Newsletter Archive

Donald Trump won over many Chinese with his reputation as an anti-establishment business tycoon and reality TV star. Footage of the president-elect’s granddaughter reciting Chinese poetry in fluent Mandarin, as well as Trump’s opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement (TPP) — a U.S.-led Asia-Pacific trade bloc that excludes China — helped strengthen admiration for the celebrity politician. But then that phone call happened and, for many Chinese social media users, Trump went from hero to villain.

Winter of discontent: In the long term, Democrats must decide where the party is headed. In the short term, they must prepare for a Donald Trump presidency. Facing continuing Republican control of Congress, Democrats must now determine what kind of opposition they want to be during the Trump administration.

Expect a fierce battle over immigration once Donald Trump takes office. The president-elect has pledged to rescind President Barack Obama’s executive orders that shield millions of undocumented immigrants from potential deportation. Trump has pledged to overturn those orders and could issue new ones, taking federal immigration policy in the opposite direction. Opponents vow to stop at nothing to prevent the mass deportation of undocumented residents.

In Indonesia, almost 1-in-3 men admits to having raped a woman, according to a 2013 UN report. In the Asian nation’s patriarchal society, the responsibility for rape is often placed on the victim. Many believe it’s a woman’s responsibility to protect her ‘purity’ rather than a man’s to contain his desire for sex. However, as VOA reports from Jakarta, the recent gang rape of a 15-year-old Indonesian girl has helped propel rape culture and misogyny into the national spotlight.

The bluegrass music scene is literally underground in Tennessee. Beneath the state’s rolling hills, you’ll find one of the world’s most unusual performance spaces. Fans must walk nearly a kilometer into, and then another 110 meters down to a cavern to enjoy this original American music form.

VIDEO: Some of the nation’s most contentious issues are decided at the U.S. Supreme Court. And although the high court’s rulings can impact the everyday lives of Americans, most don’t know much about the building where life-changing decisions are made. VOA takes a look around the U.S. Supreme Court.