The upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is moving its publication date, pushing it from the chill of February to warmer May, closer to bikini-weather. Editor of the issue MJ Day tells The Associated Press the shift makes more sense for greater impact. She says that “It’s always hard to …
your ad hereKim Kardashian West Confirms She and Kanye Expecting 4th Child
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting their fourth child. Kardashian confirmed the surrogate pregnancy during an appearance Monday on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” The 38-year-old reality star says the boy will arrive “sometime soon.” Kardashian says she got drunk on Christmas Eve and …
your ad here‘Made in China 2025’ Feels Trade War Pinch
Although it is unclear if the United States and China will be able to meet a 90-day deadline and strike a deal on trade by March 2, the tussle is clearly adding to uncertainty about the future fate of the Chinese government’s strategic plan named “Made in China 2025.” The …
your ad hereFrance’s Macron Launches ‘Grand Debate’ Following Protests
French President Emmanuel Macron is formally launching a “grand debate” to try to appease the yellow vest movement following weeks of anti-government protests. Macron heads Tuesday to Grand Bourgtheroulde, a small town in Normandy, where he is to meet about 600 mayors and local officials. Despite a high security …
your ad hereFacebook to Invest $300 Million in Local News Initiatives
Facebook says it is investing $300 million over the next three years in local news programs, partnerships and other initiatives. The money will go toward reporting grants for local newsrooms, expanding Facebook’s program to help local newsrooms with subscription business models and investing in nonprofits aimed at supporting local news. …
your ad hereDesperate Parents and Discount Marijuana: DC in a Shutdown
No city experiences a shutdown quite like Washington. Besides the economic impact, a shutdown warps the nation’s capital on a cultural, recreational and logistical level — touching everybody from garbage collectors to young parents, prospective newlyweds to aspiring Eagle Scouts. The current partial shutdown , now in a record fourth …
your ad hereHuawei Founder Says Company Would Not Share User Secrets
The founder of network gear and smart phone supplier Huawei Technologies says the tech giant would reject requests from the Chinese government to disclose confidential information about its customers. Meeting with foreign reporters at Huawei’s headquarters, Ren Zhengfei sought Tuesday to allay Western concerns the company is a security risk. …
your ad herePlugged in Hives Providing Information on Bee Health
Preliminary numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggest that the population of domesticated US honeybees is still declining. The loss in pollinators is due in part to the effects of pesticides but also to natural stressors like the varroa mite, which can infect whole bee colonies. To learn …
your ad hereStudy: Antarctica Ice Loss Increases Six Fold since 1979
Global warming is melting ice in Antarctica faster than ever before — about six times more per year now than 40 years ago — leading to increasingly high sea levels worldwide, scientists warned on Monday. Already, Antarctic melting has raised global sea levels more than half an inch (1.4 centimeters) …
your ad here‘McJesus’ Sculpture Sparks Outrage Among Israel’s Christians
An art exhibit in Israel featuring a crucified Ronald McDonald has sparked protests by the country’s Arab Christian minority. Hundreds of Christians calling for the removal of the sculpture, entitled “McJesus,” demonstrated at the museum in the northern city of Haifa last week. Israeli police say rioters hurled a firebomb …
your ad hereScreen Actors Guild Slams Film Academy for Oscar Tactics
The Screen Actors Guild on Monday called on the film academy to stop trying to prevent stars from appearing on award shows before the Oscars. In an unusually critical statement Monday, SAG-AFTRA said it has received multiple reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is pressuring actors …
your ad hereChina Reports Record Trade Surplus with US, Amid Signs of Slowing Economy
China’s trade surplus with the United States rose dramatically in 2018, despite a tit-for-tat tariff war with the U.S. that has roiled global markets. The surplus stood at a record-high $323.3 billion, compared to $275.8 billion recorded the year before. Data released Monday by China’s customs bureau shows the country’s …
your ad hereIn The Mule, Drug Trafficiking in the US Becomes Old White Man’s Employment
For over 50 years, Oscar winning filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood has portrayed tough characters — bounty hunters, police detectives and macho heart throbs. In his latest movie, The Mule, the octogenarian now softens his masculine persona to interpret a frail old man, whose financial hardship forces him to take …
your ad hereBreakthrough In Treating Ebola
In Congo, more than 600 people have contracted the Ebola virus which has claimed close to 400 lives. The disease has been difficult to contain because of conflict in the region, despite an effective vaccine. But now, VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, health workers may soon be able to cure those …
your ad hereBees With Circuit Board Backpacks Inform Researchers
Researchers are already using sensors on drones to monitor farmers fields and provide a whole host of statistics from moisture levels to pesticide loads. But drones are energy intensive and expensive. Researchers at the University of Washington have created tiny sensors that can hitch a ride on bees that are …
your ad hereDetroit Auto Show, and Industry, Prepare for Transition
The auto industry gathered in Detroit on Sunday, on the eve of the last winter edition of North America’s premiere auto show, as carmakers grapple with a contracting market and uncertainty in the year ahead. Concerns over the health of the global economy and a US-China trade war loomed over …
your ad hereSaudi Energy Minister Concerned About Oil Price Volatility
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said Sunday that major oil producers need to do better to narrow swings in prices that dip below $60 a barrel and rise above $86. “I think what we need to do is narrow the range… of volatility,” Khalid al-Falih said. “We need to do …
your ad hereAmphibious Robot Thrives in Water and on Land
Nature finds a way, the old saying goes. We see it in how animals fly, crawl, slink, dig and otherwise make their way through the world. Scientists have long recognized the ways in which evolution has perfected movement in the natural world, and mimicked it in their robot designs. Here’s …
your ad hereRobot Animals Serving as Pets to Dementia Patients
A new form of social therapy is powering-on in the U.S. A group of former toy company employees bought a brand from their ex-employer and started developing robotic household animals that serve as friends and therapy aids to America’s growing elderly population. Arash Arabasadi reports. …
your ad hereBookstore in Argentina Becomes Unlikely Tourist Destination
What do you do with a building that is past its prime or no longer being used? Many of them are torn down. But in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a century-old former theater received a new lease on life after it was converted into a bookstore. As we hear from VOA’s …
your ad hereMassive Bookstore in Portland Thrives in Age of E-Books
Despite e-books and smartphones with reading apps, the book business in the U.S. is enjoying a resurgence. And though internet sales take their toll on bookstores around the country, one store in Portland, Oregon, seems to be operating as usual. Powell’s Books, founded by a family of Ukrainian descent more …
your ad hereBreakthrough Made in Treating Ebola Virus
In northeastern Congo, more than 600 people have fallen ill with the Ebola virus, and at least 368 people have died from the disease. It’s been difficult to contain the virus because of conflict in the region, despite medical advances, including a vaccine. The Democratic Republic of Congo is where …
your ad hereZimbabwe Promises New Currency as Dollar Shortage Bites
Zimbabwe will introduce a new currency in the next 12 months, the finance minister said, as a shortage of U.S. dollars has plunged the financial system into disarray and forced businesses to close. In the past two months, the southern African nation has suffered acute shortages of imported goods, including …
your ad hereArtisans Create Fantastic Ice Sculptures in China
Each January, the city of Harbin in northern China becomes an icy wonderland as it hosts the largest ice and snow festival in the world. In Harbin, temperatures can drop as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. The annual festival, in its 35th year, draws millions of visitors to activities …
your ad hereForeign-Born Workers Powering Silicon Valley’s Startup Success
Home to Apple, Facebook and Google, Silicon Valley is an American economic powerhouse, producing technology companies with global influence. But behind these influential American brands are scores of foreign workers who play a critical role in the Valley’s tech workforce. Deana Mitchell reports. …
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