Get into it!

Behold: The beautiful chicken tender, a gift to us all.

FROM MUA HQ

The week of October 5, 2024 was celebrating all the sweetness we can.

As we enter into the Days of Awe, the world feels a little bitter (read: completely unhinged) so we’ll pursue and create what tenderness and beauty we can. Shana Tova to all, and may your year be filled with sweetness and light. 

• Have you tried an awe walk?
• Rebecca’s apple strudel is the comfort food we need right now
• We have stumbled upon the vortex of jelly wax candy ASMR and, well…we’re sleeping better

MASH-UPS IN THE NEWS

Tim Walz’s State Became A ‘Trans Refuge.’ Here’s What That Means And How It Happened
NPR

It has a lot to do with Gov. Tim Walz but also with Rep. Leigh Finke, the first transgender member of Minnesota’s state legislature and the force who spearheaded the trans protection bills — which Walz ultimately shepherded through. Yes, people who live in and travel to Minnesota can receive abortions and gender-affirming care. No, the state will not kidnap your children to make them trans.

How Culturally Specific Information — And Misinformation — Targets Latinos
FEET IN 2 WORLDS

It’s partly because of information deserts, partly because of the language barrier. Step 1: Meet Latinos where they are, i.e. Spanish-language radio and TV. Step 2: Stop acting like they’re a monolith. “Many liberal orgs use the word ‘progresista’ to describe a candidate’s progressive politics, even though that term is often associated with socialist dictatorships in Latin America. You’re going to lose our communities because you just want to give one message.”

Disability Rights Advocates Say Adult Changing Tables Prevent Humiliating Bathroom Situations
IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH

There’s a growing national effort to make public bathrooms more accessible in places like airports, parks, and gas stations — and it’s about time. Without such options, people with disabilities often wind up being changed on bathroom floors, in cars, or even on the ground outside. Iowa, Ohio, California, and Arizona are just some of the states making this the new default.

MacArthur Foundation Announces 2024 ‘Genius’ Grant Winners
THE NEW YORK TIMES

The list reads like a Mash-Up roll call and we looove to see it. You’ve got Sterlin Harjo, co-creator of Reservation Dogs; there’s cabaret singer Justin Vivian Bond; 75-year-old former U.S. poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera; and 19 other incredible amazing stupendous geniuses — including disability justice activist and friend of MUA Alice Wong (!!). Speaking of, it’s a good time to revisit our interview with her.

How Chicken Tenders Conquered America
THE NEW YORK TIMES

The story goes that they were invented in New Hampshire 50 years ago, and — like many stories about dishes that became touchstones of American cooking — starts with immigrants. These days, you can’t go anywhere without seeing chicken tenders/nuggets/strips on the menu, and for that we are grateful. Our tip: Eat them with kimchi.

What a 1,000-Mile Railway Across The Yucatán Jungle Says About Mexico’s Outgoing President
LOS ANGELES TIMES

The $30-billion Tren Maya is the signature project of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Is it a life force that’ll attract global tourists, on top of having created 100,000 construction jobs? Or is it an ecological tragedy that destroyed precious rainforest and ancient ruins, diverting resources from more-critical efforts like fighting crime? The people are split.