Take a stroll through the US president’s backyard
General public gets to visit White House grounds in spring and fall …
From Titanic travelers to textile tycoons, Arab Americans have long been part of the American story
Dearborn, Michigan — All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest. The term slacks, meaning pants worn during relaxation activities, was coined by an Arab American. Joseph Haggar, a Lebanese immigrant, founded the iconic Haggar men’s clothing brand in 1926. “He settled in Texas, and he started this pant company that was extremely successful in the 20th century,” says Diana Abouali, director of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. “He also revolutionized the way that pants and clothing were mass produced.” An exhibit at the museum is dedicated to Haggar, whose pants were worn by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. Stories like Haggar’s are integral to the museum’s mission to demonstrate how Arab Americans have been part of the American fabric since the late 19th century. “We communicate the American narrative in the voices of Arab Americans. They express their experiences in their own words,” Abouali says. “This provides people with a more authentic and real representation of what it means to be Arab American.” The museum attempts to share the full range of the Arab American experience, including the journey to America, home and work life, and service in the U.S. Armed Forces. …
From Titanic travelers to textile tycoons: Arab Americans have long been part of US history
April is Arab American Heritage Month in the United States. This month highlights a community that often has to battle negative stereotypes. One institution that helps to do that is the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, which VOA’s Dora Mekouar recently visited. Camera: Adam Greenbaum. …
This is America’s best-selling vehicle for 42 years running
In Dearborn, Michigan, a new Ford F-150 rolls off the line every 53 seconds …
Attacks on US Palestinians Put Arab Americans on Edge
Arab Americans and US Muslims fear bias attacks after Hamas Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza …
Will Angry Arab American Voters Swing Michigan Away from Biden?
Michigan has the largest Arab American community in the country, and they’re furious with the president’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza …
Gender-Neutral Baby Names Gain Popularity, but Traditional Names Still Rule
US parents get more creative when deciding what to name their children …
Will Immigrants Save US Economy as Baby Boomers Retire in Droves?
About 10,000 people born between 1946 and 1964 leave the workforce each day …
How COVID-19 Changed US Office Fashion
Hybrid work relaxed office fashion, but formal attire might be making a comeback …
Canada Moves to Scale Back Fast-Growing Foreign Study Programs
HALIFAX, Canada — Facing a surge of foreign student applications from around the world, Canada has announced new caps on the number of applications that will be accepted each year, along with restrictions on eligibility for work permits for some graduating students. Even with the changes, Canada will remain one of the most welcoming countries for foreign students, hosting more of them relative to population than any other country and offering many a path to permanent residency after they graduate. However the rapidly growing foreign student population — estimated at about 900,000 last year in a country of 38 million — is seen as exacerbating a nationwide housing crisis by driving up rental costs while placing pressure on the country’s government-funded health care system. In announcing the changes, government officials also cited concerns that some foreign students are being exploited by low-quality profit-oriented diploma “mills” that offer something less than the level of education expected by the incoming students. Students flock to Canada The popularity of Canada as a destination for foreign study has exploded in recent years, with the number of applications increasing by about 300,000 a year between 2019 and 2022, according to an immigration ministry study cited by …
Abortion on Ballot in 2024, Biden Says; Harris on Swing Through Key States
Abortion is on the ballot in 2024, the White House says, with Vice President Kamala Harris crisscrossing the country to equate the Biden campaign with protection and expansion of reproductive rights, and Republican candidates speaking of possible federal abortion bans. This leaves the ultimate choice on this sensitive issue to American voters. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House. …
Abortion on 2024 Ballot, Biden Says; Harris Tours Key States
white house — Abortion is on the ballot in 2024, the White House says, with Vice President Kamala on Monday launching a cross-country tour to equate the campaign of President Joe Biden with protection and expansion of reproductive rights – as Republican candidates speak of possible federal abortion bans. On Monday — the 51st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that federally protected the right to have an abortion — Harris visited the battleground state of Wisconsin to highlight the Biden administration’s support of full access to reproductive health care, including abortion. “In America, freedom is not to be given,” Harris said. “It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right. By right. And that includes the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body. Not the government telling you what to do.” Biden, a devoted lifelong Catholic, has expressed personal reservations about abortion. On Monday, however, he described the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and throw the matter to individual states — as unfair. Since that court ruling, he noted, voters in different states have repeatedly voted to uphold abortion access. “Voters have voted to protect reproductive rights,” Biden …
Following Review, Business Insider Stands by Reports on Wife of Ex-Harvard President’s Critic
New York — Business Insider’s top executive and parent company said Sunday they were satisfied with the fairness and accuracy of stories that made plagiarism accusations against a former MIT professor who is married to a prominent critic of former Harvard President Claudine Gay. “We stand by Business Insider and its newsroom,” said a spokesman for Axel Springer, the German media company that owns the publication. The company had said it would look into the stories about Neri Oxman, a prominent designer, following complaints by her husband, Bill Ackman, a Harvard graduate and CEO of the Pershing Square investment firm. He publicly campaigned against Gay, who resigned earlier this month following criticism of her answers at a congressional hearing on antisemitism and charges that her academic writing contained examples of improperly credited work. With its stories, Business Insider raised both the idea of hypocrisy and the possibility that academic dishonesty is widespread, even among the nation’s most prominent scholars. Ackman’s response, and the pressure that a well-connected person placed on the corporate owners of a journalism outlet, raised questions about the outlet’s independence. Business Insider and Axel Springer’s “liability just goes up and up and up,” Ackman said Sunday in a …
Why Are Students Choosing Trade Programs Instead of College?
Almost every category of higher education in the U.S. has declining enrollments. But trade programs – short certificates that offer real-world skills like auto repair and industrial automation – are a hit. The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez looks at one program in Tennessee to discover why: students love the flexibility, practicality and high wages. Read her story published by The Associated Press. (April 2023) …
To Help Students, Some Colleges Provide Double the Teachers
Terrica Purvis squinted through goggles as her hands carefully guided a pipette full of indigo-tinted fluid into clear glass test tubes. It was the last chemistry lab of the winter quarter at Everett Community College. Purvis was working through the steps of what chemistry professor Valerie Mosser jokingly refers to as the “post-apocalypse survival” lab — an experiment using boiled red cabbage water to test the acidity of common household chemicals. Purvis, 27, is in her first year of study for an associate degree in nursing at Everett Community College. She is also one of more than 6,000 Washington community and technical college students enrolled in the state’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. Students who need extra help in subjects such as algebra struggle to learn if the content is taught in an abstract way, educators say. So I-BEST programs feature two teachers in the classroom: One provides job training and the other teaches basic skills in reading, math or English language. Nationally, two-year community colleges have the worst completion rates in higher education, with only slightly more than 40% earning degrees within six years. In Washington state, students in the program graduate at a higher rate. …
Kisslorod skype chat
