Newsletter Archive

The tech industry is bracing for a hit. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that will likely limit the use of special visas for skilled foreign workers. Critics, including the president, say skilled-worker visa programs have hurt American workers. But some within the tech industry worry cracking down on the visas could have unintended consequences.

Last year, women accounted for more than half of the computer science graduates at Harvey Mudd College in California. The school overhauled its computer science program a decade ago to attract people who don’t have a background in computers in hopes of drawing groups — including women and minorities — who are underrepresented in the high-tech industry.

Clandestine cell phone calls from people living in parts of Mosul controlled by Islamic State reveal a world beyond the front lines that’s rapidly descending into a living hell as residents run out of food, fuel and water. Worried that residents are sharing valuable information with the Iraqi army, the terror group has banned the use of mobile phones. In Iraq, VOA learns from soldiers fighting IS that the terror group is right to be scared of people and their phones.

QUICK TAKE VIDEO: Kurdish security forces in northern Iraq say they’ve confiscated dozens of cell phones that Islamic State militants rigged with explosives for terrorist attacks. VOA is in Kirkuk as Kurdish officials put the potentially deadly cell phones on display and explain how they work.

SPECIAL REPORT: Terror unmasked. VOA takes a look inside Boko Haram, one of the world’s deadliest extremist groups. Hours of raw video recorded by Boko Haram, and obtained by VOA, offer a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the militants and the atrocities they commit against Nigerian civilians.

Getting to class on time? President Trump’s temporary travel ban has plunged foreign university students who hope to attend school in the United States into a state of uncertainty. More than 17,000 university and graduate students from the seven banned countries attended classes in the United States last school year. VOA visits students in Hargeisa, Somaliland — including some who’ve already been accepted into American colleges — who now worry their dreams of studying in the United States could be over.

VIDEO: Behind the wheel. In many parts of America, everyday activities like going to work, taking children to the doctor, and running errands, require a car. Not having a vehicle can also lead to lost job opportunities. That’s why a program near Baltimore, Maryland, provides low-cost vehicles to struggling families. The donated cars and vans sell for $900 and the recipients get a 12-month loan so they also establish credit, along with the new set of wheels.