At 13, Alysa Liu Could be the Dazzling Future of American Figure Skating
Alysa Liu during her free skate at the 2019 US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire/AP Before Alysa Liu, only three American women were able to land a triple axel—one of the most difficult skating moves—in a national competition. Last week, Liu became the first to land two in one program. At 13,…
Earlonne Woods Made an Amazing Podcast—and It Won Him His Freedom
Earlonne WoodsMark Murrmann/Mother Jones While he was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, Earlonne Woods helped create a podcast that dealt with everyday life behind bars. Woods, 47, had spent 21 years in prison for attempted armed robbery. He saw how fellow inmates were kind to spiders, treating them as pets, and how the prison’s…
A Haitian Asylum-Seeker Had Been Stuck in Jail for Almost Two Years. This Ohio Couple Stepped Up to Help.
Gary Benjamin and Melody Hart with Ansly Damus, a Haitian asylum-seeker who was freed after two years in detention.Matt McClain/The Washington Post After a gang beat him for criticizing a local politician, Ansly Damus fled Haiti. The former teacher came to the United States seeking asylum—but instead, immigration officials put him in a windowless cell…
The Wonderful, Unlikely Friendship Between an NBA Star and a Cat Litter Researcher
Charles Barkley, right, and Lin Wang, second from right, on the set of TNT’s NBA postgame show, “Inside the NBA,” which features Barkley.Courtesy of Shirley Wang Lin Wang was known for talking rubbish at times, but he was right about having a good friend in Charles Barkley, the retired NBA star. A cat litter scientist,…
How a Texas Soccer Club Helped African Refugees Feel at Home
The reVision soccer team, relaxing at foosball. Monica Rhor/USA Today Umoja ni nguvu. Unity is strength. For a soccer team of African refugees, this Swahili phrase has been a powerful rallying cry. Many of the players made their way to Houston, Texas, after years spent in refugee camps, knowing very little English except for a few…
A Library Straddling the Border is Giving Immigrant Families a Safe Place to Reunite
An Iranian family at the Haskell library on the US-Canada border. Courtesy of Yeganeh Torbati/Reuters For many immigrants affected by the Trump administration’s travel ban, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a library straddling the US-Canada border, has become an unlikely haven. Families can meet there without risking being detained or prevented from returning…