Despite Equity Issues, Internships Are Still Worth It 

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Did you know that undergraduate students who finished a paid internship are more than twice as likely to finish college with a job offer as those without any internship experience? That’s just one of the points raised by Noah Isenberg in his op-ed. Despite persistent diversity issues with internships, especially the fact that poorer students often cannot afford to work for free, they remain an essential “real-world” experience for students, he claims. Read the argument from Isenberg, an associate dean at the University of Texas at Austin, in the Chronicle of Higher Education. (October 2023) …

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Police Investigate Fentanyl-Filled Envelopes Sent to US Election Offices

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Authorities were hunting Thursday for whoever sent suspicious letters — including some containing fentanyl — to elections offices in at least five states this week, delaying the counting of ballots in some local races in the latest instance of threats faced by election workers around the country. The letters were sent to elections offices in the presidential battlegrounds of Georgia and Nevada, as well as California, Oregon and Washington, with some being intercepted before they arrived. Four of the letters contained fentanyl, the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported in a statement to elections officials Thursday. “Law enforcement ismore

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Republican Presidential Candidates Back Israel at Latest Debate

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Five Republicans hoping to be their party’s candidate in next year’s U.S. presidential election debated Wednesday night, expressing support for Israel in its war against Hamas, while clashing over China and Russia. Not appearing on the debate stage in Miami was Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House after losing the 2020 election. Trump has not appeared at any of the three Republican debates, and while holding his own rally nearby on Wednesday called the event with his competitors “unwatchable.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who appears a distant second place in opinion polls, saidmore

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Republican Debate Candidates Narrow to 5

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The third Republican presidential debate took place Wednesday in Miami, Florida, featuring fewer candidates than past debates. The candidates tried to set themselves apart from each other and from front-runner Donald Trump with several international issues. VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti brings us the highlights. …

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Takeaways From the Third 2024 Republican Presidential Debate

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Five candidates seeking to halt Donald Trump’s march toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination gathered in Miami on Wednesday for the party’s third debate while the former president held a separate campaign rally across town. Here are some takeaways from the debate: Laying blame One night after a stinging series of election losses at the hands of Democrats, the candidates vented their frustrations on the debate stage. “I’m sick of Republicans losing,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. DeSantis has long contrasted his successful reelection last year in Florida with Republican setbacks in the last few elections, including Trump’s loss inmore

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Minnesota Court Dismisses ‘Insurrection Clause’ Challenge, Allows Trump on Ballot

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump will stay on the Minnesota primary ballot after the state supreme court Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to end his candidacy under a rarely used constitutional provision that forbids those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. The Minnesota Supreme Court declined to become the first in history to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to prevent someone from running for the presidency. The court dodged the central question of the lawsuit — does Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualify him from the presidency — by rulingmore

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How Can Colleges Better Support International Students? 

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International students are valued by schools in the U.S., both for the global perspectives they provide, and for the tuition dollars they bring in. Despite this, students often struggle to adjust to the American education system. For Inside Higher Ed, Ashley Mowreader reports on how colleges can culturally integrate students from other countries. (October 2023) …

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Prosecutor Says Politics Didn’t Affect Hunter Biden Investigation

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U.S. Special Counsel David Weiss, who is leading the probe into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden, told the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that he faced no political interference, contradicting earlier whistleblower testimony.  Weiss has charged Hunter Biden, 53, with crimes related to owning a firearm while using illegal drugs. The president’s son has said he struggled with addictions to alcohol and crack cocaine.   House Republicans allege the Justice Department improperly interfered with the investigation of Hunter Biden, whose brushes with the law are a central focus of their impeachment inquiry into the president. The White Housemore

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Even at Princeton, International Students Face Legal Obstacles

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The Daily Princetonian, Princeton University’s campus newspaper, spoke with undergraduate students navigating the post-graduation job search. Despite their prestigious degrees, many report limited job options and say they have to apply to in-demand jobs in tech and consulting to have a shot at an H1-B visa. Claire Meng, Sandeep Mangat and Michelle Miao report. (October 2023). …

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War in Middle East Upends Dynamics of 2024 House Democratic Primaries

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Most members of the U.S. Congress have stood firmly behind Israel since the Hamas attack last month, but not Cori Bush. The Missouri Democrat called Israel’s response a “war crime” and an “ethnic cleansing campaign,” and was among the few House members who opposed a resolution supporting Israel.  Her unwavering stance has angered some in her district. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on Monday dropped a U.S. Senate bid to challenge Bush in next year’s 1st District Democratic primary, and moderate Democrats believe he could win.  Bush isn’t alone.  She’s among a small group of Democrats viewed bymore

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International Student Dives into American Football

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Isabella McNutt, a student from Budapest, Hungary, studying at the College of William & Mary in the U.S. state of Virginia, went to her first American football game at the school. “It’s a surreal daydream of dressing up in gold and green and going to tailgates before herds of students flood the stadium to see a series of fumbles, sacks and, hopefully, a touchdown or two,” she writes in The Flat Hat, the student newspaper. Read her story here. (October 2023) …

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US House to Vote on Republicans’ Standalone $14.3 Billion Israel Bill

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The U.S. House of Representatives plans a vote on Thursday on a Republican plan to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel by cutting Internal Revenue Service funding, setting up a clash with the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. Republicans unveiled the bill on Monday, in the first major legislative action under new House Speaker Mike Johnson, despite President Joe Biden’s request for a broad $106 billion package that would include funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid. The bill will face its first test of support in a morning procedural vote, a hurdle it needsmore

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US House of Representatives to Vote on Proposal to Remove George Santos

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The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on whether to expel New York Representative George Santos because of his indictments for corruption. Santos pleaded not guilty to a 23-count federal indictment on October 27 that included charges of laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits and using donors’ credit cards without their consent. The charges also include Santos reporting a false $500,000 campaign loan and lying to the House about his assets. The 35-year-old lawmaker has seen his congressional career marred by controversy since its beginning, when it was revealed that much of themore

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Biden Nominates Asia Expert for Deputy Secretary of State

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U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated Kurt Campbell, the U.S. National Security Council’s coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, to be the State Department’s No. 2 diplomat behind Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In an email obtained by VOA and addressed to State Department staff members, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Campbell’s nomination “comes at a critical inflection point,” coinciding with the United States’ investment in an “unmatched network of alliances and partnerships” in the Indo-Pacific. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Campbell will replace Wendy Sherman, who retired on July 28. Campbell was assistant secretary of state formore

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