Valerie Hamilton

Valerie Hamilton reports on the west coast and the US-Mexico border for US and European public media. She lives in Los Angeles.

Recent Stories

Climate Change

How European kids are schooling politicians on climate change

The World

March 14, 2019

Thousands of students in Europe and elsewhere have been skipping school on Fridays to demand their governments take stronger action against climate change. Some teachers and politicians are pushing back, but the students are getting support from their elders as well.

Greece hopes Brexit will stir a renewed debate over Parthenon Marbles

The World

November 14, 2018

More than 200 years ago, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire took a large part of the decorative marble sculptures and architecture off the outside of the Parthenon and brought them to London, where they now sit in the British Museum. For nearly 200 years, Greece has been asking for them back, to no avail.

Environment

How a forest became Germany’s poster child for a coal exit

The World

November 13, 2018

For decades, RWE has been slowly razing the forest and surrounding towns to expand its adjacent coal mine, among Europe’s largest producers of lignite coal and greatest sources of carbon dioxide pollution. And earlier this fall, the company moved to start cutting a new section that protesters have been occupying.

Environment

What Munich's coffee houses learned about waste from beer culture

The World

August 14, 2018

Take-out coffee cups are a popular American import that are filling up the country's trash bins. Now there's an effort in Munich to replace throwaway cups with cups you borrow and return, inspired by the longstanding practice at the city's famous beer gardens.

Economics

North Korean diplomats are beating sanctions to raise cash with this Berlin hostel

The World

June 11, 2018

North Korea owns City Hostel Berlin building and leases it to a German hotelier for 38,000 euros per month — despite UN sanctions. It's just one way this unusual landlord brings in hard currency to support the regime.

Environment

In Germany, miners and others prepare for a soft exit from hard coal

The World

December 11, 2017

Germany is shutting down the last of its underground coal mines next year, and the the way it's handling the end of this once-dominant industry could be a model for the US and other countries.

Jobs

Women in Germany's east earn close to what men do. Can we thank socialism for that?

The World

December 07, 2017

Even though Angela Merkel is its political leader, Germany has one of the worst gender wage gaps in Europe. But the picture is different in the East.

Environment

Germany talks a good game on climate, but it's still stuck on coal

The World

November 15, 2017

Even as it makes a big push into green energy and hosts big climate conferences, Germany has remained stubbornly reliant on coal for a big share of its energy. That might finally be starting to change.

Conflict

How Hitler's birthplace in Austria handles its unwanted landmark

The World

August 17, 2017

The Austrian government wanted to knock down the house where Hitler was born. But the town said no, you can't stop people from remembering history. But you can try to make sure that when they do, they know what really happened.

Food

Travel the world on an ice cream tour in Los Angeles

The World

August 11, 2017

“We love vanilla, chocolate ... but you still have that memory of what you ate back home,” says Smita Vasant, who left her corporate job to open Saffron Spot in Los Angeles.

Valerie Hamilton

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