Security guard Eric Leon watches the Knightscope K5 security robot as it glides through the mall, charming shoppers with its blinking blue and white lights. The brawny automaton records video and sounds alerts. According to its maker, it deters mischief just by making the rounds. Leon, the all-too-human guard, feels …
your ad hereAstronomers Find New Evidence for Long-theorized Mid-sized Black Holes
Astronomers have found new evidence for the existence of a mid-sized black hole, considered the missing link in the evolution of supermassive black holes. Astronomers in Japan found the possible black hole in our own Milky Way galaxy, a long-theorized object which is bigger than the small black holes formed …
your ad herePhiladelphia Project Seeks Public Reckoning with Monuments
By artist Sharon Hayes’ count, Philadelphia has more than 1,500 sculptures honoring male historic figures — heroes on horseback, visionaries with arms folded and eyes looking forward, the usual roundup of Founding Fathers. By contrast, there are only two sculptures dedicated to women — religious martyrs Joan of Arc and …
your ad hereAmid War, Syria Hopes to Reach World Cup for First Time
In the midst of a long-running and ruinous war, millions of Syrians may finally have something to be joyful about. Syria’s national soccer team has a chance to qualify for next year’s World Cup — what would be the Arab nation’s first-ever appearance in the sport’s most prestigious event. The …
your ad hereLambert Leads Nominees for Country Music Awards
Miranda Lambert leads her peers with five Country Music Association nominations, followed closely by Little Big Town and Keith Urban with four each. Lambert was nominated Monday for song and single of the year for Tin Man, and also earned nods for album, female vocalist and best video of the …
your ad hereCreator of Food Sharing App Wants to Feed the World
Here’s a statistic for you to consider: the U.N. estimates that over 30 percent of the food that is produced every year never gets eaten. Now one enterprising Nigerian entrepreneur has built an app to help get some of that food to those who need it. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereSteely Dan Co-founder, Guitarist, Walter Becker Dies at 67
A rock and roll fan with a penchant for harmony and obtuse references, Walter Becker, the guitarist, bassist and co-founder of the 1970s rock group Steely Dan, which sold more than 40 million albums and produced such hit singles as “Reelin’ In the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and …
your ad hereJohn Ashbery, Celebrated and Challenging Poet, Dies at 90
John Ashbery, an enigmatic genius of modern poetry whose energy, daring and boundless command of language raised American verse to brilliant and baffling heights, died early Sunday at age 90. Ashbery, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and often mentioned as a Nobel candidate, died at his home in Hudson, New …
your ad hereGrand Canyon Lives up to its Name
The Grand Canyon — one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World — is one of nature’s most stunning creations. Located in the southwestern state of Arizona, the majestic site has inspired adventurers, poets and painters for hundreds of years. Whether looking down from its massive rim or up from …
your ad hereSan Diego County Declares Emergency to Fight Hepatitis Outbreak
Officials in San Diego County have declared a public health emergency because of the spread of the liver disease hepatitis A. Infections have killed 15 people and hospitalized nearly 400 more, with the homeless population hit hardest since the outbreak started last November. The Union-Tribune reports that Friday’s …
your ad hereInternet of Things Relying on Personal Assistants
The world of smart appliances capable of communicating with humans is slowly taking shape, thanks to the increasing popularity and ubiquity of so-called personal assistants. At the International Consumer Electronics Trade Show now being held in Berlin, manufacturers are promoting a new generation of gadgets from smart refrigerators to window …
your ad hereGoogle Glass App Helps Autistic Children Read Social Cues
The Autism Society estimates about 1 percent of the world’s population is on the autism spectrum. The disorder can affect a person’s ability to interact with others and respond to emotions and social cues. But a new app for Google Glass might be helping. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad hereReport: Fewer Americans Along Coasts Buy Flood Insurance
Amanda Spartz nearly did not renew her home’s flood insurance policy after her first year in Florida. Two hurricanes came close to the Fort Lauderdale suburbs last year, but they didn’t hit and her home isn’t in a high-risk flood zone. She figured she could put the $450 annual premium, …
your ad hereMesh Networks Can Keep People Connected During Natural Disasters
Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey pose a threat not only to human lives but also to telecommunication systems. When they go down, entire cities and communities are cut off from each other. But mesh networks can get people connected again and, during emergencies, be a crucial link to information. VOA’s …
your ad hereHouston Toxic Waste Sites Flooded, Yet EPA Not on Scene
Floodwaters have inundated at least five highly contaminated toxic waste sites near Houston, raising concerns that the pollution there might spread. The Associated Press visited the sites this past week, some of them still only accessible by boat. Long a center of the American petrochemical industry, the Houston metro area …
your ad hereWildfire Smoke Chokes US West, Causes Health Concerns
The smoke from massive wildfires hangs like fog over large parts of the U.S. West, an irritating haze causing health concerns, forcing sports teams to change schedules and disrupting life from Seattle to tiny Seeley Lake, Montana. Air quality has been rated unhealthy across the region because of blazes …
your ad hereCoach: Serena Williams Gives Birth to Baby Girl
Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world’s No. 1 tennis player, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said via Twitter Friday. The 35-year-old American, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has not competed since winning the Australian Open in January but …
your ad hereNew York Musician’s Studio Dubbed ‘Little Pakistan’
American musician Eric Alabaster loves Pakistani food, culture, speaks Urdu, and plays “Desi” music. His music studio in Brooklyn, New York, is known as “Little Pakistan.” VOA Deewaa’s Samin Ahsan has his story. …
your ad hereSchoolchildren Help Build Tiny Home for Homeless Veteran
Homelessness is a serious problem, and there are a variety of approaches to combating it. Faith Lapidus has the story of one effort to tackle the problem in Los Angeles, one tiny house at a time. …
your ad hereWashington-area Nonprofit Reclaims Floors and Doors, Gives Back to Community
U.S. home builders created more than a million units of housing in 2016. Often, older homes are demolished to make way for the new buildings, and things like doors, floors, windows and more are thrown away. Arash Arabasadi reports from Washington on one nonprofit that reclaims old materials and gives …
your ad hereHarvey Likely to Crimp Growth, Employment Temporarily
Hurricane Harvey may temporarily slow U.S. consumer spending, hurt national economic growth and boost unemployment for a while. Experts say it is very hard to accurately predict just how seriously Harvey will hurt Houston and the U.S. economy. But, as VOA’s Jim Randle reports, one expert on the Texas economy …
your ad hereAs Texas Flooding Recedes, Health Hazards Likely to Emerge
Floodwaters are beginning to recede around Houston, and although the rain in Houston has stopped, VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, assessing its impact on the health of Houston’s residents is only just beginning. …
your ad hereRussia Sees Artificial Intelligence as Key to World Domination
The digital arms race between the United States and Russia appears to be accelerating, fueled in part by new comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin, speaking to a group of Russian students Friday, called artificial intelligence “not only Russia’s future” but “the future of the whole of mankind.” “The …
your ad hereUS Astronaut to Return to Earth Holding US Record for Days in Space
When U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson returns to Earth on Saturday from the International Space Station, she will have spent more time in space than any other American. Whitson will have logged 665 days in space over three separate missions, the equivalent of about one year and 10 months outside the …
your ad hereComedian Berman Dies at 92
Comedian Shelley Berman, who won gold records and appeared on top television shows in the 1950s and 1960s delivering wry monologues about the annoyances of everyday life, has died. He was 92. Berman died Friday at his home in Bell Canyon, California, from complications from Alzheimer’s disease, according to spokesman …
your ad here