Scientists from U.S. and Britain have found four planets, slightly larger than Earth, orbiting a star visible with a naked eye. Using a technique so sensitive that it can measure tiny changes in the light emitted by stars, scientists at University of California Santa Cruz and the University of Hertfordshire …
your ad hereSolar Energy ‘Flower’ Harvests Clean Energy
Some countries depend heavily on fossil fuels for power, including the Philippines. But now a kind of solar energy “flower” is among the clean power alternatives there. The Smartflower can produce 40 percent more energy than a traditional rooftop solar design. VOA’s Deborah Block tells us more about it. …
your ad hereCitizen Journalists Wage Online War Against ISIS
City of Ghosts is a new documentary that follows an underground group of citizen journalists from IS occupied Raqqa, Syria, risking their lives and using social media to expose the atrocities of the militants against civilians. The goal of the group, called Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, is to broadcast information online …
your ad hereCitizen Journalists Wage Online War on ISIS
A new documentary follows an underground group of citizen journalists from ISIS occupied Raqqa Syria, risking their lives to expose the atrocities of the militants against civilians on social media. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Matthew Heineman as well as Abdul-Aziz al-Hamza, the co-founder of the group called …
your ad hereBeleaguered Detroit Relying on Immigrants to Revitalize City
Detroit, Michigan, knows hardship and recovery. One of the hardest hit areas in the country during the Great Recession, the Midwestern Rust Belt city has since found an ingredient to its economic revitalization through empowerment of its immigrant communities. But not everyone is convinced that the solution is viable or …
your ad herePerseid Meteor Shower Provides Opening Act for Solar Eclipse
The Perseid meteor shower peaks every year about this time as the Earth passes debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, but this year the annual shower will come about a week before a total solar eclipse. The meteor shower, which occurs each year in July or August, will see hundreds of …
your ad hereGot Text Neck? Try Pilates
Pilates is a fitness regimen that has been around for nearly 100 years, using controlled movements to build strength and improve flexibility. Now, a pilates class in New York City is taking on a 21st century malady specific to our digital culture and obsession with texting. VOA’s Tina Trinh went …
your ad hereElectric Car Worry: Where Can You Charge It?
Around the world, support is growing for electric cars. Automakers are delivering more electric models with longer range and lower prices, such as the Chevrolet Bolt and the Tesla Model 3. China has set aggressive targets for electric vehicle sales to curb pollution; some European countries aim to be all-electric …
your ad hereLet It Be, Mongolians Say of Their Monument to Beatles
A statue of the Beatles in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar could be at risk in an alleged land grab, protesters say, as rapid development turns a city once famed for wide open spaces into a cluttered metropolis. Residents are protesting plans to build commercial properties in an area known …
your ad herePilates Class Combats ‘Text Neck’ Syndrome
In the sports world, repetitive movements and muscle overuse eventually lead to strain and injury. The consequences of staring down at our phones day in and day out? Text neck. It’s the poor posture that results from your bent head adding tension to your neck and spine. One Pilates class …
your ad herePilates Class Takes On ‘Text Neck’ Syndrome
In the sports world, repetitive movements and muscle overuse eventually lead to strain and injury. The consequences of staring down at our phones day in and day out? Text neck. It’s the poor posture that results from your bent head adding tension to your neck and spine. One Pilates class …
your ad hereReport: Trump to Announce China Trade Practices Investigation
U.S. President Donald Trump will call Monday for his chief trade adviser to investigate China’s intellectual property practices, the website Politico reported, citing an unnamed administration official. Trump had been expected to order a so-called Section 301 investigation under the 1974 Trade Act earlier this month, but action had been …
your ad hereScientists Tracking ‘Unstoppable’ Ice Melt in Antarctica
There’s no doubt Antarctica is getting warmer. Not only is the ice melting, but native moss covers more of the frozen continent and it’s growing faster, according to British researchers. For people who live on the coasts, it means there will likely be more unwelcome water in their future. VOA’s …
your ad hereJudge in Groping Case Tosses DJ’s Suit Against Taylor Swift
A judge on Friday threw out a Denver radio host’s case against Taylor Swift in a trial that delved into their dueling lawsuits over whether he groped her during a backstage meet-and-greet and whether she and her team ruined his career. U.S. District Judge William Martinez determined that the pop …
your ad hereUS Stocks Post Gains Friday After Several Down Days
U.S. stock market indexes posted gains in Friday’s trading, a change in direction after several down days amid tensions between President Donald Trump and North Korea. In New York, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and the Dow Jones industrial average each advanced about one-tenth of a percentage point, while …
your ad hereArt Exhibit Curated for Canines Opens in New York
You won’t find any pictures of dogs playing poker at dOGUMENTA (I) NYC. A three-day art exhibition is attracting hundreds of canines to a marina in Lower Manhattan, where hounds and terriers are feasting their eyes, and in some cases their mouths, on nearly a dozen masterpieces created expressly for …
your ad hereKids’ Brains Need More Downtime, Research Shows
Children and teenagers have become busier than ever. But neurologists and psychologists say pushing kids to be constantly learning and practicing, even during summer vacation, is not good for them. Strength vs. weaknesses Helping children succeed and thrive is one of the issues psychologist Lea Waters has been researching for …
your ad hereScientist Move Closer to Pig-human Organ Transplants
There’s a word that everybody should learn because in a few years it may be in almost every day use. According to scientists at Harvard University, advances in research of xenotransplantation, or transplantation of animal organs to humans, promises to bridge the huge gap between the number of human organs …
your ad hereInterview: How North Korea Tensions Impact Stock Markets
Rising tensions between the United States and North Korea brought a wave of falling stock prices recently as worried investors moved money out of equities and into the perceived safety of gold, Swiss currency and similar products. At one point, this change of investment strategy cut $1 trillion from the …
your ad hereTesla to Test Self-driving Electric Trucks
U.S. electric car manufacturer Tesla is close to testing a long-haul self-driving electric truck that could drive in convoys following a lead vehicle. The company is reportedly also in contact with Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles about the possibility of testing the truck on the state’s roads. Earlier this year …
your ad hereGoogle CEO Defends Diversity Efforts
Google’s workforce needs to “represent the world in totality,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, at an international girls coding competition held on the company’s campus here Thursday night. His comments come as the search engine giant grapples with a high profile internal debate over the number and influence of …
your ad hereIsrael, Land of Milk and Honey – and Now Whiskey?
Israel has been known as the land of milk and honey since Biblical times – but the land of single malt whiskey? One appropriately named distillery is trying to turn Israel into a whiskey powerhouse. Smooth, honey-brown whiskey is not the first thing that comes to mind when most people …
your ad hereNew Cell Technology Works With Ambient Energy
Researchers in the United States have unveiled a prototype of a battery-free mobile phone using technology they hope will eventually be integrated into mass-market products. The phone is the work of a group of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and operates by harvesting tiny amounts of power …
your ad hereScientists Confirm Warming Planet as Trump Reviews Climate Report
As the Trump administration reviews a government report that contradicts its views on climate change, another report confirms that humans have pushed the planet to record-setting temperatures. VOA’s Steve Baragona reports. …
your ad hereOil-state Senators Advise Against US Ban on Venezuela Oil
Four U.S. Senate Republicans from oil-refining states Thursday urged the Trump administration not to block oil shipments from Venezuela as part of U.S. sanctions against the country, saying it could raise costs for U.S. fuel consumers. The United States sanctioned President Nicolas Maduro and other Venezuelan officials after Maduro established …
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