Two-Part Series: A Year Under “Don’t Say Gay”
In the spring of 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a slate of bills aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, including an expansion of the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. I spent an entire school year in Florida with teachers and students to see the human impact of legislative policies that became the blueprint for other states and the federal government.
This series won a Front Page Award for specialized reporting in education from the Newswomen’s Club of New York.
The Magical School Bus Fighting Gun Violence
Since Manuel and Patricia Oliver’s son Joaquin was killed in the Parkland shooting, they’ve spent their lives trying to change this country’s gun laws. To celebrate what should have been his 23rd birthday, they decided to take their advocacy on the road in a school bus dedicated to his memory. I, along with my co-producer, followed Manuel and Patricia in key stops along their tour visiting communities impacted by gun violence.
This video won a Front Page award for video feature from the Newswomen’s Club of New York.
The Ceasefire Vote
After former President Biden saw 100,000 voters say they were “uncommitted” in Michigan’s democratic primary, he faced a similar battle in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. We embedded with activists there as they worked to show the Democratic party that they cannot be ignored.
Why Does Oklahoma have so many lesbian bars?
An NBC News analysis found Oklahoma had the third-highest amount of lesbian bars in the country behind New York and California. I set out to discover how this community continues to thrive despite the less-than-welcoming political landscape.
Trump Won. She’s Leaving.
The day after Donald Trump’s victory, Google Trends showed a spike in people searching for digital nomad visas and the best countries to move.” For some, the Google-search was founded on frustration. But for others it was a breaking point: an intention to pack up and leave Trump’s America. We spoke with one woman who has lived the digital nomad life abroad, but now says she’s making it permanent because of Donald Trump’s win.
The real harm of deepfakes
Thanks to AI, creating a deepfake is easier than ever – and it’s not just celebrities whose faces are getting swapped in. As fascinating as the hyper-realistic tech is, it’s causing serious harm. I spoke with Twitch streamer ‘Sweet Anita’ who ended up getting deepfaked into an explicit video.
We went to a drag brunch for kids
Drag dominated the headlines in 2023 after Tennessee became the first state to pass a law restricting drag performances – classifying them as ‘adult only’ and making sure kids can’t see it. . . But not all drag shows are for those 18 and up. I went to a drag show in Lakeland Florida that is specifically meant for children.
House Divided: My dad voted for Trump
With more young adults living at home with their parents, political differences can be hard to hide. My team and I went down to the swing state of Georgia to see how these dynamics were playing out ahead of a supercharged election.
Petfluencing after Death.
The pet influencer industry is incredibly lucrative. Pets with hundreds of thousands of followers can earn thousands of dollars through sponsors. With over a million followers, they can easily earn between 20K-50K. But for owners whose income relies solely on their pets, an unexpected death can be personally and financially devastating. I spoke with Jonathan Graziano, who had to pivot after his ‘bones or no bones’ viral TikTok pug ‘Noodle’ sadly died.