Taiwan says it is confident its relations with the U.S. won’t be harmed when President Donald Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang said at a news conference Thursday that the government was in close contact with the U.S. side and was assured the island’s interests would…
read moreThe Trump administration has resumed efforts at getting divided congressional Republicans to agree on a replacement for former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Last month’s failure to pass a replacement health care law exposed divisions among Republicans in Washington, but any attempt by President Donald Trump to reach out to opposition Democrats also…
read moreThe United States and South Korea agreed Thursday to proceed with the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system that has angered China, a day after North Korea’s latest test launch drew condemnation across the volatile region. Leaders and senior officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan spoke Thursday to discuss the…
read moreThe White House and House Republicans appear short of a last-ditch deal on their long-promised repeal of Barack Obama’s health care law. And in an unexpected twist, “Obamacare’’ — never very popular — seems to be rising in public opinion polls. “There’s no suggestion we should be changing our flights,’’ moderate Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y.,…
read moreStruggling U.S. farmers are pressing their luck with soybeans this spring, sowing record acreage even though the world is awash with the oilseed, as demand from China offers a potential lifeline. Soybean plantings could surpass corn for the first time this year, with rising exports holding up prices and providing a narrow path to profitability…
read moreMany companies aim for “Best in Class” status, but some are seeking another “B” — B corporation certification. Certified B corporations, or “B corps,” address the growing consumer interest in supporting socially and environmentally responsible companies. B corps are essentially for-profit companies that behave more like nonprofits, tackling global issues such as pollution and income…
read moreMany companies aim for B Corporation certification. Certified “B corps” address the growing demand for social and environmental responsibility. And more consumers are letting their wallets do the talking, aligning with business that complement their personal values. VOA’s Tina Trinh reports on the category of companies called B corps. …
read moreMexico’s central bank chief said Wednesday the bank altered course on how to protect the peso after a couple of tweets by U.S. President Donald Trump in early January pummeled the currency to near historic lows and wiped out the effect of a $2 billion currency intervention. The Banco de Mexico in early January had…
read moreAs Britain begins the process of leaving the European Union, it is trying to rekindle old trade links with Commonwealth countries. However, the push for new commerce has sparked a debate on the historical legacy of the British Empire, with accusations that ministers are trying to whitewash atrocities committed during colonial times. British Chancellor Philip…
read moreAmerica’s infrastructure is crumbling. A report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives the country’s roads, bridges and public works a D+, with a large portion of the structures showing significant deterioration. Tuesday, President Donald Trump reiterated his promise to spend one trillion dollars to overhaul the infrastructure. For local communities, that money…
read moreThe future of public transportation in New York City is taking shape on the bayous of Louisiana and Alabama. Shipyard workers in the two states are scrambling to finish the city’s new ferry fleet in time for a launch this summer, just a little more than a year after it was first proposed. The city…
read moreA Philippine city on the front lines of the wide-reaching South China Sea dispute is developing marine protection and eco-tourism to help the sea and regenerate stocks for an embattled local fishing industry. Masinloc, a city of 49,000 people on the South China Sea coast of Luzon Island, is stepping up protection of fish…
read moreSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has the votes to bust a planned Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee as a showdown nears that could change the Senate, and the court, for generations. The Kentucky Republican says Democrats “seem determined to head into the abyss. They need to reconsider.” Democrats are…
read moreA White House offensive to resurrect the moribund House Republican health care bill got an uneven reception Tuesday from GOP moderates and conservatives, leaving prospects shaky for the party to salvage one of its leading priorities. Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials were offering to let states request federal exemptions from insurance…
read moreThree years ago, 14-year-old Julius left his family near the lakeside city of Mwanza, Tanzania, to try his luck mining gold. Today, Julius is in no hurry to leave, despite having one of the riskiest jobs on a chaotic mine site — handling mercury each day with his bare hands. “It’s good work. I’m paid…
read moreSome big American coal companies have advised President Donald Trump’s administration to break his promise to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement — arguing that the accord could provide their best forum for protecting their global interests. Remaining in the global deal to combat climate change will give U.S. negotiators a…
read moreIn the most notable legislative work so far of the Trump administration, Republicans in Congress since Feb. 1 have approved measures to eliminate 13 regulations that were finalized in the waning months of Democratic President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. President Donald Trump so far has signed 11 of them into law. The measures…
read moreMost young Americans want any health care overhaul under President Donald Trump to look a lot like the Affordable Care Act signed into law by his predecessor, President Barack Obama. But there’s one big exception: A majority of young Americans dislike “Obamacare’s” requirement that all Americans buy insurance or pay a fine. A GenForward poll…
read moreA bill to slap new sanctions on Iran has been delayed in the U.S. Senate because of concerns about Iran’s May presidential election, in which conservative hard-liners hope to defeat moderate President Hassan Rouhani, U.S. lawmakers said Tuesday. A group of Democratic and Republican senators introduced the bill in March seeking to impose tighter U.S.…
read moreThe man who will be thrust into the role of overseeing the federal investigations into Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election has built a career as an apolitical prosecutor. As deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein will be second in command at the Justice Department. But with Attorney General Jeff Sessions forced to recuse…
read moreA Senate panel approved Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch Monday, sending President Trump’s pick to the full Senate where a ferocious battle looms that could provoke a change in rules governing the chamber. All Republicans on the Judiciary Committee backed Gorsuch, while all Democrats lined up in opposition to the appellate judge. …
read moreAfter his press secretary blasted it as an example of rampant government overreach, President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Monday that could eventually allow internet providers to sell information about their customers’ browsing habits. The bill scraps a Federal Communications Commission online privacy regulation issued in October to give consumers more control…
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