Newsletter Archive

We can’t say they’re the most unpopular candidates ever to run for president, but Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump definitely have some work to do in the likeability department. While the presidential candidates’ most ardent supporters adore them, for some voters, the 2016 election boils down to the lesser of two evils, leaving Clinton and Trump to battle it out, not only with each other, but with their own negative poll ratings.

Both candidates seem to agree that the economy isn’t working for ordinary people. Almost 15 percent of Americans live in poverty, and that number includes the working poor, who might work 40 hours a week, but still struggle to pay the bills.

QUICK TAKE VIDEO: Muslims in America are among those fasting from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan. But the duration of the fast depends on where one lives. In Anchorage, Alaska, for example, Muslims abstain from food and drink until 11:46 p.m., almost 20 hours. VOA takes a whirlwind look at fasting across the United States.

A program enabling Afghan military interpreters to immigrate to the United States hasn’t been extended by Congress, but that could soon be rectified. More than 20,000 Afghan interpreters and their family members have relocated to the U.S. under the program, often because they are targeted by the Taliban.

Lots of folks across the pond seem to be struggling with the reality of a post-Brexit world. Now that Britain is poised to leave the European Union, EU officials are trying to figure out what their future looks like, while Londoners brace for economic doldrums that could last a decade.

VIDEO: Welcome to the world of the Iraqi biker. VOA is in Baghdad where two-wheeling it is a way for motorcycle enthusiasts to blow off stream and forget about the violence and blackouts that have become a part of everyday life. Their ultimate dream is to do something bikers in many other countries take for granted.

VOA traveled to Bhutan, which measures progress in terms of Gross National Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product, but that doesn’t cut it for the Himalayan nation’s younger workers, who are anxious to find jobs. That’s hard to do in a country where — besides tourism and hydropower generation — there is virtually no industry or private sector.

From deadly debris to art with a message. Plastic bottles, old toys, flip flops and beer cans are some of the ocean junk used to create colorful pieces of art — an eye-catching way to drive home the reality that the ocean is full of massive amounts of trash that threaten the animals depicted in this stunning exhibit.