https://writerjelindamontes.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Jelinda MontesenWed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/06/03/getting-to-the-world-cup-wont-be-a-walk-in-the-park/The World Cup is fast approaching, and bigger than ever, with 104 matches spread over 16 North American cities across 39 days — all culminating in New Jersey. For the final match in the world’s largest sporting event, figuring out how to get over 80,000 people in seats has highlighted huge gaps in the public transportation infrastructure connecting New Jersey and New York. The final match is slated to take place nine miles outside of Midtown Manhattan at MetLife Stadium (or the NYNJ Stadium, as...Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/06/03/getting-to-the-world-cup-wont-be-a-walk-in-the-park/https://www.salon.com/2026/05/24/these-states-are-fighting-prediction-markets-the-trump-admin-is-furious/Many states are trying to crack down on the newest frontier in the financial wild west: prediction markets. Although best known as places for betting on sports, which the Supreme Court ruled is legal during President Donald Trump’s first term, these platforms have ballooned in usage in the past year with users betting on all manner of topics from presidential elections to warfare. The conflicts of interest and questionably moral options to bet on the misfortune of others has prompted many states...Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/05/24/these-states-are-fighting-prediction-markets-the-trump-admin-is-furious/https://www.salon.com/2026/05/18/your-rewards-card-may-be-spying-on-you/If you’ve been anywhere online or in stores lately, you’ve likely encountered marketing buzz like “Sign-up to earn loyalty discounts” or “Become a rewards member today!” Today’s consumers are inundated with the pleas of businesses to sign up for member clubs, loyalty programs, discount cards and more. They often offer exclusive sales, access to limited edition items and maybe even specialized discounts. It’s also commonly understood that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is — so...Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/05/18/your-rewards-card-may-be-spying-on-you/https://www.salon.com/2026/05/06/a-40-year-old-iran-tariff-quietly-built-americas-pistachio-empire/From Dubai chocolate to lattes, pistachios are having a moment. Of course, the nut itself has been cultivated for thousands of years in Persia, modern day Iran, where pistachios are still the country’s number one commodity crop. But the United States has only grown them commercially for 50 years. The U.S. now produces the lion’s share of pistachios globally — despite their relative newness for American farmers. The tagline on a bag of salt and pepper pistachios in my cabinet reads, “300-year-ol...Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/05/06/a-40-year-old-iran-tariff-quietly-built-americas-pistachio-empire/https://www.salon.com/2026/04/16/curbing-social-media-to-protect-kids-online-could-backfire/Almost everyone who is glued to their phone wishes they weren’t and for many people, the problem seems to be starting earlier. Children’s access to the internet is happening at younger ages, with an entire generation growing up alongside the rapid advancement of the digital landscape, which has only intensified with the advent of artificial intelligence. Teens and adults alike can be exposed to extremist content, violence and sexual exploitation online. The internet age has had countless positiv...Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/04/16/curbing-social-media-to-protect-kids-online-could-backfire/https://www.salon.com/2026/04/01/disgusting-overreach-critics-call-trumps-voter-roll-executive-order-blatantly-unlawful/President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday calling for the creation a nationalized voter roll. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to make “citizenship lists” through naturalization records, social security records and data from the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE). The SAVE program was initially created to check if individuals were citizens eligible for assistance programs, not large scale citizenship verification. Arizona has already pledg...Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.salon.com/2026/04/01/disgusting-overreach-critics-call-trumps-voter-roll-executive-order-blatantly-unlawful/https://www.salon.com/2026/03/27/scotus-set-to-deal-major-blow-to-mail-voting-ahead-of-midterms/In the 2024 election, nearly one in three Americans voted using mail-in or absentee ballots, accounting for some 48 million votes. And despite persistent rhetoric against it, even President Donald Trump votes by mail. Nevertheless, Trump further admonished mail voting while pushing the SAVE America Act, which could radically change how people vote ahead of the midterms. “Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating,” he said to press in Memphis, Tenn., Monday. “I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to...Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/03/27/scotus-set-to-deal-major-blow-to-mail-voting-ahead-of-midterms/https://www.salon.com/2026/03/27/scotus-set-to-deal-major-blow-to-mail-voting-ahead-of-midterms/In the 2024 election, nearly one in three Americans voted using mail-in or absentee ballots, accounting for some 48 million votes. And despite persistent rhetoric against it, even President Donald Trump votes by mail. Nevertheless, Trump further admonished mail voting while pushing the SAVE America Act, which could radically change how people vote ahead of the midterms. “Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating,” he said to press in Memphis, Tenn., Monday. “I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to...Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/03/27/scotus-set-to-deal-major-blow-to-mail-voting-ahead-of-midterms/https://www.salon.com/2026/03/25/environmental-groups-and-states-sue-epa-over-emissions-rollback/Last year, 7 million people around the world, 600,00 of them children, died from a slow-moving, silent and largely invisible killer: air pollution. In the U.S. alone, that number was 135,000 people, roughly the population of Dayton, Ohio. Poor air quality also accrues an economic cost of about $800 billion each year. And of course pollutants get trapped in the atmosphere, causing global heating and climate change that threatens to upend all life on the planet. Critics are now warning that deregu...Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/03/25/environmental-groups-and-states-sue-epa-over-emissions-rollback/https://www.salon.com/2026/03/18/trump-is-going-all-in-on-the-save-america-act-it-could-make-voting-harder-for-millions/President Donald Trump campaign’s to influence the midterm elections is reaching a fever pitch, from FBI raids of Georgia election centers to posting conspiracy theories across his social media and using the Department of Justice to illegally access voter rolls. Now Trump has zeroed in on Congress. On Tuesday, the Senate opened debate on the voter ID bill known as the SAVE America Act. The bill would require Americans to register to vote in person with documentary proof of citizenship — in most...Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/03/18/trump-is-going-all-in-on-the-save-america-act-it-could-make-voting-harder-for-millions/https://www.salon.com/2026/03/11/rfk-jr-s-vaccine-adviser-under-scrutiny-ahead-of-key-vaccine-meeting/In just over a year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dramatically reshaped vaccines at the federal level, which has drawn considerable controversy given his lack of a medical background and his long history of attacking vaccines and pushing pseudoscience. But he hasn’t done it alone. Ahead of a key meeting on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, attention is being drawn to Retsef Levi, a top adviser who has published misleading vaccine research. Public health advocates...Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/03/11/rfk-jr-s-vaccine-adviser-under-scrutiny-ahead-of-key-vaccine-meeting/https://www.salon.com/2026/02/12/dhss-real-id-hypocrisy/Leonardo Garcia Venegas went to work on a Wednesday at a private construction site in Foley, Alabama. It was a rainy day in May, and upon returning to the site with plastic sheets to protect freshly poured concrete, ICE had trespassed onto the development. He began filming and was promptly tackled to the ground, with no verbal commands. “I am a U.S. citizen,” he repeated over and over. Venegas was detained for over an hour after showing his ID, according to the complaint from a lawsuit filed in...Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/02/12/dhss-real-id-hypocrisy/https://www.salon.com/2026/02/11/social-media-age-verification-is-full-of-risks-and-unclear-rewards/Politicians across the aisle want social media users to submit themselves to biometric scans, increased account monitoring and share their IDs — all in the name of children’s safety online. Bipartisan bills in Congress, like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and laws across the country are attempting to bar children from social media by requiring age verification to many, if not all users. Social media apps like Instagram and TikTok have long come under fire for potential harms to children and...Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/02/11/social-media-age-verification-is-full-of-risks-and-unclear-rewards/https://www.salon.com/2026/02/05/republicans-resist-call-to-nationalize-voting-but-trumps-trying-it-anyway/In recent days, President Donald Trump has called for Republican lawmakers to “nationalize” elections, but his actions outside Congress have sown the seeds to control federal elections long ago. On Monday, Trump joined former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on his podcast where he suggested Republicans should say “‘We wanna take over. We should take over the voting in at least many, 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” The specifics of this plan aren’t yet clear, but it...Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.salon.com/2026/02/05/republicans-resist-call-to-nationalize-voting-but-trumps-trying-it-anyway/https://magazine.gaytimes.com/the-social-psychology-behind-the-trans-terrorism-panic/How Americans are manipulated by online misinformation and political rhetoric. Words by Jelinda Montes, Uncloseted Media Joseph McConville’s first memory of being online was at 13-year-old when he started playing Neopets, a virtual pet game, at his home in Boynton Beach, Florida. At the time, he had no clue that just months later, the internet would suck him into the alt-right.Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://magazine.gaytimes.com/the-social-psychology-behind-the-trans-terrorism-panic/https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/nancy-pelosis-lgbtq-legacy-a-completeOn November 6, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that she would be retiring after 38 years serving as the representative for the district that encompasses San Francisco. Since she was first elected in 1987, Pelosi has been one of the most consistent voices in support of LGBTQ rights, speaking out about the AIDS crisis and marching for gay rights during a period of heightened stigma and supporting gay marriage long before the majority of her party. In recent years, as increasing...Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/nancy-pelosis-lgbtq-legacy-a-completehttps://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/the-latest-attacks-on-queer-rights“Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” protestors chanted in the middle of Times Square, among a sea of signs that read “love reigns not kings,” “gays against faux-king Trump,” “we stand with … our trans family” and “the future is coming.”On Saturday, independent analysts estimated that the No Kings March drew between 5 and 8 million people, and organizers say over 7 million people attended 2,700 events across all 50 states. The event, which was organized to push against the rise of autho...Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/the-latest-attacks-on-queer-rightshttps://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/off-page-onto-the-body/6792“I’m so full of desire; I want to eat salmon and drink coffee and eat cake” is the title of a sculpture and costume by Sumin Hwang that was installed in the Brooklyn Museum’s Brooklyn Artist’s Exhibition from October 4 to Januar...Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/off-page-onto-the-body/6792https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/high-school-voters-2024-election/In 2016, Jahnavi Rao realized her civic voice was underestimated, even ignored. So, as a high school student in Pennsylvania, she founded New Voters, a school club that aimed to register high school students to vote and amplify their voices in elections. “I wanted to be heard and I wanted my friends to be heard,” Rao said. “And as New Voters grew, I realized that high school was just such an untapped group of people in these elections.” As the president of the organization, Rao, now 23, has hel...Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/high-school-voters-2024-election/https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/04/staff-editorial-aus-protest-ban-targets-and-silences-student-organizations-just-as-plannedThe Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.  American University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine was placed on disciplinary probation for alleged violations of the indoor protest ban directive issued on Jan. 25. A Feb. 8 silent protest of around 30 demonstrators walking through buildings was e...Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/04/staff-editorial-aus-protest-ban-targets-and-silences-student-organizations-just-as-plannedhttps://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/02/staff-editorial-restricting-student-speech-on-aus-campus-suppresses-its-changemakersThe Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.  See a photo gallery of indoor protests at AU over the years, including two from the Fall 2023 semester. On Jan. 25, American University announced a ban on indoor protests, mandated student organizations welcome al...Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/02/staff-editorial-restricting-student-speech-on-aus-campus-suppresses-its-changemakershttps://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/new-teachers-face-book-bansExtremist politicians are intentionally fueling fear and dividing citizens by banning books that represent marginalized people. It is no accident that most of the challenged titles feature LGBTQ+ voices and People of Color.  Often a single parent’s challenge is enough to ban a book from school shelves indefinitely. According to PEN America, a nonprofit that defends free expression, over 1,550 individual titles were banned across more than 33 states during the 2022–2023 school year.  Which states...Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/new-teachers-face-book-banshttps://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/field-guide-union-advocacyThese Aspiring Educators hasten to places where policy is made, determined to have a word with the leaders who make decisions about public schools.  Skilled guides. With NEA support and training, these future educators share their expertise on what students and educators need to succeed.  Bridge-builders. These members do not avoid problems. When they get time to advocate for students, they make the most of it.   Ever since her sophomore year ​ at the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, Pr...Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/field-guide-union-advocacyhttps://prospect.org/health/2024-01-05-food-businesses-curb-waste/Bullfrog Bagels’ five Washington locations serve up thousands of fresh bagels every day. Customers often clamor for “everything” bagels, so the cinnamon raisin display starts to look a bit neglected. On weekends, the goods usually sell out long before the shops close—but on a slow weekday, even the most popular bagels and sandwiches barely move. In the past, sometimes volunteer groups picked up a day’s worth of leftover bagels to donate to shelters and food pantries. But more often than not, Bul...Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://prospect.org/health/2024-01-05-food-businesses-curb-waste/https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/advocating-humane-prisonsHer father became incarcerated when she was 2 years old. Her family lost their sole breadwinner and were thrust into poverty and homelessness.  “I did my very best to cover up that shame by being the very best person I could be, being the best student, trying to excel in everything, and thought that would hide it all,” Collins says. “I didn’t have to really face it until my own son became incarcerated.” Collins and her husband, who live in Wilton, Maine, adopted their son when he was 8 years old...Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/advocating-humane-prisonshttps://prospect.org/politics/2023-11-06-will-virginia-college-students-vote/The knock on young people is that they don’t vote, but when it comes to national issues and presidential elections, they can get motivated to cast a ballot. James Madison University, a large public university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, saw 75 percent of its student body vote in 2020—over 15,000 students. The Shenandoah Valley school outvoted the rest of the state’s 18- to-29-year-olds by nearly 20 percentage points. But when the presidency isn’t at stake or if major state constitution...Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://prospect.org/politics/2023-11-06-will-virginia-college-students-vote/https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/how-ballot-measures-power-progress-public-schoolsIn 2020, Arizona voters passed Proposition 208, a monumental ballot measure to restore nearly $1 billion in funding for K–12 schools. For years, the state legislature had grossly underfunded public schools. Arizona was nearly last in the nation in per-pupil spending, and educators and parents were fed up with large class sizes and a lack of resources. Educators and parents teamed up, collecting more than 250,000 signatures to place the citizen-initiated measure on the ballot. “Prop 208” passed w...Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/how-ballot-measures-power-progress-public-schoolshttps://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/609897/shakespeare-theatre-company-wants-to-make-theater-a-place-for-everyone/With the ever-increasing availability of wide arrays of media that can be accessed from the comfort of one’s home, a trip to the theater can seem less desirable these days. Why bother buying a ticket for something you can only see once and could cost substantially more than the monthly subscription to a streaming service when you can binge watch to your heart’s content on the couch? This is the question regional theaters across the country are asking themselves in the wake of the pandemic. Answ...Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/609897/shakespeare-theatre-company-wants-to-make-theater-a-place-for-everyone/https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2023/02/staff-editorial-president-burwells-panel-on-free-expression-expressed-values-and-principles-but-not-much-elseAmerican University President Sylvia Burwell held a panel on free expression and the updated Freedom of Expression and Expressive Conduct policy on Feb. 1, along with other university heads from across the country. Burwell and her fellow panelists spent the majority of the event discussing values like inclusion and diversity, but the message fell flat — ultimately seeming more like a PR move appealing to donors than true sentiment on expanding free expression across campus.  Panelists discussed...Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2023/02/staff-editorial-president-burwells-panel-on-free-expression-expressed-values-and-principles-but-not-much-else