(lively music) (icon clicking) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth," protestors across the country are speaking up for their communities.

We learn about sanctuary cities in this week's "Politics on Point."

We meet a group trying to put the women's decathlon in the Olympics, and a Mexican artist introduces us to Alebrijes.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(lively music) Protests were held in various cities across the country to object new immigration policies.

Hello, everybody, I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

From protests in Chicago and Washington, D.C.

to rallies in Indiana and Georgia, demonstrators are voicing concerns over how these measures are impacting families and neighborhoods.

A protest is an organized demonstration to express objection to an official policy or government action.

Chris Dudley has more on the conversations unfolding around immigration policy and community priorities.

- [Chris] Recent actions by federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement searches, also known as ICE, and discussions around National Guard deployments have sparked public demonstrations across the country.

Protestors gathered in Chicago last week.

Federal officials have signaled an increase in ICE activity in certain regions, prompting concern among local leaders and residents.

- There is the possibility that ICE will be on the ground.

Please protest.

Pull out your phone, video everything that they're doing.

- [Chris] In addition to immigration enforcement, federal officials have discussed deploying National Guard troops to assist with public safety in cities experiencing high crime rates.

Demonstrations also took place in Washington, D.C.

and Savannah, Georgia.

In Oswego, Illinois, Daniela Mendez joined others outside a border patrol station.

Her aunt was among those detained.

- It's something really personal to me because it is my aunt who's in there.

You know, my aunt, another loved one who's in there, and I know that they might be scared.

We have no idea.

- [Chris] Mendez and others are calling for transparency.

Some community leaders have expressed concern about the scale and impact of these operations, particularly on families and local economies.

- Thank you, Chris.

Last month, President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency due to crime statistics in our nation's capital.

The National Guard was deployed to monitor the streets of D.C.

The National Guard is a reserve military force that operates under both state and federal authority in the United States.

While the emergency declaration behind the federal takeover of D.C.

expired last week, hundreds of college students from across the city walked out to protest the National Guard patrolling the streets of D.C.

The demonstration sparked a range of reactions from students, some voicing strong opposition to the federal government's actions while others expressed support for the increased security.

Melissa Kim spoke with students from both sides of the debate to understand how young people are responding to the situation.

♪ Come here ♪ ♪ Say it loud, say it clear ♪ ♪ Immigrants are welcome here ♪ - You know, we absolutely are involved.

We're aware, we're not an ignorant generation of people.

We care about what is happening - [Melissa] All over the district, D.C.

's young people are using their voices.

♪ Free D.C.

♪ - [Melissa] Georgetown, Howard, George Washington, and American students with a message to President Trump.

- To let him know that this city doesn't stand with him.

GW doesn't stand with him.

The student body, the staff, we don't stand with him.

- A lot of what we've been feeling is just this discontent for these actions that the Trump administration has been taking.

- [Melissa] But not everyone feels this way.

- They like to say that their freedoms are being encroached upon.

I mean, I think that's just not right.

- [Melissa] Kieran Laffey represents college Republicans at GW and says he supports the National Guard presence in D.C.

- Students here on campus, since this move's been made by the federal government, they're feeling safer, they're feeling better.

- Thank you, Kim.

In Greenwood, Indiana, demonstrators gathered outside the office of US Representative Jefferson Shreve to voice concerns over a federal plan to house ICE detainees at Camp Atterbury.

The group is concerned about the appropriation of their tax dollars.

Appropriation refers to the process by which funds are set aside by a government or organization for a specific purpose.

Protestors are urging lawmakers to consider alternative uses for public funds, including addressing local housing needs.

Brandon Schaff has more on the protest and the perspectives from both the community and Representative Shreve.

- We wanna see that money used to address the housing crisis in our community, to address homelessness, to address the fact that people can't afford their rent.

- [Brandon] Protestors say affordable housing for Hoosiers should be the priority instead of housing detainees in Indiana.

In July, US officials announced Camp Atterbury would be used by ICE for undocumented immigrants.

On Sunday, protesters called on Congressman Shreve to speak up for their community since Camp Atterbury is in his district.

- We're at least here trying to spread a message of compassion, letting the people in Johnson County know what's happening.

- We wanna love everybody and we wanna embrace the inclusion of all people.

And so I wanna stand for that.

- [Brandon] In a statement regarding the protest, Shreve said, "I'm working in Congress to prioritize Hoosier workers ahead of undocumented immigrants.

I'm delivering on what the majority of my constituents tell me they want: a secure border, tax relief and a lower cost of living."

Meanwhile Mora, who works with detained immigrants as a paralegal, believes Hoosiers actually want people to be treated fairly and for families to remain together.

- We have to think about all Hoosiers, not just the Hoosiers that Representative Shreve wants to prioritize.

- Thank you, Brandon.

On this week's "Politics on Point," we're breaking down a term you've probably heard in headlines: sanctuary cities.

What are they, how do they work and why do they spark so much debate?

We'll also take a look at how the idea plays out here in Ohio where some counties, not cities, have adopted sanctuary policies.

Abbey Marshall dives into what it all means and why it matters.

- Hi, today on "Politics on Point," we're talking about sanctuary cities.

You might have heard the term on the news or read it somewhere online, but what is that exactly?

(lively music) A sanctuary city is a municipality that limits local enforcement of federal laws in order to protect undocumented immigrants living in that city.

Ohio doesn't have sanctuary cities per se, but we have sanctuary counties, Franklin County, Hamilton County, Lorain County, and Mahoning County.

First, what is immigration?

Immigration means moving from one country to live in another.

People come to the United States for all kinds of reasons, to work, go to school, be with family, or to find safety.

Some people go through official steps and paperwork.

Others might come without permission, usually because they're in danger or they need help fast.

These people are often called undocumented immigrants because they don't have all the legal documents the government usually asks for.

So what does a sanctuary city do?

A sanctuary city chooses to limit how much its local police help federal immigration agents.

That means the city's police don't go out of their way to find or arrest people just because they don't have immigration papers.

The goal?

To make sure that everyone, no matter where they're from, feels safe calling 911, reporting a crime or getting medical help.

People in the United States often have different ideas on how undocumented immigrants should be treated.

Some people support the idea of sanctuary cities because they say it helps build trust in the local police so no one hesitates to call 911 in case of emergencies.

And others might believe that cities should follow all federal immigration laws, no matter what.

It's a big debate and different cities and states have different rules.

So what's the takeaway?

A sanctuary city is a place that chooses to protect local community trust, even if that means doing less to help with immigration enforcement.

It's about how local and federal governments should work together and it's a big part of the ongoing conversation about immigration in the United States.

(screen whooshing) - Thank you, Abbey.

And special thanks to our intern Olivia Stein for doing a great job editing that video.

Let's talk about sports.

The annual Women's Decathlon World Championships are held at the SPIRE Academy down the road in Geneva, Ohio.

A decathlon is an athletic competition that combines 10 different track and field events.

Currently, the Summer Olympics features a men's decathlon but not a women's decathlon.

However, there is a women's heptathlon, which features seven events.

Ygal Kaufman goes deeper into what they do at the championship and discuss their main goal for the sport: to be featured in the 2032 Summer Olympics.

- [Ygal] SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio was host to an ambitious international competition in August.

(upbeat music) Lauren Kuntz started the Women's Decathlon World Championships.

- Despite competing in all of the individual events in track and field, women still to this day are not allowed to do the decathlon at the Olympic level.

We have been pushing for change for a long time, really trying to gain permission to be allowed to do a decathlon.

And I just reached a point where I was like, "Why am I continuing to ask permission?"

Let's just organize our own World Championship.

Who is gonna stop me?

Because it is crazy, right?

It's 2025.

Why can women not do this?

And it really just comes from the history of the sport.

So if you go back even to the '20s when women were first starting to be allowed in the Olympics in track and field, the 800s is a great example of this.

The women raced in 800.

If you've ever run it, it is a painful event, right?

You're all out sprinting for two laps around the track.

You cross the finish line and you're like on the ground because you gave everything you had.

And media there captured this and the narrative they told was, "This event is dangerous for women.

They're gonna hurt themselves.

We can't let them do this."

So women were actually then barred from doing the 800 from the '20s all the way through the '60s.

And it's kind of a similar story in a lot of the individual events, right?

Like women weren't pole vaulting in the Olympics until 2000.

- [Ygal] Madison Luthy trains and competes in decathlon and was on the track team at Cleveland State University.

- I was a pole vaulter in high school, but I didn't do that much.

I was only did it for like a couple years.

So I really had to learn a lot about pole vault this year.

But my dad is actually my coach and he was a decathlete in college too.

He went to Case and he was a two-time national champ in the decathlon.

(Madison chuckling) So I have a pretty good coach.

- First time.

- Yeah, I ran like a 13 point.

(feet pounding) (people cheering) - [Ygal] Adeline Audigier is a French decathlete who competed at the championships.

- I've done several decathlon in France, like, hmm, five maybe because since two years, we are push for the movement of women's decathlon a lot and it's working very well in France thanks to the French Federation.

And we are doing it by ourself.

That means athletes.

We are creating our own association to develop it, find some sponsor and create more competition.

And so in France, it's a real success.

And this year we have created 10 events of women's decathlon in France, plus national championships.

Now we are here because the aim, the objective is to extend the movement to international.

- And it's really all about showing that women can do the decathlon.

These women are incredible athletes.

They have incredible stories and that it's high time the powers in world athletics recognize that and let us in the actual Olympic Games.

The steps along the way are keep having this event every single year, both to grow a pipeline of athletes, as well as make a statement, as well as really starting to push all of the individual athletes here at their home countries they're from push their federation at the national level to create a national championship.

I think if we can do that over the next four years, we're gonna be successful and you'll see women in the Olympic Games in 2032.

- Thank you, Ygal.

And that brings us to our poll for the week.

Should the women's decathlon be in the Olympics?

Run over to our poll page to vote.

You can choose between yes, women should compete in the decathlon in the Olympics, or no men, can compete in the decathlon and women in the heptathlon.

I think this is a good time to show the results of our last poll.

On the last episode, we learned that the Earth is tilted as it goes around the sun, and that's what creates seasons.

So we wanted to know what is your favorite season.

Coming in hot with 35% of the votes, we have summer.

In second place with 31% of the votes, fall.

About 25% of you said your favorite season is winter and another 9% voted for spring.

Thank you all for voting.

I like fall, but I'm more of a warm weather guy, so I would definitely vote for summer.

Okay, let's get back on track.

A special road race took place in Minnesota over the summer.

It was the inaugural Unified 5K race that gives runners of all abilities the chance to compete.

Among them, runners Mark Hulsey and Moses Cooper.

Moses has cerebral palsy and thanks to their adaptive wheelchair, Mark and Moses are now starting their running season very strong.

Marielle Mohs has their story.

- [Mark] It's my favorite way of running, so there's nothing better than this.

- [Marielle] A special duo started one of many road races together.

Mark Hulsey and Moses Cooper have a bond that runs deep.

- We have a just a wonderful time together and I check on him, make sure he's good and he just inspires the heck out of me to run hard.

- [Marielle] Sunday morning was the first annual Unified 5K in Minnesota, a race series that's going around the country to bring together athletes of all abilities.

For Mark and Moses, this race day was special because they were gifted a customized running chair for Moses, who has cerebral palsy, to use.

- It's very generous.

This is a fantastic racing chair and we really just wanna make sure that, you know, Mo feels good in it and I think it worked out pretty good.

Yeah?

- Yes.

- [Marielle] Moses' chair costs about $5,000, but Hoyt Running Chairs and race organizers AdaptX gave it to him for free.

- This personally means a lot to me, so I run as a duo as well up in Massachusetts with Team Hoyt.

So the Hoyt Running Chairs is what helped us make the donation.

- [Marielle] These races will continue to fundraise the money to give more athletes the equipment they need to compete.

- It shows people that there can be a lot more meaning behind the miles that you run.

- [Marielle] Hoyt also customized Moses' chair to look like the Flash from DC Comics.

- Well, we're all about Flash and that's where he gets his energy from, right?

And then you pass it on to me.

- Yeah.

- [Marielle] Using this running chair, Mark and Moses plan to accomplish big goals.

- We're gonna try a Boston qualifying race at Grandma's Marathon.

- [Marielle] Mark hopes more competitors stop looking at running as an individual sport and instead compete as a team.

- The moment you get to go out there and work with adaptive athletes and bring this opportunity to them, the rewards are... You can't even put words to it.

It's just so spectacular.

- Thank you, Marielle.

Now that summer is nearly over, we can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th through October 15th.

It's a celebration for people in the United States with Hispanic background.

(screen whooshing) Hispanic countries are those with people who speak Spanish, including Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and most of South America.

The first day of Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15th because that is when Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua celebrate their independence.

Mexico's Independence Day is September 16th and it wraps up after Columbus Day or Dia de la Raza, Day of the Races, on October 12th.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, our sketchbook this week is about alebrijes.

Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures that depict fantastical creatures, often combining features from various animals.

We now meet Miguel Linares Mendoza.

Miguel is the youngest son of the legendary Mexican folk artist Pedro Linares.

Together with his wife and granddaughter, Miguel shares his process for creating cartoneria, the traditional Mexican craft of papier-mache sculpture.

Natalia Garcia takes us inside the studios.

(graphic whooshing) (pen scratching) - [Natalia] Alebrijes have been a big part of Mexican folk art for almost 100 years.

They are brightly colored sculptures that depict fantastical creatures, often combining features from various animals.

They originated in Mexico City and are traditionally made from papier-mache, wood or clay.

Mexican artisan Miguel Linares Mendoza in a way inherited the craftsmanship of alebrijes.

His father, Pedro Linares, created the first alebrije in 1936.

Miguel recently visited Cleveland thanks to a nonprofit called SHED Projects.

They invited him, along with his wife Paula Garcia and their granddaughter Italibi to give a demonstration on cartoneria.

Cartoneria is a traditional Mexican art form of papier-mache.

A variety of materials can be used in cartoneria but the main ingredients are, you guessed, paper and glue.

(Paula speaking in Spanish) - [Natalia] This is the glue we use to make the figures, which is simply wheat flour.

It has to be cooked very well to get it just right, so it's neither too thick nor too thin, it's to be able to handle it.

(Miguel speaking in Spanish) Cartoneria is very broad.

We can make masks, pinatas, calaveritas.

(Miguel speaking in Spanish) And the most important of them all is the alebrijes.

(Miguel speaking in Spanish) Why?

Because it's the most complicated, the most difficult, and it is what you have to put the most thought into, and they have the skill to make the figure because it's an alebrije.

Alebrijes are often described as spirit animals.

Their imaginative design have no limit and can include elements like horns, wings, and scales, making each piece unique and personal.

(Paula speaking in Spanish) Each one is different.

None of them come out the same.

It's very interesting to see that sometimes.

(Paula speaking in Spanish) The alebrijes are not made from mold.

They're made like this.

It's a sculpture made from nothing.

The story of alebrijes started as a fever dream, literally.

Miguel's father, Pedro Linares, got the idea due to dreams he was having when he fell ill.

(Miguel speaking in Spanish) In that period that he saw strange figures.

For example, he saw a donkey with wings or a fish with a lion's tail or things like that.

He began to hear a word.

- Alebrije, alebrije, alebrije.

- [Natalia] Each sculpture starts with an idea of a new fantastical creature, and much like art itself, alebrijes are forever evolving.

(Miguel speaking in Spanish) Every figure I made, I said to myself, "This one is missing something."

Then in the next one I wanted to make, I was thinking about that.

For example, I really like making fish, fish with butterfly wings or with bird wings.

Alebrijes represent creativity, individuality, and cultural fusion, blending indigenous traditions with modern art expression.

They are more than just art, they are a celebration of imagination and heritage.

(screen whooshing) - Muchas gracias, Natalia, which means thank you very much, Natalia.

For our "Write to Us" this week, we'd love for all of you to create your very own alebrije.

Students can send us their drawings and descriptions of their alebrijes using our inbox form online or by sending us an email to newsdepth@ideastream.org.

I cannot wait to see what you all create.

Maybe I'll share my own alebrije next episode too.

On our last episode, we visited a school in Kansas that started a new tradition after they punted on football for the season, and we wanted to know how do you celebrate your school?

Let's share some of your school pride by opening up our inbox.

(screen whooshing) (icon clicking) Miss Burns' sixth grade class at East Intermediate in Grafton said, "To show our school spirit, our school sells school-specific spirit wear.

Many students play Midview sports and attend Midview high school games.

Some games focus in on bringing in your younger students like us.

There is Middie Cheer Night, Family Night, The Pink Out, Minion Night, Youth Night, White Out, Black Out, Hawaiian, and other fun themes.

We love supporting our fellow middies."

That is some great school spirit.

Thanks for sending that in.

Theo from Wilson Hill Elementary in Worthington shared some fun traditions.

"A school tradition we have is every year on the last day of school, the fifth graders get to have a cookout with burgers and chips to celebrate them going to middle school.

I am very excited."

I'm excited for you too.

Thank you, Theo.

Joanne from Mulberry Elementary in Milford told us about a great fall tradition.

"My school's pride is very special.

Every year the kids at our school and in our district go into the parking lot and sit on the sidewalk.

Then about a few seconds later, the high school's senior band kids, cheerleaders, football players and more come out of the bus.

The band kids perform a few songs, the cheerleaders do some dances, and then at the end, you get to ask questions to the football players."

I love a great football season tradition.

Thanks, Joanne.

Olivia from Chagrin Falls Intermediate School in Chagrin Falls sent in a great end-of-the-year tradition.

"Every year at the end of the year, we do Field Day.

Field Day is the most fun day of the year.

We do Duck, Duck, Splash where you get soaked if you're the goose.

Rock, paper, scissors tournament where you jump through some hoops and try to get to the other side, and a lot more.

It's a ton of fun."

That sounds like a ton of fun.

Where do I sign up?

Thank you, Olivia.

Hailey and Ameela from Waynesfield-Goshen in Waynesfield said, "We celebrate our school every Friday.

Our band comes through and we wear blue and gold.

We wear blue and gold to represent our school colors.

We also have a cheer team that represents all of our football teams.

In conclusion, we celebrate more than one thing at our school at one time."

That sounds great.

Thank you, Hailey and Ameela.

Thank you all for writing.

Okay, I think we've given News Hound enough time to find an animal story.

Let's see what he's got for us in this week's petting zoo.

(lively music) (News Hound barking) Hey, News Hound.

Looks like you're enjoying a nice breakfast.

How yummy.

Oh, cool, you found a story about an amputee dog and her amputee owner.

Looks like they have a special bond.

An amputee is a person or animal who has had an arm or leg removed.

Check out the full story on our website and YouTube channel.

(screen whooshing) Thanks as always, News Hound.

Well, I've got another animal story for you.

Our A+ award of the week goes to the junior volunteers at the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter.

This summer, a small group of 10 junior volunteers participated in a six-week journey that's part summer camp, part animal care, and all heart.

From the very first week, they embraced the shelter safety rules and learned how to read dog body language, skills that not only keep everyone safe, but also help build trust with the animals.

Phoebe mastered how to approach dogs gently, understand signs of fear or happiness.

Phoebe has volunteered for seven years.

That's amazing.

One of their favorite activities?

Food Week.

They dove into creating enrichment meals for the dogs, using ingredients like chicken, pumpkin, and dry food.

The team who won the Food Challenge that week got the honor of naming sibling poodles Amy and Bolt who were adopted by separate families soon after.

Scarlett took a great picture with Tugboat on picture day.

She did a great job handling his leash and was so excited to get the chance to have one-on-one time with the dog.

And on adoption day, the junior volunteers were able to create a promotional video about Whirlwind.

Their videos also helped one of the residents who had been there the longest, Sirius, get adopted after 149 days in the shelter.

What makes the junior volunteers truly special is their growth.

They've built lasting relationships with the animals, like noticing how a once shy dog named Harley became more confident and joyful over time.

For their kindness, leadership, and love for animals, the junior volunteers for the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter received this week's A+ award and News Hound's special paw of approval for helping countless pets find their forever homes this summer.

We're running out of time for this episode of "NewsDepth" but before I let you go, let me tell you how you can stay in touch with us because we always love hearing from you.

You can write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org.

Plus you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit Subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

See you next week.

(screen whooshing) (lively music) - [Narrator] NewsDepth is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(lively music continues)