Pandemic Dents Turnout at Brazil University Entrance Exams

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Turnout for Brazil’s standardized university admission exam on Sunday appeared to be the lowest in 15 years, in large part reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s education, according to experts. Just over 3 million students signed up to take the annual exam, down 44% from last year’s registration and the lowest since 2006. The grueling 5 1/2-hour test, held over two weekends, is the main admission standard for Brazilian universities. Experts said they expected many of those who registered early this year to be absent Sunday. About half of the 5.7 million who signed up formore

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Austin: US Commitment to Middle East ‘Strong and Sure’

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“Let’s be clear: America’s commitment to security in the Middle East is strong and sure,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Saturday at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Officials in the region are concerned about the U.S. commitment to the region, especially since it is seeking to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran and after the dramatic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. “But Iran’s actions in recent months have not been encouraging — especially because of the expansion of their nuclear program,” Austin added. However, the defense secretary also said that “friends and foes both know” the capabilities that themore

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Budget ‘Score’ Gave Moderate Democrats the Cover Needed to Pass Biden’s Signature Bill

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President Joe Biden’s signature Build Back Better package of climate and social spending passed the House of Representatives on Friday morning, 220-213, less than 24 hours after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produced an analysis of the legislation finding that it would add a relatively modest $160 billion to the federal debt over the next 10 years. The bill, which still must pass the narrowly divided Senate, dedicates more than half a trillion dollars to spending on measures to combat climate change, provides funding for universal pre-school, expands access to healthcare, and provides tax credits to families with children, among other things.more

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Factbox: What’s in Biden’s $1.75 Trillion ‘Build Back Better’ Package?

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The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion social policy and climate package, sending it back to the Senate where it is likely to be modified further.   Here is what the latest version contains, according to the White House:   FAMILY BENEFITS   – Free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds   – Support for childcare costs: Families that earn less than $300,000 a year would pay no more than 7% of their income on childcare – Tax credits worth up to $300 a child per month – Bolsters coverage of home-care costsmore

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House Delays Vote on Biden’s $1.75 Trillion Bill

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The vote on U.S. President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion social spending bill has been delayed until Friday in the House of Representatives, after Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy gave an hourslong speech. The vote was originally scheduled for Thursday evening after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan arbiter, released a cost assessment of the bill, which several moderate Democrats said they needed before they would vote. But the vote was delayed until 8 a.m. (1300 GMT) Friday after McCarthy spoke – and often seemed to stray – from a thick binder of prepared remarks for more than fourmore

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After Pledging to Lead on Climate Issues, US Sells New Oil Drilling Rights

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In a move that has some environmental activists charging it with hypocrisy, the Biden administration has approved the sale of oil and gas drilling rights to more than 80 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico — an act it says was mandated by a federal court ruling. The auction on Wednesday by an arm of the U.S. Interior Department resulted in leases for 1.7 million of the 80 million available acres, with Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. among the top buyers. Some 308 lots were purchased for a total of $191.7 million, though it is not certain exactlymore

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House Moves Toward OK of Dems’ Sweeping Social, Climate Bill 

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A divided House moved toward passage of Democrats’ expansive social and environment bill on Thursday as new cost estimates from Congress’ top fiscal analyst suggested that moderate lawmakers’ worries about spending and deficits would be calmed, giving the bill the votes it needs for passage. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told lawmakers in a letter Thursday evening that the chamber would soon begin final debate on the sprawling legislation. That would put the House on the doorstep of approving the package, a top priority for President Joe Biden that would bolster child care assistance, create free preschool, curb seniors’ prescription drugmore

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US Indicts 2 Iranian Hackers for Alleged Attempts to ‘Sow Discord’ in 2020 Election

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The U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment Thursday of two Iranian nationals for “their involvement in a cyber-enabled campaign to intimidate and influence American voters, and otherwise undermine voter confidence and sow discord, in connection with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,” according to a press release. Between August and November of 2020, Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian allegedly got voter information from at least one state election website and then used that information to send threatening emails “to intimidate and interfere with voters.” They also allegedly attempted to access other state election-related websites. The two also allegedlymore

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US House to Vote on Disciplining Member for Violent Video

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The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to censure a Republican congressman for posting to social media an animated video depicting him striking another member with a sword and attacking President Joe Biden.  In addition to censure, the resolution calls for removing Congressman Paul Gosar from the House Oversight and Natural Resources committees.  Gosar shared the video earlier this month, an altered anime clip, a style of Japanese animation, that also included interspersed video of Border Patrol officers and migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.  Responding to criticism of the post, Gosar issued a statement saying it wasn’t meant to depict violencemore

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Michelle Wu Sworn in as Boston’s First Woman Elected Mayor 

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Michelle Wu was sworn in Tuesday as Boston’s first woman and first person of color elected mayor in the city’s long history.  The swearing-in of the city’s first Asian American mayor came two weeks after Wu won the city’s mayoral election. Before Wu, Boston had elected only white men as mayor.  “City government is special. We are the level closest to the people, so we must do the big and the small. Every streetlight, every pothole, every park and classroom, lays the foundation for greater change,” Wu said after taking the oath of office. “After all, Boston was founded onmore

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Biden Touts Infrastructure Bill at Snowy, Rusty Bridge in NH

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Fighting sagging poll ratings, President Joe Biden set out Tuesday on a national tour to persuade everyday Americans of the benefits of his big, just-signed infrastructure plan. First stop: a snowy, rusty bridge in New Hampshire, a state that gave him no love in last year’s presidential primaries.  Biden left the state in February 2020 before polls had even closed on his fifth-place primary finish. But he returned as president, eager to talk up the billions in investments in upgrading America’s roads, bridges and transit systems that he signed into law Monday. Walking across the rural New Hampshire bridge that’smore

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US Congress Restarts Push for China Legislation by Year’s End  

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Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are renewing a push to pass legislation that would boost U.S. competition with China, amid rising concerns about the global supply chain.      Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday the long-stalled U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) would be added to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the massive annual defense spending bill that needs to be passed by the end of the year.    “A generation ago we used to produce about a third of the world’s chip supply – now fewer than 12% are made in America while other countries have lapped us, particularly China. This hurts American workers, Americanmore

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Biden Signs $1 Trillion Infrastructure Legislation

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President Joe Biden on Monday signed a trillion-dollar package for infrastructure improvements across the United States that will repair deteriorating roads and bridges, improve rail service, expand public transportation and widen broadband internet service.  Congressional lawmakers, state governors and city mayors – both Democrats and Republicans – watched Biden’s signing ceremony just outside the White House on a cool, sunny fall afternoon.  Biden’s signature on one of his key legislative proposals marked a rarity in politically fractious Washington: passage of a major initiative on a bipartisan basis. Nineteen Republicans joined all 50 Democrats to approve the measure in the Senate,more

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Wisconsin Legislator from Gambia Measures Success by Others’ Access

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The different diaspora groups that now make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians from the African diaspora who are changing the face of American politics. One is Samba Baldeh, who came from Gambia. Here is his story in his own words. Video: Betty Ayoub, Abby Sun in Wisconsin; Bubacar A. Batchilly in Gambia Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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Chinese Students in US Reflect on COVID Chaos

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Ryan Wang was among hundreds of thousands of Chinese students at U.S. colleges or universities who struggled over whether to return home to China or remain in the United States when the COVID-19 pandemic surged in the spring of 2020. “When the pandemic started in China [months earlier], I felt lucky I was already back to the U.S. for the new semester,” Wang, a Chinese undergraduate studying economics at Columbia University in New York City, told VOA. Unlike Wang, many international students had not returned to the United States from winter break in January 2020 and fretted that they wouldmore

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Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy Won’t Seek Reelection

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Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the longest-serving member of the Senate, said Monday he will not seek reelection in 2022 to the seat he has held for eight terms. Leahy, 81, said he and his wife, Marcelle, have concluded that “it is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It’s time to come home.” The announcement marks the end of a political era. First elected to the Senate in 1974, Leahy is the last of the so-called Watergate babies who were elected after President Richard Nixon’s resignation.more

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Former US Congressman Beto O’Rourke to Challenge Texas Governor Abbott

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Beto O’Rourke, the former U.S. congressman from Texas whose surprisingly close 2018 loss to Senator Ted Cruz made him a Democratic star, said on Monday he will challenge Republican Greg Abbott in next year’s race for governor of the state. O’Rourke has been seen as his party’s best option for the 2022 gubernatorial race even after his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination failed to garner much support amid a crowded field of candidates. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas, the second most populous U.S. state, in three decades. Abbott, who is facing two Republican challengersmore

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Unseated Representative Pushes for DC Statehood, Healthcare

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The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. One is Oye Owolewa, whose parents came from Nigeria. Video: Betty Ayoub and Abby Sun Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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In Minnesota Statehouse, Lawmaker With Nigerian Ties Promotes Inclusion

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The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. One is Esther Agbaje, whose parents came from Nigeria. This is her story in her own words. Video: Betty Ayoub Producers: Betty Ayoub and Carol Guensburg …

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Low Expectations Ahead of Biden-Xi Meeting

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White House officials are taking pains to lower expectations ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday evening.  Both the U.S. and the Chinese are referring to it as a “virtual meeting” rather than a summit as a way to temper hopes of a major breakthrough. “This meeting is about our ongoing efforts to responsibly manage the competition, not about agreeing to a specific deliverable or outcome,” said a senior administration official in a briefing to reporters Sunday evening. Other White House officials have underscored this point in recent days. There are certainlymore

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 US Colleges, Universities See Sharp Losses During Pandemic

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The number of students studying at U.S. colleges and universities sharply declined for the school year that started in September 2020. Experts attribute the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic.   A survey of almost 3,000 institutions of higher education in the U.S. showed a 15% decrease in the number of international students attending the 2020-2021 school year.   The number of new student enrollments was slashed by 45.6%.  This brings the total of enrolled international students to 914,095, the first time since the 2015-2016 academic year the number fell below the 1 million mark after a decade of swift increases.   International students comprise 4.6% of the nearly 20 million students enrolled in U.S. higher education.   The number ofmore

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Bannon Indicted on Contempt Charges for Defying House Subpoena

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Steve Bannon, a longtime ally to former President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress after he defied a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.  The Justice Department said Bannon, 67, was indicted on one count for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena. It wasn’t immediately clear when he would be due in court.  Attorney General Merrick Garland said the indictment reflects the Justice Department’s “steadfast commitment” to ensuring that the department adheres tomore

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Court Temporarily Delays Release of Trump’s January 6 Records

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A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked the release of White House records sought by a U.S. House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, granting — for now — a request from former President Donald Trump. The administrative injunction issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit effectively bars until the end of this month the release of records that were to be turned over Friday. The appeals court set oral arguments in the case for November 30. The stay gives the court time to consider arguments in a clash between the former president,more

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Biden: Better Treatment Needed for Veterans Exposed to Toxic Air in War Zones

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On his first Veterans Day in office, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered his administration Thursday to provide better medical treatment for veterans exposed to toxic air and to study the diseases they may have contracted while serving overseas.  For years, American service members were exposed to open-air fire pits during tours of duty in Iraqi and Afghan war zones. Dangerous materials such as electronics, vehicles and human waste were routinely sprayed with jet fuel and set ablaze, spewing toxic fumes and carcinogens into the air.  For Biden, the directive is personal. He has suggested, without proof, that the cancer thatmore

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