VOASE0208_Economics Report

08 February 2007

Congress Gets Bush's '08 Budget Plan
President's $3 trillion spending proposal includes, for the first time, detailed estimates of war costs. It also aims for a balanced budget in 2012.

Download
Download
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

This week, President Bush sent Congress his spending plan for two thousand eight. His budget proposes almost three trillion dollars in government spending, a four percent increase over this year. The new budget year begins October first.

President Bush holds a copy of his 2008 budget plan at the end of a cabinet meeting

Mister Bush says his plan will finance the war on terrorism and still lead to a balanced budget in two thousand twelve without raising taxes.

His budget includes, for the first time, detailed cost estimates for the war in Iraq. Until now, war costs have been considered largely as emergency spending measures, when needed.

Mister Bush is asking Congress for one hundred forty-five billion dollars for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for two thousand eight. He also wants an additional one hundred billion dollars for this year.

Since the invasion in two thousand three, the war in Iraq has cost more than three hundred forty billion dollars.

The president says his proposed budget is realistic even with the costs of the war. He says the budget can be brought into balance if the economy continues to grow and Congress shows financial restraint.

His chief economic advisor, Ed Lazear, says the strong economy will make it possible to limit cuts in government programs. He says it will also make it possible to pay for the war and reduce the current budget deficit.

This is the first time the president has proposed a budget to a Congress with a Democratic majority. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton noted the size of the defense requests -- six hundred twenty-five billion dollars. He said Congress must look at the details carefully, to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Approving a budget is a long and complex legislative process. Government offices could close if the president has not signed a new budget by October first. But Congress can pass temporary spending measures known as continuing resolutions until a budget is in place.

In recent years, budgets have had a big increase in special interest projects added by individual lawmakers. These additions, called earmarks, are often criticized as wasteful.

Democrats have promised to restrict earmark spending. The president wants Congress to cut earmarks in half by the end of this year.

Mister Bush is also asking for line-item veto power -- the power to veto individual spending items passed by Congress. Under the separation of powers, the president can only veto complete spending bills.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0208_American Mosaic

08 February 2007

Guantanamo Bay: How the US Came to Have a Naval Base in Cuba
Also: the story of Perky the lucky duck in Florida. And music by this year's Grammy Award nominees.

Download
Download
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer a question about an American naval base ...

Play some music nominated for a Grammy Award ...

And report about a world-famous duck.

Perky the Lucky Duck

People around the world love stories about animals. One story came to a sad end last week with the news of the death of the race horse Barbaro. The horse fought for his life for eight months after breaking his leg during a race in Baltimore, Maryland in May. But another happier story has appeared on news shows around the world recently. Faith Lapidus explains.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Perky is shown in a photo provided by the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Tallahassee, Florida

This story is about a brown female Canadian duck that weighs only four hundred fifty grams. The duck had flown to the southern state of Florida for the winter. A hunter shot it on January fifteenth and took it to his home in the city of Tallahassee. He put it in the refrigerator. Two days later the man’s wife opened the refrigerator door. The duck lifted its head and looked at her. It was alive!

The family took the duck to a doctor who treats animals. The doctor gave the duck to the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary. Animal sanctuaries provide homes for animals and teach people about their care.

The doctor said it was easy to understand why people thought the duck was dead. He said ducks generally do not move a lot, especially after being shot. And he said its low body temperature helped it survive in the refrigerator.

That was enough to make the duck famous around the world. The Tallahassee newspaper published the story that was re-printed in many different countries. But that was not the end of the story.

Workers at the wildlife sanctuary named the duck Perky. And they arranged for the doctor to perform an operation to repair the duck's damaged wing. During the operation, Perky stopped breathing — not just once but two times. The doctor tried to save Perky by giving her oxygen through a face mask. But he finally said the duck had died. A few seconds later, however, Perky began to move. Reports say the people in the operating room were so happy that they cried.

Workers at the wildlife sanctuary say Perky will not have any more operations. It seems she had a bad reaction to the drugs that were used. Perky is expected to live at the sanctuary. And a local company has begun to sell t-shirts showing a picture of the lucky duck. Money from the sale of the shirts will help pay for Perky’s care.

Guantanamo

HOST:

Our VOA Listener question this week comes from Vietnam. Dang Cam Y asks about the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Guantanamo Bay naval base covers one hundred sixteen square kilometers in southeastern Cuba. It is controlled by the United States. The naval base at Guantanamo is the oldest American base outside the United States mainland. It is also the only American base in a country that does not have open political relations with the United States.

United States Marines took control of Guantanamo Bay during the Spanish-American War in eighteen ninety-eight. In nineteen oh-three, an independent Cuba agreed to permit the United States to use the base in exchange for a yearly payment of two thousand dollars in gold. A treaty confirmed the agreement in nineteen thirty-four. Agreement by both governments is needed to end the treaty.

Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in nineteen fifty-nine and demanded the return of the base. The United States refused. Since nineteen sixty, the Cuban government has refused to accept the annual payment of five thousand dollars from the United States.

In the nineteen sixties, tensions increased at Guantanamo following the American-supported Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and the Cuban missile crisis. These incidents led American forces to increase security at the base. In nineteen sixty-four, President Castro cut off its water supply. The United States sent drinking water to the base until it built its own equipment to remove salt from the water in the bay.

During the nineteen nineties, thousands of refugees fleeing Cuba and Haiti were temporarily housed at the base.

Since two thousand two, the United States has held hundreds of prisoners suspected of having ties to the Taleban or al-Qaeda. They were captured in Afghanistan and other countries during the war against terror. Human rights groups have criticized the United States for its treatment of these prisoners and for the length of time they have been held without being tried.

In December, the United States Congress approved legislation that established military groups to try the prisoners. Last month, the Defense Department announced new rules to carry out the law. Reports say the military will finally charge between sixty and eighty of the almost four hundred men held at Guantanamo. The trials are expected to begin in the spring.

Grammy Nominations

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will present the forty-ninth yearly Grammy Awards on Sunday, February eleventh. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on television from Los Angeles, California. Bob Doughty tells us about the Grammies and plays three nominated songs.

BOB DOUGHTY:

The Grammy Awards recognize excellent musical recordings and the people who create them. The award is a small statue that is shaped like the early record player called a gramophone. The word Grammy is a short way of saying gramophone.

Members of the Recording Academy choose the best music each year. Awards are given for all kinds of music — popular, jazz, classical, country, rap and many others.

One of the major Grammy Awards is Record of the Year. Five records are nominated. One of these is from Mary J. Blige -- "Be Without You.”

(MUSIC)

Another nominee for Record of the Year is “Put Your Records On” by Corrine Bailey Rae.

(MUSIC)

Other nominees for Record of the Year are Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and the Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready To Make Nice.” We leave you now with the fifth song nominated for “Record of the Year.” It is “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Send your questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

And do join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

VOASE0208_The Making of a Nation

07 February 2007

American History Series: War Hero Is Elected President in 1952
Dwight Eisenhower was the commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War Two.

Download
Download
VOICE ONE:

This is Doug Johnson.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Phil Murray with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Harry Truman

America's presidential election campaign of nineteen fifty-two probably opened on the day President Harry Truman said "no." He said he would not be a candidate for re-election.

In later years, Harry Truman would be called one of America's better presidents. Near the end of nineteen fifty-one, however, he had lost the support of many Americans.

The continuing war in Korea, and economic problems at home, had robbed him of much of his popularity. His Democratic Party needed a new candidate for president.

VOICE TWO:

In the spring of nineteen fifty-two, Mister Truman named the man he wanted the party to nominate. His choice was Adlai Stevenson, governor of Illinois.

Adlai Stevenson

Mister Stevenson, however, said he was not interested in any job except the one he had.

It appeared that he meant what he said. Someone asked what he would do if the Democratic Party chose him as its presidential candidate. Mister Stevenson answered, "I guess I would have to shoot myself."

So, President Truman and other party leaders discussed different candidates. Each one, however, seemed to have some political weakness.

VOICE ONE:

The Republican Party also was discussing possible candidates. It was much easier for the Republicans to choose. Earlier, General Dwight Eisenhower had said he would campaign.

General Dwight Eisenhower

"Ike" Eisenhower was the hugely popular commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War Two. Many members of both parties wanted him as their candidate. General Eisenhower agreed to campaign as a Republican.

His closest competitor for the Republican nomination was Robert Taft, a senator from Ohio. He was the son of a former president, William Howard Taft.

VOICE TWO:

Senator Taft sometimes was called "Mister Republican." He had strong party support for his conservative policies. However, he did not receive enough votes at the party's national convention to defeat Eisenhower for the nomination.

In his acceptance speech, Eisenhower told the convention delegates that they had called him to lead a great campaign. He described it as a campaign for freedom in America and for freedom in the world.

Eisenhower chose Senator Richard Nixon of California as his vice presidential candidate. By that time, Mister Nixon was known throughout the United States for his strong opposition to communism.

Earlier, as a member of the House of Representatives, he had led the investigation of a former State Department official, Alger Hiss. Hiss was accused of helping provide secret information to the Soviet Union. Hiss denied the accusation. He was never officially charged with spying. But he was tried and found guilty of lying to a grand jury and was sentenced to prison.

VOICE ONE:

The Democratic Party held its national convention ten days after the Republicans. Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson welcomed the delegates. The words of his speech made it seem that he did not want to be a candidate for president. This made the delegates want him even more.

They voted two times. No one received enough votes to win the nomination. On the third vote, Governor Stevenson did. And he accepted. In his acceptance speech, he urged Democrats to campaign with honor.

VOICE TWO:

After the conventions, a political expert wrote about the differences between Adlai Stevenson and Dwight Eisenhower. The expert said Stevenson was a man of thought, and Eisenhower was a man of action.

The Republican Party quickly employed an advertising company to help its candidates. Advertising companies mostly designed campaigns to sell products. In the presidential election of nineteen fifty-two, the company designed a campaign to "sell" Mister Eisenhower and Mister Nixon to the American public.

VOICE ONE:

Eisenhower did not always agree with the company's advice. One time, he became very angry. He said, "All they talk about is my honesty. Nobody ever says I have a brain in my head!"

There was no question that the Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson, had a brain. He was known as an intellectual or "egghead". When he launched his campaign, he dismissed some traditional political advisers and replaced them with eggheads.

VOICE TWO:

Communism was the biggest issue in the campaign. Governor Stevenson said America needed to guard against it. Yet he repeatedly criticized the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. For years, the senator had been denouncing government officials and others as communists.

Eisenhower did not criticize McCarthy, even when the senator accused Eisenhower's good friend, General George Marshall, of being a traitor.

VOICE ONE:

The Republican campaign went smoothly until someone discovered that Richard Nixon had received money for extra campaign costs. Some newspapers said Nixon should withdraw. That led to his famous "Checkers" speech.

Nixon made the speech on national television. In it, he defended his decision to keep a special gift from a political supporter. That gift was a dog, named Checkers. He said he kept the dog because his two little girls loved it.

The speech was a success. Thousands of voters told the Republican Party that Nixon should remain as the vice presidential candidate.

VOICE TWO:

A few weeks before the election, Eisenhower made a powerful speech. He talked about ending the war in Korea.

DWIGHT EISENHOWER: "Now, where will a new administration begin. It will begin with its president taking a firm, simple resolution. That resolution will be to forego the diversions of politics and to concentrate on the job of ending the Korean War, until that job is honorably done. That job requires a personal trip to Korea. Only in that way could I learn how best to serve the American people in the cause of peace. I shall go to Korea. "

VOICE ONE:

Adlai Stevenson ended his campaign with a powerful speech, too. In it, he told of his vision of America.

VOICE THREE:

I see an America where no man fears to think as he pleases, or say what he thinks. I see an America where no man is another's master -- where no man's mind is dark with fear. I see an America at peace with the world. I see an America as the horizon of human hopes.

VOICE TWO:

The people voted in November. Eisenhower won almost thirty-four million votes. That was more votes than a presidential candidate had ever received. Stevenson won about twenty-seven million votes.

VOICE ONE:

Dwight Eisenhower was sworn in as America's thirty-fourth president in January, nineteen fifty-three. He was sixty-two years old. Many problems awaited him.

Republicans had only a small majority in Congress. Many Republican lawmakers were very conservative. They probably would not vote for the new president's programs. The cost of living in America was rising. Senator Joseph McCarthy was still hunting communists. And the war in Korea was not yet over.

President Eisenhower did not seem troubled by these problems. After all, he had been called on many times to help his country.

VOICE TWO:

Eisenhower came from a large family in Abilene, Kansas. His family did not have much money. He received a free university education when he went to the United States military academy at West Point, New York.

He remained in military service for many years. By the time the United States entered World War Two in nineteen forty-one, he had become a top officer. In nineteen forty-four, he led the allied invasion of Europe.

In nineteen-fifty, president Harry Truman named him supreme commander of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

VOICE ONE:

When Dwight Eisenhower ran for president, people shouted, "I like Ike!" Voters liked him because he always seemed calm, even in difficult situations. As the country's president, he would face a number of difficult situations. One of the first was the continuing war in Korea.

That will be our story next week.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. Stan Busby read the words of Adlai Stevenson. This is Phil Murray.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Doug Johnson. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

VOASE0208_Education Report

08 February 2007

Studying in the US: Four Kinds of Financial Aid
Assistantships, scholarships, fellowships and grants are explained in Part 23 of our Foreign Student Series.

Download
Download
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

This week in our Foreign Student Series, we return to a subject we have discussed before: financial aid. This time we are going to talk about financial aid in the form of assistantships, grants, scholarships and fellowships.

An assistantship at a university is a job that is paid with money or free classes. These positions usually go to graduate students to assist a professor for about twenty hours a week. The assistants may teach, grade papers and tests, or do research in a laboratory.

A grant is a gift of money. Unlike a loan, a grant does not have to be repaid. Grants can come from public or private organizations. Schools often receive donations for this purpose. Some grants are for general purposes of paying for school, while others are offered in a subject area.

Scholarships and fellowships do not have to be repaid either. A scholarship is financial aid to undergraduates; a fellowship is for graduate students.

Scholarships and fellowships are generally for students with special abilities or interests. Some are based on financial need. Others may go to students who live in a certain area or meet other conditions.

Our example this week is the University of Missouri-Columbia, or Mizzou. That school has a number of financial aid programs for international students. One of them is the Global Heritage Scholarship. It pays up to about seven thousand five hundred dollars a year. But this scholarship goes only to foreign students whose mother or father graduated from Mizzou.

Another aid program is called the Global Tiger Scholarship. This one is supported by the Mizzou Alumni Association. International students can receive one thousand dollars. In return they agree to provide service to the association during the school year.

Still another program for international students at Mizzou is called the Curators Grant-in-Aid Program. This is for undergraduate or graduate students who get good grades and take part in university activities. The program is especially for those who have unexpected or unusual financial needs that can affect their progress at school.

Colleges and universities may provide all the details of their financial aid programs online. You can find a link to the Web site of the University of Missouri-Columbia at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find the earlier reports in our Foreign Student Series and download transcripts and audio files.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.