Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Friday signed a law banning most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or at around six weeks of pregnancy, marking the strictest abortion regulation in the nation — but setting the state up for a lengthy court fight. The Republican governor signed the legislation in her formal office… more
As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 1980s, Rudy Giuliani earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor in going after white-collar crime and members of the American mafia. Today, Giuliani finds himself in an opposite role, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates… more
Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk acknowledged on Friday that it was “foolish” of him to snub analysts on a conference call earlier in the week, but further needled Wall Street with a series of accusatory tweets. In a post-earnings call on Wednesday, Musk refused to answer questions from analysts on the electric vehicle… more
Google said Friday in a blog post that it would do a better job of verifying the identity of political ad buyers in the U.S. by requiring a government-issued ID and other key information. Google will also require ad buyers to disclose who is paying for the ad. Google executive Kent Walker repeated a pledge… more
Bombs. Destruction. Chaos. This is what it’s like to be in Syria. It’s a part of the world many will never visit, but a virtual reality experience called “Hero,” puts viewers on the ground there. “Hero” was part of the Immersive program at the recent Tribeca Film Festival in New York, where it won an award… more
In a historic move, Missouri lawmakers announced Thursday that they are calling themselves into a special session to consider impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens following allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of charity resources. House and Senate leaders said they had gathered more than the constitutionally required signatures of three-fourths of the members of each chamber… more
Former Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg announced Thursday he would end his long political career after a scathing ethics report concluded he failed to protect the Senate from his husband, who has been charged with sexual misconduct. In a one-sentence letter delivered to the Senate, Rosenberg said his resignation would be effective at 5 p.m.… more
The deadly April 23 van attack in Toronto has put the spotlight on an obscure online community of men whose sense of sexual rejection has, at its extreme, grown into a justification for rape, murder and other kinds of violence. The attack, which killed 10 people and injured 14 others, was allegedly carried out by… more
Virtual reality experiences are becoming more physical and more interactive. No longer just a “lean back” experience, the immersive technology is taking viewers out of the living room and into entirely new worlds. At the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, VOA’s Tina Trinh met with creators who are pushing the boundaries of the digital… more
The European Space Agency has released an updated catalogue of more than 1.7 billion stars in our galaxy, as well as other celestial bodies, such as exoplanets, asteroids and quasars. The new data gives astronomers an unprecedented three-dimensional map for studying the origin of the universe and searching for habitable planets. VOA’s George Putic has… more
There’s a diplomatic fight brewing over the now-closed Russian consulate’s flag in Seattle. U.S. State Department officials said they lowered Russia’s flag respectfully Saturday from the Russian consul-general residence. The mansion was vacated last month after the U.S. forced the consulate to close. The Russian Embassy has demanded it be put back, accusing the U.S.… more
The United States announced on Wednesday the first transfer of a prisoner from the Guantanamo Bay detention center under U.S. President Donald Trump, lowering the prisoner population at a facility Trump has signaled he would like to repopulate. The U.S. military said Ahmed Muhammed Haza al-Darbi’s transfer to Saudi Arabia brought the prisoner population down… more
A Texas case involving the son of late Guinea President Ahmed Sekou Toure has put the spotlight on human trafficking for forced labor. Mohamed Toure, 57, and his wife Denise Cros-Toure, 57, are under house arrest pending a court case for allegedly bringing a 5-year-old girl from Guinea and forcing her to work as an… more
The data firm at the center of Facebook’s privacy scandal is declaring bankruptcy and shutting down. In a statement, Cambridge Analytica says it has been “vilified” for actions it says are both legal and widely accepted as part of online advertising. The firm says the media furor stripped it of its customers and suppliers, forcing… more
Facebook has enlisted two outside advisers to examine how it treats underrepresented communities and whether it has a liberal bias. Civil rights leader Laura Murphy will examine civil rights issues, along with law firm Relman, Dane & Colfax. Former Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, will examine concerns about a liberal bias on Facebook. The… more
If everything goes according to the plan, the European Space Agency, ESA, will launch its first robotic exploration vehicle to Mars in 2020. A prototype of the advanced 6-wheeled rover is now undergoing various tests in order to prove that it will be able to withstand the extreme environmental conditions on Mars. VOA’s George Putic… more
With a smile that suggested the hard part of an “intense year” might be behind him, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed developers Tuesday and pledged the company would build its way out of its worst-ever privacy debacle. It was a clear and deliberate turning point for a company that’s been hunkered down since mid-March. For… more
The caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States sought the world’s attention as scores of migrants traveled through Mexico on a journey to escape their violent homelands. Now that the group has arrived at the border, the next steps in their journey will unfold mostly out of public view. The caravan first… more
Thousands of Puerto Ricans marched Tuesday to protest pension cuts, school closures and slow hurricane recovery efforts as anger grows across the U.S. territory over looming austerity measures. The Labor Day protest attracted teachers, retirees and unionized workers from both the private and public sectors, as well as the mayor of the capital of San… more
California, 16 other states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its plan to scrap Obama-era auto emissions standards that would require vehicles to get significantly higher gas mileage by 2025. At issue is a move by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to roll back 2012 rules aimed at curbing greenhouse… more
Facebook will offer its first dating service, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday, signaling the entry of the world’s largest social network into a growing market that sent shares of established dating site operators tumbling. Zuckerberg told software developers at Facebook’s annual F8 conference that a dating service would be a natural fit for… more
Taiwan is becoming the next battleground for the world’s top offshore wind developers as they seek a foothold in Asia for a technology that has been expanding fast in Europe. Taiwan announced results Monday of its first major offshore wind farm auction that aims to add 3.8 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to its existing network… more
When Travis Reinking’s semi-automatic rifle was confiscated after his attempt to enter the White House last year, he simply moved from Illinois to nearby Tennessee where signs of mental illness are no bar to gun ownership. How and when Reinking’s father returned the AR-15-style weapon and other firearms to his 29-year-old son, accused of shooting… more
U.S. President Donald Trump has postponed a decision on imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, the European Union and Mexico until June 1, and has reached an agreement in principle with Argentina, Australia and Brazil, a source familiar with the decision said on Monday. The decision came just hours before temporary exemptions were set… more
White House chief of staff John Kelly is denying a report from NBC News that he called U.S. President Donald Trump an “idiot.” “I spend more time with the president than anyone else, and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship,” Kelly said Monday in a statement issued by the White House. “He… more
The head of popular messaging service WhatsApp is planning to leave the company because of a reported disagreement over how parent company Facebook is using customers’ personal data. WhatsApp billionaire chief executive Jan Koum wrote in a Facebook post Monday, “It’s been almost a decade since (co-founder) Brian (Acton) and I started WhatsApp, and it’s… more