Coming Soon to the Office: Facebook at Work

Facebook recently estimated that each of its users spends an average of 50 minutes a day on the company’s online social network. But the company wants to find ways to increase the time spent on Facebook and two other services, Instagram and Messenger. A new product aimed at capturing our interest is called Facebook at Work. Some businesses bar workers from using Facebook (openly) on the job. Now those individuals actually can use the service -- at least for work purposes. Facebook at Work is separate from a users’ personal Facebook. So people will need to sign up with the company for a new account. The idea, however, is exactly the same as Facebook – to connect as many users as possible, this time in the workplace. Same Facebook look  The look and feel of Facebook at Work is just like the old Facebook. There are groups to join, a News Feed to read, and instant messaging to stay in contact with co-workers. Naturally, users can add and share comments, photographs, videos and information about the company and its offices. “A connected workplace is a more productive workplace,” explains the official Facebook at Work page. Facebook at Work was first announced about two years ago. Since then, the company has been testing the service with several large companies. One of those businesses is the Royal Bank of Scotland. Its Director of Design, Kevin Hanley, told Business Insider the service has been helpful to the bank’s 100,000 employees. “I think Facebook lets us communicate, discuss and solve problems that other solutions, such as email, simply can’t.” Hanley told the website that within his company, 90 percent of employees who tried Facebook at Work remained active from month to month. Faces much competition Facebook at Work will be competing with other workplace products or services already in use. These include LinkedIn, Slack, HipChat, Microsoft’s Yammer and Salesforce’s Chatter. According to the technology website TechCrunch, Facebook at Work will be launching in London on October 10. The site said it had seen invitations to the launch event that have been sent out. Facebook has not yet confirmed a date for launching the service. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on information from Facebook, and reports from TechCrunch and Business Insider. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Would you like to use Facebook at Work in your workplace? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   network – n. group of people who know each other or work together account – n. agreement allowing a person to use a particular website or service

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October 4, 2016

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

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1300 UTC Newscast for October 4, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry criticized Russia Tuesday for its "irresponsible and profoundly ill-advised decision" to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He said efforts to end the war in Syria must continue in spite of the U.S. decision to break off talks with Moscow. Kerry said "I want to be clear that we are not giving up on the Syrian people and we are not abandoning the pursuit of peace.” He made the comments in a speech in Brussels. “We will continue to pursue meaningful, sustainable, enforceable cessation of hostilities throughout the country,” and that includes the grounding of Syrian and Russian combat aircraft. The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded Tuesday to three United States university professors for their work on exotic states of matter. VOA's Jeff Custer reports. "Research conducted by the three British-born scientists, David J. Thouless, F. Duncan Haldane, and J. Michael Kosterlitz, brought forth a new and totally unexpected understanding of the way solid materials behave. Acting chairman of the Nobel Committee for the prize in physics, Nils Martenson, explained the importance of the work the three scientists have done: ‘This year's Nobel Laureate have in their theoretical work discovered a set of totally unexpected regularities in the behavior of matter.’ Thouless is an emeritus professor at the University of Washington, Haldane is a professor of physics at Princeton University and Kosterlitz is a professor of physics at Brown University. Jeff Custer, VOA News, Washington” Hurricane Matthew churned across the Caribbean toward Haiti with devastating force Tuesday after claiming its first victims in the impoverished island nation. It is the most menacing storm in nearly a decade. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Republicans Have Gained Stength in State Legislatures and Governorships

  Republicans in the United States have not won a presidential election since 2004, but they are much stronger on the state government level than the Democratic Party.   The Republican Party has sharply increased its control of state legislatures and governorships during the presidency of Barack Obama. Obama, a Democrat, will leave office in January 2017 after serving eight years as president. Democrats control 919 fewer seats in state legislatures than they did in 2009 -- when Obama first took office. That information comes from the Pew Research Center and the National Conference of State Legislatures. Republicans control 67 of 98 state house and senate chambers. That is more than at any time in the history of the Republican Party. Democrats control 31. Fifty-five percent of the country’s more than 1,900 state senators are Republican. Fifty-six percent of the more than 5,350 state representatives are Republican. There are about 4,040 Republican state legislators and about 3,100 Democratic legislators nationwide. That is the largest number of Republican state lawmakers since 1920. The Republican Party has controlled a majority of the state legislatures since the 2010 elections, when the Democrats lost control of 24 legislatures. This year, the U.S. elections take place on November 8th. Voters will fill a total of 5,917 legislative seats in 44 states. That is more than 80 percent of all state legislative seats nationwide. Currently, Republicans control both legislative chambers in 30 states, the highest number since 1978. Democrats control 12, the lowest number since 1978. Republicans control the state house, state senate and governor’s office in 23 states. Democrats have that level of control in just seven states. There are 31 Republican governors, 18 Democrats and one Independent. The mayor of Washington, DC is a Democrat. Political experts say the increase in Republican control of state governments has happened for many reasons. One reason is that the Republicans have outspent and outworked Democrats at the local and state levels. Another is that white voters have been leaving the Democratic Party -- especially in the “Deep South.” That is an area that includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. It also includes parts of five other states -- Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. In 1964, Democrats held or controlled almost all of the political offices in the Deep South. That is the year President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. The measure gave legal protection to minorities. Some observers believe the Civil Rights Act is the main reason many whites have left the Democratic Party. Tim Storey is an expert on the U.S. elections at the National Conference of State Legislatures. He notes that Republicans have been slowly gaining control of the South for the past 25 years. “By 2008, Republicans had gained 46 percent of all seats in Southern legislatures, and today they hold 63 percent of the seats” and every governorship, he added. Republicans control both of the legislative chambers of every Southern state except for Kentucky, which has a small Democratic majority. Every U.S. Senator in the Deep South is a Republican and a large majority of House members from the Deep South are Republicans. There are no white Democrats serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from the South. In a report, the Democratic National Committee noted the increase in the Republican Party’s control of state governments. It said the party worked for more than 30 years “organizing, fostering talent and [making] significant financial investments at the state and local level.” Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza called the report “largely useless” because it did not have specific plans to take back control of state legislatures and governorships from Republicans.  “The reality -- and this is one of the least-appreciated stories in politics these days -- is that Democrats have been badly beaten by Republicans at the state and legislative level over the past decade,” he wrote. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA’s Christopher Jones-Cruise reported this story and wrote it in Special 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   legislator – n. a person who makes laws; a member of a legislature chamber – n. a group of people who form part of a government outspent – v. to spend more money than someone or something outworked – v. to work harder or better than foster – v. to help (something) grow or develop specific – adj. special; clearly and exactly stated decade – n. a period of ten years ________________________________________________________________ Here are some other facts about Republican control of state legislatures and governorships: *Since 1900, an average of 12 legislative chambers have passed from one party to the other every two years. *In the 2012 elections, the Democratic Party took back control of eight chambers, but lost five to the Republicans. Two years later, the Republicans took control of 11 more chambers from the Democrats. And Republicans won a majority of seats in the West Virginia house and senate for the first time in 83 years! *Democrats controlled both the house and senate in 27 states as recently as 2010. *Thirty years ago, almost every House district in the Deep South was represented by white Democrats. Now, none are. *For the first time since 2008, Republicans have more support in public opinion surveys in more states -- 20 -- than Democrats, who lead in 14. In 2008, Democrats had a majority of support in 35 states and Republicans had a majority in just five states.  

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Study: Do Fitness Trackers Help You Lose Weight?

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. We begin with bad news for people who bought a wearable fitness tracker in hopes of losing weight. A new study finds the electronic device probably does not help with weight loss. The study was a project of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Fitness trackers are designed to record your physical activity. They are usually worn around the wrist, where they measure a person’s heart rate. The University of Pittsburgh research team looked at two groups of individuals. The first wore a fitness tracker and took part in health counseling. In other words, they spoke with nutrition and physical fitness experts to consider the best weight loss plan. The researchers compared this group with people who only took part in health counseling. The study found that those who simply had health counseling lost more weight than those who had counseling and wore a fitness tracker. In fact, those who only spoke with the health experts lost nearly six kilograms. Those who used a fitness tracker lost only 3.5 kilograms. John Jakicic is the lead researcher. He is also chairman of the university’s Department of Health and Physical Activity. He questioned the use of electronic devices as tools for weight control in place of “effective behavioral counseling for physical activity and diet.” The study involved 470 subjects between the ages of 18 and 35. Some of them were overweight, while others were heavier and considered obese. Over three fourths of the subjects were women, and 29 percent were minorities. The researchers told all the subjects to increase their physical activity. The men and women also were told to start on a low calorie diet. The subjects were told to have their weight measured once every six months over the two-year study. After six months, researchers divided the group into two parts: one continued with monthly counseling, while members of the other group were given a wearable fitness tracker. Eighteen months later, both groups "showed significant improvements in body composition, fitness, physical activity, and diet,” with no major difference between groups. However, when it came to losing weight, the people who spoke with experts lost nearly twice as much weight. Jakicic said the study’s findings “are important because effective long-term treatments are needed to address America's obesity epidemic.” He warned that “questions remain regarding the effectiveness of wearable devices.” More information is needed, he adds, to learn how to best use these devices to change “physical activity and diet behaviors” in adults who want to lose weight. The researchers published their findings in The Journal of the American Medical Association. I’m Anna Matteo.   Matthew Hilburn reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fitness ­– n. the quality or state of being fit tracker – n. a device that is aware of a fact, progression or condition counseling – n. advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, make important decisions, etc. calorie – n. a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body composition – n. the way in which something is put together or arranged : the combination of parts or elements that make up something journal – n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people  

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Japanese Scientist Wins Nobel in Medicine

  Yushinori Ohsumi of Japan has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute announced the prize on Monday. The institute is honoring Ohsumi for his experiments with baker’s yeast in the 1990s. He studied a natural process in which cells break down and reuse some of their parts. This process is called autophagy. The word autophagy comes from two words in the Greek language. They are “auto-,” meaning “self,” and phagein, meaning “to eat.” The prize committee said understanding the science behind this process has led to a better understanding of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and type 2 diabetes. The Karolinska Institute said, “His discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes.” “Autophagy has been known for over 50 years, but its fundamental importance in physiology and medicine was only recognized after Yoshinori Ohsumi’s paradigm-shifting research,” it said. “Thanks to Ohsumi and others following in his footsteps, we now know that autophagy controls important physiological functions,” to break down and recycle cellular particles. Ohsumi is now a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He told the Kyodo news agency he was “extremely honored” to get the prize. Separately, he told Japanese broadcaster NHK he had “always wanted to do something that other people wouldn’t do.” He said the breakdown of particles interested him. Christer Hogg is a professor with Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. He said the experiments helped explain important processes in human development, from growing up, to aging, to dying from a disease. “In the very early stages, your organs and your whole body is constantly being made over again – you are growing. So you need to get rid of the old stuff and generate new structures,” he told Reuters news service. “When you undergo aging, you have structures that have to be taken away, and this – autophagy – is the principle that gets rid of them.” “If you affect this system – the genes and proteins involved in autophagy – you no longer can take care of the waste, and once it accumulates, you will get some type of disease.” The prize for physiology or medicine is the first Nobel Prize awarded each year. It is worth $930,000. Other Nobel prizes will be announced this week and next week. I’m Caty Weaver.   Fern Robinson reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted her report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   physiology – n. a science that deals with the way living things work or operate baker’s yeast – n. the common name given to organisms used to help bread or baking products rise when heated paradigm-shifting – adj. of or related to changing theories or ideas about how something should be done or made stage – n. a period in the growth of development of something rid – v. to make free (of something) accumulate –​ v. to gather something or over time  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Did the US Just ‘Give Away’ Control of the Internet?

  The U.S. government has officially transferred control of the internet address system to an international governing body. The change took place on October 1. What will this mean for internet businesses and users all over the world? To answer that question, it is necessary to consider the history of how the public internet developed. The public internet was still in early development in 1998. That year, the U.S. Department of Commerce took over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This not-for-profit organization is located in Los Angeles, California. The U.S. government gave ICANN the authority to oversee domain names for websites and individual IP addresses for internet users. This responsibility included assigning the operators of high-level domains, such as .com and .uk. The contract between the Department of Commerce and ICANN ended on Saturday. This had been planned for a long time. Now a global internet community -- including governments, businesses, technical experts and members of civil society -- oversees ICANN.  Obama administration support Supporters of the change, including the administration of President Barack Obama, said it made sense to transfer control of ICANN to an international community. They noted that this community is made up of technical experts who helped build the internet. These experts are still responsible for many of its operations. Opponents argued the transition was a mistake because it could lead to authoritarian governments getting greater control over the internet. They tried to block the ICANN transfer. Censorship argument The move was opposed by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Cruz, a Republican Party member, explained his concerns during a hearing last month of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. “Imagine an internet run like many Middle Eastern countries, that punish what they deem to be blasphemy. Or imagine an internet run like China or Russia, that punish and incarcerate those who engage in political dissent.” Cruz said not having the government in control of ICANN means the organization is not bound to uphold the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. The First Amendment covers basic rights including freedom of speech and religion. “That means when ICANN escapes from government authority, ICANN escapes from having to worry about the First Amendment, having to worry about protecting your rights or my rights.” Milton Mueller is a professor at Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Public Policy. He disagrees with those who fear new censorship on the internet.  “What they are saying is that as long as the U.S. has this control, there’s no danger of censorship. And as soon as the US relinquishes this control, then suddenly the internet is in great danger. That is completely false.”  Mueller, who also heads the private Internet Governance Project, says ICANN rules bar the organization from using its powers to control internet content.   Lawrence Strickling is the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which was overseeing ICANN. He told the Senate hearing the U.S. government never had the power to censor online content. “The U.S. government has no role whatsoever with respect to who gets domain names at the second level or above, what content they put on those websites, and how it is handled internationally.” Policies governed by consensus Mueller said not having ICANN under the control of the U.S. government makes the organization more accountable to all people. This is because member governments must all agree to any policy changes. “So if China says let’s do something crazy, the United States will say, no, we don’t agree – we’re vetoing that. And that will be that.” Goran Marby is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. He said the group is a “nonpolitical technical entity” that has “nothing to do with protecting free speech on the Internet.” A last-minute legal attempt to block the ICANN transition came last week. Four U.S. states filed a lawsuit, arguing the move was an illegal transfer of government property and therefore could not go forward without the approval of Congress. A judge in Texas rejected the legal argument and refused to stop the transfer.   I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. Additional information came from a story by VOA’s Joshua Fatzick, and a report by Agence France-Presse. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Do you think the official transfer of internet control from the U.S. is a good thing? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   domain – n. a group of computers that can be accessed and administered with a common set of rules IP address – n. code made up of numbers and dots that identifies a particular computer on the internet civil society – n. a community of citizens and organizations connected by common interests transition – n. change from one system to another authoritarian – adj. strict form of government not allowing personal freedoms blasphemy – n. showing open disrespect to God or religion incarcerate – v. put in jail dissent – n. public disagreement with official opinions relinquish – v. to give up accountable – adj. being responsible for actions taken entity – n. something that exists by itself  

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Rare Frog Dies, Probably Last of Its Kind

  This is What’s Trending Today. Over 10 years ago, scientists from the United States went on a trip to Panama. The scientists were from Atlanta, in the state of Georgia, and Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, Illinois. They were worried that a disease might infect and destroy trees and plants in Panama. The plant life served as home to many frogs and other small amphibians, like toads and salamanders. The scientists wanted to collect a few live amphibians from the area in case the remaining ones died. One of the animals they collected was later named the “Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog.” One scientist from Georgia said the frog was completely unknown to experts before the trip. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the tree disease eventually did spread to Panama, and many of the frogs disappeared. The Rabbs’ frog lived in a special enclosed area at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. He was named “Toughie.” He lived there for the last eight years, but he died late last month. Toughie was over 11 years old. He was the last living member of the species in captivity. Many people used social media sites to express sadness about Toughie’s death.  One Twitter user reacted this way: “We need to do more to protect our wildlife and planet. It’s such a shame when a species becomes extinct.”   Leilani Munter is a race car driver and a biologist. She wrote that seeing the frog was kind of like “meeting a little unicorn – the last of his kind.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the tree frog’s death? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants; a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus fringe – n. a narrow area along the edge of something limb – n. a leg or arm extinct – adj. no longer existing unicorn – n. an imaginary animals that looks like a horse and with a horn growing from its head

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Melting Arctic Sea Ice Shows Global Warming

Arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected, and that means big changes in Earth’s climate system.  That warning comes from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Its scientists are calling for the establishment of an Arctic observatory to help deal with possible dangerous changes resulting from the melting ice. The WMO believes changes in the Arctic area are likely evidence of a coming disaster. It noted that temperatures around the world continue to rise. 2016 is predicted to be the hottest year since modern record-keeping began 150 years ago. The Arctic is warming at least two times as fast as the world average, the WMO said. Arctic sea ice now covers 40 percent less area at the height of the summer melt season than it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The highest Arctic sea levels in March were said to be the lowest on record. Petteri Taalas is the WMO’s Secretary-General. He told VOA that the changes in the climate were having a serious effect on the environment. For example, he said, the tree line in mountain areas is moving upward. “There are also some species of animals who have difficulties in coping with these changes,” Taalas said. These include polar bears, Arctic seals, and even some birds. He said the changing climate will also have an effect on fisheries. Taalas also warned that the melting of the Arctic’s frozen permafrost could release large amounts of greenhouse gases. Those gases are the ones that speed up the rise of temperatures. But the melting of the Arctic sea ice is also opening up new transportation, travel and exploration possibilities. Taalas said that less ice could cut the time it takes for ships to sail between Europe and East Asia. Opening the Arctic would also increase the risk of accidents in hazardous waters and oil spills. The cold, undeveloped environment is more difficult to clean up than other areas. Taalas called for the establishment of an Arctic observatory to study, predict and react to climate change. He said this would keep transportation in Arctic waters safe. I’m Anne Ball.   This story was written Lisa Schlein for VOA News.  Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English.  George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   permafrost – n. a layer of soil that is always frozen in very cold regions of the world hazardous – adj. involving risk or danger

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October 3, 2016

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

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