Based in New York City, Samantha M. Wender graduated from Emory University in 2004 with a degree in political science and a minor in philosophy. She started her journalism career at ABC News, where she reported on youth-oriented and social issues, long-form hours for 20/20, Primetime and Diane Sawyer's Hidden America series. Before coming to CBS News, Samantha covered culture, food, politics, the environment, justice-focused and feature stories at VICE News and for TODAY at NBC News; including Fidel Castro's death in Cuba, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and hours on mental health and the death penalty and the orchestrated overturning of Roe v. Wade.