VICE Today

Is the Mexican Government Failing to Protect Journalists?

Anabel Hernandez Thinks So, and Fears for Her Life

Anabel Hernandez has been exposing corruption at the highest levels of Mexican law enforcement since 2008 despite numerous threats against her and her family. I talked to her about the Mexican government's lack of effort to protect journalists like her.

Nicaragua's $40 Billion Canal Would Fulfill Two Centuries of Ambition

Nicaragua's 200-year-old plans to build a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are back on the table. The National Assembly has reportedly given a Hong Kong-based company a 50-year concession to investigate, design, and potentially build the Inter-Ocean Nicaragua Canal. It's an audacious plan and was first proposed by Napoleon III in the early 1800s.

Jun 17 2013 Mat McDermott Tech

5

8

The Totally Unnecessary DJs of E3

Perhaps playing loud dance music inside a giant convention center where everyone else is also playing loud dance music and no one is there to dance is a waste of time. I don't need the "bass to drop" while I'm waiting in line to see the new XBox or to use the bathroom, thank you very much.

Pen Pals

There's No Sex in Prison Showers

The average guy in jail is so scared of homosexuals or people thinking that he might be gay that we all wear our underwear in the shower. We’ve all seen the jail shows and heard the endless “Don’t drop the soap” jokes, but in all the years I was locked up, I was hardly ever naked.

Really, Ryan?

Try Not to Destroy Your Life

A few months ago I tried molly for the first time in the bathroom of a bar in Brooklyn. I dissolved the powder in water, drank it, and waited till I felt different. A short while later, fireworks exploded all over my brain. Then, just like that, everything got worse and I found myself stranded in a bodega while the clerk called an ambulance.

Bad Cop Blotter

Stop SWAT Raids

Introducing Bad Cop Blotter, a new column where dangerous, arrogant, and stupid police behavior gets shamed, and good officers—on occasion—get praised. This week, we're looking at horrifically botched SWAT raids and more than one case of cops shooting mentally ill homeless men.

The IMF's Admission That Austerity Has Failed Is Going to Make the G8 Pretty Awkward

Today, David Cameron will chair the G8 in Northern Ireland. While he's there, he'll be dodging awkward questions about the virtues of austerity—a couple of weeks after the culprits behind the biggest experiment in austerity's history admitted that it was built on a false premise and utterly failed in its ambitions.

We Interviewed Flag, the Keith Morris Version of Black Flag

We spoke to Keith Morris, Bill Stevenson, Chuck Dukowski, and Stephen Egerton of Flag to find out what it's like being one of the two Black Flags currently touring, and bringing new life to the group's legendary catalogue.

Jun 17 2013 Ren Potts Music

5

8

The Battle for the Heart of Istanbul Rages On

What was set to be a relatively calm weekend in Turkey turned into a sleepless one. The past few days have been filled with death, teargas, and political grandstanding. And the atmosphere on the street and in people's apartments, remains incredibly anxious.

The Mare

To feel so much through something I was not part of was, of course, lonely. I began to wonder if it had been a mistake not to have children, to wonder what would’ve happened if I’d met Paul when I was younger. The third time we had sex, he said, “I want to make you pregnant.” It was too late.

Snitch on Snitch on Snitch - What to Expect from the Whitey Bulger Trial

This week, the racketeering and murder trial for infamous Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger finally began, roughly 18 years behind schedule. Bulger fled Boston based on a tip from a childhood friend that the Feds were finally coming after him. And now his former associates are waiting in line to testify against Bulger—after they made deals.

Toppling a Delicate World

Being Gay and South Asian In America

That both Bharati and the man she was about to marry were gay was no secret to relatives who participated in the spectacle. Yet, they roared with beetle leaf-stained teeth at jokes like, “Marriage is about give and take. Husband gives money and wife takes it. Wife gives tension and husband takes it,” and whispered “first night tips” into her ear.

Weediquette

Getting Chased by the Cops

In Philadelphia, the cops group all young men into very few categories. Either you are black, Hispanic, possibly black or Hispanic, or you are a college student. College students present no threat whatsoever and are thereby good to go in any circumstance of infringement, save for murder. If you’re in any other category, you might spend a bit more time explaining yourself.

Why Are the British Obsessed with Sheds?

To me—and probably to most Americans—sheds are little crappy booths some people store firewood or tools in. But in the UK, they have a Shed Week and a Shed of the Year contest and fans of sheds, who go around calling themselves "sheddies." I wanted to know more, so I investigated.

Sao Paulo Is Burning

Since June 1st, the streets of Sao Paulo have played host to a series of violent clashes between police and civilians protesting the rising cost of public transportation. First-hand reporting, photos, and video from three massive and chaotic demonstration on the streets and below ground.