Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Wednesday announced that the city is scaling back migrant services and will consolidate shelters with the goal of saving the city millions of dollars. During a press conference‚ Johnston said that over the next month‚ one shelter will close each week‚ with the closures expected to reduce the current budget deficit by nearly $60 million and reallocate those funds back into city services. However‚ Johnston warned that the closure plan could change if the city...

Denver plans to close four migrant shelters over the next month‚ potentially saving up to $60 million this year and reducing the need for budget cuts‚ Mayor Mike Johnston said Wednesday. The closures will leave three hotel shelters open for migrants‚ along with a couple congregate shelter spaces. But Johnston warned the closure plan could change if the city sees massive surges of arrivals and again has to increase its shelter space and migrant services. He also took issue with claims this...

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced changes on Wednesday to the city's strategy when it comes to migrants who have made their way to the Mile High City. The strategy surrounding assistance will focus on helping those newcomers find stable‚ sustainable lives instead of living in shelters.  The City of Denver will be closing four of the migrant shelters over the next month. One will be closed each week over the next four weeks.  Part of the reason is to help reduce the overall...

While a catchy hook might make a song go viral‚ very few songs create such a unifying impact that they achieve timeless resonance. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is one of those songs. So much courage and raw honesty is packed into the lyrics‚ only to be elevated by Chapman’s signature androgynous and soulful voice. Imagine being in the crowd and seeing her as a relatively unknown talent and hearing that song for the first time. Would you instantly recognize that you were witnessing a pivotal moment in musical history?For concert goers at Wembley Stadium in the late 80s‚ this was the scenario.The year was 1988. Seventy-two thousand people gathered—along with 600 million more watching along on their televisions—to see headliner Stevie Wonder as part of Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday tribute concert.However‚ technical difficulties (or perhaps some divine timing) rendered Wonder unable to perform his act. Chapman had already played a three-song set earlier in the afternoon‚ and yet she agreed to step up to the microphone. Armed with nothing but herself and a guitar‚ the shy and stoic Chapman captivated everyone to silence. And the rest is history. Watch:Using just a simple story‚ “Fast Car” conveyed a million different themes—the challenges of class and poverty‚ seeking escape from a small town and yearning for freedom and new opportunity. It’s easy to see why some find the song heartbreaking‚ while others find it hopeful. After the Mandela gig‚ the song became a worldwide hit‚ earning Chapman Grammy awards and shooting her to stardom. What’s more‚ she introduced a new wave of socially-conscious music filled with gentle‚ yet brutally truthful introspection. Since that fateful day‚ her name is forever synonymous with a quiet revolution. We are quite lucky to get to experience it so many years later. This article originally appeared on 2.2.23

My family recently spent a week exploring Vienna‚ Austria‚ getting a first-hand look at why it's been named "the world's most livable city" for 8 out of the past 10 years. As we enjoyed the efficient public transportation system and meandered the picturesque streets filled with gorgeous architecture‚ we did find ourselves thinking‚ "Yeah‚ we could live here."Part of that feeling was prompted by the beauty of the place‚ but as we spent hours walking through the historic heart of the city‚ something else struck me. Unlike every other big city I've visited in recent years‚ I didn't see anyone sleeping on the sidewalk. No tents as makeshift homes set up anywhere. It was so striking‚ I kept wondering‚ "Where were all the homeless people?"Vienna is home to 1.9 million people—more than twice the population of Seattle or Boston‚ where you can't walk for 5 minutes through downtown without seeing multiple people experiencing homelessness. I began to wonder if perhaps Vienna was a case of homelessness being shoved out of view into slums or something. But after digging a bit‚ I learned that Vienna does have some homeless population. It just doesn't have the numbers or the homelessnessproblem that most modern large cities do‚ thanks to its 100-year-old approach to affordable housing.In the late 19th century‚ Vienna faced a huge housing and economic crisis. It was bad‚ even contributing to a tragically young life expectancy in 1900.To address the problem‚ from 1919 to 1934‚ the city poured tax revenue into public housing—but not like any public housing most of us have ever seen. Known as as Volkswohnungspaläste‚ or “people’s apartment palaces‚" the homes that were built were multi-story apartment blocks built with quality materials and beautified architectural details. They included green spaces and playgrounds and were built with easy access to medical facilities‚ schools‚ libraries‚ post offices and theater spaces.The ideas was that government housing should be conducive to a good quality of life for all. And this novel concept has been at the heart of the approach to housing in Vienna ever since. Today‚ more than 60% of the Viennese population lives in government-subsidized housing and nearly nearly half of the housing market is city-owned flats or cooperative apartments. There is no stigma attached to public housing‚ which is interspersed throughout the city. While other European cities began to privatize and commodify housing in the 1980s and 90s‚ Vienna held the course‚ viewing housing as a human right. And now it's being named the "world's most livable city" almost every year. Go figure. In the fall of 2022‚ a delegation of 50 American tenant and homeless leaders‚ organizers‚ researchers‚ and elected officials visited Vienna to learn more about their social housing programs. Here were a few of their impressions they shared with "The Nation":"The attitude there is so different than what we have in the United States. We have it ingrained that public things are supposed to be nasty‚ supposed to be the lowest of the low. But to see what we saw in Vienna‚ it was like‚ wow‚ it is achievable to have housing that is government-owned‚ for the people‚ and beautiful." – Julie Cohon‚ lead housing organizer at Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition"I work hard. And‚ I still don’t have a safe place to live. In Vienna‚ we saw regular people who had not only safe but beautiful spaces. [When we were touring Sonnwendviertel‚ a 5‚500 apartment social housing development not far from the city’s main train station]‚ I kept noticing a lot of kids. And we saw how space was really designed for them: lots of day care centers and beautiful‚ car-free streets. What we saw is when the profit motive is taken out of housing‚ it’s a game changer." – Dorca Reynoso‚ board member of the Met Council Action"My main reflections from Vienna was how long the culture of housing for all has been in existence. The quality of social housing was also interesting: the Viennese government chose maintaining well-constructed buildings‚ rather than demolishing and rebuilding every 30 to 50 years. The very first municipal complex was built in 1924 and is still fully occupied today." – India Walton‚ senior adviser at the Working Families PartyIs it possible to apply what has been learned in Vienna over the past century to other places? Why not? Considering the unaffordability of housing in so many cities‚ it seems worth a try. Housing isn't the only thing that makes Vienna a highly livable city‚ but it definitely plays a huge role. When housing is reasonably desirable at every price point and people aren't worried about affording a nice roof over their heads‚ it's easier to address the other things that make life good. It at least seems like a good place to start. This article originally appeared on 12.9.23

Freddie Mercury had a voice and a stage presence unlike any other in rock music history. His unique talents helped propel the band Queen to the top of music charts and created a loyal fan base around the world. Sadly‚ the world lost that voice when Mercury died of AIDS at age 45. For decades‚ most of us have assumed we'd heard all the music we were going to hear from him. However‚ according to Yahoo! Entertainment‚ remaining Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May announced this summer that they had found a never-released song they'd recorded with Mercury in 1988 as they were working on the album "The Miracle." “We did find a little gem from Freddie‚ that we’d kind of forgotten about‚” Taylor said in June‚ according to the BBC. "It's wonderful‚ a real discovery. It's a very passionate piece."That "little gem" is a four-minute ballad called "Face It Alone." Queen released a lyric video of the song on its YouTube channel‚ and it's bringing fans to tears. The lyrics are particularly heart-wrenching‚ considering the timing of the song's recording. Mercury was reportedly diagnosed with HIV in 1987‚ though kept it a secret from the public and even from many who worked closely with him until shortly before his death. Comments have poured in from around the world in multiple languages‚ and the sentiment is universal—people are deeply moved. "Over 3 million views in one day. To hear Freddie's voice again is so special. You live forever‚ darling. The song is heart breaking but then again‚ Queen's songs are from the heart and that can never go wrong. Thank you to all who made it happen." – sweet pea"One day Freddie said: 'I won't be a star‚ I will be a Legend' And yes we all agree‚ he STILL REMAINS A LEGEND even after 31 years after his death. AMAZING." – Gloria Sousa"Freddie’s vocal is killing me same today as 20 years ago. Thank You Queen for this amazing gift after so many years. We love You." – Adrian Kufel"What to say?? A great magnificent surprise. All I know is that I cried the moment I heard this voice‚ these words.... Only Freddie. Love this man for eternity.. It seems as if he returned briefly to us!! To send us a message... What a beautiful present for all his fans‚ for this generation that has had the impact of the pandemic‚ this strange war‚ these strange times. So happy and touched to hear this now. Thank you Queen... Thank you Freddie forever !!!" – Fern 19671"So great to see all the Freddie and Queen fans here today celebrating this song and Freddie's amazing voice. I love how much Freddie is still treasured. I remember the day he passed away‚ how I cried. It's like a gift to get this new song and have his song playing loud throughout the house today. We all love you dear Freddie." - Sarah-Louise ASMRMercury was truly a legend in his own time‚ and hearing his voice anew almost makes it feel like he's time-traveled to the here and now. What a lovely gift for Queen fans everywhere. This article originally appeared on 10.14.22

Remember Brendan Fraser? 10 years ago‚ he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Then‚ he suddenly disappeared.If you were a kid in the late '90s and early '00s‚ chances are you saw a Brendan Fraser movie. The comedy and action star catapulted to fame behind blockbusters like "The Mummy" franchise‚ "George of the Jungle‚" "Looney Tunes: Back in Action‚" and the Oscar-winning film "Crash." But after 2008‚ he largely disappeared from major starring roles. His absence wasn't due to drugs‚ a sex-scandal‚ or illness — despite memes and even reported articles speculating about his career arc‚ with many blaming it on poor career choices.Fraser revealed in a recent interview that an incident of sexual harassment led him to withdraw from his high-profile lifestyle.Lately‚ the actor has gradually returned to more high-profile roles‚ and in an interview with GQ‚ he explained that the real reason he stepped back from the spotlight was because of being physically groped by Philip Berk‚ a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.In his own book‚ Berk admitted to "pinching" Fraser in the buttocks after an event‚ but Fraser says the incident was much worse. "His left hand reaches around‚ grabs my ass cheek‚ and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around.""I felt ill. I felt like a little kid‚" he told GQ. "I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."He said it's time to speak out‚ and other male victims of harassment are supporting him.Berk has called the allegation a "total fabrication" but acknowledges he sent Fraser an apology letter after the incident when the actor complained to the HFPA. Fraser said he tried to bury his feelings about the incident‚ but he was moved into action after seeing actresses and actors speaking up at this year's Golden Globes.“Am I still frightened? Absolutely. Do I feel like I need to say something? Absolutely. Have I wanted to many‚ many times? Absolutely. Have I stopped myself? Absolutely."Despite his reservations‚ people seem to believe‚ and be genuinely moved by‚ Fraser's claim. Once the target of jokes‚ Fraser has become a catalyst for moving praise across social media.All these years and we discover that Brendan Fraser really is the guy you think he is‚ which means he's too pure for this world and the world put some scars on him. I love him more than ever now.https://t.co/XGXV8FG5GK— Geek Girl Diva (@geekgirldiva) February 22‚ 2018 I love Brendan Fraser and I am so proud of him for speaking his truth. https://t.co/Ev3seJavsf— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) February 22‚ 2018 The Brendan Fraser story is a good reminder to always side-eye established‚ assumed narratives. So many people have been beaten up and spit out by our major institutions‚ forgotten until we cycle back around to empathy.— A.B. (@AlannaBennett) February 22‚ 2018 He's also earned some public support from actor Terry Crews‚ who has publicly discussed experiencing a similar incident years ago."Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this‚" Crews wrote on Twitter. "His assault experience is extremely similar to mine — ending with the assailant explaining away his actions. One man's 'horseplay' is another man's humiliation."Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this. His assault experience is extremely similar to mine— ending with the assailant explaining away his actions.One mans “horseplay” is another man’s humiliation. https://t.co/nNjtmKq5D7— terry crews (@terrycrews) February 22‚ 2018 Victims of sexual harassment and assault often face deep shame and fear in speaking out. Speaking out takes courage.Speaking out after experiencing harassment or assault can be an incredible challenge‚ often full of personal and professional risk. Though the majority of assaults are against women‚ men face their own similar challenges in overcoming shame‚ doubt‚ and repercussions for coming forward and speaking out. When men like Fraser and Crews speak out‚ they help clear the path for other men to come forward with their own stories.This story originally appeared on 08.06.19

When I saw these incredible photos Angelo Merendino took of his wife‚ Jennifer‚ as she battled breast cancer‚ I felt that I shouldn't be seeing this snapshot of their intimate‚ private lives.The photos humanize the face of cancer and capture the difficulty‚ fear‚ and pain that they experienced during the difficult time.But as Angelo commented: "These photographs do not define us‚ but they are us."This article originally appeared on 11.5.13