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I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT. TODAY, A STORY OF SELF-DEPORTATION. I GREW UP HERE, BUT I’M MEXICAN. HER HUSBAND ENROLLED IN THE MILITARY TO GET HER LEGAL STATUS. I FEEL LIKE I’M TORN IN THE MIDDLE. BUT NOW THE FAMILY IS MOVING TO MEXICO. WHY? THEY SAY THEY FEEL SAFER LEAVING. PLUS, MY INTERVIEW WITH PHAIDRA NIGHT AS A CHILD. HER GRANDFATHER TOLD HER SHE COULD DO ANYTHING. I DIDN’T TAKE IT WITH AN OUNCE OF ARROGANCE OR. CONCEIT. IT WAS JUST, OH, I WILL DO AS I’M TOLD. FROM THE RUGBY FIELD TO THE MMA OCTAGON, HOW THAT’S LED TO A LIFE OF DEFYING THE ODDS. AND THIS COLORADO STUDENT WAS DREADING HER 18TH BIRTHDAY. I ACTUALLY FELT LIKE PRETTY PHYSICALLY ILL. SHE WAS IN FOSTER CARE AND LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, TURNING 18 MEANT SHE’D BE ON HER OWN. IF YOU WOULD DO IT FOR YOUR CHILD, WE WOULD DO IT FOR A FOSTER YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE. WE EXPLORE A COMMUNITY EFFORT TO HELP FORMER FOSTER KIDS LAND ON THEIR FEET. THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS CALLING THEM VOLUNTARY DEPORTATIONS. ON MONDAY, MAY 1968, IMMIGRANTS BOARDED A GOVERNMENT FUNDED FLIGHT OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. THEY WERE GIVEN DEBIT CARDS WITH $1,000 ON THEM AND AN OFFER TO ONE DAY APPLY FOR LEGAL ENTRY INTO THE U.S. THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 11 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY, AND EXPERTS DOUBT THAT MANY OF THEM WILL CHOOSE TO SELF-DEPORT. BUT OUR CORRESPONDENT LEONE LAKHANI, RECENTLY MET A FAMILY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, THAT’S OPTING TO LEAVE. THEY MADE THE DECISION MONTHS BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION’S VOLUNTARY DEPORTATIONS PUSH. AND DESPITE MANY IN THE FAMILY HAVING LEGAL STATUS, LEONE HAS THEIR STORY. THE HISTORIC TOWN OF SEGUIN, TEXAS, IS WHERE 31 YEAR OLD KARINA AND HER HUSBAND, JOSH, CHOSE TO MAKE THEIR HOME. WOW. AND RAISED THEIR THREE KIDS. BUT FOR KARINA, LIFE BEGAN IN MEXICO UNTIL TRAGEDY HIT. IT ALL STARTED WHEN MY PARENTS LOST MY BROTHER. HE WAS KILLED BY A DRUNK COP IN MEXICO. AFTER THAT, KARINA SAYS THEIR LIFE IN MEXICO FELL APART. SO THE FAMILY CAME TO THE U.S. ONE BY ONE, CROSSING THE DESERT. AS SHE SAYS. IF YOU COME HERE ILLEGALLY TO STAY HERE, YOU NEED TO HAVE A DIRECT FAMILY MEMBER JOIN THE MILITARY TO BE ABLE TO PETITION YOU OR TWO. YOU CAN SELF-DEPORT WAIT OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY FOR TEN YEARS, AND THEN YOU’RE ELIGIBLE TO QUALIFY. IF YOU MANAGE TO FIND A SPONSOR. AFTER LIVING IN THE U.S. 20 YEARS, GOING TO SCHOOL, WORKING ALL UNDOCUMENTED, ONE OF THOSE SPOTS OPENED FOR KARINA. MY HUSBAND MADE THE HARD DECISION TO JOIN THE MILITARY. OKAY. I’M COMING. JOSH, A U.S. CITIZEN, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LAS VEGAS. WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT DECISION? YOU KNOW, WE WENT TO A BUNCH OF IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS, AND THERE WAS NO PATHWAY FOR HER AT ALL. LIKE, LITERALLY NOT NOT ONE PATHWAY. JUST KIND OF FELT LIKE IT WAS THE BEST THING AT THE TIME. KARINA SISTER ALSO BEGAN A PATH TO DOCUMENTATION, BUT KARINA’S PARENTS AND BROTHER REMAIN UNDOCUMENTED. MY BROTHER IS AN IRONWORKER AND HE MAKES REALLY GOOD MONEY. MY DAD OWNS HIS OWN TOWING COMPANY AND HE OBVIOUSLY PAYS TAXES. IT’S A LEGAL, FULL BLOWN COMPANY, AND HE DOES HAVE EMPLOYEES, KARINA SAYS. THAT’S ONE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BEING UNDOCUMENTED. THE MAJORITY OF US PAY TAXES. YES, THERE ARE SOME THAT WORK UNDER THE TABLE, BUT I THINK THAT’S EVERYONE. EVEN NATURAL BORN CITIZENS. WHAT OTHER KIND OF MISCONCEPTIONS DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ABOUT THEM? THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE JUST USING ALL THESE BENEFITS WHEN IN FACT THEY DO NOT QUALIFY EXCLUDED FROM BENEFITS LIKE HEALTH CARE, WHICH BECAME AN ISSUE FOR KARINA’S FAMILY WHEN HER MOTHER FELL ILL ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. MY MOM GOT TWO STROKES ALREADY. SHE’S UNABLE TO GET HER MEDICATIONS OR ANYTHING THAT SHE REQUIRES MEDICALLY. ADD TO THAT CONCERN THAT HER MOTHER’S UNDOCUMENTED STATUS COULD GET HER DEPORTED. THE FAMILY SAW ONLY ONE OPTION MOVE HER BACK TO MEXICO FOR TREATMENT. WE FIGURED IT WAS BETTER THAN HER GOING TO A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT AND GETTING STOPPED BY IMMIGRATION AND MISTREATED AND GETTING YANKED AROUND. GIVEN THAT SHE CAN BARELY EVEN MOVE OR TALK, HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME GOING BACK? SHE SAID SHE FEELS HAPPY BECAUSE SHE GETS TO SEE EVERYONE, BUT SHE FEELS SAD BECAUSE SHE HAS TO GO. SHE CAN’T COME BACK. WHAT’S SHE GOING TO MISS THE MOST? I MISS HER KIDS. SPECIFICALLY KARINA’S BROTHER AND SISTER, BECAUSE KARINA IS MOVING HUSBAND, CHILDREN AND ALL TO MEXICO. YOU’VE BEEN HERE SINCE YOU WERE A CHILD. THIS IS THE ONLY LIFE YOU KNOW. ARE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT GOING TO MEXICO? I WOULD BE LYING IF I SAID THAT I WASN’T, BUT I’M HOPEFUL. I’M A LITTLE NERVOUS WITH THE CARTEL ACTIVITY AROUND MY HOMETOWN, BUT I’M PRETTY SURE WE’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. ARE YOU CONCERNED NOW BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION IS RAMPING UP DEPORTATIONS? I UNDERSTAND ON ONE SIDE WE CAN’T LET EVERYBODY STAY ON THE OTHER SIDE. I’M WORRIED BECAUSE OF THE TREATMENT, ALTHOUGH, YES, CROSSING ILLEGALLY IS A FEDERAL CRIME. I DON’T THINK THE PEOPLE DESERVE THAT KIND OF TREATMENT, GIVEN THEY ARE JUST REGULAR PEOPLE TRYING TO SURVIVE. WHAT DO YOU WISH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD DO FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE HERE? I THINK IF THEY JUST CLOSE THE BORDERS AND LEGALIZE EVERYBODY THAT’S BEEN HERE FOREVER PAYING THEIR TAXES. BUT IF THE BORDERS WERE CLOSED, THEN YOU WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CROSS THE BORDER WHEN YOU WERE A KID. NO. AND THAT’S A PART OF THE PROBLEM. WE ALL GOT AWAY WITH IT. IF THEY ACTUALLY HELP OUT THOSE THAT GOT IN AND HAVE PROVEN TO BE, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY AND THEN MAKE A MORE REALISTIC PATH FOR THE NEXT PEOPLE, I THINK THAT COULD SOLVE A LOT OF THE ISSUES. YOU’RE IT AS THE TIME APPROACHES FOR KARINA AND JOSH TO FLY HER MOTHER TO MEXICO, JOSH REFLECTS ON WHAT’S AHEAD. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO BE THERE? NO, NOT REALLY. THE MILITARY KIND OF HELPED ME GAIN THE ABILITY TO ADAPT SO I CAN ADAPT TO ANY SITUATION, ANY SCENARIO. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK ABOUT THIS? THEY’RE JUST LIKE, YOU GO TO IRAQ, YOU GO TO SYRIA. NOPE, NOPE. ALL RIGHT. COOL. YOU’RE GOOD ABOUT IT. AND FOR KARINA, SHE’S HOPING HER CHILDREN WILL EXPERIENCE A CHILDHOOD IN MEXICO. SHE WASN’T ABLE TO. I FEEL LIKE MY CULTURE, MY HERITAGE, IS CALLING ME. FOR MATTER OF FACT, IN SEGUIN, TEXAS, I’M LEONE. LAKHANI. NEXT ON. MATTER OF FACT, FOSTER CARE ENDS AND MANY OF THOSE YOUNG ADULTS HAVE NO PLACE TO GO. WE EXPLORE HOW TO PREVENT FORMER FOSTER KIDS FROM BECOMING HOMELESS AND WHY. A WEBSITE OF WEBSITES IS GETTING MILLIONS OF VIEWS. BUT FIRST, PHAIDRA NIGHT HAS NO LIMITS. YOU’RE SO DICTATED BY WHAT WE SEE. SHE JOINS ME IN STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT DEFYING EXPECTATIONS AND TRAINING YOUR BODY AS IT AGES. YOU’RE WATCHING, MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE. PHAIDRA NIGHT IS AN ATHLETE. FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM. SHE PLAYED IN THREE WORLD CUPS. SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD RUGBY HALL OF FAME, AND THEN IN 2017, SHE RETIRED. SHE DID SOME COACHING, AS YOU’D EXPECT, A RETIRED ATHLETE MIGHT DO. AND THEN SHE DID SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT EXPECT. SHE TOOK UP A NEW PROFESSIONAL SPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR AT THE AGE OF 50. PHAIDRA KNIGHT BECAME THE OLDEST WOMAN TO MAKE A PRO MMA. MIXED MARTIAL ARTS DEBUT. SHE FOUGHT A WOMAN NEARLY 20 YEARS HER JUNIOR AND SHE WON. PHAIDRA RECENTLY JOINED ME IN STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT THE FIGHT AND ABOUT DEFYING EXPECTATIONS. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU JOINING ME IN STUDIO. THANK YOU. IT’S SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR MATCH. YOU WERE UP AGAINST DIANA KARAVAS KARAVAS, AND SO SHE’S A LITTLE BIT TALLER THAN YOU A FEW INCHES. SHE IS ABOUT THE SAME WEIGHT AS YOU ARE. SHE’S 31 AND YOU ARE 50 YEARS OLD. THAT’S THE STORY OF OF MOST FIGHTERS. I FOUGHT, YOU KNOW, AND I CAME OUT IN THAT FIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW SHE’D BE A REALLY STRONG OPPONENT WHEN YOU STARTED THIS FIGHT. SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS DOMINATING RIGHT FROM THE GET GO. SHE CAME OUT WITH BLAZING GUNS. AND I THINK THAT WAS HER STRATEGY. I DIDN’T REMEMBER A LOT OF IT BECAUSE I WAS JUST IN A DIFFERENT MODE. MY BRAIN TOOK A LEFT TURN. I DID HAVE ENOUGH COGNIZANCE TO KNOW, OKAY, LET ME JUST KIND OF RIDE THIS OUT. SHE HAD EVERY ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION ON ME THAT SHE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAD. AND THEN AND THEN THINGS CHANGED. SO I REENTERED MY BODY. AND THEN I CAME TO MY SENSES. AND I THEN TURNED, TURNED THE TIDE. WHEN I WATCH MMA, I WATCH IT LIKE THIS. AND AND I THINK YOU ARE 50 YEARS OLD AND YOU WERE RETIRED NOT ALL THAT LONG AGO. WHY? WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING MMA? PRETTY SIMPLE. I FIGHT BECAUSE I CAN. IT STARTED WITH WITH MY GRANDFATHER, DORSEY KNIGHT, WHO TOLD ME AS A CHILD, AS A THREE YEAR OLD, AND HE TOLD EVERYONE I EVER CAME IN CONTACT WITH THAT PHAI CAN DO ANYTHING. AND SO I JUST BELIEVED IT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, A CHILD WHO’S QUITE IMPRESSIONABLE, THAT’S JUST HOW I TOOK IT. I DIDN’T TAKE IT WITH AN OUNCE OF ARROGANCE OR CONCEIT. IT WAS JUST, OH, I CAN DO ANYTHING. SO YOU KNOW WHAT? I WILL DO AS I’M TOLD. AND SO THAT’S HOW I’VE LIVED MY LIFE. I KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD SAY, OH, COME ON, NO WAY. EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY IN GREAT SHAPE, THAT AT AGE 50 SHE’S GOING TO BE DOMINANT IN THE OCTAGON. BUT YOU DON’T JUST THINK ABOUT THE THE BOUTS, YOU THINK OF KIND OF TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY IN BETWEEN. THAT’S KEY. RIGHT? BECAUSE AS YOU GET OLDER, THE BODY SLOWS DOWN FROM JUST AGING. WELL, YES, IT DOES. I CAN ATTEST TO THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’RE LIVING IN A TIME RIGHT NOW. IT’S FASCINATING THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THESE MODALITIES TO ACTUALLY TURN THAT CLOCK BACK TO DETOX SO THAT WE REVERSE SO QUOTE UNQUOTE, REVERSE AGING. RIGHT. BUT WE CAN RESTORE CELLS TO A BETTER STATE SO THAT WE’RE ABLE TO PERFORM IN A WAY THAT WE DID 20 YEARS AGO. WHAT ARE THE LESSONS FOR THE REST OF US WHO LOOK AT YOU AND YOU’RE GRAPPLING LITERALLY AND WINNING MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY? YOU KNOW, DON’T BE LIMITED BY OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES. NUMBER ONE. RIGHT. AND DON’T BE LIMITED BY YOUR OWN PAST. YOUR PAST IS IS LITERALLY YOUR AND SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, DREAM, DREAM AND THINK BEYOND, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING YOU’VE EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE AND THEN PUT IT TO WORK, RIGHT. DO THE WORK THAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE. AND THAT’S THAT’S REALLY IT. WE WE ARE FAR TOO LIMITED AS HUMAN BEINGS. WE ARE SO DICTATED BY WHAT WE SEE, AND WHAT WE SEE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, OUR REALITY NECESSARILY. WE CREATE THAT. SO YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY MANIFEST IT. I THINK PHYSICALLY. AND SO WE HAVE TO CREATE WHAT WE WANT. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WIN. THANK YOU. ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO. THANK YOU. COMING UP AS WE’RE DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WAS JUST A REGULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, SHE SAID, LOOK, I OBVIOUSLY DON’T BELONG HERE. SHE FELT LIKE SHE DIDN’T EVEN DESERVE A HOME. INSIDE, THE EFFORT TO HELP FORMER FOSTER KIDS NOT JUST SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE. AND A LIBRARY FULL OF HARD DRIVES. WHY A NONPROFIT IS RUSHING TO CATALOG THE INTERNET IN A WAY YOU CAN SEARCH. MAY IS NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH, A TIME TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. THE LATEST NUMBERS SHOW THAT MORE THAN 360,000 CHILDREN ARE IN FOSTER CARE, DOWN FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. BUT ADVOCATES SAY THERE’S A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF LICENSED HOMES FOR THEM TO MOVE INTO. THAT SHORTAGE MEANS THAT WHEN KIDS TURN 18, THEY’RE OFTEN ON THEIR OWN. FACING AN INCREASED RISK OF HOMELESSNESS AND INCARCERATION IN COLORADO, ABOUT A THIRD OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO AGE OUT OF THE PROGRAM ARE HOMELESS. WITHIN THREE YEARS. OUR CORRESPONDENT LAURA CHAVEZ TRAVELED TO BOULDER COUNTY, WHERE ONE YOUNG WOMAN AND HER MENTOR ARE TRYING TO BUILD A DIFFERENT FUTURE. 22 YEAR OLD AMBROSHA STILLER DOESN’T HAVE A LOT LEFT FROM HER CHILDHOOD. I THINK I HAVE ONE SHIRT THAT SURVIVED, AND IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, ACTUALLY, IN EIGHTH GRADE, SHE ENTERED FOSTER CARE DUE TO NEGLECT IN HER HOME CONNECTED TO HER PARENTS DRUG ADDICTIONS. HOW MANY PLACES DO YOU THINK YOU’VE LIVED? ALTOGETHER, I WOULD SAY MORE THAN 15. BUT BELOW 25. EVERY TIME I WOULD GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE’S HOUSE, I WOULD SHOW UP WITH LIKE A TRASH BAG FULL OF THINGS. AS HARD AS THAT WAS, AMBROSHA TOOK COMFORT IN KNOWING THERE WAS A SAFETY NET THROUGH FOSTER CARE, WHICH PROVIDES THINGS LIKE MEDICAL COVERAGE, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND AID TO FOSTER FAMILIES FOR BASIC NEEDS. BUT ALL THAT WOULD END AT 18. I WASN’T EVER PREPARED FOR LIKE THE DAY AFTER 18 IS HOW I’LL SAY IT. AMBROSHA SPENT HER 18TH BIRTHDAY IN A COURTHOUSE. I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT PAYING BILLS OR SIGNING A LEASE OR, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT A WAY TO FIND A REAL JOB, SAVE MONEY. AND IT WAS REALLY KIND OF FRUSTRATING TO KNOW THAT, LIKE AFTER I LEFT THAT COURTROOM, THEIR HANDS WERE CLEAN. EVERY YEAR, ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE AGE OUT OF FOSTER CARE. THESE YOUNG ADULTS EXPERIENCE A HIGHER RATE OF HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND INCARCERATION. AMBROSHA WORKED HARD TO AVOID ALL THAT, BUT EVEN SHE WILL TELL YOU SHE DIDN’T DO IT ALONE. BEVERLY I WOULD CONSIDER HER MY MENTOR. FOSTER YOUTH CARRY A BURDEN THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T CARRY. BEVERLY MCKELVEY, A FORMER TEACHER, IS THE PRESIDENT OF HELPING HANDS. THEREAFTER, FOSTER CARE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS PEOPLE AS THEY AGE OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM. A LOT OF THE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE FEEL THAT THEY DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING BETTER. THEY HAVE NOBODY THERE TO SAY, THIS IS HOW YOU FILL OUT A FAFSA FORM, OR THIS IS HOW YOU ARRANGE A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT, OR THIS IS HOW YOU ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE TEST. THEY DON’T HAVE THE PARENT TO DO THAT. THEY’RE FOSTER CARE, WORKS WITH THE COUNTY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TOGETHER, A COLORADO BASED NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. CLAIRE CRONIN IS THE DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT TOGETHER. IT’S REALLY SCARY TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MOVING OUT INTO THE WORLD, TO HAVING YOUR OWN PLACE TO REALLY KIND OF BE ALONE IN SOME SENSES, TOGETHER. GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE A CHANCE TO MOVE AT THEIR OWN PACE BY PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. PRIVATE COUNSELING, CAREER ADVICE, AND MUCH MORE. THERE’S KIND OF THESE, LIKE, SMALL NUANCES THAT WE PICK UP IN LIFE, THAT FOSTER CARE YOUTH DON’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LEARN, AND SO THEY HAVE TO LEARN THEM ON THE FLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE EXITING FOSTER CARE, WHICH IS REALLY DIFFICULT. NUANCES. AMBROSHA STILL STRUGGLES WITH. I WISH I WAS TAUGHT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CREDIT CARD AND A DEBIT CARD BECAUSE STILL, LIKE, I’M SO CONFUSED. BUT SHE’S LEARNING WITH THE HELP OF A NEW SUPPORT SYSTEM. FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M LAURA CHAVEZ IN BOULDER, COLORADO. AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, WHY THE WORLD WIDE WEB HAS A LIBRARY OF ITS OWN. PLUS AN AURORA IN THE SKIES ABOVE A CITY. LIGHTNING OVER THE AMAZON BASIN. THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER BEHIND THESE IMAGES FROM SPACE. TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH MATTER OF FACT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER ATTHE INTERNET ARCHIV LIVING, BREATHING LIBRARY STORING AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION YOU CAN ACCESS WITH JUST A FEW CLICKS. BUT NOW IT’S IN JEOPARDY. THE NONPROFIT WAS FOUNDED IN 1996 WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING FREE ACCESS TO DIGITIZED MEDIA, SUCH AS WEBSITES, SOFTWARE, MUSIC AND PRINT MATERIALS. THE ORGANIZATION’S WAYBACK MACHINE IS A TOOL THAT LETS USERS GO BACK IN TIME AND SEE WHAT WEBSITES LOOK LIKE. IN THE PAST. WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY, ARCHIVISTS BEGAN BACKING UP GOVERNMENT WEBSITES. WHY? THE ADMINISTRATION PLANNED TO PURGE GOVERNMENT PAGES OF INFORMATION THAT WASN’T IN LINE WITH EXECUTIVE ORDERS, BANNING CONTENT ON DEI GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. ACCORDING TO THE WAYBACK MACHINE DIRECTOR, THE INTERNET ARCHIVE CATALOGED AN ESTIMATED 73,000 WEB PAGES THAT WERE EXPUNGED FROM GOVERNMENT WEBSITES JUST LAST MONTH. THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, OR DOGE, CUT FUNDING FOR THE INTERNET ARCHIVE. THE INTERNET ARCHIVE HAS FACED COPYRIGHT LAWSUITS OVER ITS DIGITIZATION OF BOOKS AND MUSIC NOT AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. IT’S CURRENTLY FACING A $700 MILLION LAWSUIT FROM MAJOR RECORD LABELS. ALTHOUGH HUNDREDS OF MUSICIANS HAVE COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE NONPROFIT. STILL AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, NASA’S OLDEST ASTRONAUT RETURNS TO EARTH WITH A GIFT FOR US ALL. AND FINALLY, A NASA ASTRONAUT IS TURNING SCIENCE INTO ART. ONE PICTURE AT A TIME. DON PETTIT IS NASA’S OLDEST ACTIVE ASTRONAUT AND A PHOTOGRAPHER. HE RECENTLY RETURNED TO EARTH ON HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY AFTER SPENDING SEVEN MONTHS ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. THE IMAGES HE CAPTURED ARE BREATHTAKING. TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS. THE COSMIC COLORS AT SUNRISE, THE SUN REFLECTING OFF OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE AMAZON BASIN, AND A TIME LAPSE OF AN AURORA BOREALIS. PETTIT CAPTURES MANY OF THESE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS BY SETTING UP SEVERAL CAMERAS IN THE SPACE STATION’S CUPOLA TO GET A PANORAMIC VIEW. PHOTOS LIKE THESE CONTRIBUTE TO A DATABASE FOR RESEARCHERS WHO ARE TRACKING THE EARTH’S CHANGING LANDSCAPES, AND PETTIT SAYS HIS SPACE WORK ISN’T DONE YET. HE’S HOPING FOR MORE TRIPS AMONG THE STARS. AND OF COURSE, WE’LL ALL BE WATCHING. THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF MATTER OF FACT, I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN, AND I’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK. TO WATCH MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ANYTIME, HEAD TO MATTER OF FACT.