March 8, 2018

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

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March 7, 2018

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

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Meet CIMON, a ‘Floating’ Space Assistant for Astronauts

Among today’s hottest selling personal technology devices are “smart” digital assistants for the home. Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod are all artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems that respond to voice commands. The systems connect to the internet to look up information, play music or movies, or control household devices. Now, researchers have developed the first AI assistant for use in space. European aerospace company Airbus cooperated with U.S.-based IBM on the system. It will be deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) during a mission in June. Airbus says it is the first time an AI system will be used aboard the ISS. The assistant is called CIMON, which stands for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion. It is a round device weighing about five kilograms. It is designed to move around by itself and follow the movements of humans. It has a computer-like display in front for showing many kinds of information. An official from Airbus describes it as “a kind of flying brain” designed to support astronauts in their daily work. The digital “brain” is powered by IBM’s AI processing system called Watson. Just like digital assistants for the home, CIMON uses AI to learn and predict human behaviors from repeated interactions over time. The system is trained to recognize voices and faces so it can respond directly with people. CIMON will be tested by German astronaut Alexander Gerst during the European Space Agency’s upcoming Horizons mission aboard the ISS from June to October. Gerst will command the space station during the second half of the mission. Flight tests will be carried out before the mission to make sure CIMON operates correctly in conditions of weightlessness. Gerst will perform three specific experiments with CIMON. One will examine the effects of space on crystals. He will also team up with CIMON to solve a Rubik’s cube. A third medical experiment will use CIMON as a “smart” flying camera. The researchers say these experiments are just a start. They hope to use CIMON to interact and assist astronauts on many future missions. They especially see the system as an important safety tool that can provide early warnings signs of technical problems in space that may not be seen by ground controllers. Till Eisenberg is one of Airbus’ lead researchers on the project. He says in addition to providing the crew with important information and instructions, the system will closely observe astronaut behavior. “We want to study the psychological effects of long space missions on crew members and try out suitable countermeasures, especially those that reduce stress,” Eisenberg said. Mobile 4G network on the moon In another space-tech development, it was recently announced that the Moon will be getting its own mobile 4G phone network. The new network - a project between Vodafone Germany and Nokia – will be in place sometime next year, the companies say. The question many people are asking is: Why is such a network even needed on the moon? The answer: 2019 is the year the first privately-financed mission to the moon is set to launch. The Mission to the Moon project is being led by Germany’s PTScientists. The group has promised to launch a moon lander and two small rovers aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next year. Vodafone officials say the special “space-grade” mobile network will only require a small piece of equipment weighing less than one kilogram. The company says the network should allow two moon vehicles - designed by German automaker Audi - to communicate and send scientific data and HD video back to earth. The head of Germany’s PTScientists, Robert Boehme, said the private moon project marks an important first step for new exploration of the solar system in years to come. “In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet. With Mission to the moon, we will establish and test the first elements of a dedicated communications network on the moon.” Next year’s planned mission comes exactly 50 years after the first American astronauts landed their Apollo 11 spacecraft and became the first humans to walk on the moon. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz ​_______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   digital – adj. using or related to computer technology artificial intelligence – n. the ability of a machine to reproduce human behavior display – n. electronic device (such as a computer monitor) that shows information suitable – adj. acceptable or right for something countermeasure – n. an action intended to stop or prevent something dangerous or bad stress – n. feelings of worry caused by difficult situations network – n. system of computers or devices that are connected to each other rover – n. vehicle used for exploring the surface of a planet infrastructure – n. the bridges, roads, and buildings required for an activity dedicated – adj. designed to be used for a particular purpose  

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Jeff Bezos: the World's First 100-Billion-Dollar-Man

  Over the past 12 months, an American businessman became the world’s first 100-billion-dollar man. But Donald Trump’s wealth sank during his first year as president of the United States. Those are just two findings from Forbes magazine’s latest report on the wealth of the world’s richest people. The report, released on Tuesday, says the world now has 2,208 billionaires. They have a combined wealth of $9.1 trillion, an increase of 18 percent compared to one year earlier. Forbes says Jeff Bezos is now the richest person on the planet. Most of his wealth comes from shares of stock in Amazon, the e-commerce company. Amazon shares rose 59 percent during the past year. As of February 9, 2018, Bezos’ wealth stood at $112 billion, up from about $73 billion last year. The increase was enough to overtake American Bill Gates, who helped to set up Microsoft Corporation. Gates finished second on Forbes’ list with $90 billion. Another American -- businessman and investor Warren Buffett -- is now in third place, with $84 billion. Both Gates, age 62, and Buffett, 87, have said they plan to give away most of their wealth while Bezos, 54, has not said much. The fourth richest person is Bernard Arnault of France. He owns the luxury goods company LVMH. His wealth is valued at $72 billion. Most of the top 20 billionaires on the list have ties to technology companies. They include Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Larry Ellison of Oracle, as well as Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google. Two businessmen from China made Forbes’ top 20 for the first time. Ma Huateng of Tencent is in 17th place with $45.3 billion. Jack Ma of Alibaba is in 20th place with $39 billion. The world’s youngest billionaire is Alexandra Andresen of Norway. She is 21 years old. Her wealth of $1.4 billion came from a family-owned investment company. At the age of 99, Chang Yun Chung of Singapore is the world’s oldest billionaire. He founded an international shipping company with two second-hand vessels. He is now worth $1.9 billion, and the company has a fleet of 155 vessels. There are 259 new faces in the latest list of billionaires. China has the most new faces with 89. The United States is next with 18. But the U.S. still has more billionaires than any country: 585, in all. And greater China, including the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, has 476. Most of the world’s billionaires added to their wealth last year because of rising stock markets. But the magazine noted that President Donald Trump’s wealth actually dropped about $400 million, to $3.1 billion, during his first year in office. The decline left him as the world’s 766th richest person, down from 544 on Forbes’ list last year. I'm Dorothy Gundy.   Hai Do adapted this report for VOA Learning English from a Forbes magazine story. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stock - n. a share of the value of a company which can be bought, sold, or trade as an investment corporation - n. a large business, a company luxury - n. something that is expenseive and not necessary vessel - n. a ship or large boat  

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Empowering Women a Top Goal for International Women’s Day

  International Women’s Day is a celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural and political successes worldwide. The observance falls on March 8. International Women's Day events around the world are aimed at supporting women’s causes. A major campaign theme this year is #PressforProgress. A group called Women for Women International operates in countries affected by war. Its communications director, Teisha Garrett, told VOA Learning English by email that the group has planned International Women's Day activities in places “like the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” She said it is organizing marches and programs to celebrate the power of women. Some activists note findings from a report on gender equality by the Swiss-based World Economic Forum last November. The report found that it will take more than 200 years for women to reach what it calls gender parity with men. Researchers examined areas like economic opportunity, education, health and political empowerment. In a short video, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke about International Women’s Day. He said, “The empowerment of women is our most important objective.” Guterres called the issue of empowerment the greatest human rights challenge of our time. Recent movements like #MeToo and TimesUp have encouraged people to publicly share their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. Many women have come forward to accuse well-known and powerful men in the industries of film, politics and more.  Teisha Garrett of Women for Women International says her group is organizing its own social media campaign. The group is “asking men and women to send a #MessageToMySister.” Garrett explained, “People are submitting a message online at womenforwomen.org or sharing a message of support on social media. She said the group plans to share the messages with “thousands of women...around the world.” A day with a long history International Women’s Day has been observed in one way or another for more than 100 years. Possibly the earliest observance took place in the United States in 1909. A group of about 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City to demand shorter work hours, better pay and voting rights. Since then, the event has developed into “a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity.” In 1911, people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland celebrated the first International Women’s Day on March 19. More than one million women and men attended demonstrations in support of a woman’s right to work, vote, study and hold public office. The United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day for the first time in 1975.   Mario Ritter wrote this report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   theme – n. the main subject being discussed or dealt with gender – n. the state of being male or female parity – n. a state of being equal challenge – n. a test or a difficult problem to be dealt with harassment – n. making repeated attacks against someone or something submit – v. to present or propose something for consideration to someone else​ achievement – n. the result of an effort; success We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Video of Smoking Orangutan Goes Viral

This is What’s Trending Today… Video of an orangutan smoking a cigarette at an Indonesian zoo has gone viral. The footage led to renewed criticism of the zoo, which has been accused of mistreating animals in the past. The video was shot Sunday by a visitor at Bandung Zoo, about 150 kilometers southeast of the capital, Jakarta. In it, a zoo visitor is seen throwing his lighted cigarette into the outdoor enclosure where the orangutans are kept. A large, 22-year-old orangutan finds and picks up the cigarette and puts it to his mouth. Repeatedly, the animal is clearly shown breathing in smoke, then blowing it out. Some people can be heard laughing when the orangutan starts smoking. But some animal rights activists did not find the video funny. They say it provides more evidence of poor supervision and animal control problems at the zoo. Marison Guciano is an animal rights activist and founder of the Indonesia Animal Welfare Society. In a Facebook post, he admitted that the visitor was wrong for throwing the cigarette to the orangutan. But, he said a lack of supervision and education for visitors by zoo management is also a big problem. “Indonesia desperately needs animal welfare standards in its zoos,” Guciano said. A spokesman for the zoo said officials "much regretted” what happened with the smoking orangutan. He added that signs posted at the zoo warn visitors to not feed animals or give them cigarettes. In the past, news reports have exposed starving and sick animals at Bandung Zoo. It was briefly closed in 2016 after a Sumatran elephant that died was found to have been poorly cared for and had evidence of beating on its body. A change.org petition calling for Bandung Zoo to be closed has been signed by nearly 1 million people. The activist organization says tourists regularly report that animals kept at the zoo appear severely underweight and weak. Indonesia is known for having a high smoking rate among its population. A World Health Organization (WHO) study found that in 2015, an estimated 76 percent of Indonesian males smoked. In 2010, video of a 2-year-old Indonesian boy heavily smoking got international attention. Years later, at age 8, the boy spoke to the media about his cigarette addiction. But he said that after a long battle and much treatment, he had finally managed to quit. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   renew – v. to begin again enclosure – n. an area that surrounded by a wall, fence, etc. desperately – adv. done with much strength or energy and with little hope of succeeding expose – v. reveal something hidden, dishonest, etc. addiction – n. a strong and harmful need to have something   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.  

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Record Warm Winter in Arctic, Scientists Say

New weather information shows the Arctic just had its warmest winter on record. The same information also shows that sea ice hit record lows for this time of year. That means there is plenty of open water in the Arctic Ocean, where ocean water normally freezes into thick pieces of ice. Scientists told the Associated Press what is happening now has never happened before. They say it is part of a vicious cycle, a series of cause and effect events, in Earth’s atmosphere. The scientists believe that climate change could be fueling these changes. They say slowly rising temperatures in the atmosphere are likely influencing strong icy, storms in Europe and the northeastern United States. “It’s just crazy, crazy stuff,” said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado. Serreze has been studying the Arctic since 1982. “These heat waves, I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. Unusual temperatures across the Arctic This past winter has been so warm that the land weather station closest to the North Pole, at the top of Greenland, spent more than 60 hours above freezing last month. Before this year, scientists had only seen temperatures there briefly rise above freezing in February only two times before. On February 24, 2018, the temperature at the top of Greenland reached six degrees Celsius, setting a record for that date.  The warmer weather reached other parts of the Arctic Circle. In Barrow, Alaska, the temperature in February was 10 degrees warmer than normal. All winter long, the average temperatures were 7.8 degrees Celsius higher than normal. At over 30 different Arctic weather stations, 15 of them were at least 5.6 degrees Celsius above normal for the winter. That information comes from climate scientist Brian Brettschneider of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Weather scientists consider December, January, and February to be winter. Arctic weather stations averaged 4.9 degrees Celsius higher than normal for the season that just ended. The air above the Chukchi and Bering seas near Alaska averaged about 11 degrees Celsius higher than normal for February, the data center reported. ​Less ice and a vicious cycle In February, Arctic sea ice covered 13.9 million square kilometers. This is about 160,000 square kilometers less than the record low last year, the ice data center said. Sea ice coverage in February also was 1.4 million square kilometers below the 30-year average. That represents an area nearly two times the size of the state of Texas. Sea ice is frozen ocean water that forms, grows and melts on the ocean. Near Greenland, warm air moved north over part of the Atlantic Ocean that usually has sea ice. Something similar was also happening in the Pacific Ocean, creating open water on normally frozen parts of the Bering Sea, said data center scientist Walt Meier. To be happening on opposite sides of the Arctic at the same time is unusual, he added. While some natural weather systems were involved, climate change is the most important influence, Meier said. “When you have warmer temperatures, you are going to melt more ice and it’s going to grow more slowly.” In the winter, sea ice “acts as a lid to keep the warmth of the water at bay.” But when there is less sea ice, more heat goes into the air, Brettschneider said. “You end up with a vicious cycle of warm air preventing sea ice formation and lack of sea ice allowing warmth to escape into the air.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Seth Borenstein wrote this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you experienced warmer winters?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   arctic - adj. of or relating to the North Pole or the region around it cycle - n. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order crazy - adj. not sane stuff - n. a group or pile of things that are not specifically described lid - n. a cover on a box, can, jar, etc., that can be lifted or removed at bay - phrase. in the position of being unable to move closer while attacking or trying to approach someone   vicious - adj. very violent and cruel

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Indian Architect Wins Pritzker Prize

  This year’s top award in architecture goes to Balkrishna Doshi. This is the first time an Indian has won in the 40-year history of the award, known as the Pritzker Prize. Some compare the award to the Nobel Prize. Doshi has been an architect, city planner, and educator for 70 years. In contrast to other Pritzker winners, Doshi works almost only in his home country. In Ahmedabad, Doshi’s designs can be seen in the concrete Life Insurance Corporation Housing buildings to the flowing curves of the Amdavad ni Gufa art gallery. But he is best known for designing low-cost housing. The Aranya project in Indore is home to more than 80,000 people, many of them poor. It includes a system of houses, courtyards, and pathways.  Doshi says the housing can change how home owners see their world. “Now, their life has been changed. They feel hopeful,” he said. “They have ownership of something.” Doshi said his life’s work has been to help “the have-nots, the people who have nothing.” He called the prize an honor both for himself and for India. Doshi was born in 1927 in the city of Pune. He studied architecture in Mumbai and later worked under the architect known as Le Corbusier. Doshi was the first director of Ahmedabad’s School of Architecture and Planning, now known as CEPT University. He founded his own company in 1956, and lives and works in Ahmedabad. The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the Pritzker Prize, called Doshi’s work “poetic and functional.” It noted that Doshi’s buildings both respect eastern culture and improve the quality of life in India. “My work is the story of my life,” Doshi said in the award announcement. He said he was always moving forward, changing and searching, to look beyond architecture to look only at life. Doshi will be given the $100,000 prize in May at a ceremony in Toronto, Canada. I'm Susan Shand.   Susan Shand adapted this story from an AP reports. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   architect – n. a person who designs buildings curve – n. a smooth, rounded line, shape, path, concrete – n. a hard, strong material that is used for building and made by mixing cement, sand, and broken rocks with water functional – adj. designed to have a practical use

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Violence Stops Aid Efforts for Syria’s Ghouta Area

Aid efforts for an area of Damascus that is under siege recently had to be cut short when Syrian government forces began bombing the area. A local council reported that the incident took place in the Ghouta suburb of Syria’s capital city. It said government attacks on the area appear to be intensifying. The council said aid trucks had to leave before they could finish unloading their supplies. Monday appeared to be the worst day of violence since the United Nations Security Council demanded a 30-day cease-fire for Syria. A U.N. Security Council resolution was passed unanimously on February 25, but it has not been observed. The Syrian American Medical Society organization supports hospitals in eastern Ghouta. It said 79 people were killed as the government, supported by Russia's military, pushed its attack on the rebel-held suburbs.  The U.N. says nearly 400,000 people are trapped by the violence. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports on the conflict. It said 80 civilians were killed on Monday. Monday's aid shipment was the first to enter eastern Ghouta after weeks of a siege. Government attacks there have killed nearly 800 civilians since February 18. Aid agencies, however, said Syrian officials took basic health supplies, including trauma and surgical equipment from the trucks. For years, U.N. officials have protested such actions by the Syrian government. The U.N. said airstrikes and bombing in eastern Ghouta and the attacks on Damascus continued for hours while the trucks were unloading supplies. Jens Laerke is deputy spokesman for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. He said, "After nearly nine hours inside, the decision was made to leave for security reasons.” He added that organizers were concerned about the safety of the aid team. As a result, 14 of the 46 trucks were not able to unload important supplies. Of the 14, four unloaded a small part of their aid before leaving. Laerke said the team found people who have lived through months of violence and who are desperate for humanitarian aid. "Food for civilians was in short supply,” he said. Laerke also noted that any food was very costly and the aid workers saw evidence of malnutrition. It is unclear if any additional aid will be possible. Organizers plan to send more aid trucks to eastern Ghouta Thursday. However, Laerke said security must be guaranteed before the trucks leave for the area. Aid workers from The ICRC, the International Committee for the Red Cross, and the U.N. also had to leave before unloading all their supplies on Monday. Ingy Sedky is the ICRC spokeswoman in Syria. She said most of the aid from 46 trucks arrived at the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta. But unloading was stopped because of the violence. Iyad Abdelaziz, a member of the Douma Local Council, said nine aid trucks had to leave the area because of government shelling and airstrikes. Airstrikes continued Tuesday. The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense search-and-rescue group reported at least nine people were killed in airstrikes in eastern Ghouta. The group, also known as the White Helmets, said that two of its volunteers suffered from breathing problems after the bombing of the town of Hammouriyeh on Monday night. The group accused the government of using "poison gas." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 people suffered breathing problems but did not give a reason. It was the eighth allegation of chlorine gas use reported by the Syrian American Medical Society this year. Russia has used its Security Council veto to stop the work of a U.N. body investigating reports of the illegal use of gas. The United States has said it could take military action against the Syrian government for using chemical weapons on its own people. The Syrian government, through the SANA state news agency, denied using chemical weapons in eastern Ghouta. Russia's Defense Ministry has said it was making an offer to permit armed rebels to leave eastern Ghouta with their families and weapons. Russia has been a strong ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, helping him gain control of much of the country during its deadly civil war. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reports that a Russian military cargo plane crashed near an air base in Syria killing all 39 Russian service members on it. Turkey's foreign ministry said the country plans to build camps in nine areas in northern Syria for refugees from the fighting. A foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that the camps would be built in an area controlled by Turkish-supported forces. The would also be built in Idlib province where Turkish forces are trying to make a "de-escalation zone." It is part of an agreement reached between Turkey, Russia and Iran. The spokesman said the camps would host a total of 170,000 people. I’m Susan Shand.  And I’m Jonathan Evans. Susan Shand adapted this Associated Press story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. ___________________________________________________ Words in this story siege – n. when a city, building, etc., is surrounded with soldiers who try to take control of it suburb – n. a town or other area where people live in houses near a larger city unanimously – adj. agreed to by everyone trauma – n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time surgical – adj. of or relating to the process of performing a medical operation desperate – adj very sad and upset because of having little or no hope malnutrition – n. the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food allegation – n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal de-escalation – n. stopping a bad situation from becoming worse or improving it.

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Dalai Lama Event Moved after India Warns Top Officials to Stay Away

A public event for Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is being moved after the Indian government told top officials to stay away from such activities. India reportedly added that this was a “very sensitive time” for relations with China. The event will mark the Tibetan spiritual leader’s 60th year in exile in India. The ceremony was to be held in New Delhi, but will instead take place in Dharamsala, the home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. A spokesman for the government-in-exile told VOA, "we came to know about the Indian government's circular and we decided we respect the position and we shifted it to Dharamsala." A difficult time The Dalai Lama's "Thank You India" public event, on April 1, was the high point of a series of yearlong events planned by the Tibetan exile government. A tree planting ceremony by the Dalai Lama, set for March 31 in New Delhi, has been cancelled. The Indian government’s move to avoid the events is seen as an effort to not anger China at a time when relations between the two countries are tense. The Dalai Lama and tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees live in India. Yet the government has usually been careful to avoid showing official support for him. The Chinese government considers the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist. It says he is trying to end Chinese rule in Tibet. The note advising Indian officials not to attend the Dalai Lama’s event apparently came from the Indian Foreign Secretary, Bijay Gokhale. He went to Beijing last month in what some observers said was a visit to improve relations with China. They said that relations between the two countries hit a low point last July when they were involved in a tense military standoff in the Himalayan Mountains. Resetting relations Observers see this as a change in the position taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the past two years. Last April, Indian officials gave the Dalai Lama permission to visit the sensitive border area of Arunachal Pradesh. China claims partial control of the area. The Chinese government had warned that his visit would damage relations. Earlier, the Tibetan leader and other Nobel Peace Prize winners were invited to a meeting with the Indian president about children's rights.  This invitation also angered China. Alka Acharya is a professor of Chinese Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He says the latest Indian move is a way for the government to reset relations with China. "They are reverting back to a much more formally and officially correct position which is that the government will distance itself from activities of the Dalai Lama which may have a political implication," said Acharya. After news of the Indian decision became public, the foreign ministry said in a statement that the Dalai Lama is "deeply respected by the people of India, and there is no change in that position.” It added that the Dalai Lama will continue to be free to carry out his religious activities in India. I’m Phil Dierking. Anjana Pasricha reported this story VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think it awas a good idea for the government to distance itself from the Dalai Lama?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   circular - n. a printed sheet (such as an advertisement) that is given or sent to many people at the same time​ implication - n. a possible future effect or result — usually plural​ shift - v. to move or to cause (something or someone) to move to a different place, position, etc.​ standoff - n. an argument, contest, etc., in which there is no winner​ revert - v. to go back or return to ​

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George Washington’s Tree Brought Down by Strong Winds

  This is What’s Trending Today… The eastern United States is recovering from a major storm, which left widespread damage. Strong gusts of wind broke windows and removed tops of buildings. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power for one or more days. Huge trees came crashing down. And, reports say one of the trees brought down by the storm may have been planted by the first U.S. president, George Washington. The tree stood on the grounds of Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, about 30 kilometers south of Washington, D.C. The huge estate sits along the Potomac River, just south of Alexandria, Virginia. Today, George Washington’s Mount Vernon is a popular stop for travelers, both Americans and visitors from overseas. The tree, a Canadian hemlock, was planted near the entrance to a garden on the property. It had a sign that read “circa 1791” on it -- the year that people thought it was planted. Rob Shenk works for George Washington’s Mount Vernon. He published a photograph of the damaged tree on Twitter last weekend. He wrote, “The DC area lost a lot of trees yesterday, but maybe none more significant than this 1791 Canadian Hemlock at Mount Vernon. George Washington himself likely knew this tree…” Dean Norton is the director of horticulture at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. In a video published on social media this week, he talked about the history of the fallen hemlock. Washington, Norton said, was interested in planting hemlock trees on his property. Hemlocks did not grow in this part of Virginia.      In 1784, Norton explained, Washington sent a letter to New York Governor George Clinton requesting the trees. By July of 1785, Washington got his wish. He received two hemlocks planted in cut whiskey barrels. General Benjamin Lincoln of Massachusetts sent the trees to the future president as a gift from Clinton.   Mount Vernon experts say Washington wrote down that he planted the trees on the grounds of Mount Vernon on July 13, 1785. Neither Shenk nor Norton can be sure that Washington planted the tree with his own hands. However, Shenk told The Washington Post newspaper that he at least directed the planting. But last week, 100-kilometer-per-hour winds twisted, shook and took down the over two-century-old hemlock. “You hate to see it, but it happens,” Norton said in the video. He described the fallen hemlock as a “living witness to the life and times of George Washington.” Mount Vernon officials say that they have collected the wood from the tree. It will be used at Mount Vernon for preservation efforts and special projects. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story gust - n. a sudden strong wind estate - n. a large piece of land with a large house on it garden - n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown significant - adj. very important horticulture - n. the science of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers whiskey - n. a strong alcoholic drink made from a grain (such as rye, corn, or barley) barrel  - n. a round usually wooden container with curved sides and flat ends preservation  - n. the act of keeping something in its original state or in good condition

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