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.


Thrillist •

Escape DC Without Leaving Town By Visiting These 8 Places

Once in a while, a quick escape from the norm is necessary. Take into consideration the year we’re all having -- one which can only be described time and time again as “unprecedented,” and the desire to escape only grows. Despite travel not being an option for many right now, there are still ways to get that quick but oh-so-sweet break from reality right now, without even leaving the DMV. With that in mind, we pulled together a list of our favorite places for escapism -- from secret gardens to s
TheHill •

First-time voters make their voices heard on LGBTQ+ issues and beyond

Throughout 2020, members of Generation Z have been making headlines for some pretty unorthodox demonstrations of their political views — from bombarding far-right Twitter hashtags with Korean pop (K-pop) content or rallying on video platform TikTok to promote a mass purchase of Trump rally tickets. According the the Pew Research Center, Generation Z, those born in 1996 or later, is the most pro-government and anti-Trump generation. With that being said, they do not hold the same party alliances
thrillist •

How to Support DC’s Latino-Owned Businesses Right Now

In Washington DC, there is a diverse Latino presence to celebrate -- the 12th largest in the nation, to be exact. Many Salvadorans call DC home, and because of that Washingtonians never experience a shortage of delicious pupusas, the famous pork and cheese-filled pockets for which the country is known. For the past decade, the number of Latino business owners has also grown a whopping 34 percent according to American University, and the Latino community is the largest growing group in the metro
TheHill •

T-Mobile to give free internet to 10 million students in need

The start of September usually marks a return for students back to the classroom, but pandemic-related concerns are keeping a record number of them at home. Many of these students are now expected to participate in remote learning, meaning they will require a solid internet connection at all times in order to participate in lessons, assignments, activities and more. Remote learning presents a challenge to many students and their families who either cannot pay for or do not have access to high s
TheHill •

A California assembly member voted on the House floor with her newborn in tow after being denied the ability to vote remotely

When the final night of the session and one of the most important votes — on affordable housing and key family leave policies — rolled around, California assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) realized what she must do. Wicks had just given birth to her daughter Elly, who was born with jaundice, a few days earlier on July 26. Elly’s condition means that Wicks cannot be away from her for an entire day, as her baby requires consistent nourishment to stay healthy. Wicks was understandably worried a
TheHill •

Celebrate Women's Equality Day with this award-winning female historian

Today marks the hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which sealed into law that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Now recognized annually as Women’s Equality Day, the historic adoption of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, kicked off a century of uneven-but-steady progression for the legal voting rights of all women in the United States. Fast forward to the presen
TheHill •

New study confirms that female-led countries fared better against coronavirus

This year, world leaders have largely been measured by their responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Soon after the outbreak began to quickly spread, a theory emerged that female leaders had been reacting exceptionally well to the pandemic, keeping infection levels low in their country and coming up with inventive ways to keep their citizens safe and well-informed. Back in April, we spoke with Kathleen Gersen, a professor of sociology at New York University, about the idea that female-led countr
TheHill •

It has been 100 years since the passing of the 19th Amendment

It has officially been 100 years since Aug. 18, 1920, the historic day that the 19th Amendment was ratified and women were, in so many words, granted the constitutional right to vote in the United States. It’s an event glamorized and glorified in textbooks, an event that did help pave the way for the progression of the women’s rights movement, especially in the realm of politics. But many Americans are unaware of the full story. In reality, the 19th Amendment didn’t even name women explicitly,
TheHill •

HBO's 'Stockton on My Mind' features a young mayor at the helm of a struggling city

Directly post-commencement, most college grads are sussing out their next move, whether that means finding a desk job or continuing their education even further. For Michael Tubbs, it was a different story altogether. After graduating from Stanford University in 2012 on a full ride scholarship, Tubbs returned to his hometown of Stocktown, Calif., to mourn the loss of his young cousin who was shot to death — his stay extended indefinitely when he decided to run for, and won, a seat as the city's
InsideHook •

Will the Pandemic Kill DC’s Food-Truck Scene?

DC Slices is one of many trucks that have left the city in search of greener pastures Perhaps you remember the movie Chef that came out a few years ago starring Jon Favreau. The one where he is married to Sofia Vergara, starts up a food truck with his young son in Miami, and is so immediately successful that Gordon Ramsay offers to fund the opening of his next restaurant? If you haven’t, apologies for the lack of spoiler alerts. Regardless, it’s just the kind of Hollywood magic that can paint
TheHill •

Joe Biden selects Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate, making history

Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he had chosen Kamala Harris, a prominent senator from California, to be his running mate for the upcoming 2020 election ballot. The decision marks a historic moment in the gender and racial equality movement, as Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, will soon be the first Black woman to run on a major political party’s presidential ticket. If elected, she would also be the nation’s first female, first Black and first Asian American vice pres
TheHill •

Kansas could elect its first openly transgender lawmaker to state legislature this year

From the young age of 12, Stephanie Byers knew she wanted to become a music teacher, and that’s exactly what she did. “When I was a kid I started band practice, in sixth grade, and my band director made life just...wonderful and fun. I kind of grew up in a tough neighborhood and where I went to school there were tons of kids like me that, you know, did not have money,” says Byers. “This gentleman made us all realize that we were somebody, and it didn't matter how much money we had or didn't hav
InsideHook •

The 5 New DC Watering Holes and Pop Ups That Might Just Save Summer

While there’s no way to delude ourselves into thinking that the rest of this summer will feel normal, or to totally forget about that long lost summer trip, we can at least sip some margaritas and take in the sunshine in one of DC’s brand new outdoor drinking locations — the very next best thing, in our opinion. From pop up spots with human-sized frozen-drink machines to the new Blagden Alley “streatery,” here’s where you can find us this month. This Park View bar has kept itself more than bu
TheHill •

Latinos disproportionately affected by coronavirus, sheds a light onto existing inequities

This July, the United States registered more than 1.9 million new COVID-19 infections, making it increasingly obvious that the infectious disease isn’t going anywhere any time soon. As case numbers around the world continue to slowly wane, here in the U.S. they are surging in several Midwestern states as well as the South and West, where the virus has been spreading rapidly after restrictions were lifted earlier this summer. By now, more than 4,770,000 coronavirus cases and 156,000 fatalities h
TheHill •

Art museum uses special campaign banners to help reverse air pollution

In an effort to contribute to the green movement, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, recently invested in some interesting outdoor advertising. The new campaign centers around promotion of a freshly installed Olafur Eliasson exhibition to the museum — an artist who aims to expose “some of today’s most urgent issues” to museum-goers, asking them to reflect on their understanding of the environment through the use of natural materials such as moss, fog and glacial ice. Promotion of the exhi
TheHill •

Kevin Valdez of Apple TV+'s 'Little Voice' on being an actor with autism

The new music-filled series “Little Voice,” which debuted on Apple TV+ earlier this month, is a comforting antidote to the hectic 24-hour news cycle set in a pre-COVID New York City. While the show may center around the gifted but self-doubting songstress Bess, one of the show’s real breakout stars is Kevin Valdez, who plays the lead character’s brother, Louie — an aspiring Broadway actor who lives in a group home for those on the autism spectrum.
InsideHook •

How to Get an Excellent Workout at Your Local Track and Field

Summertime is usually something you prepare for in advance, whether that means booking some weekend trips or putting in extra gym visits to hopefully achieve the ever-elusive summer bod. This year is different for obvious reasons, and while we’ve all been focusing on flattening the COVID-19 curve, many of us have been gaining curves of our own — sometimes affectionately referred to as the “Quarantine 15.” We understand if you’ve been itching to get back into the gym for those reasons and more,
InsideHook •

Five Brand New NYC Rooftops You Should Probably Visit ASAP

In what appears to be the turnaround of the century, life in New York has finally begun to form some semblance of what it was pre-pandemic. After two months of strict quarantine that simultaneously felt like a full year and one endless day, the number of new cases and hospitalizations have dropped to their lowest rates since March. It’s good news, but numbers don’t stay that good without exercising some pretty serious caution. Currently, more than half of the country is on a Tri-state quarantin
TheHill •

The Great American Outdoors Act passes with bipartisan support

This Wednesday marked the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act, which garnered a rare, sweeping bipartisan support when it made its way through Congress. The bipartisan unity enjoyed yesterday by the historic conservation and public lands bill comes at a time of national crisis, as the country continues to contend with the coronavirus pandemic and prepares for negotiations over how to address the economic and public health fallout from the spread of the disease. Back in June the bill was
TheHill •

Online retail giant Zappos is now selling single shoes to help those with disabilities

Popular online shoe retailer Zappos just launched a refreshingly inclusive shopping experience, in which single and different sized shoes are now available for purchase. The pilot program is the first-of-its-kind, and allows customers with physical disabilities the opportunity to purchase exactly what they need for their specific situation. “The Single and Different Size Shoes Test Program is very close to our hearts – we wanted our community to know that we heard them, and continue to listen a
Load More Articles
Close ✕