When journalist Emily Sachar sets out to do a story on one of Red Hook's foreign exchange students, she expects a simple upbeat narrative. Instead, she learns that Alice Palmbäck of Stockholm only got to Red Hook unexpectedly, after enduring deplorable conditions at her first host family in the Midwest.

Inadequate nutrition, a house teeming with foster children and dirty conditions were only a few of the challenges Alice faced, in violation of U.S. State Department regulations, before her mother thousands of miles away identified a new home for Alice for the 2022-2023 school year.

This podcast explores the tactics and decisions The Daily Catch made over months of reporting to bring Alice's story to light.

This podcast is a joint production of The Daily Catch and Radio Free Rhinecliff.