Blinken Highlights Need for Direct Engagement in US, China Talks

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday the United States and China have an obligation to manage their relationship responsibly, and that he told Chinese leaders during meetings in Beijing that direct engagement is the best way to ensure disagreements do not turn into conflict.      Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Blinken said he had candid and substantive discussions Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.      “I would expect additional visits by senior U.S. officials to China over the coming weeks,” Blinken said during a news conference. He added that Washington welcomes further visits bymore

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US Judge Orders Trump Lawyers Not to Release Evidence in Documents Probe

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A U.S. judge in Florida on Monday ordered defense lawyers for former President Donald Trump not to release evidence in the classified documents case to the media or public, according to a court filing. The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart also put strict conditions on Trump’s access to the materials. “The Discovery materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,” the order filed onmore

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Survey Looks at How Students Approach Studying Abroad

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The Keystone Education Group, based in Oslo, Norway, surveyed 23,800 prospective international students representing more than 195 countries and found that students are evolving in the way they approach decisions about study abroad. (June 2023) Several highlights from the group’s 2023 State of Student Recruitment Report conducted from January-April 2023 include: A growing number of students are researching study abroad options less than six months before applying. Three-quarters of students are worried about the safety of studying abroad, particularly when it comes to racial discrimination. Among respondents, 52% were African students and 18% were Asian students.  …

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How to Succeed in Your US Student Visa Interview

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Indian Eagle magazine takes a look at the U.S. student visa interview process, offering tips and success strategies. Among them: organize your documents, be honest and concise, and demonstrate strong ties to your home country. Also: don’t be nervous or defensive, and don’t memorize responses. Read the full story here. (June 2023)   …

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More Than 1 Million in US Lose Medicaid Health Care Coverage in Post-Pandemic Purge

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More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork. Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President Joe Biden’s administration isn’t pleased at how efficiently some states are accomplishing the task. “Pushing through things and rushing it will lead to eligible people — kids and families — losing coverage for some period of time,” Daniel Tsai, a top federal Medicaid official recently told reporters. Already, aboutmore

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US Lawmakers Discuss Expectations for Blinken Trip to China

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Washington on Friday night for China. The trip, which was postponed after an incident in February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon, is being closely watched on Capitol Hill. Blinken is expected to focus on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the two countries and discussing regional security issues, climate change and the global economy. State Department officials also said the issue of illegal fentanyl trafficking to the United States would also be a prominent part of the talks. Ahead of the trip, VOA Mandarin Service spoke with several U.S. lawmakers about their expectations for the talks, including what issues should bemore

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International Students Face Post-COVID Challenges at Seattle Colleges

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The expiration of COVID-19 restrictions means that Seattle Colleges’ international students, who’d been permitted to take fully online classes from either their home countries or their U.S. residences, have to go back to the classroom. And that, the student newspaper notes, is a problem. “This might leave international students in hot water because some classes are still only offered online, so they cannot enroll in classes they are required to take for their programs of study,” The Seattle Collegian reports. Seattle Colleges is a multicollege district serving the city of Seattle and surrounding communities in the U.S. state of Washington.more

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Young Afghan Girls Find Ways to Keep Learning, Report Says

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After the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, tens of thousands of girls were banned from attending school beyond sixth grade. Many found a way to continue their studies through informal tutoring centers, but those too have come under increased scrutiny as the government continues to crack down on women and girls’ access to education, according to The Hechinger Report. As a group of girls in Kabul have been grappling with all this, they’ve formed a connection with some other teens half a world away in California. The two sets of students, through meetings on Zoom talking about theirmore

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The Trump Documents Case: What You Need to Know

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With former President Donald Trump currently the leading candidate for his party’s presidential nomination in 2024, his indictment last week on charges of mishandling classified documents stands to dominate the American political conversation for months to come. As Democrats and Republicans stake out their competing positions on what Trump did, what other politicians did, and what the law requires, the facts of the case will likely become increasingly muddled. Here is a step-by-step account of what is known about the case as drawn from court filings and other official statements. National Archives The June 9 indictment arose from an investigationmore

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Virginia Commonwealth University Helps International and Immigrant Students Navigate College

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Two staff psychologists – one who grew up in South Korea and one in Kenya – with Virginia Commonwealth University’s counseling services specialize in intercultural issues, VCU News reports. Mijin Kim and Abey Muthoni Wachira draw on personal experience in their work and have highlighted a range of issues that international students can face as part of the culture shock of living and studying in a host country, whose norms and values can vary from their native lands, the online news site reports. (June 2023) …

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How Trump’s Handling of Classified Materials Compares to Biden, Pence, Clinton

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Following the indictment of former President Donald Trump in connection with his alleged mishandling of classified documents, the former president and his supporters contend that he is the target of a politically weaponized justice system. They claim that the Department of Justice has ignored similar alleged crimes committed by his rivals, including President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In a speech after his arraignment Tuesday, Trump alleged that Biden and Clinton and other former presidents have committed far graver crimes than he has, yet he was the only one charged with felonies. That, he says, ismore

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Most Popular Graduate Admissions Test in the US Just Got Cut in Half

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The Graduate Records Exam, or GRE, is now less than two hours long and has no writing section. Scores will also be released faster. The changes come as many schools are making the test optional, in what the academic journal Science dubbed “GRExit.” Stephanie Saul of The New York Times describes the new format, and how admissions are changing as the pandemic eases and the Supreme Court reconsiders affirmative action. (June 2023) …

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Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Classified Documents Charges

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Former President Donald Trump remained defiant following his not guilty plea in a Florida courtroom Tuesday. The Republican presidential front-runner is facing 37 federal felony counts, including illegally retaining classified information and obstructing justice. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. Camera – Celia Mendoza …

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NYC Writer Can Pursue $10 Million Lawsuit Against Trump

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A federal judge on Tuesday said E. Jean Carroll, the New York writer who last month won a $5 million jury verdict against Donald Trump for sexual abuse and defamation, can pursue a related $10 million defamation case against the former U.S. president. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ruled in favor of the former Elle magazine columnist after Trump had argued that the defamation case must be dismissed because the jury had concluded he never raped her. Kaplan said he may explain his reasoning later. Through a spokeswoman, Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba maintained that Carroll should not bemore

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Should Zoom Classes Outlive the Pandemic?

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After colleges went online during the pandemic, professors reported “stunning levels of student disengagement.” Now, many schools are walking back those policies and no longer offer coursework online. While this is welcome for many students, others with disabilities and chronic illnesses argue that Zoom is the only safe way for them to attend. Julian Roberts-Grmela of the Chronicle of Higher Education has more. (June 2023) …

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Trump Set to Be Arraigned on Federal Indictment

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Former President Donald Trump arrived at his golf club outside Miami on Monday ahead of his arraignment on charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of classified national security documents after he left the White House in 2021. The arraignment, set for 3 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, will take place under heavy security in a federal courtroom in downtown Miami. Federal authorities have beefed up security around the court building, and Miami officials say they’re prepared to prevent violence from Trump supporters and counterprotesters. “In our city, we obviously believe in the Constitution and believe that people should have the rightmore

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What Would College Classes Look Like in Virtual Reality?

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Imagine if your first-year biology class took place at an “Alien Zoo,” where you dissect animals and identify medical conditions. This is already happening at Arizona State University, where thousands of students pair their real-life lecture courses with virtual labs. Students in the virtual reality course were 1.7 times more likely to earn an A than those in the regular one, reports Olivia Sanchez of The Hechinger Report. (June 2023) …

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Borrowers Worry as Pause on US Student Loan Payments Nears End

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In a good month, Celina Chanthanouvong has about $200 left after rent, groceries and car insurance. That doesn’t factor in her student loans, which have been on hold since the start of the pandemic and are estimated to cost $300 a month. The pause in repayment has been a lifeline keeping the 25-year-old afloat.  “I don’t even know where I would begin to budget that money,” said Chanthanouvong, who works in marketing in San Francisco.  Now, after more than three years, the lifeline is being pulled away.  More than 40 million Americans will be on the hook for federal studentmore

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White House Warns Private Entities: Products Could Be Used in Iran Drones 

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The White House has warned private entities, especially technology companies, about the risks of their products ending up in Iranian hands. Russia has been using drones in its war against Ukraine, attacking cities and destroying infrastructure, and — according to the White House — is working with Iran to produce them from inside Russia. VOA Persian’s White House correspondent Farhad Pouladi on Friday spoke with John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, about this and other issues the administration is tackling regarding the Islamic Republic. VOA: On Iran and Russia cooperation on drones, what advice does the administrationmore

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Medical Students Are Skipping Lectures; is That Such a Bad Thing?

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In the United States, the first two years of medical school are classroom-based. During the pandemic, students took these courses virtually, and even now skip the lectures and rely on recordings. Students report learning better when they can rewind and pause the material, but also that getting feedback and building relationships with faculty are more difficult. Now, as Brown University considers making these classes partially virtual, a student and a professor share their ideas on how to digitize medical learning. Read the op-ed from Alexander P. Philips and Philip Gruppuso in NPR. (June 2023) …

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Reporting on Serbian Leader’s Links to Criminal Groups Raises Questions for US

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In early May, The New York Times Magazine published an in-depth story about Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with details about his alleged connections with a criminal group that is being prosecuted for a range of crimes including drug trafficking and murder. The story drew broad attention internationally, not just in the Balkans where local investigative outlets have reported many of the same allegations, which Vucic denies. The State Department declined to comment on the merit of the allegations in the story, however at least one high-ranking State Department official shared the story on social media. And the allegations were raisedmore

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Trump Indicted Over Handling of Classified Documents

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In a stunning development, a federal grand jury in Florida indicted former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday over his retention of sensitive government documents after he left the White House. The Justice Department informed Trump that he had been indicted and asked him to make his first court appearance in Miami on Tuesday, the former president confirmed on his social media platform. “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, apparently alluding to boxes of documents seized by the FBI from hismore

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Will College Affirmative Action Survive in US?

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Colleges and universities are allowed to give underrepresented minorities a boost when applying. But later this month, the U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to ban colleges from considering race in admissions. How will the schools respond? Read this story from Dan Friedell of VOA Learning English, adapted from a piece by Reuters. (June 2023) …

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