Newsletter Archive

The 2016 U.S. presidential race has been full of insults, rumors and name-calling that have many Americans shaking their heads in disgust. But for a small group of North Korean refugees who’ve come a long way to reach the United States, the divisive discourse and outright hostility come as a pleasant shock, because it’s proof of real democracy in action.

Fear that this year’s fiery campaign rhetoric could spark election day violence has prompted government officials across the country to prepare for that possibility. In Colorado, poll workers are being trained to deal with ‘active shooter’ situations while nationwide federal contingency planning includes establishing alternate polling locations in the event of an evacuation.

Controversy over voting rights is motivating many in the battleground state of North Carolina to vote early. An appeals court struck down the Republican-controlled legislature’s restrictive 2013 voting law, citing evidence that lawmakers referred to data on black voting patterns to craft the legislation. During the last presidential election, early voting accounted for 56 percent of total votes cast in North Carolina, so we wanted to see how 2016 is shaping up so far.

The United States has never had diplomatic relations with North Korea, but a souvenir found at a U.S. State Department gift shop suggests otherwise. The store sells friendship pins on which the Stars and Stripes is twinned with the flags of friendly nations. However, one of the pins pairs the American flag with the banner of a very unfriendly country: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

For Syrians in Russia, the biggest challenge can be obtaining the legal documents that allow them to live and work in the country, despite a Russian establishment that isn’t particularly welcoming. VOA reports from Russia, where many Syrians overstay their temporary visas, remain undocumented, and work illegally.

Out of the jungle and into the city. What a difference a week makes for a small group of Afghan migrants who recently arrived in Reims, Frances, after leaving the muddy squalor of the so-called ‘Jungle’ camp near the port city of Calais. Instead of rain-soaked tents, they now share small rooms in an old motel, where their dreams of life in Britain have shifted to the possibility of a future in France.

VIDEO: Great Clown Scare: Social hysteria is sweeping parts of the country after reported sightings of clowns lurking in the dark. Scary clowns often pop up in American entertainment and since today is Halloween, we thought we’d explore what it is about creepy clowns that keeps American audiences coming back for more.

Are aliens finally making contact with earth? The internet has been alive with stories about space beings communicating by using star signals. VOA decided to go to the source — the scientific team whose research sparked all of these stories about interstellar signals — as well as other scientists who devote their days to searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, to get the real story about whether ET is trying to phone home.