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features

VICE: What the Hell Is MAGACommunism?

A niche idea that’s spread online, “MAGACommunism” is the newest example of so-called “leftists” seeking inroads with Donald Trump’s fanbase. Does any of this make ideological sense? Or is it just another extreme grift?

MEL: Food Connects Uyghur Immigrants to the Families, and Atrocities, at Home

Uyghur Muslims are an ethnic minority in China. Now, amid a brutal government crackdown, immigrants in the U.S. are trapped on the outside. Food remains their strongest tie to home.

MEL: When Your Immigrant Parents Move Back Overseas, Where Is Home? (essay feature)

My parents came to America and left Korea behind because they wanted a better life for me. Now they’re done with the American experiment and want to return. Why am I so torn up about it?

Slate: What Ever Happened to Mescaline?

The cactus-based psychedelic was the drug of choice for millennia before it disappeared. Now, almost nothing can bring it back to mainstream relevance. Turns out, that’s just fine by Indigenous caretakers and amateur herbalists…

MEL: Hawaii Doesn’t Want You Anymore

An existential battle over Native Hawaiian land is raging on the Big Island. It’s not just a fight about a telescope, but the crown of a protest movement that is reconsidering Hawaiian sovereignty, liberty and happiness. 

MEL: As COVID Deaths Mount, Prison Wives Are Fighting to Free Them All

Women have long been frontline advocates for prison reform in modern American history, but an unprecedented pandemic has changed the stakes. These new activists face an uphill battle — but it’s one they want to fight.

SFGATE: Right-Wing Trolls Couldn’t Stop a Bay Area Drag Camp

Amid a national war on queerness, what does it mean for parents to support their kids in their exploration of gender and identity? Consider the stories at Camp YATC, where young people are discovering joy in performance.

MEL: Meet the 93-year-old DJ Who Connects Prisoners to Loved Ones, Live on Air

Art Laboe is a legend in radio. He helped integrate the airwaves by playing black and brown artists. He invented the concept of on-air dedications. And he’s still reading prison dedications on air.

The Guardian: The Uneasy Racial Truth About Being Homeless in America

The homeless population is disproportionately black. Twenty-five years after the L.A. Riots, we speak to experts and those who have lived on the streets, including Juan King — older brother of beaten motorist Rodney King.