Austa Somvichian-Clausen

Lead Respect Writer at Changing America by The Hill, City Editor at InsideHook covering Washington, D.C. and New York City. Dynamic freelancer with a deep love of travel, culture, and the environment. Proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.







I'm also a freelance writer and creative consultant living in New York City. My primary beats are social justice, culture, food, and travel, but I've covered everything from the rise of organic marijuana (for National Geographic) to social media slacktivism (for Women's Health in print), and beyond. 


Though I'm currently based in NYC, I've also called Washington, DC and Los Angeles home (and take assignments in both cities). I hold dual U.S. and Icelandic citizenship, so I'm also able to work across Europe without requiring a visa. 


Formerly: Apartment Therapy, National Geographic.


TheHill •

The DOJ launches official investigation into Louisville policing practices following the death of Breonna Taylor

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced yesterday that the Department of Justice intends to launch a sweeping investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department. The news arrives on the heels of a guilty verdict handed to former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found responsible for the death of a Black man, George Floyd. Floyd’s death amongst others, especially men of color, at the hands of police officers inspired the opening of a pattern or practice investigation i
InsideHook •

Three World-Class Road Trips for When You’re Ready to Leave New York

New Yorkers have been largely confined to the indoors for going on 14 months. Now that vaccines are rolling out and temps are rising, it’s time to reconsider — starting with a good old-fashioned American road trip. With an abundance of destinations just a few hours’ drive away, the world — or at least the Eastern Seaboard — is a New Yorker’s oyster. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach weekend, hiking trip or cultural sojourn to a smaller, more walkable city, you can do it all without ev
TheHill •

The U.S. joins forces with Norway, Britain and companies like Amazon to save the world's rainforests

The United States has teamed up with the Norwegian and British governments, as well as companies like Amazon and Nestlé, to launch a project aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the world’s tropical forests. On board so far are well-known companies from Airbnb, Boston Consulting Group to GlaxoSmithKline, McKinsey, Nestlé, Salesforce, Bayer and Unilever. Those nine companies have committed to working with the U.S., Norway and Britain to invest at least $1 billion in the plan
TheHill •

Can carbon offsets make up for the environmental impacts of NFTs?

Earlier this year the art world was taken by storm as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, made their digital appearance in the marketplace. Anyone who has been following news of these controversial works knows a few things to be true, namely that their creation comes at a high environmental cost, and that they can be sold for sky-high monetary costs. Last month an NFT by the artist Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, sold at a record-breaking $69.3 million, the third-highest price achieved by a livi
InsideHook •

A Five-Course Dinner Series to Stop Anti-Asian Hate Comes to NYC and SF

A poignant 2020 memory for many Asian Americans remains the first time we witnessed then-President Trump call the novel coronavirus the “Chinese virus.” At the time, the World Health Organization was cautioning everyone to avoid using the derogatory and misleading term, among others such as the “kung flu” and the “Wuhan virus.” It was hard to fathom such an offensive term being used by a sitting U.S. President; sadly, it was also completely unsurprising. Fast-forward to the present and we can s
TheHill •

600 manatee deaths in Florida raise concerns over sustainable habitat

This story is from The Hill's Changing America publication. Environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of Florida’s waterways after the deaths of more than 600 manatees so far this year, three times the average rate. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission first started raising concerns in December when manatees began dying in the Indian River Lagoon Area, one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and home to
TheHill •

Black family's beachfront CA property seized during Jim Crow era is being returned — and it's worth millions

California state and Los Angeles County legislators are trying to provide justice for the descendants of a Black couple who owned a beach resort in Manhattan Beach, before the property was torn from them during the Jim Crow era. More than a century ago in 1912, Willa Bruce purchased lots along the beach for $1,225 and ran a popular lodge, cafe and dance hall that provided local Black families a way to enjoy their weekends on the coast during a time of strict racial segregation. The area was ref
InsideHook •

Learn How to Make a Half-Smoke From the Person Who Made Them DC-Famous

When Virginia Ali and her husband Ben first started brainstorming about the dream of opening their own little restaurant, the first thing they had to do was decide what kind. A full-service ordeal was off the table for them, and Virginia says that hamburger places were a dime a dozen: “We thought we could try the old American hot dog.” One of the many elements that has continued to distinguish Ben’s Chili Bowl over the past 60-some-odd years is Ben’s special chili recipe, of course. Virginia sa
TheHill •

The long-awaited legalization of marijuana in New York takes aim at issues of racial equity

This week, New York became the 16th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, finally overcoming years of stalled attempts. The cannabis legislation was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday, following a day of intense debate among lawmakers in Albany. Through the new program, millions of dollars of tax revenue from cannabis will be reinvested into minority communities that have continued to be ravaged by the decadeslong war on drugs. The robust program legalizes cannabis for
TheHill •

Everything you should know about the Derek Chauvin trial over George Floyd's death

On the third day of Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, a witness who saw the early moments of George Floyd’s arrest last Memorial Day broke down in tears while on the witness stand. “Oh my god,” Charles B. McMillian said as he wiped tears from his face upon watching the emotional video of Floyd calling for his mother and saying “I can’t breathe.” It has now been 10 months since the death of Floyd, who died in police custody after Chauvin sat with his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Pu
TheHill •

New York man arrested for violently attacking a 65-year-old Filipino woman

A man in New York was arrested and charged early Wednesday morning in connection to an attack on a 65-year-old Filipino woman earlier this week. The brutal assault was captured on camera Monday morning just before noon in the Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. The victim was walking to church when the attacker yelled racist slurs at her before he began to assault her, unprovoked. The victim was kicked in the stomach, which knocked her onto the sidewalk. Her assailant then proceeded to s
TheHill •

In Minnesota, a rape conviction thrown out because the victim drank alcohol first

According to the Minnesota Supreme Court, a person who is sexually assaulted while intoxicated does not fit the designation for a more serious charge if he or she consumed the alcohol or drugs voluntarily, an opinion that altered the fate of both convicted sex offender Francois Momulu Khalil and his victim. Four years ago in May 2017, a woman identified in court documents as J.S. met Khalil outside a bar in Minneapolis. At the time J.S. was 20 years old and had already taken five shots of vodka
TheHill •

Farmworkers say they are essential workers without essential protections

When Norma Flores López was growing up, her least favorite crop to pick was the onion. “For any 12-year-old coming back from spring break, the last thing they want us to smell like was onions, and let me tell you: once you have that smell on your hands, you cannot wash it off,” says López. “That made me very not popular at school [she laughs], so those were actually sort of my first moments of realizing, oh man, I'm not like some of these other kids. These kids were coming back from spring bre
InsideHook •

One Year Later: How Small Businesses Across DC Have Evolved Amid a Pandemic

It’s been over a year now since Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the temporary closure of non-essential businesses — a very long year. During the last 365 days — which have felt more like 365,000 — businesses have been through the absolute wringer. Some of the city’s longest-running establishments, like Howard’s Deli, Cafe Montmartre and DC dive bar royalty The Big Hunt have all been forced to permanently shutter. Virginia Ali, longtime owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl, told InsideHook that the last year
TheHill •

Reddit investors pull together to adopt 3,500 gorillas in less than a week

Earlier this year, Redditors caused a stir when they started buying up stock in companies like Gamestop and AMC Theatres, as well as the cryptocurrency DogeCoin. Now, they’re making waves for another reason — some pretty massive charitable donations. Last week, amateur investors from the now-infamous Reddit community called r/WallStreetBets (WSB) pulled their funds together to spend their gains on animal conservation. Species such as elephants, pangolins and sea turtles all benefited from the k
TheHill •

Heard NFTs are bad for the environment? Here's what that means

This Monday, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey combined past and future when he sold his first-ever tweet as an NFT, or nonfungible token, for $2.9 million. A simple introduction to what grew to be one of the largest social media platforms in the world, the tweet read: “just setting up my twttr.” That small piece of social media history is now owned by Sina Estavi, the chief executive officer of Malaysian blockchain service Bridge Oracle. Estavi, who likened his new internet real estate to Leonard
TheHill •

The controversy over wildlife killing contests

“Do you think you have what it takes to win the highest paying hunting contest in the country? Then put your money where your mouth is, and enter the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest.” The tagline of the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, this call to action refers to only one of more than 600 wildlife killing contests in the state of Texas. These privately organized events involve a growing number of participants competing for prizes, whether in the form of cash or hunting equipment, by either killi
TheHill •

Will Cuomo's recent scandals make the case for NYC's first female mayor?

New York City is typically known as being powerful, progressive and a city of firsts. In November 2020, Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones, two New York candidates, became the first two openly gay Black men elected to Congress after they were declared winners in their House races. Less than a month ago, the city’s first Black female schools chancellor, Meisha Porter, was named by mayor Bill de Blasio. One important seat of local power has yet to meet an important first, though — New York City h
InsideHook •

45 DC Chefs Assemble to Fight Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

Since the coronavirus pandemic started last year, many Asian Americans have felt uneasy while out in public. Even for those who were born in this country, and have lived here our entire lives, we knew to be cautious while dining, traveling or even walking through a city during these past 12 rough months. Kevin Tien, the owner and executive chef of modern French-Vietnamese restaurant Moon Rabbit, has felt a particular fear using chopsticks in front of strangers. “Maybe it’s in my mind, or maybe
TheHill •

Eight killed in Atlanta-area massage parlor shooting, among them six Asian women

Eight people were killed in a series of shootings in the Atlanta area on Tuesday. The horrific series of events unfolded within an hour, as a shooter likely made their way to three massage parlors in the area. Atlanta police said they found five people who were shot inside Youngs Asian Massage Parlor, two of whom died on the scene and three who were transported to the hospital where two of them also died. All four of those who died were Asian women. Just under an hour later police responded to
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