Newsletter Archive

Once seen as a ‘natural’ Republican constituency, Muslim-Americans started moving away from the GOP long before Donald Trump entered the political picture, despite shared conservative social values. Here’s what prompted Muslim-American voters — especially those who came of age in America — to lean toward the Democrats.

Bill Clinton could soon be the nation’s first first gentleman. There’s no prototype for a male spouse of the U.S. commander in chief, but first ladies traditionally maintain a low profile and are quietly supportive. Is the nation’s charismatic 42nd president ready to tone it down?

More Russians are intent on making their gardens grow, thanks to a struggling economy that has plunged millions of people into poverty. Back during Soviet food shortages, gardening at traditional Russian country homes was a matter of survival. Today, Moscow’s modern families are increasingly relying on homegrown food.

QUICK TAKE VIDEO: Iraqis are worried about the safety of a Jewish prophet’s tomb that is only a few kilometers away from Islamic State front lines. Prophet Nahum’s tomb is in the Iraqi town of Al Qosh and locals are asking for help protecting the 2,700-year-old sacred site.

Khat is no longer where it’s at in Somalia, which has banned flights that import the narcotic. The leaves and stem tips of the plant are used as a stimulant or medicine in certain areas of East Africa, Madagascar and Arabia. It must be consumed fresh, and its consumers, mainly men, commonly chew it in the afternoon. Fans believe khat helps them concentrate, while detractors say it’s costly and addictive, triggering hallucinations and insomnia.

The best hotels, supermarkets and other superior services in Somalia are run by young people from the diaspora, according to that nation’s president, who took part in a VOA-sponsored Town Hall, which connected Mogadishu with St. Paul, Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the United States. Now Hassan Sheikh Mohamud wants more young Somalis from abroad — including the United States — to return home and help rebuild the country.

Vietnam’s middle class is growing faster than anywhere in Southeast Asia. Newfound purchasing power has sparked a conspicuous consumption explosion in the cities. VOA is in Ho Chi Minh City, where foreign brands are scrambling for a profitable piece of the action, while middle-class neighbors struggle to keep up with the Joneses.