Wisconsin Legislator from Gambia Measures Success by Others’ Access

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The different diaspora groups that now make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians from the African diaspora who are changing the face of American politics. One is Samba Baldeh, who came from Gambia. Here is his story in his own words. Video: Betty Ayoub, Abby Sun in Wisconsin; Bubacar A. Batchilly in Gambia Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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Chinese Students in US Reflect on COVID Chaos

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Ryan Wang was among hundreds of thousands of Chinese students at U.S. colleges or universities who struggled over whether to return home to China or remain in the United States when the COVID-19 pandemic surged in the spring of 2020. “When the pandemic started in China [months earlier], I felt lucky I was already back to the U.S. for the new semester,” Wang, a Chinese undergraduate studying economics at Columbia University in New York City, told VOA. Unlike Wang, many international students had not returned to the United States from winter break in January 2020 and fretted that they wouldmore

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Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy Won’t Seek Reelection

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Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the longest-serving member of the Senate, said Monday he will not seek reelection in 2022 to the seat he has held for eight terms. Leahy, 81, said he and his wife, Marcelle, have concluded that “it is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home.” The announcement marks the end of a political era. First elected to the Senate in 1974, Leahy is the last of the so-called Watergate babies who were elected after President Richard Nixon’s resignation.more

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Former US Congressman Beto O’Rourke to Challenge Texas Governor Abbott

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Beto O’Rourke, the former U.S. congressman from Texas whose surprisingly close 2018 loss to Senator Ted Cruz made him a Democratic star, said on Monday he will challenge Republican Greg Abbott in next year’s race for governor of the state. O’Rourke has been seen as his party’s best option for the 2022 gubernatorial race even after his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination failed to garner much support amid a crowded field of candidates. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas, the second most populous U.S. state, in three decades. Abbott, who is facing two Republican challengersmore

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Unseated Representative Pushes for DC Statehood, Healthcare

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The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. One is Oye Owolewa, whose parents came from Nigeria. Video: Betty Ayoub and Abby Sun Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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In Minnesota Statehouse, Lawmaker With Nigerian Ties Promotes Inclusion

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The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. One is Esther Agbaje, whose parents came from Nigeria. This is her story in her own words. Video: Betty Ayoub Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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Low Expectations Ahead of Biden-Xi Meeting

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White House officials are taking pains to lower expectations ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday evening.  Both the U.S. and the Chinese are referring to it as a “virtual meeting” rather than a summit as a way to temper hopes of a major breakthrough. “This meeting is about our ongoing efforts to responsibly manage the competition, not about agreeing to a specific deliverable or outcome,” said a senior administration official in a briefing to reporters Sunday evening. Other White House officials have underscored this point in recent days. There are certainlymore

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 US Colleges, Universities See Sharp Losses During Pandemic

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The number of students studying at U.S. colleges and universities sharply declined for the school year that started in September 2020. Experts attribute the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic.   A survey of almost 3,000 institutions of higher education in the U.S. showed a 15% decrease in the number of international students attending the 2020-2021 school year.   The number of new student enrollments was slashed by 45.6%.  This brings the total of enrolled international students to 914,095, the first time since the 2015-2016 academic year the number fell below the 1 million mark after a decade of swift increases.   International students comprise 4.6% of the nearly 20 million students enrolled in U.S. higher education.   The number ofmore

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