Newsletter Archive

On January 20, former model Melania Trump becomes the first foreign-born woman to serve as first lady in almost 200 years. Before this year, most Americans knew little about Melania Trump and probably even less about her native country. VOA travels to Slovenia, where the future first lady grew up, for a glimpse of her origins and interviews with people who remember Melania as a young woman who wanted more out of life.

Millions of Americans don’t live in a U.S. state; they are residents of U.S. territories. It used to be common for future states to start off as territories — areas under U.S. government control — with the idea that they would attain statehood at some point. But these days, not every territory aspires to statehood.

There’s an online art gallery that showcases the talents of homeless people and offers a way for them to earn money for their creations. Artist Liz Powers co-founded the Boston startup after working with homeless people as a case worker. She realized that, while many shelters provide art groups for residents, some amazing artwork being produced there wasn’t being seen. So she came up with the online marketplace — a creative way to empower the homeless.

VIDEO: In Russia, nostalgia for the Soviet Union is growing under President Vladimir Putin. A recent poll shows more than half of Russians regret the USSR’s collapse and believe the union could have been saved. A private museum in Moscow showcases memorabilia from the Soviet era, which ended 25 years ago this month. VOA visits the museum to find out why more Russians are willing to gloss over Soviet repression in their search for the good old days.

Frankincense remains a popular Christmastime gift — the three wise men are said to have brought the dried sap as a gift for the baby Jesus — but it’s also in demand year-round for use in churches, French perfumes and cosmetics. Much of the world’s supply comes from the remote hills of Somaliland. VOA visits the small breakaway republic in the Horn of Africa, where tapping frankincense trees for their resin can be a dangerous job.

Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar are finding sympathy in Bangladesh. VOA went to the border town of Teknaf, where hundreds of boats loaded with Rohingya Muslims have arrived in the last couple of months. While some have been pushed back by border guards, many others are greeted with food and aid from locals in the predominantly Muslim country.

Each year, the U.S. Botanic Gardens puts on a spectacular, all-plant holiday display. This year’s show celebrates the 100th birthday of the U.S. Park Service. Showcasing 50 models of some of the best-known sites within the national park system — including the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park, complete with a miniature erupting geyser — the exhibit is something of a love letter to America.

In 2016, Mikah Meyer set out on an epic journey across America to visit the more than 400 sites within the U.S. National Park Service. It was both a tribute to his late father and his own way of commemorating the parks’ 100th birthday year. During his journey, Mikah visited natural wonders, presidential homes, iconic landmarks and sacred Native American sites. We wondered what he’ll remember most.