Gretchen Smail
Reporter + Editor
I spoke to an environmental nonprofit in the Bay Area about their settlement with Valero over a series of alleged petcoke leaks, which can cause health problems if inhaled.
Unable to effect change at the state level, evangelical pastors in Southern California have turned county school districts into cultural battlegrounds by endorsing far-right candidates who pass "forced outing" policies.
A hedge fund executive teamed up with Washington State Republicans to put seven initiatives on the ballot that critics said give tax breaks to the wealthy. One that targeted LGBTQ+ students is already in litigation.
Capstone project about how engineers are hoping that machine learning can help doctors diagnose skin conditions on Black and brown patients—but Black dermatologists are concerned this will only worsen the care gap.
Attended a rally where I interviewed a formerly unhoused person and several experts about how Mayor Adams' plan could end up further stigmatizing homelessness and mental illness.
Health data often groups different Asian ethnicities together, leaving many Asian women with an incomplete picture of their health risks, especially when it comes to STIs and cervical cancer.
I spoke to conservationist and Hawaiian elder Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala about what's at stake for Hawaiians when we disturb the ocean floor while mining for green technology metals.
Covered a protest where the participants asked: why is the world's biggest plastic polluter sponsoring the UN's annual climate conference?
Interviewed, wrote, took photos, and helped code (using Python) for this story about how NYC has failed to track the number of Asian Americans living in poverty.
Spoke to an environmental activist and community members about a developer's plan to build a truck depot rather than affordable housing units in Harlem.
Blog writing exercise for a climate change reporting class. I interviewed two researchers about aquifers and groundwater depletion.
Women’s rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver and Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler discuss their work helping victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I spoke to several psychologists about why Squid Game's commentary on capitalism spoke to audiences so much.
Spoke to Michelle Yeoh about her acting career, motherhood, and Everything Everywhere All At Once for Bustle's "Life at 28" series.