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Paulina Velasco

Latest Stories (61)

California's domestic workers push for safety protections in home settings

Jul 14, 2020
A measure before the Assembly would eliminate the exclusion of domestic workers from workplace safety law that covers other employees.
The health and safety rules that govern most jobs in California do not currently protect domestic workers, like house cleaners.
BrianAJackson via Getty Images

Day laborers in Southern California struggle as work dries up due to COVID-19

Apr 24, 2020
Some workers are organizing to hand out food and supplies to members of their community in crisis.
This sign encourages potential employers and workers to congregate at the Pasadena Community Job Center, run by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. But the Center closed in March.
Paulina Velasco

What it's like to have an invisible disability at work

Jun 22, 2018
Three people open up about asking — or not — for accommodations on the job.
{Image Description: An overhead shot of two people sitting at a desk in an office setting. The individual on the left is holding a folder and is writing notes on a notepad, while the individual on the left is mid-gesticulation. The desk is a dark brown, and has various objects placed on top, including a phone and a remote control.]
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Mind the gap: Navigating the transition from pediatric to adult health care

Jun 22, 2018
Getting the right health care once you outgrow your pediatrician can be tricky if you have a disability.
[Image description: A wide shot of a doctor’s office in San Francisco. On the left, a patient in a gown sits on an examination bed while the doctor checks her breathing with a stethoscope. The patient has short brown hair and is sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. On the right, there is a set of counters, with various medical equipment laid across the surface.]
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Why the death toll in Puerto Rico matters

Jun 1, 2018
In practical terms, the island has to prepare for the next big disaster.
People march to protest pension cuts, school closures and slow hurricane recovery efforts in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May.
RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images

The feminism behind "Ocean's 8"

"This is really just a story about women who are excellent at their jobs — they just happen to be criminals," said Olivia Milch, co-writer and producer for "Ocean's 8."
(L-R) Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, Cate Blanchett as Lou, Rihanna as Nine Ball, Mindy Kaling as Amita, Awkwafina as Constance, Helena Bonham Carter as Rose, Anne Hathaway as Daphne Kluger and Sarah Paulson as Tammy in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' "Oceans 8," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.

We're still figuring out how to desegregate higher education

May 25, 2018
What Mississippi's historically black colleges and universities teach us about centuries-old inequities
A view of the State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Everybody falls in love: diversity in the romance industry

May 11, 2018
For every 100 books published by leading romance publishers in 2017, only 6.2 were written by people of color.
The Koch sisters say they intend their store to be a feminist, sex-positive space. "I just love seeing romance readers realize that we have built this for them. It is our love letter to them, and to this genre," says Bea Koch.
Paulina Velasco/Marketplace

How one writer's book deal turned her into a professional poker player

May 4, 2018
Maria Konnikova discovered a passion — and talent — for cards.
Writer Maria Konnikova has won over $200,000 at poker.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A slice of life — and pastelillo — in Puerto Rico

Apr 27, 2018
The impact of a looming school closure on the owners of a food truck who have been feeding students and parents for 31 years.
Since 1987, the food truck formally named "Love Pizza" has operated outside of Escuela Elemental John F. Kennedy, an elementary school in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico slated to close this summer. Students and parents call the truck "Maggie's Food Truck."
Peter Balonon-Rosen/Marketplace