Newsletter Archive

Twenty-eight years after moving to the US through family-immigrant visas, Ru-Liang Zhang and Xan-Xia Hong say they are living the best time of their lives. Hong used to work seven days a week at a garment factory, while Zhang put in similar hours at a restaurant. Combined, their work ethic helped put their three kids through college. But they sometimes wonder if those accomplishments might go unnoticed today, as the Trump administration blames so-called chain immigration for bringing in slackers who don’t contribute to the US economy.

VIDEO: There are now 100 days left before US midterm elections in November when control of both chambers of Congress is up for grabs. Polls and history give opposition Democrats an edge. Both parties agree that President Trump will be the key issue in this year’s election. What nobody knows is which side will ultimately benefit from the so-called ‘Trump factor.’

Meet President Trump’s latest envoy. The administration increasingly sees Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a White House envoy-at-large. According to diplomats and analysts, President Trump views the Israeli leader as an ideological ally who can blaze a trail for him to Moscow while also marshaling his populist admirers in Central Europe. Netanyahu could also be key to setting up an alliance that’s already being called the ‘Arab NATO.’

VIDEO: Taiwan is going to the dogs now that killing stray animals is banned, thanks to animal rights groups who opposed the population control measure. The ban took effect in March 2017 and more than a year later, shelters are at maximum capacity and some stray dogs are being left out on the streets.

VIDEO: Would you pay $17,000 for a parrot? That’s the going price for a Hyacinth Macaw, one of only 6,500 left in the world. Small or giant, cheap or expensive, VOA visits a store in the state of Virginia that specializes in exotic feathered friends.

Send money! That’s the message the government of Ethiopia has for its US diaspora. The country is experiencing ongoing political and social reforms, and officials there want to send a strong signal that the African nation is is open for business.