US Protesters Mark Iraq War Anniversary
In a rolling flourish of activity, protesters gathered near the White House,
the Capitol, the Internal Revenue Service, and the American Petroleum Institute
among other well-known landmarks to voice their anger over the continuing war
in Iraq.
US Central Bank Chief Says Economic
Challenges are Formidable
U.S. central bank chief Ben Bernanke, in a second day of testimony
before a Congressional committee, says the simultaneous challenges of economic
slowdown, rising inflation and a credit squeeze pose significant policy challenges
for the government.
Clinton, Obama Hold Final Debate
Ahead of Crucial Primaries
With one week to go before crucial primaries in the large, delegate rich states of Texas and Ohio, the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, met in a televised debate Tuesday. The debate was held in Cleveland, Ohio and broadcast by the MSNBC cable channel.
Superdelegates
May Be Key in
US Democratic Presidential Race
Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary
Clinton are headed for a showdown March 4 in primaries in Texas and Ohio.
Those primaries could go a long way toward deciding who will be the Democratic
Party's nominee for president. But as VOA National correspondent Jim Malone
reports from Washington, some Democrats believe that so-called superdelegates
could eventually play a major role in deciding who wins the party's nomination.
McCain Denies Inappropriate
Relationship With Lobbyist
U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain has denied
having an inappropriate relationship with a female telecommunications lobbyist.
The Arizona senator told reporters Thursday that he and lobbyist Vicki Iseman
were just friends. He says a report in The New York Times is not true, adding
that he is very disappointed by the article.
US Democrats Overseas Give Obama
Another Victory in Nomination Race
Barack Obama garnered his 11th consecutive primary win this
week, when Democrats Abroad announced from Geneva, Switzerland, that the
Illinois senator had won the party's Global Primary. Obama got about 65 per
cent of more than 20,000 votes submitted overseas. As Eve Troeh reports,
Democrats in more than 160 countries cast ballots by mail, fax, in person
and - for the first time - online.
Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate in Texas
Democratic Party presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama faced off in a debate Thursday in Texas. VOA's Greg Flakus reports
from Houston there was more agreement on issues than clashes over differences.
Length
of US Presidential Campaign
Worries Some
The date is January 2nd, 1960. Senator John F. Kennedy kicks
off his campaign. He announces, "I am announcing today my candidacy
for the presidency of the United States." What was thought to be a long
campaign for candidates in 1960 is nothing compared to this year's elections.
The Republican Party is in a crisis right now. It is not due
to the Democrats taking over control of Congress. It has to do with losing
the vision of conservatism. If anything, Republicans lost Congress because
they have lost the vision of political conservatism that Ronald Reagan brought
to this country.
Electronic Voting Concerns
in 2008 Presidential Race
Florida, November 2000. The White House contest between Republican
Party candidate George W. Bush and Democratic Party challenger Al Gore was
ultimately determined by a post-election recount of the state's paper ballot
cards. In the next presidential election in 2004, many U.S. states decided
to abandon paper systems and instead use touch-screen computer voting machines.
But in embracing this new technology, new vulnerabilities have arisen.
Influencing Power in Washington
Trying to influence people in power is constitutionally protected in the United States. “The First Amendment of our Constitution protects the right to petition government for redress of grievances. That’s where lobbies, interest groups and organizations come in”, says John Samples, Director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government.
Defining America's Role in the World
Several recent public opinion polls show that the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the United States' standing in the world and that they prefer a change in the country's foreign policy.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in
which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective
sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Most people who
develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.
The Criminal Lawyer And The Law
We’ve all seen them, the TV crime programs in which a suspect is caught and brought first to jail, and later to trial. She or he is interrogated by the District Attorney and then counter-interrogated by his or her own criminal lawyer. Yet is this all there is to being a criminal lawyer? If you’re interested in the law, wish to go to law school, or simply require a criminal lawyer, this article may give you a few steps in the right direction.
Bush
Says He Will Pull Some
US Troops From Iraq
President Bush says he will start pulling some U.S. troops out of Iraq this month because his decision to send reinforcements earlier this year has been a success. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition Democrats say more troops should come home sooner.
Crime
in the United States
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, has released preliminary crime statistics
for 2006. Nationwide, violent crime in the U.S. increased 1.3 percent and property
crime decreased 2.9 percent over 2005.
Scammer
Says Goodbye to False Claims
A businessman has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that he sold his
greeting card display rack business opportunities by misrepresenting the
potential earnings that consumers could make. The FTC also alleged he did
not provide any disclosure documents to purchasers, as required.
Ethanol
Production Poised to Surge in US
A recent deal between the United States and Brazil to share ethanol technology
marked a key step to expand the American market for alternative fuels. Brazil
has built a strong local market for ethanol based on local sugar production,
and U.S. officials are hoping to learn some lessons from its success.
The
Internet Now Center Stage for
U.S. Presidential Campaigns
Just a decade and a half after its public debut, the Internet
has become an essential medium for American politics. Campaigning on the
burgeoning computer network took a major step forward in 2004, with former
Vermont Governor Howard Dean's online bid for the Democratic Presidential
nomination. Now, a crowded field of candidates in the 2008 presidential campaign
is relying heavily on the Internet to connect with the nation's voters.
FBI Launches
E-Mail Alerts on Public Website
Washington, D.C.— To improve public safety and law enforcement
partnerships, the FBI recently launched a service that sends out e-mail alerts
when new and vital information is posted on its Internet website.
Skilled,
Educated Immigrants Contribute
Significantly to U.S. Economy
Durham, NC -- Immigrant entrepreneurs founded 25.3 percent of
the U.S. engineering and technology companies established in the past decade,
according to a new study from Duke University. What's more, foreign nationals
-- those living in the United States who are not citizens -- contributed
to an estimated 24.2 percent of international patent applications in 2006.
US: Cuban Government
Becoming More Rigid
The U.S. State Department's top official for Latin America said
Cuba's government has become more hard-line since the ailing Fidel Castro
transferred power to his brother Raul in late July. Assistant Secretary of
State Thomas Shannon says U.S. officials see no reformer in the current Cuban
political lineup.
Is AIDS a Global
Security Threat?
A new study says HIV/AIDS is creating potential risks to regional,
national and global security. The study was done by analysts at the Center
on Global Change and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. They say the link between public health and national security has
so far been missing.
Study:
American Parents Using TV as an Electronic Babysitter
Television has become such a major part of life that many American parents
use it as a babysitter, and that has child psychologists concerned. A new
study shows that almost one-third of families have TVs in children's' bedrooms,
and the number of television programs geared toward infants is growing. VOA's
Melinda Smith has more on the recommendation of how much TV should be allowed,
and at what age.
Internet
Safety: A Growing Concern
The exploitation of children through the Internet is an increasing
concern worldwide. In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
is part of a major effort supported by the government, schools, parents and
companies to do something about it.
25 Billion in
Generic Drug Savings Underscores
Need to End Generic-Approval Backlog at FDA
A report finding consumers could save nearly $25 billion this year by switching
to generic prescription drugs underscores the need for the Food and Drug Administration
to remove roadblocks that are keeping more affordable generics from reaching
the market quickly, Consumers Union said.
Debate Simmering in US Over Regulation
of Internet
A heated debate is shaping up in Washington about a concept some
activists are calling Internet network neutrality, known more popularly as
net neutrality. At issue are calls for the U.S. government to regulate the
Internet, and, in effect, opponents say, determine which companies get bigger
shares of the profits.
Gene Prolongs Lives of Those With Lung
Cancer
Scientists have discovered a gene in lung cancer patients that
appears to predict how long they survive. Researchers say the new gene appears
to control whether a lung cancer spreads and if so, how rapidly.
Media Bias Is Real,
Finds UCLA Political Scientist
While the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal is
conservative, the newspaper's news pages are liberal, even more liberal than
The New York Times. The Drudge Report may have a right-wing reputation, but
it leans left. Coverage by public television and radio is conservative compared
to the rest of the mainstream media. Meanwhile, almost all major media outlets
tilt to the left.
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