U.S. President Donald Trump learned about a whistleblower complaint regarding his relations with Ukraine before he decided to unfreeze nearly $400 million in military aid, according to a New York Times report published Tuesday.The Times cited two people familiar with the matter, saying White House lawyers told Trump about the complaint in late August as…
read moreThe crowded field of U.S. Democratic presidential hopefuls added a new name this week, when former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially joined the race on Sunday. VOA’s Ardita Dunellari reports the 77-year old billionaire investor and philanthropist has name recognition and millions of dollars of his own fortune for campaign spending, but polls show…
read moreNew United Nations data shows that global HIV/AIDS infection rates and deaths are down and treatment is up, but new infections remain a serious challenge in certain high-risk groups.In a report launched Tuesday ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, UNAIDS reports that of the nearly 38 million people globally living with HIV —…
read moreThe top U.S. diplomat is refusing to rule out allegations it was Ukraine, not Russia, which was responsible for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.Despite repeated findings by U.S. intelligence agencies, which puts the blame on Russia, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday if there is any information “that so much suggests” a…
read moreAs the impeachment process against U.S. President Donald Trump unfolds, it’s not only Americans glued to their television sets. People around the world are fascinated by the political warfare in Washington and many say it shows American democracy in action. Trump is accused of improperly pressuring Ukraine to investigate the family of his political rival…
read moreMore than one-third of the United Nation’s Ebola responders in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni were relocated Tuesday amid growing insecurity in the area, while the other responders remained to help combat the deadly outbreak.The World Health Organization said a surge in violence in Beni forced 49 “non-critical” staff members to…
read moreThe majority of Americans, including a growing share of moderate Republicans, are dissatisfied with U.S. government efforts to curb global warming, researchers said on Monday.In a survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based non-partisan think-tank, two-thirds of Americans said U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration was “doing too little” to reduce the effects of climate…
read moreAtmospheric levels of climate-changing greenhouse gases hit a record high in 2018, “with no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline,” the World Meteorological Organization said.In a report released Monday, the WMO said despite international pledges made under the Paris Agreement, the levels of carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide all surged by higher…
read moreMore college students are turning to their schools for help with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, and many must wait weeks for treatment or find help elsewhere as campus clinics struggle to meet demand, an Associated Press review of more than three dozen public universities found.On some campuses, the number of students seeking…
read moreDemocratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren blasted billionaire Michael Bloomberg on Monday for launching his nascent White House bid with a $37 million TV advertising blitz, accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to buy American democracy.Bloomberg, 77, a media mogul who will use his personal fortune to spend freely on his campaign and…
read moreThe Democratic National Committee has approved a plan by Nevada Democrats to offer the first-ever early voting option for presidential caucuses, a change stemming from a push to make the in-person presidential nominating meetings more accessible.The state party’s chairman, William McCurdy II, and the DNC chairman, Tom Perez, intend to hold a conference call on…
read moreA U.S. federal judge is due to issue a ruling Monday in a lawsuit filed by the House Judiciary Committee seeking to compel former White House Counsel Don McGahn to testify in the impeachment probe of President Donald Trump.The Judiciary Committee originally sought McGahn’s testimony in connection with the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller…
read more(Editor’s note: These are the final segments in our series “Climbing the Hill,” in which we followed two new members of Congress. Democrat Katie Porter was featured Sunday. ) WASHINGTON, D.C. — First-term Republican House member Pete Stauber of Minnesota wears his religion on his sleeve.He begins every morning in Washington by attending Mass…
read moreNearly a year ago, VOA first met with two newly elected US Representatives for a project entitled, “Climbing the Hill.” Through the lives of California Democrat Katie Porter and Minnesota Republican Pete Stauber we hope to show you what it’s like to be a new representative at the US Capitol. In our final installment, we…
read moreDevin Nunes, the top Republican on the congressional committee investigating President Donald Trump, refused to answer questions Sunday as to whether he met with a former Ukrainian official to gather information on the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.A lawyer representing Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has told…
read moreThe U.S. House of Representatives will continue preparing its report this week in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, as Democratic House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff says he won’t rule out the possibility of more hearings. This comes as another Democrat joins the field of candidates running for the presidency. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi…
read moreDevin Nunes, the top Republican on the Congressional committee investigating President Donald Trump, refused to answer questions Sunday as to whether he met with a former Ukrainian official to gather information on the son of former vice president Joe Biden.A lawyer representing Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, has told…
read moreMichael Bloomberg is running for president of the United States.The former New York City mayor, one of the richest men in the world, formally joined the Democratic presidential field on Sunday. The 77-year-old former Republican announced his plans on a campaign website.He wrote: “I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America.”Bloomberg’s entrance,…
read moreTwenty-two people have died from measles in Samoa.All the deaths, except one, were of children younger than five years old, according to Reuters.The South Pacific island has declared a state of emergency, with nearly 2,000 cases of measles reported.The government has initiated a mass mandatory vaccination program. Samoa said Saturday that 153 cases had been…
read moreAs climate change ramps up weather extremes, good forecasts are increasingly important. A new system makes weather predictions anywhere in the world with the same high resolution that previously was only available in wealthy countries. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. …
read more“What do you want government to do for your life?” That’s the question Peggy Huang asks prospective voters at a Starbucks in Yorba Linda, California. Huang is a Republican running against first-term U.S. Representative Katie Porter, who last year became the first Democrat ever elected in California’s conservative 45th district.Since then, Porter has gained national…
read moreAmazon has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Defense Department.The complaint, filed Friday in a federal U.S. court, challenges the Pentagon’s decision to award a $10 billion computing contract to Microsoft.Amazon had been widely expected to receive the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract for the digital modernization of the Pentagon.In August, however, U.S.…
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