Obama Nearly Matches Clinton In Presidential Fundraising

By Jim Malone Washington 04 April 2007

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Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama says his campaign has raised $25 million in the first three months of this year, nearly matching the $26 million raised by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. As VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, Obama's strong showing in campaign fundraising suggests a very competitive race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination next year.

Barack Obama, (l) talks to voters during a campaign stop in Rochester, New Hampshire, 03 Apr 2007

The Obama campaign said the $25 million in donations came from more than 100,000 people during the past three months, including nearly $7 million raised over the Internet.

The fundraising figure was released as Senator Obama brought his campaign to the early contest state of Iowa.

"We have by far the most donors of any campaign, so the overwhelming number of our donations oftentimes come in small increments of 25 and 50 dollars," said Barack Obama.

Sen. Hillary Clinton

Senator Obama nearly matched the $26 million raised by Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, which was announced earlier this week. Clinton continues to lead public-opinion polls among Democratic candidates and has been seen as the frontrunner for the party's presidential nomination.

Obama has been running second in the polls behind Senator Clinton. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, who has been running in third place, raised $14 million in the first quarter of this year. Edwards recently announced that his wife, Elizabeth, is battling a recurrence of cancer.

Obama has only been in the Senate for two years and is a relative newcomer on the national stage, but he has drawn large and enthusiastic crowds since he began his campaign in February.

Political experts say the surprisingly large fundraising total for Obama will boost his campaign and could raise doubts among some Democrats that Hillary Clinton has a lock as the party nominee next year.

On the Republican side, the big fundraiser was former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who raised $23 million. Romney is running a distant third in most polls behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Giuliani has raised nearly $15 million this year and McCain raised $12.5 million.

Romney told NBC's Today program that his surprisingly large fundraising total should boost his campaign.

"In the states where I spend a lot of time like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, people know me, they are warming to my message," said Mitt Romney. "And I am very heartened by the fact that I have received extraordinary contributions from all over the country, so it is a message that is connecting. People want to see change in Washington."

Former Republican Party strategist Matthew Dowd says political rivals and experts closely watch the amount of money the candidates are able to raise.

"If you do not exceed expectations, if you go below expectations, it is a huge problem," said Matthew Dowd. "If you exceed expectations, it is a good day."

Never before has so much campaign money been raised so early in a presidential-election cycle.

Many states are holding their caucus and primary elections earlier in 2008, forcing candidates to spend money sooner on advertising and campaign staff.

"And this has resulted in the nominees having to face a much more compressed and a much more early primary election season, requiring them to raise money at a much faster rate," said Ross Baker Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Baker says the competition among the presidential contenders to raise money has become the first important test of the 2008 campaign.

"And now, in fact, the effort to raise money has become a kind of primary election in itself, in which the quarterly reports that campaigns give become a kind of financial referendum on how strong the campaigns are," he said.

By law, private citizens are limited to donations of $2,300 to a candidate for the primary elections and another $2,300 for the general presidential election.

The major candidates are raising so much money for 2008 that this may be the first presidential election that the major candidates turn down public matching funds to finance their campaigns.

Presidential candidates have taken advantage of the matching funds in every election since 1976, part of a 1974 campaign reform law designed to limit campaign spending and the influence of wealthy special interest donors in U.S. presidential elections.

VOASE0404_The Making of a Nation

04 April 2007

History Series: Lyndon Johnson Takes Over Presidency After Kennedy's Murder
Lyndon Johnson had a lot of political experience. He had been President Kennedy's vice president, and had served for many years in the Senate and House of Representatives.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Phil Murray.

VOICE TWO:

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

(MUSIC)

Today, we begin the story of President Lyndon Johnson.

VOICE ONE:

Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (right) watches as President Lyndon Johnson is sworn into office, November 22, 1963.

Lyndon Baines Johnson became America's thirty-sixth president very suddenly. It happened on November twenty second, nineteen sixty three. On that day, President John Kennedy was murdered.

Kennedy and Johnson -- his vice president -- were visiting Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was shot to death as his open car drove through the streets of the city. Within a few hours, Johnson was sworn in as president on a plane that would take him back to Washington. The new president said, "I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help, and God's."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Before being elected vice president, Lyndon Johnson had served for many years in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He liked making decisions. And he loved politics. He grew up in small towns in Texas. After completing high school, he traveled and worked for a while. He said he was afraid of more studying. But after a few years, he entered southwest Texas State Teachers College. There he was a student leader and political activist.

VOICE ONE:

Johnson went to Washington as secretary to a congressman in nineteen thirty-one. Four years later, President Franklin Roosevelt named him to a leadership position in a national social program for young people. Two years after that, he decided to campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives.

When World War Two began, Johnson was the first member of Congress to join the armed forces.

He served in the House for twelve years. After the war, he campaigned for the Senate, where he also served for twelve years. As a senator, he became an expert in the operation of government.

VOICE TWO:

Lyndon Johnson would need all of this knowledge as president. On the day he was sworn in, American faced serious problems. Communist forces in Vietnam were fighting troops supported by the United States. There was a continuing possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. At home, there was racial conflict. Many Americans did not have jobs. And there was a threat of a major railroad strike.

VOICE ONE:

Signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

President Johnson began his White House days by working hard for legislation President Kennedy had proposed. Although he had voted against civil rights legislation when he served in the Senate, he now urged Congress to pass a civil rights bill. Congress did.

The nineteen sixty-four Civil Rights Act was a law to help guarantee equal chances for jobs for all Americans. It also helped guarantee equal treatment for minorities in stores, eating places, and other businesses.

VOICE TWO:

When Johnson signed the bill, he said:

JOHNSON: "We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are denied equal treatment. We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights. Yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights. We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of liberty. Yet millions are being deprived of those blessings -- not because of their own failures -- but because of the color of their skin."

The president said that such a situation could not continue in America. To treat people unfairly because of their race, he said, violated the Constitution, the idea of democracy, and the law he was about to sign.

VOICE ONE:

President Johnson meets with civil rights leader Martin Luther King, March 18, 1966

Lyndon Johnson succeeded in getting Congress to pass more civil rights legislation in nineteen sixty-five and nineteen sixty-eight. The nineteen sixty-five bill said states could not prevent citizens from voting just because they did not do well on reading or other tests. The purpose of the law was to make sure all black Americans could vote.

The civil rights law of nineteen sixty-eight dealt with housing. For many years, black Americans could not get the home they wanted in the place they wanted. Many times, property companies forced them to pay a lot for poor housing. The purpose of the bill was to guarantee free choice and fair treatment in the housing market.

VOICE TWO:

Political experts said president Johnson succeeded with Congress in a way that President Kennedy could never have equaled. Because Johnson was from the South, he could talk easily with Southern members of Congress. He was able to get them to agree that African Americans were treated unfairly. In addition, his own years in Congress had taught him how to get people to do what he wanted.

VOICE ONE:

President Johnson gave a name to his dream of a better America. He called it the "Great Society. " He spoke about it in a speech at the University of Michigan:

JOHNSON: "The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time. But that is just the beginning. The great society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents. "

The Great Society was both an idea and a goal. To reach that goal, Johnson created several government programs. One was the "war on poverty. " The war on poverty was a series of bills to help poor people. It was designed to create new jobs and build the economy.

VOICE TWO:

Congress did not approve a large amount of money for the war on poverty. But it did strongly support the president's early proposals. Support dropped, however, when Congress said the nation could not pay for both social programs at home and a war overseas.

Vietnam was not the only place where Johnson used American troops to fight communism. He would send about twenty thousand soldiers to the Dominican Republic, too. He feared that a rebellion there would lead to a communist takeover of the country.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Lyndon Johnson served the last fourteen months of John Kennedy's term. In nineteen sixty-four, he campaigned for election to a full term of his own. His Democratic Party gave him the strongest support possible. It accepted his choice of Hubert Humphrey to be the party's candidate for vice president. Humphrey was a liberal senator from the state of Minnesota.

VOICE TWO:

Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans had a difficult time choosing their candidates for the election. Delegates to the party's national convention finally chose Barry Goldwater to be their candidate for president. Goldwater was a strongly conservative senator from the state of Arizona. The delegates chose William Miller, a congressman from New York State, to be their candidate for vice president.

VOICE ONE:

The nation voted in November, nineteen sixty-four. Lyndon Johnson won more than sixty percent of the popular votes. Strangely, however, he was not pleased. He had wanted the largest victory in American history. He had wanted proof that Americans were voting for him, and not for the shadow of John Kennedy.

VOICE TWO:

In his inaugural speech, Johnson talked of changes. He said his Great Society was never finished. It was always growing and improving. To Johnson, this meant passing a health care plan for older Americans. It meant appointing blacks to important national positions.

He succeeded in these goals -- and more -- during the next four years. Congress passed the Medicare bill to provide health care for older people. And Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to be the first black justice to the Supreme Court.

VOICE ONE:

As Johnson went back to work in the White House, however, a huge problem awaited him. Americans were fighting to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. More and more were being killed. The war in Vietnam would become extremely unpopular among American citizens. It would destroy Johnson's chances of being remembered as a great president.

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. This is Richard Rael.

VOICE ONE:

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

VOASE0404_Education Report

04 April 2007

Choose Your Degree at an American College or University
International students may attend an American university to earn a degree, including a BS, BA or MBA.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today, we answer a question from Martin in Mexico City. He asks about the kinds of degrees that students can earn at an American college or university.

American higher education offers degrees in many areas of study. A community college student earns an associate degree after two years of general study. The student may then continue at a college or university for another two years to earn a bachelor’s degree.

An undergraduate student at a four-year school earns a bachelor's degree. Students majoring in an area of science receive the bachelor of science, also known by the letters B.S. Arts or humanities students get the bachelor of arts degree, or B.A.

Students who continue in school may earn a master’s degree after two or three more years of study. Many Americans earn master’s degrees at night or on the weekends while they are working. One example of this is the M.B.A., a master's degree in business administration. Students learn to deal with all kinds of business situations. They develop skills needed by many companies.

M.B.A. programs teach about economics, finance and marketing. They also teach about the structure of organizations and other subjects. Business is a popular subject for students who come to the United States. To be admitted to an M.B.A. program, a foreign student must have a bachelor’s degree and a good score on the TOEFL. Most students also take the Graduate Management Admission Test. Most of the one thousand eight hundred M.B.A. programs around the world use these test scores.

The Graduate Management Admission Council says that foreign students should find out what different schools could do to help them find a job after they receive their degree. Representatives from many companies visit colleges to hire students. You should ask how many companies are willing to hire international students. The council says even the best schools may have fewer job placements for international graduates than for others.

Our Foreign Student Series continues next week with a report about the highest degree a student can earn at an American university -- the doctorate. Our scripts are available on the Internet -- with MP3 files and transcripts -- at voaspecialenglish.com.

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

Bush Says US House Speaker's Trip to Syria Sends Wrong Signals

By Scott Stearns White House 03 April 2007

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President Bush says the opposition leader in the House of Representatives is sending the wrong signals to America's friends and foes by visiting Syria for talks with President Bashar Assad. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

President Bush makes a statement on the Iraq war funding bill at the White House in Washington, D.C., 03 Apr 2007

President Bush says a bipartisan congressional delegation now in Syria will not help U.S. foreign policy. "Sending delegations hasn't worked. It has just simply been counterproductive.," he said.

The president told reporters in the White House Rose Garden that lots of people have gone to see President Assad but those meetings have accomplished nothing. He expects the same from this delegation, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Going to Syria sends mixed signals, signals in the region and of course mixed signals to President Assad. And by that I mean photo opportunities and or meetings with President Assad lead the Assad government to believe they are part of the mainstream of the international community, when in fact they are a state sponsor of terror," he said.

President Bush says Syria is not stopping foreign fighters from entering Iraq, has done little or nothing to rein in militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, and is destabilizing democracy in Lebanon.

Speaker Pelosi's delegation is scheduled to meet with President Assad Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in Lebanon before her arrival in Syria, Pelosi said it is important to meet with Syrian officials to discuss the country's role in supporting Hamas and Hezbollah. "We [will] go there [Syria] and will be talking about the overarching issue, the fight against terrorism and the role that Syria can play to help or to hinder that goal," he said.

Pelosi says the trip is related to her responsibility, as a member of Congress, for U.S. national security and could help the course of a U.N. tribunal investigating Syria's involvement in the assassination of Lebanese politicians. "That is one of the issues that we are going to bring up with them and of course the role of Syria in Iraq, the role of Syria supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, the role of Syria in so many respects that we think it could be a vast improvement," he said.

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group urged the Bush administration to open direct talks with Syria and Iran. President Bush has refused, saying again Tuesday that the best way to deal with Syria is in broader, multi-lateral discussions about regional security.

The president also repeated his promise to veto spending bills for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq because Democrats in the House and Senate included timetables for a troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Mr. Bush says that undermines the authority of commanders in the field and would embolden America's enemies.

A public opinion poll by Newsweek magazine says a majority of Americans favor setting a deadline for withdrawal. Fifty seven percent of those surveyed support getting U.S. troops out of Iraq by March of next year, and nearly two-thirds disapprove of the president's handling of the war.

US, Iraqi Troops Work to Secure Baghdad

By Margaret Besheer Baghdad 03 April 2007

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In February, U.S. and Iraqi troops began new security operations in Baghdad to bring spiraling sectarian violence under control. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports that in one district of the capital, joint U.S. and Iraqi efforts are slowly having an effect.

Taskforce Patriot patrols Baghdad's Mansour district

Western Baghdad's Mansour district was once home to Iraq's elite. Today, many residents have fled the near-daily car bombings, kidnappings, executions and other violence plaguing the capital, leaving behind impressive villas standing neglected behind high walls covered in flowering vines and concertina wire.

Last month, as part of President Bush's troop surge, the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery arrived in this area to work with Iraqi security forces to clear and secure the Mansour neighborhoods of Yarmouk, Hateen and Qadissiya. Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Gadson is the Battalion commander.

"We are doing this in a couple of ways, with our physical presence in terms of combat patrols," he explained. "But the way ahead in the future is our working with the Iraqi Security Forces; primarily the Iraqi Army, but also with the Iraqi Police. The simple leadership by example, interacting with them on a daily basis, is one part of that."

The Americans are working closely with their Iraqi counterparts, and on one recent foot patrol in the mainly Sunni neighborhood of Yarmouk, an Iraqi police lieutenant joins the American troops as they walk the streets talking to residents.

Police Lieutenant Assad says some of the people trust the police, but others do not because they are worried they are infiltrated by insurgents and militias.

Iraq's security forces are Shiite-led, and have come under widespread criticism for being infiltrated by Shiite militias.

Shoppers buy produce at a market in Yarmouk Square

It is early evening as the patrol enters the local square; men are sitting smoking water pipes, children are playing, and the vegetable vendor is doing a brisk business. People seem at ease and happy to see the American soldiers.

Nuzha, the vegetable vendor, says he feels relatively secure in his neighborhood, but he worries more about the lack of electricity and clean water.

As in many parts of Baghdad, public services are the next biggest problem after security. In Mansour, trash filled streets present not only a public health risk, but a security one as well, giving insurgents easy hiding places for bombs. The Americans are working with the Iraqis to get the streets cleaned up.

But there are signs Iraqis are feeling more secure. During one morning rush hour in Yarmouk, a little boy carrying his books walks alone to school, while on another street a group of young girls walk unchaperoned.

By 7:30 a.m., traffic is heavy and congestion develops near the frequent Iraqi police and army checkpoints. At the traffic circles, men and women wait for mini buses to take them to work.

A roadside bomb blast damages a vehicle in Yarmouk

But in the afternoon, the local police station comes under small arms fire, and a short while later a bomb explodes on a Yarmouk street, hitting an armored private security vehicle. No one is injured, but the vehicle is badly damaged. Iraqi police say it is the first roadside bomb in the area in 25 days.

In the late afternoon, an American patrol stops in Hateen, a small, Shi'ite enclave in Mansour. Children are playing in a dusty lot and residents gather quickly when they see the American humvees arrive. Older men in red and white check headscarves and traditional robes offer the soldiers sodas and pose for pictures with them.

US troops talk to children in Baghdad's Hateen neighborhood

The men tell the soldiers that their area is quiet, but they are worried because the neighborhoods around them still have security problems. The American lieutenant in charge of the platoon tries to reassure them. He passes out cards that have a local phone number for residents to call to report any problems or pass on tips about insurgents in their areas.

The soldiers walk up and down Hateen's streets for about an hour talking to the residents and joking with the children, until the daily overnight 8:00 p.m. vehicle curfew begins.

Then they toss a couple of footballs to the dozens of kids who have gathered, and jump in their vehicles to continue their security patrol.

Women's Group Helps Women Survive War Ravages

By Mohamed Elshinnawi Washington 03 April 2007

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What can a monthly contribution of $27 do to change the life of a woman living in a war-torn country anywhere in the world? "Women for Women International" was able to use this small contribution to help women survivors of war rebuild their lives through vocational training, providing seed capital for them to start their own businesses and encouragement to become active citizens in their societies. Mohamed Elshinnawi has more.

What really happens to women who have survived the ravages of war and the hardships of its aftermath?

Seida Saric

Women for Women International, a humanitarian American organization, has documented that women are routinely murdered, raped, and left destitute in war zones around the world, from Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan to Congo, Rwanda and Sudan.

"There are no words really which can explain that level of torture, that level of hardship for these women," says Seida Saric, Bosnia Director of Women for Women International.

Iraqi Zeinab Salby, who grew up during the conflict between Iraq and Iran, knows what it is like for women to live in war zones. In 1993, she realized there was an urgent need to help women in Bosnia. With generous American private contributions, she started" Women for Women Bosnia". "We create a safe place for women," she said, "This is the place where they can come and share their stories and feel safe. What we do have in Bosnia is micro credit, so far we had more than 10,000 women who took at least one loan and started their businesses."

With other wars around the world, especially in Africa, Women for Women became International, as Program Director Pat Morris explained. "We work in the Balkans, where we started in Bosnia, Kosovo. In addition we are in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Africa," she added. "We are in Nigeria, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo. We started up over a year ago in Sudan; we are just moving forward with the program in Sudan."

Whether in Africa or Asia or Europe, the women's organization has a standard approach to helping women in war-torn areas, relying on local leaders like Christine Karumba, Women for Women Director in Congo. "Women for Women International provides support to these women and tools to help them rebuild their lives. We give them access to capital then they invest in small businesses" she said.

A few women from Africa shared how they have benefited from such help. One woman said, "Women for Women has helped us in many aspects, but the most important thing was that it brought us together." Another woman added, "Nobody cares about you during bad times, so when we heard that there are some other women around the world who send us messages of hope, they encourage us. We feel that we are still also human beings."

Sweeta Noori

Empowering women with independent economic capabilities has an added value in a society like Afghanistan, as Sweeta Noori, Women for Women Director in that country explains. "In our society, since women do not have any income or cash to give to their men, men never count them as human beings," she said. "We take women from victim to survivor to active citizen."

The organization connects women from all over the world with women who have survived a conflict. Each woman sponsors a "sister" in a war zone and sends her $27 a month, along with a letter to start communication between them.

Pat Morris says her organization has been able to raise more than $25 million and help more than 93,000 women. "What we have been able to show with the work that we have done based on Zeinab's incredible vision is that one woman can make a difference, and that a small amount of resources can lead to big significant change in the world."

In recognition of its impact, Women for Women International has received the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Award. It is the first time the award has been given to a women's organization, and it comes as tens of thousands of women around the world are using the group's funds to rebuild their lives.

VOASE0403_Health Report

03 April 2007

Metastasis: How Cancers Can Spread Their Reach
Doctors say most metastatic cancers are incurable, but treatments can extend patients' lives.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

The word "metastasize" means to change form, state or position. It is not a word cancer patients want to hear.

Cancer can spread in a body two ways. As a tumor grows it may invade neighboring tissue or organs. Or, cancer can metastasize. This is when cancer cells break away from a first tumor and travel through blood vessels or the lymphatic system. The cells then grow in another part of the body. Not all cancers spread to other parts of the body after they are treated.

However, last month, two well-known Americans announced that their cancers had metastasized.

John and Elizabeth Edwards on March 22 as they announced that her cancer had returned, in an incurable form

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic Party presidential candidate, John Edwards, said her breast cancer had spread to her bones.

The next week the White House announced that Press Secretary Tony Snow's colon cancer had moved to his liver. The White House noted that the cancer was not in his liver but attached to it.

Missus Edwards’ breast cancer was discovered in two thousand four. She was treated for several months with chemotherapy drugs to shrink the tumor. Then doctors removed it. The lumpectomy operation was followed with radiation treatments to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Tony Snow

Doctors removed Mister Snow's cancerous colon in two thousand five. He had chemotherapy for six months.

Most metastatic cancers are incurable. But most also are treatable. Chemotherapy drugs, radiation and other treatments can extend a patient’s life.

Life expectancies differ depending on the kind of cancer, the affected organ and other issues. Some research shows that only about twenty-five percent of newly discovered metastatic breast cancer patients live for five years. The average life expectancy for metastatic colon cancer patients is about two years. Doctors say chances are worse for patients whose cancer is not found until after it has already metastasized.

But doctors say they can only guess how long any person may live with metastatic disease. In February, American and Canadian researchers announced a finding that may help in the fight against metastasis. They said the same enzyme that controls the ability of cancer cells to metastasize also controls the process that keeps them stuck tightly together.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. You can read scripts and download audio from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0403_Explorations

03 April 2007

Welcome to Death Valley, a Land of Extremes That Has Earned Its Name
It can be dangerously cold in the winter and dangerously hot in the summer.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Phoebe Zimmerman.

VOICE TWO:

Temperatures in Death Valley can reach up to 57 Celsius

And this is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS. Today we visit one of America’s great national parks. It is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Come with us as we visit Death Valley.

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VOICE ONE:

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than three thousand meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be eighty-six meters below the level of the ocean.

Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.

The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty-seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy-four degrees Celsius.

The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.

VOICE TWO:

Ubehebe Crater

Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.

In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.

Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.

In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States. In some areas the ground is nothing but salt. Nothing grows in this salted ground.

VOICE ONE:

However, it would be wrong to think that nothing lives in Death Valley. The Valley is fully of life. Wild flowers grow very quickly after a little rain. Some desert plants can send their roots down more than eighteen meters to reach water deep in the ground.

Many kinds of birds live in Death Valley. So do mammals and reptiles. You might see the small dog-like animal called the coyote or wild sheep called bighorns. Other animals include the desert jackrabbit, the desert tortoise or turtle and a large reptile called a chuckwalla. Many kinds of snakes live in the Valley, including one called the sidewinder rattlesnake. It is an extremely poisonous snake with long sharp teeth called fangs.

Death Valley is a huge place. It extends more than two hundred twenty-five kilometers across the southern part of the state of California, and across the border with the state of Nevada. Death Valley is part of the Great Mojave Desert.

VOICE TWO:

The area was named by a woman in eighteen forty-nine. That was the year after gold was discovered in California. Thousands of people from other parts of the country traveled to the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did.

Many people were not careful. They made bad choices or wrong decisions.One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.

The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the Valley. Slowly, they began to suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, “Good-bye, death valley.” The name has never been changed.

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VOICE ONE:

Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty’s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat. The main building is very large. It was built in nineteen twenty-nine in one of the few areas of the Valley that has water.

Scotty's Castle

The castle is named for Walter Scott, called Scotty by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth. Scotty was not a very honest man. Some years earlier, he had asked several people to invest in a gold mine he had in Death Valley. One of the men he asked to invest was a businessman from Chicago, Illinois named Albert Johnson.

Mister Johnson invested in Scotty’s mine. In nineteen-oh-five, he traveled to Death Valley to see the mine. Scotty put Mister Johnson on a horse and took him far into the mountains. Many people believe that while they were on this trip, Scotty told Mister Johnson the truth: There was no mine. There was no gold.

VOICE TWO:

Albert Johnson suffered from extremely poor health. He had been in a severe accident a few years before. Doctors did not believe he would live much longer. However, something happened on his trip with Scotty. When Albert Johnson returned from the mountains, he felt better than he had in several years. Perhaps he felt better because of the clean mountain air. Perhaps it was the good food Scotty cooked. Or it may have been the funny stories Scotty told that improved Mister Johnson’s health.

Whatever it was, Albert Johnson fell in love with Death Valley. He and Scotty became lifelong friends. Soon after, Albert Johnson began building a home on the western edge of Death Valley. He did not live there all the time. But Scotty did. And, he told everyone the huge house was his -- bought and paid for with the money from his gold mine. Scotty told everyone that Albert Johnson, his friend from Chicago, came to visit sometimes. Mister Johnson never told anyone it was just a story made up by Death Valley Scotty.

VOICE ONE:

Albert Johnson lived another thirty years -- many more years than the doctors thought he would. Some years before he died, in nineteen forty-eight, Albert Johnson signed documents that said Walter Scott could live in the house until he died. Scotty died in nineteen fifty-four. He is buried on a small hill near the house.

In nineteen seventy, the National Park Service bought Scotty’s Castle. It has since become one of the most popular areas to visit in Death Valley National Park.

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VOICE TWO:

More than one million people visit Death Valley each year. Many people come for just a day. Buses bring visitors from the famous city of Las Vegas, Nevada. They ride around the park in their bus, visit several places and are back in their Las Vegas hotel by night. However, many other visitors stay in the park. The most popular area to stay in is Furnace Creek.

Furnace Creek is the largest area of human activity within Death Valley National Park. There is a hotel. There are also camping areas where people put up temporary cloth homes, called tents. Visitors who arrive in huge motor homes can also find a place to park their vehicles.

VOICE ONE:

The famous Furnace Creek Inn is a beautiful hotel that was built of stone more than seventy-five years ago. The inn is built on a low hill. The main public room in the hotel has large windows that look far out over Death Valley. Hotel guests gather near these large windows in the evening to watch the sun make long shadows on the floor of the Valley and on the far mountains.

This beautiful image seems to change each minute. The sun slowly turns the Valley a gold color that deepens to a soft brown, then changes to a dark red. As night comes, the mountains turn a dark purple color, then black.

Usually, visitors are very quiet when this event takes place. A few try to photograph it. But the Valley is too huge to capture in a photograph. Most visitors watch this natural beauty and leave with only the memory of sunset at beautiful Death Valley National Park.

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Paul Thompson and produced by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Phoebe Zimmerman. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS, a program in Special English on the Voice of America.

US House of Representatives Leader Visits Lebanon, Defends Trip to Syria

By Edward Yeranian Beirut 02 April 2007

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U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are visiting Lebanon amid intensive diplomatic activity and attempts to resume Arab-Israeli peace talks. Edward Yeranian reports for VOA from Beirut.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, is welcomed by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in Beirut, 02 Apr 2007

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her bi-partisan delegation paid a symbolic visit to the tomb of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri, before meeting top Lebanese officials.

Pelosi defended her visit to Syria, planned for Tuesday, which has come under criticism from the White House. Pelosi said it was quote "important" to hold a dialogue with Damascus and to "discuss its role in supporting Hezbollah and Hamas."

"We [will] go there [Syria] and will be talking about the overarching issue, the fight against terrorism and the role that Syria can play to help or to hinder that goal," she said.

She made no apologies for the trip, insisting that it was beneficial to the U.S. national interests.

"The purpose of the trip is part of our responsibility for the national security of the United States. We are here to see how we can make the world safer and to fight terrorism," said Pelosi.

The U.S. congressional delegation met with both sides in Lebanon's four-month old governmental crisis, including Pro-Syrian Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as the leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian parliamentary majority Sa'ad Hariri, and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora.

During a visit to Israel during the weekend, Pelosi met with the families of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah guerillas this past summer. She is expected to raise the issue of the capture soldiers with Lebanese officials.

Bit Pelosi and her delegation have no plans to meet with leaders of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah, which is on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.

Beirut's An Nahra newspaper says Pelosi is visiting Beirut in a bid to "counterbalance tomorrow's controversial visit to Syria."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is the current President of the European Union, also made a whirlwind stop in Beirut, in her words, "to express Europe's support for the government of Prime Minister Saniora."

She was given a warm welcome by the prime minister at Beirut Airport, discussing the current political stand-off with Lebanese leaders, before heading off to inspect a German naval task force that is patrolling Lebanese waters for the UN.

Chancellor Merkel told a press conference with Prime Minister Saniora that Germany is also helping Lebanon to control its borders with Syria, to prevent arms smuggling.

Diabetes Becomes Growing Threat for Affluent Asians

By Claudia Blume Hong Kong 02 April 2007

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From Bombay to Beijing, a newly affluent Asian middle class is increasingly adapting Western lifestyles. Many city dwellers opt for high calorie fast food instead of healthier traditional meals and are becoming less and less physically active. This comes with a price: diabetes, mainly caused by excess weight and lack of exercise, has reached epidemic levels in Asia. The disease is growing at a faster pace in Asia than anywhere else in the world and is increasingly affecting younger people. Claudia Blume reports from VOA's Asia News Center in Hong Kong.

Delegates from WHO are welcomed by Powhiri, a traditional Maori welcome, in Auckland, 18 Sep 2006

Diabetes is fast becoming an Asian disease. The continent is home to four of the world's 10 largest diabetic populations - India, China, Japan and Pakistan. In India alone, more than 35 million people are estimated to have diabetes, more than in any other country in the world.

In percentage terms, the worst affected nation is the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru, where more than 40 percent of the population has the disease.

In a healthy body, the pancreas releases insulin, which transforms blood sugar into energy. People with diabetes either do not make enough insulin or their bodies do not use the insulin they make, resulting in the build-up of sugar in the bloodstream.

Most patients have type 2 diabetes, which is mainly caused by obesity and lack of exercise. Type one diabetes, often called juvenile diabetes, usually strikes children and young adults, and occurs when the body's immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. Both types can lead to complications such as heart disease, kidney damage and blindness.

Medical textbooks often describe type 2 diabetes as a disease of the middle-aged and the elderly. But Jonathan Shaw, deputy director of the International Diabetes Institute in Australia, says this is changing rapidly. Increasingly, people under 40 are affected, especially in Asia.

"We are now even in European populations, but especially in Asian populations, seeing quite commonly type 2 diabetes in adults in their 20s and 30s and there are now reports of type 2 diabetes in adolescence and even children," said Shaw. "So it's occurring at younger and younger ages. At any given sort of level of risk, it always seems that people of Asian origin will more likely develop diabetes than people of European origin."

Shaw says there is evidence that some ethnic groups in Asia, particularly some in South Asia, and Pacific Islanders, have a genetic predisposition toward diabetes.

But the main culprit is lifestyle. Affluent Asians are rapidly adopting westernized ways of life, such as high-fat fast food diets and sedentary lifestyles. Ronald Ma, a diabetes specialist at the Prince of Wales hospital in Hong Kong, blames unhealthy habits for the fact that about 10 percent of the city's population has diabetes.

"Sometimes if they have to rush they eat a lot of fast food and unhealthy food - high fat, high salt kind of food," he said. "They rarely have time to exercise, they spend a lot of time in front of the computer, sitting around. The general lifestyle is really as unhealthy as it can get in terms of getting these chronic illnesses like diabetes."

Because of its connection to lifestyle, the disease shows up in Asian cities far more than in the countryside. In India, for example, urban residents are four times more likely to develop diabetes than those living in villages.

Jonathan Shaw says the epidemic is exploding faster in Asia than in any other region.

"For example the Western Pacific region currently has 67 million people with diabetes and we project it will increase by 2025 to 99 million, that's a 48 percent increase," said Shaw. "The Indian sub-continent, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well, we estimate currently has 47 million with diabetes. That will grow to 80 million by the year 2025, almost certainly the growth there is underestimated."

As in the West, most people in Asia with type 2 diabetes are overweight. But experts say many Asian diabetics are less overweight than most Western patients. Their body fat tends to be more often stored around the abdomen, however, which increases the risk of getting the disease.

Diabetes is sometimes called a silent killer because many people do not know they have the disease. Often, there are no symptoms for years. The International Diabetes Institute says awareness of the disease is low in Asia, particularly in less developed countries. Information on how to manage diabetes once it is diagnosed often is hard to come by.

Some of those affected have taken matters into their own hands.

Lily Zhou's husband was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. When the Beijing resident searched for Chinese-language information on the disease on the Internet, she was disappointed by what she found. Zhou decided to create her own Web site, called Tangzhu, which means "master of glucose".

"The Web site is for information exchange and self-management of the diabetes," she said. "We hope it can be a platform for people with diabetes to share their opinions and work together to have a better life."

Diabetes experts say it is crucial to raise the awareness of governments in the region about the enormous scale of the problem. They point out that many diabetics need drugs every day to stay alive, and that diabetes causes many victims to become disabled or to need extensive hospital treatment, all of which can cut into government budgets.

They say Asian health officials often do not recognize that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes are already as big a threat for developing countries as they are for more developed ones.

VOASE0402_Science In the News

02 April 2007

Feeling Happy in Your Skin? Good, But Still You Should Keep an Eye on It
A look at some of the things that can go wrong with the largest organ of the body. Also, how doctors treat different skin disorders.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Today, we will tell about some disorders of the skin, and ways to treat them.

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VOICE ONE:

Skin. It is the largest organ of the body. Skin is the body's first barrier to infection. It keeps out many harmful bacteria and other things. It also keeps all the things we need in our bodies.

The skin helps control body temperature. Glands on the skin release fluid to cool the body when it gets too hot. When a person gets too cold, blood passages in the skin become narrow. This helps to trap heat inside the body.

VOICE TWO:

Like other organs of the body, the skin can have problems. Almost any teenager can tell you the most common disorder: acne. Acne is connected to hormones and how they affect the oil glands of the skin.

The skin gets its oil, called sebum, from the sebaceous glands. Each gland connects to a passage of extremely small hairs. The sebum travels through these passages. The oil reaches the surface of the skin through little holes, called pores. Sometimes, the sebum, hair and cells of the pores block these openings. This is how acne starts.

Bacteria can grow in a blocked pore. The bacteria produce chemicals and enzymes. White blood cells -- infection fighters -- travel to the area. All this leads to a growth on the skin, a pimple. This becomes red, hot and often painful.

VOICE ONE:

Some people think eating chocolate or oily foods causes acne. Others blame dirty skin or nervous tension. Yet researchers tell us none of these cause acne.

So what does? Doctors are not sure. But they have some ideas. For one thing, they know that hormones called androgens are involved. Androgens cause the sebaceous glands to grow and make more oil.

Young people will not be happy about this next fact. Androgens increase when boys and girls enter their teenage years.

VOICE TWO:

There are several treatments for acne. Mild cases are generally treated with medicines for use directly on the skin. These often contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

People with more serious acne may be given antibiotic drugs to take by mouth. Or they might use a combination of other treatments.

One drug used to treat the most severe forms of acne is called isotretinoin. It is sold under different names, including Accutane.

Isotretinoin has been shown to cure acne in ninety percent of people who use it. The drug is normally taken for about five months. However, it can cause serious problems in some cases. If used during pregnancy, for example, isotretinoin can harm the developing fetus. That is why health experts strongly advise pregnant women and those who may become pregnant against using the drug.

VOICE ONE:

Skin experts say there are simple ways to help prevent acne. One is to touch your face as little as possible, so as not to add oils or put pressure on the skin.

Another good idea is to avoid the urge to burst pimples. This can leave permanent marks on the skin.

Doctors also say to avoid strong cleaning products, and to be gentle as you wash and dry your skin.

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VOICE TWO:

A 13-year-old boy shows the scar from the removal of a cancerous growth on his arm

Some skin problems are far more serious than acne. There are several kinds of skin cancer, for example.

Skin cancer is often the result of time spent in the sun. Light and heat from the sun can change chemicals in the skin. The sun produces ultraviolet radiation that causes the skin to burn and, over time, develop cancer.

The most serious skin cancer is melanoma. It begins in the cells that produce skin color. Melanomas can develop anywhere. They are usually found on the back and the shoulders.

Malignant melanoma

Most melanomas are black or brown. They can look like other kinds of growths. But they are the deadliest form of skin cancer. So it is important to watch for signs that can help identify melanoma. Treating it early can make the difference between life and death.

People should see a doctor immediately if they find a growth of a strange shape, with uneven sides or edges. A growth of different colors or one larger than six millimeters also should be examined.

VOICE ONE:

The usual treatment for melanoma is an operation to remove the growth. After the surgery, patients often take drugs to kill any cancer cells that remain. Doctors may also order radiation treatment. Radiation kills cancer cells and reduces the size of cancerous growths.

There also are experimental treatments for melanoma. Researchers are working on ways to genetically change white blood cells. The goal is to help the body increase its own efforts to destroy the cancer.

Researchers are also testing a possible melanoma vaccine. It would not prevent the disease like traditional vaccines. Instead, it would help the body fight the cancer in a way similar to the genetic treatment.

However, the best thing is to reduce the chances that you might ever get melanoma. Doctors tell people to limit the amount of time they spend in sunlight. They also suggest wearing hats and other protective clothing. And, they urge people to use products that help protect the skin from the sun.

VOICE TWO:

Yet there are times when doctors use ultraviolet light to treat some skin problems -- like psoriasis, for example. Psoriasis creates raised areas of skin that are dry and cause an itchy feeling. They are found most often on the elbows, knees and head. But psoriasis can spread to cover larger areas.

It usually begins before twenty or after fifty years of age. Recent studies have shown that the disorder causes the body’s defense system to produce too many skin cells.

There is no cure, but some treatments can improve the condition. One involves the use of ultraviolet light in the doctor's office to reduce swelling and slow skin cell production. This is sometimes used in combination with a drug called psoralen.

Psoriasis seems to pass down from parent to child. Researchers have identified genes linked to psoriasis.

VOICE ONE:

Another skin disorder is atopic dermatitis, commonly called eczema. It creates areas of skin that itch and become rough. Eczema is most common in babies. At least half of those cases clear up within a few years. But in adults this painful condition generally never goes away completely.

Persons with eczema often also suffer from allergic conditions like asthma and seasonal hay fever. Like psoriasis, there is no cure for eczema. But there are treatments with steroid drugs and also some newly developed kinds without steroids.

Environmental conditions can also influence development of eczema. That is why doctors often advise patients not to use cleaners that contain soap, which can make skin dry. Even water can cause dry skin, which can make eczema worse. So can temperature changes and stress.

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VOICE TWO:

Some skin disorders do not cause any physical pain. But they can cause emotional pain by how they affect the appearance of the skin. Vitiligo for example, is the destruction of the pigment cells. This disease causes areas of the skin to lose all color. Even the hairs turn white.

For some people, the white areas of vitiligo appear only in one or two places. Others find pigment loss on just one side of their bodies. Most people, however, develop many such areas all over their skin.

Around the world, up to sixty-five million people have vitiligo. It affects all races and both sexes.

Doctors do not know the cause. However, as with some other skin disorders, they suspect that the body’s immune system is involved.

VOICE ONE:

To treat vitiligo, some patients receive psoralen and ultraviolet light. A number of steroid drugs can also help, especially when started early in the disease.

Doctors may also wish to operate to treat severe cases of vitiligo. However, American health experts say all operations should be considered only after the patient has received other medical treatment.

One such operation involves the removal of a very small piece of healthy skin from the patient. The skin is placed in a substance that helps it grow more pigment cells. These new cells are then placed in the areas where the patient needs pigment.

Vitiligo can cause extreme changes in a person’s appearance. That is why there are mental health experts and support groups to help people who have this disease.

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VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And, I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0402_Agriculture Report

02 April 2007

Much to Be Said for Mulch
Why mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Spreading mulch

Mulch is important to farmers. Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of maize or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. This is called conservation tillage.

Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. Mulch not only protects the soil against wind and water damage. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing.

Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides a good environment for earthworms and other helpful organisms in the soil.

The United States Department of Agriculture says it is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from newspapers works well in controlling weeds.

The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. Mulched areas usually warm up more slowly in the spring and cool down slowly in autumn. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil.

Mulch used to help moderate the effects of winter weather can be added late in autumn. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by George Grow. Your can download transcripts and audio files of our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.