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In the city of Bethlehem, a team of mechanics is currently working around the clock to install a medical fridge, air diagnostic equipment, oxygen supply, and blast-proof windows into one of the most iconic vehicles in the world. The team is tasked with turning Pope Franciss old popemobile into a mobile health clinic for the children of Gazaand it could be operational as soon as next week. The project, called Vehicle of Hope, is spearheaded by the Catholic humanitarian organization Caritas, which runs more than 160 agencies across the world that work to provide aid in crisis zones. Caritas Jerusalem, which has advocated for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, currently operates 14 medical teams across the Gaza Strip, two of which are actively working in Gaza City. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas originally gifted the popemobile currently undergoing renovation to Pope Francis, who died in April, during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014. Francis later donated the car, a custom-designed Mitsubishi, to the Franciscan Order in Jerusalem. This allowed Caritas Jerusalem to convert it into a medical clinic. Now, amidst Israel’s resumed air and ground campaign in Gaza, Caritas is hoping that the symbolic vehicle will help humanitarian workers enter the Gaza Strip to treat children in need. [Photo: courtesy Caritas] Repurposing a long-standing tradition Since the beginning of automobiles, nearly every pope has used multiple cars for travel, including Pope Francis. Franciss characteristic popemobiles included several different Jeeps, an Isuzu, and a Kia Sedona, and were typically outfitted with a raised transparent barrier to protect the pontiff as he greeted onlookers. According to Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden, its become a tradition for local leaders to gift the Pope a special popemobile when he visits a new country. I guess hundreds of them by now, all over the world, Brune says. The idea for a popemobile clinic comes as, on March 17, Israel ended a two-month-long ceasefire and resumed airstrikes and ground attacks in Gaza. More than 48,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip so far, and only 48% of primary care facilities in the area are currently functional, according to a report from the World Health Organization in early March. It also follows Israel’s full blockade of humanitarian aid and other supplies into the Gaza Strip, which began March 2. The stoppage leaves communities there in desperate need of humanitarian supplies, food, and medical attention. Brune hopes that the symbolic popemobile clinic will be enough to convince authorities to allow the vehicle into Gaza. In an interview with The Washington Post, Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem, shared that Caritas Jerusalem plans to request permission for entrance from COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry unit that coordinates civil affairs in occupied territories (COGAT told The Post that approval would actually need to come from the government itself.) We are trying to use this powerful symbol to convince those who are in charge to let it in, and we hope that it will be allowed in, Brune says. It’s very important to make sure that the humanitarian community can do their job. [Photo: courtesy Caritas] Giving a papal symbol new purpose The idea to transform the popemobile into a clinic came from a conversation last year between Brune and Asfar during which they brainstormed new symbols that could represent this cause and bring more attention to the children in Gaza. Caritas Jerusalem has more than 100 staff working out of Gazaactually, several of them have been killed, Brune says. We are so desperate about bringing across this message that the civilians in Gaza, especially the children, are being so badly affected by this [conflict]. A few months ago, when it was colder, they were freezing to death; they were starving to death. They realized that the popemobile could be the perfect tool. The popemobile is a very powerful symbol, Brune says. So we said, Let’s upscale it. Let’s give it a new mission. That mission, Brune says, would be to turn the popemobile into a mobile medical clinic, staffed by doctors and nurses from Caritas Jerusalem, which could provide on-the-move assistance to those in need. Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, who is set to join the upcoming conclave, relayed the concept to the Pope late last year. Francis, who repeatedly advocated for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and spent the last month of his life calling a small chuch in Gaza every day, quickly gave his consent. We presented the idea to the late Pope Francis, and he approved the idea. That was amazing, Brune says. He said, Go for it. Gaza is very close to my heart, and if my popemobile can be used for this new and much more important mission, then go for it. [Photo: courtesy Caritas] Installing a decades worth of repairs, and then some When mechanics started work on the once-retired popemobile several weeks ago, they found several problems that you might expect from a car thats been out of use for over a decade: rust, a faulty engine, and a flat tire. When we found the car in Bethlehem, we looked into whether it was actually still in such a condition that you could make it function in its new role, Brune says. The mechanics said, Yes, its doable. Its in a bit of a bad shape, but its absolutely doable. The complicated process involves fitting the vehicle with equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatmentincluding rapid infection tests, suture kits, syringes and needles, and oxygen supply. A special air-conditioning system will be used to keep medicines at the right temperature, and mechanics will also install blast-proof windows to protect occupants. It’s not only beautiful, it’s also very practical, Brune says. It will be capable of serving kids, and it will be equipped with air-conditioning so that it can keep the medical equipment at the right temperature and then make it also a good environment for the child to feel safe and taken care of. Using design to create a practical solution, and an emotional connection While parts of the popemobile have to be changed in order to add medical equipment, Brune says one of the main goals of this project is actually to keep the bones and appearance of the car as similar to its original appearance as possible. Brune and his team made a specific point to keep the seat Pope Francis once used intact. One important symbolic piece is the seat where the Pope used to sit during when he was riding the popemobilethat’s where we will place the children who will be attended to by medical doctors and nurses, Brune says. We want to say, You are the most important, now you sit in the chair of the Pope. Initially, the Vehicle of Hope was scheduled to be completed in around three weeks from now. But Brune says mechanics are so invigorated by excitement around the concept that they’ve predicted it could be ready as soon as this coming Tuesday. In the future, Brune hopes that similar mobile clinics can be scaled and used in other areas facing crises. For now, though, his focus is on Gaza. The Vehicle of Hope is telling the children, There is a future for you. There is a time when the adults have agreed to stop fighting, stop bombing. And we want to give you this notion of hope, Brune says.
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E-Commerce
Remote work is going mobile. Starting today, the Florida-based high-speed rail service Brightline is launching a partnership with the shared workspace provider Industrious to turn parts of its stationsand even entire train carsinto coworking spaces. Industrious coworking spaces are now open in Brightline’s stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, as well as a bookable train car for business meetings or private events on the move. “If people can work from anywhere, then anywhere can be a workplace,” says Jamie Hodari, cofounder and CEO of Industrious. “I think that’s something that’s been underdeveloped.” [Photo: courtesy Brightline] Brightline sees the addition of formal workspaces as a way to build on its high-speed connections between cities across Florida, giving riders more ability to use its network for both leisure and business travelsometimes simultaneously. “It’s a solution for modern professionals where we’re enhancing productivity through mobility,” says Megan Del Prior, Brightline’s vice president of corporate partnerships. “A lot of folks are riding for business. With our long-haul offering going from Miami to Orlando people are traveling during the workday and still need to work within the station spaces as well as on the trains,” she says. The coworking spaces are built in underutilized conference and meeting rooms inside Brightline’s stations, according to Del Prior. The bookable train cars available through the partnership have no special features, but do include Wi-Fi and charging ports like all Brightline train cars. [Photo: courtesy Brightline] Hodari says the idea for the partnership grew from Industrious’s previous experience building out workspaces in unconventional locations. In 2018, the company partnered with the outdoor apparel brand L.L. Bean to create a pop-up outdoor coworking space in New York City’s Madison Square Park. “The whole thing sold out within five minutes,” Hodari says. “It was such a sign that people are really curious about trying working and being productive in unfamiliar or new settings.” [Photo: courtesy Brightline] According to Hodari, the addition of coworking spaces to train stations is a recognition that people are already doing work in these spaces, either taking calls while waiting for their train or working on projects once their train is in motion. The experience of working like this, though, can be less than ideal. “Oftentimes it can be this really unpleasant, highly unproductive thing,” he says. “And it can be kind of painful for the people around you, where you’re talking loudly and you’re in your earphones and you’re unwittingly a nuisance.” Having dedicated spaces for meetings or focused work will enable people to make more of their travel time, Hodari says, noting, “You don’t stop being productive or engaging with your colleagues or other people because you’re in movement.
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E-Commerce
If youve gone shopping for a home appliance sometime in the last 30 years, youve probably noticed a blue Energy Star label on certain water heaters, stoves, light bulbs, and even windows. The program, launched by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992, helps consumers identify energy-efficient products. But now the Trump administration is planning to shut it down. President Donald Trump has been attacking energy-efficiency measures since his return to office. In February, he said he would call on the EPA to revert to older efficiency standards for light bulbs, toilets, showers, and more. In his Unleashing American Energy order, Trump promised to safeguard the American peoples freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances, including but not limited to lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower heads. Experts say the Energy Star standards are meant to help the environment by reducing water and energy consumption; they also lower U.S. households energy bills. And though Trump has framed standards as limiting to consumer choice, the Energy Star program itself is voluntary, and doesnt narrow what manufacturers can produce. To earn the Energy Star label, products do have to meet certain efficiency standardsbut the program doesnt stop manufacturers from making items that are not considered energy efficient, or Americans from purchasing them. (Energy Star stopped recommending any gas stoves in 2022, for example, but gas stoves are still available in America.) Energy Star also points consumers toward tax credits to bring down the cost of efficient appliances. Energy Star certifies all sorts of items, from heating and cooling (including heat pumps, ceiling fans, air conditioners, and thermostats) to appliances (like washers and dryers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and cooking products), plus water heaters, lighting, windows, and personal electronics like computers and TVs. By certifying efficient appliances, Energy Star has helped American households and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs since its founding, per a 2023 report. With an annual budget of around $50 millionless than 1% of the EPAs spending, the Alliance to Save Energy notesEnergy Star saves Americans $40 billion on energy bills each year. Energy Star has also prevented about 4 billion metric tons of emissions from entering the atmosphereequivalent to taking more than 933 million gas cars off the road for one year. Trump considered dismantling Energy Star in his first term. His move to eliminate it now comes alongside plans to shutter the EPAs climate change division and climate protection partnership division, sources told CNN. Historically, Energy Star has had bipartisan support, and more than 1,000 companies, cities, and organizations have signed a letter to the EPA urging continued support for the program. Republican senators have even praised the program, The Washington Post notes, saying it helped customers reduce their energy bills. Energy efficiency in general has strong public and bipartisan support. A March 2025 survey by Consumer Reports found that 87% of Americans agree that new U.S. home appliances should need to achieve a minimum level of efficiency (that included 94% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans). Supporters of Energy Star add that axing the program goes against the Trump administrations promises to lower energy costs for Americans, as well as efforts by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to save taxpayer money. If you wanted to raise families energy bills, getting rid of the Energy Star label would be a pretty good way, Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, said in a statement. This would take away basic information from consumers who want to choose cost-saving products easily. Theres a reason this program has been so popular with consumers and manufacturers alike. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which represents a variety of appliance makers, said the industry is proud of its efficiency achievements, and that Energy Star is an example of a successful private-public partnership. “AHAM supports the continuation of a streamlined Energy Star program, which could be managed through the Department of Energy,” a spokesperson added. (Energy Star is currently a joint program of the EPA and DOE.) “Moving the program to DOE would meet the administrations goals of preserving a full selection of products from which consumers can choose, and also reducing unnecessary regulatory burden.”
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E-Commerce
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