U.S. policymakers are raising national security concerns about Chinese money flooding into U.S. startups in fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics. But in Silicon Valley, there is a sense that ties with China are mutually beneficial. Michelle Quinn reports. …
your ad hereWest African States in Joint Fight Against Root Crop ‘Ebola’
Researchers from half a dozen states in West Africa have joined together in a battle against what one expert calls a root crop “Ebola” — a viral disease that could wreck the region’s staple food and condemn millions to hunger. Their enemy: cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), a virus that strikes …
your ad hereScientists Defy ‘Force of Nature’ to Unlock Secrets of Hawaii Volcano
Dressed in heavy cotton, a helmet and respirator, Jessica Ball worked the night shift monitoring “fissure 8,” which has been spewing fountains of lava as high as a 15-story building from a slope on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. The lava poured into a channel oozing toward the Pacific Ocean several miles …
your ad hereThe Mind Behind the Muppets Showcased in Traveling Exhibit
For decades, Jim Henson’s Muppets have captured the imagination of children and adults worldwide. A traveling exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles not only showcases some of the most beloved Muppets but also the work that took place behind the scenes to entertain as well as educate. …
your ad hereFeds Freeze ‘Obamacare’ Payments; Premiums Likely to Rise
The Trump administration said Saturday it’s freezing payments under an “Obamacare” program that protects insurers with sicker patients from financial losses, a move expected to add to premium increases next year. At stake are billions in payments to insurers with sicker customers. In a weekend announcement, the Centers for Medicare …
your ad hereKurdish Theater Group Reunites in a Syrian Refugee Camp
Kurdish culture thrives in the Shahba refugee camp on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Afrin. Among the city’s displaced residents now living in the camp are members of a local theater group. Nevroz Resho visited the group in the camp as they rehearsed their play, “The Sin of …
your ad hereRedefining Sustainability in Fashion
The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, now in its second year, challenges emerging designers worldwide to reinvent sustainability, with flair. Competitors must pair ethics with aesthetics by cutting waste, replacing chemicals with natural dyes and using recycled materials. Faiza Elmasry has this story narrated by Faith Lapidus. …
your ad hereMother Homeschools 14 Children, Builds Multimillion-Dollar Business
What started as a simple desire to be able to provide for her children has turned into a multimillion-dollar business for Tammie Umbel of Dulles, Virginia. She not only runs a cosmetics company but home-schools her 14 children — and says she still finds time for herself. Leysa Bakalets has …
your ad hereResearchers: Smart Toilet Will Analyze Urine for Medical Data
Nano technology researchers at the University of Cambridge are developing an intelligent toilet that might change the nature of medicine. It automatically analyzes a user’s urine to capture valuable medical data. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports. …
your ad hereMiss America Factions Split Over Leadership, Direction
Former Miss America winners and state pageant officials are split over the leadership and direction of the organization, which was rocked by a 2017 email scandal that led to the resignations of its top leaders. Representatives from 22 state pageants signed a petition calling for the resignations of the new …
your ad hereLithuanian Couple Win World Wife-Carrying Title in Finland
Fifty-three men slung their wives or partners over their shoulders and hurtled off on an hourlong race in the small Finnish town of Sonkajarvi on Saturday, as thousands of fans cheered from the stands. The World Wife-Carrying Championship, now in its 23rd year, draws thousands of visitors to the town of 4,200 and has …
your ad hereCroatia Bests Russia, Advances to World Cup Semifinals
Although Russia made it further at this year’s World Cup than almost anyone expected, it was Croatia that advanced to the semifinals with a 4-3 shootout victory Saturday following a 2-2 draw. The overachieving hosts, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at No. 70, were trying to make it to …
your ad hereMexico’s Next President Aims to End Fuel Imports
Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will seek to end the country’s massive fuel imports, nearly all from the United States, during the first three years of his term while also boosting refining at home. The landslide winner of last Sunday’s election told reporters Saturday morning before attending private meetings with members of his future …
your ad hereShipping Giant Exits Iran, Fears US Sanctions
One of the world’s biggest cargo shippers announced Saturday that it was pulling out of Iran for fear of becoming entangled in U.S. sanctions, and President Hassan Rouhani demanded that European countries to do more to offset the U.S. measures. The announcement by France’s CMA CGM that it was quitting Iran dealt a blow …
your ad hereMuseum Highlights Joy of Making Music
The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, celebrates music-making throughout the year. Mike O’Sullivan visited the museum during a recent international festival that saw simultaneous events in more than 100 countries. …
your ad hereEgyptians Vent After World Cup Loss
Egypt’s poor performance at this year’s World Cup in Russia is prompting an outcry, with many Egyptian football fans calling for an inquiry into the Egyptian federation’s handling of preparations for the tournament. The Egyptian national team lost all three matches it played in Russia, smashing all hopes that had surged …
your ad hereSolid Job Gains Overshadowed by Threat of US-China Trade War
The opening shots have been fired in what some fear may be the start of a major trade war. China retaliating at midnight Friday with equivalent tariffs on U.S. goods after the U.S. followed through on its threat to raise tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports. All this …
your ad hereSyrian Refugees in Jordanian Camp Recycle Mounds of Trash for Cash
Amid the very real hardships Syrian refugees face, little has been said about another major health and humanitarian issue: What to do with the massive accumulations of trash and waste. But one refugee camp in Jordan is doing something about it. With the help of an international nonprofit group, the …
your ad hereHow Trade Fight Impacts National Economies, Ordinary People
The political squabbling between China and the United States over trade and other issues affect the world’s two largest economies through a variety of mechanisms with unpredictable results. For example, prices of stock in both nations have been hurt as some shareholders sold their shares and other investors were reluctant …
your ad hereSinger Brown Arrested on Florida Felony Battery Charge
Singer Chris Brown walked off stage after his concert in Florida and into the hands of waiting deputies, who arrested him on a felony battery charge involving a nightclub photographer last year. Tampa police released more details about the battery warrant Friday after Brown posted $2,000 bond to be released …
your ad hereTrump’s Tariffs: What They Are, How They’ll Work
So is this what a trade war looks like? The Trump administration and China’s leadership have imposed tens of billions of dollars in tariffs on each other’s goods. President Donald Trump has proposed slapping duties on, all told, up to $550 billion if China keeps retaliating and doesn’t cave in …
your ad hereResearch Indicates Spiders Use Electric Fields to Take Flight
Since the 1800s, scientists have marveled at how spiders can take flight using their webbing. Charles Darwin remarked on the behavior when tiny spiders landed on the HMS Beagle, trailing lines of silk. He thought the arachnids might be using heat-generated updrafts to take to the sky, but new research …
your ad hereScientists Step Closer to Saving Northern White Rhino
An international team of scientists have announced a breakthrough aimed at saving the northern white rhino from extinction. The first-ever hybrid rhino embryo has been successfully created at a lab for biotechnology research in Italy. Conservationists now plan to use the technology by replicating the procedure with genes from a …
your ad hereCameroon Football Fans Cheer for French Player with Ties to Africa
As the World Cup nears its climax, one of the players being cheered on in Africa is French striker Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe’s mother is from Algeria and his father is from Cameroon. While Cameroon failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, many Cameroonians feel they are represented by Mbappe. …
your ad hereUS Adds Solid 213,000 Jobs; Unemployment Up to 4%
U.S. employers kept up a brisk hiring pace in June by adding 213,000 jobs, a sign of confidence in the economy despite the start of a potentially punishing trade war with China. The job growth wasn’t enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising from 3.8 percent to 4 percent, …
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