COLUMBIA, Missouri — The Biden administration has doled out more than $2 billion in direct payments for Black and other minority farmers discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the president announced Wednesday. More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, according to the USDA. Another 20,000 who planned to start a farm but did not receive a USDA loan …
Maui fire lawsuit parties reach $4B global settlement, court filings say
HONOLULU — The parties in lawsuits seeking damages for last year’s Maui wildfires have reached a $4 billion global settlement, a court filing said Friday, nearly one year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The term sheet with details of the settlement is not publicly available, but the liaison attorneys filed a motion Friday saying the global settlement seeks to resolve all …
US colleges reembracing SAT as admissions requirement
The COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to administer the SAT exam to high school students worldwide. In response, US colleges and universities that required the exam for admissions made the test optional. Now, with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, a trend is growing in higher education to again require the SAT. VOA’s Robin Guess has the story. …
US pledges Israel will not stand alone if Iran attacks
washington — The United States is preparing to move troops and military capabilities to help defend Israel from a retaliatory strike by Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged the support during a call Friday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, though U.S. defense officials said a decision on which units and capabilities would be shifted had not yet been made. “The secretary reiterated ironclad support …
Harris secures enough Democratic delegate votes to be nominee, chair says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough votes from delegates to become her party’s nominee for president, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said Friday. The announcement was made before the online voting process ends on Monday, reflecting the breakneck speed of a campaign that is eager to maintain momentum after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris as his …
Weak US jobs data pummels stock markets as a global sell-off whips back to Wall Street
New York — U.S. stocks are tumbling Friday on worries about whether the U.S. economy can hold up amid the countdown for a cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve, as a sell-off for stocks whips all the way around the world back to Wall Street. The S&P 500 was sinking by 2.5% in late morning trading, potentially on pace for its worst day since …
Scenes of joy as American hostages return home
Three Americans unjustly detained in Russia stepped foot on U.S. soil again late Thursday. Waiting for them, President Joe Biden and their loved ones. VOA’s Jessica Jerreat reports. …
US, Japan eye warfighting capabilities through alliance upgrade
washington — The realignment of the United States armed forces in Japan, announced on the heels of the latest U.S.-Japan security talks, will focus on developing warfighting capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, former U.S. military officials and experts say. During a meeting of the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee in Tokyo on Sunday, the two nations agreed to upgrade the command and control of the U.S. Forces …
Memes, mudslinging appear on social media in run-up to election
In a U.S. election season that has been filled with unexpected twists and turns, social media users have responded in kind … with coconuts and cat ladies. VOA’s Tina Trinh explains. …
Biles wins her second Olympic all-around gymnastics title
paris — Simone Biles remains peerless. Even when she’s not quite perfect. The American gymnastics star edged Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade during a tense Olympic all-around final on Thursday. Biles’ total of 59.131 was just more than a point ahead of Andrade at 57.932, one of the closest calls Biles has ever endured at a major international event. Sunisa Lee, the Tokyo Olympics champion, earned bronze despite …
Historic prisoner swap sees Americans Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva freed from Russia
Washington — The U.S. on Thursday confirmed a historic prisoner swap with Russia that included the release of American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza. In total, the U.S. secured the release of 16 individuals, including five wrongfully detained Germans and seven Russian citizens, in return for eight held in America, Germany, Poland, Norway and Slovenia. …
Young fencer shows NY grit on Paris 2024 stage
EAUBONNE, France — Growing up in cutthroat New York gave Lauren Scruggs the competitive mindset needed to claim an unexpected fencing silver medal on her Olympic debut in Paris. The 21-year-old Queens native shared the podium with fellow American Lee Kiefer, who retained her Olympic title in the women’s individual foil event gold medal bout on Sunday. “I’ve grown up in New York my whole life. …
New Yorkers increasingly seek in-person social events over online connections
new york — Over 8 million people live in New York City and yet lasting romantic relationships can still seem hard to come by. Because of this, many singles in the city have ditched swiping on dating apps for socializing in real life through in-person events such as running clubs, reading parties and singles meetups. In the early 2010s, dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge …
South Carolina Supreme Court rules state death penalty including firing squad is legal
columbia, south carolina — South Carolina can execute death row inmates by firing squad, lethal injection or the electric chair, the state’s high court ruled Wednesday, opening the door to restart executions after more than a decade. All five justices agreed with at least part of the ruling. But two of the justices said they felt the firing squad was not a legal way to kill …
Biden prods Congress to act to curb fentanyl from Mexico as Trump paints Harris as weak on border
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is prodding Congress to help him do more to combat the scourge of fentanyl before he leaves office. The Democratic administration is making the new policy push as Republican former President Donald Trump steps up attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris, painting her as Biden’s feckless lieutenant in the battle to slow the illegal drugs and immigrants without authorization coming into …
US needs to do more to compete with China, says official
washington — U.S. State Department Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says that whether it is exploring for rare earth minerals, establishing military bases in Africa, or building more ships and submarines, the United States needs to do more to compete with China. Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Tuesday, Campbell called China the “defining geopolitical challenge confronting modern American diplomacy.” “We need to …