September 14, 2016

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

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New Rockets Announced in Private Space Race

  Businessman Jeff Bezos has announced two new rocket designs to launch satellites and people into space. Most people know Bezos as the founder and chief executive officer of online seller Amazon. However, the rocket designs come from his private space company, Blue Origin. The two reusable rockets are called New Glenn. The name refers to astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, in 1962.   The New Glenn two-stage rocket stands 82 meters high and is designed to reach low-Earth orbit. A three-stage version, measuring 95 meters, is meant to travel beyond Earth’s orbit.   The first stage of both rockets will be powered by seven engines, using liquid natural gas and liquid oxygen as fuel. The new designs are based on Blue Origin’s smaller New Shepard rocket, which has successfully launched four times. Bezos said the new rockets should be ready for flight “before the end of this decade.” They will take off from the historic Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.  “Our vision is millions of people living and working in space, and New Glenn is a very important step,” Bezos said in an email announcing his plans. Bezos has said Blue Origin plans to launch satellites into orbit for companies at a lower cost. It also plans to transport tourists into space. The company’s business model depends on the ability to reuse parts of the rockets over and over again. Other private space companies are based on the same model. One of Blue Origin’s main competitors is SpaceX, owned by businessman and investor Elon Musk. Musk also operates electric car company Tesla Motors. So far, SpaceX has successfully launched and landed rockets six times. Two of the rockets landed on the ground and four touched down on a platform floating in the sea. SpaceX recently planned another launch. But its Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a pre-launch test two days before liftoff on September 1. The cause of the explosion is being investigated. The accident at Cape Canaveral destroyed the rocket and a communications satellite that was built for Facebook. The social media network planned to use the satellite to provide high-speed internet service to parts of Africa. Bezos noted that Blue Origin places high importance on not moving too quickly with development.  “We believe slow is smooth and smooth is fast,” he said. “In the long run, deliberate and methodical wins the day, and you do things quickest by never skipping steps.” Bezos said the company would not stop at New Glenn and hinted at plans for an even bigger rocket. “Up next on our drawing board: New Armstrong,” he said. “But that's a story for the future.” That rocket would be named after astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon, in 1969. I’m Mario Ritter. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   deliberate – adj. done intentionally or planned methodical – adj. done with care, in an organized way hint – v. to say or give information about something in an indirect way

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Muslim-Americans Turning to the Democratic Party

  Muslim voters in the United States are increasingly moving toward the Democratic Party. They are expected to vote in record numbers for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election in November. Muslim-Americans were once seen as supporters of the Republican Party. In fact, a large majority of them voted for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. But opinion surveys show they are more likely to support Clinton than Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, in the November vote. And some critics say the Republican Party has lost a chance to keep an increasingly influential group of voters. Public opinion surveys completed after the 2000 election found that more than 70 percent of Muslim-American voters supported George W. Bush. Most of the 50,000 Muslim voters in the state of Florida marked their ballots for the then Texas governor. Experts note that Bush won the presidency only because he won in Florida. He captured the state after receiving 537 more votes than his leading opponent, Al Gore. Muslim-Americans and many conservatives believed that Bush’s victory in Florida showed the growing influence of Muslim voters. And they said it showed that Republicans and Muslims shared many of the same values and beliefs.   'Social and economic conservatives' Suhail Khan is a well-known Muslim-American and a Republican. He once served as a board member of the American Conservative Union. In the magazine Foreign Policy, he noted that most Muslim-Americans are “both socially- and economically-conservative” like many Republicans. Many Muslim-Americans and Republicans do share conservative values like supporting strong families and traditional marriage. They also oppose legalization of operations for ending pregnancies. Khan noted that about one-fourth of Muslim-Americans own small businesses. He said they support Republican efforts to lower taxes. But some observers believe there is another reason so many Muslim-Americans voted for George W. Bush in 2000. John Esposito is a professor at Georgetown University and wrote a book called The Future of Islam.    He says Muslim-Americans may have thought that Bush would have ideas similar to those of his father, former President George H.W. Bush. They liked the former president’s way of dealing with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. But Muslim-Americans soon had different ideas about George W. Bush. In the 2004 election, more than 90 percent of them supported his opponent, Senator John Kerry. Four years later, 89 percent of Muslim-Americans voted for Democrat Barack Obama. In 2012, he won 85 percent of the Muslim-American vote, according to several estimates.  Islamophobia prompted a switch So why did so many Muslims stop voting for Republican candidates after the 2000 election? The most common answer given by Muslim activists is that there was a rise in Islamophobia -- a fear or distrust of Muslims. Many Muslim-Americans also came to believe that U.S. foreign policy harmed Muslims around the world. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush stated that the United States was not at war with Islam. But since then, Republican policies and comments have persuaded many Muslims that the party is home to many Americans who do not like them. Robert McCaw is with the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He says “sadly, the Republican Party over the past 15 years has become the political epicenter of Islamophobia, introducing anti-Muslim policy proposals or anti-foreigner laws in at least 10 state legislatures. This has really driven the Muslim vote out of the Republican Party.” But Islamophobia and foreign policy alone do not explain why Muslim-Americans have turned toward the Democratic Party. Georgetown’s John Esposito says another reason might be the Republican position on immigration. He notes that most Muslim-Americans are immigrants. The Democratic Party has been largely pro-immigration and supports social welfare policies designed to help immigrants. Esposito says the Republican Party is seen as supporting anti-immigrant policies. The United States is home to about 3.5 million Muslims. About one-third of them are African-Americans, who have long supported Democrats. But most Muslims in the U.S. are immigrants. They have come from many countries, and most of them are conservative. But surveys show that the children and grandchildren of Muslim immigrants are less conservative than their parents. Many second- and third-generation Muslims support Democrats and hold beliefs that are different from those of the Republican leadership. Switching policies as well as parties In 2011, the Pew Research Center reported that 70 percent of Muslims in the U.S. described themselves as Democrats or agreeing with Democratic policies. Only 11 percent said they were Republicans or supported Republican policies. Experts believe the numbers have not changed since the study was completed. Robert McCaw says another survey found 55 percent of Muslim-Americans called themselves moderate and 26 percent claimed to be liberals. Some experts thought conservative Muslims and Republicans shared common positions on such issues as homosexuality and the duties of government.  But the 2011 Pew survey found that Muslim-Americans have grown “considerably more accepting of homosexuality” since 2007. It found that 68 percent of Muslim-Americans wanted a larger government providing more services than a smaller government providing fewer services. McCaw says, “not only do they switch parties and now are voting Democratic, but they’re also adopting some of the policies and positions and ethics” of the Democratic Party. "Traditionally, a number of immigrants from the Middle East or South Asia are more socially conservative, and there was a place for them in the Republican Party. But I think as people grow and develop in America, [they] definitely change their views and preferences over time; and more importantly, their children grow up here and they might be voting different than their parents previously had.”  Esposito says that Republicans and Muslims were never really natural allies. He says culturally and politically most Muslims are more like Democrats. He notes that surveys show many more Republicans than Democrats have negative beliefs about Islam and Muslims. At home among Democrats The 2011 Pew Research Center survey also found that only 15 percent of Muslims believe the Republican Party is friendly toward their community. That is compared to 48 percent of those asked, who see it as unfriendly. The center said that 46 percent of Muslims found the Democratic Party friendly toward them, and only 7 percent said it was unfriendly.  Sajid Tarar is a Muslim-American activist. He now campaigns for Republican candidate Donald Trump. He does not agree that most Muslims feel at home in the Democratic Party. But studies show that the Muslim-American move away from the Republican Party has sped up following comments from Republican candidates, including Trump. The businessman angered many Muslims when he said “Islam hates us.” He also suggested that all Muslims should be banned from entering the country. Historically, few Muslim-Americans vote. But the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations has launched a campaign to register one million new voters. That would represent an increase of nearly 300,000 since the 2012 presidential election.  Muslim vote could affect tight races Some political observers believe many Muslim-Americans will vote this year. Esposito predicts that as many as 80 percent of them will vote for Clinton. While there are relatively few Muslim-American voters, there are large Muslim communities in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania. These are also important states in the presidential election. Muslim activists say the Muslim-American vote could decide who will win in these so-called “swing states.” I’m Pete Musto.  And I’m Anne Ball.    Masood Farivar reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report 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   epicenter – n. the part of the earth’s surface that is directly above the place where an earthquake starts (sometimes used figuratively, as in this article) natural – adj. usual or expected  

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After Death, Some Choose to Continue Their Online Lives

What happens to our images on social media or the internet after we die? Evan Carroll is someone who thinks a lot about this question. Carroll co-wrote a book called, “Your Digital Afterlife.” He says there are companies that will collect your passwords and online information. These businesses then provide all the important details to your family so they can make sure your accounts are settled after you die. Carroll said some online businesses will put together the digital story of your life -- to keep your memory alive long after you die. Some companies will even send out messages for you to your friends and family members after your death.  There are some concerns, however. Carroll said one problem is that it is normal to put off dealing with death. Many people hope and believe death is far off into the future.   Another problem is that companies sometimes go out of business. In other words, they might not be around when you die to send along your messages and passwords. Your Post-Death Facebook Page Facebook says it has 1.71 billion monthly users worldwide, making it the largest social media website. Carroll said people are not happy getting messages on their Facebook Page about birthdays for friends who died. Now, Facebook will let a friend or relative “memorialize” a Facebook friend’s page, as long as they can provide proof of the death. That can be a copy of a death notice reporting the death. In 2015, Facebook set up another program. It lets a person choose a family member or friend who can supervise the individual’s Facebook account after they die. That person can write information about a memorial service, or share a special message or memory, Facebook said. Digital Memories Created at Museum One group working to create digital memories is the Hereafter Institute at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California. Started a year ago, the institute offers people the chance to learn how they can plan their digital afterlife. People who visit Hereafter learn how personal information and video images can be placed into a piece of jewelry as a future memorial. The founder of the institute is Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. He used old audio, pictures and videos to create a lasting video about his grandfather. Video lets people think about how friends and family members “moved, or reacted to jokes or how they laughed,” he said. Watching the images of his grandfather was important to him, Barcia-Colombo said. “To be able to see him walking again…was very moving to me.”  People who visit the institute get a body scan. They can then watch as an image of that body scan walks into the distance. Carolina Miranda is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. She recently spent time at the Institute. She said the image works as a memorial, although it is not exactly a perfect copy. “I don’t think it would ever be in danger of becoming something that you could almost grow attached to because it’s a replacement of that person,” Miranda said. Barcia-Colombo said the goal of his institute is to make people think about what is possible and what they might want to do with their online memories after they die.   Elizabeth Lee reported this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted her report and did additional reporting. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. How do you want to be remembered online? ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   password - n. a secret word or phrase that a person must know before being given permission to enter a place or connect to a website or email online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet​ digital - adj. using or characterized by computer technology account - n. a record of money that has been paid and money that has been received proof - n. something that shows something is true or correct body scan - n. a machine that creates an image of a person's body  

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Drones to Deliver Fast Food to Virginia Tech University

  Students in the American state of Virginia will soon be able to order burritos carried by unmanned aircraft.   The food delivery service is starting at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. This will be one of the first tests of a commercial drone delivery service in the United States. Virginia Tech’s Project Wing is partnering with the restaurant company Chipotle Mexican Grill on the experiment. Chipotle partnership Project Wing is part of X, a laboratory once known as Google X. It researches and tests unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. The lab studies the use of drones to transport food, medicine and other goods. After the students place their order, the burritos will be made at a food truck and loaded onto a drone. The aircraft will fly the burritos to a pickup area, then lower them to the ground. The drones are able to fly like a plane or hover in the air, like a helicopter. The flights will be limited to an area on Virginia Tech property away from the main campus grounds, according to the university’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. The partnership is one of six groups approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to carry out unmanned drone tests. Only a small group of people at Virginia Tech will be able to use the service at first, according to the director of the partnership, Mark Blanks. “It is real customers that are working and need lunch and want it delivered by drone,” he said.   Mark Warner of Virginia serves in the U.S. Senate. He said the research will help improve the development of unmanned aircraft technology. “The commercial use of drones for package and food delivery in U.S. airspace is rapidly becoming a reality,” he said. Research important to drone development  In addition to Google’s parent Alphabet, other companies are testing drones as a way to make deliveries faster and more efficient. These include Amazon, UPS, FedEx and Dominos Pizza. The FAA recently estimated there will be about 600,000 commercial drones operating in the United States within one year. The agency made the estimate while announcing new rules for commercial drone operators. The tests are seen as important because they can demonstrate the ability to deliver fresh, hot food without involving humans. Virginia Tech said the burrito project will explore food delivery with limitations such as time, amount, temperature, frequency and packaging. “This is the most complex delivery flight operation that I am aware of that’s occurred on U.S. soil,” Blanks told Bloomberg. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with additional information from an Associated Press report. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story burrito – n. a Mexican food that consists of a flour tortilla that is rolled or folded around a filling​ delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place commercial – adj. of or related to the buying and selling of goods and services drone  – n. ​a small flying machine flown remotely hover – v. to stay moving in the air without much movement from side to side efficient – adj. producing desired results without wasting materials, time or energy frequency – n. how often something happens  

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Roald Dahl Day Celebrates British Writer's 100th Birthday

This is What’s Trending Today…. Roald Dahl is a beloved British writer. He is the author of some of the world’s best-known children’s novels, including “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” More than 250 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. His works have been translated into 58 languages. Tuesday was Roald Dahl Day. People around the world celebrated what would have been Dahl’s 100th birthday. He was born on September 13, 1916 in Wales to Norwegian parents.  He died in 1990.   ​ #RoaldDahlDay trended worldwide on social media. Many people thanked Dahl for making them truly enjoy reading. One Twitter user wrote, “My childhood was made magical because of the wonderful Roald Dahl. A great storyteller!” Another wrote, “You made me fall in love with reading – a love that has lasted me a lifetime.” Special events and celebrations were held in Britain and other countries in honor of Dahl. The Oxford English Dictionary marked Dahl’s 100th birthday by officially adding six Dahl-created words to its latest edition. They included words such as “Oompah-Loompah” and “scrumdiddlyumptious.” Oompah Loompahs are the factory workers in the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” They had orange skin and green hair. They danced and played music. Oompah Loompahs became more famous after the 1971 film version of the book, which starred Gene Wilder as candy maker Willy Wonka. “Scrumdiddlyumptious” is a word that appeared in Dahl’s book “The BFG” – short for The Big Friendly Giant. It generally means “delicious.” A film version of “The BFG,” directed by Steven Spielberg, was released this year.   ​ Earlier this year, Oxford released an entire Roald Dahl dictionary. It included more than 8,000 real and invented words used by the master storyteller. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Anna Matteo.  Ashley Thompson adapted this story. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    magical - adj. very pleasant or exciting master - adj. highly skilled  

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'Escape Room' Games Growing in Popularity in U.S.

  It may seem like a nightmare for some people. But for others, it sounds like a fun game. Escape Rooms are becoming a popular form of group entertainment in the United States. A story by the business website MarketWatch explains that Escape Room games began in Asia about 10 years ago. In 2012, they started opening in the U.S.  Now, according to the website Escape Room Directory, you can go to an Escape Room location in nearly every U.S. state, not to mention Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and most of Europe. The idea is simple. Players enter a room with a theme. It could be a Sherlock Holmes mystery or something like the movie series “Mission Impossible.” The door locks behind them. The players then have 60 minutes to solve a series of puzzles that will help them find a key that unlocks the door. VOA visited an escape room “lounge” in Washington, D.C. One of the rooms is in the theme of the Oval Office at the White House. That is the well-known room where the president works and holds meetings. The space is decorated to look like the real Oval Office. It even has the presidential seal woven into the rug. When the clock starts and the door locks, anything inside the room can be a clue. Players look through the desk, look at the paintings on the wall, even see if an old-fashioned typewriter might help. The goal is to make it out of the room before time runs out. There are hidden messages that can only be seen under a special light. By one estimate, there are about 600 Escape Rooms in the U.S. Timothy Smith runs the Escape Lounge in Washington. When he opened his business, there were two others in the area. Now there are at least 12. The Escape Room games cost about $15 per player. Most of the time, players come in groups, but sometimes strangers work together. In this case, eight players cooperated to find the key. If a team is having trouble or getting off track, the game master who is watching on a video screen can call in to offer some advice or a clue. The phone on the Oval Office desk rings, and the game master asks, “Would you guys like a clue?” The tip seems to help, and the group is able to solve the puzzle, find the key and leave the room with seven minutes to spare. It turns out, they did well. Smith said fewer than 50 percent of the players escape the room. One of the players was Demetrios Psihopaidas. He said the game was stressful and the clues were hard to figure out. “I was a little worried that we were not going to find all the clues and we weren't going to get out in time,” he said. Smith said the games are fun because they are challenging. “'Escape the Oval Office' is not an easy game. I think this game is popular because it gives an individual a chance to be a detective or to be a James Bond.” I’m Dan Friedell.   June Soh wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted her report for Learning English. Jill Robbins was the editor. Have you ever played an Escape Room game? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   nightmare – n. a dream that frightens a sleeping person : a very bad dream directory – n. a book that contains an alphabetical list of names of people, businesses, etc. theme – n. the main subject that is being discussed or described in a piece of writing, a movie, etc. mission - n.  a task or job that someone is given to do puzzle – n. a question or problem that requires thought, skill, or cleverness to be answered or solved lounge – n. an official mark that is stamped on paper or on a small piece of wax to show that something (such as a document) is genuine and has been officially approved seal – n. an official mark that is stamped on paper or on a small piece of wax to show that something (such as a document) is genuine and has been officially approved typewriter – n. a machine that prints letters or figures on a sheet of paper when a person pushes its keys off track – n. away from the main point, thought, etc. tip – n. useful or secret information challenging - adj. difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable detective - n. a police officer whose job is to find information about crimes that have occurred and to catch criminals    

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September 13, 2016

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

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Jennifer Webb-McRae: Serving and Protecting the Citizens of Cumberland County

Jennifer Webb-McRae always knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I really never wanted to be anything else when I grew up. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer and that was because my family kind of put that notion in my head. They use to tease me and say I argued every point so I should grow up and be a lawyer.” (grow up clip) But neither Webb-McRae, nor her family, knew how far she would go…all in her home state of New Jersey. “I am the Cumberland County prosecutor which means that I am the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the county of Cumberland. There are 21 county prosecutors throughout the state. I happen to be the first African American and first female prosecutor of Cumberland County.” (current job clip) Webb-McRae was raised in Vineland, New Jersey. She received her law degree just forty minutes away from home, from Camden School of Law at Rutgers University in New Jersey.  Early on, Webb-McRae was interested in family law.  She clerked for a judge involved in that field. He became a lifelong mentor. However, she found she had a passion for criminal law when she worked with the juvenile justice system. “I was fortunate enough to get a job very quickly at the Office of the Public Defender representing juvenile defendants. So it was interesting because it gave me a passion for criminal justice, but it also kind of suited that social work element of me to want to do justice and help serve the whole person and it started me on my way in the criminal justice world.” (grow up clip) McRae says her responsibilities as Chief Prosecutor of Cumberland County are complex. “There are a lot of hard issues that you face when you have to made decisions that affect people’s lives in the criminal justice system, however, some of the national issues that are going on in our country you know with Ferguson, with mass incarceration, with a lack of confidence in law enforcement. It’s been a challenge being the first African American prosecutor.” Sometimes the challenges might feel personal. Also being a mother of an African American boy to reconcile that I have a role to play in this system and how to do that responsibly. One of the things that we work really hard on and I hopefully have brought to the forefront is that I understand that my primary responsibly here is to prosecute people who break the law in Cumberland County as well as protect the citizens of this great county.” (community philosophy clip) There are many ways to serve that purpose, however. Webb-McRae says she works to help people make good choices, especially when they are young. She recognizes the power of peer pressure that children face. She notes the strong “no-snitching” culture among young people that can block needed intervention. To battle this, Webb-McRae launched an Annual Back to School Initiative.  After just six years in existence, the program ago now involves 40 schools. McRae and her office staff attend over 30 back-to-school events each year. They share information about programs that help keep kids safe.  Earlier this year, Webb-McRae also launched a community engagement series. “With Ferguson, with police involved shootings it’s important that we dialogue with the communities in times of rest and when things are calm so that we can capitalize on those relationships when we have unrest or we have crises that we all have to deal with together.” Prosecutor Webb-McRae hopes her example will inspire girls in Cumberland County. “I’m passionate about what I do. I’m proud to be career woman. I’m proud to a role model for other young women who are embarking to be decision makers.” (grow up clip & pet peeves clip) Jennifer Webb-McRae plans to continue to grow in her career. She hopes to become a judge someday. Her belief in community involvement, public service and justice will continue. “I believe that everyone is a stakeholder in our community and everyone has a right and a vested interest to make sure that the justice system is fair and just and equitable for everyone. Our system is not perfect, our justice system across the country is not perfect but I’m passionate about doing my little part to make it better. I believe in action and moving the ball forward.” (aspire & pet peeve clip)   I’m Marsha James.   Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. ________ was the editor.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.   ___________________________________________________    Words in This Story   notion n. an idea or opinion tease   v. to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind clerk v. a person whose job is to keep track or records and documents for a business or office mentor n. someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a person passion n. a strong feeling or enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something incarceration n. the state of being put in prison reconcile v. to find a way of make exist or be true at the same time. Embarking – n. to begin a journey Stakeholder n. a person or business that has invested money in something vested interest n. – a person stack or involvement in an undertakeing of state of affairs, especially one with an expectation of financial gain. equitable adj. dealing fairly and equally with everyone

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2000 UTC Newscast in English for September 12, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Dave DeForest reporting. A ceasefire goes into effect in Syria… The U.S.-Russia mediated truce calls for an initial 48-hour, renewable ceasefire at any location where anti-government forces are operating. It also stipulates that aid agencies should not be impeded from reaching towns and areas in need of aid. Here is U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “The resumption of a nationwide cessation of hostilities that excludes only al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra and Daesh (Islamic State)…” The United States and Russia will begin jointly targeting jihadists in about a week. Opposition forces Monday issued a series of demands as well as requests for clarifications. On Sunday, several insurgent leaders criticized the ceasefire agreement, but stopped short of saying they wouldn't accept it. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is skipping a campaign trip to the western state of California after being diagnosed with pneumonia. The Clinton campaign says a doctor had examined her Friday, gave her antibiotics and advised her to rest and modify her schedule. Arthur Caplan is director of the Division of Medical Ethics at (New York University) NYU Langone Medical Center. “Pneumonia can be a very threatening, lethal disease if you’re immune-compromised. It’s certainly the case that there are hundreds of thousands of people who have pneumonia and come through it just fine.” Clinton's Republican opponent, Donald Trump, told Fox News that he hopes she gets well soon. The U.S. and its allies have responded to North Korea's fifth nuclear test conducted on Friday with calls for new sanctions. China is giving off ambiguous signals about whether it will support any additional action against its traditional ally. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Are Millennials Changing U.S. Work Culture?

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. The latest generation of Americans to enter the labor force may be reshaping the way the United States goes to work. Millennials are the generation who reached adulthood around the year 2000. And many of them do not have the usual 9-to-5 work mentality. The Millennial workforce wants to work a more flexible schedule. This could mean the end of the inflexible 40-hour work week.    A professor at Florida International College of Law in Miami, Florida explains that Millennials value their free time. They value their personal lives – their friends, hobbies and interests -- as much as they value work. That attitude may sound like a benefit to only the workers. But perhaps not. Professor Kerri Stone says studies show that reducing working hours can actually result in better workplace productivity. Stone says that after working so many hours per week you reach the point of what she calls, “diminishing returns.” Diminishing returns is an economic term. It refers to a “point at which the level of profits or benefits gained is less than the amount of money or energy invested.” She adds that people need breaks during the day and during the work week. During a work day, they need “face time” to talk to a friend or colleague. Without planning it, they build this time into their work day. During the week, people need time to relax, or down time. As a group, Stone says Millennials strongly believe that "people need a certain amount of down time and a certain amount of vacation" in order to be happy at home and at work. Cost of imbalance   Employers are not often worried about work-life balance. They are concerned with the bottom line, the profits and results of the company. However, new studies show that a happy employee is good for the company’s bottom line. An organization based in Seattle, Washington seeks to challenge what it calls the epidemic of overworking in the United States and Canada. Take Back Your Time states that its goals are to change the work culture by: reducing work hours, guaranteeing paid vacation and guaranteeing at least one week of sick leave. The organization says that giving employees at least one week of sick leave will help to reduce damage to a person's health and relationships caused by working too much. Ted Bililies is a psychologist and managing director of a company that advises other companies on how to work smarter. He agrees that in the U.S., there is a work epidemic or as he calls it, “workaholism."   He warns that “stress is not uncommon in the workplace, along with physical and mental health issues.” Bililies adds that stress often leads to heart disease and other sicknesses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree. The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states this on its website: “Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today’s workplace. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.” Bililies says that to fix the problem of an over-stressed employee, companies can give employees greater choice regarding how they work. Many companies have already started doing just that.   Alternative answer For the past year, a small company in San Diego, California, called Tower Paddleboards, has started a revolutionary substitute to the 40-hour-plus work week. They have started a five-hour workday for their 11 employees. Stephan Aarstol is the founder and CEO, chief executive officer. He challenged the 8-hour workday, calling it "something that was invented for factory workers 100 years ago."   Aarstol defends his employee program, saying that it helps to keep his employees healthy. He says that these days, people are not active enough. He adds that “disease is on the rise.” Prescription drug abuse and alcoholism are also on the rise. He says he believes that making a little more money for many more hours does not make people happy. The five-hour work day, he suggests, gives people time to do other things in life, such as spending more time with family and friends. So how has this affected his company’s bottom line? Aarstol’s company reports that it is more profitable than ever.   What will people do less of? But does a reduced work day result in more productivity? Dan Ariely is professor at Duke University in the southern state of North Carolina. Ariely says there are basically three things people do at work. They: do productive, thoughtful, deep useful work, do mindless work that has to be done, and waste time. If you decrease the work day from 8 hours to 5 hours, he says, what will be lost is the meaningful work. Trend in America There is a push by some workers to reduce their hours at the office. However, some of American's best-known companies are known for their highly-driven, "workaholic" culture. Aarstol says that companies are trying many different things to see what works. He adds that Tesla, Apple and Amazon have teams of workers “that are super-high performers. These people are working around-the-clock, 24/7 with smartphones and computers, and they are accomplishing some amazing things." This was his own firsthand experience. He warns that a person can easily work themselves into this unhealthy lifestyle of over-working. For Aarstol and some other corporate executives, the balance is to have happy, productive employees and a profitable bottom line. I’m Anna Matteo.   What do you think? Is a 5-hour work day enough time to get your work done? If you worked less, what would you do with your time?   Bernard Shusman reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted his report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly edited the story. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   work-life balance – n. a concept including proper prioritizing between "work" (career and ambition) and "lifestyle" (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development/meditation) flexible – adj. easily changed : able to change or to do different things inflexible – adj. not easily changed (law of) diminishing results – n. economics : used to refer to a point at which the level of profits or benefits gained is less than the amount of money or energy invested. face time – n. time spent at the place where you work especially before or after normal working hours downtime – n. time when you are not working or busy bottom line – n. a company's profits or losses epidemic – n. a sudden quickly spreading occurrence of something harmful or unwanted workaholic – n. a person who chooses to work a lot : a person who is always working, thinking about work, etc. prevalent  – adj. accepted, done, or happening often or over a large area at a particular time : common or widespread firsthand – adj. coming directly from actually experiencing or seeing something

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