Newsletter Archive

Olive trees have historically been a symbol of peace and civilization. For farmers in Iraq, the trees symbolize a chance to rebuild their lives from the ashes left behind by fleeing Islamic State fighters. VOA reports from Bashiqa, where farmers hope their neglected olive trees will once again start to bear fruit.

Candidate Donald Trump insisted it was good for a president to be unpredictable on foreign policy. As president-elect, Trump appears to have softened his stance on some of his more extreme foreign policy proposals. Now, with eight weeks to go until he enters the White House, experts concede they have no idea what kind of foreign policy Trump will oversee.

An Ohio town is betting on President-elect Donald Trump to keep his promise to bring jobs back to the Rust Belt. The economy of Hannibal, Ohio, and the surrounding area, took a devastating hit when aluminum giant Ormet closed down its factory in 2014. Now, residents are waiting to see whether the businessman can govern as well as he can campaign.

Jumping into a pool with your clothes on is how a day begins at an unconventional school in Silicon Valley devoted to current and future entrepreneurs. The San Francisco Bay area, home to many start-up and global technology companies, celebrates innovation, which is why Draper University pushes students to imagine more than they ever thought they could.

Kachin rebels have a voice in Myanmar, thanks to a small radio station broadcasting from Laiza, a border town and rebel stronghold on the mountainous Myanmar-China border. VOA stops by the Laiza FM radio station, which reaches much of Kachin State and northern Shan State, and allows ethnic Kachin people to get the rebels’ take on their fractious region.

Calories are cheap, but nutrition can be expensive in the United States. As part of its ‘People in America’ series, VOA Learning English meets the founder of Hungry Harvest, which collects and sells ‘ugly’ produce — fruits and vegetables that most food companies would throw away. For every purchase, Hungry Harvest donates healthy food to needy people, which is why Evan Lutz likes to say he sells produce with a purpose.