A White House official says tension between a president and the interest-rate setting Federal Reserve is “traditional as part of our system.” Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says it should come as no surprise that President Donald Trump is unhappy the central bank, an independent agency, “is raising rates and …
your ad hereChina Holds Second Vice Ministerial Call with US on Trade
China and the United States held a vice ministerial-level call on Friday, the second such contact in a week, achieving a “deep exchange of views” on trade imbalances and the protection of intellectual property, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said. A statement posted on the ministry’s website on Sunday said …
your ad hereTransitions of Power in Africa Bring Spark Hope, Worry
In 2018, sitting leaders relinquished power in South Africa and Ethiopia. Zimbabwe elected a new leader after 37 years of rule by former President Robert Mugabe. Peaceful power transitions were also seen in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali. But while many find those trends encouraging, the opposite is also true …
your ad hereRenaissance Master Tintoretto’s 500th to Travel to US
A Venetian cloth dyer’s son, Tintoretto spent his entire career in Venice, becoming widely considered the last great painter of the Renaissance. The lagoon city’s churches and palazzi essentially serve as a permanent retrospective of this native son’s formidable talents in using dramatic color, bold brushstrokes and daringly innovative perspective …
your ad hereChristmas Lights Bring In Holiday Spirit
During the Christmas season, nights are bright across the United States, as families, businesses and churches put up outdoor light decorations — a simple string of white lights along a roof edge, to elaborate displays with moving figures and music. VOA’s Deborah Block shows us a few of the beautiful …
your ad hereMaryland Junkyard Business Breathes New Life Into Old Cars
A father-son business in Damascus, Maryland, is achieving success by restoring old, rusty cars into magnificent-looking vehicles. This is thanks to the work and inspiration of Bobby and Andy Cohen, who are featured in a multiseason television show “Junkyard Empire.” Maxim Moskalkov filed this report for VOA. …
your ad hereA Small Device with a Big Impact for Blind and Visually Impaired
Some 1.3 billion people live with some form of vision impairment, according to the World Health Organization. A team of innovators at an Israeli technology company has developed a small device to help them. As Laura Sepulveda reports from Jerusalem, the device connects to regular glasses and helps people with …
your ad hereFederal Shutdown Compounds Risks for US Economy
Now in its 10th year, America’s economic expansion still looks sturdy. Yet the partial shutdown of the government that began Saturday has added another threat to a growing list of risks. The stock market’s persistent fall, growing chaos in the Trump administration, higher interest rates, a U.S.-China trade war …
your ad hereSpacex Halts Launch of US Military Satellite due to Winds
Elon Musk’s SpaceX scrapped Saturday’s launch of a long-delayed navigation satellite for the U.S. military due to strong upper-level winds. The next launch attempt will be on Sunday at 8:51 a.m. EST/13:51 UTC, according to Space X officials. The launch would have been the rocket firm’s first national security space …
your ad hereTrump Reportedly Discussed Firing Fed Chairman Powell
U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Bloomberg reported Saturday. Citing four people familiar with the discussions, Bloomberg reported Trump has become more frustrated with Powell after months of stock market losses and the central bank’s interest rate hike on Wednesday. Advisers reportedly have warned …
your ad hereMarine Wonderland Revealed in Pitch-Black Ocean off Australia
Scientists have discovered a colorful “underwater garden” at depths of up to 2 kilometers during a recent research voyage south of Tasmania in Australia. The researchers used special cameras to probe 45 undersea mountains, finding more than 100 unnamed species of corals, lobsters and mollusks. The expedition also discovered bioluminescent …
your ad hereNative American Museum Hosts Artists From Across the Americas
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington recently hosted a two-day art market offering visitors a chance to purchase artworks by some of the finest Native American artists from across the hemisphere. The hand-crafted items in traditional and contemporary styles included silver and semiprecious jewelry, ceramics, fine …
your ad hereCirque de Soleil Presents a Circus on Ice
A combination of ice, snow, lights and exciting acrobatics are what characterize “Crystal,” Cirque du Soleil’s new show, which opened in Washington recently. Iacopo Luzi went behind the scenes of this unique display of acrobatics to learn the troupe’s secrets for putting on a show. …
your ad hereChristmas Tree Farmers Urge Americans to Buy Real Trees
This time of year, all across the United States, empty lots are turned into miniature forests as live Christmas trees are displayed for sale. But The Christmas Tree Promotion Board worries that more Americans are opting for artificial trees as they become more realistic-looking. So Christmas tree farmers in the …
your ad hereGender Neutral Toys Moving Into Toy Markets
The Christmas season is in full swing here in the United States, and that means shopping for the kids. Economists say consumers are spending lots of money, but when it comes to traditional gifts for small kids, it looks like the days of blue for boys and pink for girls …
your ad hereMore Losses Leave US Markets With Worst Week in 7-Plus Years
After almost 10 years, Wall Street’s rally looks like it’s ending. Another day of big losses Friday left the U.S. market with its worst week in more than seven years. All of the major indexes have lost 16 to 26 percent from their highs this summer and fall. Barring huge gains during …
your ad hereMost Babies Born With Cleft Condition Could Die Without Surgery
One of the most common birth defects in the world is a cleft lip. It’s essentially a gap in the upper lip where the skin didn’t grow together. Babies with cleft lips may also have a cleft palates, where the roof of the mouth is split. Both can be repaired …
your ad hereTons of Dead Fish Wash Up in Rio de Janeiro Lagoon
Residents of a high-end neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro woke up to the unpleasant smell of 13 tons of rotting dead fish floating in the city’s Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Biologists believe the extreme heat caused by El Nino killed the fish overnight and caused them to wash ashore Friday. …
your ad hereCanadian Economy Exceeds Expectations in October
The Canadian economy expanded by a greater-than-expected 0.3 percent in October from September, pushed higher by strength in manufacturing, finance and insurance, Statistics Canada data indicated Friday. Analysts in a Reuters poll had predicted monthly GDP would increase by 0.2 percent. Fifteen of the 20 industrial sectors — which Statscan …
your ad hereNigerian Energy Sector’s Crippling Debts Delay Next Power Plant
Plans to build another privately-financed power station in Nigeria to help end decades of chronic blackouts have been delayed because of concerns about persistent shortfalls in payments for electricity across the sector. The $1.1 billion Qua Iboe Power Plant being developed by energy infrastructure company Black Rhino and the state-owned …
your ad hereAlba the Albino Orangutan Returned to Jungle in Indonesia
The world’s only known albino orangutan climbed trees, foraged for food and began building a nest after being released into a remote Borneo jungle more than a year after conservation officials found her starving and dehydrated in an Indonesian village. The Borneo Orangutan Survival foundation says the great ape, called …
your ad hereNASA Satellite Will Measure the World’s Forests
Forests are often called the lungs of the planet because they produce so much oxygen. But they also store huge amounts of carbon. NASA scientists want to know exactly how much carbon, and so they have just launched a satellite that will finally give them an exact measurement. VOA’s Kevin …
your ad hereExperts Call for Inclusion of Pregnant Women in Vaccine Research
Pregnant women have been systematically overlooked in the development and deployment of new vaccines, undermining their health and their communities’ safety, according to guidelines released this month by an international team of researchers, scientists and health care providers. The report, developed by the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics and …
your ad hereReport: Distributors, DEA Failed to Slow US Opioid Crisis
A congressional report on prescription pill dumping in West Virginia blames U.S. prescription drug distributors and the Drug Enforcement Administration for not doing enough to help mitigate the nation’s opioid addiction and overdose crisis. The 324-page report released Wednesday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee followed an 18-month investigation …
your ad hereDow Sinks Another 464 Points as Slowdown Fears Worsen
It was another miserable day on Wall Street as a series of big December plunges continued, putting stocks on track for their worst month in a decade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 464 points Thursday, bringing its losses to more than 1,700 points since Friday. The benchmark S&P 500 …
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