As the internet continues to revolutionize communications, the next world-changing technology may already be here. Blockchain, a way of recording data and automatically storing it on computers around the world, has the potential to change everything from collecting crime scene evidence to creating new digital currencies. VOA’s Jill Craig visited a blockchain hackathon in Memphis,… more
Major changes could be ahead for the International Space Station but there will always be an American astronaut in orbit, NASA’s new boss said Wednesday. The space agency is talking with private companies about potentially taking over the space lab after 2025, but no decision will made without the other 21 countries that are partners… more
Passenger jets of the future will be safer, lighter, faster, more fuel-efficient and … windowless. So predicts Emirates Airlines chief Tim Clark. The Dubai-based airline has already introduced virtual windows in the first-class suites of its newest planes. Instead of being able to see out a conventional window, the passengers will be able to enjoy… more
The proliferation of nonmilitary drones in the United States poses a growing national security threat, top U.S. security and aviation officials warned Wednesday as they pressed Congress to pass legislation that would allow agents to target and potentially take down suspicious drones. While the recreational and commercial use of drones has skyrocketed in recent years… more
A federal judge has ruled in favor of the city of Philadelphia in attempts by the Trump administration to withhold federal funds from the city over how it deals with undocumented immigrants. U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson ruled Wednesday that the city’s policy to defy the administration’s demand was “reasonable, rational” and “equitable.” He ruled… more
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt laughed off questions Wednesday about whether he used his office to try to help his wife get a “business opportunity” with Chick-fil-A, while a close aide abruptly resigned amid new ethics allegations against her boss. Pruitt said in a statement that his scheduling director, Millan Hupp, 26, had resigned.… more
The former head of Cambridge Analytica admitted on Wednesday his firm had received data from the researcher at the center of a scandal over Facebook users’ personal details, contradicting previous testimony to lawmakers. Cambridge Analytica, which was hired by Donald Trump in 2016, has denied its work on the U.S. president’s successful election campaign made… more
A surge in participation by startup companies this week, at a highlight of Asia’s biggest annual tech event, shows an increased reliance on young entrepreneurs to come with the IT industry’s strongest ideas for connected devices and artificial intelligence. The InnoVEX segment of Taipei Computex 2018 brought together 388 startups, a term usually defined as founder-owned… more
Lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano destroyed hundreds of homes overnight, including one belonging to Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim. No injuries were reported, as homeowners in those oceanfront communities had been told to evacuate weeks ago. “We don’t have an estimate yet, but safe to say that hundreds of homes were lost in Kapoho Beach… more
A White House aide who joked about U.S. Senator John McCain’s battle with brain cancer no longer works in the Trump administration, a source with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. During an internal meeting last month, Kelly Sadler, who worked as a White House communications aide, dismissed McCain’s objection to President Donald Trump’s pick… more
A debate over patriotism and the right of free expression is continuing in the United States with President Donald Trump extending his criticism of professional athletes who decline to stand for the national anthem. The controversy was on display Tuesday afternoon on the White House South Lawn, where Trump briefly presided over a quickly reformatted… more
For Apple users worried about how much time they and their children spend posting photos and videos to their devices, help is on the way. Apple has announced new controls that will allow parents to remotely limit the amount of time their offspring spend on iPhones and iPads, as well as hold up a mirror… more
A former officer with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested over the weekend for allegedly trying to spy on the United States for China, the Justice Department said on Monday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation took Ron Rockwell Hansen, 58, into custody on Saturday while he was on his way to the Seattle-Tacoma International… more
The Trump administration’s crippling policies are forcing poor Americans deeper into poverty, a United Nations human rights investigator has found. The United Nations’ human rights office said Monday that Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty, spent months visiting communities across America and has prepared a report that faults “successive administrations” in Washington for… more
India is the global host of the 2018 World Environment Day. Highlighting its theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” environmentalists will urge everyone, from those in government, industry as well as ordinary citizens, to reject the so-called ‘single-use plastic’ items which are slowly choking the planet’s waters and the animals that live in them. VOA’s George Putic… more
The U.S. Defense Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation into misconduct allegations against White House physician Ronny Jackson, the inspector general’s office said in a statement on Monday. President Donald Trump nominated Jackson to be veterans affairs secretary in March, but Jackson withdrew from consideration a month later amid allegations he had overseen a… more
Microsoft on Monday said it will buy software development platform GitHub, in a deal worth $7.5 billion which will blend two opposite corporate cultures. The tech giant, based in Washington state, is a heavyweight in terms of software whose source codes are not openly available or modifiable, exactly the counter of GitHub’s philosophy. Created in… more
Facebook is pushing back against a media report saying that it provided extensive information about its users and their friends to third parties like phone makers. The New York Times reported Sunday that Facebook struck data-sharing deals with at least 60 device makers, including Apple and Amazon, raising more concerns about what users give… more
Three astronauts from the International Space Station have safely returned to Earth after completing a five-month mission. American Scott Tingle, Russian Anton Shkaplerov and Japan’s Norishige Kanai touched down at 12:39 UTC Sunday in Kazakhstan. Shkaplerov, who was the first to be helped out of the Russian Soyuz space capsule, said, “We are a bit… more
President Donald Trump plans to nominate conservative filmmaker and documentarian Michael Pack as the next head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the White House says. The BBG is the federal agency that oversees Voice of America, along with other congressionally-funded broadcast entities. Pack is the president of Manifold Productions, an independent film and television… more
An accident, a stroke, or a disease can leave someone paralyzed and unable to walk. That happens to more than 15 million people around the world each year. But new technological advances and physical therapy could help some of them walk again. Among the most promising is the use of robotic exoskeletons, like one… more
Every year more than 15 million people worldwide suffer injuries and illnesses that leave them unable to walk according to the World Health Organization. But new technological advances and physical therapy could help some of them walk again. Among the most promising – is the use of robotic exoskeletons. As Erika Celeste reports, scientists at… more
A time that is supposed to be one of the most joyful moments in a young person’s life was overshadowed by tears at Sunday’s graduation of the senior class of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Seventeen students and faculty – including four seniors who were supposed to have received diplomas – were killed during the… more
Washington is watching as the White House prepares for next week’s historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, the Singapore encounter that Trump canceled last month is now on again, prompting an avalanche of speculation as to what will transpire and what the summit may… more
The government Papua New Guinea is considering blocking Facebook while it investigates how to best to regulate the social networking site. Critics say the move would be authoritarian. Authorities in Papua New Guinea, or PNG, say Facebook has become a magnet for illegal and unsavory activity. The government is considering a temporary ban on the… more
With the spires of Washington’s National Cathedral overhead, supporters of refugees gathered Saturday morning for the first of what organizers hope will become a regular event: a day of art, music and dance designed to “shift the narrative” about refugees in the United States. Among the first to perform on the main stage were two Mexican-American teenagers… more