Four years ago, we wrote up a profile on the candidate for this district. In 2022, that candidate was Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas. At that time, Brian Romero (he/him) was her chief of staff. This year, Jessica decided to run for New York Senate and won her primary in June, and at the same time, Brian ran for Jessica’s Assembly seat, likewise winning the Democratic primary in June.
Brian is a queer Colombian-American millennial and former social worker, psychotherapist, DEI consultant, and social justice activist. Brian has deep roots in his community and is uniquely attuned to the needs of the residents who will be his constituents. Brian’s campaign is held up by three pillars: making the rich pay their fair share, addressing affordability, and protecting our immigrant communities.
The first crisp morning of September marks the beginning of fall festivities. For autumn lovers, it’s time to break out your cozy sweaters and pumpkin decor. However, before the season is in full swing, stop to consider how you can approach it mindfully and sustainably.
In a very special interview, we spoke to humanitarian, physician, activist and proud first-generation American Doctor Sarah Raza. She discusses topics close to her heart like the war in Iran, the importance of mental and physical health, stories and daily tasks from her highly demanding job as a physician in Los Angeles and more. She encourages everyone to be aware and involved in their political climate both locally and on a larger scale, and reminds people that there are always ways, big or small, you can provide support and assistance to those in need.
Caroline Cotter is passionate advocate for her local community and women everywhere. Whether it’s performing small shows for the Cook County Jail in Chicago or working closely with New Hope Midcoast, she uses her passion for songwriting and storytelling to continuously uplift those around her. Make sure to look out for her upcoming album “The Answer” this October.
Since the beginning of summer, the question has been raised as to whether the United States is experiencing a food safety outbreak; while some clinical cases remain within average ranges, others exceed them, leaving the public with an unsettling impression.
Jaelynn Scott (she/her) a trans rights activist and transplant from Mississippi, is a democratic socialist and if elected would be one of two serving in the Washington legislature. Jaelynn won over 88% of the vote in her Democratic primary last month and if she wins in the general election in November will be the first trans state representative in Washington’s history and the first Black openly trans state lawmaker elected in the country. Ironically, this fall she will be on the ballot with a conservative-backed initiative to bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports. This ordained Buddhist minister is most passionate about investing in Black and Brown communities, LGBTQ+ rights, taxing the rich, universal housing, universal healthcare, protecting the environment, and fighting for the working class.
Bella Lam is a Tennessee girl through and through. She takes inspiration from her hometown, her parents and her favorite country music singers to create songs like “Bootfirst” and “Take It Out on My Guitar” that encapsulate all the powerful emotion country artists wrote about before her. She gives back to her community through charity shows and events, and makes sure she never forgets where she came from!
Jeff Saenz has not let the accident that left him without either of his hands stop him from being the artist he knows he can be. From playing the festival fundraiser for children of Parkland Hospital’s burn unit to training himself to work, write and type with his stylus, he has turned his story into one of perseverance and success. His band Baby Snakes & The Electric Co. is releasing new music now and you can stream at the links below. Read on to learn more!
On August 25, just last week, the world came to a standstill when the news dropped that icon of music history Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. I was lucky enough to have visited Dollywood with my family in 2016 when I was about 11, and Parton has always had a strong significance in my life because of this.
Renae Geerlings has truly done it all. Acting, producing, writing, both for print and the screen, and now, she’s adding podcasting to her extensive resume with MANE AF. She co-hosts this podcast with her husband and fellow actor Tyler Mane, as they delve into topics ranging from the fast-paced world of Hollywood to parenting adult children. She advocates passionately for animal rights as well as human trafficking awareness, which is a present theme behind her and Mane’s graphic novel, THE LAST SPARTAN.
In the city of Santa Ana, Councilwoman Jessie Lopez (she/her) is running as a Democrat for State Assembly against her fellow councilmember David Penaloza, also a Democrat. A Latina millennial, Jessie got her start in public service as a volunteer with the Public Law Center and as a campaigner against sexual assaults occurring on and around her college campus, before being elected to the Santa Ana City Council in 2020. Jessie is most passionate about and is centering her campaign around affordable housing, Medicare for All, protecting and fully funding public schools, investing in young people, abolishing ICE, advancing environmental justice, expanding economic opportunity, and creating meaningful police accountability.
Back to school season is in full swing and with it, the endless journey of back to school shopping. As a college student, I am less likely to go out in search of colorful new notebooks and pencils like I used to as a kid because I spend all my time on my laptop now, but there’s still one thing we are often on the hunt for.
Graduated from the Master’s program in Fashion Design at instituto Marangoni and founder of his eponymous brand "VALADEZ," Juan Luis Valadez is a Mexican designer who creates stories that engage in dialogue and question through textiles; every VALADEZ garment represents a constant pursuit of change: a design that is cruelty free, seasonless, slow-produced, and conscious.
The road from evangelical megachurch clergy to trans progressive election candidate is an unlikely journey, but it does happen! Joanna Whaley (she/her) is a former pastor at a Michigan evangelical megachurch, but actively undergoing “conversion therapy” for 15 years, during most of her time serving there. Joanna transitioned in 2022 and was forced to leave her church, but has become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and outspoken critic of Christian nationalism, a world she was immersed in for most of her early millenial adult life.
Joanna was motivated to run after lots of encouragement from local leaders and community members, due to the fact that her current state representative, Tullio Liberati, was one of eight Democrats to vote last year for a Republican measure that would ban trans girls from school sports. Though Tullio is retiring at the end of his term, his older brother Frank decided to run to replace him. It did not turn out well for the Liberati brothers though, as Joanna defeated Frank by almost 25 percentage points. The core of Joanna’s platform is to get utilities in check, pass, single payer healthcare in the state of Michigan, and protect civil rights and freedom for all people. If elected in November, she will become the first trans woman elected to the Michigan legislature, quite a stunning turnaround from the current representation in her district.
Rachel Bochner has been growing, learning and evolving a whole life, as we all do. Her upcoming debut album “I Guess A Sure Thing Couldn’t Go Down Gently” drops on September 25 and details heartbreak, self-discovery and exploring her queer identity and the freedom that comes with that. Bochner wants her queer fans to feel heard and loved by her music, and she raises money and spreads community through her work with The Wild Honey Pie.
The Democratic Socialists are on the rise all over the country, including (unsurprisingly) progressive Oregon. In the Portland area, an anesthesiologist named Dr. Tammy Carpenter (she/her) is an unapologetic Democratic Socialists, having joined in 2016 during the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. Over her 20 years as an anesthesiologist she witnessed patients seeking treatment who couldn’t afford healthcare deductibles or healthcare plans themselves, watching patients drowning in debt. One of the three pillars of her campaign is universal healthcare, as well as taxing the rich and funding the people.
Everybody has a skincare routine nowadays. Everyone’s desks and vanities are littered with product upon product of serums and creams meant to make us age in reverse or glow like the sun. In the constant noise and hurricane of social media promotion and online pop up ads, however, how can you trust what will actually be the healthiest choice for your skin and what is just a bucket of glitter. Here are some examples of brands that carry vegan, cruelty free and overall sustainable sunscreen options to add into your skincare routine.
What is the point of making national parks more accessible if they aren't sustainable? In 2025 alone, the United States National Park System recorded 323 million recreational visits. However, as visits increased, there weren't enough staff to sustain such a system. Since Trump took office, it was reported that by mid-2025 the administration had dismissed nearly 1,000 NPS employees as part of a wave of far-reaching federal layoffs, all under the promise of "saving money."
Hawaii is known for being one of the most progressive states in the country, but even there, progressives have had to fight their way into the state legislature to ensure equitable representation of all groups and to push progressive policies to move Hawaii forward and better the lives of everyone who lives there.
One such representative is Kim Coco Iwamoto (s/he, hir, hirs), the first transgender legislator in Hawaii’s history. After two terms on Hawaii’s Board of Education, she ran five consecutive elections before finally unseating Hawaii’s powerful House Speaker, Scott Saiki, who she challenged twice before. A Sansei, hir Japanese grandparents and great-grandparents worked on sugar cane plantations on the island of Kauai and cantaloupe farms in Imperial Valley, California. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and has a BA in creative writing from San Francisco State University and a juris doctor from the University of New Mexico. This accomplished surfer is passionate about increasing the gas tax to fund free public transportation across the state and imposing a tax on seasonal homes to help fund rent subsidies to make housing more affordable for the working class.
A low-waste lifestyle grows through practical habits that fit your daily routine. Clear goals and time frames make progress easier to see and easier to maintain. These seven challenges can help you reduce waste in measurable ways while creating low-waste habits that feel realistic and rewarding.
Ashanti Martinez (he/him) is a gay Afro-Latino millennial representative in Maryland’s House of Delegates. Active in politics from his early teenage years, Ashanti comes from a working-class family in Prince George’s County, a majority-Black county outside of Washington, DC. Ashanti attended Howard University, and is passionate about LGBTQ rights, universal healthcare, gun control, and the environment.
Expensive handbags, shoes, and clothes had taken a backseat to water during an era ruled by climate change; those who can afford the comfort of water, air conditioning, and a lifestyle unchallenged by the heat wave are now owning the new luxury.
Darius Oon is branching out on his own in the music industry. After a childhood of playing guitar and piano and listening to The Beatles with his parents, he’s been a proud member of a number of bands before releasing his first single as a solo artist this past June. Taking inspiration from Djo and Wallows, he describes his sound as having a certain “nostalgic quality.” Oon is also a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and cancer research, and has worked closely with many organizations that support these causes.
Alonna Berry (she/her), shows a way that Democrats can win over voters in rural areas. This Black millennial is constantly meeting with local leaders and constituents in her district, while always remaining true to her progressive principles, including advocating for protecting reproductive freedom, defending LGBTQ+ Delawareans, advancing racial equity, modernizing public education, expanding affordable housing, strengthening common sense gun safety laws, addressing climate change, and ensuring healthcare is accessible regardless of income or ZIP code. As Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Justice, Alonna works to advance restorative justice, reduce barriers to opportunity, and strengthen communities across Delaware.
During mid-July in New York City, our beautiful skies were clouded and invaded by blown over smoke from a patch of Canadian wildfires. While the air quality here has significantly improved for the remainder of July, over 900 individual wildfires are still raging throughout Canada and covering about 3m hectares of land and diminishing air quality in those areas, other sectors of the United States and even reaching northern areas of Europe.
Today we are profiling a Rhode Island Senator who has been championing progressive laws since her election in 2020. Meghan Kallman (she/her), is a triple-sociology major who after college went to work for Amnesty International. Five years before entering state government, she co-founded Conceivable Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for climate and reproductive justice. This millennial community organizer is also a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and is an avid trumpeter (see photo below). She is most passionate about social, environmental, and economic justice.
With the arrival of summer comes the need for versatile footwear; however, dressing for the season shouldn't cost any living being its life. That is why I have put together a list of stylish, fun, and functional footwear made in an environmentally friendly way.
G’Ra Asim finds creative outlets for self-expression in everything he does. Teaching, writing, reading, making music and more are all pursuits he has delved into as a means of connecting with others through their share in their beliefs and passions. He has worked closely with multiple bands, sets of students and political organizations like the New York Immigrant Coalition, Say Her Name, and the African American Policy Forum to stand up for and support the rights of all people of color across the country.
A hot issue in politics these days is the question of how Democrats will win elections again in rural areas. There are different answers: run on economic issues only, run blue-collar candidates, run someone deeply-embedded and well-known in the area. Today we are profiling a candidate who checks all three boxes. Riley Rodriquez (he/him), is a millennial who has held a number of jobs in his native West Texas: cowboy, oilfield hand, and small business owner. Riley’s platform focuses on healthcare and education as a human right, free school meals, and empowering the working class to take power back from the ruling elite.
Over my past eight weeks of studying in New York City this summer, I learned a new lesson seemingly everyday. Before then, I had only been on a handful of weekend trips with my friends where we squeezed in every Broadway show we could manage, took Ubers everywhere and never turned down a cocktail or a coffee.