The U.S. government will issue licenses to companies seeking to sell goods to China’s Huawei where there is no threat to national security, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Tuesday, leaving industry observers unsure about which products will pass muster. Seeking to revive trade talks with China, President Donald Trump announced last month that American… more

Smoke and soot from central Alaska wildfires have afflicted the subarctic city of Fairbanks with some of the world’s worst air pollution in recent days, forcing many residents indoors and prompting one hospital to set up a “clean air shelter.” Fine particulate matter carried by smoke into the Fairbanks North Star Borough over the past… more

An Ohio soldier reported missing in action in the Korean War and later identified through DNA is returning home.   Eighteen-year-old Roger Woods was reported missing in action after fighting in the vicinity of Kochang, Republic of Korea, on July 29, 1950. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said the U.S. Army later issued a “presumptive… more

Theresa May says Britain’s beleaguered ambassador in Washington still enjoys her “full support” — despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s excoriation of the envoy, Kim Darroch, whose leaked diplomatic cables describing the American leader as “inept and “incompetent” have left British officials writhing in embarrassment. Despite Downing Street’s backing of the ambassador, British officials concede privately… more

VOA Student Union’s Sahar Majid interviewed 2019 Miss District of Columbia Katelynne Cox, who talked about issues including her pageant journey and advocacy organization. Katelynne Cox was chosen as the 2019 Miss District of Columbia last month. Cox, a native of Washington state, is the manager of fundraising and events at the U.S. Chamber of… more

First lady Melania Trump is visiting West Virginia to learn how a city at the center of the nation’s opioid epidemic is grappling with the crisis. Trump on Monday participated in a roundtable discussion on opioids with federal, state and local officials in Huntington, West Virginia. Federal statistics show West Virginia has the highest opioid… more

Religious publishers say President Donald Trump’s most recent proposed tariffs on Chinese imports could result in a Bible shortage. That’s because millions of Bibles are printed in China each year. Stan Jantz, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, says more than half of worldwide Bible production takes place in China.    Critics… more

From the earliest days of the republic, rich white men have had a disproportionate say in the fate of the country. Founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison all came from wealthy land-owning families.  Money and connections have long helped scions of America’s wealthiest families realize their presidential dreams. These political dynasties include… more

Two remote California desert communities assessed damage after two major earthquakes hit the area at the end of last week, followed by thousands of smaller aftershocks. Ridgecrest and neighboring Trona were hit hard by the magnitude 7.1 quake that rocked the Mojave Desert towns Friday. A day earlier, a magnitude 6.4 temblor hit the same… more

Nearly one in every four Americans say they never plan to retire. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey released Sunday found 23% of Americans have no plans to stop working. Another 23% say they expect to have to work well beyond their 65th birthday.   Financial instability is the major reason for… more

Many senior living communities in America are encouraging residents to socialize more with young people, something experts say will benefit both generations. Faiza Elmasry visited one of these senior living facilities where high school students serve and interact with residents. Faith Lapidus narrates. …… more