The Clean Air Act Under a Trump Administration

United States officials have enforced a law called The Clean Air Act for more than half a century. The measure gives the federal government power to control air pollution across the country. Since 1963, the Clean Air Act has helped clean the air Americans breathe, control acid rain, and slow reductions in Earth’s ozone layer. The ozone layer helps protect people and other living things from the sun’s harmful radiation. In recent years, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama used the act to control carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Studies have linked those gases to rising temperatures and changes in Earth’s atmosphere. Obama, in particular, sought to limit the amount of carbon dioxide American power stations could produce. But President Donald Trump is not likely to continue on that path. Trump has questioned the reality of climate change. And, he suggests that federal environmental rules are hurting American businesses. Environmental regulations under Trump Trump is reportedly preparing to use executive orders to overturn some of Obama's policies on air and water quality. He already issued one this week: an order to cancel the Clean Water Rule. The rule lets the federal government define what waters are protected under environmental regulations – such as small streams and wetlands that connect to a larger ecosystem. Federal officials say the rule is meant to help landowners understand when to ask for government approval. But critics say the Clean Water Rule gives the government too much power. As Trump signed the executive order to repeal the rule, he said environmental regulators were "putting people out of jobs by the hundreds of thousands." "It's a horrible, horrible rule," he said. "Has sort of a nice name, but everything else is bad." The EPA under Trump Trump has also appointed someone who is not sure that people cause climate change to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is the federal agency that makes sure the regulations created by the Clean Air Act are followed. Before he became the EPA’s director, Scott Pruitt took the agency to court more than a dozen times. As the top lawyer for the state of Oklahoma, he argued the federal government did not have the power to control greenhouse gas emissions as much as it did. Pruitt spoke to EPA workers last month. He said the EPA and the nation can support energy, jobs, and the environment. We do not need to choose, he said.   More recently, Pruitt told conservative political activists that the EPA does some important work on air and water quality. But, he said, the Obama administration was so concerned about climate change that it neglected those activities.  Another one for the courts? Supporters of rules aimed at slowing climate change say questions about the EPA’s authority will likely end up in the courts. Tomás Carbonell is with the Environmental Defense Fund, a not-for-profit group. He says the Clean Air Act is one of the strongest examples of environmental legislation in the world. Carbonell says the act has also “made the U.S. a global leader in pollution control technologies that are really helping to generate investments and jobs here at home." He is sure that EPA programs have strong legal and scientific support. He notes the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled three times that the Clean Air Act gives the EPA the right to deal with the threat of climate change. But in 2016, the Supreme Court stopped a piece of climate change legislation. That measure would have forced U.S. power centers to cut their pollution by one-third.  The Court said the law has to wait until a lower court decides whether the EPA has the right to make those new regulations. Now, under the new Trump Administration, it is unclear what will happen. In a speech to conservative activists last week, Trump said he would protect the environment. He has yet to say what steps he plans to take. I’m Anne Ball.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   acid rain - n. rain that contains dangerous chemicals because of smoke from cars and factories ozone layer - n. a layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere that prevents dangerous radiation from the Sun from reaching the surface of the Earth greenhouse gas - n. a layer of gases, such as carbon dioxide, that trap the warmth from the sun in the Earth's atmosphere executive order - n. an order that comes from the U.S. president or a government agency and must be obeyed like a law ecosystem - n. a community of organisms and their surroundings that act as a unit regulator - n. people who oversee enforcement of an official rule or law emission - n.  producing or sending out something, such as energy or gas authority - n. the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or right to direct or control someone or something

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Highlights of President Trump's Address to Congress

President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday. He explained what his administration has already accomplished and its goals for the future.

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March 1, 2017

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

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Google Announces Two New Updates to Android

  If you have an Android phone, you should know about two new updates to Android that Google announced this past week. The updates add new features to Android phones to make them more useful. Google Assistant comes to more phones Google Assistant is Google's digital assistant that carries out voice commands, similar to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. Since Google Assistant was launched in October, the service has only been available on Google's Pixel and Pixel XL phones, Google Home smart speaker, Android Wear smart watches, and Allo messaging app. Earlier this week Google announced that many more phones will be getting Google Assistant. The update including Google Assistant will be available to phones running Android 6.0, or Marshmallow, and 7.0, or Nougat, as well as phones made by companies HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung, and Sony.             Google said the update would arrive this week for English speakers in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. German speakers in Germany should also get the update this week. Additional languages will be added during 2017. To receive the update, make sure you have an eligible phone and have downloaded the Google Play Services app onto the phone. After the update you can press the home button or say, "OK Google" to begin using Google Assistant. Then start asking questions such as, "What is the weather forecast?" and Google Assistant will answer based on where you are. In its announcement, Google said, "Our goal is to make the Assistant available anywhere you need it." In January, the company announced plans to bring Google Assistant to televisions and cars later this year. See Google Assistant and Alexa talking in an endless loop: New Android message app Google also announced a major update to one of its messaging apps. With this update, the app changes its name from Android Messenger to Android Messages. Android Messages will become the default text messaging app for Android phones. This app will be pre-installed on Android phones from manufacturers LG, Motorola, Sony, and others. Android Messages will also come pre-installed with Google's Pixel and Pixel XL phones. Users of other phones can download the Android Messages app from the Google Play store. Android Messages is one of three messaging apps from Google. The others are Allo and Google Hangouts. A future update to the Android Messages app will make text messages more powerful by changing from SMS, meaning Short Messaging Services, to RCS, or Rich Communications Services. When updated to RCS, Android Messages will offer features such as receipts that show when a message has been read, stickers, maps and more. RCS messages on Android Messages will be available on phones from partner cell phone service providers. Google's announcement stated that these partners include Sprint, Rogers, Telenor, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Globe. These features will only be available for messages sent and received within the Android Messages app. Those who do not use the app, such as iPhone owners, will not share in those features. iPhone owners do have these features in iMessage, however. Android messages RCS interactive features Google is working with companies to add helpful interactive features to their RCS text messages. In the announcement, Google gave the example of an airline that could send a passenger a text "to provide a full check-in experience, complete with boarding pass, visual flight updates, and terminal maps on demand."               Initial partners for RCS Android Messages include companies Virgin Trains, Walgreens, Amber Alert Europe, Baskin-Robbins, BlaBlaCar and FICO. Gamestop, Philips, Subway, Time Inc., and Uber are among the others. What we do not yet know about Android messages Google did not announce a date when RCS on Android Messages will be available. The name of the app already has been changed to Android Messages in the Google Play store. We also do not know how users will be able to learn whether the person they are sending a text to has the RCS version of the Android Messages app. For example, in iMessage for iPhone, the text bubbles are blue for those who use iMessage and green for those who do not use it. I’m June Simms. And I’m Jonathan Evans.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Are you looking forward to the changes coming to Android phones? Which updates are most interesting to you? What other updates would you like to see come to Android phones? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   update - n. a change or addition to computer software that includes the most recent information digital assistant - n. an application program that can understand natural language and complete electronic tasks for the user eligible - adj. able to do or receive something default - n. a setting, option, etc., that a computer or cell phone uses if you do not choose a different one pre-install - v. download onto a computer or phone before it is sold iMessage - n. the text messaging service from Apple used on iPhones, iPads and Mac computers  

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Malaysia Charges Women in Kim Jong Nam Killing

Malaysia has charged two women with the killing of the half-brother of North Korea’s leader at the Kuala Lumpur airport last month. Siti Aisyah, a 25-year-old Indonesian, and Doan Thi Huong, a 28-year-old woman from Vietnam, appeared at a court in Kuala Lumpur under heavy security. Court officials did not ask them to officially declare their innocence or guilt. Reuters news service reported that the court in which the women appeared would likely not be the one to try the murder case. However, the women have said they did not knowingly attack the person identified as North Korean Kim Jong Nam. They said they believed they were taking part in a joke for a television program. When the charges were read, Doan Thi Huong told the court, “I understand, but I am not guilty,” in English. The two face the death sentence if found guilty. Malaysian officials say the women attacked Kim Jong Nam using a powerful poison at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. He died 20 minutes later. The officials say the poison was the deadly nerve agent VX. Kim is the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Their father was former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Malaysia has blamed North Korea for organizing the killing and is seeking additional suspects in the case. On Tuesday, a North Korean delegation arrived in Kuala Lumpur seeking the body of the man. North Korea’s official news agency has denounced the findings as the “height of absurdity.” It said the women could not have used such a poison without harming themselves and others.  Malaysia continues to hold the body of the man, who North Korea identifies only as Kim Chol, the name of his passport. Incident has brought intense criticism of North Korea The killing in Malaysia has caused some lawmakers in the United States to consider further punishments for North Korea. Ted Yoho, a Republican representative from the state of Florida, says there is support for returning North Korea to the list of countries that support terrorism. Congress placed North Korea on the list after the bombing of a South Korean airplane in 1987 which killed 115 people. North Korea was removed from the list in 2008 as part of a deal to reduce its nuclear program. The State Department says the U.S. secretary of state must find that the North has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism” to return it to the list. Currently, three nations -- Iran, Sudan and Syria -- are on the list. Experts disagree on whether the attack in Kuala Lumpur can be defined as an act of terrorism. Joshua Stanton is a lawyer who specializes in sanctions. He says the killing along with North Korea’s many other acts means that North Korea should be returned to the list. However, Daniel Benjamin, a former U.S. State Department counterterrorism official, says the case is very unusual and lies in a “gray zone.” A State Department spokesperson told VOA that the department uses “all available information and intelligence, from a variety of sources” on North Korea. The spokesperson added that, “even without being designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, North Korea remains among the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world.” I’m Ashley Thompson.   Chris Hannas, Jenny Lee, Cho Eunjung and Baik Sungwon reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Did you watch the speech or read about it? And what did you think -- good or bad? _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   plea –n. an official statement of guilt or innocence given in a court of law absurdity –n. extremely foolish, making no sense designate –v. to officially chose as, to identify something or someone as sanctioned –adj. to be the subject of sanctions

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Uber Chief Caught on Camera Arguing with Driver

  This is What’s Trending Today. You can order a ride from Uber in nearly every major city. Uber has drivers working in more than 500 cities on six continents. While the ride-sharing service remains popular, 2017 is starting out as a difficult year for the company. A story published Tuesday on the Bloomberg news service’s website has a video of Uber’s chief executive officer (CEO) arguing with his driver. Travis Kalanick is the Uber official. Fawzi Kamel is the driver. The video of the two men was YouTube’s most popular Wednesday morning. It was seen over 1 million times in 24 hours.  Kamel made the video in early February on the day of the Super Bowl, the championship of American football. The Uber chief is shown sitting with two women in the back seat of Kamel’s car. Kalanick and the women are talking about the company’s recent troubles. The problems include Uber’s testing of self-driving cars and reports of workers making unwanted sexual comments. There also is a court case with Google based on claims that one Uber employee stole secrets about self-driving car technology. In addition, some of Uber’s drivers and riders criticized Kalanick for agreeing to join President Donald Trump’s council of business leaders. Kalanick later resigned from the council. On top of that, many drivers are not happy that Uber said they could earn a certain amount of money, but then reduced its fares in order to compete with services like Lyft. At one point in the video, Kalanick tells the women he makes sure “every year is a hard year … if it’s easy, I’m not pushing hard enough.” After the women leave the car, Kamel states that he has lost money because of Uber’s changing rates. He says he lost $97,000 and is bankrupt because of Kalanick’s policies. Kalanick goes on to say “some people … blame everything in their life on somebody else.” The discussion does not end well. Many people are reacting to the video of the argument. One of them is Kalanick, who wrote an email to Uber workers Tuesday night.  He apologized to Kamel and said he plans to get someone to help him lead the company. “I need leadership help, and I intend to get it,” he wrote. The video has over 2,000 comments, too. One person wrote he only earned $2.75 an hour as a driver for Uber. Another wrote: “(this is) the exact reason I stopped driving for Uber.” Kamel received praise for standing up to the Uber CEO when he had him in the car. Jon Clay wrote: “you are the man, times a million!” 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 Uber video? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   council – n. a group of people who are chosen to make rules, laws, or decisions about something fare – n. the money a person pays to travel on a bus, train, boat, or airplane or in a taxi bankrupt – adj. unable to pay debts

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US, Japan, S. Korea Explore Limits to N. Korea’s Arms

  The United States is increasing pressure on North Korea to cut back on its nuclear activities. The U.S. government also wants to build ties with allies and partners in East Asia to deal with the rising threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea. This week, the State Department released a statement on North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. It said the programs directly threaten the security of South Korea, Japan and the United States. South Korean, Japanese and U.S. officials met in Washington on Monday to discuss ways to restrict the money North Korea spends on weapons development. The three said they “explored a joint way forward toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea.” Joseph Yun is the State Department’s Special Representative for North Korea Policy. He led the meeting with Japanese and South Korean officials. The discussions followed an earlier foreign ministerial meeting in the German city of Bonn. They were at least partly a reaction to North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch on February 12. The State Department noted: “The officials considered other possible measures under national authorities, including means to restrict further the revenue sources for North Korea’s weapons programs, particularly illicit activities.” Stephen Noerper is a professor at Columbia University and serves as a director of the Korea Society. He says “human rights and financial measures” are two issues that have had the greatest effect on North Korea. In the past, U.S. officials have threatened to send reports of human rights abuses by the government of Kim Jong Un to the International Criminal Court. The U.S. government also has taken steps to restrict the finances of North Korean individuals and groups. Anthony Ruggiero is with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a research center in Washington. He told VOA that the U.S. Japan and South Korea should decide on new action against North Korea. He said the three should target North Korea’s provocative activities. Ruggiero also said cooperation with China was important. “Beijing should at least be part of the focus of renewed North Korea sanctions,” he said. Stephen Noerper, however, notes that some Chinese officials have blamed U.S. actions for recent efforts by North Korea to expand its missile program. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi on Tuesday. The two discussed what they called, the “mutually beneficial economic relationship” between the U.S. and China. But they also noted concerns about North Korean nuclear activities. On Monday, Yang spoke briefly with U.S. President Donald Trump after he met with Trump’s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster. Yang also met with Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The United States, China, Japan and South Korea are all members of what diplomats call the six party talks. The two other members are North Korea and Russia. The six party talks have been held at different times since 2003. The goal was to expand economic aid, security guarantees and diplomatic ties with North Korea in exchange for the North suspending its nuclear weapons program. However, all six countries have not held talks since North Korea tested a nuclear device in 2009. That was one of five nuclear tests the country has carried out. Some former U.S. officials say it is time to deal with North Korea in a different way. They say direct engagement with the North could help develop ways to avoid a possible conflict that is in no one’s interest. I’m Mario Ritter. Nike Ching and Victor Beattie reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English with additional material from Reuters and AP. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ballistic missile – n. a missile that can travel long distances to strike a target verifiable – adj. able to be proved true or made known authorities – n. the power to give an order or do something revenue – n. money that is earned through business activity illicit – adj. not allowed, not lawful provocative – adj. meant to cause a response or argument mutually beneficial – adj. helping both sides equally engagement – n. the act of being involved with someone or something

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Trump Praised for Speech, But Can He Continue Unifying Message?

  President Donald Trump won cheers by calling for unity in his speech to Congress Tuesday night. Trump appealed to Americans to unite and work together on job creation, national security and other issues. Some wished he gave the speech at the start of his presidency, just over 40 days ago. That was the opinion of The Mercury News in San Jose, California. “Had he (Trump) offered this speech a month ago, at least some of the panic that has accompanied his election might have been calmed,” the newspaper said in an editorial. The Mercury News said it cannot forget that Trump in his speech asked for an end to “trivial fights” after fighting since the start of his presidency. His targets have included the news media, the U.S. National Park Service and even movie stars like Meryl Streep. But the newspaper praised Trump for not talking so much about himself during the speech. Instead, it was “we, we, we -- as it should be in a democracy,” the editorial said. Many of the president’s supporters loved what they heard. In Holmes, Pennsylvania, Bryan Gallagher said, “To bring money back and jobs back, anybody that’s finally talking about the economy and American workers. What’s wrong with that?” Even some of Trump’s critics offered praise. Van Jones is a liberal commentator for CNN television. Jones said he disagrees with most of what Trump proposed Tuesday night. But he said it was a special moment when the president recognized the wife of a U.S. Navy seal killed in Yemen. She fought back tears as lawmakers and others in the Capitol building stood and cheered for over two minutes in tribute to her husband’s bravery. “He (Trump) became president of the United States in that moment, period,” Jones said. Members of Trump’s Republican Party joined in the praise. Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming said the president’s speech offered “the same spirit of optimism that I hear from people all around Wyoming.” Yet there were questions about whether Trump can put into action the long list of proposals he noted during his hour-long speech. “Like most presidents he was strong on the goodies, but a little weak on how to pay for it,” said Texas Congressman Joe Barton, a Republican. California Senator Dianne Feinstein added: “It sounds great to slash taxes and spend more money while at the same time balancing the budget, but that’s not how real life works.” Feinstein is a leading member of the Democratic Party. But an opinion survey for CNN found that about seven in 10 Americans who watched the speech said they are now more hopeful about the future of the country. Jeff Olsen is an educator and Trump supporter in Texas. “I would have felt a lot better hearing this speech five weeks ago,” he said. “We’re all Americans. We all want to see what’s best for America, but I think there’s a much more unifying tone in what he said this evening.” Will he return to Twitter? There were questions about whether Trump after making a generally well-received speech about unity might soon return to Twitter to attack his critics. “He has been known to step on his own message with an aggrieved tweet or two,” wrote Peter Nicholas in the Wall Street Journal. “In the White House, some senior aides are no doubt hoping the new president returns to (the White House), puts his phone away and goes to bed, having helped his cause.” International reaction Russia said it did not take issue with Trump’s decision not to talk about Russia Tuesday night. It is natural for him to “be busy with American affairs while our president (Vladimir) Putin is busy with Russian affairs,’” a statement said. Chinese officials disputed Trump’s criticism in his speech of one-sided trade deals. He said that such deals led to factory closings in the United States, with businesses moving their operations to China. A representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China-U.S. trade benefits both countries. I’m Jill Robbins. And I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert wrote this story for VOA Learning English. It was based partly on reports from VOA’s Chris Hannas, Katherine Gypson Kane Farabaugh, Michael O'Sullivan and Carolyn Presutti. 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. Did you watch the speech or read about it? And what did you think -- good or bad? _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   panic - n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally accompany - v. to go somewhere with someone editorial - n. an essay in a newspaper or magazine that gives the opinions of its editors or publishers moment - n. a very short period of time tribute – n. something that you saw or do to show respect for someone optimism - n. feeling very hopeful something good will happen slash - v. to reduce by a large amount evening - n. nighttime aggrieved - adj. feeling anger because of unfair treatment

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Peter Ripken: A Life in Literature

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Peter Ripken: A Life in Literature

  Peter Ripken loves literature. The man from Frankfurt, Germany reads books by writers all over the world. And he learned years ago that not all nations permit writers to express themselves freely. In fact, free expression can be quite dangerous in many places. So, Ripken decided to act. He helped establish an organization to protect writers. The International Cities of Refuge Network, ICORN, was born in 1993. Its founders sought to persuade cities, not central government, to give refuge to persecuted writers. “I got involved in the program where persecuted writers are being given refuge in cities in Germany, and Frankfurt was one of the first cities and I was involved right from the beginning, from the mid 90s, to set up this program. The first organization was called “International Parliament of Writers.” In 2006, then we came together and established ICORN - International Cities of Refuge Network.” It was not his original plan. He had a different view of his future as a young man. “When I was 15 I was thinking because of my reading obsession to become a bookseller when  I was 15, sort of graduating from primary school. And then my mother said, ‘You do your high school diploma first and then you can still become a bookseller’ and so on.  So she influenced me on that.” A bookseller he did not become. Instead, in the late 1960s, Peter Ripken began a five year stint as a manager in an aid organization working in Africa. But his affinity for the written word remained strong.  And then he got a call. “Then I was being asked, ‘Can you help us, somebody has defected our radio station?’ So, I worked for three years at that radio station, Voice of Germany that is the equivalent to Voice of America. I worked as a deputy editor for the Africa section and I liked it. But when somebody else came and said ‘we have this organization promoting African, Asian, Latin American literature and we need somebody with your background to follow a person who has left us, can you do it, do you want to do it?’” Ripken did not hesitate.  “I said yes. I thought maybe I do that five years but I did it for 20 because it was so interesting meeting authors, traveling to literary conferences, doing workshops with publishers and authors. That was so varied, so interesting that I did it for 20 years!” Peter Ripken grew up reading German authors. But his interests broadened to other European and American literature.  Then, he found what he calls books ‘outside of the norm.’  This helped grow his interest in political developments in other regions. “I read mostly novels. I started early reading African, Arab, Indian authors, Latin American authors.That was one thing, and going with it I had a strong interest in political developments in other continents. I'm especially interested in political developments in Africa and the Arab world. And I've made efforts to find out by traveling, by meeting people, by going to conferences. And these two elements have shaped my life.” Peter Ripken has written one book himself.  At the height of the anti-apartheid struggle, he wrote a handbook on Southern Africa. But poetry came along later for Ripken, and with a little pressure. “I remember a Moroccan poet at one time told me, ‘You Europeans, you are doing everything to kill poetry.’ And I wanted to prove to him that I was not killing poetry, so I read poetry and I edited anthologies.” Last year Peter Ripken retired after several years as ICORN’s chairman. But he is still active in the organization. He and many others are developing relationships with new partners and supporters. The goal is to increase the group’s capacity to protect and promote writers and artists at risk around the world. More than 60 cities have joined the network, and no less than 170 writers and artists have found shelter in an ICORN member city. In 2016, International Cities of Refuge Network celebrated its 10-year anniversary.  And Ripken says he will continue to stay busy in the world of arts and literature. “There’s one project we are setting up a cultural center in southern Spain for encounters between writers and artists from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, France and Germany. I'm involved there. I'm involved in an information center in Southern Africa. I am preparing with a friend a handbook of African literature. And corresponding with people and, partly I must say, also traveling.” Peter Ripken hopes to be remembered as somebody who promoted creativity and supported literature as a political tool and source of enjoyment. “At one time I was over political. For example, I read literature at a time as literature with a “brandish fist,” as a political weapon. I looked at the content and it was only later that I discovered that literature in itself is pleasure. Reading can move you, enlighten you and to convey to others this notion that I think is what I believe is my main motivation. What makes me tick!” I’m Marsha James. Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Next time on People in America, meet Assal Ravandi, founder and president of the Academy of United States Veterans. Listening Quiz See how well you understand this story by taking a listening quiz. Play each video, then answer the question. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   persecuted – v. to treat someone unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs obsession – n. an activity that someone is very interested in or spends a lot of time doing bookseller – n. a person or company that sells books stint – n. a period of time spent doing a certain job or activity affinity - n. a liking for or an attraction to something equivalent – adj. having the same value, use, meaning promote – v. to help something happen, develop or increase hesitate – v. without delay or doubts varied – adj. having many forms or types: including many different things outside of the norm – idiom exp. not normal, not common nonfiction – n. writing that is about facts or real events anthologies – n a published collection of writings such as poems or short stories by different authors brandish fist – exp. Waving the hand with its fingers bent down into the palm in a threatening or excited manner convey – v. to make something known to someone notion – n. an idea or opinion

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Assal Ravandi, Founder of Academy of United States Veterans

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