A tiny satellite launched by India that is circling the earth contains a laboratory that is only the size of a tissue box. The lab is helping scientists carry out experiments that range from finding ways to improve pharmaceuticals to perfecting the foam in coffee. VOA’s Deborah Block has the …
your ad hereCalifornia, Washington Face Off Over Vehicle Fuel Standards
California and a dozen other states could be heading for a showdown with the federal government as the Trump administration reviews rules on fuel efficiency and vehicle emissions, rules President Donald Trump has said curtail growth in the auto industry. California has a waiver under federal law to set its …
your ad hereLawmakers: Trump Team Wants More NAFTA Access for US Goods, Services
Trump administration trade officials want a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement to improve access for U.S. farm products, manufactured goods and services in Canada and Mexico, said lawmakers who met with them Tuesday. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee met with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and acting …
your ad hereNew Blood Test Rapidly Diagnoses Tuberculosis
Researchers have developed a blood test that can rapidly tell whether someone is suffering from tuberculosis. Investigators hope the test can lead to quicker treatment, making a dent in the worldwide TB epidemic. One-third of the world’s population is infected with a silent form of tuberculosis, according to the World …
your ad hereBrazil Police Raid Brokerage for Allegedly Laundering ‘Car Wash’ Bribe Cash
Brazil’s federal police on Tuesday raided a brokerage in Rio de Janeiro which they allege helped launder money for corrupt former executives of state-run oil firm Petrobras, as part of their sprawling “Car Wash” anti-graft probe. Police said they searched the offices of the Advalor Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores …
your ad hereElon Musk’s Latest Target: Brain-computer Interfaces
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is announcing a new venture called Neuralink focused on linking brains to computers. The company plans to develop brain implants that can treat neural disorders — and that may one day be powerful enough to put humanity on a more even footing with possible future superintelligent …
your ad hereUS Consumer Confidence Surges in March
U.S. consumer confidence, home prices, and the trade deficit all improved, according to economic reports published Tuesday. Consumer confidence hit a 16-year high, as consumers said they were more confident about getting or keeping jobs and the economic outlook in general. The Conference Board said its index jumped more than …
your ad hereFord Investing $1.2B in 3 Michigan Plants, Adding 130 Jobs
Ford Motor Co. is investing $1.2 billion in three Michigan facilities, including an engine plant where it plans to add 130 jobs. President Donald Trump, who has pressured automakers to invest more and create jobs in the U.S., applauded the move Tuesday in an early morning tweet. “Big announcement by …
your ad hereMain Points in Trump Climate Policy Executive Order
The executive order signed by President Trump shelves the Clean Power Plan, the signature Obama-era policy designed to combat climate change. But it also is a sweeping rollback of decades of U.S. policy regarding not only climate change but environmental protection, energy production and emissions. Pro-growth, pro-environment Trump repeatedly promised …
your ad hereIvanka Trump, Education Secretary DeVos Promote STEM Careers
Ivanka Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday exhorted young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, saying those fields will provide the jobs and innovation for the future. Their tour of the National Air and Space Museum with a group of middle school students came …
your ad hereTrump Rolls Back Obama-era Environmental Rules
President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Tuesday that would effectively dismantle Obama-era environmental regulations, rekindling the highly charged partisan debate about how human activity affects the earth’s climate, and deepening concern that decades of work on global climate treaties may be unraveling. “We will put our miners back …
your ad hereAmazon Makes Another Brick & Mortar Move
Online retailer Amazon has announced another move into a traditional brick and mortar business, drive-up grocery stores. The company announced the AmazonFresh Pickup service Tuesday, according to CNBC. The service, which is currently only available to Amazon employees, would allow Amazon Prime members to order groceries online, choose a pick …
your ad hereIndonesian Tax Amnesty Makes Final Push for Overseas Assets
Indonesia has the world’s fourth-largest population at almost 260 million, but only 10 percent are registered as taxpayers and only about one million actually submit a tax return. That’s a major reason for the country’s huge and growing deficit, which has stalled the present administration’s ambitious infrastructure plans. To jump-start …
your ad here‘Electric Sands’ Cover Titan
To build a sandcastle here on Earth, the sand needs to be wet so it can stick together. Not so on Saturn’s strange and largest moon Titan, according to a new study. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology say the moon’s non-silicate sand is “electrically charged” and “resistant to …
your ad hereTwitter to Let Advertisers Buy Video Ads on Periscope
Twitter Inc, trying to boost its sagging advertising revenue, will allow brands to buy commercials on its video streams for Periscope, signaling a major push to make money off the live-streaming platform, the company announced on Tuesday morning. With sponsors growing more wary of exactly what kind of online videos …
your ad hereLeonardo Masterpiece Unveiled After Facelift
Leonardo da Vinci is, simply put, one of the greatest artists of all time. The world still marvels at his genius and some of his most famous works, such as the Mona Lisa. One of his uncompleted works, Adoration of the Magi, had fallen on hard times, but thanks to …
your ad hereSamsung Plans to Sell Refurbished Galaxy Note 7s
Tech giant Samsung Electronics plans to sell refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, the company said late on Monday, signaling the return of the model pulled from markets last year because of fire-prone batteries. Samsung’s Note 7s were permanently scrapped in October after some phones self-combusted, prompting a …
your ad hereFrom Syria to Detroit, We Are All Migrants, Sings Bluesman Bibb
“Migration Blues”, a new album from veteran bluesman Eric Bibb, uses the sounds of the American South to tell the tale of everyone from 1920s farmers fleeing the Dust Bowl for California to refugees crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in the 2010s. Along the way are Mexicans seeking a future …
your ad hereAmerican Airlines to Buy Minority Stake in China Southern Airlines
American Airlines says it will purchase a minority stake in China Southern Airlines, a deal that will give the carrier greater access to the world’s two largest travel markets. American Airlines, the world’s largest by scheduled passengers carried, will buy $200 million in China Southern stock, the largest airline in …
your ad herePolitical Atmosphere Gives Cartoonist Plenty of Material
Political satire dates back to the ancient Greeks, 2,400 years ago when Aristophanes made fun of the Peloponnesian War. It’s a staple of late night American television talk shows and the editorial pages of most newspapers. Successful political cartoonists are able to draw biting commentary with the stroke of a …
your ad hereSouq.com says Amazon has Bought it After $800M Counteroffer
Amazon purchased the Middle East’s biggest online retailer Souq.com on Tuesday for an undisclosed amount, a day after a state-backed firm disclosed an $800 million counteroffer. A joint statement described the purchase as expanding Amazon’s influence into the Mideast as the state-supported firm Emaar prepares to launch its own …
your ad hereThis Day in History: America’s Worst Nuclear Fears Realized at Three Mile Island Plant
Thirty-eight years ago today — March 28, 1979 — disaster struck at 4 a.m. at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in central Pennsylvania after its cooling system failed. It remains the worst nuclear accident in American history. A simple plumbing failure prevented the main feedwater pumps from …
your ad hereIndiana Board Set to Endorse $7M Carrier Deal Trump Brokered
An Indiana board is poised to endorse a deal directing $7 million in tax breaks and grants for a deal brokered by President Donald Trump to keep hundreds of jobs at the Carrier Corp. factory in Indianapolis. The incentive package is set for a vote by an Indiana Economic …
your ad hereExoskeleton Makes Lifting Easier
Lifting boxes by hand, day after day, in places like warehouses can cause muscle strain and other injuries. But now a new exoskeleton — a rigid external body frame that assists with limb movement can help prevent problems associated with repetitive tasks like handling boxes or materials at construction sites. …
your ad hereNourishing the World One Little Girl at a Time
In the U.S. and Africa, communities of African descendants are experiencing a high rate of diet related disorders like diabetes and heart disease. A Nigerian American in Washington wants to change that. Nutritionist Tambra Raye Stevenson is on a mission to inspire young girls and women in the diaspora and …
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