US-Japan Statement Raises Issue of Taiwan Defense Against China

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A joint statement by U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga from their recent meeting at the White House has left officials and analysts in Taiwan wondering how far Japan might be willing to go to help defend the island against an attack from China.The White House said April 16 on its website that Suga and Biden “underscore the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”Some analysts say the joint statement signals Tokyo’s willingness to help defend Taiwan against China if needed, but only in support of a U.S.-led campaign.Taiwan quickly welcomed the joint statement.“Ourmore

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Statement Seen Raising Issue of Japanese Willingness to Help Defend Taiwan Against China

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A joint statement by U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga from their recent meeting at the White House has left officials and analysts in Taiwan wondering how far Japan might be willing to go to help defend the island against an attack from China.The White House said April 16 on its website that Suga and Biden “underscore the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”Some analysts say the joint statement signals Tokyo’s willingness to help defend Taiwan against China if needed, but only in support of a U.S.-led campaign.Taiwan quickly welcomed the joint statement.“Ourmore

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College Voters Overwhelmingly Approve of Biden’s Job in Office

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U.S. President Joe Biden’s approval rating among college voters is 63%, according to a new Harvard Youth Poll, the highest for that demographic in the poll’s 21-year history.The poll said other high approval ratings by college voters came in 2003 for then-President George W. Bush, who received 61% approval, and in 2016 for then-President Barack Obama, with 57% approval.Overall, the Harvard Youth Poll, released Friday, found that 59% of young adults ages 18 to 29 approved of Biden’s job performance.His highest marks came from his handling of the coronavirus (65% approval), climate change (58% approval), education (58% approval) and racemore

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Sen. Tim Scott to Deliver Republicans’ Rebuttal to Biden Address

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Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will deliver the Republicans’ rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s joint address to Congress next week.Scott, who is the only Black Republican in the Senate, will serve as the face of the party after Biden addresses the nation Wednesday. Considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, Scott is a leading Republican voice on race and criminal justice reform and is popular with the pro-Donald Trump and moderate wings of the party.The selection underscores the party’s efforts to unite and expand its appeal after a bruising 2020 cycle that saw them lose the White House and bothmore

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Biden’s Climate Pledge: Not Easy, Not Impossible

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Cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half is doable but hard, experts say, and some of the biggest barriers are political, not technical.President Joe Biden on Thursday FILE – A wind turbine is pictured, Jan. 13, 2021, near Spearville, Kan.U.S. emissions are declining, but far too slowly to reach Biden’s target. They would have to fall on a scale that has happened only three times since 2005, Rossetti noted, and not for good reasons — during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2008-09 financial crisis and during an exceptionally mild winter in 2012.The Biden administration has proposed broad areas where it seesmore

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Remembering Walter Mondale’s ‘Good Fight’

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As tributes pour in honoring former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale, who died Monday at age 93 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, VOA Midwest Correspondent Kane Farabaugh looks back on exclusive interviews with the Democratic politician who waged what he called “the good fight.”Producer and camera: Kane Farabaugh.  …

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Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill

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The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed new legislation aimed at bolstering efforts to combat rising anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.The bill would establish a new Justice Department position to expedite the review of COVID-19-related hate crimes and provide support for local law enforcement agencies to respond to anti-Asian hate violence. It also includes an amendment that improves hate crime reporting and establishes hate crime telephone hotlines. The amendment was initially introduced as the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act, named after two high-profile victims of hate crimes in recent years.The vote was 94 to 1.more

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US House Passes DC Statehood Bill on Party-Line Vote

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would make Washington, D.C., the 51st state, sending it to the U.S. Senate for consideration.The measure, sponsored by D.C. House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and aptly titled House Bill 51, passed on a straight 216-208 vote.A statehood bill passed the House in 2020 but died in the then-Republican controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer has promised to see the measure at least gets consideration in a committee.Republicans in Congress staunchly oppose the bill, calling it a “power grab” by Democrats, as a vast majority of the city’s population supportsmore

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Effects of Jim Crow Era Live On in Modern America, Some Say 

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“My mother and stepfather grew up during the era of Jim Crow,” Dontaye Carter told VOA. Carter is the head of a public relations firm in the suburbs of Atlanta and helps lead voter registration and mobilization efforts in the area.  “Sometimes, people think of that time as being ancient history, but it’s not true,” he said. “There are still people alive today who were traumatized by its events.” Jim Crow refers to a time in U.S. history from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century in which state and local laws — primarily in themore

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Democrats Push to Counter State-Level Voting Restrictions

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A new law in the southern U.S. state of Georgia that restricts mail-in voting and strengthens voter identification requirements has sparked a nationwide debate over voting rights for minorities. Democratic Party lawmakers are weighing their options even though voting rights legislation has little chance of passage in the U.S. Senate. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. …

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Derek Chauvin Convicted on all Charges in Death of George Floyd

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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges Tuesday in the death of George Floyd nearly a year ago.Chauvin had been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.After hearing closing arguments Monday, the 12-member jury – comprising six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial — spent about 10 hours over two days discussing information from the three-week trial before coming to a decision.WATCH LIVE: President Joe Biden reacts to George Floyd trial guilty verdict In their final arguments, a prosecutor accused Chauvin, who is white, of killing Floyd, an Africanmore

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Biden Administration Endorses Bill to Establish Washington as America’s 51st State

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The Biden administration has endorsed legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would establish the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., as America’s 51st state.     “For far too long, the more than 700,000 people of Washington, D.C., have been deprived of full representation in the U.S Congress,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement Tuesday. “This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our nation was founded.”   The bill, H.R. 51, calls for Washington to continue to serve as the country’s federal seatmore

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China at Forefront of US-Japan Summit

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Strategic competition with China was one of the main issues discussed in U.S. President Joe Biden’s Friday meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Biden took office. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report. Producer: Kim Weeks …

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State Department Watchdog Says Pompeo, Wife Violated Ethics Rules

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The State Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife violated federal ethics rules by asking staffers to run personal errands and perform non-official work such as making restaurant reservations, shopping and caring for their dog.In a report released on Friday, the department’s inspector general concluded that those requests were “inconsistent” with the regulations. But, because Pompeo is no longer a federal employee and not subject to federal disciplinary or other measures, it did not call for any action against the former secretary who left office on Jan. 20 at the end ofmore

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US Senator Who Served as Ambassador to Japan Lauds Closer Ties but Issues Warning

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For the man who represented the United States in Tokyo from 2017 to 2019, Friday’s visit to the U.S. capital by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is an affirmation of two years of hard work.It is not often that U.S. Republicans and Democrats agree about much these days, but former Ambassador William Hagerty, who came home to launch a successful bid for a Senate seat from his home state of Tennessee, is quick to praise President Joe Biden for arranging the White House meeting.”I’m delighted to see Prime Minister Suga come to the very first face-to-face summit that our newmore

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Biden Nominates US Haiti Ambassador to State Department Position

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U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison for the position of assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.Sison, a career ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service, has served in Haiti since 2018. She is a respected diplomat in Port-au-Prince, where she has been outspoken about democratic governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”We are very concerned about any action that risks undermining democratic institutions in Haiti,” Sison told VOA during an exclusive interview in February.Before arriving in Port-au-Prince, she served as U.S. deputy representative to the United Nationsmore

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Former VP Pence Undergoes Surgery to Implant Pacemaker

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Former Vice President Mike Pence has undergone surgery to have a pacemaker implanted. His office says that Wednesday’s procedure went well and that Pence “is expected to fully recover and return to normal activity in the coming days.” The 61-year-old Pence, who recently launched a new advocacy group and signed a book deal, had previously been diagnosed with a heart condition called asymptomatic left bundle branch block. His office says that over the past two weeks, he experienced symptoms associated with a slow heart rate and underwent the procedure in Virginia in response. Pence is considered a likely 2024 presidential candidate if former Presidentmore

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US Further Punishes Russia for Cyberattacks, Election Meddling  

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The United States cannot allow a foreign power to intervene with impunity in American elections, President Joe Biden said Thursday, after he took action to punish Russia for that and a major cyberattack.  “Today I’ve approved several steps, including expulsion of several Russian officials, as a consequence of their actions,” Biden said at the White House. “I’ve also signed an executive order authorizing new measures, including sanctions to address specific harmful actions that Russia has taken against U.S. interests.” Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, April 15, 2021.Biden saidmore

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Japanese PM Faces Tough Balancing Act Between US, China

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday will become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.The meeting underscores the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, especially as the countries’ shared rival, China, grows in strength and aggressiveness.Since taking office last year, Suga’s government has at times taken a slightly more critical stance toward China, calling out Beijing’s human rights abuses and incursions into disputed areas of the East and South China seas.It represents a slight recalibration of Japan’s relationship with China, its longtime rival and largest trading partner. However, many analysts expectmore

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Japan’s Suga Faces Tough Balancing Act Between US, China

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday will become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.The meeting underscores the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, especially as the countries’ shared rival, China, grows in strength and aggressiveness.Since taking office last year, Suga’s government has at times taken a slightly more critical stance toward China, calling out Beijing’s human rights abuses and incursions into disputed areas of the East and South China seas.It represents a slight recalibration of Japan’s relationship with China, its longtime rival and largest trading partner. However, many analysts expectmore

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US Senate Panel to Consider Biden Postal Board Nominees April 22

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The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will hold an April 22 hearing on President Joe Biden’s three nominees to serve on the U.S. Postal Board of Governors, the panel announced Wednesday.The announcement comes after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in March outlined a proposed 10-year strategic plan that would slow current first-class delivery standards and raise some prices to stem $160 billion in forecasted red ink over the next decade.The plan has drawn criticism from many U.S. lawmakers including some calling for the board to fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and others who have urged Biden tomore

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Democrats to Unveil Bill to Expand US Supreme Court by 4 Justices

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Congressional Democrats plan to introduce legislation on Thursday to expand the U.S. Supreme Court by four justices, a proposal aimed at breaking the conservative grip on the court that promises to draw fierce opposition from Republicans.Sen. Ed Markey and House of Representatives members Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson and Mondaire Jones have scheduled a news conference for Thursday to announce the introduction of the legislation in both chambers. The measure would expand the number of justices from the current nine to 13, according to a copy of the Senate bill reviewed by Reuters.President Joe Biden announced last Friday the formation ofmore

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