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Leave it to Cardi B to take voluminous hair to the next level. Yesterday, the rapper gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how her glam for an Interview Magazine spread came together — and if you think it’s just a matter of well-placed hair extensions, think again. 

During the recent photoshoot, Cardi wore not one, not two, but six wigs sewn onto her head. Describing the extensive process on Instagram, she detailed exactly how her ultra-glam look came together, writing: “This has 6 wigs in one !!!! This was 6 wigs together…Sooo nope we didn’t use 30 bundles we used 6 wigs.” Cardi also credited her hairstylist Mia Jackson, known professionally as Tokyo Stylez.

The accompanying two-minute video shows Stylez artfully arranging each wig before sewing it in place; meanwhile, Cardi keeps count. When the wig placement was all said and done, Stylez styled the hair in a dramatic side part with cascading curls.

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This was just one of a few different styles Cardi wore for the Interview shoot (published alongside an interview conducted by none other than Mariah Carey): At the top of the video, the rapper mentions another look that it sounds like they photographed right before reconvening in the styling chair. The second look, which can be seen in the magazine spread, involved an entirely different wig, with three sleek buns styled in a beehive shape to create a half-up, half-down look.

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Cardi B is no stranger to wigs; in fact, it’s kind of her thing. She currently has her hair styled in a pink pixie, but that hasn’t stopped her from changing it up whenever the mood strikes. One of her favorites seems to be a waist-length black wig styled pin-straight with a middle part, but she’s been seen rocking everything from rainbow waves to curls with doll heads woven in. For the rapper, it appears that these wigs are just another extension of her art.

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SLMD Skincare, the product line created by beloved TV dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee — also known as Dr. Pimple Popper — just put out its first face mask treatment targeted to treat and prevent.

The new SLMD Clear Out mask was developed, tested, and approved by Dr. Lee, who created a formula rich in sulfur, salicylic acid, and zinc oxide to gently exfoliate and eliminate acne-causing bacteria without over-drying the skin. The mask is suitable for all skin types, but it’s especially effective on acne-prone skin — we’re looking at you, pandemic-induced stress pimples and maskne.

In her own clinical experience, Dr. Lee says sulfur is a “powerhouse” ingredient for treating acne. “It helps stop the growth of bacteria on the skin’s surface while exfoliating and shedding dead skin cells,” she explains in a video posted on the SLMD Skincare’s website introducing the latest addition to her product line and the label’s first-ever face mask.

The mask — available on the SLMD website for $34 — has a thick cream consistency and should be applied to clean skin in an even layer, avoiding the delicate eye area, per Dr. Lee’s instructions. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with warm water, pat dry, and follow up with a serum or moisturizer of your choice. You can repeat the treatment up to two to three times a week, depending on how your skin responds.

While this is the first mask to be released under the SLMD label, the brand does have a full range of products, many targeted towards fighting breakouts and other common conditions like hyperpigmentation and keratosis pilaris. Plus, if Dr. Pimple Popper’s viral videos have taught us anything, it’s that she’s uniquely equipped to solve those chronic, seemingly unsolvable skin issues.

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As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on the Equality Act today, which offers much needed legislative protections for the LGBTQ+ community, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene decided that it would be a good time to post a transphobic sign outside of her office.

After the House debate on the bill — during which Greene called the Equality Act “disgusting, immoral, and evil” — Illinois Rep. Marie Newman, a freshman Democrat from Illinois, raised a transgender pride flag outside of her office to signal support for the proposed legislation. The freshman Democrat’s daughter is transgender — and Newman’s office happens to sit directly across from Greene’s.

Greene’s actions on the House floor went beyond simply voting “no” on the Equality Act, by delaying and even attempting to block its passage when she made a motion to adjourn so her colleagues could, she tweeted: “rethink destroying #WomensRights and #WomensSports and #ReligiousFreedom.”

Newman posted a tweet of her own in response to Greene, that included a video of her hanging the flag up, and a very clear message to her fellow representative: “Thought we’d put up our Transgender flag so she can look at it every time she opens her door.”

Greene, who recently lost her committee memberships by promoting extremist conspiracy theories, quickly fired back with her own video. In it, she placed a poster outside of her office, saying: “There are TWO genders: Male & Female. Trust The Science!”

Our neighbor, @RepMTG, tried to block the Equality Act because she believes prohibiting discrimination against trans Americans is “disgusting, immoral, and evil.”

Thought we’d put up our Transgender flag so she can look at it every time she opens her door 😉🏳️‍⚧️ pic.twitter.com/dV8FatQFnx

— Congresswoman Marie Newman (@RepMarieNewman) February 24, 2021

Our neighbor, @RepMarieNewman, wants to pass the so-called “Equality” Act to destroy women’s rights and religious freedoms.

Thought we’d put up ours so she can look at it every time she opens her door 😉🇺🇸 https://t.co/7joKpTh6Dc pic.twitter.com/aBGRSiIF6X

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 24, 2021

The back-and-forth drew attention online, leading a number of lawmakers to denounce Greene’s behavior. “This is sad and I’m sorry this happened,” tweeted Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. “Rep. Newman’s daughter is transgender, and this video and tweet represents the hate and fame driven politics of self-promotion at all evil costs.”

Newman’s fellow Illinois Democrat Rep. Sean Casten called Greene’s sign “sickening, pathetic, unimaginably cruel.” Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly from Virginia, who has displayed a transgender pride flag outside his office since 2019, tweeted that Greene “should probably avoid the Rayburn building too if she doesn’t want to see another ‘disgusting’ symbol of love and acceptance.”

This is far from the first time that Greene has publicly discriminated against the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this month, Greene co-sponsored legislation called the Old Glory Only Act that would ban U.S. embassies from displaying LGBTQ+ Pride flags. In January, she co-sponsored a bill called the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act, which would prevent trans people from participating on sports teams according to their gender identity.

Though Greene’s bigoted legislation has little chance of going anywhere, the Equality Act does, and will hopefully usher in a new era under the Biden administration. If passed, the Equality Act would expand housing and civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in more public places. Democrats introduced it last Thursday, and it is the first step in advancing a series of historic measures President Joe Biden has pledged to sign during his first 100 days in office. Should it be passed, it would amend existing laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to include explicit language banning LGBTQ+ discrimination in the workplace, education, housing, and other areas of life.

During the debate on the bill, Newman mentioned her daughter, saying, “Without the Equality Act, millions of Americans like my daughter can be denied housing, education, and more simply because they identify as transgender. I’m voting to pass the Equality Act for my daughter — the strongest, bravest person I know.”

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal responded to Newman’s speech saying, “From the mom of one trans kid to another, we will pass the #EqualityAct – for Evie, for Janak, for thousands more to be able to fully be who they are.”

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The U.S. Postal Service has been plagued by continuous delivery delays for nearly a year now, and many people are hitting a breaking point with their frustration over it. There are currently reports of people getting second notices on missing packages before receiving the first one, adjusting prescription requests to account for delays, and holiday packages still being in transit. As a result, dozens of Democratic senators are demanding answers from the Postmaster General himself.

In a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy last week, 30 senators pointed out that nationwide on-time delivery is currently 64% for First-Class Mail and 45% for periodicals like magazines and newspapers. They also wrote that delays are even worse in many areas of the country. The USPS has not yet released its on-time scores for the start of 2021, but at the end of 2020, First-Class Mail was only being delivered by the intended date 38% of the time, reports The Washington Post.

“Our constituents have experienced missed paychecks and court notices, delayed critical prescriptions, an inability to reach small business customers and suppliers, lost rent payments and delayed credit card payments resulting in late fees, breakdowns in service to their communities, late personal mail such as holiday packages, and more,” reads the letter. “Reportedly, mail delivery has not yet recovered after the peak season, with constituents continuing to experience delays despite the tireless efforts of postal workers.”

DeJoy is developing a 10-year strategic plan to address these problems, reports NPR. The House Oversight Committee will discuss the proposal sometime today, but early versions of the plan are already drawing criticism from congressional Democrats, as well as some of the USPS’ biggest customers. While DeJoy has not discussed the details of the plan publicly, The Washington Post says it includes slowing the delivery time of some local first-class mail and up to a 9% jump in postage rates that would be compounded annually. 

“This work is not only needed, it is long overdue. As we finalize our plan, we look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks. Until we have the additional discussions…and the plan is finalized, it would not be appropriate to provide such details,” DeJoy said in a statement.

But public and professional faith in how DeJoy — a former logistics executive and major Republican donor — runs the USPS has been waning since he took the helm in mid-June last year. By late August, DeJoy was standing before Congress facing questions from lawmakers over mail-delivery delays that began shortly after he took the position. DeJoy came under intense scrutiny again when sweeping policy changes at the Postal Service led some to question whether it was linked to former President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots. DeJoy denied that any changes to the USPS were linked to the November elections.

Congressional Democrats are also asking that President Joe Biden overhaul the Postal Service’s leadership. There are currently four open seats on the nine-member board of governors, and no more than five members of the board may belong to the same political party. If Biden filled those empty seats with Democrats, it would create a majority with the power to unseat DeJoy if put to a vote. As president, Biden does not have the power to directly fire DeJoy.

On Monday, the White House released a statement saying that Biden was focused on filling board vacancies with nominees who “reflect his commitment to the workers of the U.S. Postal Service — who deliver on the post office’s vital universal service obligation.”

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In a recent Harper’s Bazaar profile, we were reminded of a celebrity head-to-head we had all but forgotten about. It is the almost decade-long standoff between two lifestyle experts: Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow. The profile in question makes reference to a 2014 interview Stewart did with Porter Magazine in which she said of the GOOP founder, “She just needs to be quiet…If she were confident in her acting, she wouldn’t be trying to be Martha Stewart.” And this hot drama was not the first time Stewart threw jabs at Paltrow. Since around 2013, Stewart has been throwing this type of shade at Paltrow’s lifestyle venture, making her perhaps the first person to side-eye GOOP and its out-of-touch, overpriced product recommendations. However, side-eye makes it sound like a passing glance. Stewart has actually spent years making shade-filled comments about GOOP. Let’s investigate:

It all started in the fall of 2013 when Bloomberg TV asked Stewart what she thought about Paltrow’s lifestyle venture. Stewart, rather passive-aggressively responded: “I haven’t eaten at Gwyneth’s house, and I’ve never seen how she lives. But if she is authentic, all the better. I mean, I certainly hope she is…She wants to be a lifestyle arbiter. Fine. Good. I think I started this whole category of lifestyle.”

In 2014, while at Fortune Magazine‘s Most Powerful Women Summit, Paltrow acknowledged that she was aware that Stewart had accused of “trying to be Martha Stewart,” in the Porter Magazine interview. “No one has ever said anything bad about me before, so I’m shocked and devastated,” she reportedly joked. “I’ll try to recover. If I’m really honest, I’m so psyched that she sees us as competition. I really am.” That same week, Paltrow announced the new CEO of GOOP, Lisa Gersh. Prior to working for Paltrow, Gersh was president and CEO of Martha Stewart Living, Stewart’s lifestyle brand. “She’s the perfect person to build on the momentum we have already created at GOOP,” Paltrow said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time.

But wait! It doesn’t end there: In the November 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living, Stewart made a not-so-subtle reference to Paltrow’s infamous “conscious uncoupling” comment made in reference to her separation from ex-husband Chris Martin earlier that year. The publication featured an article headlined “Conscious Coupling” in which Stewart writes about flavor pairings that work well in pies. We’d say it could have been a coincidence, but come on.

Stewart once again dissed GOOP in 2017 during an appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live. “Who’s Goop?” she joked, responding to a fan calling in to ask what she thought about the brand. 

In 2019 (are you tired yet?), Stewart was a guest on The Corp podcast, hosted by Alex Rodriguez, during which she discussed her success and career. When asked by Rodriguez how she would describe what Paltrow is doing today in comparison to what she created years ago, Stewart responded: “I don’t follow GOOP. Sometimes I look at products that she’s selling…I wish every young entrepreneur well and I hope that there are many, many, many different kinds of entrepreneurs…if they’re movie stars or hardworking women like I am, who are not movie stars.” In the history of language, we don’t think the word “or” has ever been so loaded with not-so-hidden meaning.

However, Stewart didn’t appear to mention anything about Paltrow to Harper’s Bazaar this time. Instead, she focused on her self-described solar system of businesses, her lasting influence on lifestyle brands as a whole, and her recent venture into CBD gummies. It’s probably for Paltrow’s best, considering the numerous scandals that have erupted from her GOOP recommendations of late — like suggesting her readers purchase an $8,600 gemstone hiking necklace for wellness purposes. Or perhaps that she is trying to profit off of the pandemic all together.

We would love to know what Stewart would have to say about the hiking necklace, but it seems like she’s too busy reinventing her brand and hanging out with Snoop Dogg to notice.

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Just before the weekend, Hilary Duff decided to once again delve into the world of bright and bold hair colors. With the help of a team of stylists, the actress went from her signature buttery blonde to vibrant cotton-candy blue. 

“Well…. you guessed it,” Duff wrote on her Instagram on Friday. “The minute I got home from New York I needed a change.” She gave a gushing shoutout to her L.A.-based stylists Nikki Lee and Riawna Capri for making her hair-color itch a reality. For anyone wondering if Duff, who is currently pregnant, chose blue as a sneaky gender reveal, not so fast. “I swear this doesn’t mean I’m having a boy,” the actress clarified. “My mom thought I was trying to tell everyone something!”

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Not only did Lee and Capri create the coolest shade of icy blue for the Younger star, but they shared their process so stylists could recreate the look. Though you should be warned: Duff says this color took “all damn day.”

To achieve true blue and not a variation of green, Lee had to begin by bleaching Duff’s hair to remove any yellow-blonde pigment. A word from the wise: Never forget color theory when dyeing your hair. “We did a quick pre-tone to kick out any unwanted yellow before applying the blue,” Lee explained to Refinery29 via email after the fact. “This was an important step, as blue mixed with yellow could’ve gone green.”

To go from bleach to blue, Lee then used Joico Color Intensity Dye in the shades True Blue and Mermaid Blue — specifically, one part True Blue, one part Mermaid Blue, and two parts Clear to dilute — and applied that mixture from roots to the mid-shaft. For the ends, she cocktailed the Mermaid Blue with “just a splash” of Peacock Green for dimension. To make sure Duff’s hair came out glossy, smooth, and healthy, Lee and Capri finished off the process by using In Common Crystal Cashmere deep-conditioning treatment to both seal in the color and rehydrate the hair (which is a very important step after the hair’s been hit with bleach and dye).

If you’re a licensed colorist or a trained salon professional, you can use this product guide. However, Lee would not recommend taking a DIY approach to cotton-candy hair color. Instead, she offers that a safer option would be a semi-permanent dye, like Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color in the shade Light Cool Denim. Unless you have some experience, you might want to leave the bleaching portion to the pros: When it comes to hair health, at-home lightening can be a risky proposition.

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Winter is slowly but surely coming to an end, and even though we don't anticipate traveling anytime soon, we are craving a getaway to somewhere sunny and warm. Thanks to Bath & Body Works' new Tropical Paradise collection, we can mentally escape to a faraway beach just by lighting a wick.

Between the snow and social distancing, we've all been inside far more than we'd like, so what better way to burn off some cabin fever than by lighting a candle or two, listening to a Summer Vibes playlist, and pretending like we're on vacation? This candle collection is full of new island-inspired scents, like Mango Mai Thai and Coconut Sandalwood, that will help you wait out these last weeks of winter. Ahead, we've compiled our favorite jars — and they all smell like a little bit of sunshine.

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Kate Mara is singlehandedly bringing back one of the most quintessential ’90s hair trends with her new haircut — and we’re feeling the grungy vibe. The actress updated her look from a simple mid-length hairstyle to a short, asymmetrical near-pixie cut with the help of celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak, who described the new chop on Instagram as a “’90s shagged bob.”

While the top of the cut is kept long and heavily layered with cheekbone-grazing bangs, the back is a tapered shave that gives the whole look an edgy, ’90s heartthrob-inspired feel that Mara pulls off perfectly.

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No stranger to the pixie haircut, Mara has chopped her hair short numerous times. In fact, she’s experimented with her look quite a bit throughout her career: short hair, long hair, natural brunette, platinum blonde — you name it, she’s tried it. However, in recent years, and in her recent starring role in the Hulu series A Teacher, Mara has worn her hair in a blunt, simple mid-length style.

Mara has yet to share a photo of her new look on her own Instagram, but she did repost Roszak’s work on her Instagram Story. Hopefully we’ll get a closer look at the cut soon — with spring on the horizon, a fresh cut in the form of a ’90s-inspired shag might be just the right inspiration for our next salon appointment.

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Eva Mendes tends to keep a low profile, but every once in a while, she shares a beauty product or procedure she swears by — and immediately has our attention. This time, her product endorsement comes direct from her go-to facialist, Dr. Mariana Vergara: an at-home face roller that’s only $20.

In an Instagram video posted over the summer where she recommended the roller for the first time, Mendes showed her skin mid-facial, with Vergara wielding a double-pronged facial massager. “Since I can’t see her as much as I’d like to during these times, her affordable beauty tool is helping me fight gravity a little bit,” Mendes captioned the clip, calling out The Golden Wand, designed and sold by Vergara.

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The Golden Wand claims to reduce wrinkles and remove dark circles by stimulating blood circulation resulting in an “instant face lift.” It also promotes better absorption of skin-care products. Bonus: this one is waterproof, meaning you could store it in the shower for a mini skincare treatment while you wait for your deep conditioner to soak in.

On Vergara’s website, where you can buy the roller, she suggests two different at-home massage techniques. The first is for a sculpting massage, during which she encourages people to roll in an upward motion for lift. The second one is for lymphatic drainage. For that, she suggests using downward motions as the thoracic lymph nodes are actually located in the chest area. But Vergara stresses that this isn’t a treatment that needs precision: It’s about what works best for your skin and what kind of result you’re looking for.

Facial massages are no longer just something you get during a spa visit. Thanks to new and innovative products, you can give your skin a nice lift and roll everyday, if you want. Plus, now the tech-y devices are becoming more and more affordable — meaning that, for $19.99, you can stay at home safely and still reap the benefits of a professional facial.

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As federal investigations and court hearings continue to move forward, more details emerge about who the Capitol rioters are when they are not storming a federal building and threatening to harm government officials. One recent Washington Post article detailed a correlation between Trump supporters and financial insecurity. It profiles a few different people charged with participating in the insurrection, but outrage quickly ensued online accusing the story of redemption reporting due to the way it portrayed the defendants they interviewed.

The article prefaces that “no single factor explains why someone decided to join in.” But an analysis of public records for the 125 current defendants showed that nearly 60 percent of those facing charges show signs of prior money troubles ranging from notices of eviction or foreclosure to unpaid taxes and bankruptcies. Their collective bankruptcy rate was twice as high as the US average. This alone, according to the Post, may provide some insight into how former President Donald Trump was able to resonate with so many people.

But online, as people began to denounce the story’s positioning, one particular rioter, Jenna Ryan, a real estate agent from Texas, became the focus. Ryan was not struggling — maybe she had in the past, but the Washington Post article introduces her as a woman who took a private jet to storm the Capitol. Describing Ryan as an “unlikely participant in the mob that stormed the US Capitol,” she is, just one paragraph later, revealed to have broken glass to storm into the building, bellowing security alarms, and shouting: “Fight for freedom! Fight for freedom!”

The article delves into her financial background and her history as a voter explaining that she became radicalized as the 2020 election drew closer. She cited far-right websites and conservative talk radio as sources of misinformation. Ryan admitted to following the sprawling extremist ideology, QAnon. “I bought into a lie, and the lie is the lie, and it’s embarrassing,” she told the Washington Post. “I regret everything.” 

But the question here is not whether the article itself is inaccurate in its suggestion of a commonality among the Capitol rioters. The real issue here is: why are we still trying to justify domestic terrorists by trying to understand their reasons for terrorizing?

“This is a completely ludicrous story about these people!” wrote one person on Twitter. “Lots of people have been having financial difficulties during these times, the majority did not make horrendous life choices and join in an insurrection! Stop giving excuses for Jenna Ryan and others behavior!”

Others criticized the media outlet for attempting to rationalize the actions of people being federally investigated for forming a riot to disrupt the democratic process because it didn’t deliver the result they wanted. Still, more people on Twitter asked why we should be looking for reasons to excuse the actions of Trump supporters when there isn’t the same commentary when people of color demonstrate and demand change.

Participation in the insurrection wasn’t limited to people from meager financial means or financial hardship believing the lies of a megalomaniac. Many people protested wealthy people included. Rioters came from varied backgrounds, but all were galvanized by Trump.

The blame does not entirely match the narrative of working-class Trump supporters. Among the rioters were CEOs coordinating busses to the Capitol, and lawyers seen posting live videos of themselves amidst the violent mob. To say that the rioters are all blue collar, MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters is to ignore the whole picture which allows for reductive explanations.

Financial problems among a majority of rioters shed new light on the events that took place on January 6, but this story illuminates another societal flaw: who do we humanize with lengthy profiles and detailed studies to justify behavior? Further, who do we afford the opportunity to explain their actions? Why does one person’s history determine their motives despite evidence to the contrary while another person’s history is used as absolution?

Whether they were part of an organized plot led by an extremist group or, like Ryan, came by consuming conspiracy theories through television, far-right websites, and social media, the fact of the matter is that, when spurred on by Trump’s dangerous rhetoric, they all took part in a violent attack on the Capitol. They didn’t stumble upon a gathering they thought was a parade only to discover that they were shoulder to shoulder with anti-government extremists and white supremacists. Everyone there arrived — as planned for weeks — in agreement with the false idea that the election was stolen from Trump and said “How high?” when he said jump.

When it comes to a violent insurrection, it is one thing to understand. To be understanding is something else entirely.

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Normally, a civil forfeiture case hearing in Texas’ 394th Judicial District Court would not be a noteworthy news event. But a dismayed lawyer trapped in the body of a virtual cat trying to work Zoom? Now, that is newsworthy. Rod Ponton, a county attorney in Presidio County, TX, was prepared to make a statement during a hearing on Tuesday when he realized that he was unable to turn off a big-eyed cat filter on Zoom. “Mr. Ponton, I believe you have a filter turned on in the video settings,” said presiding Judge Roy Ferguson. “Augggh,” responded an exasperated Ponton, perfectly captured in kitten form looking at the corner of the screen with concern. “Can you hear me, Judge?” the internet’s new favorite cat lawyer asks. Yes. Yes, cat lawyer, we can hear you.

Meanwhile, H. Gibbs Bauer, a human lawyer on the call, leans forward to get a better look at his temporarily feline colleague. Somehow, miraculously, he keeps a straight face. Another human on the call, Jerry L. Phillips, also managed to gaze at the furry legal practitioner unfazed.

“I don’t know how to remove it,” said Ponton, the cat filter perfectly lip-syncing. “I’ve got my assistant here and she’s trying to.” According to The New York Times, Ponton was using his secretary’s computer and she was “mortified” by the mix up.

“I’m prepared to go forward with it,” said Ponton, trying not to lose time during the hearing before crucially, and iconically, clarifying: “I’m here live. I’m not a cat.” And as if scripted perfectly in a writer’s room of seasoned comedians, Judge Ferguson responds: “I can see that.”

But wait! It gets better. Apparently, Ponton had no idea he’d become a viral sensation until about an hour after the hearing ended when reporters started calling. Then, when the video went up on the court’s YouTube page, the Judge himself tweeted out the link.

Practically instantly, the internet rejoiced, celebrating the perfect execution of the newly-dubbed Cat Lawyer, joining the rarefied ranks of videos like Knife Kid and BBC Dad. It was the video we didn’t know we needed as things like impeachment trials, a pandemic, and debates over stimulus checks make up the top news.

“If I can make the country chuckle for a moment in these difficult times they’re going through, I’m happy to let them do that at my expense,” Ponton told the New York Times. And chuckle the internet did. Mostly, people wanted to know where they could find the cat filter for their next Zoom call. Others fantasized about an alternate reality, or a movie, with an actual cat lawyer.

I can’t stop thinking about how the other two men on the #catlawyer zoom were not laughing AT ALL.

— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) February 10, 2021

I want someone to make a movie in which a lawyer is transformed into a cat and uses Zoom to continue working, pretending that it’s a filter he just doesn’t know how to remove.

— Naomi Kritzer (@NaomiKritzer) February 9, 2021

Cat lawyer may have survived that zoom hearing but good luck with the jury. pic.twitter.com/sGdXmYqSS0

— Vic Vela (@VicVela1) February 9, 2021

if this man ever practices zoom law as a human again I’ll be…. furryious https://t.co/rej6rVhrDc

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) February 9, 2021

Although the filter confusion took little more than a minute to sort out, the instantly classic meme that resulted from it will live rent free in our minds forever.

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Though it does not often make the national or international news, there has been an increase in attacks on Asian-Americans in the last year that many are directly attributing to misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories that Chinese people are responsible for the pandemic. Now, activists and celebrities are calling for greater attention to be given to the issue, as there’s been a surge of crimes targeting older Asian-Americans.

Last week, an 84-year-old Thai man died days after being attacked on the street in what his family believes was a racially motivated crime. On Wednesday, a 64-year-old woman was attacked and robbed as she got into her car in the middle of the afternoon in San Jose. The same day, a Filipino-American man was attacked on the subway in New York City. Noel Quintana, the 61-year-old who was attacked on the train, says that a man came to him and kicked his backpack. When Quintana asked him to stop, the suspect slashed his face from cheek to cheek before fleeing as soon as the train stopped.

These reports are just from last week alone. And have suddenly caught the media’s attention. But these occurrences are, unfortunately, not new: Since January 2020, reports of Asian and Pacific Islanders being threatened, harassed, and attacked have increased. A statement from the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), said the pandemic resulted in an “alarming escalation of xenophobia and bigotry.”

When the nation began targeted shutdowns in cities across the country, the FBI warned that hate crimes against Asian and Asian-American communities would grow, according to reports obtained by ABC News. And while numbers showing a more whole picture of the issue are difficult to come by, what is documented is a persistent increase in violence.

In an attempt to track incidents of hate, violence, harassment, and discrimination, the A3PCON, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on March 19, 2020. In the first 20 weeks of establishing a reporting channel, the organization received 2,583 reports nationwide. Updated statistics since the report’s October release are not yet available.

This uptick comes at a tumultuous time where many people, including political leaders, relied on racism to shift the blame of COVID-19 spread to Chinese people. On numerous occasions, former President Donald Trump insisted on calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” or the “Kung-Flu.” Even as reporters challenged his use of those terms, Trump adamantly defended his right to use them. Others, such as Rep. Paul Gosar called it the “Wuhan virus” after the city in China where it first appeared. In March, House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy referred to it as “the Chinese coronavirus.” When called out on it, he doubled down saying the name was appropriate because it is “a China-born disease” that was “made worse by a Communist Party that rejected America’s help to contain it.”

These dangerous misnomers extend beyond government officials. Many media outlets were criticized in early reporting of the coronavirus for frequently choosing images of Chinatown districts across the US to accompany stories about the spread of the virus. On May 8, 2020, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments to “act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.”

Extremist groups picked up on this language and began spreading xenophobic conspiracies suggesting that people from China were creating and spreading COVID-19 in order to profit from it or somehow weaken the US. Some co-opted these conspiracies as a vehicle to stoke nationalist sentiments by linking the pandemic to immigration, the Anti-Defamation League reports. Many of the incidents reported to Stop AAPI Hate included verbal harassment specifically referencing COVID-19 and demanding they “Go back to China.”

In response to increasing incidences of harassment and violence against Asian people, activists and celebrities are speaking out in order to call attention to the issue which has gone largely underreported. Last week, actor Daniel Dae Kim posted on Instagram about the attack of a 91-year-old man in Oakland, CA. The post included CCTV footage of the incident as well as still images of the suspect. Kim and fellow actor Daniel Wu offered $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

“We must do more to help the literally thousands of Americans who have suffered at the hands of this absolutely senseless violence,” Kim wrote. British actor Gemma Chan shared the footage on her own Instagram, saying, “This is difficult to watch but this is a plea for help. Hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans have skyrocketed. The community is in pain from these completely unprovoked attacks but the crimes are too often ignored and underreported.”

In an attempt at more widespread change, President Joe Biden directly addressed the issue in an executive action issued late last month in which he condemned the xenophobic language used in relation to the pandemic. The order calls upon the Justice Department to collect data on hate crimes and harassment directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. For Stop AAPI Hate, this is a significant first step that they hope is a signal of more to come to create lasting change. 

“A meaningful response will prioritize policies of public education, community mediation, and restorative justice to end racial bias and profiling,” reads a statement issued by Stop AAPI Hate that included a list of six suggested actions to address violence and discrimination. “Furthermore, we call upon President Biden to reverse other xenophobic executive orders and policies put into place by the Trump administration.”

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