Newsletter Archive

There already is something of a Muslim registry in the United States and civil rights groups are urging President Barack Obama to dismantle the program before he leaves office. The George W. Bush-era program, created by the Department of Justice after 9/11, registered foreigners from predominantly Muslim countries. The registry was gutted during Obama’s first term, but the framework remains in place.

VIDEO: Arabic music and dancing aren’t what most people expect at an American Thanksgiving celebration. New arrivals to the United States share a holiday dinner organized by a refugee resettlement agency that introduces Thanksgiving as part of the integration process.

‘It was the most demoralizing thing I’ve ever been through.’ Not only did Michael Emmons lose his software developer job to workers from India, he also had to train his replacements. Critics say U.S. employers regularly exploit worker visa loopholes to hire workers for lower wages, hurting Americans like Emmons. That system might change under President-elect Donald Trump, who made jobs and tougher immigration policies a hallmark of his presidential campaign.

Chemical weapon catastrophe fears: Concerns are mounting that Islamic State fighters battling to retain control of Mosul will turn to chemical weapons. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped inside the key Iraqi city. And, while Iraqi forces entering Mosul carry some protection against chemical weapons, the same cannot be said for residents caught in the cross hairs.

Sinjar, beloved home of the Yazidi people, was once a bustling Iraqi city, but today lies in ruins. VOA visits Sinjar and finds only a few families have returned since peshmerga soldiers captured the city from Islamic State a year ago. Locals describe the horrors of what they experienced when the terror group took over in 2014.

VIDEO: What’s Thanksgiving without the turkey? Americans are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow and a golden roasted turkey is likely to be the centerpiece on most tables. But at an animal sanctuary outside of Washington, D.C., live turkeys are the guests of honor at a vegan holiday potluck. Organizers are out to prove you can have a delicious feast without eating animals.