http://www.voanews.com Voice of America is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries http://www.voanews.com/img/voa/rssLogo_VOA.gif http://www.voanews.com en-US 2012 - VOA 60 Sat, 18 May 2013 08:12:15 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Under a newly-risen sun in Washington, D.C., a group of men and women are elbow deep in soapsuds. They are members of Rolling Thunder, a group dedicated to raising awareness about American prisoners of war and those still missing in action. Armed with buckets and brushes, they wash the granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which bears the names of 58,286 U.S. service members who were killed or declared missing in action during the two-decade-long conflict, which ended in 1975. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cleaning-vietnam-memorial-proves-healing-for-many/1662957.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cleaning-vietnam-memorial-proves-healing-for-many/1662957.html Fri, 17 May 2013 10:22:10 -0400 Americas Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/cleaning-vietnam-memorial-proves-healing-for-many/1662957.html#relatedInfoContainer A growing number of mothers in the United States are joining the workforce, from fewer than 50 percent in the 1970s to close to 75 percent today. And while U.S. labor policies in support of working mothers have come a long way, analysts say they have not caught up to the realities of women who struggle daily to balance family and career.   Alison Barnes is getting her kids fed and ready for school as she gets ready to leave for her job. This busy mother of three says she has been trying ... http://www.voanews.com/content/mothers-working-career-home/1658972.html http://www.voanews.com/content/mothers-working-career-home/1658972.html Fri, 10 May 2013 18:25:27 -0400 USA Julie Taboh Bob McNally, who considers himself both an artist and a musician, put both of those talents to use when he developed the Strumstick, an instrument that looks a little like a guitar, only with  a long, narrow neck and a smaller body. He designed it that way to encourage everyone, and not just musicians, to play music. “People are capable of playing a musical instrument, but if you play an instrument and get frustrated with it early enough, you decide, it’s you, there’s something lacking ... http://www.voanews.com/content/artist-musician-invents-easy-to-play-instrument/1653886.html http://www.voanews.com/content/artist-musician-invents-easy-to-play-instrument/1653886.html Fri, 03 May 2013 10:48:44 -0400 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/artist-musician-invents-easy-to-play-instrument/1653886.html#relatedInfoContainer Aluminum is everywhere. From airplanes to cooking pans, this versatile, light-weight metal has been around for generations. And its many benefits have made life easier and more convenient for millions of people. But a new documentary portrays what the filmmaker describes as the "dark side" of aluminum.   It’s in the cans we drink out of and in the products we like to cook with.  Aluminum is everywhere, including in products that make us feel better, safer and ... http://www.voanews.com/content/new-documentary-aluminum-dark-side/1651354.html http://www.voanews.com/content/new-documentary-aluminum-dark-side/1651354.html Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:43:28 -0400 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh In the wide open space of a quiet atrium, art student Gabriel Mellan shows off his heptachord, a seven-sided sculpture made of sheet metal. What at first looks like a tall, metal structure, turns out to have a hidden side. When you push against certain parts of it, an organ-like sound comes out. "It’s pressure sensitive," said Mellan, "so some areas don’t make any sound at all, but then some do. And so there’s varying levels of sensitivity, at different heights, so you can ... http://www.voanews.com/content/students-share-political-messages-through-art/1640104.html http://www.voanews.com/content/students-share-political-messages-through-art/1640104.html Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:54:54 -0400 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/students-share-political-messages-through-art/1640104.html#relatedInfoContainer Exhibit Highlights Butterfly's Beauty, Diversity, Value to Ecosystem http://www.voanews.com/content/exhibit_highlights_butterfly_beauty_diversity_value_to_ecosystem/1629981.html http://www.voanews.com/content/exhibit_highlights_butterfly_beauty_diversity_value_to_ecosystem/1629981.html Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:10:08 -0400 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/exhibit_highlights_butterfly_beauty_diversity_value_to_ecosystem/1629981.html#relatedInfoContainer An ancient clay cylinder credited with containing the world’s first declaration of human and religious rights, is touring the United States. Dating from the sixth century BCE, and smaller than an American football, the artifact is inscribed with proclamations from King Cyrus the Great of ancient Persia, present-day Iran, who ruled almost 2,600 years ago. The words, which declare religious freedom for his newly conquered people, have inspired generations of philosophers and rulers. Ancient ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cyrus-cylinder-smithsonian-persia/1619169.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cyrus-cylinder-smithsonian-persia/1619169.html Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:10:38 -0400 Middle East Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/cyrus-cylinder-smithsonian-persia/1619169.html#relatedInfoContainer As the U.S. population grows older, more and more adult children are looking for ways to care for their aging parents. Many turn to assisted living facilities or nursing homes to provide that care. But now, for some, there may be a better option: an alternative living concept which provides seniors with a safe environment while keeping them close to loved ones. Granny Pod In a quiet neighborhood just outside Washington, D.C., two homes sit within several feet of each other. The only ... http://www.voanews.com/content/pod-grandparents-elderly-housing-medcottages/1611768.html http://www.voanews.com/content/pod-grandparents-elderly-housing-medcottages/1611768.html Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:07:20 -0500 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/pod-grandparents-elderly-housing-medcottages/1611768.html#relatedInfoContainer Last year, more than a quarter-million people worldwide died from pancreatic cancer. After losing a close family friend to the disease, Jack Andraka, 16, learned firsthand just how deadly it can be. That prompted the Maryland teen to create a simple test to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stage of development, a breakthrough that could save many lives. The gifted young scientist, who was an invited guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the president's State of the Union address ... http://www.voanews.com/content/teenager-prize-cancer-test-jack-andraka/1603357.html http://www.voanews.com/content/teenager-prize-cancer-test-jack-andraka/1603357.html Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:56:58 -0500 Science & Technology Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/teenager-prize-cancer-test-jack-andraka/1603357.html#relatedInfoContainer The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C., is known for its giant pandas and other exotic animals. But a different kind of animal-themed attraction has captivated visitors since opening this past November.   Sunny-side up At first glance, the zoo's Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel looks like any ordinary merry-go-round. But this latest draw at the popular zoological park is special in two ways. First, it's solar powered; one of only two carousels in the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/zoo-carousel-mixes-conservation-message-with-fun/1595291.html http://www.voanews.com/content/zoo-carousel-mixes-conservation-message-with-fun/1595291.html Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:54:07 -0500 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/zoo-carousel-mixes-conservation-message-with-fun/1595291.html#relatedInfoContainer As the days grow darker across the Northern Hemisphere, people look for ways to brighten the season. For the past 30 years, the Washington-based Christmas Revels has offered festive holiday performances for all ages. For the performers and many audience members, the event has become an important part of their holiday tradition. This year, the Christmas Revels is back on stage in the nation’s capital celebrating the arrival of the Winter Solstice. Since 1983, the Washington-based company ... http://www.voanews.com/content/christmas-revels-celebrate-light-over-dark/1564916.html http://www.voanews.com/content/christmas-revels-celebrate-light-over-dark/1564916.html Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:00:09 -0500 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/christmas-revels-celebrate-light-over-dark/1564916.html#relatedInfoContainer At the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds, Maryland, a small group of inmates repairs damaged library books. Sitting at a long table covered with glue, scissors and tape, the six men fix broken spines, reassemble torn pages and replace missing covers. They've received special training to do this delicate restoration work, which they perform five days a week. In the process, inmates like Gregory Wallace are learning new skills and earning “good-time credit” which could ... http://www.voanews.com/content/by-restoring-books-inmates-repair-their-lives/1560378.html http://www.voanews.com/content/by-restoring-books-inmates-repair-their-lives/1560378.html Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:32:35 -0500 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/by-restoring-books-inmates-repair-their-lives/1560378.html#relatedInfoContainer "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," originally written as a Civil War anthem, was President Abraham Lincoln’s favorite, according to historians. The appeal of the hymn continues today. The original manuscript of the song's lyrics will be sold at auction in New York next month and is expected to fetch between $250,000 and $350,000. Inspiration at twilight In the early morning hours of Nov. 19, 1861, poet and anti-slavery activist Julia Ward Howe woke up from a powerful dream and ... http://www.voanews.com/content/popularity-of-lincolns-favorite-hymn-endures/1551846.html http://www.voanews.com/content/popularity-of-lincolns-favorite-hymn-endures/1551846.html Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:53:12 -0500 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/popularity-of-lincolns-favorite-hymn-endures/1551846.html#relatedInfoContainer A new documentary from the Arab world focuses on Muslim and Jewish musicians who reunite thanks to their common passion, after being torn apart by war 50 years ago. The film "El Gusto," showcases the group performing together in concert after the half-century of separation. The men play Chaabi, a traditional Algerian music they learned as young students at the Music Conservatory of Algiers in the 1940s. Side by side For decades, the Muslim and Jewish friends played music ... http://www.voanews.com/content/after-50-years-muslim-jewish-muscians-reunite/1549780.html http://www.voanews.com/content/after-50-years-muslim-jewish-muscians-reunite/1549780.html Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:24:32 -0500 Arts & Entertainment Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/after-50-years-muslim-jewish-muscians-reunite/1549780.html#relatedInfoContainer A matched team of horses pulls retired Army Col. Robert Gambino's flag-draped casket on a caisson at Arlington National Cemetery. For his funeral, the decorated soldier receives full military honors; a gun salute and an escort platoon accompanied by the U.S. Army Band. Gambino is being laid to rest at the nation’s best known military cemetery, just outside of Washington, D.C., the final resting place for those who have served on active duty, presidents and other notable Americans. A ... http://www.voanews.com/content/horses-escort-us-heroes-on-final-journey/1542703.html http://www.voanews.com/content/horses-escort-us-heroes-on-final-journey/1542703.html Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:10:46 -0500 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/horses-escort-us-heroes-on-final-journey/1542703.html#relatedInfoContainer Artifacts and paintings related to the earliest days of the American presidency up until recent times, are slated to be sold to the highest bidder by Christie's, the famed auction house in New York. The items were showcased ahead of the sale, in a Washington, D.C. exhibit entitled “Washington to Warhol: The Presidency in Art.” Washington to Warhol The rare items on display included a 19th century portrait of President George Washington, which sat near a 1986 screenprint of President ... http://www.voanews.com/content/rare-historical-presidential-artifacts-to-be-auctioned/1538364.html http://www.voanews.com/content/rare-historical-presidential-artifacts-to-be-auctioned/1538364.html Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:27:33 -0400 USA Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/rare-historical-presidential-artifacts-to-be-auctioned/1538364.html#relatedInfoContainer Almost one-third of small businesses in the United States is owned by women. That number is on the rise, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, especially in fields which were once dominated by men. On the move Chances are, a few decades ago, a moving company, with all of its trucks and heavy duty equipment, would have been owned by a man. But Apple Transfer, a company located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, belongs to Barbara Ayers. She is president and CEO of the company, which helps move ... http://www.voanews.com/content/more-women-starting-businesses/1534619.html http://www.voanews.com/content/more-women-starting-businesses/1534619.html Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:21:06 -0400 Economy Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/more-women-starting-businesses/1534619.html#relatedInfoContainer Every day, at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, the 13 resident nuns gather for prayer. Theirs is a simple Christian life of worship and meditation. The sisters also follow the Benedictine tradition of combining prayer with work. For the past 20 years, they've made their own version of Gouda, the flavorful cheese which originated in the Netherlands. Sister Barbara Smickel, who co-founded the monastery 25 years ago, says that ... http://www.voanews.com/content/prayerful-nuns-turn-out-tasty-cheese/1514552.html http://www.voanews.com/content/prayerful-nuns-turn-out-tasty-cheese/1514552.html Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:23:15 -0400 Economy Julie Taboh http://www.voanews.com/content/prayerful-nuns-turn-out-tasty-cheese/1514552.html#relatedInfoContainer An increasing number of Americans are growing their own food, making their own clothes and generally embracing the domestic lifestyle of their grandparents' generation. Although there are no statistics yet, some experts say this do-it-yourself movement has been gaining momentum among the under-40 population. Shannon Kline and her daughter Alice are picking the last of the summer harvest from the family's vegetable garden while her husband Geoff Delanoy prepares the soil for their fall ... http://www.voanews.com/content/young_americans_turn_to_old_fashioned_domestic_lifestyle/1495410.html http://www.voanews.com/content/young_americans_turn_to_old_fashioned_domestic_lifestyle/1495410.html Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:40:50 -0400 USA Julie Taboh A deconstruction crew is removing all of the usable material from a  two-story log cabin which is scheduled to be torn down. The men work for a nonprofit organization in Baltimore, Maryland, which specializes in salvaging windows, appliances and people's lives. Second Chance, Inc. resells materials from buildings which are slated to be demolished. The company hires and trains the most disadvantaged members of the community to do the work, giving both the workers, and the material, a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/salvage-firm-reclaims-past-builds-futures/1444215.html http://www.voanews.com/content/salvage-firm-reclaims-past-builds-futures/1444215.html Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:01:14 -0400 USA Julie Taboh