Comedian-in-Chief Appears On Seinfeld Web Show

If you think that the most powerful man on earth would have time to tape a 19-minute comedy about nothing, some would say that you are crazy. But, American President Barack Obama did just that. Obama got together recently with Jerry Seinfeld to record an episode of the comedian’s popular web series. “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” is in its seventh season. The show usually features Seinfeld and a guest comedian driving around in a cool car. They go to a coffee shop to drink and talk. Obama may not be a comedian by profession. But Seinfeld explains on the show that the president "has gotten off just enough funny lines to qualify for getting on this show." The two men meet when Seinfeld taps on the window of the Oval Office at the White House where Obama is at his desk working. Seinfeld and Obama go for a ride. Seinfeld has brought a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Obama calls it "a sweet car," that, as a kid, he dreamed of owning someday. Seinfeld drives the president down to the gate of the White House grounds. But the Secret Service tells him, firmly, that he cannot take the president out. So they drive back toward the house. Seinfeld asks Obama what he would like to do that he currently cannot because he is president. Obama says he would like to take a Saturday morning walk where he could run into a friend and have a chat. He says, "Anonymity is not something you think about as being valuable.” Seinfeld disagrees. "With all due respect, I remember very well not being famous. It wasn't that great." Seinfeld notes the love American children have for presidents. Obama agrees, “I do really well with the zero to 8 demographic. Partly ‘cause, I think, my ears are big, and so I look a little like a cartoon character.” The two continue their talk in the White House restaurant where they make a pot of coffee. "How many world leaders, do you think, are completely out of their mind?" Seinfeld asks the president.   Obama answers, "A pretty sizable percent. The longer they stay in office, the more likely that is to happen." The show lasts about 19 minutes. Toward the end, Obama notes that he did not have the chance to discuss his health care plan, the Affordable Care Act. "Usually the only reason I do these things is because I am promoting health care," the president says. Seinfeld looks directly into the camera and says to viewers, “It’s a great thing. Please try Obamacare today.” After the airing of the episode, Seinfeld went on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" to talk about it. Seinfeld said, “the idea that anybody thinks they should be President. You gotta be out of your mind ... You gotta be crazy.” Stephen Colbert, another comedian, replied, “You know what else is crazy? You have a little Internet show. And you drive around and drink coffee and crack jokes. And then you get the Commander-in-Chief to be on the show. What is up with that?” I’m Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you watch funny shows on the web? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   episode – n. a television show, radio show, etc., that is one part of a series comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a way that is funny cool – adj. very fashionable, stylish, or appealing in a way that is generally approved of especially by young people chat – v. to talk with someone in a casual way demographic – n. a group of people that has a particular set of qualities— usually singular out of one’s mind – expression to be mentally unstable

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Shooter of Police Officer Pledged Allegiance to Islamic State

A man shot a police officer in Philadelphia on Thursday and said he did it to support the Islamic State terror group. Officer Jesse Hartnett was hit multiple times after a 30-year-old man fired 13 shots into his vehicle. Hartnett was wounded, but managed to return fire, striking the attacker multiple times. Hartnett is expected to recover. He was shot three times in the arm. The shooter was captured later by other Philadelphia officers. Police released images from a security video showing the shooter taking aim at the police officer who sat in his police car. Police commissioner Richard Ross said “it’s amazing he’s alive.” Police Captain James Clark says after the shooter was captured, he pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror group. Hartnett will require multiple surgeries to repair his gunshot wounds. But Ross says “this could easily have been a police funeral.” I’m Dan Friedell.   VOANews.com wrote this story. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of what happened in Philadelphia? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   allegiance – n. loyalty to a person, country, group, etc. amazing – adj. causing great surprise or wonder : causing amazement pledge – n. a serious promise or agreement surgery – n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts

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Trending Today: A Dramatic Owl Fly-By and a Sad Raccoon

  This is What’s Trending Today… Snowy Owl Fly-By Snowy Owls are native to the Arctic. But in the winter, they head south. Some wind up in southern Canada and the northern United States. For example, two years ago, a snowy owl made news when it was hit by a bus in Washington, D.C. The National Zoo treated the owl to help it heal. It even received some artificial feathers so it could fly again. This week, another snowy owl made headlines because of a unique fly-by in Canada. A traffic camera in Montreal caught some images of a dramatic pass by a snowy owl on Jan. 3. The transport minister of Quebec tweeted about the owl on Thursday and then released a video of the fly-by later in the day. Take a look for yourself. The female owl swoops by, looking directly into the camera lens. The CBC posted the video on its Facebook page. It has been seen almost 4 million times in less than a day. A bird expert from McGill University in Montreal tells the CBC a snowy owl sighting is rare, even though it is the official bird of Quebec. A Mystery for a Raccoon Earlier this week there was a lot of sympathy for a raccoon in Japan that tried to eat some cotton candy. A video showed the raccoon with a block of sweet, white cotton candy. But the raccoon dipped the candy into a pool of water and it dissolved. The raccoon lost its treat! Lots of people on Twitter and Facebook posted about how sad they were for this raccoon. But then, more video came out later in the week showing that the raccoon was part of a Japanese television show that demonstrated how raccoons like to put their food in water before they eat it. The longer video showed the raccoon trying to wash its cotton candy block twice, and it dissolving twice. But then the raccoon learned about how cotton candy worked. And it kept the treat out of the water this time. The raccoon was happy, and people on social media were relieved. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.   Have you ever seen a snowy owl or another rare bird? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dissolve – v. to mix with a liquid and become part of the liquid lens – n. a clear curved piece of glass or plastic that is used in eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, etc., to make things look clearer, smaller, or bigger swoop – v. to fly down through the air suddenly

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'The Last Leaf,' by O. Henry

  Our story today is called "The Last Leaf." It was written by O. Henry. Here is Barbara Klein with the story. Many artists lived in the Greenwich Village area of New York. Two young women named Sue and Johnsy shared a studio apartment at the top of a three-story building. Johnsy's real name was Joanna. In November, a cold, unseen stranger came to visit the city. This disease, pneumonia, killed many people. Johnsy lay on her bed, hardly moving. She looked through the small window. She could see the side of the brick house next to her building. One morning, a doctor examined Johnsy and took her temperature. Then he spoke with Sue in another room. "She has one chance in -- let us say ten," he said. "And that chance is for her to want to live. Your friend has made up her mind that she is not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind?" "She -- she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples in Italy some day," said Sue. "Paint?" said the doctor. "Bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking twice -- a man for example?" "A man?" said Sue. "Is a man worth -- but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind." "I will do all that science can do," said the doctor. "But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages at her funeral, I take away fifty percent from the curative power of medicines." After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she went to Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime. Johnsy lay with her face toward the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep. She began making a pen and ink drawing for a story in a magazine. Young artists must work their way to "Art" by making pictures for magazine stories. Sue heard a low sound, several times repeated. She went quickly to the bedside. Johnsy's eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting -- counting backward. "Twelve," she said, and a little later "eleven"; and then "ten" and "nine;" and then "eight" and "seven," almost together. Sue looked out the window. What was there to count? There was only an empty yard and the blank side of the house seven meters away. An old ivy vine, going bad at the roots, climbed half way up the wall. The cold breath of autumn had stricken leaves from the plant until its branches, almost bare, hung on the bricks. "What is it, dear?" asked Sue. "Six," said Johnsy, quietly. "They're falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head hurt to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now." "Five what, dear?" asked Sue. "Leaves. On the plant. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?" "Oh, I never heard of such a thing," said Sue. "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine. Don't be silly. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were -- let's see exactly what he said – he said the chances were ten to one! Try to eat some soup now. And, let me go back to my drawing, so I can sell it to the magazine and buy food and wine for us." "You needn't get any more wine," said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window. "There goes another one. No, I don't want any soup. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too." "Johnsy, dear," said Sue, "will you promise me to keep your eyes closed, and not look out the window until I am done working? I must hand those drawings in by tomorrow." "Tell me as soon as you have finished," said Johnsy, closing her eyes and lying white and still as a fallen statue. "I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking. I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves." "Try to sleep," said Sue. "I must call Mister Behrman up to be my model for my drawing of an old miner. Don't try to move until I come back." Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor of the apartment building. Behrman was a failure in art. For years, he had always been planning to paint a work of art, but had never yet begun it. He earned a little money by serving as a model to artists who could not pay for a professional model. He was a fierce, little, old man who protected the two young women in the studio apartment above him. Sue found Behrman in his room. In one area was a blank canvas that had been waiting twenty-five years for the first line of paint. Sue told him about Johnsy and how she feared that her friend would float away like a leaf. Old Behrman was angered at such an idea. "Are there people in the world with the foolishness to die because leaves drop off a vine? Why do you let that silly business come in her brain?" "She is very sick and weak," said Sue, "and the disease has left her mind full of strange ideas." "This is not any place in which one so good as Miss Johnsy shall lie sick," yelled Behrman. "Some day I will paint a masterpiece, and we shall all go away." Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the shade down to cover the window. She and Behrman went into the other room. They looked out a window fearfully at the ivy vine. Then they looked at each other without speaking. A cold rain was falling, mixed with snow. Behrman sat and posed as the miner. The next morning, Sue awoke after an hour's sleep. She found Johnsy with wide-open eyes staring at the covered window. "Pull up the shade; I want to see," she ordered, quietly. Sue obeyed. After the beating rain and fierce wind that blew through the night, there yet stood against the wall one ivy leaf. It was the last one on the vine. It was still dark green at the center. But its edges were colored with the yellow. It hung bravely from the branch about seven meters above the ground. "It is the last one," said Johnsy. "I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will fall today and I shall die at the same time." "Dear, dear!" said Sue, leaning her worn face down toward the bed. "Think of me, if you won't think of yourself. What would I do?" But Johnsy did not answer. The next morning, when it was light, Johnsy demanded that the window shade be raised. The ivy leaf was still there. Johnsy lay for a long time, looking at it. And then she called to Sue, who was preparing chicken soup. "I've been a bad girl," said Johnsy. "Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how bad I was. It is wrong to want to die. You may bring me a little soup now." An hour later she said: "Someday I hope to paint the Bay of Naples." Later in the day, the doctor came, and Sue talked to him in the hallway. "Even chances," said the doctor. "With good care, you'll win. And now I must see another case I have in your building. Behrman, his name is -- some kind of an artist, I believe. Pneumonia, too. He is an old, weak man and his case is severe. There is no hope for him; but he goes to the hospital today to ease his pain." The next day, the doctor said to Sue: "She's out of danger. You won. Nutrition and care now -- that's all." Later that day, Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, and put one arm around her. "I have something to tell you, white mouse," she said. "Mister Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital. He was sick only two days.  They found him the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were completely wet and icy cold. They could not imagine where he had been on such a terrible night. And then they found a lantern, still lighted. And they found a ladder that had been moved from its place. And art supplies and a painting board with green and yellow colors mixed on it. And look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the wall. Didn't you wonder why it never moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it is Behrman's masterpiece – he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell." ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   apartment – n. a usually rented room or set of rooms that is part of a building and is used as a place to live pneumonia – n. a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe carriage – n. a large vehicle with four wheels that is pulled by a horse and that carries people drawing – n. a picture, image, etc., that is made by making lines on a surface with a pencil, pen, marker, chalk, but usually not with paint leaf – n. one of the flat and typically green parts of a plant that grow from a stem or twig ladder – n. a device used for climbing that has two long pieces of wood, metal, or rope with a series of steps or rungs between them ​

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January 8, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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English @ the Movies: 'Scaredy-cat'

Have you heard the phrase, "scaredy-cat?" It is today's English @ the Movies phrase from the movie "Goosebumps." If you are scared, you are frightened. Do you think scaredy-cat is about cats, or people? Watch, listen, and find out.

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China Facing Weakness in Currency, Falling Stock Values

China stopped trading on its stock market Thursday for the second time this week. Stock shares fell seven percent in value before trading was halted. The China Securities Regulatory Commission used its “circuit-breaker” system to keep share prices from falling even further. The value of country’s currency, the yuan, fell after the People’s Bank of China pushed down its guidance rate one half of one percent. It is now 6.56 yuan for one U.S. dollar, the lowest level in almost five years. Observers say the situation in both the stock and money markets could worsen in the coming days. On Thursday, the Chinese stock market fell five percent shortly after opening, and then another two percent in just one minute after the time-out. Some investors are blaming the commission for developing the circuit-breaker rules. The measures force the stock exchange to halt trading for 15 minutes if share prices fall five percent. The exchange is forced to close for the day if prices drop seven percent or more. Chinese officials enacted the rule to cool the market, but it ended up causing concern among investors, says Johnny Fang. He works for Z-Ben Advisors, a financial advisory service. “The effect on the market is opposite of what was expected. Investors regard the circuit breaker as an accelerator for the bear market,” he added. This also affected stock markets around the world. The leading measure of American stocks fell more than two percent Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down nearly 400 points. Investors are worried about China’s economy and falling world oil prices. Late Thursday, China’s regulators met to decide whether they should use the circuit breaker on Friday or not. They decided against using the system. A spokesman for the regulatory commission said “the negative effect of the mechanism outweighed its positive effect.” The Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges will not use the circuit breaker on Friday. I’m Dan Friedell.   Saibal Dasgupta wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Additional information came from Agence France Press, The Guardian and Bloomberg. George Grow was the editor.   Are you worried about China’s economy? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   accelerator – n. a pedal in a vehicle that is pressed down to make the vehicle go faster commission – n. a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something circuit-breaker– n. a switch that automatically stops the flow of electricity to a place or device if the current becomes too strong or another dangerous problem occurs regulate – v. to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of (something)

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VOA English Newscast: 2100 UTC January 7, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA News.       I’m Dave DeForest reporting. French police shoot and kill a man trying to attack a police station. French officials say the man was carrying a knife and appeared to be wearing an explosives vest, although it was later found out to be a fake. The incident occurred on the first anniversary of the terrorist assault on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine. Officials also say the man was thought to have shouted "Allahu Akbar" before police shot him to death. He has not yet been identified. Witnesses in Yemen discount Iranian claims that Saudi Arabia staged an overnight airstrike against the Iranian embassy in Sana'a. Iran accused Saudi Arabia of deliberately hitting the outpost. But people in Sana'a say there is no visible damage to the building. They say some stones and shrapnel apparently landed in the embassy's yard after a Saudi airstrike about 700 meters from the embassy. Also Thursday, Iran's cabinet banned the import of all products from Saudi Arabia. Iran also adopted a ban on Iranians traveling to Mecca. Bahrain says it arrested members of a terrorist cell plotting to set off explosions across the country. The government described the cell as an armed wing of the Shi'ite fringe opposition group Al Wafab, which Bahrain says has ties to Iran and Hezbollah. The arrests come amid ongoing protests in Bahrain and across the region over Saudi Arabia's execution Friday of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. According to officials and local news reports, a truck bombing in western Libya has killed at least 50 people and wounded dozens more.  The attack came at a police training center. The bomb exploded as hundreds of recruits gathered at the facility in the town of Zliten. This is VOA News. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   vest – n. a piece of clothing that covers the upper part of the body fake – n. something that is not real or true; a copy of something assault – n. an attack discount– v. to dismiss; to reduce the cost of something staged – v. to carry out deliberately – adj. doing something on purpose outpost – n. an office or station set up far from a capital or headquarters visible – adj. of or relating to something that can be seen shrapnel – n. pieces of a bomb, shell or other object thrown out by an explosion yard – n. grounds cell – n. the smallest part of something wing – n. a part of an organization fringe – adj. of or related to the edge of something amid – prep. in or into the middle of something ongoing – adj. continuing prominent – adj. leading cleric – n. clergyman dozens – n. a group of 12 people or things; a larger number of something recruits – n. new members facility – n. something that is built for a special purpose   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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January 7, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Trending Today: #NetflixEverywhere

  This is What's Trending Today.... Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced this week that the streaming platform is expanding its services to 130 more countries. Before the expansion, the streaming service operated in 60 countries worldwide. As a result of the announcement, the hashtag #NetflixEverywhere trended on Twitter worldwide, as well as in many of Netflix’s new countries and markets.   Many joked that the time they used to spend working will now be spent watching television shows and movies on Netflix. A Twitter user in the Philippines tweeted: “Goodbye Productivity and Social Life.” And a Twitter user in the United Arab Emirates wrote, “in the #UAE the roads are [going to] be a lot quieter this weekend #onemonthfree.” Netflix is offering one free month of service for new users around the world. A Twitter user in India tweeted two photos that compared the number of Indians using Netflix during the free month versus when the free trial ends. ​New Netflix markets include India, Vietnam, Turkey, Nigeria, South Korea, Russia, Azerbaijan, Singapore and many more. The company also announced this week it has added Arabic, Korean and Chinese to its language choices. Netflix is now in almost every country on earth. But it remains unavailable in the most populous country, China. And that’s What’s Trending Today.  I'm Ashley Thompson.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   productivity - n. the rate at which work is completed​ trial - n. a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something​

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Truck Bomb in Western Libya Kills at Least 50

Reports from Libya say a truck bombing has killed at least 50 people at a police training center. Many others were reported wounded. The bomb exploded Thursday in the western Libyan town of Zliten, as hundreds of new police officers gathered for training at the center. The town sits on the Mediterranean Sea, about 160 kilometers east of Tripoli. Reports conflict on the number of dead. But a witness at a hospital told the Reuters news service that 65 people had died.  The head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya said on social media that the bombing was "a suicide attack." The Wall Street Journal reported a law enforcement witness said a truck crashed through the security gate at the training center. The newspaper reported that the truck exploded around a large crowd of officers and new recruits. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and killed. The country is split between the Islamist administration that seized Tripoli and the internationally recognized parliament that fled to Tobruk. The Islamic State is also attempting to gain more influence in the country, according to numerous media reports. I’m Ashley Thompson. This report was based on information from VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mission – n. a task considered to be very important duty chaos – n. complete confusion and disorder

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