Life expectancy in the United States depends on what county one lives in, a new study suggests. According to the study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, “The gap between counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies is larger now than it was back… more

U.S. President Donald Trump is voicing confidence the Senate will join the House of Representatives in repealing health care reforms championed by former President Barack Obama. “Republican Senators will not let the American people down!” Trump said Sunday on his Twitter account, just days after the House narrowly voted to repeal the seven-year-old health law… more

Hundreds of volunteers held “welcome” signs in multiple languages near Los Angeles International Airport, ahead of an appeals court hearing in Virginia on Monday regarding the Trump administration’s revised travel ban. The Saturday event, organized by the Los Angeles tourism office, was intended to show arriving passengers that the city welcomes visitors from all parts… more

Hundreds of volunteers held signs “welcome” signs in multiple languages near Los Angeles International Airport, ahead of an appeals court hearing in Virginia on Monday regarding the Trump administration’s revised travel ban. The ban has been placed on hold in the courts, and if reinstated, would temporarily bar travelers from six majority-Muslim countries. The Los… more

Thunderstorms and wind had delayed the Hindenburg’s arrival in New Jersey from Germany on May 6, 1937. The father of 8-year-old Werner Doehner headed to his cabin after using his movie camera to shoot some scenes of Lakehurst Naval Air Station from the airship’s dining room. “We didn’t see him again,” recalled Doehner, now 88… more

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is proposing to dramatically slash funding for the White House drug control office, after Trump campaigned to fix the nation’s growing opioid abuse crisis. A preliminary 2018 budget document from the Office of Management and Budget would reduce funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by 95… more

The U.S. Kentucky Derby, the first of three major yearly horse races in the United States, will take place on Saturday with rain in the forecast, adding another variable to an already unpredictable race. The 20-horse field lacks a clear dominant horse following winter preparatory races, and the 40 percent chance of rain predicted for… more

Angella Reid, the first woman to serve as chief usher at the White House, is suddenly off the job. The Washington Post reported Friday that Reid had been fired. Trump administration officials confirmed that Reid is no longer employed at the White House. White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that Reid left… more

Republicans are claiming a triumph by pushing their legislative centerpiece scuttling much of President Barack Obama’s health care law through the House. It was a perilous journey, and its Senate pathway will be at least as bumpy with little doubt the measure will change, assuming it survives. Thursday’s 217-213 House passage — with 20 GOP… more

Prosecutors said Friday they are dropping charges against two Hispanic teens accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Maryland high school restroom, a case that drew national attention after the White House cited it as an example of why the president wants to crack down on illegal immigration. Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy… more

California family says they were forced off a Delta plane and threatened with jail after refusing to give up one of their children’s seats on a crowded flight. A video of the April 23 incident was uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday and adds to the list of recent encounters on airlines that went viral, including… more

Last week, the White House unveiled what it called “the largest tax reform in U.S. history.”  Gary Cohn, who heads the President’s National Economic Council said, “We’re going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we’re going to cut taxes for the American people, especially low- and middle-income families.” But analysts say… more

The U.S. Senate cast aside partisan acrimony Thursday and overwhelmingly passed a trillion-dollar spending bill that keeps the federal government funded through September. The 79 to 18 vote came one day after the House of Representatives approved the measure, which now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature to become law. “This represents the first demonstration of… more

The U.S. Congress is sending President Donald Trump a pointed reminder this week that, as commander in chief, he is legally bound to work with lawmakers when considering sending troops into harm’s way.  The message is contained several times in the $1 trillion federal budget that is making its way to the president’s desk to… more

In his first 100 days in office, Donald Trump made fewer appearances outside of the presidential bubble than his three immediate predecessors, venturing less beyond the White House or his private Mar-a-Lago estate, according to a Reuters review. The U.S. president cast himself during his election campaign last year as a Washington outsider and a… more

Two prominent moderate Republican congressman have decided to support their party’s legislation to replace the country’s health care law that is commonly known as Obamacare. Representatives Fred Upton and Billy Long reversed course Wednesday after negotiating an amendment with President Donald Trump at the White House. The amendment adds $8 billion over five years to… more

Turkey could be seeking to play Moscow off Washington, according to some analysts, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set for separate meetings this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. “Mr Erdogan thinks he is offering Turkey to the highest bidder,” political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners told… more

May Day is marked by marches in support of workers’ rights all around the world. In Washington, D.C., immigrants and allies rallied, not only in support of workers’ rights but to stand against President Donald Trump’s tough stances on immigration. VOA’s Aline Barros traveled to the rally in a van hired by a local business.… more

Does Russia have a “mystery weapon” capable of threatening the entire U.S. Navy? Russian media have claimed that the Russian military has developed technology capable of neutralizing an adversary’s aircraft, ships and missiles within a 5,000-kilometer radius. The claim, first reported by Vesti News on April 14, said a Russian warplane had successfully tested the… more

Oystermen, pirates and police clashed violently more than a century ago over who could collect the Chesapeake Bay’s tasty and lucrative oysters. As the shellfish makes a comeback, a modern-day oyster war is brewing, this time between wealthy waterfront property owners and working-class fishermen. Over the past five years, oyster production has doubled on the… more

U.S. President Donald Trump, after weeks of assailing North Korea’s nuclear weapons ambitions, said Monday he would be “honored” to meet with Pyongyang’s leader, Kim Jong Un, “under the right circumstances” to discuss the issue. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Trump declared, “If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I… more

President Donald Trump got decidedly mixed reviews on his first 100 days in office.  But he wasted little time in urging his supporters to expect some accomplishments in the months ahead. To mark his first 100 days in office, Trump held a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, among the supporters who have stuck with him… more

April 30 is International Jazz Day, with events and concerts being held throughout the world. It also marks the end of Jazz Appreciation Month in the United States. Sponsored by the National Museum of American History, it’s designed to stimulate and encourage people to participate, study and listen to a genre of music that is… more

U.S. President Donald Trump says he “would not be happy” if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, which would be its sixth. “I can tell you also, I don’t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,” Trump said of Chinese President Xi Jinping in an interview… more

Once they acclimate to their new environment, overcoming language, social and cultural barriers, refugees in the U.S. often thrive. Some translate their experiences into assets that are valuable to their new community, as did Parvin and Yadollah Jamalreza. VOA’s June Soh visited their popular tailoring shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. …… more

U.S. President Donald Trump will spend part of his 100th day in office Saturday in the politically friendly state of Pennsylvania, as anti-Trump protesters actively attempt to diminish the symbolic milestone. The president will sign an executive order at a shovel factory in central Pennsylvania, directing his administration to review the nation’s trade agreements. The… more