China Answers Trump's Call for Trade Investigation

China says it will “resolutely safeguard” its economic interests if the United States investigates China’s possible theft of American intellectual property. Intellectual property includes inventions that are creatively produced, such as designs or technology. U.S. President Donald Trump signed what is called a presidential memorandum about the issue on Monday. The document directs the Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to investigate whether China has been illegally taking American intellectual property. The investigation will take as long as one year. On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Commerce warned the United States that China will not “sit by and watch” if the United States ignores international trade rules. Trump wants trade officials to look into the Chinese requirements for American companies to do business in China. He said the United States will “stand up to any country that unlawfully forces American companies to transfer their valuable technology” in order to do business there. Intellectual property owners have the right to sell their inventions to make money and competitors are barred from copying those inventions. However, if that intellectual property is stolen, the owners can lose money because other companies can make illegal versions of their product. “For too long this wealth has been drained from our country while Washington has done nothing,” Trump said. “As president of the United States, it is my duty and responsibility to protect the American worker’s technology and industry from unfair and abusive actions.” If the United States finds wrongdoing, it could ask the World Trade Organization to punish China or look for other solutions. Patrick Chovanec is the chief strategist at Silvercrest Asset Management, which is based in New York. He said the theft of international property by China has been happening for a long time. He said, in the past, China was unwilling to negotiate about intellectual property theft. However, Trump will need to decide, after the investigation ends, if he wants to seek trade restrictions. Chovanec said that, in the past, sanctions have caused China to react with similar measures. Before Trump signed the order, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying released a warning on Monday. Hua said Trump’s action could lead to a trade war in which “both sides will be the losers.” Trump has criticized the U.S. trade deficit with China, which was $347 billion in 2016. Trump has suggested that he would reduce criticism of China if the country did more to control North Korea and its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. China said on Monday that it is banning imports of coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. The move is required by new United Nations Security Council sanctions. The sanctions are aimed at cutting North Korea’s yearly export income by $1 billion. I'm Mario Ritter. And I'm Olivia Liu.   Ken Bredemeier reported this story for VOA News. Olivia Liu adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resolutely – adv. firmly, with resolve transfer –v. to cause something to be moved from one place to another drained – v. to slowly disappear sanctions – n. punishment meant to force a country to obey international law ballistic missile – n. a missile able to strike targets at great distances We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section below.

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Obama Tweet on Charlottesville Breaks Twitter Record

  This is What’s Trending Today… Barack Obama was the first president of the United States to be active on social media. When Obama left office in January, many people wondered if he would continue using services like Facebook and Twitter. It turns out, he tweets only a few times a month. After Donald Trump became president, Obama used Twitter to say some goodbyes and share memories from his eight years in the White House. He wished everyone a happy Valentine’s Day on February 14. In March, he tweeted about International Women’s Day, the death of singer Chuck Berry and a terrorist attack in London. In May, he tweeted about the bomb that killed over 20 people after American singer Ariana Grande performed in Manchester, England. In June, Obama wrote that of all the many things he has done, he was most proud to be the father of daughters Sasha and Malia. And he wished everyone a happy Father’s Day. Since then, he went on social media to write about health care, as the U.S. Senate debated the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. And he wished Senator John McCain a speedy recovery after tests showed McCain has a form of brain cancer. But it was Obama’s tweet from last weekend that has received the most attention. In fact, it is now the most-liked tweet of all time, with over 3.3 million likes in just a few days. Obama user Twitter to quote former South African president Nelson Mandela after deadly violence in the American city of Charlottesville, Virginia. His tweet came after a day in which white nationalists gathered to protest the city’s decision to move the statue of a Civil War general. Other protesters also gathered to denounce the group. One woman was killed and more than 20 others injured when a man drove a car into the counter-protesters. Obama wrote: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. …” The former president included a photograph of himself looking through a window at three children of different races. The Mandela quote continued to two more tweets, but the first one got the most attention. The tweet surpassed a tweet from Ariana Grande that expressed sympathy for those hurt by the bomb that exploded after her show. By Wednesday morning, Obama’s tweet was the fifth-most re-tweeted of all time, according to the website Favstar.fm. And that's What's Trending Today. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Dan Friedell reported on this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on information from VOANews.com and The Washington Post. George Grow was the editor. Did you like or re-tweet Obama’s tweet? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   goodbye – n. a message given before a person leaves proud – adj. very pleased because of something you have done quote – n. the act of repeating someone’s actual comments surpass– v. to become lower in amount or worse in condition according – adv. as stated by or in

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Explainer: Freedom of Assembly

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August 15, 2017

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

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Trump Again Blames ‘Both Sides’ for Charlottesville Violence

President Donald Trump has again blamed “both sides” for deadly clashes last weekend between white supremacists and other protesters. His comments came in response to questions from reporters Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York.  Trump said the groups that protested against white supremacists during the demonstrations Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, were “also very violent.” The latest remarks seemed to undo a statement Monday in which Trump condemned the actions of white supremacists and other hate groups. Trump’s prepared statement Monday came after he was heavily criticized for saying earlier that the Charlottesville violence was caused by “many sides.” In his statement Monday, the president said "racism is evil.” He added: “Those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans." In Charlottesville on Saturday, a 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 people were injured when a man drove his car into a crowd of activists. The activists were protesting a white supremacist demonstration. Another 15 people were injured in fights between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators. Trump blames 'both sides' In his comments Tuesday, Trump called the events in Charlottesville “a horrible day.” But he said there was “blame on both sides,” and added there are “two sides to a story.” Trump even praised his first comments on the issue. He added that some facts about the violence still are not known. When a reporter asked Trump about the alt-right’s role in the violence. Trump said, “Excuse me, what about the alt-left who came charging as you say at the alt-right? Do they have any semblance of guilt?” Trump added “I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. Not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch.” The president went on to say “Those people were also there because they wanted to protest the taking down of a statue of Robert Lee.” White nationalists, the KKK and others had gone to Charlottesville to protest the city’s decision to take down a monument. It was a statue of Robert E. Lee, an important Civil War general who fought for the southern states. The southern states were seeking to separate from the United States. Many find such monuments offensive because of the South’s support for slavery. Well-known former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke welcomed the president’s latest remarks. “Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth,” he tweeted. Others were quick to criticize his comments. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown tweeted, “There are not ‘many sides’ to blame for #Charlottesville. There is right and wrong. White nationalism, hatred and bigotry are wrong.” Texas Republican Representative Will Hurd called on Trump to apologize for his latest remarks. “Racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism of any form is unacceptable,” he told Cable News Network. “And the leader of the free world should be unambiguous about that.” I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   white supremacist – n. person who believes whites are better than blacks and other races evil - adj. morally bad thug – n. violent criminal repugnant – adj. causing a strong feeling of dislike or disgust bigotry – n. strong, unfair opinions about other groups or people unambiguous – adj.  clearly expressed or understood We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.  

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Promoting Gender Equality with Teaching Strategies

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series on promoting gender equality in the classroom.   The best educational environments are those that are fair to all students, male or female. But in many places around the world, female and male students do not always have the same chances for a good education. In today’s teaching tips, we will discuss supporting gender equality in the classroom. We also will discuss how to create a more equal and balanced learning environment.  ​Helping future generations The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says access to a good education is important for getting out of poverty. An educated individual is more likely to grow up healthy and have more opportunities for employment. This increases their chance of raising healthy children, and supporting them to also get an education.  When all students, both male and female, have equal access to educational opportunities, the results impact future generations.  Creating more equal educational opportunities for students begins in the classroom and with the teacher. A strong teacher is one who treats their students fairly and creates an environment where students feel equally able to take part.  ​ ​1. Tips for learning environments Teachers can create the appearance of gender bias through unintentional, nonverbal actions. The first step to correcting this problem is to organize your classroom in a way that makes all students feel equal.  Establish rules It is important for a teacher to establish a set of rules from the very beginning that promote equality. An effective way to do this is to create class rules with students. Ask students to suggest ideas for how to keep an equal and respectful classroom. This permits the teacher to point to the rules as something that the whole class has agreed on. It is important to include rules that deal with respecting students, respecting the teacher and participating in class. Have a classroom seating plan that supports equal participation. If you find that certain students, regardless of their gender, are not participating in class, try to change your class seating plan. For example, try having students who usually sit in the back come to the front.  Teachers tend to interact the most with students sitting closest to them. For this reason, it is important to change the seating order (if possible) to give all students a chance to sit near the teacher. Have equal academic and behavior expectations for all students Teachers should try to avoid making things easier for either male or female students by giving them easier questions in class, or trying to solve things for the students. Doing this can create the perception that certain students are not as smart as others. Teachers should hold the same expectations of all students. Use group work Often there will be some students, male or female, who are not comfortable speaking in front of large classes. But, they may feel more comfortable speaking in small groups. In order to give all students the opportunity to take part in class, try doing some activities in small groups of three to four students. ​ 2. Tips for classroom strategies After organizing your class in a way that promotes equality, the next step is to consider the effects of your actions in class.  Addressing students equally One of the main opportunities students have to participate in class is when they are answering teachers’ questions. Teachers need to call on or talk to both female and male students in a balanced way. Research shows that both male and female teachers often call on male students to speak in class more often than female students. Provide enough wait time to answer questions. Some students, male or female, may need time to think about the answer to a question when called on by a teacher. When calling on students who seem to wait longer to answer a question, make sure to give students at least four to five seconds. Research shows that giving students more time to answer will increase the number of students who participate. Use gender neutral language Sometimes in English people use male pronouns when referring to a group. But, this can make female students feel left out. Teachers should use gender neutral pronouns whenever possible. One example is, instead of saying “guys” when referring to a class or group (which is common in American English), say “everybody” or “everyone.” Body language Teachers may not realize that their body language with female students might be different from what it is with male students.  Whenever male or female students are talking, use respectful, listening body language. Face the listener, do not walk away, and do not interrupt students.  Also the teacher can move to different areas of the classroom while speaking. This is important because students sitting further from the teacher tend to participate less.   Discipline Be aware when male students insult female students, or female students insult male students. If the insults appear to be gender-based, students may be discouraged from participating in class in the future. Be quick to intervene and discipline the students making insults. This shows students of either gender that they will be supported. However it is important that both male and female students are given the same discipline for the same actions. These strategies will help teachers create a more equal classroom environment for their students. They will also help teachers effectively manage their classrooms. Remember: The best form of teaching is the fairest form of teaching! I’m Alice Bryant And I’m Phil Dierking   Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What other teaching strategies help promote gender quality in classrooms? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bias – n. a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly​ discipline – n. control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior​ gender – n. the state of being male or female​ impact – v. to have a strong and often bad effect on something or someone) neutral – adj. not expressing strong opinions or feelings​ perception – n. the way you think about or understand someone or something​ promote – v. to make people aware of something ​ participate – v. to be involved with others in doing something​ tend - v. used to describe what often happens or what someone often does or is likely to do​

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Who Were the Groups Protesting in Charlottesville?

Signs for the recent protest in Charlottesville, Virginia promised to “Unite the Right.” That expression was directed at white nationalist groups that oppose the removal of a statue from a public park in the city. The statue is of General Robert E. Lee, who led Confederate forces in battle during the Civil War. After four years of fighting, Union forces defeated the Confederates. The white nationalist groups have different plans and goals. Here is a look at some of the terms used to describe some of those present at the protest. White supremacist White supremacists believe the white race is better than other races. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a nonprofit civil rights group. It says white supremacy is a historically-based system of abuse and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by white people and nations of the European continent. The SPLC says the aim of the system is to protect and defend a system of wealth, power and rights. Alt-right Some white nationalists and white supremacists use the term “alt-right” to describe themselves. They want to restrict immigration, limit government powers, and enforce law and order. They believe Western culture is better than other cultures. Alt-right activists do not agree with the democratic ideal that all members of society should have equal rights. KKK or the Knights Party The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is one of the oldest hate groups in the United States. The group has a long history of violence. It began targeting black Americans. But it has also attacked Jews, immigrants, homosexuals and, until recently, Catholics. In 1975, David Duke founded the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Duke said his goal was to make the KKK less violent. He and his supporters call themselves the Knights Party. They believe that non-whites should obey Christian teachings. They believe whites must not marry or live near non-whites. They also believe that “in the years to come,” they will be recognized by the American people as the white rights movement. Neo-Nazis or American Nazi Party The Neo-Nazis or American Nazi Party wants all Aryans in North America to unite. On its website, the party says there must be “an all-White National Socialist America; an America in which our children and our grandchildren will play and go to school with other white children; an America in which they will date and marry other young people of our own race; an America in which all their offspring will be beautiful, healthy white babies.” The party says the culture, society, businesses and politics of the United States should be free of foreign and Jewish influence; “an America in which White people are the sole masters of our own destiny.” Neo-Confederate Neo-Confederates believe the American Civil War never ended. They consider themselves members of a new Confederate Army. Their goal is to have a country made up only of the southern states. Traditional Workers Party Members of The Traditionalist Worker Party believe the U.S. is “far too large, diverse, and infested with lobbyists and oligarchs for realistic solutions to come from a centralized, top-down approach to solving political problems.” The group wants power taken from “the corrupt and unaccountable federal government.” It says power should be given to “community and regional leaders who stand for traditional values, strong families, and revived cultures.” Groups opposing the “Unite the Right” demonstration At least two opposing groups publicly opposed the protest last Saturday. Black Lives Matter The Black Lives Matter (BLM) group says on its website that it is working for the “validity of black life.” The group was founded in 2012 after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teenager. BLM says it supports “black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with (criminal) records, women and all black lives along the gender spectrum.” Antifa Antifa is short for the term anti-fascists. Mark Bray wrote a book called Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook. He says the antifa movement came out of resistance to Italian leader Benito Mussolini and German leader Adolf Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s. The movement opposes the alt-right and the rule of U.S. President Donald Trump. These groups are not organized and not considered widespread throughout the country. They strongly oppose discrimination against homosexuality, racism, sexism, and sometimes capitalism.   VOA’s Aline Barros researched and wrote this explanation of protest groups in the United States. 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   homosexual – n. a person who is sexually attracted to people of the same sex Aryan – n. used in Nazism to identify a supposed master race of non-Jewish whites with Nordic features destiny – n. what happens in the future; the things that someone or something will experience in the future infest – v. to fill (a place) in large numbers lobby – n. an organized group of people who work together to influence government decisions that relate to a particular industry, issue, etc. oligarch – n. a person who belongs to a small group of people who govern or control a country, business, etc. validity – n. the state of being acceptable according to the law queer – adj. homosexual (offensive in most of its uses, but it is also now sometimes used in a neutral or positive way especially by some homosexual and bisexual people.) trans – adj. abbreviation for transgender (which is defined as “of or relating to people who feel that their true nature does not match their sex at birth”) spectrum – n. a complete range of different opinions, people, etc.  

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Indonesia Increases Its Own War on Drugs

  Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is again urging an increase in efforts to fight illegal drugs in the country. Jokowi said police should shoot foreign drug dealers who “resist arrest.” He added that the country is in a “narcotics emergency position.” Jokowi made his comments at a political event in late July. Days before the speech, police shot and killed a Taiwanese man for resisting arrest. Police say he and several others were trying to smuggle 1,000 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia. Recently, Jakarta Police Chief General Adham Azis said he would “not think twice” about dismissing police officers who were not fighting drug trafficking enough. In addition, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights recently announced a plan to place all people currently jailed for drug offenses into four prisons. The prisons in West Java, North Sumatra, Central Java and Central Kalimantan would get increased security, news reports say. Human rights groups raise concerns The New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch has criticized Indonesia’s campaign against drug trafficking. In a statement, the group said, “President Joko Widodo should send a clear and public message to the police that efforts to address the complex problems of drugs and criminality require the security forces to respect everyone’s basic rights, not demolish them.” The aim of Indonesia’s campaign is to stop the flow of the low-cost drug crystal methamphetamine. It is similar to the effort of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. He has been criticized for his violent campaign against drug crimes. Thousands of drug dealers and users have been killed. Last month, Indonesian officials seized the largest amount of crystal methamphetamine in the history of the country. The head of Indonesia’s narcotics agency, General Budi Waseso, called for a war on drugs -- similar to the one in the Philippines -- last September. He told Australia’s ABC news agency, “The market that existed in the Philippines is moving to Indonesia, the impact of President Duterte’s actions is an exodus to Indonesia.” Severe punishments for drug crimes Drug trafficking can carry a death sentence in Indonesia which considers the offense as serious as murder or terrorism. People found guilty of low-level drug crimes are estimated to make up 70 percent of Indonesia’s prison population. Erasmus Napitupulu is with the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform in Jakarta. He said there are many question about President Jokowi’s drug policy. He criticized the death sentence as putting a big burden on Indonesia’s justice system. “The death penalty targets small drug couriers, which in many cases leads to unfair trials. Indonesian law has not been able to bear the burden of fair trial(s),” he said. Southeast Asian countries have resisted lightening punishments for drug users or traffickers. Besides Indonesia and the Philippines, other countries in the area, including Singapore, want to continue with harsh punishments for drug crimes. Last year, however, Thailand considered changing the criminalization of methamphetamine because prisons were becoming overcrowded. But there are no similar signs in Indonesia. In 2015, Jokowi led an anti-drug campaign that resulted in the execution of 14 people for drug offenses. But, critics say that the severe punishments have not reduced the number of crimes. Claudia Stoicescu is a researcher at the University of Oxford. She wrote, “Far from having a deterrent effect, the number of drug-related crimes in Indonesia increased in the months after the executions were carried out in January and April 2015.” Other critics say increased resources used for drug-related arrests have taken money away from rehabilitation efforts. Some say those resources could be better used to help an estimated one million Indonesians addicted to methamphetamines. Erasmus says Indonesia should learn from the experience of the United States. The U.S. has reduced the number of arrests over small drug crimes and moved to legalize small amounts of the drug marijuana. “If Indonesia retains capital punishment as the main solution for drug issues, then I believe it is a political decision to preserve (politicians’) image(s), not to protect actual narcotics victims,” he said. I’m Mario Ritter.   Krithika Varagur reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   narcotics –n. drugs that have a powerful effect on the mind and body whose use is highly controlled and often illegal demolish –v. to tear down, destroy exodus –n. the act of a group leaving a place couriers –n. people who carry packages or letters from one place to another deterrent –n. something that keeps people from doing some activity rehabilitation –n. the process of bringing someone (who is sick, injured or has a problem) back to health retain –v. to keep We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Long-lost $160 Million Painting Returned to Museum

  This is What’s Trending Today. An abstract painting called “Woman-Ochre” is a work of the famous Dutch-American artist William de Kooning. The painting used to hang in The University of Arizona Museum of Art. That is until “Woman-Ochre” was stolen from the museum in 1985. It had not been seen since then. But that changed recently when a man who sells artwork and furniture visited a home in a small town in New Mexico. David Van Auker sells old furniture and paintings in his store in Silver City, New Mexico. He was invited to a home nearby to see if there was anything he wanted to buy so he could sell it in his store. At first, Van Auker thought he found a print of the de Kooning painting. Upon a closer look, however, he realized it was real paint on canvas. Van Auker thought perhaps the home’s former owner liked to paint and made a copy. Eventually, he bought the painting and everything else in the home for $2,000. When Van Auker put the painting up for sale at his store, some people said they thought it was an original. That made him think. So he researched the painting and found a story from a newspaper in Arizona. The headline read: “De Kooning Painting Valued at More Than  $100 Million Missing for 30 Years.” The painting looked exactly like the one he had in his hands. So he called the university and told the museum he thought he had its missing painting. After a number of telephone calls, Van Auker took photos and emailed them to the university. They were sure he had something important. So the next day, a number of people drove about three hours to Silver City. The group borrowed the painting and brought it back to the school in Tucson. After careful study, they decided it was the original, stolen 32 years ago. De Kooning made the painting in the 1950s. A similar painting sold in 2006 for $137.5 million. Experts say the recovered “Woman-Ochre” may be worth $160 million. Meg Hagyard is the acting director of the museum. She thanked Van Auker for returning the painting. She called its recovery a “monumental moment for the museum.” Van Auker said the experience of finding the lost painting was “one of the most important moments in my life.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by the University of Arizona. George Grow was the editor. What would you do if you found a stolen painting? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   abstract – adj. expressing ideas and emotions by using colors and lines without attempting to create a realistic picture canvas – n. a specially prepared piece of cloth on which a picture can be painted headline – n. words set the top of a newspaper story original – n. that from which a copy or reproduction is made monumental – adj. very important moment – n. a brief period of time; present time

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August 14, 2017

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

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Trump Calls Racist Hate Groups 'Evil'

  President Donald Trump spoke Monday about the weekend violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. He strongly criticized white supremacists and other hate groups. A 32-year-old woman was killed Saturday and 19 people were injured when a man drove his car into a crowd of activists. They were protesting a white supremacist demonstration. Another 15 people were injured in fights between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators. Later Saturday, Trump said “many sides” were responsible for the violence. But Monday, after criticism of that statement, Trump spoke again. "Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans." White nationalists, the KKK and others had gone to Charlottesville to protest the city’s decision to take down a monument. It was a statue of Robert E. Lee, an important Civil War general who fought for the southern states. The southern states were seeking to separate from the United States. Many find such monuments offensive because of the South’s support for slavery. Man charged with using car to kill woman James Alex Fields Jr. was charged with murder and other crimes in connection with the automobile incident.  Police said he acted to kill and wound people with his car. The Associated Press and other news groups reported that Fields admired Adolph Hitler. Reports also said his social media presence suggested support for white nationalism. Trump, a Republican, was not the only Trump administration official to criticize the violence in Charlottesville. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday that the car attack in Charlottesville meets the definition of “domestic terrorism.” Some criticized Trump for not immediately criticizing white supremacists in his first statements on the Charlottesville violence. Nancy Pelosi is the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. She said Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had the support of, in her words, “the forces of bigotry and discrimination.” It should not take two days for the president to criticize “murder and violence by Nazis and white supremacists,” Pelosi said. Emotional battle over statues There is hot debate about efforts to remove statues representing Confederate leaders. Such action is not only taking place in Charlottesville, but also in New Orleans, Louisiana and Lexington, Kentucky. Some argue that taking down Civil War statues is denying history. Pierre McGraw led a group in New Orleans that tried unsuccessfully to stop the removal of four Confederate statues from the city. “People across Louisiana should be concerned over what will disappear next,” he said. The city’s mayor, Mitch Landrieu, gave a speech defending the city’s action. He said, “Statues that honor slavery should not be permitted in a nation that long ago rejected slavery as the worst kind of hate.” In Charlottesville, the home of the University of Virginia, officials are hoping to move past the weekend’s violence. Frank Conner III is a top University of Virginia official. He said, “The actions of those who visited evil upon us are nothing short of white nationalist and white supremacist terrorism intended to intimidate our community. They will not succeed. We will not surrender.” Larry Sabato is a political science professor at the University of Virginia with a home on campus. Several hundred marchers carried burning sticks and shouted racist and pro-Nazi statements there on Friday night. “My father fought in World War II against the Nazis, all the way to Berlin,” Sabato said. “I'm glad he's not here decades later to see that hundreds of neo-Nazi thugs can march their way up the University of Virginia Lawn, past his son's home, spouting racist and anti-Semitic slogans.” Sabato said he believes white nationalists felt supported by the president’s first statement because he did not directly criticize them for the violence. Nghana Lewis teaches at Tulane University in New Orleans and has followed the battle over the city’s Confederate monuments. She was asked what people outside the United States should know about these fights. Lewis said while “there is much to admire about our country,” U.S. history is complex. She said America is still a “very young nation and still early in the process of undoing its history of slavery and racial discrimination." Battle with drug company head The leader of America’s third largest drug company resigned from a federal advisory group Monday in connection with Trumps first response to Charlottesville. Kenneth Frazier said America’s leaders must reject those who say that one racial group is better than another. Trump later criticized Frazier in a Twitter post. I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Bruce Alpert Bruce Alpert reported on this story for Learning English based on reports by Reuters, The Associated Press and other sources. 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. ________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   white supremacist – n. person who believes words are better than blacks and other races evil - adj. morally bad thug - n. a violent criminal repugnant - adj. causing a strong feeling of dislike or disgust admire - v. to think of highly of someone intentional - adj. done in a way that is planned intimidate - v. threaten someone spouting - v. to say something slogan - n. a word or phrase that is used by a group to attract attention  

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