Nation May 27 University of the People offers students a new and affordable college experience The cost of a college education has been under scrutiny amid crippling levels of student debt. That's also true in some cases for online degrees of dubious quality and outcomes. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on an effort…
Nation May 21 Minneapolis reflects on changes 5 years after George Floyd’s murder The Trump administration is walking away from police settlements in two major cities and closing investigations in six others. It comes days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. His killing sparked intense protests with calls for racial justice…
Nation May 13 Minnesota works to address murders and disappearances of Black women Despite making up 15 percent of the female population, almost 40 percent of the women and girls reported missing last year were Black. Despite national pressure to abandon programs addressing disparities, an effort in Minnesota is exploring the problem and…
World Apr 10 Senegal struggles to cope with climate change despite promises of help from other nations In 2009, a group of wealthy nations committed to helping less developed countries cope with the effects of climate change. But where the $100 billion goes has been tough to verify and critics say the effort has done little to…
World Feb 13 Senegal group finds some success in stopping genital mutilation in African communities It's a taboo topic and an age-old practice across several countries and religious traditions in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. An estimated 230 million women and girls are subjected to genital mutilation. One group in Senegal has had success…
World Jan 09 U.S. aid leaves out local groups addressing food security in Africa, critics say One of the biggest challenges facing sub-Saharan African nations is how to help farmers withstand climate and economic headwinds and produce food for a growing population. Critics say most U.S. aid dollars are going to U.S.-based companies with little involvement…
Nation Jan 08 Is U.S. foreign aid for health care being used effectively? The vast majority of foreign aid administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development goes through middlemen, international aid agencies or U.S.-based private companies that then distribute the assistance. Critics say the system leaves out many deserving locally-led startups and…
World Jan 07 Where does U.S. foreign aid go and does it make an impact? The U.S. has long been one of the world’s largest donors of foreign aid. But in recent years, its effectiveness has been called into question by a chorus of critics who say the impact of assistance programs falls well short…
World Nov 18 Ghana becomes dumping ground for the world’s unwanted used clothes An estimated 20 million people are thought to earn their livelihoods in the global waste industry by collecting, disposing, repairing or repurposing a wide range of materials and products. However, the cost and consequences of handling waste are borne far…
World Nov 15 How ‘donations’ from the West are inundating Ghana with toxic waste When Americans no longer want a car, laptop or clothes, where do some of those goods go? Most end up in the Global South, where millions of people depend on repairing, dismantling or selling them for a livelihood. Environmental groups…