Effective September 1, Santa Clara University will our home.

I’ve pondered for some time about where the future might lie for this work—if anywhere at all—in such an unsettled time for journalism. Almost by definition, Under-Told is an outlier in a space where financial support barely exists for the in-lying, especially after the rescission of all federal funding to public media. Meantime, the need for our mission of honest and thorough journalism—from all corners of the world—has never been more pressing.

Fortunately, we have a true believer in the leadership at Santa Clara University, one of the most dynamic institutions in higher education today. California’s oldest university, SCU is in the heart of Silicon Valley, where somehow, visions of humanity’s future possibilities register more vividly. That’s true at the Miller Center for Global Impact, where UTS will now reside, and across the postcard picturesque campus. Much of our work will, of course, continue to be in the far-flung field.

Our partnership comes with financial support to fill part of the void created by PBS’s retrenchment, along with critical fundraising assistance. SCU offers the best hope to sustain coverage of issues that underlie poverty and human suffering, with stories often overlooked in this breathtaking era of breaking hard news. I hope to renew our effort to increase the visibility of our storytelling in the undergraduate classroom.

Finally, thank you for your support, whether in lending an ear, sharing advice or story ideas or imparting financial support for this work. The need for all will continue. And I will continue to be in touch.

Warmly,

fred

PS: If you’re unfamiliar with the image, watch our 2019 “Hero Rats” story from Cambodia

Our PBS News Hour report is here

Watch PBS News Hour tonight to experience excerpts from these timeless songs and hear Thomas Hampson reflect on how they tell America’s story, capturing the nation’s character and connecting generations of Americans.

Tonight on PBS News Hour, we sit down with the young poet in his hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa, to explore the experiences that shape his work. From memories of his childhood in Nigeria to life in the American Midwest, Umemezie reflects on the dual identities that inspire his poetry and the power of words to bridge cultures, ask difficult questions, and imagine a better future.

Special thanks to my crack producer colleagues Sam Lane and Simeon Lancaster.

Warmly,

fred

“As much as we would love to reduce it down to one thing and figure this out and change Iowa’s rates, we would do that. But that’s not how cancer works.” -Dr. Mary Charlton, Iowa Cancer Registry.

Our Under-Told Story report on tonight’s PBS News Hour looks at the vexing search for answers, complicated by politics, economics and science itself.

One of them, Miguel Perez Espinoza — a college student and corporal in the Army National Guard — described placing his patrol cap on the dashboard of his father’s car in the hope that it might reduce the likelihood of an encounter with ICE.

Another student, Eva Skipwith, shared how the constant stress surrounding Operation Metro Surge has affected her education and sense of security.

“You hear the whistles, and my thought is, like, oh, my God, all this work that I have put in, if I’m taken, that’s gone. What am I left with?”

— Eva Skipwith

Beyond the recent immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, efforts are also underway to restrict access to financial aid for undocumented students.

Watch the full story to learn about how immigration enforcement policies are shaping the lives, education, and futures of college students across the country.

“Clearly that trauma has affected them. I can see it in their faces.”

Paul Pribbenow, President, Augsburg University

On the PBS News Hour tonight, a glimpse through the lives of students trying to soldier on in the wake of disruption and distraction

“I love my family to death and how they sacrificed everything to be here, to give me an education. And I will sacrifice what I can for them.” Miguel Perez Espinoza

As always, many thanks for watching, and for your support of this work!

fred

With drastic cuts in international refugee assistance even as numbers soar, children are missing school and food rations have been slashed.

Nowhere are the consequences clearer than at the health center — but it’s also where we saw resilience. Dr. Alex Tezita, one of only two doctors, has improvised a neonatal ward using a daisy chain of light bulbs to treat jaundice, and remains on call around the clock.

WATCH THE FULL STORY HERE

Nowhere is the strain more visible than at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement’s health center, where an understaffed team delivers about 100 babies a week with just 45 beds. There we met Dr. Alex Tezita, who, despite the pressure, has helped raise infant survival and stretches limited resources as far as possible.

Watch PBS News Hour tonight for a look inside Kiryandongo, where staff are working to do more with less.

Last month, I had the opportunity to speak at Carleton College’s Convocation about how we work to make the foreign feel less foreign. You can watch the full presentation here:

Under this “America First” approach, the U.S. provides limited, targeted aid while expecting recipient governments to shoulder more of their own health care costs and eventually phase out all U.S. assistance.

Watch PBS News Hour tonight for our report from Kenya, the first African nation to sign on...

Missed last night’s segment? Watch our earlier report on how USAID cuts are shaping the long-term fight against HIV in Uganda:

While the U.S. has restored supplies of most life-saving HIV drugs, the outreach programs that once connected clinics with the most vulnerable patients, often in rural and impoverished communities, have not returned.

Watch PBS NewsHour tonight for our report from Uganda on what doctors fear could be a resurgence of HIV/AIDS.

The PBS News Hour announced multiple nominations for News Emmy and Peabody awards, two of which included our reporting.

The Peabody nomination recognizes PBS News Hour’s broad repertoire of reporting on the tectonic shift in immigration policy under the Trump administration and includes our report on the response from Minnesota’s Somali community.

Our reporting on the impact of USAID cuts on Bangladesh’s fight against tuberculosis was also recognized with a News Emmy nomination, as part of the News Hour’s “Cuts & Consequences” series examining the far-reaching effects of the Trump administration’s USAID shutdown.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to tell these stories, and to our supporters for helping us carry on the work.

That’s what a legal refugee in Minnesota told us. He asked that we not reveal his identity for fear of retaliation. After reporting for a routine immigration appointment, he says he was arrested, sent to a detention facility in Texas, and held for two weeks.

He’s one of many refugees caught up in the Trump administration’s Operation PARRIS — a sweeping re-examination of roughly 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have not yet received permanent residency.

Watch the full story here to hear more about his detention experience and the unprecedented legal policy behind it.

Tonight on PBS News Hour, we report from one Minnesota school where four students were detained by ICE and dozens more shifted to online learning. We hear how educators are supporting their students, steadying families with a community food shelf, and trying to preserve a sense of normalcy in a rattled community.