When I went to Iran years ago, my family discussed topics that, at the time, eluded me. I only half listened because it was highly political, and well, I was a child. I remember, though, at one point, my grandma interrupting my mom to say, “Oh sure! Then why’d you cry when Khomeini died?”

My mom isn’t one to challenge her mom, so she remained silent. I don’t know what the context was, if I had to guess, it’d be my dad saying something pro Islamic Republic, my mom something anti, and my grandma interjecting.

But it always stood out to me.

On Feb. 28, 2026, after a morning filled with anxiety and fear, waking up at 1am to the news of war, anxiously checking my phone, later attending an animal sanctuary with my friend, then sitting down for coffee while obsessively checking the news, at around noon, we learned that Khamenei, Iran’s tyrant, died by an Israeli airstrike.

I’ve never really been one to celebrate death. It’s never felt right to me. It feels dark, twisted. When anyone dies, anyone at all, I feel remorseful. It’s something I try to hide about myself, because I’m kind of horrified by it. I’ve felt sorry for really terrible people who have died. It’s just my inclination.

When I read on Fardad Farahzad’s Instagram (the first person to ever interview me by the way) the bolded text, “KHAMENEI IS DEAD” I felt shock. I felt surprised. I felt nothing at all for a moment. I felt slightly irked it was by Israel and not by us.

And then I felt devastation.

I started crying, like my mom did when Khomeini died, but not out of pity or remorse— Out of generations of sorrow. I thought about everything we—Iranians—have lost. How much we have suffered and continue to suffer. I thought about how when my mom shows me her family photos after the revolution, and nobody is smiling, she says, “there was nothing to smile about after the revolution.” I think about my grandpa who was kidnapped by Islamists and held for two weeks, taunted with the prospect of death as they put a bag over his head and pulled the trigger of a gun to torment him, over and over. I thought about my grandma, who died too early because of Iran’s poor medical system, of my uncle, too, who was a journalist, but died again due to a bad medical system. I thought about my cousin, who has cancer, and is struggling due to Iran’s bad medical system, compounded by US sanctions.

I feel sorrow for everyone. But I didn’t for him.

And I hate him for it. You’ve robbed so many people of not only their lives, but their purity, their kindness, their joy and their light. You’ve stolen my empathy from me, you’ve filled me with anger and rage. You have completely rewritten who so many of us are because your corruption is just so sinister. Even in your death, you haunt us like a shadow. You have changed the fibers of our being! You have filled us with malice!

I don’t know how to explain the sorrow to anyone. I struggle to memorialize it or do it justice. I feel enraged. In the moments after learning his death, I felt enraged at all he stole from us.

Amidst tears, I turned to my friend to explain to him that I was crying because of what Khamenei represents for us—a deeply sinister system that has stolen so many dreams.

But while he represents the system, the system is so much more than him. So his death is nothing but symbolism, right? Because what comprises the system is still there. And that rotten system is what has robbed Iran of its charm, its dignity.

I cried for a few minutes to my friend before getting it together. We went to eat but I told him I did not have much of an appetite. I ate only a little bit. Eventually, he had to leave, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I really didn’t want to be left alone, so we parted ways. It’s not really anyone’s job to babysit me.

I couldn’t think straight while driving, one because of how much was going on, two because I’d been up for 13 hours at that point. Somehow, I got home, absentmindedly walked my dogs, took a shower, and then doom scrolled for hours on twitter, waiting for the regime to turn the wifi back on so I could celebrate with my family on WhatsApp.

I’ve felt a wave of emotions since — anger, sorrow, joy, a lot of fear. Fear of what comes next! Fear that it won’t be good. Fear historical patterns will follow.

Anger, a lot of anger. I really need to memorialize the anger. I want everyone, 30 years from now, wherever Iran is, to remember those who propagandized our deaths, who only stood with us when our death certificates were signed by the Israelis, who consistently minimized and discounted our plight, who called us “Mossad,” for documenting a massacre, who have not even bothered to learn a thing about Iran, to post today about “ALL EYES ON IRAN <3” or highlighting, with a clear political motivate to validate their own political views, that our little Iranians girls were killed in an Israeli airstrike. I felt so much rage our youth was being used for political points by people who don’t give a damn about us to begin with. What right do you have to pretend to empathize with us when you romanticize, whitewash, and normalize our killers? What right at all?

God, the rage just eats me alive. And I really don’t like it! I like peace! Calm! Serenity! I suppose i didn’t choose the right nationality nor profession if I was after a peaceful life.

For years, I have chastised myself, you used to be more empathic, I’ll say. I think it’s true. I was. I’m not sure what happened, but I do know that amount of empathy was unsustainable. I would spend hours upon hours crying for other people’s sorrows, I would punish myself for it. It’s probably better I’m not like that anymore, but on the counter, now I am just extremely irritable. I am so sensitive when it comes to Iran’s political affairs. It’s so easy to set me off, even inadvertently! Because we have suffered so, so much, and then we are reprimanded for our right to speak on it, to offer insights, to challenge, to demonstrate, to document.

What right do you have in the West to police our grief? No right at all!

Amidst everything, one collective breath of relief was Khamenei’s death. Despite the online clowns trying to make him out to be a martyr, Iranians from all walks of life have celebrated his demise, only to be chastised by Americans who say we shouldn’t celebrate it because Israel did it. No matter what, or who, killed Khamenei, we’d celebrate, rest assured. If he died of natural causes, we’d applaud. If he died choking on water, we’d bless the water.

It really cannot be overstated the amount of sorrow 47 years of cruelty has brought upon us. So much so, it is undeniable by even sympathizers on the left, who will offer a tired, “The IRI is bad, but….” before explaining to us why we need to put a sock in our mouth regarding our criticisms (of OUR country, not theirs, mind you).

My God, we can’t even celebrate his demise! I received a message shaming me for celebrating while bombs fall on Iran, despite the fact Iranians in Iran took to the streets to celebrate! That after 47 years of tyranny, we got a semblance of justice. For a day, we smiled, and immediately, it was criminalized by the anti-imperialist police!

Do you know, for years, I have felt premature guilt, that my children will blame me for the fact they cannot return to Iran because of my dissidence? I am so afraid they will resent me for it. Do you know how I have struggled to obtain cancer care for my cousin due to US sanctions? That when my uncle lost his lifeguarding job during the water crisis (thanks to Iran’s poor management) I couldn’t send him money because of sanctions? That he asked me how he could sell his likeness to AI so he could afford to survive? Do you know the pain of separation, that for the rest of my life, so long as the Islamic Regime is in power, my feet are barred from the soil that birthed me? That I will never see my family members again, neither in Iran nor the US, particularly because the US has some of the highest rates of visa restrictions against Iranians? That Iranians, worldwide, are often denied visas out of fear they will overstay?

We are being strangled by the Islamic Republic, the Israelis, the Americans! We are backed into a corner and then told to be quiet and get used to our chains. We are extremely misunderstood. We have no real allies, at all! (Well, maybe the Syrians, who equally hate Khamenei).

I cannot even begin to explain the crippling agony that comes with the curse of being Iranian. The shadow that haunts us, the constant pit in our stomachs, the guilt. It isn’t something poetic or artful, it is something deeply harrowing, something I’d move mountains to rid myself of. I really and truly believe that us Iranians are cursed with this nationality, at times.

How much suffering do you want to impose on us? If we smile for a day, that is worthy of punishment? You, who lives in the US, who is free to return to your home country, people do not live with this gaping hole in your chest, have the right to dictate what emotions I can express?

The arrogance! Us Iranians are just expected to suffer to appease Westerners!

The thing is, I don’t really care much about the optics. I don’t care if people label me a Republican, a Leftist, a naive anti-imperialist, a warhawk, pro-IR, anti-IR, pro-Israel, whatever. Everyone has hit me with one name or the other. It doesn’t mean much to me in the end. If our soil could talk, I know it’d be grateful. I know it would thank me. That, alone, frees me from the pressure.

Well, today, a day after Khamenei’s death, I feel a little more mellow, but still angry. More worried. Burnt out, exhausted. Unable to focus. Many things all at once. Sad.

While translating a Dariush Eghbali song earlier today, he wrote that despite our killers having weapons, we have the spirits of our ancestors, and tears welled in my eyes at the Barnes and Noble as I thought of Jina Amina, who inadvertently started a revolution but is not here to celebrate with us. I couldn’t help but think her spirit walked alongside us yesterday in our celebration of the death of our tyrant. I try, as often as I can, to tune out the arrogant voices and remember that my loyalties are to my ancestors along with my family in Iran. That their right to life matters more to me than the useless political affinities of Americans with no stakes in it and no real concerns for us, either. That it’s fine by me for everyone to write us off as “annoying diaspora,” if it means we help Iran free itself from its chains. Because rest assured, we will do just that! And in the aftermath, those Westerners will have to look back in shame at who, and what, they supported. A system of death. A system that depends on the blood of our youth.

I write all this with the hopes that my children will be able to read it and understand what a 24 year old Sahra felt the day after a massive historical movement that had the potential to change our fate. Maybe also so my children know that years (and I do mean years) before their birth, I felt immense grief and sorrow for the fact my actions have barred them from stepping on their homeland. Or perhaps, we’ll read this together in Tehran and laugh at my preemptive, but misplaced, fear.

How I wish I had a diary entry of my mother’s emotions on the day of Khomeini’s death. We probably had a lot in common. Our tears weren’t for the deaths of our killers. They were for the loss of a homeland, and for all that was stolen with it.

I hope I can look back on this one day with a smile on my face because our homeland achieved its liberation. But I am equally afraid I will look back on this and think, “She had no idea what was coming.”

Time will tell.

• and i fucking hate you sympathizers. At least some people will have some dignity in recognizing our plight before opposing whatever we say next. You sympathizer freaks live in the USA and don’t do shit from the belly of the beast to disrupt your own shit government and then turn around and shame Iranians for being against our own? Dumbass you live in an America that is actively kidnapping people. Do something? Y’all don’t do SHIT but argue politics in the abstract then go work for defense companies. Kill yourselves!!

• I lost my decorum.

• for my future kids so i can say this is what mom looked like 24 hours after Khamenei died/me typing this

Dear reader,

I hope you are having a great holiday season. Every year, we send a thank-you message to appreciate each one of our subscribers and remind ourselves of the community we have built online and in real life. I am so grateful for the love and support you have given this young founder to keep pursuing his dreams of creating an outlet that truly represents the voice of the next generation and the powerless.

In 2025, we gained nearly 20,000 followers and reached over 8 million people. I went on TikTok live (almost every day), covering the most important issues for you and with you. I personally got your concerns out there to some of the most important people in journalism.

However, our work these past few months has become more challenging and, to some extent, dangerous.

Due to financial constraints, I have had to step away from this newsletter and the quality of reporting on our page to focus on keeping the lights on at Bottom Up Media. This newsletter, as you may know, has gone from a weekly newsletter to bi-weekly, and now monthly.

I tell you this not for sympathy.

Over the course of the last six years, this outlet has seen roller coasters, from shutting down to having a whole team, to being leaders in the field of creator journalism. I am grateful for the progress and change we have made.

But to be frank, I need your help.

The reality is that this work will not be funded by big corporations. It won’t be funded by billionaires. It will be funded by you. The people. It will be brought to life by a simple belief in people and a crazy dream of changing news and media.

Young people need your help. Marginalized communities need your help to sustain our independent reporting.

Here is how you can support our work.

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For just $6.99 (the price of a cup of coffee), you can support my work, and these contributions can help me purchase video software and tech to produce higher-quality video content. It will also give you the benefits of extra videos on TikTok and unlock our video interviews, which we plan to do more of in 2026.

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We have pre-order forms available now, and these are running out fast. These are a great way to show off our work to your friends and family and can help us fund some interns as we try to produce more on-the-ground stories in Boston. (I will reach out to you once we are ready to ship them via email)

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If you can’t contribute, that’s okay. You are still a key member of our community by being a subscriber to this newsletter, which I promise will be better in 2026 but will remain monthly. If you are already a paid subscriber, or bought a shirt, thank you for your support of our work.

With love,

Your friendly neighborhood journalist,

Rahim

BOSTON—For the first time in Everett’s history, a minor as young as 13-years old was detained, according to the city’s police chief, a decision that’s left a Massachusetts community protesting and a family fighting to bring their son home.

Last Thursday, 13-year-old Arthur Berto was taken into custody after police said he made a “credible threat” to another student with a knife. According to his family, Arthur spent about an hour at the Everett Police Station before he he was set to be released. But an hour later, he was sent to the ICE’s Burlington Office. After that, he was transported more than 500 miles away to Northwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Virginia, separated from his family and his legal counsel.

“We are heartbroken and doing everything we can to bring our son back to Massachusetts, where he belongs — with his family, his school, and his community,” the Berto family wrote in a GoFundMe post. “Our attorney immediately filed a federal habeas corpus petition within 15 minutes of learning what happened. A federal judge in Boston has already ordered the government to respond, and the case is moving quickly.”

Arthur is one of the youngest known persons detained in connection to the Trump administration’s immigration campaign in Massachusetts, dubbed “Operation Patriot 2.0” More than 1,400 people have been detained since these raids began sweeping through the state in early September. The first waves that occurred, called “Operation Patriot”, arrested over 1,500 people during the summer, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Within those raids we have covered similar cases of minors being detained in the state, including 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was detained on his way to volleyball practice, and Gustavo Oliveira who was taken into ICE custody after stopping for a sandwich at a bakery in Milford. Both were later released, and their cases were one the earliest to make national headlines regarding the detention of minors in Massachusetts.

But Arthur’s case is different — not only because of his age, but because of his alleged crime, and the speed of his transfer from a local police station to Burlington ICE office to a Virginia detention facility. It shows how ICE can efficiently can track individuals once they’ve been fingerprinted, despite local police saying they don’t cooperate with ICE directly on enforcement.

“ICE operates independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement databases and take action on its own accord,” Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said during a news conference.

Immigrant rights advocates and attorneys have condemned the decision to send Arthur away from his home state. In both Da Silva’s and Oliveira’s cases, the minors were detained in-state and none were ever sent hundreds of miles from their families.

Andrew Lattarulo, the Berto family’s attorney, criticized Arthur’s transfer to Virginia, telling CNN it “raises serious concerns about access to counsel and the government’s intent to hinder effective legal representation.”

Across Massachusetts and the country, advocates say this is part of a broader pattern, where family separation continues under new forms and justifications.

Immigration attorney Melanie Shapiro, who has practiced in Massachusetts for more than 13 years, shared to us the story of a Brazilian mother with a two year old whose husband was told by ICE to “self-deport.” Despite this, ICE prepared to detain him, and the day off his arrest her blood pressure spiked to 181/121, which she said requires immediate medical attention.

Shapiro pleaded with officials for time, saying, “I’m not trying to go home with the baby today, please. Because if they took him and the wife was out there, she’s in no condition to take care of this child.”

Despite receiving additional time that day and purchasing a flight ticket back to Brazil, Shapiro said her husband was eventually detained and sent to Mississippi for nearly a month.

Although she has worked with similar cases over the last decade, Shapiro says what makes recent cases different is the speed at which they are coming, and the unique nature of each.

“It’s just a different type of caseload… it’s a lot more people calling frantically that their friend, their spouse, their family member was just picked up, they don’t know what to do. I’ve seen that increase immensely over the last couple of months,” she said.

“At least 50% of the calls I get are, ‘Oh my God, this person’s been detained.’ And normally, that would be very infrequent,” Shapiro added.

Arthur’s story represents that same chaos—the randomness of enforcement in a system that leaves families terrified and disoriented.

“They didn’t give me any information,” Arthur’s mother told CNN. The family, originally from Brazil, has had a pending asylum application since arriving in the United States in 2021. “I asked where he was being taken, and they said they weren’t allowed to say. He cried a lot because he had never been away from home or his family. He was desperate, saying ICE had taken him.”

Arthur and his attorney said they spent days waiting to learn why he was detained. That information finally came Tuesday afternoon, when a federal judge ordered ICE to provide an explanation by Wednesday. Whether that order has been met remains unclear, as court records are sealed.

Meanwhile, Everett residents continues to protest the detention of Arthur, whose story has become part of a larger reckoning with the reach and power of federal immigration enforcement, local politicians say.

“If you think taking a child — a 13-year-old child — away from their parents, away from their home, and sending them to another state to sleep on the floor… if you think this is OK, then we have a bigger problem in our community,” said Everett Councilor Guerline Alcy Jabouin.

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But nothing in my life prepared me for what I witnessed last week.

On my Saturday TikTok live stream, while reporting updates about Charlie Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, someone posted my home address and wrote, quote, “this guy lives at….”

I was stunned.

I finished the live calmly for my audience, then immediately removed my full name from bylines and my website and filed takedown requests for my personal information.

(My live reaction of someone doxxing me)

Part of me thought it was my fault for not being careful enough. But in that moment — a creator journalist who has covered many stories in my young career — I felt exposed and scared.

As I was gathering my thoughts, people on my live stream started to blame right-wing conservatives. Others shammed me for being too liberal. Before the incident, I was called both a liberal propaganda outlet and a MAGA propaganda outlet.

I am unsure what the person who doxxed me stood for or even who it was.

But one thing is for uncertain—I am not alone.

Hundreds of Americans have reported being doxxed, including people who have never said a word about Kirk. While others have said far more controversial remarks. Regardless, it seems anyone who speaks up — or chooses to stay silent — are becoming a target of this doxxing campaign.

Others have even lost their jobs.

Over the last few days I kept my coverage local, sharing the story of six Massachusetts teachers who are under investigation after making negative comments about Kirk. Nationally, public figures like Jimmy Kimmel have faced consequences for their comments by having his show suspended. It’s also been a frightening week for universities as six HBCUs received bomb threats, and swastikas have been reported at colleges like MIT.

Indeed, these are historic and dangerous times.

Many political scientists say Kirk’s assassination is a seismic political moment, a potential “generational marker” event for the young conservatives who followed him. But to me, more importantly, this moment deepens partisanship and crumbles our democracy.

“We are at war,” someone messaged me, along with the usual threats to my life.

The reality is: we are not at “war.” To quote former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron, “we are at work.”

At work to protect our rights.

At work to defend a free press.

At work to rebuild local news.

At work to combat misinformation.

At work to protect marginalized communities worldwide.

Not for a political party. Not for a politician.

For our democracy. To hold power to account. To build a better tomorrow.

In the words of Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa; who I had the honor of meeting a few months ago at the GBH Media Summit in Boston.

“If you don’t move and protect the rights you have, you lose them. And it’s so much harder to reclaim them,” Ressa told John Stewart on The Daily Show.

“Is this an information apocalypse or is it an information armageddon?

Because I’m optimistic, I chose armageddon. Part of it is, apocalypse is done, it’s the end of the world. But armageddon is the battle.

This is the battle.”

With love,

Your friendly neighborhood journalist,

Rahim

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Back-to-school season is typically a time of excitement; students picking out new supplies, teachers decorating classrooms, and families looking forward to connecting with the community.

But in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this year has been overshadowed by anger, anxiety, and uncertainty.

On Aug. 19, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) Board of Education voted to eliminate 344 school-based and central office positions (around 275 people), a move that includes instructional assistants, clerical roles, and support staff with deep cuts to the Exceptional Children's Department (EC), which serves students with disabilities. The decision has triggered community outrage, with teachers and school staff accusing the district of mismanaging funds and putting the burden of financial missteps on the most vulnerable students.

“Finding out that your school district has mismanaged funds for over eight years and that your special ed children are going to be the ones to pay for it is devastating,” said Stephanie Trillo, a Special Education Teacher at Griffith Elementary School.

In the wake of the board’s decision, students, parents, and educators have staged protests and walkouts, demanding that the plan be reconsidered and that state lawmakers hold a special session before Sept. 10 to address the financial situation. Critics argue the loss of essential support staff — particularly in special education — will have far-reaching impacts on students.

“We are losing throughout our district another 350 people or so after already losing over 200 EC (exceptional children) because they (the school district) claim that we are over allotted. They (the school district) are expanding our caseloads and they are reducing our services so that we have available to us to help with those caseloads,” Trillo told us via a TikTok direct message.

On the other hand, the school district claims the cuts will save more than $18 million annually and are necessary due to the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funding and because the district faces a whooping $46 million budget deficit.

However, a recent audit by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) attributes much of the financial shortfall to poor decision-making by school district leadership. The audit highlighted several financial missteps, including the unauthorized issuance of bonuses and failure to properly review existing contracts — all of which, along with others, contributed to the ballooning deficit.

“Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools dug itself into a deep financial hole, and it’s going to take real discipline to climb out of it. Our schools need to be focused on teaching students. That becomes a lot more difficult when you’re staring down a $46 million budget deficit,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek.

Trillo said this mismanagement could have a drastic impact at her school, Griffith elementary. She told us that the school has lost their family coordinator and front desk operator. Additionally, along with her own job security, she is concerned about Spanish-speaking students, which make up 30% of the school district.

“We have a lot of Spanish-speaking families at our school and this (the budget cuts) is gonna be a disservice to the entire Spanish-speaking community,” she said.

Although school officials maintain that failing to act now could lead to even more drastic financial consequences in the future, others argue that state lawmakers could release additional “Leandro funds” to the school district — funding intended to assist low-income schools — which could bring in an additional $100 million to the district. Republican lawmakers have not responded to local media requests for comment and Democratic lawmakers say it is up to them to approve this budget give their control of state government.

Regardless, for many educators and families, the school board’s original decision feels like yet another blow to a system already stretched to its limits.

“We are underpaid, we are underappreciated, and now we’re being told our students don’t matter, and our students are more than a budget line,” Trillo told ABC 45 News.

The budget cuts are set to be enacted on Sep 12.

Thank you for supporting our work. We wanted to share some important updates in our editorial journey that mark a turning point in our trajectory.

A new name.

The Unfortunate Truth was my debating catchphrase in high school. However, over the years, it has evolved significantly since I started naming it as a media outlet in college. But, it has become too associated with my personal brand and is not enough about you or our mission, which is to serve vulnerable communities. That is why we are changing the name of our parent organization to Bottom Up Media (BUM). We understand this name is different, unique, and quirky. But it represents our mission and becomes easier to be taken seriously by journalism organizations, and also have some fun.

We won’t be rolling out this name until 2026, so if you have any strong objections about the name, please let us know. We can continue to operate under the banner of The Unfortunate Truth, but your feedback is key.

A new way to support us.

We’ve officially launched a paid membership for our most loyal supporters who want to help sustain our work — and we’re so grateful to the first 25 people who’ve joined us through TikTok! If you’re currently subscribed on TikTok, please be sure to switch over to Substack to continue receiving all your benefits.

As a member, you’ll get:

• Access to bonus short-form videos

• Full-length interviews with leading experts

• Direct access to our founder, Rahim Jessani

• First dibs on exclusive merch and special discounts

• The chance to directly support youth-led advocacy journalism

Your support makes our mission possible — thank you for being part of it.

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Collaborations with communities and creators

Over the past couple of months, we’ve joined two incredible organizations that are helping us collaborate with other newsrooms and creators in meaningful ways. Earlier this year, we became part of a project that “allows creators, at all levels, to funnel their advocacy into a space of change and power building.” We’ve also joined the Tiny News Collective — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting early-stage news founders and entrepreneurs who are building the next generation of news outlets.

We’re excited about how these partnerships will elevate our work and, most importantly, better serve you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reply to this email. Thank you so much for your continued support.

Best regards,

Your friendly neighborhood journalist,

Rahim

Local news is in crisis.

Every week, two and a half newspapers shut down. One in three of U.S. counties lacks a full-time local journalist. And roughly 55 million Americans live in areas that are considered "news deserts"—regions where access to reliable local news is severely limited.

Local news, which is defined as coverage of events, issues, and activities that directly impact specific communities or geographic areas, is vital for informed civic engagement. These stories aren’t typically about national headlines but about how issues affect local communities. Without dependable local journalism, areas in news deserts experience heightened polarization, the spread of misinformation, reduced government accountability, and lower voter turnout.

Local journalists say this crisis is likely to worsen after Congress passed a recession package that cuts $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). While NPR and PBS receive a combined 16% of CPB's funding, 1,500 local stations—many of which are affiliates of these programs—receive over 70%. These local stations are now at risk, amplifying the challenges already facing local news ecosystems across the nation.

“When local news is diminished or lost in a community, the public watchdog role of the press is muted and the potential for waste, fraud and abuse increases. This is a time when we should be demanding more support for the role of the press in healthy communities,” said Stewart Vanderwilt, president and CEO of Colorado Public Radio.

To showcase the type of local storytelling that is under threat, we have compiled a list of award-winning stories from some NPR and PBS affiliate stations. These stories are a reminder about the importance of local news and the need for more reporting on the ground.

Five local news stories you need to read

• Florida Matters: Foster Care In The Suncoast Region By Stephanie Colombini, Robin Sussingham for WUSF in Tampa

  • A story that dove into some of the many challenges those who work in the foster care industry face as they try to protect Florida's children, with limited resources.

• Toyah Residents Struggle to Access Clean Drinking Water as Boil Water Notice Stretches on for Years by Mitch Borden for Marfa Public Radio

  • Toyah residents have endured a years-long boil water notice due to ongoing contamination issues, forcing them to rely on unsafe tap water or costly alternatives as they await a long-overdue solution.

• What the Lewiston Shooter’s Brain Injury Can Tell Us About Blast Exposure in the Military by John Terhune for PBS, Portland Press Herald, and Maine Public Radio

  • Boston University researchers found that the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooter had significant traumatic brain injuries—likely from repeated military blast exposure—which may have contributed to his behavioral changes, though experts caution that the link to his violent actions is not definitive

• The Most Unique District in America Series by Riley Board, M.Scott Moon (Photographer) by Public Radio for the Central Kenai Peninsula

  • KDLL’s series explores the unique diversity and challenges of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.

• After state settlement, disabled people stuck in nursing homes hope to find homes of their own, by Meghan Smith for GBH News

  • A legal settlement will allow thousands of disabled people in Massachusetts nursing homes to move into their own homes with state-funded services and housing support over the next eight years

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OPINION—Growing up in a Pakistani, Muslim household in the U.S., you often don’t get to see people who look like you in positions of power.

The people who are in those leadership roles typically hide their culture and identity, “Americanizing” their names and never mentioning the richness of South Asian history as a source of strength. Others give up the dream of holding these leadership positions because it’s not something a typical “desi kid” would do.

That’s why Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-Ugandan Muslim winning the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor, means so much to the South Asian community, especially to me, as one of the very few South Asian, Muslim editors-in-chief of a local and national news outlet in this country.

I first felt this feeling when my mother called me the day after his election. My mother, whom I would have thought would be the last person closely watching this race, told me, “It’s crazy a Muslim won the election. He looks exactly like you and your brothers. He loves Bollywood. This could have been you.”

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Her comment touched my heart.

Watching my parents face the repercussions of being Muslim after 9/11 was one of the most traumatizing parts of my life, something I experienced myself daily in school, from being forced to watch documentaries about the ‘threat of Islam’ to being called a sleeper cell by school bullies. But to see Mamdani defy all odds, winning a primary election many pundits believed he wouldn’t win, while using his love of Bollywood and culture, was a glimmer of hope to defy those stereotypes.

Yet, making history also comes with echoes of the past, including people who try to tear down anyone who breaks the glass ceiling.

Since his election, Mamdani has faced relentless scrutiny from political pundits and lawmakers on both sides, who have used his Muslim and South Asian background as a weapon to claim he is unfit for office. From being called a terrorist to being labeled an Islamist, from connecting his candidacy to 9/11, to a Republican congressman calling for his deportation, the focus on his religion instead of his policies is truly dangerous to our country and democracy.

Mamdani also told news outlets that he has received death threats, with some comments saying, “the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.” This comes as Islamophobia has been on the rise in recent years, according to the Council on Islamic Relations. In fact, I have also received similar threats on our social media pages.

These hateful comments are a reminder of why we need representation in leadership, especially from those who embrace their culture. Just recently, Mamdani was scrutinized for eating biryani—a popular South Asian dish—with his hands, something I have done and something my parents, who are Pakistani immigrants, often do as well. He was called “barbaric” and “un-American” online for doing this, with people not taking the time to understand the cultural aspects behind it.

It is a clear example of why we need people of different backgrounds in positions of power: to expose Americans to new stories, new cultures, new perspectives, and new insights into the diversity of our country.

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That is exactly why my work, and the perspective I bring as a Muslim editor-in-chief, is important. These stories matter now more than ever, as both direct and indirect attacks on Muslims continue across the country with very little media coverage. This is why I continue my work as a journalist, to shine a light on stories from my community that are often scraped and ignored.

Zohran Mamdani’s election proves we are moving away from a time when someone’s religion determined their candidacy, even as some try to drag us back to the past. But this history is important because it defines the stories and struggles of South Asian and Muslim Americans across the country.

It reminds us of where we come from and how far we have come.

It reminds us not to use the same language as the oppressors.

It reminds us why we must keep going.

And, more importantly, it reminds the little Pakistani kid that his dreams are achieveable.

With love,

Rahim Jessani

Founder and editor in chief, BUM

.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Union Station stands at the heart of the nation’s capital. From the outside, it resembles a national monument with its towering structure and grand arches, but inside, it’s a hub — where thousands of D.C. residents and visitors flow in and out of the city each day, along with the occasional pigeon that swoops in, scavenging for crumbs left behind by travelers.

Outside the station, you feel that you are in D.C. Not only because you can see the U.S. Capitol right at its entrance, but you also see protests, signs, and people organizing. One of those groups, standing in the thick, humid heat of D.C., was volunteers from May Day Movement USA, who were camped in tents, sitting on curbs, and holding handmade signs reading “impeach,” “convict, and “remove.”

On their website, the organization says they are a “grassroots coalition committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution by advocating for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump. Our objective is to amplify our collective voice, educate the electorate, and participate in non-violent resistance to restore democratic integrity. “ The organization began on May 1, 2025, an ode to the internationally recognized distress signal used by pilots to indicate imminent danger or a life-threatening emergency situation.

“We deliver petitions to congressmen every day to encourage them to get Trump out of power,” one of the organizers told a small group of people. “Rain, hot, cold, we are out here every day getting people to sign these petitions.”

D.C. is no stranger to these protests or organizations. From the March on Washington to the Women’s March, D.C. has always been a stage for people demanding change.

But these organizers told us sustaining these protests is a different kind of battle — one that requires not just numbers, but “endurance and resilience, especially during the Trump administration.” Organizers said the number of people joining them was depleted day by day, and law enforcement forced them to move away from the steps of the Capitol and into the heart of Union Station.

Yet, on that June 13 morning in D.C., it was veterans who led the charge of “resiliency.” The organizer’s self-defined security guard, Bruce, a veteran, told us he believed Trump was a threat to democracy and freedom, so he needed to be on the ground to “defend America.” However, noticing the shift in momentum for the organization, he said, he wished young people would show up to “fight for their rights.”

“Where are you (Gen-Z) Bruce told us, wearing 10 skeleton rings on his knuckles and a tanktop with the words “Fuck Trump.” “We need you here to fight for your country.”

Just 0.6 miles down the road is the U.S. Capitol, where it was quiet in the morning since most lawmakers and a majority of demonstrators had already cleared out ahead of the U.S. Army parade, which coincided with President Trump’s birthday.

But not everyone left.

Another veteran, Pat Shanahan, who is not affiliated with May Day, was sitting in the D.C. sun, holding up two signs condemning President Trump and calling him a “big baby president.”

And, later that day, 60 people were arrested protesting the following day’s military parade, including an 87-year-old disabled veteran.

These are the voices of D.C. that seem to be resisting an overhaul of the federal government. A city that feels the impact of national politics not from a distance, but from the front row. And with a closer look, you could see how much had changed since the Trump administration came into office, and how deeply those changes had been felt by its residents.

“D.C.’s changed a lot,” said a D.C. resident for 8 years said, who wanted to remain anonymous and will be called Ian. “I’ve been here eight years, and I’ve never seen things shift so fast. People are struggling. It’s like the hope’s just... gone.”

That loss can be measured in many ways — from Trump’s takeover of projects at the renowned Kennedy Center, to the shutdown of 21 homeless encampments, to a proposed $1.1 billion budget cut for the city, and to the layoffs and buyouts of over 275,000 federal employees and contractors. Unemployment claims in D.C. have also doubled compared to the previous year, reflecting the widespread economic strain residents are facing.

Ian was one of those workers who was laid off and facing economic uncertainty.

“I got laid off a few months ago,” Ian told us. “But thank God for Uber, that's what I have been doing while applying for other jobs. It’s been tough, but you keep your head up and move on.”

As protests and acts of resistance continue to take root across the city, many D.C. residents now see them as part of daily life. But increasingly, these demonstrations feel personal, rooted not in distant national debates, but in issues unfolding in their own neighborhoods.

"I never thought I would be protesting," one resident told us, who attended a No Kings Protest in Virginia and who wanted to remain anonymous. "You expect protests in the nation’s capital, but I never imagined national politics would hit so close to home, becoming part of our everyday people who lives here.”

All photos were taken by TUT founder Rahim Jessani

On May 31, Milford High School junior Marcleo Gomes da Silva was on his way to volleyball practice with his friends, driving his father’s car like any other high schooler. But what began as a routine afternoon quickly turned into what Milford resident Amanda Desmond called a “heartbreaking” moment. ICE officers, who were reportedly seeking to detain his father, stopped his car and instead took Gomes da Silva into custody.

Gomes da Silva, who came to the U.S. from Brazil at the age of seven on a student visa that has since expired, was not charged with a crime.

Desmond, whose daughter is friends with Gomes da Silva, described him as a “sweet person, a band member, and a child of god,” and said he was scheduled to perform with the band at Milford High School’s graduation the next day.

In response, classmates and community members rallied to support him with dozens leaving their graduation ceremony to protest at city hall, while hundreds more staged a walkout the following day.

@theunfortunatetruthMilford High School students held a walkout yesterday at 12pm, demanding the release of their classmate #marcelogomes #freemarcelo #milford #massachusetts #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #immigrants #ice

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(Footage of Milford High School’s June 2 walkout received 1.5 million views on our TikTok)

As his classmates took to the streets, Gomes da Silva was being held at an ICE detention facility in Burlington, Massachusetts. Gomes da Silva told reporters his conditions inside were appalling: he had to sleep on a concrete floor, had very little access to a shower, was given minimal food—only chips and crackers—and shared a toilet with dozens of other detainees. He was one of nearly 1,500 people held in ICE custody in Massachusetts this month alone.

“We understand that ICE is allowed to take undocumented people, but it’s unacceptable when they treat them like dogs,” said Desmond’s daughter, Caylee Dion, a freshman at Milford High School. “Whether they're illegal or not, they are still all human beings with souls. We are the same whether people like it or not.”

After nearly a week in detention—and federal judges issuing orders to stop his removal from the state—Gomes da Silva was released on $2,000 bond, following a conversation with a lawyer, something he was reportedly not able to do until a week after his detention, a basic component of due process.

“I don’t wanna cry — but I wanna say that that place is not good,” Gomes da Silva told reporters. “You sleep on concrete floors. Using the restroom — I had to do it in front of 35-year-old men. It’s degrading.”

Gomes Da Silva is not alone.

Across Massachusetts and beyond, undocumented immigrants are increasingly being swept up in ICE raids under the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on immigration. ICE has arrested more than 100,000 people so far during Trump’s second term. As of early June 2025, daily arrests are exceeding 2,000, with a detained population of about 54,000, crowding ICE detention facilities that have a reputation for being overcrowded with these “degrading” conditions.

However, ICE’s public data is limited. It’s often unclear who is being arrested and how many have prior criminal convictions. According to data from the nonpartisan TRAC Immigration project, nearly 43% of those arrested have no criminal record at all.

ICE maintains that it will deport anyone encountered during an operation, whether they are the target or not, which has fueled a national backlash with community members saying these actions are both indiscriminate and inhumane.

“Everyone deserves a chance at happiness and life. When did everyone lose their empathy?” Dion said. “We are living in a world that so many people in government and presidents once ran to avoid. Every single opportunity, and peace, and equality is being stripped away from the U.S. due to Trump and ICE.”

In Paramount, California, this backlash has escalated into communities clashing with police and ICE officers after an ICE raid on a Home Depot led to statewide protests.

Protesters confronted ICE and police officers directly, with some shouting and hurling insults at them and physically putting their bodies on the line to block detentions. Other protesters stood around the officers holding signs and waving flags from the countries of origin for many immigrants, including Mexico. Officers pushed back against some of these protests by deploying tear gas into crowds, physically assaulting demonstrators, and making several arrests.

(Video by Credit: @alex_6.0___ via Storyful)

President Trump responded to these protests by deploying 300 troops of the National Guard to Los Angeles, the first time such action has been taken since the 1992 LA riots, to take down what he describes are “radical left lunatics” and “rioters.” The Department of Homeland Security said the deployment was meant to protect “ICE officers and federal law enforcement agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles” from “violent mobs.” ICE initially reported arresting 44 people in the raids, though some news outlets reported the number had climbed above 120 by late Saturday.

Despite the federal government’s response, activists on the ground vow to keep fighting for immigrant rights.

“Our community is under attack and has been terrorized,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), to a crowd of protesters. “These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers.”

Her words echo a broader truth that community members say lies at the heart of Trump’s immigration policies: the disproportionate impact these raids have on communities of color, especially the Hispanic community.

A 2018 study from UC Berkeley found that while Hispanic people made up about 50% of the undocumented population, they accounted for 91% of those in ICE detention. Most of the raids have occurred in urban, Democratic-leaning areas where large immigrant populations live—places like California, New Jersey, Florida, and Massachusetts.

For many, the consequences are part of a broader legacy of systemic discrimination that is now being extended to those with the least protection under the law: undocumented immigrants.

“People of color and race are now being detained and treated differently,” Dion said. “White people, Black people, brown people all commit crime, but communities of color are treated 10 times worse. The government is failing people and children day by day.”

Five years ago today, people across the U.S. were forced to stay inside their homes as the world grappled with a pandemic. Streets were empty. Hospitals were overwhelmed. And TikTok, then a quirky, rising social media platform, became a primary window into life.

It was on another screen, though, where the world would witness a moment that would shift the global conscience and create what experts call a "racial reckoning.”

17-year-old Darnella Frazier stood on a Minneapolis sidewalk, phone in hand, recording what would become one of the most memorable videos in modern history—police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds as Floyd gasped out his final words: “I can’t breathe.”

The footage unleashed a wave of protest not seen since the Civil Rights Movement. From the streets of Brooklyn to Berlin, from blacked-out Instagram feeds to towering murals, people demanded a reformation of the police system. It also forced Americans to confront the enduring legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, not just in policing, but in education, housing, healthcare, and employment, per Professor Martin Summers, a scholar of African American studies at Boston College, who spoke to us about Floyd’s death in 2021.

The Unfortunate Truth

The History of Racial Rhetoric in the U.S. - Martin Summers

Professor Martin Summers joins the show to talk about the history of racial rhetoric in the United States and how it affects the black community today…

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5 years ago · The Unfortunate Truth

After his murder, more than 20 U.S. states moved to restrict the use of chokeholds and neck restraints, limit force against fleeing suspects, and require police to report use-of-force incidents. Corporations joined in the movement too, including Airbnb, Netflix, PepsiCo, Bank of America, and the Walt Disney Company, which all pledged support, released statements, donated thousands, and elevated Black-owned businesses and causes.

But five years later, that momentum has stalled, and the quest to protect citizens from abuse by the police remains a challenge, as fatal police shootings have increased since 2020.

The most symbolic shortcoming, according to Summers, was Congress’s inability to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would have ended qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, the legal doctrine that protects police officers from being held personally liable in civil lawsuits, among other policies designed to protect citizens from abuse by police officers.

"There was no major legislation passed after what happened with George Floyd to tackle or combat police challenges,” Summers told us in 2021.

Although local policies have remained intact, federal oversight over police officers will likely be reduced, given the Trump administration’s prioritization of “law and order.”

Just recently, the Department of Justice scaled back federal oversight of the Minneapolis and Louisiana police departments, departments where systemic abuse had been documented in extensive investigations.

“Overbroad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti-police agenda,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division’s failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees.”

Additionally, the Trump administration’s attack on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs has scaled back the progress made by the same companies and organizations that once had the intention to make systemic changes.

But regardless of federal policies, local communities, especially those in Minneapolis, are still advocating for change and have made progress to showcase how the Black community continues to be disproportionately affected by laws, policies, and institutions in the U.S.

“We may not have passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act yet, but we did help bring a federal consent decree in Minneapolis, where he was killed. That didn’t happen by chance, it happened because we turned pain into purpose, and protest into progress,” wrote Reverend Al Sharpton on X

The momentum of 2020 may have slowed, but historians like Summers believe that it is woven into our collective memory and American history while also serving as a stark reminder of the long journey ahead for equality.

"The thing about history is that we have to learn from it. And so what can we, you know, what do we have to learn from here so we don't make the same mistakes again.”

South Asian communities in the U.S. are feeling uneasy after India and Pakistan narrowly avoided war following weeks of heightened confrontation.

The tensions began after an April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where militant groups targeted Hindu tourists, killing 25 people in cold blood, including one individual who was Christian. India blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack through state-backed militants, while Pakistan denied the allegations and called for an independent investigation. India responded with a series of airstrikes across Pakistan, and Pakistan retaliated with similar aggression. Cross-border skirmishes and retaliatory strikes have since claimed over 66 lives. On Saturday, President Trump announced both countries have agreed to a ‘full and immediate ceasefire.”

For many from the region, this animosity is nothing new, especially for those familiar with the filmography of both countries, where nationalist and anti-neighbor narratives are common. But for many Indians and Pakistanis living in the U.S., the experience hits differently.

“We’ve always been seen as enemies,” said Harsh Gul, a 32-year-old U.S.-Indian resident who messaged us via TikTok. “But growing up here, I never really felt that hatred. What I have felt, now that more people are talking about this in the US, is that nobody really knows anything about who we are.”

Throughout our TikTok videos covering India and Pakistan, we observed a troubling pattern of ignorance and insensitive language in the comments section.

“Honestly, if it takes out all the spam call centers, I’m for it,” one user wrote. “You’re really going to pretend these people don’t smell like curry, BO, and wetsocks.”

Gul, who follows our TikTok, said he saw this kind of language not just on our page but across other accounts covering the conflict. He was “upset” but not surprised, pointing to the lack of South Asian representation in U.S. media, whether in politics or Hollywood.

This absence was especially noticeable at this year’s Met Gala, Gul said, where fewer than 8 South Asians were in attendance, despite having a combined social media following of nearly 74 million. South Asians on TikTok were quick to express frustration that Met Gala personnel failed to acknowledge the significance of Shah Rukh Khan, one of the world’s most influential people (TIME) and widely known as the “King of Bollywood,” as well as Diljit Dosanjh. Both were allegedly cut away from during their appearances on the Vogue live stream.

“My heart broke by how quickly the camera panned away from him,” Jasleen Singh said in a TikTok video that has over 128,000 views. “I understand that a lot of people in the United States and the photographers and the journalists might not know who he is, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not as significant as the other people.”

@jasleenwithitUS journalists need to do better #diljitdosanjh #metgala2025 #punjabiaagyeoye #vogue #indianvogue #annawintour #devilwearsprada #punjabitiktok #desitiktok #punjabisikh #sardar #dastaar #turban #paghri

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Vogue told The New York Times that any livestream omissions were “certainly not intentional,” and some critics argue that high-profile events like the Met Gala are simply too chaotic to give every moment the attention it deserves. But for Gul, the issue runs deeper. He believes that true representation requires intentionality—and that it’s the responsibility of both political and entertainment media to provide meaningful context.

“I think the media has failed people who look like me, and who are from our countries,” Gul said. “I grew up in an era where I had to explain to people my history. I wish we were brought up more often when there is a war. And when we are here, you acknowledge the history that is being made for nearly a billion people around the world.”

Dear readers,

This is Rahim Jessani—founder and editor-in-chief of The Unfortunate Truth. Our newsletter this week will be a bit different because it’s a special day for me—it’s my birthday.

Now, if you had asked the younger version of me, I would’ve considered this day a national holiday—one I’d never work on. But as I get older and my responsibilities grow, this day has become less about celebration and more about reflection. So, I figured it’s a good chance for you to get to know me, and some of our past work.

I started this news outlet as a college student after I didn’t make the cut to join my college newspaper at Boston College. At the same time, I began noticing growing problems across my school and city that needed to be addressed, including how our school officials mistreated the LGBTQ+ community, or how the city of Newton failed to support its essential workers in times of need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back then, we were strong and could cover these stories from the ground. We had a team of student journalists with unique perspectives and powerful storytelling instincts. Thanks to school grants, we had enough funding to support our work and pay some of our writers. Although the COVID-19 pandemic limited our impact on the ground in our early years, I’m proud to say our audience eventually became larger than the college newspaper that wouldn’t let us in.

But today—TUT is different.

We lost our school funding. We have very few reporters now, besides a few freelance journalists who help us out with the grace of their hearts. The operation largely consists of me—using our social media platforms to tell stories and speak to people across the country about national and local issues.

(A video story about gender inequality in sports from March 2022)

And yet, I’m finding beauty in this difference.

This kind of storytelling is not the same as when I was a college reporter. But it’s just as powerful—maybe even more so.

Just recently, we shared the story of an alleged hate crime in Houston, Texas—where three girls wearing hijabs were beaten, had their scarves ripped off, and were taken to the hospital. A story that didn’t make the national headlines—but it reached hearts on TikTok, garnering nearly one million views. Even more powerful is that their lawyer messaged us to say that our coverage helped raise nearly $100,000 to support the girls in their recovery.

@theunfortunatetruthShare and amplify! Donation link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-afghan-girls-after-houston-attack #muslimnews #afghanistan🇦🇫 #hijabi #muslimtiktok #gregabbott #texas #houston #muslim https://www.fox26houston.com/news/cair-houston-demands-justice-3-afghan-teens-allegedly-attacked-hisd-middle-school.amp

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That’s not something I ever expected. But it shows the impact we can have. It shows the need for this kind of storytelling, especially at a time when national media seems consumed by whatever is happening in Washington, while local realities get left behind.

And that is what we’ve always done—share stories of the most vulnerable communities and be there with them.

One of our most loyal audience members once told me, “You’re like my friendly neighborhood journalist.” That meant the world because that was always the goal for me. I never wanted to just report stories.

I want to make an impact. I want to change the game.

I want to rebuild the journalism industry that, as I grew up, had failed people who looked like me, and bring in younger perspectives and voices often drowned out. Despite significant changes in the industry, it’s rare to see people who embody my struggle make it to positions of leadership in journalism. That’s something I’m still trying to combat, along with reshaping the way we tell stories.

Even leaders in journalism—people I admire—have sometimes called my work “crazy,” or “not real journalism.”

But honestly, reader, I don’t know what journalism is anymore. Not during a time when every random TikToker, YouTuber, or right-wing pundit claims to be a reliable source of information.

But I don’t think they get to define it.

I think you do.

Local stories define it.

Communities define it.

In this new age of media—and now AI—we have to take storytelling into our own hands. For those without a platform. For those without power. For those who deserve to be heard.

I hope you will continue to join me on this journey of truth, impact, and belief.

With love,

Your friendly neighborhood journalist,

Rahim

In 2021, The Unfortunate Truth (TUT) began as a student-run news outlet at Boston College with a mission to elevate the voices of marginalized communities. Drawing on a network of more than 20 student journalists—many of them international students—TUT offered stories that bridged continents and cultures. These international reporters covered a wide range of issues but particularly focused on immigrant experiences and global conflicts, often drawing from firsthand knowledge of their home countries.

But now, that vital storytelling is under threat.

“We live in dark times,” said a former TUT journalist, who chose to remain anonymous. “The same stories I wrote about covering the immigrant communities in my own country or the LGBTQ+ community I would never write during this administration.”

A wave of crackdowns on student protesters spearheaded by the Trump administration's intensified scrutiny of anti-war, pro-Palestinian student activists has had a chilling effect on student journalism—especially for those on student visas.

At the center of concern is the recent invocation of a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act by Secretary Marco Rubio, which allows the Secretary of State to “personally” revoke visas for individuals perceived to be acting against U.S. foreign policy interests. So far, over 300 student visa holders have had their visas revoked using this provision, with the first incident, 30-year-old Mahoud Khalil, set for deportation after a Lousiana judge ruled on Friday that he can be deported using the rarely used law. Khalil’s lawyers have until April 23 to file an appeal.

As a result, student media outlets across the country are seeing a surge in takedown requests, anonymized sources, and resignations.

• Adam Kinder, editor of the Columbia Political Review at Columbia University, told The Guardian that his outlet had been asked to remove nearly a dozen articles and that publishing was paused for many more. Three staffers have also quit the outlet, and four more have left in hiatus, fearing their work could cause future harm in their careers.

• The Stanford Daily reported a recent spike in takedown demands and anonymous sourcing. One of its international student editors has quit entirely.

These developments have prompted a rare joint statement from six national student media advisory organizations, including the Associated Collegiate Press, Journalism Education Association, College Media Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, and the Student Press Law Center (SPLC). The statement, described as an "alert" to student journalists, urges media outlets to reevaluate longstanding editorial policies in response to what it calls an “unprecedented” threat to student press freedom.

The alert recommends that student media “revisit their policies on takedown requests and anonymous sources, particularly for those whose immigration status may make them targets for their lawful speech.” It also advises transparency with readers about anonymous sourcing and encourages newsroom training on the issue.

While anonymous sources are a familiar tool in journalism, they’ve traditionally been a last resort. For many student newsrooms, relying on anonymity represents a major shift in both ethical norms and editorial culture.

“Student speech that is, or should be, fully protected by the law is now being weaponized by the U.S. government, and student media must adapt to continue to fully report on their communities,” said Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel at the SPLC.

As threats to press freedom escalate, student journalists find themselves forced to choose between silence and risk, reshaping the future of student-led reporting and the diversity of voices it has always championed.

“I am terrified for the future of student journalism,” said the TUT alumnus, who is a 24-year-old Iraqi-American. “The voices of my community can no longer be shared by people who look like me. These stories matter. Our communities matter. But this administration’s crackdown on First Amendment rights is silencing us.”

“We are living like sardines in a jar.” “It is hell on earth.”

That’s how undocumented immigrants held at the Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida describe conditions inside the facility to the Miami Herald, which has sparked growing protests from the local community. It comes as federal government officials tell CBS News Miami that some Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers are experiencing overcrowding due to an increase in detainees from President Trump’s strict immigration policies.

• A March report found that nearly 46,269 people were in ICE custody, despite the agency only having 41,500 beds.

• In February, ICE averaged more than 600 arrests per day—more than double last year’s daily average of 255.

Unlike the Biden administration, President Trump has prioritized detaining noncitizens not just at the southern border but everywhere in the country, filling the detention capacity in places like the Krome Detention Center.

Additionally, fewer noncitizens are being released from these facilities because the administration ended a practice that allowed people who are not considered a threat to the community or a flight risk to be released in certain conditions. ICE has also stopped granting parole to detainees almost entirely in late February.

Data also shows that the proportion of detainees with no criminal charges has increased from 6% in mid-January to 16% in early March, despite the administration saying they are prioritizing the deportation of noncitizens who are criminals.

Among those detained without criminal charges are student visa holders—a significant shift in immigration policy from the previous administration.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said that he has used the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revoke the visas of more than 300 student visa holders. The INA grants the secretary of state the authority to revoke visas if a noncitizen is deemed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.

“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said.

One of those detained this week was a 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student who was arrested by ICE officers in Somerville, Massachusetts, and swiftly transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana, despite a federal judge’s order not to remove her from the state without notice.

The Department of Homeland Security has accused her of spreading “terrorist” sentiment but has showcased no evidence or charged her with a crime. A federal judge temporarily blocked her deportation while reviewing its legality.

(Video via Storyful)

“She is a sweet girl. A meek girl. She doesn’t deserve this,” an anonymous TikTok user told TUT via direct messages.

The Times of India reported that university officials and hundreds of student visa holders received emails notifying them that their visas had been revoked under the INA. However, Zeteo reported that some students did not receive direct notifications and had to manually check their visa status. University staff, who are typically informed of revocations, have also been left in the dark—including in Ozturk’s case. Without being aware of their status, student visa holders can be detained, fined, or ineligible for future visas, per the email by the state department;

Among the new reasons for revoking visas are social media violations, including posts that express “advocacy or sympathy for foreign terrorist organizations.” This crackdown is part of the AI-powered program “Catch and Revoke,” which reviews students’ social media activity to identify violations. These rules now require mandatory screenings of current and future student visa holders’ social media activity.

However, according to a memo obtained by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, noncitizens’ credibility can also be questioned if they post content reflecting a “hostile attitude toward U.S. citizens or U.S. culture (including government, institutions, or founding principles).”

Advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, warn that these measures and arrests have led to increased censorship and detentions of Muslim and Arab Americans. “This alarming act of repression is a direct assault on free speech and academic freedom,” the organization said in a statement about Ozturk’s arrest.

According to Zeteo, most student visa holders currently in ICE custody are from Muslim-majority countries.

“My family and I are so scared for people who look like us,” another anonymous TikTok user told TUT, who identified as a Muslim visa holder from Syria. “It seems like the issues Muslims care about are the ones that this government is looking at. How is this not a violation of our rights? Do we [immigrants] even have rights anymore?”

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On Saturday, March 8, Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents detained former Columbia student activist Mahmoud Khalil, a US green card holder, without a warrant or reason for arrest in front of his 8-month pregnant wife at their university-based apartment in New York.

Khalil—who led the pro-Palestinian Columbia University protests and served as the lead negotiator between the student and faculty—was swiftly brought to an ICE detention facility more than 1,000 miles away in Louisiana with an intention to deport him. It came just days before Khalil had reportedly emailed Columbia University President asking for protection from ICE, saying

Khalil’s arrest has sparked national and global outrage with protesters demanding his release, including at Columbia University where students held a sit-in.

Columbia Students Stage Sit-In to Support Arrested Activist Mahmoud Khalil. Credit: BreakThrough News/@BTNewsroom via Storyful

However, on Monday, a New York judge blocked the deportation of Khalil, questioning its legality as the United States looks to pursue the case in Louisiana, where legal experts tell Democracy Now he is more likely to appear before Trump-friendly judges if his case moves forward.

Despite this, there are fears among immigrant rights activists and Muslims that this is just the beginning as the Trump administration doubles down on its crackdown of student protesters

Since his arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Department of Homeland Security have not cited a specific crime committed by Khalil. Instead, they are relying on an Immigration and Nationality Act provision, which allows the U.S. to deport an “alien” if they are deemed to have a “serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Although, the INA does prevent the deportation of a resident because of “past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations, if such beliefs, statements, or associations would be lawful within the United States,” it allows the secretary of state to “personally determine that the alien's admission would compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest.”

A White House official confirmed this tactic telling the Free Press that “the allegation here is not that [Khalil] was breaking the law,” but rather that he is a “threat to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.”

This comes as the Trump administration revoked $400 million in grants to Columbia University and instructed the Department of Education to investigate 60 colleges over anti-semitism claims, which could tighten up free speech for students and increase tension with faculty.

“If you have a social media page, make sure it is not filled with commentary on the Middle East,” Stuart Karle, a First Amendment lawyer and adjunct professor told a gathering of Columbia University students in Pulitzer Hall. “Nobody can protect you,” Jelani Cobb, the school’s journalism dean added. “These are dangerous times.”

For Kahlil, these dangers are rising as the federal court decides the legality of ICE’s actions, which legal experts say could make it up to the Supreme Court. As protests continue to happen, his wife has spoken out about his arrest, pleading with the government and the people to help her husband as she is less than a month away from delivering their child.

“I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration,” Khalil’s wife, who is a US citizen, said in her statement, remaining anonymous for fear of harassment.

“I was born and raised in the midwest. My parents came here from Syria, carrying their stories of the oppressive regime there that made life unlivable. They believed living in the US would bring a sense of safety and stability. But here I am, 40 years after my parents immigrated here, and just weeks before I’m due to give birth to our first child, and I feel more unsafe and unstable than I have in my entire life. US immigration ripped my soul from me when they handcuffed my husband and forced him into an unmarked vehicle.”

This article was written on Thursday, March 13, 2025, and does not reflect any updates after.

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Since taking office, the Trump administration has set out to “transform the federal workforce,” focusing on cutting jobs and reducing the size of key government agencies. For those who haven’t been let go, many are facing growing pressure and increased oversight from their managers along with other members of the Trump administration. This includes demands from unofficial figures like Elon Musk, who required federal workers to send the Office of Management and Budget five bullet points outlining their weekly tasks or risk being fired in a post on X.

Among the more than two million federal workers, one group experiencing the most significant impact are veterans, who make up about one-third of the workforce—around 600,000 people.

According to an estimate from congressional Democrats, at least 6,000 veterans have been fired across the federal government since the administration took over. While the exact number is unconfirmed by the White House, the firings are having drastic impacts among the community of veteran federal workers.

"This is the largest attack on veteran employment in our lifetime," said William Attig, executive director of the Union Veterans Council, a labor group that represents many of these workers to Axios. "The sheer scale of these cuts is unprecedented."

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been hit especially hard, with 2,400 job cuts in the last month alone, including probationary workers and “non-mission critical” positions. The VA is a key agency for veteran employment and providing vital services for the over 15 million veterans nationwide.

However, VA officials argue that the savings from these layoffs will be reinvested into the agency to help Veterans, but many are skeptical of this reasoning, given the lack of clear details on how the layoffs will affect services for veterans. Additionally, some federal agencies have said they are making an effort to protect veteran employees by excepting them from these layoffs and President Trump said they are “watching carefully” to minimize the number of veterans affected.

"We take good care of our veterans, and we're watching that very carefully, and we hope it's going to be as small a number as possible, but we are having great success at slimming down our government,” Trump said.

However, experts say it’s unlikely that veterans, especially disabled veterans, will be exempt from the collective punishment of the broader cuts, given their large role in the federal workforce and ongoing commitment to serving the country.

“The recent VA workforce cuts are deeply concerning, especially given the unprecedented lack of transparency surrounding these decisions. Veterans and their families deserve clear answers on how these reductions will impact their care and benefits," said Randy Reese, executive director of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) told WCVB5.

As the administration continues its efforts to shrink the federal workforce, the full impact of these cuts on veterans—and the services they rely on—remains uncertain, especially as the Trump administration makes these decisions at an unprecedented rate while spreading misinformation about the effects of their actions.

‘It’s been very uneasy,” Jane Doe, an Army and CA Army National Guard of 12 years told TUT anonymously. “The biggest challenge is misinformation and disinformation. Unfortunately, with the way this administration is running, even the director where I work doesn't know what's happening until we all find out from X or some other media. It makes it harder for us at the VA to be able to tell Veterans what's happening.”

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Nearly a month into President Donald Trump's new administration, misinformation and disinformation from federal officials have reached unprecedented levels.

Two false claims circulating widely on TUT’s social media pages include Trump’s assertion that USAID spent $50 million on condoms for Gaza and the claim that former President Barack Obama established an efficiency department akin to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. While misinformation on social media is not new, the spreading of it from federal government accounts complicates efforts to counter false narratives.

In one instance, the U.S. Army's official X account retweeted a post from "Libs of TikTok," a right-wing account known for spreading disinformation, including Trump’s claim that Haitians are ‘eating dogs and cats’ back in the presidential debate on Oct 1.

The White House has also escalated attacks on news organizations working to debunk disinformation. Just last week, the White House barred the Associated Press from events at the Oval Office after the outlet refused to change its style guide from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America,” raising concerns about press freedom and the growing influence of government over media narratives.

Amid these challenges, the White House is reinforcing the use of social media by allowing handpicked social media influencers to participate in press briefings—a first in U.S. history. This decision comes at a time when trust in journalism is at an all-time low and right-wing creators are filling in the gap that legacy media is leaving in the news industry.

A Pew Research Center survey found that right-leaning news influencers are more prevalent than their left-leaning counterparts (27% vs. 21%), and one in five Americans now gets their news primarily from social media. The problem is worsened by changes on X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk, whose algorithm adjustments have been amplifying right-wing narratives, as TUT previously reported, and Meta, who plans to remove its fact-checking guardrails soon.

As disinformation continues to blur the lines between truth and falsehood, the role of credible news sources becomes more crucial than ever. However, digital journalists and news influencers have the power to counter false narratives from the White House by promoting fact-based reporting and fostering critical media literacy among their audiences. In an era where disinformation threatens democratic discourse, transparent, accurate, and accountable communication is now more important than ever.

In the words of Elon Musk, “Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected.”

Editors’s Note: This newsletter has been switched to a bi-weekly format to adapt to the rapid pace of the news cycle. Thank you for your support!

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