News America

Thursday, March 17, 2016

VOA English Newscast: 1400 UTC March 17, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. The number of people killed in airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition on a market in northern Yemen’s Hajja province Tuesday has risen to 119, according to a U.N. agency. The strikes saw 119 killed, including up to 22 children, and 47 injured, according to the UNICEF children agency in a statement. Meanwhile, local health officials had previously reported 41 people killed. EU leaders are expected to seal a final deal with Turkey on migrants at a two-day summit in Brussels Thursday and Friday. On the agenda is a controversial plan to send tens of thousands of migrants back to Turkey to relieve the strain on resources of countries on the eastern edge of the European Union. For every undocumented migrant that Turkey accepts, the EU says it will accept one Syrian refugee from Turkey. The EU says it will take up to a total of about 70,000 refugees, who will be resettled in Europe in a process overseen by the United Nations refugee agency. Two Palestinians stabbed an Israeli soldier near a group of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank Thursday before being shot dead. That is according to the army. The incident occurred at the Ariel junction in the West Bank. The female soldier was being taken to hospital, while the two assailants were shot by forces at the scene. South Africa's sports minister has denied Thursday that bribes were paid to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup. It comes as FIFA seeks to claw back money from officials facing graft charges in the United States. Football's world governing body this week issued a wide-ranging acknowledgement of what it called "brazen corruption." VOA News. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast province – n. a large area that some countries are divided into according– adv. as stated by or in; in keeping with meanwhile – adv. at or during the same time previously – adv. something done at an earlier time migrants – n. people who go from one place to another, especially to find work summit – n. a conference or meeting of leaders agenda – n. a list of things to be done or considered controversial – adj. relating to or causing a lot of discussion or disagreement relieve – v. reduce strain – n. pressure resources – n. a supply of something; a thing or place that process useful resettled – v. setting or causing to settle in a different place overseen – v. watched and/or directed occurred – v. happened; took place junction – n. a place where two things join assailants – n. attackers scene – n. the place or an event or action bribes – n. something valuable that is given in order to get someone to do something host – v. hold claw back – v. to recover something graft – adj. of or relating to corruption wide-ranging – adj. an covering a wide area acknowledgement – n. something done or given in recognition of something received brazen – adj. done in an open and shocking way We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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News Words: Drought

Extreme weather conditions affect many people all over the world. Watch this week's news word to find out what drought means.

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N Korea Gives US Student 15 Years Hard Labor

North Korea has sentenced an American college student to 15 years hard labor for trying to steal a political banner. Otto Warmbier of Ohio was arrested in January at the airport as he was leaving the country after a budget youth tour. Last month, the 21-year-old student at the University of Virginia appeared before journalists in Pyongyang. He admitted to removing a political banner from the hotel where the tour group was staying. The North Korean court convicted Warmbier of a crime "to impair the unity of (North Korean) people after entering it as a tourist." He received the sentence in a one-hour trial. Statements of Westerners arrested by North Korea are widely considered to be false. When released, detainees usually say their confessions were made at the urging of North Korean officials. During Warmbier’s confession, he said the mother of a friend offered him a used car worth $10,000 in exchange for the banner. She wanted to display it as a "trophy" in her church. The woman said if he was caught, Warmbier's mother would get $200,000, he said. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story detainees -- n. people who are held against their will confession -- n. statements made to be responsible for an act

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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

The Grand Canyon: Beyond Words

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year, the U.S. National Park Service turns 100. American’s 28th President, Woodrow Wilson, formed the National Park Service in 1916 to “protect the wild and wonderful landscapes” in the United States. President Ulysses Grant established Yellowstone National Park as the country’s first national park in 1872. Today, the National Park Service protects over 400 parks and historical sites from coast to coast. Every week, VOA Learning English will profile one of the sites within the National Park Service. Our National Parks journey continues this week in one of the most popular and beautiful places in America: Grand Canyon National Park in the state of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and one of the largest canyons on Earth. It stretches for 450 kilometers. Parts of the canyon are more than 30 kilometers wide and one kilometer deep. Many writers have tried to describe the wonder of the Grand Canyon. They use words like mysterious, overpowering, and strange. But it is not possible to put human meaning to such a place. The Grand Canyon truly is beyond words. "Is this your first time at the Grand Canyon?" “Yes...." And what do you think (of the Grand Canyon)? Do you have a few words to describe it?” “Beautiful. Amazing." "What do you think of the Grand Canyon?" "Very huge. Very colorful.” "Do you have some words to describe what you are seeing?" “Magic. It’s so magic(al) when I see it at first look.” A look back in time The canyons of America’s Southwest are deep, ancient openings in the Earth. They look as if they formed as the earth split apart. In reality, rivers formed these canyons. Forty million years ago, the Colorado River began cutting through the area around the present-day Grand Canyon. The river carried dirt and pieces of stone that slowly ate away at the surrounding rock. It left a pathway of enormous rock openings. At the same time, forces deep within the Earth pushed up the surrounding land. Rain, snow, ice, wind and plant roots rubbed away at the top of this new canyon. Below, the river continued to uncover more and more levels of ancient rock. Some of the exposed rocks along the Grand Canyon’s walls are nearly 2 billion years old. They are among the oldest rocks on earth, with many levels of granite, schist, limestone and sandstone. Environment The Grand Canyon measures 2,500 meters from the canyon floor to its highest point. Because of its size, the weather at the top of the canyon is often much different from the bottom. On some winter days, for example, you may find cold winds and snow at the top. But at the bottom of the canyon, you may find warm winds and flowers. The Grand Canyon is home to some 2,000 plant species. Some of these species can only be found in the park. The Grand Canyon was named a Globally Important Bird Area in 2014 because of the role it plays in protecting many species of birds. Humans in the Grand Canyon Native American occupied the Grand Canyon 3,000 years ago. Bones, hair, feathers and the remains of plants have been found in deep, dry caves high in the rock walls. The Hopi, the Paiute, the Navajo and other Native American tribes have all been in the area for at least 700 years. In 1869, American John Wesley Powell explored the Grand Canyon. He recorded much of what we know today about the area. Powell and his group traveled in four boats along the Colorado River. He and his group of explorers knew very little about getting over the fast, rocky waters of the Colorado River. In many places, boast could be turned over by giant waves. Soon after they started their journey, Powell’s group lost some of its food and equipment. Three members decided to leave the group. As they walked up and out of the Grand Canyon, they were killed by Native Americans. The rest of Powell's group survived the journey. Starved and tired, Powell and his group reached the end of the canyon. They had traveled by boat down the Colorado for more than three months. John Wesley Powell’s reports and maps from the trip greatly increased interest in the Grand Canyon. But visitors did not begin to go there in large numbers until 1901. That year, a railway was built that reached the area. Visiting the Grand Canyon Five million people visit the Grand Canyon National Park every year. The first sight of the canyon can leave visitors speechless. Depending on the time of day, the sun lights up the rock walls in red, orange, and golden colors. The bright colors are the result of minerals in the rock. Their appearance changes endlessly -- with the light, the time of year, and the weather. At sunset, the canyon walls display fiery red and gold hues. Then they take on softer colors of blue, purple, and green. Most visitors walk along paths partway down the canyon. It takes several hours to walk to the bottom, and even longer to climb back up. Some visitors choose to ride mules to the bottom of the canyon. Mules are strong, sturdy animals that look similar to horses. Visitors can also explore the Grand Canyon in other ways. Hundreds of thousands of people see the canyon by air each year. They pay a helicopter or an airplane pilot to fly them above and around the canyon. Thousands of people every year choose to explore the Grand Canyon by boat from the Colorado River. These trips last one to three weeks. Most people who come to the Grand Canyon National Park visit an area known as the “South Rim.” That area has shuttle buses that take visitors to overlooks. Fewer people see the canyon from the “North Rim.” The North Rim is less than 20 kilometers across the canyon from the South Rim, but visitors must drive more than 350 kilometers by car from the South Rim to access the North Rim. Visitors can also see the Grand Canyon from a huge glass walkway called the Skywalk. The Skywalk is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in the western part of the canyon. The Hualapai Indians built it to increase tourism at the reservation. It opened in 2007. The Skywalk extends more than 20 meters from the canyon’s rim. It is suspended more than 1,200 meters above the bottom of the canyon, and is shaped like a giant horseshoe. Many call the skywalk an engineering wonder. But others have criticized the skywalk and its development. They say it reduces the enjoyment of nature in the Grand Canyon. For visitors hoping to get a view of the entire Grand Canyon, they will have to travel well beyond the state of Arizona. The only place to see the entire canyon at once is from outer space. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Jonathan Evans. Ashley Thompson wrote this report, with materials from VOA Learning English archive and the National Parks Service. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story enormous - adj. very great in size or amount speechless - adj. unable to speak because of anger, surprise, etc minerals - n. a substance (such as quartz, coal, petroleum, salt, etc.) that is naturally formed under the ground helicopter - n. an aircraft that can stay in the air without moving forward and that has metal blades that turn around on its top access - v. to be able to use, enter, or get near (something)

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March 16, 2016

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

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Brazilians Demand President's Ouster

Brazilian police said 3 million people protested Sunday, asking for the removal of President Dilma Rousseff. Brazil newspapers said the protests were the largest political demonstrations in the country's history. The protest took place in 200 cities and towns. The protesters asked lawmakers to impeach the unpopular president. Rousseff’s political party faces a corruption scandal while the country is in its worst recession in 25 years. Sergio Praca is a political analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. He said the nationwide protests "were very powerful" and were "the worst scenario possible for the government." Officials are investigating Rousseff and her Workers' Party for their role in the corruption scandal at state oil company, Petrobras. Prosecutors said more than $2 billion was paid in bribes and other funds by construction and engineering firms in exchange for inflated Petrobras contracts. Dozens of former Petrobras executives and political figures, including Rousseff's mentor, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are under investigation. Some of the alleged corruption took place while Rousseff was chairman of the Petrobras board. Rousseff, whose term ends in 2018, said she will not quit. But the president and her Workers’ Party are facing a new threat. On Saturday, Rousseff’s main governing partner, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, said it is reviewing its alliance with the Workers' Party. Hai Do adapted this story from VOA News with additional materials from Reuters and the Associated Press. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story impeach - v. to charge a public official with a crime while in office scenario - n. a description of what could possibly happen role - n. a part that someone or something has in an activity or situation bribe - n. when something of value is given in order to get someone to do something mentor - n. someone who teaches or gives advice to a less experienced and often younger person quit - v. resign; to stop working or stop doing

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After Big Wins, Clinton Looks Ahead

Hillary Clinton moved closer to the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination after winning primaries in four states Tuesday. The former secretary of state easily defeated Senator Bernie Sanders in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio. After a surprise victory in Michigan last week, Sanders spent more time and resources to compete in Ohio and Illinois. The one remaining contest on Tuesday, in the state of Missouri, is too close to call. In her victory speech in Florida, Clinton said she was “moving closer to securing the Democratic nomination and winning this election in November.” She aimed her speech at Republican front-runner Donald Trump. “When we hear a candidate for president call for rounding up 12 million immigrants, banning all Muslims from entering the United States, when he embraces torture, that doesn’t make him strong – it makes him wrong.” The Clinton campaign also Tuesday released a Spanish-language ad in Arizona. The ad focuses on Trump and not on Sanders, Clinton's Democratic opponent. Michael Martinez is a political science professor at the University of Florida. He said Clinton’s victories on Tuesday night were close to knocking Sanders out of the race. With the latest victories, the Associated Press said Clinton has 1,599 delegates. She will only need another 784 delegates to win the nomination. I'm George Grow. Hai Do adapted this story from VOANews.com. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page.

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In America, ‘Everyone’ Is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday, but some Americans started celebrating two weeks ago. The city of Alexandria, Virginia, held its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 5. So did three cities in New Jersey. The holiday is a big deal in America and not only for the 33.1 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry. Many non-Irish Americans will join Irish friends in wearing green clothes on Thursday. Many will lift a mug of Guinness, the famous Irish beer. At a Washington, D.C., luncheon this week, President Barack Obama made a note of how big St. Patrick’s Day has become. “Now, it’s true that it’s not technically St. Patrick’s Day, but that's OK,” Obama said. “Most folks who celebrate it aren’t Irish either.” The holiday honors Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick lived in the 5th century. He was taken by pirates and kept as a slave in Ireland. After he escaped, he trained as a priest before returning to Ireland. “Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years,” wrote Catholic Online. “He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering, he died March 17, 461.” Diarmuid Ó Giolláin is a professor of Irish Language and Literature at Notre Dame University in Indiana. He told VOA that St. Patrick’s Day appeals to many nationalities because it is linked to immigrants, or outsiders. “The Irish came in large numbers, and were Catholics seen as outside the majority Protestant population,” Ó Giolláin said. “I think they found this space of parading their ethnicity and their identity, and this probably made the holiday attractive to all immigrants,” he said. The Irish are known as great storytellers. It is the home of many wonderful writers, including James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. And at the St. Patrick’s Day lunch Tuesday, U.S. politicians tried their best to tell a few stories of their own. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin talked to Ireland’s Acting President Enda Kenny about a recent family trip to Ireland. Kenny attended Tuesday’s luncheon, as have many Irish presidents over the years. “While we were there, we walked through a graveyard where our ancestors were buried,” Ryan said of his Ireland trip. “And as we were walking, we came across a headstone with this inscription: ‘Here lies a politician and an honest man.’” “And my son said, ‘Wow, I wonder how they got the two of them in one grave.’” Many Americans will observe St. Patrick’s Day with big parades. The largest is in New York City on Thursday, where crowds in the millions are not unusual. And don’t forget about Ireland. The capital city of Dublin will also have a big parade on Thursday. The theme is, “Imagine If …” Parade officials say it centers on the imagination of Ireland’s youth as they look to the next 100 years. I'm Anna Matteo. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us and share your plans for St. Patrick’s Day in the Comments Section or on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story mug – n. a large drinking cup with a handle patron saint – n. a saint who is believed to protect a particular place or type of person miracle – n. an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God. confession – n. a written or spoken statement in which you say that you have done something wrong endure – v. experience pain or suffering for a long time graveyard – n. a place where dead people are buried. headstone – n. a stone that marks the place where a dead person is buried inscription – n. words that are written on or cut into a surface

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Firm Fined $10 Million For Belly Fat Fraud

A California company paid a $10 million fine for Internet ads about “miracle” weight loss products. A miracle, it wasn’t. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (or FTC) said the company’s products, including green coffee, did not lead, as claimed, to a “tiny belly.” Also false were the emails that linked to phony news stories about the products, the FTC said. One of the stories reported, “Oprah says it’s excellent,” the FTC said. The idea was to make people believe Oprah Winfrey was a fan of the weight loss products, the FTC said. Another story carried this headline: “Special Report: Lose 23 pounds of Belly Fat in 1 Month.” Last month, the company, Sales Slash of California, agreed to pay a $10 million fine. Most of the money will go to people who bought the company’s weight loss products, the FTC said. In 2015, the FTC said it received 3.1 million consumer complaints. Getting the most complaints were debt collectors, the FTC said. Some complained of callers claiming to be from a government agency and threatening jail for anyone who did not pay up immediately, the FTC said. Some tried to collect money from people who did not owe any money, the FTC said. Second on the FTC complaint list fell under “identity theft.” That is when someone claims to be someone he or she isn’t. Here is how it works: People gain a person’s personal information. They use that information – like a credit card number -- to buy products in the victim’s name. They also use the information to empty the victim’s bank account, the FTC said. Other times, people file fake tax returns in their victim’s name. They then have tax refunds sent to their bank accounts. “We recognize that identity theft and unlawful debt collection practices continue to cause significant harm to many consumers,” said Jessica Rich. She is director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. As for the “miracle” weight loss products, the FTC said marketers for Sales Slash used identity fraud to convince people their products were real. They did that by sending out emails that appeared to come from friends and family of the email recipients. The messages urge the recipients to click links to online articles about the diet products. “These fake news websites appear to be objective news reports about defendants’ weight loss products,” the FTC said in its complaint. “In fact, they are paid advertisements that advance false weight loss claims.” As usual the FTC has this advice: If an offer or product seems too good to be true, it probably is not worth your time or money. And the FTC urges people to be careful about giving out personal information. “Don’t give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you’ve made the call to a company you know to be reputable,” the FTC said. “If you’ve never done business with them before, do an online search first for reviews or complaints.” I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story miracle – n. a very amazing or unusual result tiny – adj. very small belly – n. another word for stomach phony – adj. not true, real, or genuine -- intended to make someone think something that is not true headline – n. the title of a newspaper, magazine or internet story consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services complaint – n. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something theft – n. the act or crime of stealing significant – adj. large enough to be noticed or have an effect reputable – adj. respected

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Firm Fined $10 Million For Belly Fat Fraud

Obama Names Garland to Supreme Court

[This is a breaking news story. The audio will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience.] President Barack Obama has nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Garland, 63, is viewed as a moderate, based on his 19 years on the Washington, D.C. appeals court. He is now the court's chief judge. He won Senate confirmation in 1997 by a 76-23 vote. He had been nominated by former Democratic President Bill Clinton. Garland worked for many years as a federal prosecutor. He led the team that prosecuted the Oklahoma City bombing in which 168 were killed and more than 680 were injured. He also prosecuted American terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, known as the “Unabomber.” The other finalists were Sri Srinivasan, 47, an appellate court judge, who would have been the first Indian-American Supreme Court judge, and Paul Watford. Wadford is a California federal judge and would have been the Supreme Court's second African-American judge. The Supreme Court has a vacancy because of the death last month of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Court decisions will be made by eight members until a ninth is confirmed. The stakes could not be higher. The court is divided between conservative and liberal justices. The newly appointed justice could change the direction of the Supreme Court for years. The White House said that Garland has had Republican support in the past, and should again. But past support from Republicans might not matter now. Senate Republican leaders say they will not consider any Obama nomination. They say they want the next president to choose the Supreme Court nominee. They hope voters in November will elect a Republican president, who would name a conservative to the court. On Monday, the Republican National Committee, or RNC, announced it will start running TV advertisements to oppose any Obama nominee. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said Republicans plan to “make sure Democrats have to answer to the American people for why they don’t want voters to have a say in the process.” Democrats said a president has a responsibility to fill a vacancy in America’s most important court. It does not matter, they say, whether the opening occurs in a president’s first year in office or his last. The White House said Monday that its supporters would start a campaign to pressure the Senate to vote on the president’s nominee. Obama told CNN he was choosing a “consensus candidate” to replace Scalia. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said Senate Republicans would pay a political price if they do not consider the president’s nominee. “To say that there will be no hearing, no vote, no consideration whatsoever even before a nominee is named to a vacancy, that is not doing your job; that is quitting before you start,” he said. Some have called on Obama to name a woman to the Supreme Court. There are three women justices now on the High Court. Obama appointed two of them -- Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Terry O’Neill, an attorney and president of the National Organization for Women, said the president should nominate a “well-qualified person” who is “dedicated to human and civil rights.” A woman, she said, particularly an African-American woman, would bring more balance to the Supreme Court. “Life experience matters,” O’Neill told VOA. “If you understand in your gut what it means to wake up afraid about a missed period, it clues you in to the extraordinary damage of Texas’ shutdown law for abortion providers.” O’Neill was referring to a case just argued in the Supreme Court over a state abortion law in Texas. The law requires abortion facilities to meet tough new standards. Abortion providers say the standards are not needed and will shut down most health centers that perform abortions. Supporters say the new law protects the health of women. The High Court is said to be divided 4-4 on how to rule on that case. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story notable – n. unusual and worth noticing vacancy – n. an opening consensus – n. a general agreement about something whatsoever – adj. of any kind or amount at all quit – v. to leave a job or to give up momentous – adj. very important checkered – adj. many problems of failures balance -- adj. having more equal representation period – n. referring to woman’s 'menstrual cycle extraordinary – adj. very unusual

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