Francisco Javier Jaramillo and Victor Chavez should be picking sweet potatoes at a North Carolina farm and sending much-needed money to their families in Mexico. Instead, Hurricane Florence has forced the migrant workers to evacuate their farm and seek refuge at a school-turned-shelter near the tiny hamlet of Spivey’s Corner, …
your ad hereSpaceX’s First Private Passenger is Japanese Fashion Magnate Maezawa
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space transportation company, on Monday named its first private passenger as Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and chief executive of online fashion retailer Zozo. A former drummer in a punk band, billionaire Maezawa will take a trip around the moon planned for 2023 aboard its forthcoming …
your ad hereAs Midterms Near, Trump Gambles on his Hardline Trade Policy
Farmers worry about falling crop prices and lost sales overseas. Manufacturers fear rising costs and new foreign taxes on their exports. American allies overseas are furious. By any conventional gauge, President Donald Trump’s uncompromising stance toward tariffs and the pain they’ve begun to cause U.S. individuals and companies so …
your ad hereMusic Lessons Bring Joy to Poor Children
In Baltimore, a free after school music program called OrchKids is being used as an instrument of change for children in underprivileged neighborhoods. In the past 10 years, more than 13-hundred children have received free music lessons, and free instruments — from flutes, trumpets to violins. The program, sponsored by …
your ad hereKennedy Center’s Unsung Performer Makes His Instruments Sing
He’s an unsung hero in the music world. Rarely seen and always tinkering behind the scenes, his expert ear is crucial to every performance, every concerto. His name is Rodney Butler, and he is a piano tuner with the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra. Karina Bafradzhian has his story. …
your ad hereCuban Agriculture Faces Another Hard Year as Produce Sales Drop
Cuba moved nearly 15 percent less produce through domestic markets during the first six months of the year, compared with the same period in 2017, signaling another bad year for its agricultural sector, according to a government report. The market sales in the report, issued over the weekend, account for …
your ad hereDragons, Handmaids and Housewives – It’s Time for the Emmys
“Game of Thrones” or “The Handmaid’s Tale”? “Atlanta” or “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”? The best drama and comedy series races for television’s highest honors are too close to call ahead of Monday’s Emmy awards, where the field is so packed with quality contenders that some shows may leave empty-handed. Monday’s …
your ad hereTesla’s Musk Sued for Calling Thai Cave Rescuer Pedophile
Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, was sued for defamation on Monday for falsely suggesting that a British caver who helped save 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thailand cave in July was a pedophile and child rapist. Vernon Unsworth sued over Musk’s reference to him in …
your ad hereTrump Slaps New Tariffs on Chinese Products
President Trump imposed tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of tarrifs Chinese goods coming into the U.S., continuing an ongoing trade war between the two countries. The new import taxes begin next week and will rise to 25 percent at the end of 2018. According to Reuters, smart watches …
your ad hereMacron Eyes Purchasing Power Boost to Ease Reform Fatigue
With his popularity ratings in freefall, French President Emmanuel Macron is counting on a rebound in family purchasing power to keep voters from turning against his reforms. Macron’s government has lined up several tax cuts taking effect in the coming months that should boost the closely tracked measure of disposable …
your ad hereTrump Adviser Eyes Entitlement Cuts to Plug US Budget Gaps
A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said on Monday he expects U.S. budget deficits of about 4 to 5 percent of the country’s economic output for the next one to two years, adding that there would likely be an effort in 2019 to cut spending on entitlement programs. …
your ad hereReport: Machines to Handle Over Half Workplace Tasks by 2025
More than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines by 2025, organizers of the Davos economic forum said in a report released Monday that highlights the speed with which the labor market will change in coming years. The World Economic Forum estimates that machines will be …
your ad hereSaudi Sovereign Fund Invests $1 Billion in US Electric Car Firm
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund invested $1 billion Monday in an American electric car manufacturer just weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier claimed the kingdom would help his own firm go private. Tesla stock dropped Monday on reaction to the news, the same day that the Saudi fund announced …
your ad hereMusic Major Discovers the Ancient Art of Baking
A new bakery opened in Washington DC last fall has a unique approach to baking – using whole grains grown locally, and milled on-site. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, “Seylou” is the culmination of a journey for a young man who started out as a musician and became a baker. …
your ad hereBelgium Refuses to Extradite Spanish Rapper
A Belgium court has ruled that there is no reason to return a Spanish rapper to Spain. Spain had asked Belgium to extradite rapper Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran, better known as Valtonyc, on the grounds that the entertainer had written lyrics that “glorified terrorism, insulted the royal family, and contained …
your ad hereCongolese Music Artists Prepare to Get Political
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, rappers are getting involved in politics – including one well-known rap artist who hopes to fix the country’s problems by running for a seat in parliament. Chika Oduah reports for VOA from Kinshasa. …
your ad hereTime Magazine Sold for $190 Million to Couple
Time Magazine is being sold by Meredith Corp. to Marc Benioff, a co-founder of Salesforce, and his wife. The Wall Street Journal reported that the iconic news magazine is being sold for $190 million to Benioff, one of four co-founders of Salesforce, a cloud computing pioneer. The sale is occurring …
your ad hereWhy Robots That Look Too Human Make Some People Uneasy
Researchers are working to create robots that can do all types of jobs and now some scientists are trying to make androids – or robots that appear human. But androids can make some people feel uneasy. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee explains this feeling or phenomenon known as the “uncanny valley.” …
your ad hereMeet Captain South Africa; She’d Rather not Punch Criminals
The usual suspects — Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Darth Vader — roamed at Comic Con Africa. A few African characters were also on display: Kwezi, Captain South Africa and Shaka Zulu. The success of Marvel’s “Black Panther” film spiked interest in African stories, and creators on the continent hope to …
your ad hereZimbabwe Disperses Vendors in Effort to Fight Cholera Outbreak
Zimbabwe police Sunday clashed with vendors who were resisting being removed from streets as part of the country’s efforts to fight the cholera outbreak, which has claimed more than two dozen lives in the past two weeks. Vendors were alerting each other of armed riot police and municipality officials coming …
your ad herePicking up Litter in Boat Made From Plastic Litter
A boat made from recycled plastic, now sailing on London’s river Thames, is a creative way to make an environmental problem part of the solution. Faiza Elmasry tells more about the significance of the Pet Project and its mission. VOA’s Faith Lapidus narrates.]] …
your ad hereCambodian Vlogger Promotes Equal Rights With Positive Sex-Ed Posts
Catherine V. Harry is 23, has 243,000 Facebook followers, generates between $1,000 to $2,000 a month from her vlog, A Dose of Cath, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health, and she doesn’t much care if people disagree with her on women’s rights as long as they discuss the topics …
your ad hereAustralia’s Queensland Tackles Climate-Driven Disease, Deaths
The Queensland state government in Australia is to fund a new program to help combat killer heatwaves and outbreaks of disease caused by climate change. Authorities are even discussing imposing tobacco-style taxes against carbon polluters. The initiative comes as the United Nation chief warned that if the world does not …
your ad hereThai Designer Adds Spice to NY Fashion Week
When Thunyatorn “Cheng” Ng speaks about Thai fashion and style, she tears up. The 34-year-old Connecticut-based fashion entrepreneur and stylist specializes in creating traditional Thai outfits and costumes. Her designs were showcased during this month’s New York Fashion Week, at an event September 10 hosted by the Council of Aspiring …
your ad hereUN General Assembly Hosts High-Level Talks to Combat Tuberculosis
While flu outbreaks, Ebola and HIV typically generate the biggest headlines, scientists say tuberculosis remains the No. 1 infectious disease killer globally, affecting about one quarter of the world’s population. The U.N. General Assembly hopes to draw more attention to the problem by hosting its first-ever, high-level meeting on tuberculosis. …
your ad here