VOASE0716_Agriculture Report

16 July 2007

Many US Farmers Struggle With Hot, Dry Weather
Heat and drought threaten some of the nation's best farmland.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

An Alabama farmer holds corn from his farm damaged by drought

Heat and drought are threatening some of America's most productive farmland.

The Department of Agriculture says an early summer heat wave across the West has increased demand for water to save dry crops. But in many areas, water supplies are limited. Water is also needed to fight wildfires in western states like California, Nevada and Washington.

Temperatures have reached about thirty-eight degrees Celsius recently in parts of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. The Agriculture Department says temperatures averaged several degrees above normal.

Some people in the West say they cannot remember a time with less rain in half a century. But drought conditions have been most severe in the South.

The northern part of Alabama is described as the driest in about one hundred years. With grasslands damaged, many farmers in Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee have no hay to feed their cows. So they have sold up to half of their cattle early.

In southern Alabama and northern Tennessee, farmers also suffered through a dry period last year. Some were hoping for a big corn crop this year to sell for ethanol fuel. But the government says most of their crop is in poor or very poor condition.

Experts say soybeans and cotton look better -- but not very much. Federal officials have declared all counties in Alabama a drought disaster area. That means farmers can get low-cost emergency loans. But they are asking Congress for an additional seventeen million dollars in aid.

Ten million would go to drilling for water and regrowing pasture lands. The other money would go to cattle producers to help them recover their losses from selling early.

But drought is not the only weather problem right now for American agriculture. Recently, too much rain fell for some crops in the southeastern Plains. Heavy rain and flooding in the lowlands damaged wheat planted in the winter.

To the east, rains of twenty-five centimeters or more in areas struck the western Gulf of Mexico. The rains washed out fields and flooded lowlands.

But farmers welcomed heavy rainfall in early July from the Mississippi River Delta to the southern Atlantic coastal area. Farmers have also received some welcome rains along the Corn Belt. This area includes the Ohio Valley and parts of the Upper Midwest.

Summer crops in the Midwest have been mainly free of the drought suffered in other areas this summer.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0716_Science In the News

16 July 2007

'Dreamliner' Is Boeing's Most Popular New Plane, Even Before First Flight
Experts agree on warning signs for ovarian cancer. And remembering an American TV performer who made science fun for children.

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VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

A Boeing 787 being built at Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington

And I'm Steve Ember. On our program this week, we will tell about a new airplane from the American company Boeing. We will also tell about warning signs for ovarian cancer. And, we tell about a television performer who invented science shows for children.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Boeing Company presented its newest jet airplane earlier this month to a crowd of employees and invited visitors. About fifteen thousand people attended the presentation on July eighth at Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington.

The company is calling its new plane the Seven Eighty-Seven Dreamliner. The plane is Boeing's first new jet since nineteen ninety-five.

The Seven Eighty-Seven is designed to travel great distances. It can carry between two hundred ten and three hundred thirty people.

VOICE TWO:

Boeing says the plane will be made mostly of carbon-fiber composite material instead of aluminum. A plane made of carbon-fiber weighs less than a metal plane. As a result, it requires less fuel to do the same job.

Boeing says the Seven Eighty-Seven will use twenty percent less fuel per passenger than similarly sized planes. It also says the plane will make less noise taking off and landing. And it will produce less carbon dioxide than traditional jets. Studies have linked rising temperatures on Earth to human production of gases like carbon dioxide.

VOICE ONE:

The new jet plane has yet to leave the ground. Boeing says the first Dreamliner will be completed in the factory in Everett. The Seven Eighty-Seven still needs flight test and other equipment to be added. The first flight is expected in late August or September. Boeing officials say they expect the plane to start carrying passengers in May, two thousand eight.

The company says the Dreamliner is Boeing's most successful new plane. By July eighth, Boeing had already received six hundred seventy-seven orders from forty-seven buyers. The orders are worth more than one hundred ten billion dollars.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Ovarian cancer is known as a silent killer because it is usually discovered too late to save a woman's life. But three cancer groups in the United States have now agreed on a list of possible early signs of the disease.

The statement is the first of its kind to recognize what ovarian cancer survivors have long believed: that there are common signs. Researchers have found that these symptoms are more likely to happen in women with ovarian cancer than women in general.

VOICE ONE:

One symptom is expansion of the lower chest or abdomen. Pain in the abdomen or the pelvis can be another symptom. Researchers also say women with an early form of ovarian cancer may release waste fluids more often or with greater urgency. And they say another common symptom is difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks are advised to see a doctor.

The cancer can affect one or both ovaries, the organs that produce eggs. Doctors say the main ways to find the disease early are recognizing the symptoms and getting a combination pelvic and rectal examination.

VOICE TWO:

Ovarian cancer kills more than one hundred thousand women around the world each year. In the United States, cancer experts estimate that at least fifteen thousand women will die of it this year. And more than twenty-two thousand new cases will be found. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women.

The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation led the effort for the statement on common symptoms. The American Cancer Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists also were involved. Other cancer groups have expressed support for the statement.

VOICE ONE:

Doctor Barbara Goff at the University of Washington in Seattle was a lead investigator of several studies that gave support to the new list. She says most of the time a woman with these symptoms will not have ovarian cancer. But the disease can spread quickly to nearby organs.

A few months can mean life or death. Doctor Goff notes that the disease is ninety percent curable when found in its earliest form.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

An operation while doctors in other cities watch through a live video feed

Telemedicine uses technology to provide medical information and services. It involves satellite technology, wireless telephones, and computers. Telemedicine could be as simple as two doctors using a telephone to discuss a case. Another example might be health care providers studying x-rays of patients who might be thousands of kilometers away.

Many telemedicine programs operate through hospitals, home care agencies or university medical centers.

VOICE ONE:

Recently, Temple University in the American city of Philadelphia began a four-year study. Temple is using an Internet-based system is to study the prevention and treatment of obesity in high-risk populations. Researchers are working with religious centers to test whether telemedicine can help overweight African Americans in the Philadelphia area.

Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education gave one computer to each church. Those taking part in the study attend weekly meetings at a church with a trained organizer. Each group has eight to twelve members. They are learning how to use the Internet, including electronic mail and what are called chat rooms. They share ideas on how to prepare healthy foods and they plan their next meetings. Through technology, the members continue to support their families, friends and each other in their health care.

VOICE TWO:

Telemedicine has been useful in places where there are not enough doctors. Health care experts in Africa say the continent faces the problem of too much disease with too few doctors.

Maurice Mars works on telehealth issues at the University of Kwazalu-Natal in South Africa. Doctor Mars says southern Africa has fewer than ten doctors for every one hundred thousand people.

Telemedicine is still new to Africa. It has only a few successful programs that can treat people in distant areas. The technology remains costly. Doctor Mars says that kind of spending in not possible for developing countries. He says many countries cannot pay for even Internet services.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Last month, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the television performer Don Herbert. To many Americans, he was better known as Mister Wizard.

Don Herbert died of cancer on June twelfth. He was eighty-nine years old. But his television shows and their influence live on.

Don Herbert started appearing on the children’s show “Watch Mr. Wizard” in March, nineteen fifty-one. He appeared as a scientist who liked to perform scientific experiments in his home.

VOICE TWO:

The show always involved a boy or girl as his assistant. Mister Wizard always had a small experiment prepared or a scientific question to investigate. For example, in one show, he taught a girl about sound and what gives musical instruments their different noise levels. In another show, he showed a boy how to make a small volcano. His weekly program was broadcast for fifteen years.

Don Herbert later taught science to a new generation of Americans on a show called “Mr. Wizard’s World.” This show started in nineteen eighty. It was broadcast three times a week for seven years. You could watch Mr. Wizard and a child perform experiments like turning a clear liquid black or making foods explode using a simple chemical reaction.

VOICE ONE:

Don Herbert’s television shows taught young people that science could be educational, but also fun and exciting. His experiments were simple and direct. He used everyday objects from around the home. They were also interesting enough for parents to watch.

Congressman Vernon Ehlers helped to create the resolution to honor the man known as Mister Wizard. He said Don Herbert invented the business of young people watching fun science shows on television. The Congressman said Mister Herbert was a good guy who did a good job.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Lawan Davis, Dana Demange, George Grow and Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Barbara Klein. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

US Says N. Korea Shutdown of Yongbyon Reactor a Good First Step

By Stephanie Ho Washington 15 July 2007

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U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley says Washington still has concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, despite Pyongyang's decision to shut down its main plutonium reprocessing facility. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.

Stephen Hadley (file photo)

National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley says it appears the North Koreans have indeed shut down their main plutonium reprocessing facility at Yongbyon, about 100 kilometers north of Pyongyang. International inspectors arrived in North Korea Saturday.

"The inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are on the scene with their equipment," he said. "They will go to the facility and they will be able to confirm that in the next few days, but it appears that the facility is shut down."

Shutting down the reactor was part of a February 13 deal agreed to by the six nations involved in talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis. These countries include the United States, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. They are to meet again Wednesday in Beijing .

Adel Tolba, right, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspection team, loads equipment onto a truck upon arrival in North Korea

In North Korea, the international inspectors are supervising the country's nuclear disarmament and rebuilding the surveillance system that was dismantled when they were expelled from the country four years ago.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Hadley called the shutdown of the Yongbyon reactor a good first step. He warned that Washington is still concerned about a separate North Korean program to enrich uranium, which can also be used for nuclear weapons.

"It means they [North Korea] will no longer be able to reprocess to produce the nuclear weapons of those nuclear weapons that are made out of plutonium," he said. "We have concerns that they may have a covert enrichment program."

The Bush administration says North Korea also has a nuclear program that relies on highly-enriched uranium. Pyongyang only publicly acknowledges its plutonium program.

Hadley stressed that the six-party agreement also requires North Korea to provide a full accounting of all of its nuclear weapons, nuclear processing plants, and stored nuclear material it has already accumulated. He said that would include any uranium enrichment efforts, which he added will be one of the next subjects of discussion.

North Korea's spent nuclear fuel rods, which are kept in cooling pond, are seen at nuclear facilities in Yongbyon (file photo)

Under the February agreement, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear facilities in return for energy aid and other possible benefits. North Korea announced the shutdown of the Yongbyon reactor Saturday as it received its first shipment of more than 6,000 tons of fuel oil from South Korea.

The deal calls for North Korea to eventually receive one million tons of fuel oil. U.S. officials also are working on the possibility of replacing the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War with a formal treaty.

White House Rejects Appeal for New Iraq Plan

By Paula Wolfson White House 15 July 2007

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The White House has rejected an appeal from two prominent Senate Republicans for a new approach to the Iraq war. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports the senators want the president to draft a revised war plan.

John Warner (file photo)

They are two Senate leaders on national security issues.

John Warner of Virginia is the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee. Indiana's Richard Lugar has the senior party seat on the Foreign Relations panel.

They have proposed legislation giving the administration until mid-October to conduct a policy review and come up with a plan to restrict the mission of American troops in Iraq to military training, protecting borders and U.S. assets, and combating terrorism. They say that more than four years after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, it is time for Congress to reauthorize the war, taking into account the changed nature of the fight.

White House National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told the Fox News Sunday television program that the Warner-Lugar proposal is not necessary, saying an orderly process for reviewing the president's Iraq strategy is already in place.

Hadley said that process begins in September.

Stephen Hadley (file photo)

"It begins with a report from our commander on the ground General Petraeus, and our ambassador on the ground Ryan Crocker," he said. "They will come back in September supplemented with a series of reports from the administration, from outside the administration, and that will be the time to consider the kind of questions and issues these gentlemen have raised."

A short time later on ABC's This Week program, Senator Warner urged the White House to reconsider. He said the proposal he drafted with Senator Lugar is sound, adding the president should start thinking about various policy options now.

Senator Warner pointed to the administration's recent mixed assessment of progress in Iraq, and expressed doubts the extra U.S. troops sent by President Bush will be matched by the necessary political will in Baghdad.

"After all, we started this surge thing to give a certain degree of security in Baghdad so that the government in Baghdad can perform," he said. "It is not likely to perform as we had anticipated. So the president will have to make some changes and I am confident he will do so and report to the Congress."

The Warner-Lugar proposal has also received a cool reception from Senate Democrats who want a firm timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq. Among them is Jim Webb of Virginia. He told NBC's Meet the Press the president's war policy has failed.

"We have reached the point where we have to come together as a Congress and bring some order into this," he said.

Hoshyar Zebari (file photo)

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told reporters that Iraqi forces are ready to provide full security whenever U.S. troops leave. But on Sunday, his foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, told an American interviewer the prime minister was not calling for an immediate withdrawal.

"That [a withdrawal] is the goal," he said. "But he was not referring to a precipitous withdrawal or departure of the troops."

Foreign Minister Zebari appeared on CNN's Late Edition.

Experts Discuss Federalist System's Chance of Success in Iraq

By Margaret Besheer Irbil 15 July 2007

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One of the unanswered questions about Iraq's future is: can a federal system of government, one in which power is divided between a central government and regional or provincial ones, work in Iraq? VOA's Margaret Besheer talks to Iraqi and international figures in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, where a conference took place this week to discuss Iraqi federalism.

Iraqi and international figures discuss federalism in Iraq

In 2005 Iraq adopted a new constitution which enshrines the concept of federalism. But as sectarian differences threaten to divide the country, can federalism really keep it united?

Absolutely, says Egyptian human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim, one of the participants at a week-long conference on federalism in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

"Federalism is not utopia, it is not a panacea," said Ibrahim. "Federalism is not perfect, it has its problems, but it is better than fighting each other and then one group subjugating the others."

Iraq is home to Shiites, Sunni Arabs, Kurds and many smaller groups, such as Assyrian Christians and ethnic Turkmen. Arabic is the official language, but Kurdish is also widely spoken, especially in the northern Kurdistan autonomous region.

Iraqi Kurdistan is flourishing politically and economically and is often held up as Iraq's biggest success story. Conference organizer Bakhtiar Amin says the rest of the country can learn from the Kurdish experiment with federalism.

"How they [the Kurds] faced different challenges and difficulties; how they overcame some of these, and to learn also from the experiences of other federal systems around the world," said Amin.

Experts from four continents attended the conference and shared their views.

Paul Dewar, a member of Canada's parliament from Ottawa, notes that his country shares similarities with Iraq in that it also has two languages, two main religions, and significant oil resources which must be shared among several provinces.

"Canada actually has a relevant model; it is not a matter of one size fits all, and federalism is different in different political contexts, but it seems to me that Canada is one that makes infinite sense to look at," said Dewar.

Canada has a central parliament and 10 provincial legislative assemblies with a relatively high degree of autonomy. The Canadian constitution was written to take into account the colonial distinction between French- and English-speaking regions and their cultures.

Iraqi parliamentarian Mahmoud Othman cautions that many Iraqis still do not understand the concept of federalism. He also wonders if it might be too soon to try to get them to embrace it.

"Somebody who gets up in the morning he has no gas, no electricity, no safety, no food, unemployed, do you think he will listen to you when you talk about federalism or our constitution? It is nonsense. They have been working in the wrong way in this country," said Othman.

He says the government must first guarantee a minimum of security and basic services to the people before talking to them about federalism.

The conference, sponsored by two international human rights groups and with support from the Italian and Kurdish governments, brought together many Iraqi political figures from the Shiite and Kurdish communities, but Sunni Arabs were notably absent.

Several were invited, but only two attended as the others stayed in Baghdad to deal with the political crisis relating to the removal of the Sunni Arab speaker of parliament.

Militants Attack, Threaten Government in Pakistan

By Benjamin Sand Islamabad 15 July 2007

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A wave of deadly attacks in Pakistan is raising fears of a widespread militant backlash days after government forces raided a radical mosque in the capital. Suicide bombings in Pakistan's tribal areas have killed at least 64 people in the past 48 hours and tribal militants reportedly have pulled out of a peace agreement with the government. From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

A Pakistani paramedic gives initial treatment to a soldier injured in the suicide bombing, at a local hospital in Matta, 15 July 2007

The latest violence occurred in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province.

Military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad says militants ambushed a police convoy as it passed through a local marketplace in the district of Swat.

"There were two suicide bombers who attacked the convoy and also one IED blast," Arshad said.

He says at least 13 people were killed and 52 injured.

And in the same province, just hours later, a powerful blast at a police recruiting center killed at least 11 Pakistanis.

Saturday, a suicide bomber killed 24 paramilitary soldiers in Pakistan's remote tribal area near the Afghan border.

Officials say the violence is an apparent response to last week's military raid on a radical Mosque in central Islamabad. At least 85 people were killed during the assault of Lal Masjid or the Red Mosque.

The pro-Taleban mosque was a well-known center for Islamic militancy and attracted numerous supporters from the volatile tribal areas.

Pakistani troops gather at site of suicide bombing in Matta, a town in Swat mountainous area of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, 15 July 2007

Militants throughout the country are vowing revenge and officials say they are bracing for a violent backlash.

Sunday, Pro-Taleban militants in the North Waziristan tribal area said they are withdrawing from a controversial peace agreement with government forces.

Under that deal, tribal leaders agreed to expel foreign extremists who were using the area to stage cross border attacks into Afghanistan. In exchange, the government ended most of its security operations in the area.

The militants accused the government of breaking the deal by deploying thousands of new troops to the area and attacking "local Taleban."

General Arshad told VOA the militants are in no position to dissolve the peacce agreements.

"The peace agreement was not with the local so-called Taleban. They were with the tribes, so it is the up to the tribes to say what they want to say about the agreement, not the local militants," Arshad said.

U.S. and Afghan officials have sharply condemned the controversial peace deals.

Security analysts say Taleban and al-Qaida militants have used the agreements to establish safe havens and guerilla bases inside Pakistan.

Bangladesh's Military-Backed Administration Completes Six Months in Power

By Anjana Pasricha New Delhi 15 July 2007

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Bangladesh's army-backed interim administration has completed six months in power. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the government's widely hailed crackdown on corruption has earned it public support, but there are concerns about the postponement of elections until the end of 2008.

Police escort General Secretary of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League Party Abdul Jalil, front left, to a court in Dhaka (File Photo)

When high-profile politicians were jailed in Dhaka for alleged corruption after an interim government took power in January, there was widespread incredulity in a country where political leaders were never seen as accountable.

Six months on, many people acknowledge that the army-backed administration is determined to root out corruption. More than 170 political leaders are behind bars.

They include cabinet ministers, city mayors and the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The government has promised to widen the net even as special courts begin to hear cases.

The crackdown has earned accolades among ordinary people who are disillusioned with politicians. Many of them have been accused of amassing personal wealth and ignoring the country's development needs.

However the indefinite suspension of democracy is causing mounting concern.

Independent political analyst Ataus Samad says there is skepticism about the administration's desire to hand power to an elected government by end of next year, as promised.

"We hear not only politicians, but also the common people asking questions whether elections will be held within the stated time frame, which is December 2008," said Samad. "Some people believe it, some people don't believe it."

Some analysts think the emergency administration will only hold elections when it has achieved its other major goal, reforming the country's two main political parties.

They are headed by powerful women, former Prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. The government wants both to quit.

But analyst Samad says it has not easy to loosen their iron grip on their parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, and the Awami League.

"Up to now there are not very many signs that they have been able to do it," he added. "Only some people, you can count them on your fingers, they are saying they want these reforms, the main objective of which is to keep these two ladies and their supporters out of elections."

In May, the government abandoned plans to exile Mrs. Zia and Mrs. Hasina after encountering opposition. Both leaders accuse the administration of treating them unfairly, and want it to lift a ban on political activity.

Despite the delay in elections, many people remain optimistic that the interim government can lead the country out of the crisis it faced in January. Then, differences between the two main political parties on how to hold elections triggered bloody street battles.

Former Major General Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, a defense analyst, is among those who remain upbeat.

"The sincerity of the caretaker government, the organizational ability of the military behind the government and coupled with it the desire of the people, these three factors will ultimately culminate in holding the elections in time," said Ibrahim.

In recent days, government officials have said they will continue their fight against corruption, and they will stick to plans for elections next year. And they have made clear they see no future rule in politics for Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

VOASE0715_This Is America

15 July 2007

A High School Reunion in Chicago Brings a Meeting of the Minds
Members of the Class of 1957 at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School get together and remember the good times.

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. This week on our program, come along to a high school reunion in Illinois.

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VOICE ONE:

A warm sun shines on Scammon Garden on the South Side of Chicago. Under the shelter of a tent, a crowd is gathered for a jazz brunch. The men and women enjoy the food, the music and the memories as they talk about old school days. Some of them have not seen each other in fifty years.

Former students at University of Chicago Laboratory High School

The event is part of a reunion of the University of Chicago Laboratory High School. People call it U-High or Lab. This lab was created for experiments with education.

VOICE TWO:

The University of Chicago recently invited alumni to a special weekend where several U-High classes held reunions. These included the class of nineteen fifty-seven. About forty of the one hundred or so graduates attended the reunion. Some came with their husbands and wives.

The former classmates are now in their upper sixties. Some are retired. Others are still working. There are lawyers, professors, writers, social workers, scientists, economists and business people. But on this bright afternoon, their thoughts return to a time when so much of their lives was still ahead.

Ginger Spiegel Lane says there is feeling in the air of being teenagers again. The feeling is so strong, she can almost touch it. Yet something is different. She notices that her former classmates now talk much more openly than they would have as young people.

VOICE ONE:

Some in the class of fifty-seven grew up together. They knew each other as children when they attended other University of Chicago laboratory schools. Some also went on to attend the university.

There are four laboratory schools. These are independent college preparatory schools operated by the University of Chicago.

John Dewey established the first laboratory schools at Chicago in eighteen ninety-six. He was a leading educational theorist. He imagined a place where future teachers could work with young students and test progressive ways of teaching.

Dewey knew that educators traditionally placed the most importance on memorizing and repeating information. In his laboratory schools, Dewey thought that the child should be the most important thing.

VOICE TWO:

In terms of being socially progressive, the Chicago laboratory schools have brought together students from different racial and ethnic groups. In nineteen forty-three a political activist launched a successful campaign to get the laboratory schools to admit black students.

Her name was Marian Alschuler Despres. Several years earlier she had received a doctorate from the University of Chicago.

Marian Alschuler Despres died in January of this year at the age of ninety-seven. She was married to Leon Despres, a well-known politician in Chicago who served for many years on the City Council.

The University of Chicago Magazine, in reporting on her death, noted her efforts to get African-American students into the laboratory schools. Today their population of minority and international students is about forty percent -- still not enough to satisfy some critics, though.

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VOICE ONE:

Some members of the U-High class of nineteen fifty-seven still live in the Chicago area. Others have moved away but came for the fiftieth anniversary reunion, including Robert Despres, the son of Marian and Leon.

A number of members from the class of fifty-seven attended a special event honoring a member of the class of nineteen eighty-two. Arne Duncan is chief executive officer of the Chicago public schools, the third largest school system in the United States.

Many graduates of the University of Chicago Laboratory High School are in public service. A nineteen seventy-nine graduate, Leslie Hairston, is on the Chicago City Council. A member of the class of nineteen thirty-seven is on the United States Supreme Court. John Paul Stevens is often called the most liberal justice on the court.

VOICE TWO:

One area where members of the class of nineteen fifty-seven have done well is education. Paul Schultz is a nationally known economist at Yale University and the son of a Nobel Prize winner.

Another graduate, Sydney Spiesel, is an expert in children's medicine, also at Yale. Doctor Spiesel also writes for the Internet magazine Slate.

VOICE ONE:

Bert Cohler from the class of fifty-seven is still in the U-High neighborhood. He s a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Chicago.

Mary Deems Howland teaches English literature at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

And Allan Metcalf at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, is an English language expert. His latest book is "Presidential Voices: Speaking Styles from George Washington to George W. Bush." He is now working on a book about the word OK.

Another member of the class of fifty-seven, Tappan Wilder, has become a strong voice for the literature of Thornton Wilder. Thornton was his father's brother. He was a playwright, novelist and short-story writer who won three Pulitzer Prizes. He wrote the classic play "Our Town." Tappan Wilder is responsible for the republication of some of his uncle's work.

VOICE TWO:

A visitor at the reunion commented that the U-High class of nineteen fifty-seven had enough mental energy to light a city.

Many high school reunions are centered on a dance. But the members of the class of fifty-seven made a different choice. They met for a discussion in one of their former classroom buildings.

They talked about good memories of high school. But one man urged them not to glamorize the past too much. He said time often makes days long ago seem happier than they really were.

VOICE ONE:

So the former students also talked about how they sometimes formed social groups that excluded others. Yet one of those who took part in the discussion, Elizabeth Hughes Schneewind, says they still found something good to say. They agreed that at least these cliques did not form along religious, racial or ethnic lines, the way they sometimes do in schools.

Ginger Spiegel Lane says the former students also remembered the many aptitude tests they were given. Graduate students in education administered them. The tests were designed to see what the students might do with their lives. She says that for a number of people the results proved correct.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Gathering classmates from fifty years ago is a big job. But class members Mary Morony of Chicago and John Keohane [koh-HANE] of Austin, Texas, worked hard. Mister Keohane is a mathematics teacher but one of the people he found called him an excellent detective.

VOICE ONE:

Mary Deems Howland, for example, had moved several times. She had also changed her name when she got married. But John Keohane remembered reading the name of her sister's husband in a University of Chicago publication. He followed that clue and found the brother-in-law, and that led him to his former classmate.

She could not attend the reunion. But she renewed several school friendships because of it. She and classmate Mary Morony held their own reunion -- on the telephone. They talked for an hour.

VOICE TWO:

Allan Metcalf says he came to know classmates he had not really known when they were in school fifty years ago. And he says e-mails and calls are continuing after the reunion.

A former classmate from the University of Chicago Laboratory High School told one woman she looked young for her age. The woman smiled and explained why: the reunion, she said, had taken away fifty years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver. To learn more about American life, and to download transcripts and audio archives of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

VOASE0715_Development Report

15 July 2007

Progress Mixed Halfway to Development Goals for 2015
The UN says aid shortages could threaten efforts to fight extreme poverty. Still, an official says some of the poorest nations are making the greatest gains.

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Indian child begs for money in New Delhi

In September of two thousand, world leaders set eight goals for bringing millions of people out of poverty. These became known as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Among them: cut in half the number of people living on less than one dollar a day and halt the spread of AIDS and malaria.

The goals also include improving survival rates for pregnant women and young children, and educating all children. Working for equality between women and men and dealing with environmental needs like safe water are also included.

The target date for reaching the goals is two thousand fifteen. We are now halfway to that date and a United Nations progress report says results have been mixed.

For example, it says the share of people in extreme poverty has fallen from nearly one-third to less than one-fifth. That was between nineteen ninety and two thousand four. If this progress continues, the U.N. estimates that the poverty reduction goal will be met for the world as a whole and many areas.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also noted progress in schooling and efforts to save children from diseases like measles, tuberculosis and malaria. However, some goals may be more of a struggle to reach -- for example, stopping the continued spread of H.I.V./AIDS.

U.N. official Salil Shetty heads the Millennium Campaign; it works with local groups to remind governments of their promises. He says progress toward the eight goals should be judged nation-by-nation. He says some of the poorest nations are making the greatest gains.

Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, is not expected to reach any of the goals. But Salil Shetty says several countries are on the path toward reaching some of them. These include Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda.

The U.N. progress report warns that aid shortages could threaten the efforts even of well-governed countries to meet the goals. It says only five donor countries have met a longtime U.N. target for development aid. They are Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The target is seven-tenths of one percent of gross national income.

The Wall Street Journal, though, noted that when private aid is added to official assistance, the United States is giving just under one percent. A commentary based on a recent Hudson Institute report said that is more than other countries including France, Germany and Japan.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. I’m Shep O'Neal.

Bush Defends Iraq War Strategy

By Scott Stearns White House 14 July 2007

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President Bush talks to reporters during press conference, 12 Jul 2007

President Bush says it is too soon to judge the success of his decision to send more troops to Iraq. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition Democrats say it is time to start bringing those troops home.

President Bush used his weekly radio address to defend the recent administration report on mixed progress in Iraq, saying his strategy for success is built on the premise that greater security will pave the way for political reconciliation.

"This report shows that conditions can change, progress can be made, and the fight in Iraq can be won," he said.

The president says 30,000 additional U.S. troops deserve the chance to show that they can help restore security and aid Iraq's government in protecting its own people.

When he launched this new strategy in January, President Bush said it would be different from earlier efforts because more Iraqi troops would join the fight and the government there would stop interfering in how those troops are used.

But the interim report to Congress says since January, fewer Iraqi units can operate independently of U.S. troops. It also gives the Baghdad government unsatisfactory marks for failing to prepare for local elections that could reconcile Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions.

Two senior senators from Mr. Bush's own Republican Party are pressing the president to begin planning for the redeployment of U.S. troops. Their proposal is a further sign of falling support for the war among Republicans, but is less than opposition Democrats are demanding. They are seeking a timetable for withdrawal that would have all U.S. combat forces out of Iraq by next April.

A public opinion poll by Newsweek magazine last week says 68 percent of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling the war.

In the Democratic radio address, former infantryman Brandon Friedman says nearly 600 Americans have been killed since the president announced his new strategy in January, yet there has been little improvement in the situation there.

"It is past time for the transition to diplomatic efforts in Iraq that Democrats have long demanded," said Friedman. "The fact is, the Iraq war has kept us from devoting assets we need to fight terrorists worldwide, as evidenced by the fact that Osama bin Laden is still on the loose and al-Qaida has been able to rebuild. We need an effective, offensive strategy that takes the fight to our real enemies abroad, and the best way to do that is to get our troops out of the civil war in Iraq."

President Bush says he wants to get U.S. troops out of Iraq as well, but only when conditions on the ground are right.

"To begin to bring troops home before our commanders tell us we are ready would be dangerous for our country," he said. "It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to al-Qaida, risking a humanitarian catastrophe, and allowing the terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq and gain control of vast oil resources they could use to fund new attacks on America."

Mr. Bush continues to link the war in Iraq with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He says he will veto any legislation that seeks to bring U.S. troops home before commanders say they have won.

UNICEF: Pakistan Flood Victims Need Emergency Help

By Lisa Schlein Geneva 14 July 2007

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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is urgently appealing for $5 million to provide emergency assistance to tens of thousands of flood victims in Pakistan. UNICEF estimates more than 1.5 million people are affected by the floods in the southern provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

Pakistani rangers rescue stranded villagers from fllood-hit areas in Kahirpur Nathan Shah near Hyderabad, Pakistan, 13 July 2007

The floods were provoked by four days of heavy rains following a devastating cyclone, which hit Baluchistan and Sindh on June 23. Official figures put the number of homeless people at more than 100,000. About 300 people are reported dead, with many more still missing.

The U.N. Children's Fund says three out of four people affected by the floods are children and women. It says at least 300,000 of the affected children are under the age of five. It says some of these children have lost their homes and they are exposed to extremely high temperatures.

UNICEF spokeswoman, Veronique Taveau, says the children have limited access to clean water. This, she says, puts them at particular risk of infectious diseases, epidemics and of becoming malnourished.

"That is why at the moment, UNICEF is pre-positioning, organizing all the distribution of the kits that we need for that not to happen," she said. "And, we are closely monitoring the situation together with WHO, together with WFP in order to work in one way and to organize ourselves so that all what the population needs will be there when it is needed."

Taveau says the U.N. agencies are presently conducting an assessment mission to evaluate the needs. Baluchistan and Sindh are among the poorest provinces in Pakistan. This makes children and women there particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.

UNICEF says one out of 10 infants dies before his or her first year of age. It reports 40 percent of children under the age of five are underweight and maternal mortality is twice the country's average.

Taveau says UNICEF is worried that children will suffer from lack of food, safe water and medicine. Another big problem, she says, is that of separated or unaccompanied children.

"We do not know exactly how many orphans we have and how many children are still looking for their parents, because the situation is still quite chaotic," she added. "And, it is quite difficult to reach those two regions. We can only go there by helicopter. The roads are closed because of the floods. So, the situation there is not very easy at the moment."

Taveau says children who have no one to protect them are at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation and abuse. She says girls and children of female-headed households also suffer from discrimination. They experience more difficulties in getting basic humanitarian services.

UNICEF says money from the appeal will be used to improve water, sanitation and hygiene. It says it will provide special nutritional feeding to try to prevent children from becoming malnourished. Two other priority areas include education and child protection.

Russia Suspends Participation in European Arms Treaty

By Bill Gasperini Moscow 14 July 2007

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Russia has suspended its participation in a European arms control treaty, because of what the Kremlin has described as "extraordinary circumstances." From Moscow, Bill Gasperini has more for VOA on what is being viewed as another sign of the strained relations between and the west.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Putin signed a decree Saturday suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. In a statement, the Kremlin said it was taking that step because of "extraordinary circumstances that affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures."

The suspension was not unexpected, as Mr. Putin has previously said he might freeze compliance with the document due to what the Kremlin views as NATO intransigence on key aspects of the agreement.

The CFE treaty regulates the deployment of troops and military equipment on the continent, and was originally signed by Russia and NATO members in 1990. It was amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, such as requiring Moscow to withdraw all of its forces from former Soviet republics including Moldova and Georgia.

Russia has ratified the later version of the CFE and has pulled some of its forces out of those states. However, NATO members have refused to ratify the amended version until Moscow fully withdraws all its forces.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia can no longer tolerate a situation where it is complying with the treaty while its partners were not.

Russia also accuses the United States and NATO of "undermining stability" in Europe with plans to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech republic.

As a result of its suspension, the Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow will halt all inspections of military sites by NATO countries and will not limit the number of its conventional weapons, such as tanks, artillery and combat vehicles in Europe.

However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sergei Kislyak left open the door to a negotiated solution to the impasse.

Kislyak says that Russia is not against dialogue aimed at resolving the problem, and that Moscow invites its Western partners to engage in dialogue to find a way out of the situation.

In Brussels, NATO spokesman James Appathurai condemned the Russian move, saying the alliance "regrets this decision as a step in the wrong direction."

Some military analysts say the suspension is aimed mostly at the missile defense shield standoff, and is not likely to result in a build-up of Russian military forces near its borders.

VOASE0714_People In America

14 July 2007

Bob Hope, 1903-2003: He Entertained People for More Than 70 Years
The comedian performed in movies, on television and for American troops around the world.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Phoebe Zimmermann.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Dick Rael with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today, we tell the story of Bob Hope. He was one of the world’s most famous comedians. His life in show business lasted for more than seventy years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Bob Hope was born in Eltham, England in nineteen-oh-three. His parents named him

Bob Hope

Leslie Townes Hope. Many years later, he began calling himself Bob.

Leslie was the fifth of seven sons. He and his family moved to the United States in nineteen-oh-seven. They settled in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Leslie’s mother taught him how to sing. As a child, he had a good singing voice. Later in life, Bob Hope often said he never wanted to be anything but a funnyman.

Leslie attended Cleveland public schools. He sold newspapers and worked for a meat market and a shoe store. After high school, he learned how to dance. He also showed an interest in the sport of boxing.

VOICE TWO:

When Bob Hope was eighteen years old, he asked his girlfriend to become his dance partner. They began appearing at local vaudeville theaters. Vaudeville was the most popular form of entertainment in the United States in the early nineteen hundreds. Vaudeville shows presented short plays, singers, dancers, comedians telling jokes and other acts.

Bob Hope’s dance act with his girlfriend did not last long. A short time later, he heard that a Cleveland theater needed performers for a show with the famous actor Fatty Arbuckle. Hope developed a dance act with another friend, and they were chosen for the show. The team performed briefly as part of Arbuckle’s traveling vaudeville show.

VOICE ONE:

Later, Hope formed a song and dance team with George Byrne. They performed at theaters across the United States. The two men were offered work in a show on Broadway in New York City. But they did not stay very long. They left New York to change their act and start over again.

They performed at a small theater in Pennsylvania. On opening night, Hope was asked to tell the crowd about future shows at the theater. The people liked the way he sounded. So did the supervisor of the theater. Hope then expanded his announcement to five minutes.

Bob Hope started to perform by himself. He became skilled at standing in front of crowds and telling jokes, often very quickly. He collected jokes and told them during his performances. Hope did not wear special clothing or use tricks when performing. But he made funny expressions with his face to make people laugh.

VOICE TWO:

Bob Hope returned to Broadway in the nineteen thirties. Theater critics and the public liked his performance in the musical “Roberta.” The show changed his life in more than one way. One day, another performer took Hope to meet a young singer who was also working in New York. Her name was Dolores Reade. She and Hope married in nineteen thirty-four. They would stay together as husband and wife for the next sixty-nine years.

After the musical “Roberta,” Bob Hope performed in a number of other Broadway shows. They included “Ziegfield Follies” and “Red, Hot and Blue.” Hope’s acting success led to his first major film, “The Big Broadcast of Nineteen-Thirty-Eight.” In the film, he and Shirley Ross sang a song called “Thanks for the Memory.” Many people think of Bob Hope when they hear this song.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen thirty-seven, Bob Hope agreed to do a series of radio programs called the “Woodbury Soap Show.” The next year, he agreed to do a radio show for another company that made Pepsodent toothpaste. His Tuesday night radio show soon became popular. Hope continued doing radio shows for almost twenty years.

His success in radio led to a long-term relationship with a major film company, Paramount Pictures. The actors who worked in Hope’s films also made appearances on his radio shows.

In all, Hope was the lead actor in more than fifty films. He also had small parts in fifteen others. Bob Hope never won an Academy Award for his acting. However, the American film industry did honor him five times. His series of films with actress Dorothy Lamour and singer Bing Crosby became world famous. Hope and Crosby were close friends. Here they sing a song from the movie “The Road to Morocco.”

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Bob Hope began performing on television in nineteen fifty. He made a special program for NBC television. His show included a famous personality, a singer and a beautiful, young woman. Hope used this successful combination again and again. He decided to avoid all the work involved with a weekly television show. However, he continued making television specials every year until nineteen ninety-five.

VOICE ONE:

For more than fifty years, Bob Hope traveled around the world, giving shows for members of America’s armed forces. It started in nineteen forty-one when he and several other performers went to an air base in California. Later that year, the United States entered World War Two after Japanese forces attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hope attempted to join the armed forces. He was told he could better serve his country as a performer, building support for the war effort. So he took a team of performers to bases around the country to perform his radio show.

VOICE TWO:

Hope and his team performed for millions of soldiers during World War Two. He performed almost all of his shows at bases across the United States, Europe and the South Pacific. Listen now to part of a show broadcast to soldiers after the war had ended.

(SOUND:“The Bob Hope Radio Show” )

Hope began what was to become a Christmas tradition in nineteen forty-eight. That is

Bob Hope performing in Vietnam

when he and his wife went to Germany to perform for troops involved in the Berlin Airlift. Later, he performed for American soldiers serving in South Korea, Vietnam and Lebanon. In nineteen ninety, Hope and his wife performed for troops in Saudi Arabia. At the time, he was eighty-seven years old.

VOICE ONE:

Bob Hope was a friend to many American Presidents. He played golf with Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George Bush. Several presidents also honored the famous comedian. President John Kennedy gave Hope the Congressional Gold Medal. President Lyndon Johnson presented him with the Medal of Freedom.

United States Congress honored Hope four times. In nineteen ninety-seven, Congress made him an honorary veteran of the armed forces. He was the first individual so honored in American history. The following year, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth made Hope an honorary knight. She recognized his work in films and his service to allied forces during World War Two.

VOICE TWO:

People in many countries celebrated Bob Hope’s birthday on May twenty-ninth, two thousand three. He was one hundred years old. The celebrations included the naming of a famous area in Hollywood, California as Bob Hope Square.

Sadly, Hope was too weak to attend. Two months later, he became sick and developed pneumonia. Bob Hope died at his California home on July twenty-seventh, two thousand three.

(MUSIC: “Thanks for the Memory”)

VOICE ONE:

This Special English program was written by George Grow. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I’m Phoebe Zimmermann.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Dick Rael. Join us again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.

Pentagon Chief Says Al-Qaida Expanding in N. Africa

By Al Pessin Pentagon 13 July 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the al-Qaida terrorist network is expanding in North Africa, through a loose network of groups that share its ideology. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Robert Gates

Secretary Gates says U.S. intelligence reports indicate that North Africa's Maghreb, which includes Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, is the latest area where al-Qaida is working to establish or affiliate with terrorist groups.

"There has basically been a merger, or whatever you want to call it, of several terrorist groups there, under the rubric of al-Qaida, in the Maghreb," he said. "I think that's probably the newest area where it has emerged as a reasonably coherent organization."

Secretary Gates says the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan destroyed al-Qaida's ability to directly control terrorist activities around the world. But he says the remnants of the network, including its senior leaders, continue to influence global terrorism from safe havens in Pakistan.

"We, I think, have pretty good evidence that, for example, al-Qaida in Iraq takes strategic guidance and inspiration from the al-Qaida in the western part of Pakistan, Osama bin Laden's organization, Zawahiri and company," he said. "They get advice. They clearly are connected. But they also have, I think, probably substantial autonomy."

Secretary Gates described al-Qaida today as a 'franchise' organization, a term also used Friday by White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Tony Snow (June, 2007 photo)

"What happens now is that you have a decentralized al-Qaida, where you have franchised operations around the globe that communicate using the Internet, using video, using very sophisticated techniques," he said. "They share finances. They share tactics. They share recruiting strategies. And they share communications."

The two officials spoke the day after a U.S. government intelligence report said al-Qaida has rebuilt much of its organization in recent years, although the report says the group is still weaker than it was before 2002.

Algeria's radical Islamic group, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, recently changed its name to the al-Qaida Organization in the Islamic Maghreb. It has claimed responsibility for two recent suicide bombings that killed more than 40 people.

A year and a half ago, Secretary Gates' predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, visited Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, largely to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation. During that trip, Rumsfeld praised the three countries for fighting terrorism, and said there was "an extremely low possibility" that terrorists would be able to gain a foothold in the region.

President Bush said Thursday al-Qaida is weaker than it would have been if not for U.S. military actions in recent years, but he said it is still a threat.

VOASE0713_In the News

13 July 2007

Bush Firm on War Policy Until September Report on Progress by Iraqis
For now, US rates efforts "satisfactory" in eight areas and "unsatisfactory" in eight others in meeting goals set by Congress.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

On Thursday, the Bush administration reported mixed results in Iraq since the recent

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Baqouba, Iraq

addition of thirty thousand American troops. The report is based on eighteen goals known as benchmarks. Congress established them two months ago to measure the progress of the Iraqi government in political, security and economic areas.

The report says the Iraqis are making satisfactory progress in eight areas and unsatisfactory progress in eight others. Ratings in two areas are mixed.

One of the areas rated satisfactory was forming a committee to examine the Iraqi constitution. Another was providing about ten thousand Iraqi troops to help bring security to Baghdad.

But the report says there has been little progress on important political issues such as sharing oil resources and political compromise.

President Bush is urging Americans to give his war policy more time. He told a White House news conference: "I believe we can succeed in Iraq." He said he believes that security progress is being made that will enable the political process to succeed, as well.

He ordered the surge deployment in January. He noted that the final troops arrived a little less than a month ago.

President Bush during a news conference at the White House, Thursday, July 12, 2007

Mister Bush says he will wait for a full report in September to see if his policy needs to be changed. The top American general in Iraq and the ambassador to Baghdad will return to Washington to give that report.

But Thursday's progress report immediately incited more debate over the war. The Democrats who control the House of Representatives acted quickly. Thursday night, the House approved a measure that calls for the withdrawal of most American combat forces by April of next year.

Four Republicans supported the bill and ten Democrats opposed it.

President Bush says he will veto any attempt by Congress to direct the war. In May he vetoed a spending bill passed by the House and Senate that linked continued money for the war to a withdrawal plan. He later signed a compromise bill. The money came with a condition to demonstrate by July fifteenth, and again in September, that the Iraqis are making progress on the benchmarks.

Iraqi officials are calling on American lawmakers to avoid withdrawing troops too soon. A government spokesman told VOA that would be, in his words, a great gift to the terrorists. But he said Iraqi security forces should be built up enough in two thousand eight that "good numbers" of American troops could be withdrawn.

A new public opinion study found that more than seventy percent of Americans support removing almost all American troops from Iraq by April. Mister Bush's approval rating reached a new low, twenty-nine percent, in that USA Today/Gallup Poll. His rating held at thirty-three percent in the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll. But public approval of Congress fell to twenty-four percent.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.