The creator of the long-running animated TV series The Simpsons brings his first new show in 20 years to Netflix this week, a story that centers around a drunken princess, an elf and a demon. Set in a medieval world called Dreamland, Disenchantment is creator Matt Groening’s take on shows …
your ad hereSpacewalkers Flinging Satellites, Installing Bird Trackers
Russian cosmonauts took a spacewalk Wednesday to fling tiny satellites into orbit and install an antenna for tracking birds on Earth. Soon after leaving the International Space Station, Sergey Prokopyev released all four research satellites by hand. “I’m ready for the launch,” Prokopyev told Russian flight controllers near Moscow. The …
your ad here3 Scientists Share $500,000 Prize for Work on Cancer Therapy
Three scientists will share a $500,000 medical prize for their studies of the immune system that have led to innovative treatments for cancer, HIV and other diseases. The recipients of the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research were announced Wednesday. They are being recognized for their …
your ad hereDiamond Won’t Let Parkinson’s Slow Him Down
Neil Diamond may have retired from the road because of Parkinson’s disease, but he said he’s working hard to get back onstage. “Well, I’m doing pretty well. I’m active. I take my meds. I do my workouts. I’m in pretty good shape. I’m feeling good. I want to stay productive. I …
your ad hereCanada to Phase Out Crop Chemicals Linked to Bee Deaths
The Canadian government said on Wednesday it would move to restrict use of two types of crop chemicals that have been linked to deaths of aquatic insects and bees, in a victory for environmentalists and the latest setback for companies that sell the pesticides. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency …
your ad hereFrom Reese Witherspoon to Sarah Jessica Parker, the Rise of Celeb Book Clubs
Jimmy Fallon remembers a summer a few years back when it seemed everybody was reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. “Everyone had that book. If we had people over, or went on vacation poolside, people had that book wrinkled and curled up. I read it with my wife and we …
your ad hereAerosmith to Launch Residency in Las Vegas Next Year
Aerosmith is the latest act to head to Las Vegas to launch a residency. The rock band announced Wednesday that Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild would kick off April 6, 2019, at the Park Theater, where Lady Gaga will launch her residency in December. Aerosmith announced 18 shows for April, June …
your ad hereUS Condemns Turkey’s New ‘Regrettable’ Tariffs
The White House on Wednesday condemned Turkey for boosting tariffs on U.S. imports, the latest confrontation between the two NATO allies. Ankara imposed stiffer levies on U.S. cars, alcohol, coal and other products — $533 million in new tariffs — in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of doubled …
your ad hereVOA Interview: Kara Swisher
Greta Van Susteren talks to technology journalist Kara Swisher about cybersecurity and privacy. …
your ad hereReport: US SEC Subpoenas Tesla Over Musk’s Tweets
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sent subpoenas to Tesla Inc. regarding Chief Executive Elon Musk’s plans to take the company private and his statement that funding was “secured,” Fox Business Network reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Subpoenas typically indicate the SEC has opened a formal investigation into a …
your ad hereEisenhower’s ‘Summer White House’ Phone Sold at Auction
The plain green telephone President Dwight D. Eisenhower used at his summer residence in Rhode Island has sold at auction. The Newport Daily News reports that the phone with no numbers or dial was sold earlier this month by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers of Cranston for $1,375. The telephone …
your ad hereVigil Held at Detroit Church for Aretha Franklin
People are praying for Aretha Franklin in the Detroit church where her father was once a pastor. The special vigil at New Bethel Baptist Church began before dawn Wednesday. The prayers come one day after Stevie Wonder visited the ailing Queen of Soul at her home. The Rev. Jesse Jackson …
your ad hereA Rising Concern? After Straws, Balloons Get More Scrutiny
Now that plastic straws may be headed for extinction, could Americans’ love of balloons be deflated? The joyous celebration of releasing balloons into the air has long bothered environmentalists, who say the pieces that fall back to earth can be deadly to seabirds and turtles that eat them. So as …
your ad hereUS Retail Sales Rise Solidly; Productivity Accelerates
U.S. retail sales rose more than expected in July as households boosted purchases of motor vehicles and clothing, suggesting the economy remained strong early in the third quarter. Other data on Wednesday showed worker productivity growing at its fastest pace in more than three years in the second quarter, but …
your ad hereUS University Puts Electronic Assistants in All Student Housing
One American university is putting electronic voice-controlled assistants in every student housing room on campus. Saint Louis University recently announced it will equip every student living space with Amazon’s Alexa system. The school in St. Louis, Missouri, will place about 2,300 Echo Dot “smart” devices in all student dorms and …
your ad hereHow To Tell if Art is Real or Fake? Ask Scientists at the Met
How do you know if a piece of art is real or fake? Ask a scientist. At New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, chemistry, physics and geology are all playing a part in the detective work of determining whether a work of art is original or a forgery. Now teens …
your ad hereExperimenting With the Magic Ingredient in Beer
Only four ingredients are needed to make one of the oldest staples of mankind. Mix water, hops, malt and yeast and you’re well on your way to making beer. But as Sadie Witkowski reports, it’s the smallest ingredient in beer that’s making the biggest splash. …
your ad hereTurkey Boosts Tariffs Amid US Feud
Turkey on Wednesday announced tariff hikes on a range of U.S. goods in the latest back-and-forth move amid a deteriorating relationship between the two countries. The extra tariffs apply to imports of vehicles, alcohol, coal, rice and cosmetics. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter the increases were being …
your ad hereModi Says India will Send Manned Flight into Space By 2022
India will send a manned flight into space by 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Wednesday as part of India’s independence day celebrations. He said India will become the fourth country after Russia, the United States and China to achieve the feat and its astronaut could be a man or …
your ad hereNZ Teachers Strike for First Time in 20 years, Challenge Government’s Fiscal Plan
New Zealand school teachers went on strike on Wednesday for the first time in more than 20 years, challenging the Labor government’s plans to balance promised fiscal responsibility against growing demands to increase public sector salaries. The government’s first budget in May was stretched to fulfill its promise to juggle …
your ad hereTonga PM Calls on China to Write-off Pacific Debt
Tonga Prime Minister Akalisi Pohiva has called for China to write-off debts owed by Pacific island countries, warning that repayments impose a huge burden on the impoverished nations. Chinese aid in the Pacific has ballooned in recent years with much of the funds coming in the form of loans from …
your ad hereExperts: Hail Damage Worse, but Climate Role Uncertain
Hailstorms inflict billions of dollars’ worth of damage yearly in North America alone, and the cost will rise as the growing population builds more homes, offices and factories, climate and weather experts said Tuesday. The role of climate change in hailstorms is harder to assess, the experts said at a …
your ad hereNicaragua Slashes Budget Because of Unrest
Nicaragua’s National Assembly on Tuesday approved a drastic cut to the national budget because of the economic impact of months of anti-government unrest. The lawmakers adopted a 9.2 percent reduction of the 2018 budget, projecting $180 million less in spending to partly make up for a drop of $220 million …
your ad hereBrazil’s Farmers Dump Sugar for Soy as Trade War Boosts Chinese Demand
Last year, Brazilian farmer Gustavo Lopes sized up his sugar cane plantation against his soybean fields. He looked at global trends, including rising U.S.-China trade tensions and a stubborn sugar-market glut. Then he tore up the last of his cane fields and ditched a decades-old supply contract with a local …
your ad hereCubans Cheer as Internet Goes Nationwide for Day
Cuba’s government said it provided free internet to the Communist-run island’s more than 5 million cellphone users on Tuesday, in an eight-hour test before it launches sales of the service. Cuba is one of the Western Hemisphere’s least connected countries. State-run telecommunications monopoly ETECSA announced the trial, with Tuesday marking …
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