Snapchat Prepares $20 Billion IPO, Launches Video Glasses

  The owner of messaging service Snapchat is preparing for the technology industry’s biggest initial public offering, or IPO, since 2014. Snap Inc. recently filed for the IPO, which will allow the company to offer stock shares to the public on the New York Stock Exchange. According to multiple media reports, the IPO will happen in early March. Based on its targeted share price, the IPO would put the Los Angeles-based company’s value at more than $20 billion. That predicted valuation is based on the stock being offered at $14-$16 per share.   Snap Inc. would be the biggest IPO in the technology industry since China’s Alibaba Group went public in 2014. The company’s 26-year-old Chief Executive Officer, Evan Spiegel, is currently meeting with investors in the U.S. and abroad to seek support for the IPO. Snap Inc. began as Snapchat in 2011. It became a popular messaging app for sharing photos. The app was unusual because it automatically deleted photos after they were sent. Messages became known as “Snaps.” Over the years, the company developed additional products related to photo and video messaging. For example, users can add entertaining features like text and animation to photos and videos. The company also added a “Discover” section containing short news videos. Another feature called “Stories” lets people create collections of messages, videos and photos from the past 24 hours. Some of Snap Inc.’s competitors – like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – have copied some of these features as a way to win new users.  Snapchap says it had 158 million active daily users at the end of 2016, with an average of 2.5 billion Snaps created every day. Most users of the service are between 18-34 years old. Those under 25 are most active and spend more than 30 minutes a day on the app, according to Snap. Snap Inc. has said its goal is to “reinvent the camera” to “improve the way people live and communicate.” It has signaled a desire to produce hardware to improve the Snapchat service. One of the new products is a pair of sunglasses that can record short video clips. The company just started selling the glasses online for just under $130 in the United States. Until now, the new glasses - called Spectacles – were only sold at limited places in the U.S. and sold out very quickly. Spectacles look a lot like many other regular sunglasses. But they have a built-in camera in front that can record up to 10 seconds of video. They come in bright colors and were designed to appeal to people seeking a new, fun experience on Snapchat. Spectacles connect to Snapchat through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, allowing users to immediately send the clips to others. Snap Inc. is also reportedly developing products for future release related to virtual reality, augmented reality and facial recognition.   I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press and other sources. Hai Do 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 initial – adj. occurring at the beginning of something app – n. a computer program that performs a special function animation – n. a drawing, pictures, etc., shown quickly one after another  hardware – n. machines or equipment used inside computers or together with electronic devices augmented reality – n. a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world.  

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Hollywood Recognizes Iranian Film Director

Political statements are not new to the Academy Awards ceremony. A number of award-winning actors and movie directors have made such comments over the years. On Sunday, America’s movie industry recognized an Iranian film, “The Salesman,” as the best foreign language film of 2016. The film’s director, Asghar Farhadi, was not in Hollywood to get the award, called an Oscar. Farhadi said earlier he would not come to California as a protest of President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration. The order barred refugees and others from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. This month, a federal court ruling has blocked enforcement of the measure. Trump has said his administration is preparing a new order to help protect the United States against a possible terrorist attack. At the awards ceremony, Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American astronaut, accepted the Oscar for Farhadi. She read a statement written by the director. “I'm sorry I'm not with you tonight," Ansari read. "My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S." Firouz Naderi stood by Ansari as she read the statement. Naderi once worked for NASA, America’s space agency, and like Ansari, is an Iranian-American. "Dividing the world into 'us' and 'enemies' categories creates fear," Ansari said, continuing Farhadi's statement. “Filmmakers can turn their cameras to capture shared human qualities and break sterotypes of various nationalities and religions.” The statement noted that filmmakers can create empathy – the ability to share feelings – between us and others … “An empathy that we need today more than ever.” Speaking later, Naderi said that Farhadi could have chosen from many important Iranians to speak for him at the Oscars. But, Naderi said, he chose two scientists who specialize in space because, "if you go away from the Earth and look back at the Earth you don't see the borders and the lines." This was the second Oscar win for Farhadi. In 2012, he won best foreign film for “A Separation.” His film “The Salesman” is the story about two people performing the American writer Arthur Miller’s famous play “Death of a Salesman.” Some people said the film produced support for immigrant rights after Trump’s executive order was announced. The directors of the six films nominated in the foreign language category put out a statement before the Oscars. They criticized what they called the climate of “fanaticism” in the United States. They said the award is meant for “unity and understanding,” no matter who won. In Iran, the Associated Press reported that many people seemed energized by the win. Vice President Ishaq Jahangiri praised Farhadi both for the award and for not going to the ceremony. He called it a “priceless action.” Relations between the two countries have been tested since Trump became president last month. His administration put Iran “on notice” after it test-fired a ballistic missile. In Britain, “The Salesman” movie was shown in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday. Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of London, England, posted a video statement by Asghar Farhadi on Facebook. Speaking from Tehran, Farhadi said in English that he is “extremely happy” about reactions against the U.S. order by “people and art communities around the world.” He said the reactions show the opposition to the travel ban “has developed into a powerful and unified movement.” I’m Anne Ball. And I'm Kevin Turner.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with material from Reuters and the Associated Press. 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   executive - adj. dealing with the President stereotype – n. an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic category - n.  a type or kind fanaticism - n. being very enthusiastic about something

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'Moonlight' Wins Best Picture at Mixed-Up Oscars Ceremony

This is What’s Trending Today. “There’s a mistake. ‘Moonlight,’ you guys won best picture.” And with those words, producer Jordan Horowitz of “La La Land,” told the cast and crew of a competing film that it had won the Oscars’ biggest award. Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong category’s envelope before they went on stage. They may have been given the back-up envelope for the “best actress” award, which earlier was given to Emma Stone of “La La Land.” Beatty was clearly confused about what he saw when he opened the envelope, but Dunaway read the name of the film listed below Stone’s name. The actors and producers from “La La Land” left their seats and filled the stage to accept their Oscar statues. They gave many speeches before Horowitz interrupted. “This is not a joke. Moonlight has won best picture,” he said. He took the card from Beatty and held it up for the cameras. “Moonlight. Best Picture,” he said as the camera moved closer. The show’s host, comedian and late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, made the best of the situation. He went up to Beatty, and exclaimed “Warren. What did you do?” Kimmel also said, “personally, I blame Steve Harvey.” That was in reference to the mistake Harvey made in 2015 at the Miss Universe pageant. He announced the wrong winner, first saying it was the contestant from Colombia, and then realizing the correct winner was actually from the Philippines.  Once order had been restored, Beatty tried to explain what happened, saying he had been given the wrong envelope. Barry Jenkins is the writer and director of “Moonlight.” Once he reached the stage, he said “even in my dreams, this cannot be true.” Stone, happy to have won the best actress award, later said “is that the craziest Oscar moment of all time? Cool!” Many people are wondering how the mistake was made. The accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has been handling Oscar votes for over 80 years without any problems. The firm apologized to all of the people who were made uncomfortable by the mistake. It promised to investigate what caused the error. Horowitz is being credited for staying calm and stopping the show to correct the error. People are calling him “gracious,” “a great producer,” and “classy.” Even Jenkins said “much respect to that dude.”  A story from USA Today detailed the backstage moments of the show. The newspaper said people could be heard shouting “Best show ever!” at the end of the night.  The other major award winners will always remember their victorious night because of the best picture mix-up. They included: Viola Davis and Mahershala Ali for their supporting roles in “Fences” and “Moonlight;” “Manchester by the Sea,” for best original screenplay and “Moonlight” for best adapted screenplay; Casey Affleck for best actor and Damien Chazelle for best director. “The Salesman,” a film from Iran, won the award for best foreign film. Director Asghar Farhadi did not attend the ceremony. He wrote a letter that said he chose not to attend in protest of President Donald Trump’s attempts to ban immigrants to the United States from a number of majority Muslim countries, including Iran. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting by the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. What did you think of the Oscars? Let us know in the comments section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   back-up – n. a person or thing that can be used to replace or support another person or thing confused – adj. a person or thing that can be used to replace or support another person or thing pageant – n. a beauty contest, in which people judge a group of women or girls and decide which one is the most beautiful restore – v. to give back or return something cool – adj. often used to show approval in a general way firm – n. a business organization gracious – adj. very polite in a way that shows respect classy – adj. showing impressive character : very good, kind, etc. dude – n. a man — used especially by young people adapt – v. to change (a movie, book, play, etc.) so that it can be presented in another form

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February 27, 2017

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

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In Photos: 2017 Academy Awards Winners

Here are the winners of some of the major categories for the 2017 Academy Awards

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Oscars Red Carpet

Hollywood honors its best Sunday February 26 when Oscar statuettes are distributed for excellence in film.  One of the most watched moments of the evening is the red carpet arrivals. Here is a sample of what some of the top stars wore.

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Hollywood's Biggest Night - The 89th Annual Academy Awards

Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California. The awards are called Oscars. They are the top honors in the American film industry.  Tonight we are live blogging about the event! This year, the movie "La La Land" has received fourteen Oscar nominations. This matches the record of 1951's "All About Eve" and 1998's "Titanic." "Titanic" ended up winning 11 Oscars. Will "La La Land" be so lucky? Stay tuned. The ceremony is just a half-hour away...

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John Adams: He's Number Two

VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents. Today we are talking about John Adams. In 1796, he was elected as the country’s second president. Being second can be difficult. And being the second president of a new country, following a popular first president such as George Washington, turned out to be extremely difficult. For one thing, Adams did not always get along with other people. He was known to get angry easily, and often. Adams also was leader of a divided administration. His own vice president often disagreed with him – passionately. The situation was the result of a rule in the Constitution at the time. It said the person who received the majority of votes became president. The person with the second largest number of votes became vice president. The rule worked fine for the first two elections. Washington had won the presidency, and Adams won the vice presidency. The two men belonged to the same political party and shared many points of view.  But in 1796, Adams’ opponent in the election, Thomas Jefferson, became the vice president. The two men were personal friends, but political enemies. President Adams supported a strong federal government that protected the interests of business and the wealthy. Vice President Jefferson, on the other hand, wanted to limit the power of the federal government. As a result, Adams and Jefferson often clashed. Adams also made what many historians consider a mistake in choosing his cabinet. Adams simply kept Washington’s official advisers, mostly to satisfy political opponents. But later, Adams learned that many of his cabinet members opposed him, too. Historian John Ferling says Adams was “in over his head, and started swimming upstream” almost from the start of his presidency. Foreign policy crisis On top of all that, Adams faced a foreign policy crisis. After the French Revolution, Great Britain allied with other European nations against France. They wanted to keep the unrest from spreading to their countries.   Adams worked hard to make sure the U.S. did not get pulled into a war between France and Great Britain. But France did not trust the U.S. It tried to interrupt trade by seizing U.S. ships. Adams wanted to resolve the problem peacefully. He threatened military action, but he also sent diplomats to talk with French officials. Adams aimed for “an honorable peace” with France. It took some time but he got it. Historian John Ferling says although the crisis in Europe caused Adams “endless trouble,” he dealt with it well. Many years later, Adams wrote that “the greatest jewel in his crown” was reaching peace with France. The Adams family Even if Adams struggled as president, he was successful in other parts of his life. He grew up outside the city of Boston. His father was a farmer, as well as a church official and town leader. However, Adams chose to attend Harvard University and become a lawyer. Adams was a very good lawyer. In fact, he was one of the busiest lawyers in Boston. His success enabled him to buy a big, two-story house that still stands in Quincy, Massachusetts. Adams also had a happy marriage. The relationship between him and his wife, Abigail, is one of the best-known of that time. The two wrote many letters to each other during the years they were apart. More than 1,000 of their letters still survive today.John and Abigail Adams were both passionate patriots who supported the American Revolution. They also agreed about the issue of slavery. Unlike many founding families of the U.S., the couple did not own slaves and spoke out against the system of people owning other people. Election of 1800 In November of 1800, John and Abigail Adams moved to the Executive Mansion in Washington, D.C. Adams was the first president to live in what we now call the White House. They would not stay long, however.  Adams was facing a difficult re-election campaign. His vice president, Thomas Jefferson, was running against him. His party was divided – many Federalists supported other candidates. And some voters did not like his decisions – including creating a permanent army, raising taxes, and limiting the rights of immigrants. Those four laws – called the Alien and Sedition Acts – extended the time that immigrants had to wait before becoming U.S. citizens. They permitted the government to detain citizens from enemy nations without reason during wartime. The laws also permitted the president to expel foreign citizens he believed were dangerous. And they made criticizing the president or Congress a crime. Adams said the Acts aimed to control people in the U.S. who supported France. But many politicians at the time argued that the laws mostly affected people who supported the opposing political party. Historian John Ferling says they were right. And, he says, Adams may have been using the Alien and Sedition Acts to protect his political career. But they ended up damaging his public image. They also raised the question for the first time of whether states had the right to ignore a federal law if they disagreed with it. Adams and Jefferson Supporters of Vice President Thomas Jefferson used Adams’ approval of the Alien and Sedition Acts against him effectively. Jefferson’s campaign said Adams exercised so much power as president that he must want the U.S. to become a monarchy. Adams’ campaign said Jefferson was a radical who would bring revolution to the country. The U.S. had never experienced such an ugly election before. Some people wondered whether the country would be able to transfer power peacefully. When Jefferson won, however, Adams did not resist. He retired to his farm in Massachusetts. Adams spent most of his retirement writing. He even began exchanging long letters with his old friend – and old enemy – Thomas Jefferson. They two men discussed their families, their thoughts on politics and religion, and their nation’s history. The letters were both personally and historically meaningful: Adams and Jefferson were the last living members of the original patriots who started a new country. On July 4, 1826 – the nation’s 50th birthday – the two friends, patriots and former U.S. presidents died within hours of one another. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Anne Ball and Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story. Caty Weaver was the editor. See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each video, then choose the best answer. ​ _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   passionately - adv. having, showing, or expressing strong emotions or beliefs upstream - adj. in the direction opposite to the flow in a stream or river interrupt - v.  to cause something to stop happening for a time patriot – n. person who supported the American Revolutionary War for freedom from Britain ugly - adj. unpleasant transfer - v. to give rights to another person original - adj. existing first or at the beginning

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Experimental Malaria Vaccines Offer Promise

  Two vaccines developed by a Maryland company are showing promise in the fight against malaria. One vaccine was 100 percent effective in preventing the deadly disease malaria. That is according to the biotech company Sanaria Inc. of Rockville, Maryland that developed the vaccines. Malaria is a disease caused by parasites and carried by mosquitoes. Parasites are organisms that live on or in an organism of another species and feed off it or get protection from it. Mosquitos spread the disease to people by biting on their skin. The World Health Organization says there are 214 million cases of malaria each year. And the deadly disease kills over 400,000 people a year worldwide. People who have malaria often have fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Serious complications happen, including death, when the disease is left untreated. The new vaccines work by preparing the immune system to fight the disease. They do this by introducing live, but weakened, young parasites called sporozoites. They are injected into the body by infected mosquitoes. Both vaccines target Plasmodium Falciparum, which is the most common and deadly form of the disease. Successful vaccine study The more successful of the two trials was carried out in Germany. Different doses, or amounts, of the vaccine were injected into 27 healthy people who volunteered for the study. Another group of 15 was given a placebo, which is a substance given to a patient like a drug, but it has no physical effect on the person. Eight to 10 weeks after the last vaccine dose, both groups were then exposed to the parasites that carried the malaria. Stephen Hoffman is chief executive and scientific officer of Sanaria. He says the researchers were surprised by the results from nine of the people who received the highest vaccine dose. "We got 100% protection against malaria at ten weeks, two-and-a-half weeks after the last dose of the vaccine.  That is really beginning to look like something quite extraordinary and that's never been done before." The results of the study were published in the journal Nature. Reinfection study A second trial involving another sporozoite vaccine was carried out in Mali. It tested whether the vaccine prevented reinfection in the people already exposed to malaria. More than half—66 percent—of those who got the vaccine dose became re-infected with malaria within six months after they were vaccinated. For the people in the placebo group, those who did not get any healing treatment, the number was higher. Ninety-three percent of the people who were in the placebo group were re-infected. While 66 percent is not the best number the researchers would have hoped for, Hoffman calls the results a good first step. "This is the highest level of efficacy against malaria infection ever seen in a vaccine trial in Africa." The results of that trial were reported at the same time in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Hoffman thinks Sanaria vaccines show more promise than others because they use the whole sporozoite to help the immune system. He says other vaccine makers only use a small part of P. falciparum to try to get a good immune response against the malaria parasite.  He believes this is not as effective as his idea of using the whole sporozoite. Sanaria plans more clinical trials of both vaccines throughout Africa, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Equitorial Guinea and Tanzania. "For us, our raison d'etre [reason to be] for Sanaria is to develop a vaccine that can be used in what we call mass vaccination campaigns to immunize the entire population in a geographically defined area so that one can halt transmission and eliminate the parasite." The vaccine news comes after a recent study says there are now malaria “superbugs” emerging in Southeast Asia. Researchers reporting in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that a kind of the P. falciparum parasite—the one being used for the vaccines by Sanaria-- is now becoming resistant to the most effective malaria drug. They say the resistance is spreading. Many people would benefit if they are successful, but those who would benefit the most are children in Africa. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most of the people who die from malaria are children in the African Region. It says most of the cases in the United States are in travelers and immigrants coming to the U.S. from countries where malaria is present—including many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. I’m Anne Ball.   Jessica Berman reported this story for VOA News. Anne Ball adapted the story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ​ _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   effective – adj. producing a result that is wanted immune system – n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time expose – v. to leave something uncovered without protection raison d'etre – phrase. French for “reason to be”

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Experts Divided on What Trump Policies Mean for the Economy

  Despite rising stock prices, some experts remain concerned that economic proposals from the campaign of President Donald Trump will hurt the economy. Last year, some economists predicted large decreases in financial markets, reduced hiring and an increased risk of a recession. However, stock market measures have reached record high levels in the month since Trump took office as the 45th president of the United States. Employment numbers have met expectations and consumer confidence has remained strong. VOA spoke with economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics, a company that provides research of financial markets. Zandi supported the economic proposals of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. And he remains concerned that economic measures proposed by the Trump administration will hurt the economy. “If Mr. Trump got precisely what he wanted, the policy proposals that he had put forward, what would happen to the economy? And the answer is, the economy would go into a deep recession,” he said. Zandi told VOA that he has not changed his position from last year. The economist noted that as president, Trump has not yet enacted any policies that he promised during the campaign. “What he wanted was 11 million undocumented workers to leave the country. What he wanted was a 45 percent tariff on China, 35 percent on Mexico. What he wanted was tax cuts and government spending increases that would increase the budget deficit by $10 trillion over 10 years. So if that is what he got, that would lead to a recession,” Zandi said. Others, however, say the increase in stock prices shows that investors are optimistic about the future. They say many people believe that tax reductions on businesses and fewer regulations will lead to higher profits. Gus Faucher is an economist with the bank PNC. He says investors are looking to tax cuts that will increase business profits, which is good for stock prices. That, he says, has lifted stock prices recently. Investors will be disappointed, Faucher says, if Trump does not propose clear policies to increase growth. Still, he says the economic outlook is better than it was a few months ago. Other economists say Trump’s positions on taxing imports and trade disputes present a risk to the world economy. Trump already has rejected the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement with 12 Pacific nations. He also has said he wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Critics of the deal say it has cost America jobs. Mark Zandi, however, expressed concern that the U.S. is pulling back from the world economy, which has provided a lot for the American people. “The United States is at the center of the global economy. It’s taken hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and brought them into the middle class. Think about Eastern Europe, think about China and Asia,” he said. Americans, Zandi said, have been greatly helped by the less costly goods that result from free trade. And he warns, “If we pull back on globalization, the world suffers and we will also suffer.” Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House. Zandi expects that Congress will approve many of Trump’s policy proposals although the early days of the administration have been difficult. Some economists, however, question whether conservative Republicans will approve tax cuts without knowing how they will be paid for. Along with major tax cuts for businesses, Trump has proposed heavy spending on roads and other needed infrastructure. But, he also has called for more border agents and a wall between the U.S and Mexico. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mil Arcega reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   consumer confidence – n. a measure of how people think the economy will perform in the future tariff – n. a tax on products imported or exported from a country optimistic – adj. believing the future will be good outlook – n. The way that people think about something, often the future globalization – n. a process making trade and other important activities easier to do internationally, the increasing integration of countries and markets  

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Everyday Grammar: Parallelism

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