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read moreATLANTA, GEORGIA — Former President Donald Trump returns Saturday to Georgia, which he lost four years ago, to campaign in a state that Democrats and Republicans see as up for grabs yet again. Trump’s 5 p.m. event alongside his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, comes just days after Vice President Kamala Harris rallied thousands in…
read moreLOS ANGELES — Aerosmith says Steven Tyler’s voice has been permanently damaged by a vocal cord injury last year and the band will no longer tour. The iconic band behind hits such as “Love in an Elevator” and “Livin’ on the Edge” posted a statement Friday announcing the cancellation of remaining dates on its tour and…
read moreWASHINGTON — Buoyed by an increase in recruiting, the U.S. Army will expand its basic combat training in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars. The added training will begin in October and comes as the Army tries to reverse years of dismal recruiting when…
read moreparis — It is not enough — it has never been enough — for Simone Biles to do gymnastics. The 27-year-old American star has been intent almost from the start on pushing the sport in new directions by doing things that have never been done before. That could continue this week when she tries for her…
read moreCOLUMBIA, Missouri — The Biden administration has doled out more than $2 billion in direct payments for Black and other minority farmers discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the president announced Wednesday. More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, according to the USDA. Another 20,000 who planned to…
read moreHONOLULU — The parties in lawsuits seeking damages for last year’s Maui wildfires have reached a $4 billion global settlement, a court filing said Friday, nearly one year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The term sheet with details of the settlement is not publicly available, but the liaison attorneys filed a…
read moreThe COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to administer the SAT exam to high school students worldwide. In response, US colleges and universities that required the exam for admissions made the test optional. Now, with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, a trend is growing in higher education to again require the SAT. VOA’s Robin Guess…
read moreWASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough votes from delegates to become her party’s nominee for president, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said Friday. The announcement was made before the online voting process ends on Monday, reflecting the breakneck speed of a campaign that is eager to maintain momentum after President Joe…
read moreNew York — U.S. stocks are tumbling Friday on worries about whether the U.S. economy can hold up amid the countdown for a cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve, as a sell-off for stocks whips all the way around the world back to Wall Street. The S&P 500 was sinking by 2.5% in late…
read moreThree Americans unjustly detained in Russia stepped foot on U.S. soil again late Thursday. Waiting for them, President Joe Biden and their loved ones. VOA’s Jessica Jerreat reports. …
read moreAmericans Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, and others are freed from Russian prisons in a deal involving 16 political prisoners exchanged for eight individuals requested by the Kremlin. With Liam Scott and Cristina Caicedo Smit, Jessica Jerreat reports. Patsy Widakuswara contributed. Cameras: Martin Bubenik, Krystof Maixner, Hoshang Fahim. …
read morewashington — The realignment of the United States armed forces in Japan, announced on the heels of the latest U.S.-Japan security talks, will focus on developing warfighting capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, former U.S. military officials and experts say. During a meeting of the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee in Tokyo on Sunday, the two nations agreed…
read moreIn a U.S. election season that has been filled with unexpected twists and turns, social media users have responded in kind … with coconuts and cat ladies. VOA’s Tina Trinh explains. …
read moreparis — Simone Biles remains peerless. Even when she’s not quite perfect. The American gymnastics star edged Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade during a tense Olympic all-around final on Thursday. Biles’ total of 59.131 was just more than a point ahead of Andrade at 57.932, one of the closest calls Biles has ever endured at a major international…
read moreWashington — The U.S. on Thursday confirmed a historic prisoner swap with Russia that included the release of American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza. In total, the U.S. secured the release of 16 individuals, including five wrongfully detained Germans and seven Russian citizens, in return…
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