The head of the organization behind the Oscar awards has called for diversity and freedom of expression, saying the United States should not put barriers in the way of artists from around the world. Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told the 165 …
your ad hereNew Technology Allows The Paralyzed to Communicate
Psychologist Niels Birbaumer has spent a great part of his career dealing with people whose bodies have failed them. He published a paper in 2008 about the quality of life among people who have lost the ability to control their bodies, many of whom needed a breathing tube to live. …
your ad hereHome-Sharing Site Airbnb Partners With Aid Agency for Refugees
Home-sharing website Airbnb has partnered with global aid agency International Rescue Committee (IRC) to provide short-term accommodation for refugees, joining a number of companies that has voiced their support for people fleeing conflicts. The company said it plans to house 100,000 people in temporary homes over the next five years, …
your ad hereYouTube Stars Can Live Stream from Mobile, Make Money from Fans
Alphabet’s YouTube said it was rolling out live streaming from mobile devices for users with more than 10,000 subscribers, adding a feature that will help them make money, as it takes on Facebook Live. YouTube said in a blog post Tuesday it would roll out the feature to other contributors …
your ad hereThis Day in History: America Catches ‘Beatlemania’ Just Over 50 Years Ago
On a cold day in February 1964, thousands of teenagers stood waiting at New York’s JFK International Airport for The Beatles — nicknamed the “Fab Four” — to arrive for their first tour of America. As their heads poked out of a Pam Am airplane and they descended down a …
your ad hereIf You Ghost Do You Throw Shade? US Dictionary Adds New Words
The next time someone throws shade at you for ghosting them so you can binge-watch a TV show or retreat to your safe space, you can let them know your behavior has been recognized by the United States’ leading dictionary publisher. Merriam-Webster on Tuesday added more than 1,000 new words …
your ad hereHarambe Shaped Snack Fetches Nearly $100,000 on Ebay
Harambe mania lives on. A Cheeto cheese snack that resembles the slain gorilla has been sold on the auction site Ebay for nearly $100,000. The snack food listing received 132 bids. Harambe was shot after a child fell into his enclosure at the city of Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio last …
your ad hereCrack in Antarctic Larsen Shelf Grew Quickly in January
VOA has an update on that giant crack in an Antarctic ice shelf scientists say is now sprinting towards its almost certain break from the continent. The crack is in part of the Larsen C Ice Shelf, which floats off the coast of northwestern Antarctica. Growing, growing, gone! Martin O’Leary …
your ad hereTwitter Announces Steps to Curb Abuse
Twitter says it is stepping up efforts to prevent “abuse and harassment” on its microblogging platform. On Tuesday, the company announced several steps it is taking. First, Twitter says it will identify people who have been banned for online abuse and prevent them from creating new accounts. Additionally, the company …
your ad hereMartian Volcano Erupted for 2 Billion Years
A Martian volcano may have erupted continuously for more than 2 billion years, a new study suggests. Writing in the journal Science Advances, researchers from Purdue University say they base their theory on a small meteorite found in Algeria in 2012. According to the researchers, the meteorite is 2.4 billion …
your ad hereUS Trade Deficit Improved Slightly in December
The U.S. trade deficit improved slightly in December, but the deficit for the whole year was still the worst since 2012. The gap between what the U.S. buys from overseas and what Americans sell to foreign markets was just over $44 billion for December. That was a little better than …
your ad hereMadonna to Adopt Twin Girls from Malawi
American pop star Madonna has been granted permission to adopt twin girls from Malawi, a spokesman for Malawi’s judiciary said Tuesday. Judicial spokesman Mlenga Mvula confirmed to multiple news agencies that the High Court in the southern African nation gave its approval for her to adopt the girls, who will …
your ad hereIndia’s Modi Calls Currency Ban Right Move at Right Time
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly defended his radical ban on high currency notes as the right step, at the right time, that will deliver a cleaner economy. Critics lambasted the currency ban, questioning why Modi took the action at a time when the country had outpaced China to …
your ad hereMelania Trump Lawsuit Says ‘Daily Mail’ Article Cost Her Millions in Business
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has re-filed a defamation lawsuit against the company that publishes the Daily Mail’s website, saying an article posted there in August 2016 harmed her ability to earn millions of dollars during a time when she would be “one of the most photographed women in the …
your ad hereTrump Reveals New Policies on Trade, Jobs
Trade agreements and jobs were two big issues on the minds of farmers and manufacturing workers during the 2016 Presidential campaign. Two weeks into President Donald Trump’s term has provided some insight into his plans to fulfill campaign promises that appealed to those voters who helped him win the White …
your ad hereUber Hires NASA Engineer for Flying Car Initiative
Uber has hired an engineer from the U.S. space agency NASA to work on its initiative to nurture a flying car industry. Mark Moore joins the Uber Elevate project, which is aimed at supporting companies that are developing vehicles, as well as working with regulators and governments that would be …
your ad here3-D Printers Allow Tanzania Hospital to Make Artificial Limbs Quickly
A hospital in Tanzania is using 3-D printers to make artificial limbs, shortening a process that used to take weeks to just a few hours. Researchers want to see if this technology can be scaled up to meet the needs of the estimated 3.5 million people living with a disability …
your ad hereIMF: Greece’s Debts are Still Unsustainable, Despite Progress
Greece, which has been struggling for years with high debts and painful rates of unemployment, is making progress toward reducing its massive budget problems and restoring economic growth, the International Monetary Fund said Monday. But the IMF said the country’s debts remain “unsustainable” over the long term. The …
your ad hereKenya Entrepreneurs Look to Get Online
In Kenya, most companies that offer services for the home, like nanny or cleaning services, still conduct most of their business over the phone; however, that may be changing. Two companies that ventured onto the internet are now finding most of their business online. Lenny Ruvaga reports from Nairobi. …
your ad hereSilicon Valley Debates Trump Engagement
Silicon Valley is struggling with how to interact with the Trump administration. The past few weeks have seen industry-wide letters and court filings over the Trump administration’s executive order travel ban. But meanwhile, there’s a larger debate on social media and among industry insiders over how to influence federal policy …
your ad hereFacebook, Google Join Drive Against ‘Fake News’ in France
Giant Internet firms Facebook and Google joined forces with news organizations on Monday to launch new fact-checking tools designed to root out “fake news” stories in France ahead of the country’s presidential election. Social networks and news aggregators came under fire during the U.S. presidential vote when it became clear …
your ad hereBrain-computer Connection Unlocks Possibilities, Both Good and Bad
Imagine the possibilities that could be unlocked by hooking up your brain to a computer. Science fiction has explored this idea in many films, including the upcoming movie MindGamers, in which students create a wireless neural network that can link people’s minds through a quantum computer. It allows people to …
your ad hereTraveling Exhibition Features Rockwell’s ‘Four Freedoms’
Norman Rockwell’s most celebrated series of paintings is embarking on a multi-year tour across the U.S. and to Europe. The exhibit titled “Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms” opens June 2018 at the New York Historical Society and ends with a five-month run starting June 2020 at …
your ad hereFilm Explores Bright, Dark Side of Brain-computer Interface
Imagine if you could hook up your brain to a computer: What are the possibilities that could unlock? Science fiction has explored this idea in many films, including an upcoming movie called “MindGamers.” However, this type of technology, called brain-computer interface, is very real. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains its potential …
your ad hereFacebook Vulnerable to Expected Changes in Key Visa Program
Among Silicon Valley’s top tech employers, Facebook could be the most vulnerable to U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected crackdown on guest-worker visas, according to a Reuters analysis of U.S. Labor Department filings. More than 15 percent of Facebook’s U.S. employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, giving the social …
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