The fountain pen is a writing instrument declared obsolete numerous times by technological innovations — the ballpoint pen, the typewriter, the computer keyboard, and now by rendering our voices into text on mobile phones. But the 19th-century invention is still evolving, thanks in part to an American mechanical engineer. VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman…
Writers Strike Looks to be a Long Fight, as Hollywood Braces
Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios and streamers braced for a long fight at the outbreak of a strike that immediately forced late-night shows into hiatus, put other productions on pause and had the entire industry slowing its roll. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years commenced Tuesday as…
Could Private School Be a Good Deal?
Private colleges in the U.S. can be very expensive, and their costs have risen much faster than comparable public institutions. But few students pay the full “sticker price,” and a new survey suggests the savings are greater than ever. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, full-time, first-year students at private…
US Film and Television Writers Begin Strike
The union that represents U.S. film and television writers sent their members on strike Tuesday after failing to reach an agreement with studios and production companies over a new labor contract. The Writers Guild of America announced late Monday that their 11,500 members would put down their pens and turn off their computers at midnight…
Canadian Folk Singer Gordon Lightfoot Dies at 84
Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s legendary folk singer-songwriter whose hits including “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” told a tale of Canadian identity that was exported worldwide, died on Monday. He was 84. Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital. His cause of death was not immediately available. Considered…
Hollywood Writers, Studios Talk as Midnight Strike Deadline Looms
Negotiators for Hollywood writers and film and television studios engaged in 11th-hour contract talks on Monday to try to avert a strike that would disrupt TV production across an industry grappling with seismic changes. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) could call a work stoppage as early as Tuesday if it cannot reach a deal…
Why Are Universities Hiring ‘Embedded Counselors’?
About a fifth of surveyed colleges have at least one mental health counselor embedded with a specific group, such as athletes or international students. Now, Virginia Tech is trying something new – counselors who live in the dorms with students, to build trust and provide around-the-clock support. Kate Hidalgo Bellows of the Chronicle of Higher…
Aerosmith Announces Farewell Tour Starting in September
Aerosmith will be touring a city near you for the last time to celebrate the rock band’s 50-plus years together. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band announced Monday the dates for their farewell tour called “Peace Out” starting Sept. 2 in Philadelphia. The 40-date run of shows, which includes a stop in the…
Native American Photographer Tells Indigenous Tribes’ Stories
Ten years ago, Native American photographer Matika Wilbur embarked on a road trip with an ambitious goal to document all 562 federally recognized Indigenous tribes. Her multiyear work culminated in a new book aiming to change the way people see Native Americans. She launched her book tour in her home state of Washington. VOA’s Natasha…
‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Hits $1 Billion, Is No. 1 for 4 Weeks
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” led ticket sales for the fourth straight weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $40 million as the global haul for the Universal Pictures release surpassed $1 billion, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Nintendo videogame adaptation dominated the month of April in theaters, smashing records along the way. Over…
Growing Demand in US to Censor Library Books
The American Library Association says there were a record number of demands to censor U.S. library books last year, nearly double the challenges from the previous year. For VOA, Deana Mitchell takes us to a Texas town that is considering closing its library to block a court ruling ordering the return of banned books. …
Dust to Dust? New Mexicans Fight to Save Old Adobe Churches
Ever since missionaries started building churches out of mud 400 years ago in what was the isolated frontier of the Spanish empire, tiny mountain communities like Cordova relied on their own resources to keep the faith going. Thousands of miles from religious and lay seats of power, everything from priests to sculptors to paint pigments…
Ethiopian Youth Festival Begins Months After Peace Deal
A U.S.-sponsored youth festival opened Saturday in Ethiopia with the theme “Be Inspired, Own Your Future.” The two-day festival is being held just months after a bloody two-year civil war ended in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and as peace talks begin with the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Nearly 20,000 youth from around the country are…
Welcome to Washington’s First Alcohol-Free Bar
While a clear majority of Americans still drink alcohol, many others choose to skip it.. As the US marks April as Alcohol Awareness month, the nondrinkers in Washington can head to a perfect bar, called Binge Bar – Washington’s first booze-free bar. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. Video: David Gogokhia …
How North Carolina Students View the Lawsuit Threatening Affirmative Action
Ahead of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on a pair of affirmative action cases this spring, students at the University of North Carolina are divided on the issue of affirmative action — the practice of factoring race in admissions to boost minority enrollment — and the role it should play in creating a diverse student body, Reuters reports. (April 2023) …
Parents of Kenyan Students Stuck in Sudan Want Faster Evacuations
Distressed parents of Kenyan university students stuck in Sudan converge in a house in Kenya’s Wajir County while they wait for news of their stranded children in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The imminent end of a 72-hour cease-fire between Sudan’s warring forces has left many Kenyan parents extremely apprehensive, including Osman Mohamed. “My son is among…
Is the End of Race-based Affirmative Action Near?
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases that claim that the affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants. While the court has upheld the legality of such preferences in admissions three times, the past is no guide to the future – and colleges must now…
Jerry Springer, Politician-Turned-TV Ringmaster, Dies at 79
Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday at 79. At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous…
Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Accepts Harvard Fellowships
Harvard University said in a statement that former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had been appointed to dual fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School and to a concurrent fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center later in 2023. “I am incredibly humbled to be joining Harvard University as a fellow — not only will it give me the opportunity to share…
Yoon’s ‘American Pie’ Stuns Biden
From discussing nuclear war to belting out a beloved hit: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s White House visit ended on a high note when he sang Don McLean’s “American Pie” to great applause. Yoon is on a six-day state visit to Washington, where he discussed with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday “the end”…
Jolie, Salonga, Chloe Kim Glam Up State Dinner for SKorea
Actor Angelina Jolie, home improvement duo Chip and Joanna Gaines and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim headlined the list of big names from politics, business, sports and entertainment glamming up a fancy black-tie dinner that U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Wednesday for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Broadway’s Lea Salonga, one of the night’s entertainers,…
Ex-Harvard Professor Sentenced, Fined for Lying About China Ties
A former Harvard University professor convicted of lying to federal investigators about his ties to a Chinese-run science recruitment program and failing to pay taxes on payments from a Chinese university was sentenced Wednesday to supervised release and ordered to pay more than $83,000 in restitution and fines. Charles Lieber, 64, was sentenced by Judge…
Japan’s Colleges Are Reeling, Does That Mean America’s Will, Too?
Japan has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and the number of 18-year-olds in the country has dropped by nearly half in the past 30 years. The result is shrinking enrollments, lowered standards, shuttered schools and economic pains as companies fight over a limited supply of young talent. As the U.S. ages, its…
Fugees Rapper ‘Pras’ Found Guilty of Political Conspiracy
A Fugees rapper accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies was convicted Wednesday after a trial that included testimony from such witnesses as actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was accused of funneling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection…
Pope Allows Women to Vote at Upcoming Bishops’ Meeting
Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body…
Harry Belafonte, Activist and Entertainer, Dies at 96
Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, has died. He was 96. Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Paula M. Witt, of public…
Why Are Students Choosing Trade Programs Instead of College?
Almost every category of higher education in the U.S. has declining enrollments. But trade programs – short certificates that offer real-world skills like auto repair and industrial automation – are a hit. The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez looks at one program in Tennessee to discover why: students love the flexibility, practicality and high wages. Read…
To Help Students, Some Colleges Provide Double the Teachers
Terrica Purvis squinted through goggles as her hands carefully guided a pipette full of indigo-tinted fluid into clear glass test tubes. It was the last chemistry lab of the winter quarter at Everett Community College. Purvis was working through the steps of what chemistry professor Valerie Mosser jokingly refers to as the “post-apocalypse survival” lab…