayors who said she was the seasoned, uniting presence the city needed after a divisive recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Thao was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges in January. Oakland has about 400,000 residents and is deeply liberal and multicultural, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and claimed by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her hometown. But Oakland also is reeling from homeless tents, public drug use, illegal sideshows, gun violence and brazen robberies that prompted In-N-Out Burger to close its first location ever last year. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent California Highway Patrol officers to help combat what he called an alarming and unacceptable rise in crime. And the city doesn't have enough money to pay for public services. Despite her high name recognition, the race was surprisingly heated with Taylor, 47, a former Oakland city council member who pledged to bolster police, reduce crime and revitalize the city's economy. Taylor said in a statement that 'while the outcome was not what we worked for and hoped for,' he was proud of the campaign and the bold ideas he introduced. On the campaign trail, Lee emphasized the need for more community services as well as more police. Economic development, job creation and ensuring core city services like fire hydrants work properly are among her priorities. She will finish out the remainder of Thao's term and would be up for reelection in November 2026. Lee was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 and became best known nationally as the only lawmaker to vote against the 2001 authorization for the use of military force in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
