As Violent Protests Continue, Venezuela’s Health Care Suffers

  Anti-government protesters clashed with security forces Wednesday in Caracas, Venezuela, as crisis conditions in the country worsen. One person was killed in the violence. Local politician Ramon Muchacho said 84 people were sent to the hospital. National Guard soldiers used tear gas and water canons against the protesters, who were trying to march to the Supreme Court. Protesters there have reportedly thrown bottles filled with human waste at security forces. At least 39 people have died since protests started in April. On Wednesday, Miguel Castillo, a 27-year-old college graduate, was killed. Tensions intensified last week after President Nicholas Maduro sought to hold a special assembly to rewrite the country’s constitution. Opposition leaders say he is trying to keep himself and his allies in power. Health services suffering as unrest worsens The unrest appears to be affecting many parts of Venezuelan society -- including health services. A recent report released by the Health Ministry says that the number of women who died in childbirth in 2016 reached 756. That is a 66 percent increase from the year before. Infant deaths have also increased sharply. And confirmed cases of malaria in the country increased 76 percent from the year before. The report was the first released by the Health Ministry since July 2015. It is not clear why the ministry restarted publishing its weekly report. President Maduro has blamed the health crisis on medicine hoarding. His government says some the country’s richest citizens are holding onto large amounts of medicine to create unrest. A leading group representing drug makers says there are shortages of 85 percent of medicines. Long waits have been reported at pharmacies. Because of the country’s deep economic crisis, many doctors are leaving the country. Patients are having a hard time getting treatment. The Venezuelan economy was hit hard by the fall in oil prices more than two years ago. The Maduro government has been unable to ease high inflation, shortages of goods and services and growing unrest.   I’m Mario Ritter. Smita Nordall reported these stories for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tension –n. a state in which people, groups, countries, etc., disagree with and feel anger toward each other​ hoarding –n. to withhold something from being sold pharmacies –n. a store where drugs and medicines are prepared and stored We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Indian Supreme Court Considers Legality of Islamic Custom

The Supreme Court in India has opened hearings on an Islamic custom for ending a marriage. The high court is considering the legality of immediate, or instant, divorce in Islam. Muslim men are able to end their marriage by saying or writing the word “talaq” -- or “divorce” -- three times. Muslim women’s rights groups hope the court will rule against instant divorce. They say such a ruling will correct what they call a “long-pending injustice” to Muslim women. Many groups debated the issue before the hearing on Thursday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported calls to end the practice. But conservative Muslim religious leaders strongly oppose a ban. They accuse the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using political tricks to take away Muslim identity. The case was brought to the high court by 35-year-old Shayara Khan. Her marriage came to an end after she received a letter from her husband that had the word 'talaq' three times. Those words have been heard or read by thousands of other Muslim women. In India, each religion has separate laws that govern marriage and adopting someone else’s child as a family member. They also affect maintenance -- the custom that enables a Muslim man to end his marriage without his wife’s approval in just a few seconds. Shayara Khan says she wanted a voice in the decision that changed her life. She says the Islamic tradition of “triple talaq” violates the Indian constitution -- which protects equality for both sexes. In her request to the court, Shayara noted that the tradition leaves women weak and defenseless. The request noted that some women have been divorced through Skype and text messages. Several others have joined her appeal to the court. Activists for women expressed hope as the court considers the legality of the custom. Zakia Soman is with the Indian Muslim Women’s Movement. She said she is “100 percent optimistic” that the court will correct a “long-pending injustice” against Muslim women in India. “We want a Muslim personal law that enables equality in marriage and family matters,” she said. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board wants the court to continue to permit “triple talaq.” It says the custom cannot be banned because it is permitted under Sharia, or Islamic, laws. The group said it has begun teaching Muslim men that the custom should only be used when all attempts at saving the marriage have failed. Kamal Farooqui is a member of the board. He says the religious laws of Islam cannot be rewritten by governments. He told VOA, "The whole jurisprudence is a God-gifted one -- it is not a man-made constitution and these laws are the laws of the divine which cannot be changed. Those honorable judges who do not know anything about Islam, who do not know the background of Quran, how can they interpret it?” Women’s groups say the practice is a misinterpretation of Islamic law. They note that India’s neighbors Bangladesh and Pakistan do not permit the “triple talaq.” Hasina Khan works at the Bebaak Collective, a women’s organization. She says Muslim religious leaders in India have failed to listen to the concerns of women. Khan says Muslim women have asked Muslim organizations for help, but “they have not listened, not given priority for the Muslim women’s struggles. That is why we had to come to the court.” Prime Minister Modi’s government told the court that the custom denies Muslim women “the full enjoyment of fundamental rights under the constitution.” And it said “triple talaq” should not be considered an important part of Islam.  Some Muslims fear that the Hindu nationalist BJP is using the issue to create support for a common family law for people of all religions. The possibility of doing so has been debated for many years in India, but political parties have yet to take action. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Correspondent Anjana Pasricha reported this story from New Delhi. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   divorce – n. the ending of a marriage by a legal process Sharia – n. the religious laws based on the Koran that Muslims follow jurisprudence – n. the study of law divine – adj. relating to or coming from God or a god interpret – v. to understand (something) in a specified way misinterpretation – n. to understand or explain (something) incorrectly; to interpret (something) incorrectly Quran – n. Islam’s holy book  

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Different Meanings of 'Have' in Everyday Speech

"There Will Be Blood" is a film about Daniel Plainview, an American oil man in the early part of the 20th century. The film's story is dark. Plainview builds his oil business slowly by using cruel, sometimes painful actions. The world he lives in is not a happy one. A famous line from the 2007 movie sounds like this: "I have two others [oil wells] drilling and I have 16 [oil wells] producing at Antelope. So, ladies and gentlemen, if I say I'm an oil man, you will agree. Now, you have a great chance here, but bear in mind you can lose it all if you're not careful."  This week, our Everyday Grammar story is not about building an oil business. Instead, our report deals with verbs. The verb have appeared several times in the audio you heard. You might have noticed that it had two somewhat different meanings. Today, we will discover how the verb have often goes with specific nouns or noun phrases to express an idiomatic meaning. The verb have Have is very common in both speaking and writing. It is common because it has many meanings and uses. The verb have is irregular. In other words, the past tense is not formed by adding the usual -ed ending. Today, we look at how to use have when it is the main verb in the sentence. One common structure is have + noun phrase. For example, you might hear a person say "I have a bicycle," or "I don't have a bicycle." In these sentences, the verb "have" means to own or possess something. This use of have is somewhat rare in everyday speech, say Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber, two experts on English grammar. In everyday speech, several nouns often appear after the verb have. Together, these structures express idiomatic meanings. In other words, the meaning of the group of words is different from the individual words. Today, we will consider two common idiomatic meanings of the have + noun phrase structure. These structures are very common in films and popular music. #1 To be thinking about something The verb have often appears before noun phrases such as "an idea," "no idea," or "a question". When the verb have appears with these noun phrases, the structure takes on an idiomatic meaning: to be thinking about something. Consider this example from the 1971 film “Klute.” "I have no idea what's going to happen. I just, I can't stay in this city, you know? Maybe I'll come back. You'll probably see me next week." You will notice that the speaker says "I have no idea…”. The speaker means that she is actively thinking about something and is unable to provide an answer at this time. How is this statement different than saying something like "I don't know"? Saying "I have no idea" is more forceful than saying "I don't know." They have the same general meaning -- but they have a small difference in terms of style. A less common noun that often comes with the verb have is the word plan. In the horror film “The Silence of the Lambs,” actor Anthony Hopkins as Doctor Hannibal Lecter gives you an example of this structure: "Clarice Starling: Where are you, Dr. Lecter? Hannibal Lecter: I've no plans to call on you, Clarice. The world is more interesting with you in it." When Lecter says he has no plans to call on Clarice, what he actually means is that he is not thinking about killing her. So, why did he say "I have no plans..." instead of "I'm not thinking about..."? One possible explanation is this: Hannibal Lecter is a movie character who is always planning. His statement could mean that his plans might change in the future. Whatever the case, he likes to leave his statements unclear. #2 To get an opportunity/time to do something The verb have often goes with other noun phrases, such as chance or time. When have goes with these noun phrases, it means to get an opportunity or to get time to do something. So, for example, many American students have said "I didn't have time to do my science homework," or "I didn't have a chance to read the book." You heard another example of this structure at the beginning of this program: "Now, you have a great chance here, but bear in mind you can lose it all if you're not careful." Daniel Plainview is trying to persuade people to help him build oil wells. So, he uses the words "you have a great chance here." He wants people to think of how they will profit from working with him (or giving him money). What can you do? The main idea of this report was to explain common have + noun phrase expressions. The next time you are watching an American film or listening to American music, try to find examples of have + noun phrase. Do the speakers use it in its traditional sense (to own or possess something)? Or do they use it in a different, idiomatic way? Once you have learned the meaning of the phrase, ask yourself why the speaker may have said what they did. Did the speaker say it for a stylistic reason? The answers to these questions may not be easy. However, asking them can help you begin to understand how culture, style, and grammar work together. That is all for today. Now, you have a chance to go learn other meanings of the verb have. I'm John Russell. And I'm Jill Robbins.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea, but do not usually form a complete sentence irregular – n. grammar not following the normal rules by which word forms (such as the past tenses of verbs) are usually created idiomatic – adj. an expression that is an idiom – it cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words because it has a separate meaning of its own bear in mind – expression. to remember or take into consideration style – n. a way of doing something; an appearance or design bicycle – n. a vehicle with two wheels; an exercise machine that looks like such a vehicle character – n. personality grammar – n. the study of words, what they do and their relations in sentences  

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Robot Helps Sick Child Go to School

  Cloe Gray watches a computer screen most of the day, sitting in her pink bedroom surrounded by stuffed animals, books and photos on the wall. The 11-year-old is not able to go to school. She is at home in the U.S. state of Maryland, recovering from surgery. The computer is there to control a robot that goes to school in her place. The robot comes from a company called Double Robotics. It is officially called a “telepresence robot,” but her friends at school like to call it the “Clo-bot.” The robot is an iPad tablet connected to a long pole on a set of wheels. Cloe can control the robot using her home computer. The tablet has a camera with a special lens that allows Cloe to see most of the classroom. She can speak to the teacher and her classmates using a microphone. A speaker allows them to hear her. If she wants to answer a question, she presses a button that makes the robot taller. That allows her teacher, Mary Fucella, to see her. “It’s just like having the normal Cloe in the classroom,” Fucella said. Cloe likes it so much better than having a special teacher, called a tutor, come to her home for one-on-one instruction. It allows Cloe to interact with her friends and teachers. It is almost like going to school. ​Cloe’s school district has six of the robots, and each costs about $3,000. Cloe’s robot was donated by a local charity. Patrick Malone works in the school district’s technology office. He said the six robots make a big difference for kids who cannot come to school. “Every kid that uses this technology starts to smile again,” he said. “They start to feel like a regular kid again, and I cannot put a price on that.” David Cann is the head of Double Robotics. He knows these robots are important for students who are sick and cannot regularly go to school. He is happy his company can “provide a way for all students to attend school, no matter their situation.” There are about 300 Double Robotics robots in schools in the U.S. Schools in China, Japan, Australia and Canada are also using them. While they seem to be a success, the robots do take some getting used to. Kyla Jones is Cloe’s friend. They walk to lunch together in the school’s cafeteria. “At first, it was kind of weird,” Jones said of walking around with a robot. But now the girls act as if nothing has changed. They have their normal conversations and Cloe has lunch at home while her friends have lunch at school. It can be hard for the Clo-bot to move in a crowded lunchroom. But once Clo-bot is at her favorite table with her friends, it is almost as good as being there in person. Cloe said, however, she will be happy when she is able to go back to school, and she will not miss the Clo-bot at all. I’m Dan Friedell.   Carolyn Presutti wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you know someone who could be helped by a robot? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pink – n. a pale red color : a color that is a mixture of red and white lens – n. a clear curved piece of glass or plastic that is used in eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, etc., to make things look clearer, smaller, or bigger cafeteria – n. a place (such as a restaurant or a room in a school) where people get food at a counter and carry it to a table for eating

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Study Explores Southeast Asian Opinions on Trump Administration

President Donald Trump and his administration have been reaching out to Southeast Asian countries in recent weeks. A new study suggests that trust between Southeast Asia and the United States is at a low point. The study is called “How Do Southeast Asians View the Trump Administration?” It was a project of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Yusof Ishak was Singapore’s first president. The online survey was completed last month. The center received answers from more than 300 people from throughout ASEAN -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. They included government officials, civil society members, business leaders, educators and media workers. About 43 percent of those questioned said the Trump administration was “not interested” in Southeast Asia. Thirty-seven percent said the opposite. About the same number of people said they expected U.S. dealings with Southeast Asia to decrease. They also said the United States was “undependable” as an ally compared to four months ago. The Trump administration has sought to ease such concerns. Last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held meetings with ASEAN foreign ministers and top officials with the 10-member group. It was the first time a U.S. secretary of state hosted such talks in Washington, D.C. The visitors took part in discussions on trade, North Korea and the South China Sea. They even went to a baseball game. The first 100 days of the Trump administration were marked by a lack of high-level U.S. contacts with Southeast Asia. The area enjoyed strong ties with the United States during the presidency of Barack Obama. With his invitation to the ASEAN officials, Tillerson wanted to improve ties. “The secretary underscored that the region remains a very important partner for the United States, in fact a strategic partner,” said W. Patrick Murphy on May 4. Murphy is the deputy assistant secretary for the bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Before the gathering, Trump invited the leaders of Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines to the White House. The U.S. leader is expected at two meetings in November: one with ASEAN leaders, the other with members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group, or APEC. But the survey found that that only 10 percent of respondents think Trump will “definitely” attend the two meetings. Another 38 percent think his attendance is likely, while 32 percent said it is unlikely. The ASEAN Studies Centre noted the answers do not represent public opinion in Southeast Asia, which is home to 600 million people.  The head of the center, Tang Siew Mun, said the Trump administration getting poor ratings in Southeast Asia was expected. But what surprised him was the “intensity” of the respondents’ opinions. “The survey shows an obvious lack of confidence in the U.S. and its dependability as an ally has also taken a beating,” he wrote in an email. He added that the survey should not be seen as a rejection of the U.S. in Southeast Asia, but as a call for more involvement from Washington.  It should come as no surprise that those questioned noted Chinese involvement in Southeast Asia. About 44 percent said Southeast Asia is “more stable and secure with active U.S. engagement.” But more than 51 percent said the United States has lost strategic ground to China since Trump became president. In addition, more than 73 percent said that China is the most influential country in Southeast Asia. Most of the survey’s answers came from Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam. Yet all 10 countries in ASEAN were represented. One of the countries, Myanmar, and the United States strengthened ties during the Obama presidency. Foreign Minister and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi did not attend the meeting last week in Washington. She instead sent her national security adviser with a letter for Tillerson. Both governments said her inability to attend was just a result of conflicting schedules. She was in Europe last week. But observers say her absence was evidence of the different treatment Myanmar received under Obama. He visited the country twice and invited Aung San Suu Kyi to the White House. I’m Alice Bryant And I’m Pete Musto.   Joe Freeman wrote this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. How involved in Southeast Asia do you think the United States should be? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   view – adj. officially confirmed as real or true underscore – v. to make clear strategic – adj. necessary or important to completion of a plan definitely – adj. of or having set limits; unquestionable host – v. to entertain guests socially or as a job​ engagement – n. ​the act or state of being involved with something​ schedule – n. a plan or list absence – n. a state or condition in which something is absent​

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American Teen’s Chicken Nugget Request Sets New Twitter Record

  This is What's Trending Today... For more than three years, television show host Ellen Degeneres has held the world record for most retweeted Twitter message. More than 3.4 million people have retweeted a “selfie-style” photo she took while she was hosting the 2014 Academy Awards show, or Oscars. Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Bradley Cooper are in the photo with her.   Now, however, the retweet record belongs to someone else. Unlike Ellen, he is not famous. His name is Carter Wilkerson. He is 16 years old and lives in Reno, Nevada. On April 5, he posted a question on Twitter. “Yo @Wendys, how many retweets for a year of chicken nuggets?” he wrote. Wendy’s is a fast food restaurant. There are many of them all over the United States. They serve food like hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, and, yes, chicken nuggets -- small pieces of fried chicken. Wendy’s quickly came up with a number for Wilkerson. The company said on Twitter it would give him free chicken nuggets for a year for 18 million retweets. Later that day, Wilkerson posted a picture of his question and Wendy’s answer. He asked Twitter users to help him reach his goal of 18 million retweets. Wilkerson’s campaign for free chicken nuggets soon went viral. Famous people like actors, sports stars and politicians retweeted. So did many lesser-known Twitter users. They used the hashtag #NuggsforCarter. “Nuggs” is a short form of “nuggets.” Earlier this week, Wilkerson reached 3.42 million retweets. That is still well short of Wendy’s request for 18 million. But it was enough to break the world record on Twitter. It was also enough, apparently, for Wendy’s. The company said it would give Wilkerson free nuggets for a year, anyway.   ​ Wendy’s officials congratulated him for breaking the Twitter record. They also announced a donation of $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption. Thomas was the founder of Wendy’s restaurants. He started the aid organization to help find homes for children under the care of the government. Carter Wilkerson himself created a website to help raise money for the foundation. Marketing experts have been writing about Wilkerson’s success. They are studying how average Twitter users  -- and not only so-called “influencers” -- are important for advertisers and businesses such as Wendy’s. Influencers are those people who have the power to influence many people through social or traditional media. They are famous people or people with a lot of followers. Other Twitter users are now following Wilkerson’s lead. One asked Taco Bell, another fast food restaurant, how many retweets he needed to get free tacos for a year. And another asked President Trump on Twitter how many retweets he would need to receive a year of college for free.   ​ So far, though, those questions have not been answered. And that’s What’s Trending Today… I'm Caty Weaver.  Ashley Thompson wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story host - n. a person (especially a man) who is entertaining guests socially or as a job viral - adj. spreading very quickly to many people especially through the Internet advertiser - n. a person or company that makes the public aware of a product, service, or event. influence - v. to affect or change (someone or something) in an indirect but usually important way taco - n. a Mexican food that consists of a folded and usually fried piece of thin bread (called a tortilla) that is filled with meat, cheese, lettuce, etc.

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How Long Americans Live Depends on Where They Live

  A new study has found that how long Americans live depends on where they live. Researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation or IHME at the University of Washington in Seattle found that the gap between counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies is larger now than it was in 1980. And life expectancy is falling in some counties. The researchers say this shows there is a large “and growing inequality in the health of Americans.” Several counties in the states of North and South Dakota, where many Native Americans live, have the lowest life expectancy rate. In Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, the life expectancy was 66.8 in 2014. There has also been a drop in the life expectancy rate in counties in poor areas of Kentucky and West Virginia. In Owsley County, Kentucky, life expectancy was 72.4 years in 1980. But by 2014 it had fallen to 70.2. Some of the counties with the highest life expectancy are in the western state of Colorado. Summit County had the longest life expectancy at 86.8 years. It was 86.5 in Pitkin County and 85.9 in Eagle County. The average life expectancy in the United States was 79.1 in 2014. Dr. Ali Mokdad is one of the authors of the study. He says the findings demonstrate an urgent need “to reduce inequality in the health of Americans.” He says “federal, state and local health departments need to invest in programs that work and engage their communities in disease prevention and health promotion.” The study showed that spending more money on healthcare does not appear to increase life expectancy. The United States spends more per person on health care than many developed countries -- $9,237 per person in 2014. That compares to $4,032 spent by Australia, which has a life expectancy of 82.3 and Japan, which spent $3,816 and has one of the highest life expectancies in the world at 83.1. Laura Dwyer-Lindgren is a researcher at IHME and one of the authors of the study. She says examining “life expectancy on a national level masks the massive differences that exist at the local level, especially in a country as diverse as the United States. Risk factors like obesity, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, and smoking explain a large portion of the variation in lifespans, but so do socioeconomic factors like race, education and income.” Dr. Christopher Murray is the director of the IHME. He says “the inequality in health in the United States -- a country that spends more on health care than any other -- is unacceptable. Every American, regardless of where they live or their background, deserves to live a long and healthy life. If we allow trends to continue as they are, the gap will only widen between counties.” The study was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. I’m Phil Dierking. VOANews.com reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his reporting for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   gap – n. a difference between two people, groups or things (often + between) life expectancy – n. the average number of years that a person or animal can expect to live engage – v. to get and keep (someone’s attention, interest, etc.) mask – v. to keep (something) from being known or noticed risk factor – n. something that increases risk life span – n. the amount of time that a person or animal actually lives socioeconomic – adj. of, relating to or involving a combination of social and economic factors background – n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past

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News Words: Fired

You probably know that fire is the heat and light produced by something burning. But, fire, and the verb past tense form, fired, has other meanings. Learn about them in this week's News Words.

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May 11, 2017

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

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America's Presidents - Millard Fillmore

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Fallout from Trump's Dismissal of FBI Director

  American President Donald Trump’s decision to dismiss the FBI director led to calls for an independent investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election. James Comey, the dismissed FBI director, had told Congress his agency is investigating if people connected to Trump’s presidential campaign played a part in Russian election interference.      Pence: Firing not related to Russian investigation Some Democrats said the firing of Comey reminded them of President Richard Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre” in 1973. That is when Nixon ordered the firing of Archibald Cox. Cox was leading the investigation into a break-in at Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. “Not since Watergate have our legal systems been so threatened…” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that the president showed “strong and decisive” leadership and that the dismissal had nothing to do with the Russian investigation.     Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said dismissing the person overseeing the Russian investigation requires an independent prosecutor. Failure to do so, he said, means, “Every American will rightly suspect that the decision to fire Director Comey was part of a cover-up.”      Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans said no independent investigation is needed. Even without Comey, the FBI’s Russian investigation would continue, as would investigations by Congress, they said. At least 12 Republican senators expressed concern with Comey’s dismissal by Trump, especially why the decision was made now. White House cites report from Deputy Attorney General A spokesman for Trump said the president met on Monday with the attorney general and the deputy attorney general to discuss their concerns about Comey. Trump then asked the two top officials in the Justice Department to report their concerns and recommendations. In his report, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein wrote that Comey “made serious mistakes” in the investigation into Clinton’s handling of emails as U.S. Secretary of State in the Obama administration. He criticized Comey for announcing just 11 days before the election that his agents were taking another look at newly found Clinton emails. “Almost everyone agrees that the director made serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that unites people” of different political opinions, Rosenstein said. Trump informed Comey of his dismissal in a letter Tuesday. He wrote, “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I’m not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.” On Wednesday, The New York Times and other news organizations reported that just days before his dismissal, Comey had asked Rosenstein for more money for the Russian investigation. Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Flores said those reports are “totally false.” Trump attacks his critics on Twitter As a candidate, Trump praised Comey for his public criticism of Clinton. But he also said Comey was wrong not to move to charge her with crimes. On Wednesday, Trump defended his decision to dismiss Comey and criticized his critics in a series of tweets. “Cryin' Chuck Schumer stated recently, "I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer." Then acts so indignant.  #draintheswamp” “Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!” ​ Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you think Trump was right to fire the FBI director? ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   especially - adv. more than usually hack - v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage cyper - adj. related to computers massacre - n. to remove or kill many people confidence - n. a feeling or belief that someone can do well or succeed

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