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Selected Articles (written work)

Mott Haven Herald •

A champion for mental health in the South Bronx

About eight people gathered in a small studio on Canal Place in Mott Haven in February to share stories about a topic Bronx native Charles LaLoma doesn’t think gets talked about enough: mental health.

“I’m not too shy to say it, but I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder, since I was younger. I’m laughing ‘cause we don’t know we had depression when we were young. It was, ‘stay still,’” he said. “Stop that crying.”

Yet the 52-year-old, who describes himself as “26×2,” know
Texas Standard •

The long fight for adoptees to gain access to their original birth certificates in Texas

During Texas’ recent 88th legislative session, and a year after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, several bills were passed to support family preservation through strengthening programs for families with children in foster care, as well as helping those who are pregnant and low-income. Yet at the same time, a bill that would allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates – which could potentially help adoptees reunite with their birth families – was again stalled in the Senate. Texa
Texas Standard •

Why the writers’ and actors’ strikes are ‘unbelievably bad timing’ for the Texas film industry

On Aug. 3, roughly 100 writers and actors – and on this particular day, a large presence of stunt performers – marched outside the Netflix building in Manhattan, calling for fair contracts. Their chanting quieted down as Fran Drescher took the megaphone. “We are not going to back down. We are not going to be stepped on anymore for CEO greed and Wall Street greed at our expense, when they can’t do it without us,” said the actress and activist. “We are the foundation of the wheel. Nobody can own o
Everfest.com •

Art Basel Miami’s Most Important Exhibition Isn’t What You’d Think

Between the US election having happened recently, Native Americans fighting for their basic rights in North Dakota, and this year's epic Brexit vote, it seems as though we are more divided than ever. Enter Art Basel Miami, a four-day arts and culture festival featuring works from 29 countries with over 100 participating galleries, drawing around 70,000 participants from all over the globe each year. Although it’s 2016 and the world terrain is unpredictable, this year is no different for Art Base

Archive - Articles (written work)

Mott Haven Herald •

A champion for mental health in the South Bronx

About eight people gathered in a small studio on Canal Place in Mott Haven in February to share stories about a topic Bronx native Charles LaLoma doesn’t think gets talked about enough: mental health.

“I’m not too shy to say it, but I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder, since I was younger. I’m laughing ‘cause we don’t know we had depression when we were young. It was, ‘stay still,’” he said. “Stop that crying.”

Yet the 52-year-old, who describes himself as “26×2,” know
Texas Standard •

The long fight for adoptees to gain access to their original birth certificates in Texas

During Texas’ recent 88th legislative session, and a year after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, several bills were passed to support family preservation through strengthening programs for families with children in foster care, as well as helping those who are pregnant and low-income. Yet at the same time, a bill that would allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates – which could potentially help adoptees reunite with their birth families – was again stalled in the Senate. Texa
Texas Standard •

Why the writers’ and actors’ strikes are ‘unbelievably bad timing’ for the Texas film industry

On Aug. 3, roughly 100 writers and actors – and on this particular day, a large presence of stunt performers – marched outside the Netflix building in Manhattan, calling for fair contracts. Their chanting quieted down as Fran Drescher took the megaphone. “We are not going to back down. We are not going to be stepped on anymore for CEO greed and Wall Street greed at our expense, when they can’t do it without us,” said the actress and activist. “We are the foundation of the wheel. Nobody can own o
Texas Standard •

Failing big: This performer has more televised fails than any other

What do all of these folks have in common?

They have all failed spectacularly before achieving historical success. So it stands to reason that if we keep failing, eventually we’ll find success, right?

Well, just ask Sethward what he thinks. He’s a performer known for having more televised fails on awards shows than any other for both America’s Got Talent and The Gong Show.

On America’s Got Talent, he’s been auditioning on the show almost every year since 2018, hoping each time to make it to t
Texas Standard •

Report: Artificial intelligence threatens nearly 800,000 jobs in Texas

With just this turn of phrase I got my NPR news roundup, the weather forecast and learned a bit about history. That’s because I programmed my Amazon device to do this on my command. So it’s easy to see how AI can help us with our daily routines, making our lives just a bit easier.

It seems harmless, but what does this mean for jobs in the future, since we can now program AI to do more advanced tasks?

These days it’s hard not to think about how AI’s helping and potentially hurting us. ChatGPT,
TPR •

New study finds higher rates of Alzheimer’s in Texas border counties

Chances are you know someone who has been impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, an estimated 6.7 million people in the United States are suffering from the disease, which has no cure.

Just this past December, a $226 million increase in annual federal funding for Alzheimer’s research was signed into law. This has allowed for new findings to emerge about the disease, which can lead to more knowledge about reducing risk.

A new study has come out that took a deep look into which counties acr
Texas Standard •

Texas has front-row seats to the world’s next total solar eclipse

Every 18 months, the Earth experiences a total solar eclipse, which is when the sky goes completely dark because the moon passes between the sun and the Earth. The phenomenon is known to have such an awe-inspiring effect that there are people – known as eclipse chasers – who travel all over the world to see them.

You won’t have to travel far to see one on April 8, 2024, because some of the best seats in the country will be in Texas. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see one here, because a to
Texas Standard •

Surf’s up! Catch some killer waves in Waco this summer

It’s the height of the summer season, and that can only mean one thing: good times spent at the beach.

Texas has more than 350 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the best-known surfing towns are Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, South Padre Island and Waco.

Imagine you’re sitting on a beach, underneath a cabana, facing a view of turquoise waves and just beyond the break… you see longhorns grazing in the pasture. Well, that’s what it’s like to vacation at Waco Surf park
Texas Standard •

Report: Police in Houston have the slowest response times in decades

Response times by the police in Houston have been the slowest they have been in decades, according to an investigation by the Houston Chronicle. In addition, police presence in areas with higher rates of crime has also gone down.



This is in spite of Houston having more officers per capita than any other Texas city except for Dallas. The city also allocates more than a third of its general fund budget to the police department.

So what is the cause of these issues?

Mike Morris was one of t
TPR •

Gov. Abbott signs bill to establish an Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council

Last month Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2060, which will establish an Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council for the state of Texas. The council will oversee how state agencies are developing and using AI in an effort to make sure that it is done so responsibly.

This comes on the heels of a number of AI-related issues showing up in Texas schools recently, such as a ChatGPT error leading to a number of college students not getting their diplomas. Another a Texas school district embraced
KUT •

‘The best of what Texas has to offer’: How the state recognizes artists, poets and musicians

Texas is known to be a place rife with political arguments and controversy. As the second most populous state in the country, behind California, it’s natural that there would be a range of viewpoints, often leading to a polarized public. So, it’s nice when we’re able to take a break from those issues to focus on things that there’s more agreement over, like the pleasure of Texas art and music.

For many years, the state has appointed poet laureates, state musicians and state artists. It’s a proc
TPR •

Here are ways to help your pet cope with the fireworks this Fourth of July

There’s nothing quite like sitting in your yard or on a lawn, surrounded by loved ones, taking in the beauty of fireworks. But what about our four-legged loved ones? While we might get a sense of awe from the boom and sparkle, it can cause a lot of anxiety for our pets.

The Animal Defense League of Texas, an animal rescue organization, released a how-to guide on how to minimize the stress the fireworks season puts on our animals.

Nadia De La Garza, the organization’s development and marketing
KUT •

Don’t lose a finger – follow this advice for July Fourth fireworks safety

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July – and if there’s one thing Americans love about summer celebrations, it’s the beauty and awe of fireworks.

Last year, Americans spent $2.2 billion on fireworks. But also last year, more than 10,000 people were reported to be injured by fireworks in the U.S., with teenagers having the highest rate of ER-treated injuries.

Now, this isn’t meant to scare you from enjoying fireworks this season, but here at the Texas Standard, we want you to be safe while doing so. We
Texas Standard •

Federal and state funding will provide $4.5 billion for rural Texans needing high-speed internet

Texas stands to receive more than $3 billion in federal funding to build out broadband internet across the state.

It’s the largest single chunk of money for broadband provided to any state and it’s among the fruits of the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will allocate $42.5 billion in funding to get every household in the U.S. broadband internet by 2030.

State funding is also coming for broadband. The Texas Legislature authorized $1.5 billion in funding, which will b
Texas Standard •

As Texas approaches record-high heat, here are six ways to protect yourself

Much of Texas is under what weather experts call a “heat dome,” which is when heat is trapped over a certain area, often leaving residents of that area in dangerous conditions. Texas is expected to reach or even pass its record high temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which was last hit in 1994. Just this past Friday on June 23, the Rio Grande Valley area got close, at 119 degrees Fahrenheit.



Of course, Texans are used to summer heat. Many know about the importance of drinking water, we
Texas Standard •

Dallas Federal Reserve takes temperature of oil and gas industry

The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank doesn’t just keep an eye on interest rates. It also checks in with the oil and gas industry.

Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kpler, joined the Standard and said the Dallas Fed’s quarterly survey of the industry compares not just their yearly activity, but the previous quarter as well. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.

This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:

Texas Standard: So what did the respondents expec
Texas Standard •

New YA novel revisits Wendy Davis’ abortion filibuster through the eyes of a teenage boy

A teenage boy wearing white finds himself in the middle of a political protest and counterprotest he knows nothing about. One side is wearing blue, the other orange. It’s a fictionalized story about the real-life history of former state Sen. Wendy Davis’ abortion filibuster in 2013.

Journalist Dan Solomon covered the protests surrounding the filibuster for the Austin Chronicle and started writing his debut novel, “The Fight for Midnight,” shortly after. It’s a book for young adults following Al
Texas Standard •

Adoptee advocates fight for intercountry adoptees to gain US citizenship

Around five million Americans are adopted. But unless it’s been part of your life in some way, you might not realize that adopted people often struggle to gain access to things that everyone else seems to have and may take for granted: medical history, original birth certificates and even citizenship.

This is one reason why the Adoptee Rights Law Center and the Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition has designated for an annual big push to make changes on those fronts, known as the Adoptee Rights Natio
NYCity News Service •

Peter Magnani Way | Queens Street Name Stories

Peter Magnani was an architect, city planner and deputy Queens borough president from 1986 to 2001. He was raised in Corona and then moved to Jackson Heights with his wife, Dorothy, whom he was married to for 55 years. Together they helped turn their apartment building into a tenant-sponsored cooperative in 1979, which is where his wife and daughter, Kirsten, live to this day.

Peter spearheaded numerous projects that made an indelible impact on Queens residents. In this recording, Dorothy and K
CUNY Academic Works •

Complicating the Narrative with the Adoption Constellation

"From September 2021 through December 2022 I worked with birth mothers and adoptees who are making efforts to complicate the narrative around adoption online. This resulted in a multi-platform project, creating a highly successful TikTok channel, an Instagram page, a private Facebook group and a Substack newsletter. The platforms decided on as well as the content on these platforms were decided upon in collaboration with the community, using deep listening and collecting both qualitative and quan..."
Medium •

Coming Out with “The Adoption Constellation”

I grew up like most other kids, except for the first six months of my life, which to this day is a mystery to me. At some point, I was placed for adoption through the Our Lady of Victory Catholic charity and unwed mother’s home in Buffalo, where I waited to be claimed as someone’s daughter. My parents, Terry and Emma McHugh, also adopted my sister Amy. Growing up was a very “normal” middle-class suburban life. I did theater, my sister did sports. We went apple picking and made strawberry jam. We
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