John Cronin has never been one to let disability hold him back. The 22-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., was born with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes developmental and intellectual delays. Motivated by his family’s love and encouragement, Cronin teamed up with his father 18 months ago to open a business. But not just any business. John’s Crazy Socks sells, you guessed it, socks. And as Faiza Elmasry reports, it’s a business worth $4 million. Faith Lapidus narrates. …
From Stick Insects to Giraffes, Animals Get Measured at London Zoo
It’s a good idea for people to get an annual physical … and it’s important for animals, too. The London Zoo hosted its annual weigh-in for thousands of its animals recently, enticing the creatures with food to get their measurements. The documentation process is an extensive and time-consuming exercise for the zoo keepers, but a crucial one, say zoo officials. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
Musk Says Investors Convinced Him Tesla Should Stay Public
Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk says investors have convinced him that he shouldn’t take the company private, so the firm will remain on the public stock markets. The eccentric and sometimes erratic CEO said in a statement late Friday that he made the decision based on feedback from shareholders, including institutional investors, who said they have internal rules limiting how much they can sink into a private company. Musk met with the electric car and solar panel company’s board on Thursday to tell them he wanted to stay public and the board agreed, according to the statement. In an Aug. 7 post on Twitter, Musk wrote that he was considering taking the company private. He said it would avoid the short-term pressures of reporting quarterly results. …
Brazil Health Ministry: 4 Million Kids Need Vaccinations
Brazil’s health officials say more than 4 million children still need to be vaccinated against measles. More than 1,380 people have been infected in an outbreak linked to cases imported from Venezuela. To stop the disease’s spread, Brazil’s Health Ministry launched a campaign this month to vaccinate all children between 1 and 5 — regardless of their vaccination history. It said Friday that 4.1 million children still had not been vaccinated as the campaign enters its final week. Among the places with the lowest vaccination rates is Roraima, one of two border states with Venezuela where cases are concentrated. Health services in the neighboring country have collapsed amid economic and political turmoil, which has caused more than 1 million people to flee. Tens of thousands have migrated to Brazil. …
US Commerce’s Ross Picks ZTE Monitor After Rejecting ‘Never Trump’ Lawyer
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has appointed a former federal prosecutor to monitor China’s ZTE Corp — after people familiar with the matter said he rescinded an offer to a former U.S. official for signing a “Never Trump” letter before the 2016 presidential election. A new monitor for ZTE is required as part of a June settlement that ended a ban on U.S. companies selling components to China’s No. 2 telecommunications equipment maker. The ban threatened ZTE’s survival and became a source of friction in trade talks between Washington and Beijing. Roscoe Howard, a former U.S. attorney in Washington, will lead a compliance team designed to help ensure that ZTE does not illegally sell products with American parts to Iran and other sanctioned countries. Howard, who got his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1977, is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg’s litigation department in Washington, and served as associate independent counsel during the Clinton and George H. W. Bush administrations. Howard was not the first choice of Commerce Department officials. Peter Lichtenbaum, a former assistant secretary for export administration at the Commerce Department, received a letter on Aug. 15 offering him the post, sources said. Ross then learned that Lichtenbaum was among the dozens of former national security officials who signed a letter in August 2016 saying Trump was not qualified to be president and they would never vote for him, the sources said on condition of anonymity. Last Friday, two days after making the offer, the …
WHO: Doctor in Eastern Congo Contracts Ebola in ‘Dreaded’ Scenario
A doctor has become the first probable Ebola case in one of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s “high insecurity zones” which are dogged by militia violence and hard to access, a scenario “we have all been dreading,” the WHO said on Friday. Since the outbreak erupted on August 1, 103 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola have been identified in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, including 63 deaths, the health ministry said in an overnight update. The doctor living in Oicha town in North Kivu has been re-hospitalised with Ebola symptoms after his wife was confirmed as having the disease when she traveled to the nearby city of Beni, said Dr. Peter Salama, the World Health Organization’s head of emergency operations. Oicha is almost entirely surrounded by ADF Ugandan Islamist militia, there are “extremely serious security concerns,” he said. Aid workers, priests and government officials are held hostage in the area, he said. The doctor’s initial test for Ebola — which causes vomiting, fever and diarrhea — had been negative, but fresh results are awaited, Salama told Reuters. So far 97 of the doctor’s contacts who may have been exposed to the virus have been identified, and vaccination has begun in the town, he added. “So for the first time really we have a confirmed case and contacts in an area of very high insecurity. It really was the problem we were anticipating and the problem at same time that we were dreading,” Salama told a news briefing. WHO …
Experts Warn of a Return of the AIDS Epidemic
Thirty-six million people currently live with AIDS, a disease that claimed the lives of nearly 1 million people last year. Experts predict that by 2030, 100 million people will have been infected with the HIV virus. Despite the alarming numbers, there have been great strides in treatment. HIV is no longer a death sentence, and researchers say people receiving treatment for HIV are able to live normal lives and do not pose a risk to others when they are being treated proactively. But success carries a price: complacency. Funding for AIDS research and treatment has declined, and in some places, so has government interest. “When we talk to ministers of finance, they always say to me, ‘I thought HIV was over because I don’t see anybody dying,’” said Dr. Deborah Birx, a U.S. Global AIDS coordinator who oversees the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). J. Stephen Morrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “We’re not reaching goals.” He added, “There’s going to be a struggle to hold ground. … There’s a widening deficit of political will and financial capacity that we face some really daunting challenges in prevention.” Dr. Chris Beyrer, with Johns Hopkins Medicine, predicted that things will get worse if governments and civilians continue their complacency. “We are not done with AIDS,” he said. “It is much too early to declare victory, and the risks of a resurgent epidemic are real.” Birx, Morrison and Beyrer discussed the challenges in ending AIDS at a …
В Україні є внутрішнє технологічне зростання, але недостатньо бізнес-практик і захисту від корупції – Милованов
Щороку загальна продуктивність українського бізнесу зростає усередньому на 4%, розповів Радіо Свобода почесний президент Київської школи економіки, професор університету Пітсбурга Тимофій Милованов. «У нас ВВП так не зростає. Це нам про те говорить, що у нас є зростання внутрішнє технологічне, але у нас недостатньо тоді капітальних або людських ресурсів, або бізнес-практик, культури, як ви кажете, або захисту від рейдерства, корупції, щоб ці 4% реалізувати. Це погані новини, це пояснює, чому потенціал нереалізований, але це й хороші, бо потенціал є», – сказав він під час марафону «Твоя незалежність». Ключовою необхідністю для реалізації цього потенціалу Милованов називає «торгівлю зі світом» та розвиток інфраструктури всередині України. Радіо Свобода проводить марафон «Твоя незалежність» у співпраці з телеканалом Espreso. Він триває – 7 годин, з 12:00 до 19:00. Всі обговорення зосереджувались на можливостях та завданнях, з якими Україна зіткнулася як з суверенна держава за роки незалежності. …
Powell Signals More Hikes Ahead if US Economy Stays Strong
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled Friday that he expects the Fed to continue gradually raising interest rates if the U.S. economic expansion remains strong. Powell added that while annual inflation has risen to near the Fed’s 2 percent target rate, it doesn’t seem likely to accelerate above that point. That suggests that he doesn’t foresee a need for the Fed to step up its rate hikes. Late next month, the Fed is widely expected to resume raising rates. Speaking to an annual conference of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Powell said the Fed recognizes that it needs to strike a careful balance between its mandates of maximizing employment and keeping price increases stable. He said a gradual approach is the best way for the Fed to navigate between the risks of raising rates too fast and “needlessly shortening the expansion” and moving too slowly and risking an overheated economy. “My colleagues and I,” the Fed chairman said in his speech, “are carefully monitoring incoming data, and we are setting policy to do what monetary policy can do to support continued growth, a strong labor market, and inflation near 2 percent.” Powell made no mention of the recent public criticism from President Donald Trump, who has said he’s unhappy with the Fed’s rate hikes. The president has complained that the Fed’s tightening of credit could threaten the continued strong growth he aims to achieve through the tax cuts enacted late last year, a pullback of regulations and a rewriting …
Resurgence of Crippling Black Lung Disease Seen in US Coal Miners
Since the 1990s, annual numbers of U.S. coal miners with new, confirmed cases of an advanced form of so-called black lung disease known as progressive massive fibrosis have been steadily rising, according to a new study. The resurgence is particularly strong among central Appalachian miners in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, the study authors note. “It’s an entirely preventable disease, and every case is an important representation of a failure to prevent this disease,” said lead study author Kirsten Almberg of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown, West Virginia. Progressive massive fibrosis is the most severe form of pneumoconiosis, which is also known as black lung disease and is caused by overexposure to coal mine dust. The symptoms are debilitating and can lead to respiratory distress. “Many people think black lung is a relic of the past,” she told Reuters Health in a phone interview. “But it shouldn’t fade from our attention.” Almberg and colleagues looked at the number of progressive massive fibrosis cases among former U.S. coal miners applying for Federal Black Lung Program benefits between 1970 and 2016.Miners can apply for financial help and medical coverage if facing disabling lung impairment, and claims are accepted when medical tests and imaging verify the presence of disabling pulmonary impairment. Progressive massive fibrosis is “by definition” considered totally disabling, the authors note in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Among 314,000 miners who applied for benefits during …
Pence Reaffirms Vision for ‘American Dominance in Space’
Vice President Mike Pence is in Houston, Texas, to reaffirm the Trump administration’s plans to establish an American Space Force by 2020, return Americans to the moon, and set its sight on Mars and beyond. During a speech Thursday at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Pence said that recent Pentagon reports have shown that China is “aggressively weaponizing space” and that Russia is developing weapons to “counter America’s space capabilities.” Pence said the Department of Defense is moving forward to “strengthen American security in space” and that the administration will work with Congress to secure funding and authorization to establish Space Force as a new and separate branch of the armed forces. Pence also highlighted efforts to move the Lunar Orbital Platform, formerly known as the Deep Space Gateway, from proposal phase to production. NASA, the main U.S. agency for space exploration, and several of its partners, have been developing plans for this lunar-orbit space station that would be used as a staging point for lunar exploration and would have several gateway-to-space features, including a propulsion system, a habitat for the crew, and docking capability. In its 2019 budget, NASA has requested $504 million in funding for this project, which has yet to be approved by Congress. There was little new detail in Pence’s speech other than reiterating the administration’s vision for “American dominance in space.” Space Force has been mentioned by Pence on several occasions, and a theme that President Donald Trump often returns to, including during his rally in …
Scientists Find Perfectly Preserved Ancient Foal in Siberia
Russian scientists have found the carcass of an ancient foal perfectly preserved in the Siberian permafrost. The fossil discovered in the region of Yakutia has its skin, hair, hooves and tail preserved. Yakutia is also famous having wooly mammoth fossils found in the permafrost. Scientists from Russia’s Northeast Federal University who presented the discovery Thursday said the foal is estimated to be 30,000 to 40,000 years old. They believe it was about two months old when it died. Semyon Grigoryev, head of the Mammoth Museum in the regional capital of Yakutsk, was surprised to see the perfect state of the find. He noted it’s the best-preserved ancient foal found to date. The foal was discovered in the Batagaika crater, a huge 100-meter (328-foot) deep depression in the East Siberian taiga. …
В Україні втілять 70 регіональних стартапів за кошти ЄС – уряд
В Україні цього року почнуть втілювати 70 регіональних проектів за кошти Європейського союзу. Як передає Урядовий портал, це стане можливим завдяки Програмі підтримки секторальної політики України. Згідно з повідомленням, 70 стартапів перемогли в конкурсному відборі за п’ятьма напрямками: інноваційна економіка й інвестиції, сільський розвиток, розвиток людського потенціалу, розвиток туризму, загальноукраїнська солідарність. Серед проектів-переможців – найбільше проектів у Львівській області. Загальна сума фінансування складає понад 600 мільйонів гривень, кажуть в уряді. У липні цього року набрало чинності рішення Євросоюзу про виділення Україні мільярда євро макрофінансової допомоги. Загальний обсяг зобов’язань з надання Україні макрофінансової допомоги з боку ЄС на реалізацію реформ визначений у розмірі 12,8 мільярда євро, з них 2,8 мільярда вже надали за попередніми програмами. Як очікується, ця грошова допомога має сприяти стабілізації ослабленої української економіки і проведення реформ. …
До липня 2019 року тарифи на електроенергію для населення не зміняться – голова НКРЕКП
Тарифи на електричну енергію загалом суттєво не зростуть, а для побутових споживачів залишаться незмінними до липня 2019 року, заявила голова Національної комісії, що здійснює регулювання у сферах енергетики та комунальних послуг, Оксана Кривенко. Про це вона розповіла в ефірі «Радіо НВ» 22 серпня. За словами Кривенко, на засіданні 23 серпня НКРЕКП планує визнати такими, що втратили чинність, низку документів, які стосуються формульного ціноутворення для оптових ринків, тому що з липня 2019 року має запрацювати вільний ринок електричної енергії без регулювання НКРЕКП оптових цін. З грудня 2018 року НКРЕКП не матиме повноваження регулювати ціни на роздрібному ринку. Читайте також: «АМКУ просить НКРЕКП пояснити, чи законні вимоги про купівлю нових лічильників газу за власний кошт» Наразі ж, за словами очільниці комісії, тарифне регулювання стримує ріст тарифів. «Формульне ціноутворення … обмежує побажання суб’єктів, особливо тих, що генерують електричну енергію, щодо підвищення ціни та виставлення рахунків споживачам вже з більшими цифрами. Дійсно, до липня ми суттєвого підвищення тарифів на електричну енергію не очікуємо, а особливо для побутових споживачів взагалі тарифи залишаться незмінними», – заявила Кривенко. Вона очікує, що з липня 2019-го ціна на електричну енергію для споживачів має формуватися на конкурентних засадах. В червні 2018 року група депутатів та активістів оскаржила в суді попереднє підвищення тарифів у грудні 2018 року. …
US, China Raise Tariffs in New Round of Trade Dispute
The United States and China imposed more tariff hikes on billions of dollars of each other’s automobiles, factory machinery and other goods Thursday in an escalation of a battle over Beijing’s technology policy that companies worry will chill global economic growth. The 25 percent increases took effect as envoys from both sides held their first high-level talks in two months in Washington. No details were released about the two-day meeting that started Wednesday. The penalties, previously announced, apply to $16 billion of goods from both sides including automobiles and metal scrap from the United States and Chinese-made factory machinery and electronic components. They follow last month’s first round of tariff increases of the same size by both sides on $34 billion of each other’s imports. The Chinese government criticized the U.S. increase as a violation of World Trade Organization rules and said it would file a legal challenge. Beijing has rejected U.S. demands to scale back plans for state-led technology development that its trading partners say violate its market-opening commitments and American officials worry might erode the United States’ industrial leadership. With no settlement in sight, economists warn the conflict could spread and knock up to 0.5 percentage points off global economic growth through 2020. …
US, China Exchange New Round of Tariffs in Trade War
A new set of tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by the United States and China on each other’s goods took effect Thursday. The U.S. announced earlier this month that it would impose 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods, on top of the 25-percent tariffs it imposed on $34 billion worth of Chinese products in early July. Beijing has followed suit in each case with an identical percentage of tariffs in retaliation. China’s commerce ministry issued a statement Thursday criticizing the U.S. tariffs as a violation of World Trade Organization rules, and says it will file a legal challenge under the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism. The new round of tariffs took effect the day after delegations from both nations met in Washington for first of two days of talks aimed at resolving the dispute, the first such formal discussions since June. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview this week he does not expect much progress from the discussions. When asked about the issue at Wednesday’s news briefing by VOA, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “As you said, these conversations are continuing. I don’t have any announcements on them. They’re ongoing. Certainly, what we’d like to see is better trade deals for the United States. he president wants to see free, fair, and more reciprocal trade between other countries, particularly with China, and we’re going to continue in those conversations.” The Trump administration is demanding that Beijing change its practice of heavily subsidizing its …
After Summer’s Growth Revisions, Macron Has Budget Work Cut Out
French President Emmanuel Macron will make the tough political choices needed to meet his deficit commitments, his government spokesman said, as he looked to put a bodyguard scandal behind him at his first Cabinet meeting after the summer break. Macron and his ministers in all likelihood need to find savings in next year’s budget, to be presented to parliament next month, if they are to prevent the deficit from ballooning once again. The president faced his first crisis in the summer when video surfaced of bodyguard Alexandre Benalla beating a protester. Macron’s own aloof response fanned public discontent. Now the 40-year-old leader returns to work facing difficult political choices as he embarks on a new wave of reforms to reform the pensions system, overhaul public healthcare and shake-up the highly unionized public sector — tasks complicated by forecasts that economic growth is slower than expected. “A budget is not only figures, but a strategy, and strong political choices,” Griveaux said, without giving details on the budget negotiations. “There will be [spending] increases and then we will require efforts from other sectors.” The French economy eked out less growth than expected in the second quarter as strikes and higher taxes hit consumer spending, official data showed in July. Macron has linked fiscal discipline to restoring France’s credibility in Europe, and while the budget deficit — forecast at 2.3 percent of GDP this year and next — should not surpass the EU-mandated 3 percent limit, it is still expected to be one of the highest …
EXCLUSIVE – Sources: Aramco Listing Plan Halted, Oil Giant Disbands Advisors
Saudi Arabia has called off both the domestic and international stock listing of state oil giant Aramco, billed as the biggest such deal in history, four senior industry sources said on Wednesday. The financial advisors working on the proposed listing have been disbanded, as Saudi Arabia shifts its attention to a proposed acquisition of a “strategic stake” in local petrochemicals maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp., two of the sources said. “The decision to call off the IPO was taken some time ago, but no-one can disclose this, so statements are gradually going that way — first delay then calling off,” a Saudi source familiar with IPO plans. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Saudi Royal Court had no immediate comment. The proposed listing of the national champion was a central part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reform drive aimed at restructuring the kingdom’s economy and reducing its dependence on oil revenue. The prince announced the plan to sell about 5 percent of Aramco in 2016 via a local and an international listing, predicting the sale would value the whole company at $2 trillion or more. Several industry experts however questioned whether a valuation that high was realistic, which hindered the process of preparing the IPO for the advisors. Stock exchanges in financial centers including London, New York and Hong Kong had been vying to host the international tranche of the share sale. An army of bankers and lawyers started to fiercely compete to …
Disney Offers Tuition for Hourly Workers in Tight Job Market
Disney is offering to pay full tuition for hourly workers who want to earn a college degree or finish a high school diploma. The Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday it will pay upfront tuition to workers who want to take classes starting in the fall. Disney initially will invest $50 million into the “Disney Aspire” program and up to $25 million a year after that. Other large corporations have begun paying tuition for workers in a job market with low unemployment. In May, Walmart said it will offer workers the chance to get a college degree at three universities with online programs. Disney is rolling out its program in phases, with the first limited to online classes. It is being administered by Guild Education, the same firm operating Walmart’s program. …
US Job Gains in Year through March Likely to Be Revised up by 43,000
The U.S. economy likely created 43,000 more jobs in the 12 months through March than previously estimated, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. The marginal increase, which the Labor Department said represented less than a 0.05 percent gain versus current estimates, is a preliminary estimate of the government’s annual “benchmark” revision to nonfarm payrolls data. Job growth in the U.S. economy remains relatively strong despite the labor market being near full employment. Once a year, the government compares its nonfarm payrolls data, based on monthly surveys of a sample of employers, with a much more complete database of unemployment insurance tax records. A final benchmark revision will be published in February along with the employment report for January. Government statisticians will use the final benchmark count to revise payrolls data for months both prior to and after March 2018. …
В.о. голови ДФС відсторонив керівника Одеської митниці
В. о. голови Державної фіскальної служби Мирослав Продан відсторонив керівника Одеської митниці Олександра Власова, повідомила прес-служба ДФС. Фіскали інформують, що це сталося на тлі викрадення зі складських приміщень арештованих товарно-матеріальних цінностей – 37 контейнерів з нерозмитненим товаром орієнтовною вартістю 150 мільйонів гривень. Продан заявив, що ДФС встановила причетність до викрадення «відомої в певних колах групи», до складу якої входить співробітник підрозділу Генеральної прокуратури України, який здійснює нагляд за роботою митниць та останнім часом перебуває на лікарняному. Він зазначив, що ДФС вдалося виявити та вилучити викрадений товар на різних ринках України, зокрема, у Харківській та Одеській областях. Мова йде про тканину, техніку, трактори, запчастини тощо. Сам Власов заявив, що ще до рішення суду ДФС вилучила п’ять контейнерів та склала протоколи про порушення митних правил. «Потім, згідно з рішенням суду, усі 37 контейнерів було заарештовано, та з невідомих причин слідчими прийнято рішення про розміщення їх не на митних складах, а надано на відповідальне зберігання товариству, яке має складські приміщення не у зоні діяльності Одеської митниці», – пояснив Власов. Через цю ситуацію Продан доручив підрозділу внутрішньої безпеки центрального апарату ДФС провести службове розслідування і відсторонив Власенка на період цих слідчих дій. У ГПУ наразі не коментували звинувачення Продана. …
New Technology Aims to Prevent Newborn Deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa
An internship at a hospital in Malawi was an eye-opening experience for Sonia Sosa. “Sometimes, there are tons of babies, and there are not that many nurses, so they’re understaffed. It was really hard to work there, but then it also challenged me to really go back and work really hard to be able to provide this care that is accessible to them,” said Sosa, who studied biomedical engineering and is a global health fellow at Rice 360° Institute for Global Health in Houston. The purpose of the institute, through various programs, is to design and implement new technologies to combat global health problems. One of the institute’s efforts is the Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies project also known as NEST360°. The collaborative, multinational effort aims to reduce the number of newborn deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with one of the highest neonatal mortality rates in the world. NEST aims to develop a collection of medical technologies that would be appropriate for a harsh and challenging environment and make them sustainable through educating clinicians and developing distribution systems for this technology. The devices are being developed or being tested, such as a light weight incubator, a diagnostic device for jaundice and respiratory rate monitor. Made for the environment In total, 17 technologies have been identified, and together, engineers say they can help prevent the top causes of newborn deaths such as pneumonia and preterm birth in sub-Saharan Africa. “Our students developed a solution that would cost on the order …
Рівень тіньової економіки в Україні знизився на початку 2018 року – МЕРТ
Зниження рівня тіньової економіки є можливим завдяки наявності головних ознак макроекономічної стабільності – міністерство …
Гривня знову падає на міжбанку
Після посилення в понеділок і збереження рівня близько 27 гривень 70 копійок за долар у вівторок національна валюта знову знецінюється на торгах 22 серпня. Національний банк України оприлюднив довідкове значення курсу гривні до долара США на 12:00 – 27 гривень 89 копійок за одиницю американської валюти. За даними сайту «Мінфін», який відстежує події на міжбанківському валютному ринку, опівдні попит і пропозиція урівноважилися на нових рубежах – купівля 27 гривень 87 копійок, продаж 27 гривень 91 копійка за долар. Учасники торгів припускають, що Нацбанк без оголошення аукціону продавав валюту, що дозволило зупинити зростання долара. На початку тижня фахівці називали посилення гривні ситуативним і пов’язували його з тим, що 20 серпня був «останній день активних бюджетних проплат у більшості клієнтів». …