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To attract the brightest minds to America, President Donald Trump proposed a novel idea while campaigning: If elected, he would grant green cards to all foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges.“It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools,” Trump said during a podcast interview last June. “That is going to end on Day One.”That promise never came to pass. Trump’s stance on welcoming foreign students has shifted dramatically. International students have found themselves at the center of an escalating campaign to kick them out or keep them from coming as his administration merges a crackdown on immigration with an effort to reshape higher education.An avalanche of policies from the Trump administrationsuch as terminating students’ ability to study in the U.S., halting all new student visa interviews and moving to block foreign enrollment at Harvardhave triggered lawsuits, countersuits and confusion. Foreign students say they feel targeted on multiple fronts. Late Wednesday, Trump himself took the latest action against international students, signing an executive order barring nearly all foreigners from entering the country to attend Harvard.In interviews, students from around the world described how it feels to be an international student today in America. Their accounts highlight pervasive feelings of fear, anxiety and insecurity that have made them more cautious in their daily lives, distracted them from schoolwork and prompted many to cancel trips home because they fear not being allowed to return.For many, the last few months have forced them to rethink their dreams of building a life in America. A standout student from Latvia feels ‘expendable’ Markuss Saule, a freshman at Brigham Young University-Idaho, took a recent trip home to Latvia and spent the entire flight back to the U.S. in a state of panic.For hours, he scrubbed his phone, uninstalling all social media, deleting anything that touched on politics or could be construed as anti-Trump.“That whole 10-hour flight, where I was debating, ‘Will they let me in?’it definitely killed me a little bit,” said Saule, a business analytics major. “It was terrifying.”Saule is the type of international student the U.S. has coveted. As a high schooler in Latvia, he qualified for a competitive, merit-based exchange program funded by the U.S. State Department. He spent a year of high school in Minnesota, falling in love with America and a classmate who is now his fiancee. He just ended his freshman year in college with a 4.0 GPA.But the alarm he felt on that flight crushed what was left of his American dream.“If you had asked me at the end of 2024 what my plans were, it was to get married, find a great job here in the U.S. and start a family,” said Saule, who hopes to work as a business data analyst. “Those plans are not applicable anymore. Ask me now, and the plan to leave this place as soon as possible.”Saule and his fiancee plan to marry this summer, graduate a year early and move to Europe.This spring the Trump administration abruptly revoked permission to study in the U.S. for thousands of international students before reversing itself. A federal judge has blocked further status terminations, but for many, the damage is done. Saule has a constant fear he could be next.As a student in Minnesota just three years ago, he felt like a proud ambassador for his country.“Now I feel a sense of inferiority. I feel that I am expendable, that I am purely an appendage that is maybe getting cut off soon,” he said. Trump’s policies carry a clear subtext. “The policies, what they tell me is simple. It is one word: Leave.” From dreaming of working at NASA to ‘doomscrolling’ job listings in India A concern for attracting the world’s top students was raised in the interview Trump gave last June on the podcast “All-In.” Can you promise, Trump was asked, to give companies more ability “to import the best and brightest” students?“I do promise,” Trump answered. Green cards, he said, would be handed out with diplomas to any foreign student who gets a college or graduate degree.Trump said he knew stories of “brilliant” graduates who wanted to stay in the U.S. to work but couldn’t. “They go back to India, they go back to China” and become multi-billionaires, employing thousands of people. “That is going to end on Day One.”Had Trump followed through with that pledge, a 24-year-old Indian physics major named Avi would not be afraid of losing everything he has worked toward.After six years in Arizona, where Avi attended college and is now working as an engineer, the U.S. feels like a second home. He dreams of working at NASA or in a national lab and staying in America where he has several relatives.But now he is too afraid to fly to Chicago to see them, rattled by news of foreigners being harassed at immigration centers and airports.“Do I risk seeing my family or risk deportation?” said Avi, who asked to be identified by his first name, fearing retribution.Avi is one of about 240,000 people on student visas in the U.S. on Optional Practical Traininga postgraduation period where students are authorized to work in fields related to their degrees for up to three years. A key Trump nominee has said he would like to see an end to postgraduate work authorization for international students.Avi’s visa is valid until next year but he feels “a massive amount of uncertainty.”He wonders if he can sign a lease on a new apartment. Even his daily commute feels different.“I drive to work every morning, 10 miles an hour under speed limit to avoid getting pulled over,” said Avi, who hopes to stay in the U.S. but is casting a wider net. “I spend a lot of time doomscrolling job listings in India and other places.” A Ukrainian chose college in America over joining the fight at homefor now Vladyslav Plyaka came to the U.S. from Ukraine as an exchange student in high school. As war broke out at home, he stayed to attend the University of Wisconsin.He was planning to visit Poland to see his mother but if he leaves the U.S., he would need to reapply for a visa. He doesn’t know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended, and he doesn’t feel safe leaving the country anyway.He feels grateful for the education, but without renewing his visa, he’ll be stuck in the U.S. at least two more years while he finishes his degree. He sometimes wonders if he would be willing to risk leaving his education in the United Statessomething he worked for years to achieveif something hppened to his family.“It’s hard because every day I have to think about my family, if everything is going to be all right,” he said.It took him three tries to win a scholarship to study in the U.S. Having that cut short because of visa problems would undermine the sacrifice he made to be here. He sometimes feels guilty that he isn’t at home fighting for his country, but he knows there’s value in gaining an education in America.“I decided to stay here just because of how good the college education is,” he said. “If it was not good, I probably would be on the front lines.” AP Education Writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Jocelyn Gecker, AP Education Writer
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Gone are the days when YouTube was just for catching up on vlogs or diving into late-night rabbit holes. Today, the platform is staking its claim in TV and film. According to a new survey conducted by Looper Insights between April 16 and 25, 66% of consumers discover TV or film content via YouTube. For 61%, its already part of their regular streaming habits, and for 34%, it’s a main source for TV and film content, as reported by Media Play News. This shift isnt surprising. In April, the Google-owned platform captured a record 12.4% share of all TV viewing. And its not just rival streamers who should be concerned. For three consecutive months, YouTube has ranked as the No. 1 distributor of television content, according to Nielsen. Media executives are taking notice. Among the 65 surveyed, 84% view YouTube as a viable platform for launching long-form content, and 30% are actively considering it for upcoming releases. In Q1 2025, more Americans watched YouTube on TV screens than on mobile devicesa first. Meeting audiences in the living room, media companies have begun uploading premium content directly to the platform. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. quietly released more than 30 full-length films on YouTube, free to watch. Yet as YouTube continues its rise, creators face critical decisions. Some, like Ms Rachel, have signed licensing deals with Netflix. MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson), YouTubes most-subscribed creator, brought Beast Games to the small screen via Prime Video. Still, many fans would rather their favorite YouTubers stay where they started. More than half (54%) of respondents said YouTubers feel more authentic and better suited to the platform that launched their careers. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters (74%) of executives noted that creator-led shows often underperform on platforms like Netflix and Prime, citing poor audience migration and an overreliance on follower counts. The good news: The YouTube takeover is already in full swingso creators may not need to go anywhere at all.
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When Frances Berwick started at Bravo in the 1990s, the cable channel was still positioning itself as a hub for film and arts. Berwick climbed the NBCUniversal ladder, eventually growing her domain to all of the companys entertainment cable channels, including E!, Oxygen True Crime, SYFY, USA, and Universal Kids. Her rise at NBCUniversal has coincided with cables decline. Some 46% of households have cut the cord, and many of the networks she once oversaw faced dwindling audiences and profits to send back to parent company Comcast. So, the company amputated the afflicted limbs. All of those entertainment networks, along with news magnets like MSNBC and CNBC, will be overseen by a spinoff company, Versant, which is expected to be spun out by the end of 2025. But Bravo, the network that houses reality franchises like The Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, and Top Chef, is staying in-house. Thats due in part to the fan-driven culture of its programming, which can prop up custom advertising, live events, andthe company hopestheir streamer Peacock. Berwick will lead the way: In January, she was named chair of Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, effectively merging the reality network with its streamer. Bravo isnt the perfect bet for NBCUniversals television future. Its cable presence is sagging like most of its Versant counterparts, with an expected decline of 5% in subscribers and 6.5% in ad sales in 2025, per market research firm Kagan. (Bravo declined to disclose their financials.) Bravo also remains tied up in some long-tailed legal battles from 2023s Reality Reckoning, when claims of talent mistreatment challenged the network. But across conversations with network executives, reality stars, and fans, its clear that Bravo and Peacock have grown inseparable. Bravo-holics expect to watch their favorite programming cable-free, and Peacock relies on the backbone of Bravos low-churn, high-volume audience. Berwick herself calls Peacock critical to the Bravo ecosystem, and vice versa. NBCUniversal is betting that the relationship is strong enough to save Bravo from a looming cable onslaught. Bravo and Peacock’s ‘Infinity Loop’ After almost five years, Peacock is still the least profitable contender in the streaming wars. While Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu have all reached positive profits, Peacock lost $215 million in the first quarter of 2025. Still, Peacocks revenue rose 16% to $1.2 billion, and Comcast president Mike Cavanagh predicted improved monetization, bigger scale and therefore declining losses over time. NBCUniversals primary reason for keeping Bravo in-house is to ensure a loyal, engaged audience for Peacock. Dave Kaplan, NBCUniversals EVP of content analytics, calls Bravo top of the pack for habitual viewers across cable and streaming. Bravo viewerswhich can number as many as 4 million per episode for the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH)are a consistent, low-churn audience who are likely to maintain their subscriptions. Many are yearslong viewers, hopping from show to show and never tapping out. The only other audience that comes close is for procedurals like Law & Order. Bravos sizable audience also means that Bravo shows dominate on Peacock. The streamers daily list of top 10 TV shows almost always has multiple Bravo programs among the ranks. The recent season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was a blowout success, averaging 2.7 million across platforms. Importantly, 55% of those 2.7 million viewers watched on Peacock. [Bravos] audience comes back more days in a month; when they do come they tend to watch more distinct titles, Kaplan says. They also spend more hours collectively consuming the content. Those three markers are significantly higher for the Bravo cohort than the Peacock average. That says to us that they are a really high-value cohort. [Photo: Courtesy NBCUniversal] The Peacock audience is different from the cable one. Theyre noticeably younger, and often more willing to invest in nascent programming. Kaplan points to Peacock as a primary reason for the success of Southern Hospitality, which has grown steadily over its three seasons and just hit 1.3 million average viewers. For a lot of these new shows that are getting discovered for the first time and that don’t have those entrenched habits of how they’re being consumed on cable, we look to Peacock even more importantly to grow that audience, he says. Most importantly, Peacock and Bravo have entered a sort of crossover content partnership, one that will be expanded with Berwicks new role. Bravo stars have broken out on Peacock Originals like The Traitors. When Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix started hosting Peacocks Love Island USA last year, it became the summers most-watched unscripted streaming original at over 5 billion minutes, per Nielsen. Some shows make the jump from streaming to cable, as The Real Housewives of Miami did, and The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys will do this summer. We have a great opportunity between linear and streaming to find everyone where they are and deliver the content in the way that they want to access it, says Jenny Storms, NBCUniversal CMO of TV and streaming. It’s about doubling down on the efforts of what we call our infinity loop between Bravo and Peacock From Reality Reckoning to Peacocks Pride Bravos recent victory lap is especially shocking, given recent years of bad press. In 2023, former Real Housewives of New York (RHONY) star Bethenny Frankel called out the network for poor treatment of its talent, pushing reality stars to unionize. Two years ago, the movement ripped through Bravos public image, begetting a Vanity Fair exposé. The news has since quietedbut the lawsuits persist. Former RHONY star Leah McSweeney is suing Bravo for discrimination, alleging that employees were pressured to consume alcohol. Meanwhile, former Real Housewives of New Jersey (RHONJ) star Caroline Manzo is suing Bravo for encouraging and allowing costar Brandi Glanville to sexually harass her. (McSweeney, Manzo, and Glanville did not respond to reqests for comment.) People are being held both publicly and legally accountable, Frankel wrote in a statement to Fast Company. Sets have changed. Cultures are evolving. And people are finally being held responsible for their behavior. By that definition alone, the Reality Reckoning is already a success. [Photo: Courtesy NBCUniversal] Andy Cohenthe longtime Bravo executive and on-camera host who executive produces 11 shows across NBCUniversal, including all of the Housewives franchisesis largely tight-lipped about the controversy. “It was a lot of noise,” he says. Berwick says the network was in the midst of adjusting its approach to some elements of its shows when the controversy happened. There were changes that we were already making around certain aspects of our production, including one thats been much talked about around alcohol, Berwick says. We were always thoughtful about that, but now were being even more thoughtful. On-camera talent suggests that productions have been more open to hearing about their experiences on the show. There have been some times where Im like, this trip is not good. Why are we in Texas? says Gizelle Bryant, longtime star of The Real Housewives of Potomac. We came back from Mexico and had a nice little talk with [VP of Current Production] Josh Brown and said, were not doing that again. We got bit by mosquitos and it wasnt fun. He listened and said no problem. Old Franchises, New Audiences While Bravos synergy with Peacock is ostensibly the reason they kept it in-house, one cannot overlook the contents recent success. Television viewing is down across mediums, thanks to the growth of alternative platforms like YouTube and TikTok. But Berwick points out that the majority of Bravo shows are expanding their audiences year-over-year. Decades-old legacy franchises form the backbone of Bravo. The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC) premiered 19 years ago; Below Deck is nearly 12 years old. From these base franchises come a variety of spin-offs and themed lead-ins. RHOBH led to Vanderpump Rules, which provided a lead-in for Summer House, which led to the three-season Winter House, which hasnt aired since 2023. Bravolebrities often get solo wedding specials (Bethenny Ever After) and family-focused series (Denise Richards & Her Wild Things). Even Top Chef has a Peacock-exclusive spinoff, Last Chance Kitchen, in which eliminated contestants face off to return to the main competition. Given how far back these shows date, Bravo is always at risk of franchise fatigue. Berwick says she thinks about this often. There are moments where we need to pause and pull back, she says. At one point, we had five versions of the Below Deck franchise. Were currently at three. That leaves Bravo executives to pick through their current slate, looking for an angle to the next big thing. Rachel Smith, Bravos EVP of programming, production, and development, has grown accustomed to this process, having developed shows for Bravo since the Queer Eye days. As she picks through spin-off ideas and new subcultures to explore, shes always looking for an undeniable hook. We’re looking for earned drama, real humor, unexpected storytelling, Smith says. Were very much focused on breeding the next generation of shows and talent based on what we already have and who we already have. Sometimes that doesnt work. The Real Housewives of Dubai had two things going for it: The sheen of the Housewives name, and the preexisting celebrity of Ladies of London star Caroline Stanbury. But fans were frustrated with Bravos choice to film in Dubai given the United Arab Emiratess human rights record, and its two seasons seemed muted in their chatter among fans. In 2024, Bravo officially paused the show. [Photo: Courtesy NBCUniversal] But, when it does work out, these spin-offs can provide the network a refresh. Exiled Vanderpump Rules stars Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright provided the jumping-off point for The Valley, which launched in 2024. Even after some negative fan chatter, the opening episode was the most-watched series premiere for Bravo in nearly a decade. The season two premiere, clocking in at 3.1 million viewers, was Bravos most-watched second season return since RHONJ some 14 years prior. The audience wants to be proven wrong, says Alex Baskin, CEO of production company 32 Flavors, which handles production for most of Bravo’s California-based shows. We have to try not to be governed by immediate social media reactions to things and know that, in the long run, we have a great series with The Valley. They’re going to embrace it once they fully see it. They want to be convinced. Cultivating the Bravo-conomy Strong programming has turned Bravo into a brandone NBCUniversal and Comcast are happy to csh in on. There are live events, promotional tie-ins, themed advertisements, and gobs of merch. Two years ago, The Hollywood Reporter called this the Bravo-conomy. And, while the U.S. economy flirts with a recession, the Bravo-conomy looks strong. That all starts with advertising. The same forces that make Bravo a boon for Peacockhabitual viewing and fan devotionmake the network strong with advertisers. Berwick says that they see huge lifts in brand recall, purchase intent, [and] emotional engagement across advertisements, whether it be an in-show integration or a simple commercial break placement. (Bravo declined to disclose exact financials.) [Photo: Courtesy NBCUniversal] Watching Bravo on cable or Peacocks ad-supported tier, youll likely find a reality star hawking product. Maybe its Dorit Kemsley and Dorinda Medley playing Words With Friends, or Gina Kirschenheiter cleaning up spilled tea with Clorox. While some of these ads are coordinated by the stars themselves, others are shepherded (and profit-shared) by the network. Jamie Cutburth, NBCUniversals EVP of marketing and brand partnerships, points out that these advertisements are successful because of their integration with Bravos programming. When Lisa Barlow is eating Wendy’s in the car, that seems very natural, he says. We’re not creating anything thats beyond what the fans are already accustomed to seeing. Bravos live events business also provides a helpful tie-in for advertisers. From behemoths like BravoCon to smaller gatherings like Watch Party By Bravo, attendees will find branded activations. CMO Storms says that building BravoCon takes a village, it takes the entire company. They price it accordingly: A base-level ticket for the November convention in Las Vegas will cost you $672. There are dozens more businesses that Bravo props up, but doesnt necessarily reap profits from. Bravo-themed podcasts abound, and artisan-made merch clogs Etsy. (Its a sign of a superstrong brand, Cohen tells me.) Then theres the parade of businesses Bravo stars hawk on-camera, from candles to joggers. Ive got news: Theyre not all successful, says RHOC star Heather Dubrow of these talent-created businesses. The power of the platform is so huge that if you stay in this authentic lane, you get multiple opportunities. These businesses are all products of Bravos commercial flywheelthe asset that makes Bravo alluring nearly two decades after the first episode of Housewives aired. Fans will purchase the merch, theyll attend the conventions, theyll watch the ads. Maybe theyll even buy (and keep) a subscription to Peacock. So long as that flywheel stays active, and Bravo maintains its commercial viability, Comcast will be happy to keep Bravo within the NBCUniversal family.
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