Newsletter Archive

VIDEO: A 26-year-old Ghanaian immigrant is being remembered as a hero after losing his life while saving neighbors from a fire. Private Emmanuel Mensah, who served in the Army National Guard, repeatedly returned to the burning New York City building, saving four people. Firefighters later discovered his body on the fourth floor. His father tells VOA that the way Mensah died is proof his son lived a life of meaning.

Desmond Meade still can’t vote in Florida even though it’s been 14 years since he served prison time. He’s earned a pair of college and law degrees since then, but not the right to choose his elected representatives. Meade is one of more than 6 million American citizens who’ve lost their voting rights due to a felony conviction, something that disproportionately affects African-Americans like Meade. Now he’s out to change the law in Florida, where more than 1-in-5 African-Americans can’t vote.

‘Leakers are traitors and cowards,’ according to a tweet from President Trump, who is frustrated by the steady stream of behind-the-scenes information staffers seem to be divulging to the outside world. That made us wonder whether leaking inside information is truly treasonous.

VIDEO: From refugee to success in Silicon Valley, Sophia Mahfooz has overcome major hurdles to make it in the male-dominated tech world. The challenges can be especially great for immigrant women, but she and other female Afghan immigrants are thriving. VOA went to the San Francisco area to find out what drives them.

VIDEO: The war didn’t end for Vietnam veterans like Tom Geerdes right when they came home. Facing disapproval from his friends and family, Geerdes took a 6-week bike ride, but that wasn’t what healed him.