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How U.S. aid cuts are reshaping HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa

Illustration accompanying article: How U.S. aid cuts are reshaping HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa
  • The Trump administration's sharp cuts to foreign assistance have created uncertainty for PEPFAR, the U.S. HIV/AIDS program that the State Department estimates has saved roughly 26 million lives since its launch in 2003.
  • NPR reporters documented closed U.S.-funded clinics, health workers forgoing pay, and community-care programs destabilized by the policy changes during nearly two weeks of reporting in South Africa and Mozambique.
  • HIV activist Lucky Mazibuko, who disclosed his HIV-positive status in 1999, said the pre-PEPFAR era "was filled with the stench of death" and described the current uncertainty as threatening to reverse decades of progress.
  • Health workers and advocates in both countries told NPR they remain committed to their work despite uncertain funding, with some going without full pay to maintain patient trust.
 3 MIN READ

Black women killed at disproportionate rates in domestic violence cases

Illustration accompanying article: Black women killed at disproportionate rates in domestic violence cases
  • Black women are two and a half times more likely to be murdered by men than white women are, according to a 2025 study cited by Guardian US columnist Tayo Bero.
  • A 2024 CDC report found that Black women, who make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, accounted for nearly 30% of intimate partner homicide victims.
  • In April 2026, at least half a dozen Black women were allegedly killed by their partners, including Cerina Fairfax in Virginia and Nancy Metayer Bowen in Florida, according to published reports.
  • Shaneiqua Elkins survived a shooting by her husband in Shreveport, Louisiana, that killed eight children, police said.
 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Democratic-led states sue to block student loan caps for nursing, health