Wednesday brings the start of open hearings in the impeachment inquiry examining the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.The House Intelligence Committee is overseeing the probe. After weeks of closed-door depositions involving current and former diplomat and officials, lawmakers and those watching across the country will hear testimony from William Taylor, the current top American…
read moreA Michigan teenager was the recipient of what could be the first double lung transplant on a person whose lungs were severely damaged from vaping, health officials said Tuesday.Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit described to reporters Tuesday the procedure that saved the 17-year-old’s life and pleaded for the public to understand the dangers…
read moreSwedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg will leave North America and begin her return trip across the Atlantic on Wednesday aboard a 48-foot (15-meter) catamaran sailboat whose passengers include an 11-month-old baby.The boat leaves little to no carbon footprint, boasting solar panels and a hydro-generators for power. It also has a toilet, unlike the boat…
read moreThe most distant world ever explored 4 billion miles away finally has an official name: Arrokoth.That means “sky” in the language of the Native American Powhatan people, NASA said Tuesday.NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew past the snowman-shaped Arrokoth on New Year’s Day, 3 years after exploring Pluto. At the time, this small icy world 1…
read moreMichael Bloomberg filed paperwork Tuesday to appear on the ballot in Arkansas’ March 3 presidential primary, the latest indication that the billionaire former New York City mayor may seek the Democratic nomination .Bloomberg sent staffers to Alabama last week to file for the primary there, but filed his paperwork in person in Arkansas two hours…
read moreTestimony in the colorful trial of Roger Stone — featuring talk of dognapping and Godfather references — wrapped up Tuesday with a top Trump campaign official telling jurors that Stone tried to contact Jared Kushner to “debrief” him about hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.While Stone’s trial in Washington didn’t produce the bombshells…
read moreAs the world becomes more connected people are vulnerable of being victims of cybercriminals. Police departments, hospitals, universities and businesses everywhere are also at risk. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows how the city of Los Angeles is fighting this problem, by sharing and pooling critical information about cyberattacks. …
read moreDeep in the rainforest of Volcanoes National Park, a 23-year-old female gorilla named Kurudi feeds on a stand of wild celery. She bends the green stalks and, with long careful fingers, peels off the exterior skin to expose the succulent inside.Biologist Jean Paul Hirwa notes her meal on his tablet computer as he peers out…
read moreRepublican supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump are planning a vigorous defense of him as public congressional impeachment hearings start Wednesday that target his presidency.Trump administration officials are bracing for hours of testimony from two U.S. State Department officials — William Taylor, the current top American diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, who oversees Ukraine…
read moreMark Sanford, a former governor of South Carolina, abandoned his longshot bid on Tuesday to challenge President Donald Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination.Sanford, 59, announced he was dropping out of the race at an event in New Hampshire, which holds the first Republican presidential primary, his hometown newspaper, The Post and Courier, reported.Sanford’s…
read moreOver the past couple of years, many smokers have made the switch to electronic cigarettes in what is called vaping. The appeal is the idea that vapers get all the benefits from smoking cigarettes without the tar and ash. However, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 37 deaths have been…
read moreFrench President Emmanuel Macron is hosting an international peace forum in the notable absence of the United States, to discuss solutions to ease the world’s tensions, including fighting terrorism and climate change.Some 30 heads of state or government, high level officials from other countries and the leaders of 10 international organizations on Tuesday joined hundreds…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump contended Tuesday that some of the young immigrants that his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, allowed to stay in the country to avoid deportation are now “hardened criminals.”The U.S. leader, who won the White House in 2016 by taking a tough stance against illegal immigration, unleashed his attack on the immigrants…
read moreZimbabwe’s parks agency says more than 200 elephants have died amid a severe drought, and a mass relocation of animals is planned to ease congestion. Spokesman Tinashe Farawo on Tuesday said at least 200 elephants have died in vast Hwange National Park alone since October and other parks are affected. He says animals…
read moreSpaceX launched 60 mini satellites Monday, the second batch of an orbiting network meant to provide global internet coverage.The Falcon rocket blasted into the morning sky, marking the unprecedented fourth flight of a booster for SpaceX. The compact flat-panel satellites – just 575 pounds (260 kilograms) each – will join 60 launched in May.SpaceX founder…
read moreFormer Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is considering making a late run for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to two people with knowledge of his deliberations, underscoring some Democrats’ deep uncertainty about the party’s current crop of contenders.Patrick, a close friend and ally of former President Barack Obama, ruled out a presidential bid earlier this year…
read morePneumonia killed more than 800,000 babies and young children last year — or one child every 39 seconds — despite being curable and mostly preventable, global health agencies said Tuesday.In a report on what they described as a “forgotten epidemic,” the United Nations children’s fund UNICEF, the international charity Save The Children and four other…
read moreOn Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren’s Facebook page, you can find videos ranging from an announcement in Des Moines, Iowa, that her campaign has reached $2 million in donations …Two Million DonationsWe’ve worked hard, sharing plans and building a grassroots movement. And yesterday, we reached a new milestone—two million donations!Posted by Elizabeth Warren on Monday,…
read moreSocial media platform Twitter on Monday unveiled its plan for handling deepfake videos and other manipulated media, and called for feedback from the public.In the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November 2020, social platforms have been under pressure to tackle the threat of manipulated media, including deepfakes, which use artificial intelligence to create…
read moreCondoleezza Rice, a secretary of state under Republican President George W. Bush, said on Monday reports of an unofficial U.S. policy being carried out in Ukraine were “deeply troubling.”Rice was critical of President Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential run but has been more restrained since the Republican took office.State Department officials have testified in…
read moreFor weeks, as Democratic critics of U.S. President Donald Trump have called for his impeachment, the U.S. leader has repeatedly described his July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “perfect.”Though it is a violation of U.S. campaign finance law to seek foreign government help in a U.S. election, Trump had asked Zelenskiy to investigate…
read moreStargazers witnessed a rare celestial event on Monday, as Mercury passed directly across the face of the sun.Mercury, the solar system’s smallest planet and closest to the sun, won’t make the next such transit until 2032.The tiny planet traveled directly between Earth and the sun on Monday, creating a perfect alignment.The best views of the…
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