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Features and Longform

The Daily Beast •

Examining the Past, Present, and Future of Chicago's First Gay Neighborhood

Pride month is one full of both celebration and commemoration for the LGBT+ community. Every June, cities around the world hold pride festivals and parades to honor the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising – the 1969 protests that are often considered the launching point of the modern gay rights movement. Many pride activities are held in LGBT+ neighborhoods, including in Chicago’s Boystown – first-ever gay neighborhood that was officially recognized by a large city. Following the conclusion of
Bustle •

How To Help Stop Libya's Slave Trade & Fight Slavery Around The World

Earlier this month, a CNN investigation revealed that migrant slave auctions are occurring in Libya, as people who are fleeing their home countries are being "auctioned off" by captors for hundreds of dollars. This discovery is incredibly egregious and tragic — and the world must act to help put an immediate end to the practice. Here's how you, too, can help stop the slave trade in Libya (and around the world) by engaging in advocacy campaigns and helping fund development and anti-slavery initia
The Daily Beast •

How the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act Plans to Tackle the Housing Affordability Crisis

Affordable housing is becoming increasingly scarce in the United States — something which could prevent many families from buying or renting a place to call their own. The causes of this crisis are multi-faceted and its effects disproportionately impact various groups of people, including low and middle-income (LMI) families and minorities. To address this affordability crisis, a bevy of Democratic senators reintroduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act in March, offering a comprehe
The Daily Beast •

Celebrating Diversity in the Twin Cities

In 1991, a civil war broke out in the east African country of Somalia. This (still-ongoing) civil war would ultimately leave thousands of Somalis injured, displaced, or deceased due to violence or starvation. From the early ‘90s onward, thousands of Somalis became refugees as they sought to escape the atrocities of warfare. Many of these refugees eventually relocated all over the world, with a significant percentage of them landing in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Now, 30
Bustle •

How To Help Typhoon Mangkhut Victims, Because It's The Strongest Storm 2018 Has Seen Yet

Typhoon Mangkhut is the strongest storm the world has seen this year. The typhoon has caused extensive damage in China, the Philippines, Guam, and the Marshall Islands — and left thousands of people in need of food, shelter, medical care, and more. If you're wondering how to help Typhoon Mangkhut victims, there are a variety of ways you can contribute to post-storm recovery.

So far, over 70 deaths across multiple countries have been attributed to the storm. Moreover, the typhoon has caused exte
The Daily Beast •

Student Loans are Destroying Millennials’ Homeownership Ambitions

Young Americans owe a staggering $1 trillion in student loan debt – an amount that could purchase the equivalent of 5-6 million typical American homes, according to Kiplinger. In fact, following the release of a new Federal Reserve Bank of New York report detailing household debts and credits, USA Today’s Susan Tompor reported on March 14 that millennials are “so buried in debt that they can’t buy into the American dream of owning a home.” There’s a proven link between decreasing homeownership a
The Daily Beast •

Net Neutrality Could Be “Make or Break” for Those in Real Estate

The FCC. Congress. Internet. Real estate. These words are all linked together through one important topic: net neutrality. Net neutrality represents the idea that all content on the internet should be treated equally — and that internet users should have equal access to this content. In March, Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill to fully restore net neutrality principles in the United States, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rescinded them in December 2017. Net neutrality’s r
The Daily Beast •

Big Data Means Big Opportunities and Big Challenges for Real Estate

Online data plays an almost inextricable role in American consumers’ lives. Following a host of large-scale data breaches and subsequent questions about corporations’ use of consumer data, Capitol Hill has been abuzz with talk of creating federal data privacy legislation. Amidst calls for federal data privacy protection laws, many industries that handle sensitive consumer information – including the real estate industry – are expressing their support for data privacy and offering further insight
The Daily Beast •

A Sense of Community: How Rochester Became a Hub for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

On June 16, the city of Rochester, New York celebrated its tenth annual Deaf Festival, gathering at a local park to share and celebrate Deaf culture. Rochester is home to one of the largest deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHoH) populations in the United States, and June’s festivities served to honor those that helped shape this community – and those who are continuing to foster its growth.

The DHoH community has roots in Rochester that date all the way back to 1876, when the Rochester School for the