U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy kicked off a national tour highlighting mental health with a visit to Duke University. Murthy was addressing what he described as the growing problems of loneliness and isolation on college campuses, according to a report from WRAL News. (October 2023) …
Some Colleges Providing Naloxone, Fentanyl Test Strips
Some colleges are helping students stay safe by providing free naloxone and fentanyl test strips to students to prevent drug overdoses. Shiv Sudhakar of Fox News reports that the test strips can determine if recreational drugs are laced with fentanyl. (October 2023) …
Navigating US Campus Challenges as an International Student
Mandi Kanhema, a student from Zimbabwe studying at the University of Oklahoma, says international students face hidden barriers and a lack of resources. She talks about them here. (October 2023) …
Weekend Box Office Muted Without ‘Dune: Part Two’
The North American box office had one of its slowest weekends of the year, due in large part to “Dune: Part Two’s” absence from the lineup. Moviegoers had many other options to choose from. The video game adaptation “Five Nights at Freddy’s” repeated its first-place ranking, followed by “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” still going…
Indigenous Drag Queens Combine Politics, Glitter
More than a dozen U.S. states have enacted or introduced legislation to restrict drag shows. The moves are the product of socially conservative momentum against shows where performers who are mostly men dress mostly as women. Gustavo Martinez Contreras reports from a unique show in New Mexico. Camera: Gustavo Martinez Contreras. …
Thousands of Ancient Coins Found Off Sardinia
A diver who spotted something metallic not far from Sardinia’s coast has led to the discovery of tens of thousands of ancient bronze coins. Italy’s culture ministry said Saturday that the diver alerted authorities, who sent divers assigned to an art protection squad along with others from the ministry’s undersea archaeology department. The coins dating…
India Overtakes China as Top Source of Foreign Students in US
For the first time in 15 years, China is no longer the top source of international students in the United States. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that as of September, there were more than 320,000 active Indian student-visa holders, compared with 254,000 from China. (October 2023) …
Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Celebrates Women, Black Artists
Sheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night, and Missy Elliott closed the show more than four hours later with a roof-shaking set, as the hall celebrated a strong representation of women and Black artists. Chaka Khan, Kate Bush, “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius,…
Stellar Women’s Field Takes Aim at New York City Marathon Record Sunday
The New York City Marathon women’s record, which has stood for 20 years, could go down Sunday with one of the strongest fields assembled in the history of the race. Reigning champion Sharon Lokedi looks to defend her title against a stellar group of female runners who include Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, Olympic gold…
New US WWII Museum Pavilion Addresses Conflict’s World-Shaping Legacy
A new, permanent addition to the sprawling National WWII Museum in New Orleans is a three-story complex with displays as daunting as a simulated Nazi concentration camp bunk room, and as inspiring as a violin pieced together from scrap wood by an American prisoner of war. The Liberation Pavilion, which opened Friday, is ambitious in…
US Artist’s ‘Cathedral of Junk’ Draws Visitors, Helps Keep Texas Capital Weird
In a city whose slogan is “Keep Austin Weird,” one artwork stands taller than the rest. The backyard “Cathedral of Junk” draws visitors from around the world. Deana Mitchell has our story from the Texas capital. …
International Student Dives into American Football
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…
Beatles Release New Song With John, Paul, George, Ringo and AI Tech
The final Beatles recording is here. Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. There’s a countdown, then acoustic guitar strumming and piano bleed into the unmistakable vocal tone of John Lennon in the song’s introduction: “I…
International Student Overcomes Rough Start in US School
Kae Takazawa, a student from Japan studying at El Camino College in California, found adjustment to campus life a rough road. Financial issues, language barriers and health problems made for a rough start. Takazawa writes about the experience in The Union, the school’s newspaper. Read it here. (October 2023) …
Destruction of Dam Leads to Archaeological Discoveries in Dnipro River
After an explosion destroyed the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, the water level dropped in the reservoir above the dam in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Since then, archaeologists have found hundreds of valuable artifacts in the newly exposed areas of the site in the Khortytsia National Reserve. Eva Myronova has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA…
International Student Shares Experience After Maine Mass Shooting
The recent mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, sent college students in the area into lockdown. One of them was Alan Wang, a 21-year-old student from China who studies at Bates College. He spoke to Diego Lasarte of The New Yorker about the experience and how it’s changed his opinion of the U.S. (October 2023) …
On Israel and Gaza, University Presidents Tread Softly
Activists, donors, students and the media are reading university statements carefully. With reputations and donations on the line, presidents are struggling to find the right words. Nick Anderson of The Washington Post has more. (October 2023) …
Student from Nigeria Discusses Adjusting to US Life
David Obiukwu, a student from Nigeria studying at Allen Community College in the U.S. state of Kansas, talks about his experiences as an international student and gives advice on adjusting to college life. Read his comments in The Allen Flame, the student newspaper, here. (October 2023) …
South Korean Student Urges Princeton to Better Educate International Students on Race
Princeton student Ukyung (Heidi) Nam, a first-year student from South Korea, says that the school’s International Orientation program needs to do a better job of educating students on race in America. “IO shouldn’t stop at teaching about topical and logistical issues, such as visas and paid work,” she writes in The Daily Princetonian,…
Saudi Arabia Likely to Host 2034 World Cup After Australia Decides Not to Bid
Saudi Arabia is all but certain to host the men’s 2034 World Cup after the Australian soccer federation decided not to enter the bidding contest, which had been widely seen as shaped by FIFA to suit the oil rich kingdom. FIFA had set Tuesday as the deadline to formally declare interest in hosting the tournament,…
Spanish Soccer Official Who Kissed Unwilling Star Player Is Banned for Three Years
The Spanish soccer official who provoked a players’ rebellion and reckoning on gender when he kissed an unwilling star player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final trophy ceremony was banned for three years on Monday by the sport’s global governing body. Luis Rubiales’ conduct at the Aug. 20 final in Australia —…
Malian Artists Decry Suspension of French Cultural Exchange
Adiara Traore was due to travel to France with an international dance troupe before France suspended visa services in Mali, and the French Ministry of Culture asked the country’s artistic union to “suspend cooperation” with artists from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Amid tensions between France and Sahelian juntas, Malian artists and their supporters are…
Paris Palestinian Exhibit Casts Eerily Prescient Spotlight on War in Gaza
The photos of property are neatly lined up, looking — at first glance — like a classic window display at any real estate agency. “Calm, light filled, and unobstructed surroundings,” reads one, indicating the location as the Ezbet Abed-Rabbo neighborhood, in northern Gaza. “Garden + parking: 120 square meters. Inhabitants: 10 people.” The photo above…
Purdue University Marks Record International Student Class
Purdue University Fort Wayne has enrolled 182 international students from 22 countries, making it its largest group of first-year international students ever. Inside Indiana Business has the story. (October 2023) …
Day of the Dead Celebration in Los Angeles Connects Mexican Americans to Their Heritage
As October gives way to November, Halloween is followed by the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexican American communities across the U.S. to honor the memory of loved ones who have died. Genia Dulot visited one of the largest events, the Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — at…
Love It or Hate It, Feelings Run High Over Candy Corn Come Halloween
Cruel joke for trick-or-treaters or coveted seasonal delight? The great Halloween debate over candy corn is on. In the pantheon of high-emotion candy, the classic shiny tricolor kernels in autumn’s white, orange and yellow are way up there. Fans and foes alike point to the same attributes: its plastic or candle-like texture (depending on who…
Video Game Adaptation ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Notches $130 Million Global Debut
It hardly mattered that “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming this weekend. Fans flocked to movie theaters across the country to see the scary video game adaptation on the big screen, which made $78 million to top the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. Universal Pictures…
Albinism Pageant Winner Says Event Gave her Sense of Purpose
A glittering crown on her head and a bouquet of flowers in her hands, Andreia Solange Sicato Muhitu beamed at being named the co-winner of the inaugural Mr. and Miss Albinism Southern Africa pageant. The 28-year-old Angolan model has competed in beauty pageants in her home country since her teens and won some of them.…