Carol Lee collaborates with University of Montpellier colleagues researching how tiny plankton cope in an ever-saltier Mediterranean sea and a freshwater-infused Baltic one. From the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Camille Parmesan experiments with cutting-edge climate modeling, hoping it may offer clues for future biodiversity conservation.Both biologists have pulled up …
your ad hereDocumentary ‘Gift’ Looks Into the History of Sharing
The more you give, the richer you become that’s the philosophical idea behine the gift economy. It’s an idea that’s catching on. At the famous Burning Man festival in Nevada for instance money has no worth. In his book “The Gift”, Lewis Hyde described this model in detail. Misha Gutkin …
your ad hereVaping Comes Under Fire
Amid an alarming surge in vaping among teenagers, Congress recently approved an unprecedented measure to curb tobacco and e-cigarette use nationwide, especially among teens.Congress voted to increase the legal age to buy tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 as part of a major fiscal 2020 spending agreement. First …
your ad hereStaying in to Rock Out: Virtual Reality Concerts Bring the Show to You
What would it be like to attend a concert with thousands of other people without leaving your home? Matt Dibble dons a VR headset to find out …
your ad hereViolence Grows Against Women and Children in Economic Deprivation of Yemen’s War
A recent study has revealed an increase in violence against women and children resulting from the conflict in Yemen. Research by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies shows women and girls in Yemen have been affected by rape, kidnapping and domestic violence, while boys face sexual violence and are forced …
your ad hereThe Future of Protest? Catalans Outwit Spanish Authorities With Phone App
A pro-independence group in Spain’s Catalonia region is using a smartphone app to outwit authorities, as it steps up demonstrations following the jailing of several of the movement’s leaders. The group Democratic Tsunami released the app to coordinate demonstrations across the region.The latest target was the world-famous El Clasico …
your ad hereIn New York, New Year’s Eve Isn’t Complete Without the Ball Drop
This New Year’s Eve, an estimated 1 million people will pack the streets of New York City’s Times Square to watch the famous ball drop. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1907, as visitors from around the world gather to count down the final seconds to the New Year. …
your ad hereChina Investigates Respiratory Illness Outbreak Sickening 27
Chinese experts are investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan that some have likened to the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.The city’s health commission said in a statement Tuesday that 27 people had fallen ill with a strain of viral pneumonia, seven of whom were in serious …
your ad hereUber, Postmates Sue to Challenge California’s New Labor Law
Ride-share company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates sued Monday to block a broad new California law aimed at giving wage and benefit protections to people who work as independent contractors.The lawsuit filed in U.S. court in Los Angeles argues that the law set to take effect Wednesday violates …
your ad hereHuawei Sales Up 18% but US Pressure Means Tough Times Ahead
China’s Huawei Technologies said Tuesday that its sales rose a lower-than-projected 18% in 2019 and predicted tough times ahead as the U.S. moves to restrict its business.The flash sales estimate came in an annual New Year’s message to employees. Chairman Eric Xu warned that mediocre managers would face demotion as …
your ad hereGermany’s Merkel Urges Climate Action in New Year Message
Chancellor Angela Merkel is telling Germans in her New Year message that “everything humanly possible” must be done to tackle climate change.Merkel said that there is good reason to be confident about the 2020s in her annual televised message, the text of which was released ahead of its broadcast Tuesday. …
your ad hereScores of Robotic Researchers Set to Explore Red Planet in 2020
The first space race pitted the United States against what was then the Soviet Union for the bragging rights of being first in space travel. The space race of the 21st century is a quest by many to land the first people on Mars. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi coasts the cosmos …
your ad herePlus-Size Yoga Teacher Breaks Stereotypes, Boundaries
There’s no doubt that many people around the world see – in magazines and on social media – unrealistic beauty standards and end up feeling unhappy with how they look. But Jessamyn Stanley has never let her body image get in the way of her dream of teaching yoga. Karina …
your ad hereBrazil Fines Facebook $1.6M for Improper Sharing of User Data
Brazil’s Ministry of Justice said on Monday it has fined U.S. tech giant Facebook Inc 6.6 million reais ($1.6 million) for improperly sharing user data.The ministry’s department of consumer protection said it had found that data from 443,000 Facebook users was made improperly available to developers of an app called …
your ad hereChildren in Conflict Pay a Deadly Price
The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says verified attacks on children in conflict have risen threefold since 2010, making the past decade particularly deadly for children. As the decade draws to a close, UNICEF reports children continue to pay a deadly price as conflicts rage around the world. In a video …
your ad here2019 Was Hottest Year on Record for Russia
This year was the hottest ever registered in Russia, the country’s weather chief said on Monday, as climate change pushes global temperatures to record highs.”This year in Russia was the hottest for the entire period of instrumental observations,” the head of the Gidromedtsentr weather service, Roman Vilfand, told Russian news …
your ad hereSudanese-American Player Promotes Wheelchair Basketball in South Sudan
Wheelchair basketball is growing in popularity in South Sudan, offering hope for athletes with disabilities, some of whom lost legs from unexploded ordnance left from decades of conflict. U.S. professional wheelchair basketball players, including Sudanese American Malat Wei, this month helped eighty South Sudanese players take part in a week-long …
your ad here‘Star Wars’ Stays Aloft to Again Top North American Box Office
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” stayed on a strong glide path in North American theaters, taking in an estimated $73.6 million for the three-day weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.The Disney film, marketed as a grand finale of the nine-film “Skywalker Saga,” has had mixed reviews and was …
your ad hereMonitoring Agency: DRC Ebola Death Toll 2,231 to Date
A total of 2,231 people have died out of 3,373 declared cases of Ebola in the current epidemic in the DR Congo, according to the agency overseeing the response, health officials said Sunday.Deadly unrest in the fragile state has hampered the fight against the disease during the latest epidemic, which …
your ad herePolitics of Climate Change Got More Complicated in 2019
2019 was the year of Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion and an uptick in climate action pledges by governments across the globe. From Britain to Germany, Europe’s mainstream party leaders scrambled to respond to a surge in electoral support for Green parties — and to growing public anxiety about the …
your ad hereWidespread Mussel Die-Offs Worry Scientists
Scientists are scrambling to understand why thousands of dead mussels are turning up in several rivers across the United States and Europe, including one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Experts worry that the rapid decline of mussels in Appalachia’s Clinch River may be a sign of a worldwide die-off of the …
your ad hereUS Astronaut Sets Record for Longest Spaceflight by a Woman
A U.S. astronaut set a record Saturday for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, breaking the old mark of 288 days with about two months left in her mission.Christina Koch, a 40-year-old electrical engineer from Livingston, Montana, arrived at the International Space Station on March 14. She broke the …
your ad hereQuick Response to Health Emergencies Protects Vulnerable Populations
The World Health Organization reports investigations into potential health threats and the quick response by WHO and partners to global emergencies has protected millions of the world’s most vulnerable people this year from disease and death.In 2019, the World Health Organization and partners have responded to 51 emergencies in more …
your ad hereNASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Set to Hunt Martian Fossils, Scout for Manned Missions
A NASA robotic rover is nearing completion ahead of a journey next year to search for evidence of past life on Mars and lay the groundwork for the space agency’s mission to send humans into deep space.The U.S. space agency on Friday showed off its Mars 2020 rover, whose official …
your ad hereLee Mendelson Dies; He Brought ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ to TV
Lee Mendelson, the producer who changed the face of the holidays when he brought “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to television in 1965 and wrote the lyrics to its signature song, “Christmas Time Is Here,” died Christmas day, his son said.Mendelson, who won a dozen Emmys in his long career, died …
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