https://www.voanews.com/z/5589 Exploring American culture, history and ideals, as well as places of interest in the United States. https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com/z/5589 en 2026 - VOA 60 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:13:10 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Most homebuyers get to know the people who live next door after they move in. But a new real estate platform allows future homebuyers to learn a potential neighbor’s political leanings before they make what, for many people, is the biggest purchase of their life. “The purpose of Oyssey [the app] is to democratize data for buyers in their home search experience … to get you, as a prospective buyer, a feel for the area and community,” says Darian Kelly, co-founder of Oyssey. “It's to get you to the understanding of, when I move here, these are the type of people that I might be inviting over for dinner. The type of people that I will be raising my child alongside.” The Oyssey data is pulled from sources like election results, campaign contributions and information from marketing research firms. The real estate platform has only launched in Florida and New York so far, but its founders say they expect to take it nationwide later this year. Realtors subscribe to Oyssey and then give their homebuyer clients access to the service. For the initial launch, the platform breaks down political affiliation block by block, but Kelly says potential homebuyers will eventually be able to look up whether their prospective new neighbor is a registered Democrat or Republican. Ben McCartney, an assistant professor of commerce at the University of Virginia, co-authored a study published in 2024 that found that 1 of every 100 moves is politically motivated, and that the people most likely to relocate for this reason tend to be less involved in politics. “They don't want politics to be part of their everyday life, but then they get a new neighbor, and that new neighbor is not only very politically vocal, but also affiliated with the opposite party, and there's where we see the strongest tensions arise,” McCartney says. The study found that current residents are slightly more likely to move away if they get new neighbors with different political views than if the new neighbor is affiliated with the same political party. “So, political polarization isn't just a social media phenomenon but is affecting real economic decisions, as well,” McCartney says. The study found the numbers of Democrats and Republicans who wanted to move away from neighbors with different political views to be roughly even. That’s why a platform like Oyssey makes sense to McCartney. “People do seem to care about the political identities of their new neighbors, so I'm not surprised that some company is now selling that information, or providing that information, to would-be buyers,” he says. “And I tend to be supportive of policies that make it easier for people to make informed decisions.” The Oyssey platform also provides other data relating to quality of life for the individual homebuyer, such as where to find the most dog parks. “Where is the area with the most registered dogs throughout their state or county?” Kelly says. “And we can try to get an idea and figure out where do the dogs live, because as a pet owner, that’s where I want to be.” He dismisses any suggestion that Oyssey could contribute to deepening America’s political divide. “I actually get upset by the question. … I think the question makes the assumption that you shouldn't be the driver, you shouldn't be the writer of your own story,” Kelly says. “We believe that we're giving people the data and the information to control their own destiny and do what they will with that information. The data already exists.” Oyssey’s stated goal is to make that public information easier to find. https://www.voanews.com/a/new-app-lets-homebuyers-know-about-future-neighbor-s-politics-/7988658.html https://www.voanews.com/a/new-app-lets-homebuyers-know-about-future-neighbor-s-politics-/7988658.html Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:42:22 -0500 All About AmericaUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) After Donald Trump is sworn in as president, there will be a swirl of activity at the White House. Over about six hours, the belongings of outgoing President Joe Biden and family will be removed and the residence will be made into a home for the new chief executive. VOA's Dora Mekouar reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/what-happens-on-moving-day-at-white-house-/7941194.html https://www.voanews.com/a/what-happens-on-moving-day-at-white-house-/7941194.html Mon, 20 Jan 2025 10:26:18 -0500 ArchiveUSAAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) President-elect Donald Trump wants to slash government spending. A proposed advisory commission called the Department of Government Efficiency will lead the effort. It’s not a new concept. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports, American leaders have tried to reduce the role of government almost since the beginning. https://www.voanews.com/a/7925116.html https://www.voanews.com/a/7925116.html Sun, 05 Jan 2025 13:55:53 -0500 All About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) It’s a marketing tradition that dates back more than a century. Each year, New York City’s most famous retailers unveil their opulent holiday window displays. VOA’s Dora Mekouar explores why the old-fashioned marketing device is still relevant in the modern world. Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Ihar Tsikhanenka https://www.voanews.com/a/why-new-york-s-biggest-retailers-stick-to-century-old-holiday-marketing-gimmick-/7903209.html https://www.voanews.com/a/why-new-york-s-biggest-retailers-stick-to-century-old-holiday-marketing-gimmick-/7903209.html Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:21:40 -0500 All About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates communications in the United States. Carr, an FCC commissioner since 2017, has taken aim at big tech and China’s influence on U.S. communications. VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/incoming-fcc-chair-is-big-tech-critic-who-worries-about-china/7902069.html https://www.voanews.com/a/incoming-fcc-chair-is-big-tech-critic-who-worries-about-china/7902069.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 11:43:28 -0500 USATechnologyAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) HARTSDALE, NEW YORK — On most days, Mark Lindenberg either drives by or walks over to visit with Boots, his beloved pet cat who died in August 2020 at the age of 17. The New York man had his black-and-white tuxedo cat buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, a picturesque spot with rolling, grassy hills near the main road. The epitaph on Boots’ tombstone reads, “You taught me how to love and be loved.” Other tombstones are engraved with phrases such as “A truer friend we never had” and “Our beloved queen.” “Human cemeteries are sad,” Lindenberg says. “This is one of the most cheerful places. When you look at the love that goes behind every plot here — the sayings, the toys, the pinwheels — it's just, I can't think of a better place.” Hartsdale is America’s oldest working pet cemetery and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. Lindenberg says he paid about $7,000 to bury Boots at Hartsdale. Those costs include the plot, casket, tombstone, burial and site maintenance in perpetuity. “What have I worked for if I'm not going to do the things that matter most, and this mattered most,” Lindenberg says. “I got instant closure the day I decided I was going to bury her here.” Pet burials started in Hartsdale in 1896 when veterinarian Samuel Johnson allowed a client to bury her dog in his apple orchard, a hillside spot located about 30 kilometers north of New York City. Since then, about 70,000 animals have been laid to rest in the 2-hectare cemetery. Most of the pets buried at Hartsdale are cats and dogs, but there are a few more exotic animals. “There's reptiles that are buried here. Mice,” says Edward Martin III, vice president of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. “There's a lion cub that was buried here in 1912 by a Russian princess. There's the ashes of Ming, who's a Bengal tiger that was buried here a few years ago. There are some monkeys.” There’s also Hudson the horse, some birds and singer Mariah Carey’s cat, Clarence. The oldest headstone, dating to 1898, commemorates the life of a dog named Blague. Martin runs the place alongside his father, Edward Martin Jr., who purchased the cemetery in 1974. The younger Martin is a lawyer and certified public accountant, who eventually opted to help oversee the cemetery, where he once worked as a teenager. “I've seen what people go through, and they lose their pets, and I feel like I'm in a good position where I can help them,” he says. “And I have helped them, and it makes me want to continue helping them.” Between 250 and 300 burials are conducted at Hartsdale each year. The cemetery never runs out of space because not all of the graves are permanent. People can pay a one-time forever maintenance fee of $3,500 or an annual fee of $105. If the annual fee stops being paid, that gravesite is eventually offered for sale. “The pet in the grave will be removed from that plot so someone else who wants it can pay the maintenance. And the pets are taken out, and they're cremated, and they don't leave the cemetery,” says Martin Jr., Hartsdale’s president. “Their remains are scattered over the cemetery grass.” A centerpiece at the cemetery is the war dog memorial at the top of a hill. Unveiled in 1923, the monument was originally dedicated to World War I service dogs. But these days, the memorial honors service dogs of all kinds. Although Hartsdale is primarily a resting place for animals, the cremated remains of about 800 humans are buried here with their pets. There’s even a Martin family plot, where the elder Martin plans to eventually be laid to rest with other relatives. “I have to be buried somewhere. And why would I go to any place other than this?” he says. “My mother and father, and my mother-in-law or father-in-law are buried here, and so, that's a good reason by itself to do it.” Lindenberg also likes the idea. He has already arranged to be cremated and buried alongside Boots when the time comes. “I'm single. I don't know if I'll ever get married, and I can't think of a better place,” he says. “I lived with my cat every day for almost 17 years. Why stop now?” In the meantime, Lindenberg, who lives a 10-minute walk away, will continue to visit his old friend almost daily. https://www.voanews.com/a/at-america-s-oldest-pet-cemetery-humans-spend-eternity-with-faithful-companions-/7888899.html https://www.voanews.com/a/at-america-s-oldest-pet-cemetery-humans-spend-eternity-with-faithful-companions-/7888899.html Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:25:07 -0500 All About AmericaUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) For nearly 100 years, Americans have enjoyed watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The spectacle is an annual tradition that aims to make millions of consumers feel connected to the department store. VOA’s Dora Mekouar looks at the parade preparation. https://www.voanews.com/a/behind-the-scenes-at-the-macy-s-thanksgiving-day-parade/7877024.html https://www.voanews.com/a/behind-the-scenes-at-the-macy-s-thanksgiving-day-parade/7877024.html Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:18:39 -0500 All About AmericaUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) More than 300,000 people in the state of Georgia cast their ballots for U.S. president on the first day of voting in the battleground state. These people were among the millions of Americans who are eligible to vote before Election Day, November 5. https://www.voanews.com/a/most-americans-can-vote-before-election-day/7848638.html https://www.voanews.com/a/most-americans-can-vote-before-election-day/7848638.html Fri, 01 Nov 2024 21:46:23 -0400 2024 US ElectionAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar, VOA Graphics) If Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris makes history in November by being elected America’s first female president, her husband Doug Emhoff would also break barriers as the country’s first 'first gentleman.' It would be the second time the former entertainment lawyer has made history, after spending almost four years as the nation’s first 'second gentleman.' VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/is-america-about-to-make-history-with-its-first-first-gentleman-/7844781.html https://www.voanews.com/a/is-america-about-to-make-history-with-its-first-first-gentleman-/7844781.html Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:00:06 -0400 2024 US ElectionAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) People in all 50 states will vote in this year’s U.S. presidential election. But it is outcomes from seven so-called swing states that will likely determine the winner. The Southwestern state of Arizona traditionally favored Republican candidates, but Democrat Joe Biden won the state in 2020, and its electoral votes are up for grabs again in 2024. From Arizona, VOA’s Dora Mekouar has our story. Videographer: Miguel Amaya https://www.voanews.com/a/demographic-changes-shake-up-arizona-presidential-politics/7828699.html https://www.voanews.com/a/demographic-changes-shake-up-arizona-presidential-politics/7828699.html Sat, 19 Oct 2024 12:15:33 -0400 2024 US ElectionImmigrationAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) In the U.S., all eyes are on the seven so-called battleground states that are expected to determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. While some of them have shifted politically over the years, the Western swing state of Nevada does not lean strongly toward one major party or the other. VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports from Las Vegas. Camera: Miguel Amaya https://www.voanews.com/a/how-republican-leaning-nevada-became-a-swing-state-/7823539.html https://www.voanews.com/a/how-republican-leaning-nevada-became-a-swing-state-/7823539.html Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:12:01 -0400 2024 US ElectionAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Fredericksburg, Virginia — Most mornings, when the weather cooperates, angler Mike Sielicki can be found out on the water in Fredericksburg, Virginia — about an hour’s drive from Washington — trying to hook a species of fish that was once considered a dangerous threat to the surrounding aquatic wildlife. “To me, it's the best fish that ever hit the United States,” Sielicki says. “I hope it winds up going in every body of water so everybody can enjoy it.” Sielicki has fished for northern snakeheads for 20 years, since they first showed up in Potomac Creek, a shallow inlet that feeds into the Potomac River, a major Washington-area waterway. Through his company, Apex Predators Potomac Creek, he takes paying customers out on his boat to fish for the invasive predator, which originally came from Asia. “I have a fair amount of people that come from out of the state, out of the United States, that come fish with me,” he says on a quiet August morning when the snakeheads are proving elusive so far. “The water here is very shallow, gets very grassy, and that's their perfect habitat.” Snakeheads first appeared in the Washington area in 2002. Almost immediately, local wildlife officials sounded the alarm. Scientists worried that snakeheads would decimate this area’s native predator fish populations, including the prized largemouth bass. “The Potomac River is a renowned destination throughout the country for bass tournaments and sport bass fishing. It's huge,” says John Odenkirk, a fisheries biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. “And so, that was the concern, that this fish [snakehead] was going to destroy that, because they were kind of the same level at the top of the food chain.” Snakeheads, which can grow to more than 83 centimeters long, have pointy teeth and can breathe air, which means they can survive out of the water for several days — as long as their skin remains moist. Snakeheads also spawn twice a year, while similar level fish only spawn once a year. Officials worried these unique qualities would give snakeheads the edge over native top-level predators. “So, on paper, it's like, ‘Wow, they got some competitive advantage here.’ … What was driving the fear was that the abundance of snakeheads would get so high they would just overwhelm the system. That never happened,” Odenkirk says. “They never got to the point where they could threaten the stature of the bass, because there weren't enough of them.” Odenkirk says snakeheads aren’t dominating their environment in part because predators, including birds and other large fish, found them. And he says the snakehead's natural prey, including smaller fish, instinctively adjusted to its presence. The fish populations that snakeheads prey on have not declined, which suggests the snakeheads aren’t having a negative impact on the environment, Odenkirk adds. The fish is also popular with anglers, which has also kept the snakehead population in check. Their firm, mild-tasting white meat makes them a sought-after delicacy. “Like swimming chicken,” Sielicki says. “It's the most hardiest piece of meat that you'll ever get.” Despite this suppression, in the United States the snakehead population has become most abundant in the Washington-area’s Potomac River and its tributaries, and in the southern state of Arkansas, where the fish used to be bred for food until 2002, when federal officials banned the practice. Even though snakeheads haven’t had a noticeably negative impact on the ecosystem, wildlife officials aren’t prepared to give the invasive species the all-clear. “If they get in somewhere different, maybe where we have a threatening or endangered fish, where there's not as much diversity in the fish community, there could be some unwanted impacts in a situation like that,” Odenkirk says. “So, there's still that hesitancy to sort of embrace the fish all across the board.” Years ago, worried wildlife officials advised people to kill snakeheads if they caught them. But a recent state survey showed that about 40% of people who catch this prized fish in Virginia now choose to release it back in the wild. But not Sielicki, who relishes harvesting his catch, which he does on this morning after an hourslong lull, when the determined fisherman finally hooks a 63-cm snakehead. “Back up! We’re getting ready to put him in the boat,” he calls out. “Let’s see if we can get another one.” https://www.voanews.com/a/after-20-years-killer-invasive-snakehead-fish-haven-t-devoured-the-competition-/7762116.html https://www.voanews.com/a/after-20-years-killer-invasive-snakehead-fish-haven-t-devoured-the-competition-/7762116.html Thu, 29 Aug 2024 08:54:28 -0400 All About AmericaUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Access to nature isn’t just good for your mental health. A long-term study suggests that spending time in green spaces, or by water, can help prevent heart disease. VOA’s Dora Mekouar has more. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam. https://www.voanews.com/a/hanging-out-in-urban-green-spaces-helps-prevent-heart-disease-study-finds-/7745224.html https://www.voanews.com/a/hanging-out-in-urban-green-spaces-helps-prevent-heart-disease-study-finds-/7745224.html Fri, 16 Aug 2024 08:57:23 -0400 USAAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) U.S. President Joe Biden speaks out against Monday’s Supreme Court decision giving former presidents immunity from prosecution for actions falling within their official job duties. The ruling doesn’t dismiss former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case, but does delay it. Dora Mekouar reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/how-us-supreme-court-s-immunity-decision-could-impact-presidential-race/7683182.html https://www.voanews.com/a/how-us-supreme-court-s-immunity-decision-could-impact-presidential-race/7683182.html Tue, 02 Jul 2024 20:36:02 -0400 USA2024 US ElectionAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley continued to draw support from Republican voters long after she dropped out of this year’s U.S. presidential race. VOA’s Dora Mekouar looks at how Haley supporters may help determine the winner of the election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. https://www.voanews.com/a/nikki-haley-voters-could-swing-us-presidential-election-/7681340.html https://www.voanews.com/a/nikki-haley-voters-could-swing-us-presidential-election-/7681340.html Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:49:06 -0400 2024 US ElectionUSAAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) In Washington, the garden of former President Woodrow Wilson’s historic home is being reimagined to accommodate a changing climate. VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports. Camera: Adam Greenbaum. https://www.voanews.com/a/historic-washington-garden-gets-eco-friendly-makeover-/7676179.html https://www.voanews.com/a/historic-washington-garden-gets-eco-friendly-makeover-/7676179.html Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:24:27 -0400 USAAll About Americawebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Immigrants make up almost 14% of US population https://www.voanews.com/a/number-of-foreign-born-people-hits-record-in-us-despite-slow-population-growth/7643941.html https://www.voanews.com/a/number-of-foreign-born-people-hits-record-in-us-despite-slow-population-growth/7643941.html Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:00:08 -0400 All About AmericaUSAwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Trillions of cicadas that have burrowed underground for 13 and 17 years are now emerging in parts of the midwestern and southern United States. “The southern states and the central U.S. are going to be the hardest hit,” says Paula Shrewsbury, an entomologist at the University of Maryland. “They will have trillions of cicadas.” The 13-year cicadas, Brood XIX, are found in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and elsewhere in the Southeast. Brood XIII, the 17-year cicadas, emerged primarily in Illinois. Periodical cicadas, which stay underground for years and then emerge together, are only found in the United States. “That's one of the big mysteries as to why these cicadas evolved really long life cycles, among the longest among all insects,” says Floyd Shockley, an entomologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, adding that it could be a reaction to radical temperature changes long ago. “The last few ice ages, which would have happened after Magicicada evolved, may have forced them to have longer life cycles in order to survive periods of time when their host trees would have been impacted by glaciers,” he says. Watch: The cicadas spend their years underground as nymphs feeding on the sap from trees until it's time to rise, which occurs when the ground temperature reaches about 17 degrees Celsius [64 degrees Fahrenheit]. “That first night, their only goal is to molt into the adult,” Shockley says. “It takes them several hours to complete this process. They usually start at dusk and do most of this at night to avoid predators. It's not a very effective strategy, but when you're coming out in the millions or hundreds of millions, you don't really have to worry too much about surviving … there's still plenty [of cicadas] for the reproductive phase.” After a few days, the mating dance begins. The male cicadas gather in trees and start singing to attract the females, who will signal if they are interested. “She will flick her wings, and he will mate her. And once she's mated, he inserts what’s called a copulatory plug, which plugs the female so that other males can't mate her,” Shrewsbury says. “But then he gets to go on and find other females to mate with.” Mating can last from a few hours to up to a day. Once mated, the females start creating slits in tree branch stems where they will lay 400 to 600 eggs before they die. All of the cicadas will live above ground for only four to six weeks, just long enough to mate and lay their eggs before a massive adult die-off. The eggs left behind hatch about six to eight weeks later. The hatched nymphs drop to the ground and burrow beneath the dirt to begin the cycle all over again. While cicadas might be a nuisance to some, the scientists say they have ecological benefits and don’t harm people or animals. For example, the millions of skins that are shed break down, and this organic matter is recycled back into the ground. “And when they come up out of the ground, they burrow these holes, and those holes will add aeration holes for the roots of the plants. And water infiltration will be better, so it will help the plants to grow better,” Shrewsbury says. The insects are also a nutritious food source for animals. “We see a lot of feeding by, especially birds, but also mammals and reptiles that take advantage of the abundant food source,” Shockley says. “Everywhere the cicadas emerge, there's a flush of population growth in those predators. And so, they'll have a very good season. And then, of course, their populations will reduce back down naturally when that abundant food source disappears.” Cicadas can also be a food source for humans. There are recipes for everything from stir-fried cicadas to cicada tacos and cicadas dipped in chocolate. Both Shrewsbury and Shockley have sampled them. “Cicadas kind of have this kind of nutty taste to it, but they’re very nutritious,” she says. “Insects in general are very nutritious.” “Most people prefer to go ahead and take the wings off and the legs off,” Shockley says. “Just because, I don't know why, they think maybe that's a little less creepy. But they're delicious.” https://www.voanews.com/a/trillions-of-cicadas-descend-on-parts-of-us/7633831.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trillions-of-cicadas-descend-on-parts-of-us/7633831.html Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:52:07 -0400 All About AmericaUSAScience & Healthwebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) Study finds 1 in 3 secretly travel while working remotely https://www.voanews.com/a/remote-workers-quietly-take-workations-without-telling-the-boss-/7624385.html https://www.voanews.com/a/remote-workers-quietly-take-workations-without-telling-the-boss-/7624385.html Fri, 24 May 2024 07:34:45 -0400 All About AmericaUSAEconomyTechnologywebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar) General public gets to visit White House grounds in spring and fall https://www.voanews.com/a/take-a-stroll-through-the-president-s-backyard-white-house-rose-garden/7613024.html https://www.voanews.com/a/take-a-stroll-through-the-president-s-backyard-white-house-rose-garden/7613024.html Thu, 16 May 2024 02:21:16 -0400 All About AmericaUSAArts & Culturewebdesk@voanews.com (Dora Mekouar)