For the Candidates, a Last Weekend to Make Their Case to Americans

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The American presidential candidates are in the final weekend of campaigning for the elections on Tuesday. Barack Obama's lead has narrowed but most opinion polls still point his way.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with John McCain at a campaign rally Friday in Columbus, Ohio

The Democrat hopes to win states that voted for President Bush. These include big states like Ohio and Florida that John McCain must win if he has any chance for victory.

Both candidates have campaign workers and volunteers making calls and going door-to-door in neighborhoods to spread their message. In political campaigns this is called the ground war. Broadcast advertising is the air war.

Barack Obama greets supporters at a rally Friday in Des Moines, Iowa

Another kind of advertising, and one that is often criticized, especially during mealtimes, is the robocall. Robocalls are recorded telephone messages -- like this one paid for by the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee.

CALLER: "Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the R.N.C. because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge’s home and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. ... "

Barack Obama and the Democrats have their own robocalls. The Campaign for Change, a project of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, paid for this one:

CALLER: "Hi, this is Jeri Watermolen, calling for the Campaign for Change. I live in Green Bay and, like you, I've been getting sleazy phone calls and mail from John McCain and his supporters viciously -- and falsely -- attacking Barack Obama. I used to support John McCain because he honorably served our country. But this year he's running a dishonorable campaign. We know McCain will continue many of Bush's policies, and now he's using George Bush's divisive tactics. ... "

Barack Obama has heavily outspent John McCain on local television ads in battleground states. His campaign also bought thirty minutes on seven national broadcast and cable networks Wednesday night. The program included stories of families struggling in difficult times, and Senator Obama talking about his proposals.

BARACK OBAMA: "I believe we need to usher in a new era of responsibility. Families are tightening their belts and so should Washington."

Nielsen Media Research estimated that almost thirty-four million people watched the Obama infomercial, or information commercial. That was more than the number that watched last season's final show on "American Idol."

The presidential campaign has also produced the highest ratings in years for the NBC comedy show "Saturday Night Live." Tina Fey has gotten big laughs playing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president.

Two weeks ago, the real Sarah Palin was on the show. She came on stage while the fake one was giving a "news conference."

TINA FEY: "To answer your question, you know, I don't worry about the polls. Polls are just a fancy way of systematically predicting what's going to happen. The only poll I care about is the North Pole and that is melting, it's not great ... What? The real one? Bye!"

(APPLAUSE)

SARAH PALIN: "Thank you, thank you. Now, I'm not going to take any of your questions, but I do want to take this opportunity to say: Live from New York, it's Saturday night!"

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

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US Economy Shrinks 0.3 Percent

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Early estimates show that the United States economy shrank by three-tenths of one percent from July through September. Economists had predicted a five-tenths drop. But Thursday's report from the Commerce Department also showed that Americans cut their spending by the most in almost thirty years.

The economy has shrunk only one other time since the recession of two thousand one. That was at the end of last year.

A recession is traditionally defined as at least six months of decrease in the gross domestic product. G.D.P. is the value of all goods and services produced within a country.

Recently, many central banks, fearing a worldwide recession, have cut interest rates. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut its target rate for overnight loans between banks from one and a half percent to just one percent. The federal funds rate has not been that low since June of two thousand four.

Alan Greenspan and Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

The Fed chairman then was Alan Greenspan. Critics say his support of low-cost credit, plus his resistance to stronger controls, helped inflate housing prices. He thought lenders understood risk better than government regulators. But high-risk loans led to today's credit crisis once the housing bubble burst.

Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform called Alan Greenspan to hearings on the financial crisis. Chairman Henry Waxman asked him about his positions in the past on supervision of financial markets.

HENRY WAXMAN: "My question for you is simple. Where you wrong?"

ALAN GREENSPAN: "Partially. But let's separate this problem into its component parts."

Alan Greenspan went on to defend some of the complex financial products called derivatives. But he said there are "some serious problems" with credit default swaps. Buyers use this kind of derivative as insurance against losses on debts they are owed.

Credit default swaps on debt related to risky home loans almost collapsed A.I.G. The huge insurance company was rescued with government loans.

Henry Waxman pushed Alan Greenspan for a more complete answer -- unlike the days when he was treated like a financial god.

HENRY WAXMAN: "Well, where do you think you made a mistake?"

ALAN GREENSPAN: "I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interest of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders."

Consumer confidence, a measure of how Americans feel about the world's largest economy, is at its lowest in at least forty years.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

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Web Sites That Make It Easy for Everyday People to Perform Weddings

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week:

We listen to music from the Four Tops, whose lead singer, Levi Stubbs, died recently …

Answer a listener question about the electoral college in the United States …

And report about how everyday Americans can perform weddings.

(MUSIC)

Online Wedding Officiants

HOST:

Weddings in America are often big, complex and costly events. Usually a religious leader or judge performs the marriage ceremony. But now people can choose a friend or family member to perform the ceremony. That person can become an official marriage officiant online through some unusual Web sites. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

One Web site is called Church of the Latter-Day Dude. It is named for a character called the Dude in the movie "The Big Lebowski." The Church of the Latter-Day Dude appeals to visitors to "join the slowest-growing religion in the world – Dudeism."

Its members do not believe in telling people what to do. In fact, they do not believe in doing much at all. But they are happy to provide people with a "certificate of ordination." The Web site says the document legally permits a person to perform a wedding ceremony in most states. But it also says a person should check with the local government to see if this is permitted.

Other Web sites offering free and immediate ordination services include the Universal Life Church Monastery and the Church of Spiritual Humanism. The Universal Life Church says it welcomes all people who show interest in becoming ministers, whether they are religious or not. The church claims to have ordained more than twenty million ministers online around the world.

George Estreich marries Michael Filtz and Mallika Good

One of those people is writer George Estreich of Corvallis, Oregon. Exactly five months ago, he performed his first wedding ceremony. The groom was Michael Filtz, the younger brother of his wife. The bride was Mallika Good.

Mister Filtz and Miz Good said they thought about asking Mister Estreich to be their officiant early in the planning process. George Estreich was almost fifteen years older than Michael Filtz and they were very close. The bride and groom knew that, as a writer, Mister Estreich would be good with words. So they went online and found the Universal Life Church. They asked Mister Estreich if he would become a Universal Life Church minister and marry them. He agreed.

On the evening of May thirty-first, George Estreich performed the marriage ceremony of Michael Filtz and Mallika Good. It took place in the garden of the Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, Maryland. He spoke to the guests about Mike as a child and about Mike and Mallika as a couple. The two hundred guests enjoyed the ceremony and the party that included cultural traditions of both families.

Electoral College

Our question this week comes from listeners in Italy and Nigeria. Mariella and Idris want to know about the Electoral College. Is it true that this system could elect a president who was not chosen by popular vote?

An elector in the state of New York casts her vote in the 2004 presidential election

The answer is yes. It has happened four times. The most recent was in two thousand when George W. Bush was elected to his first term in office as president. Five hundred thousand more Americans voted for Senator Al Gore for president. But more electoral votes went to Mister Bush.

This is because forty-eight of the fifty states have a winner-take-all electoral votes policy. The candidate who wins the highest number of popular votes in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.

The Electoral College is made up of representatives from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Electors are appointed representatives who promise to vote as the people of the state guide them. Different states have different laws on the appointment of the electors. But political parties often nominate people to recognize their service to their party. In some states, the names of the electors appear on the ballot, below the names of the candidates.

The number of electoral votes in each state equals the number of representatives and senators in Congress from that state. This depends on population. So, states with more people have more electoral votes. In all, there are five hundred thirty-eight electoral votes. To become president, a candidate must win a simple majority, at least two hundred seventy.

Critics of the Electoral College system call it undemocratic, difficult to understand and dangerous to the political system. Supporters say it helps to guarantee the rights of states with small populations. They say it also requires candidates to campaign in many states, not just those with large populations.

There have been hundreds of proposals in Congress to end or reform the Electoral College. But amending the Constitution is a difficult process.

This year the electors will meet in their state capitals on December fifteenth to cast their votes for president of the United States. But we hope to know the answer to that question just hours after voting ends on November fourth.

You can learn more about the presidential candidates and issues on the Special English program This is America on Monday, November third.

Four Tops, from left: Abdul Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo Benson

Levi Stubbs

HOST:

Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the famous pop singing group, the Four Tops, died earlier this month. He was seventy-two. Barabara Klein tells us about the popular singer who helped define the "Motown" sound and build Motown Records into a hit machine.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN:

The Four Tops released that song, "Baby I Need Your Loving," in nineteen sixty-four. It was the group's first hit on the popular record ratings charts. It was also their first song to sell one million copies.

The group's lead singer was born Levi Stubbles in Detroit, Michigan, in nineteen thirty-six. He and three friends formed a singing group while in high school, called the Four Aims. It was clear early on that Levi with his deep, pure voice would lead the singing.

(MUSIC: "Bernadette")

The group became the Four Tops and signed with Chess Records in nineteen fifty-six. The singers were more interested in jazz music than pop. They left Detroit for New York City. Motown Records leader Berry Gordy saw them perform one night and asked them to join his record company. Many pop hits followed.

Levi Stubbs had suffered health problems following a series of strokes that ended his career in two thousand. We leave you with another Four Tops hit, "Reach Out, I'll Be There."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written and produced by Caty Weaver. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Send your questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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American History Series: Split Divides Jackson, Vice President Calhoun

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Welcome to the MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson became president of the United States in March of eighteen twenty-nine. Thousands of his supporters came to Washington to see him sworn-in. Many were there, however, only to get a government job. They expected President Jackson to dismiss all the government workers who did not support him in the election. Jackson supporters wanted those jobs for themselves.

This week in our series, Frank Oliver and Maurice Joyce continue the story of Andrew Jackson and his presidency.

VOICE ONE:

Most of the jobs were in the Post Office Department, headed by Postmaster General John McLean. McLean told Jackson that if he had to remove postmasters who took part in the election, he would remove those who worked for Jackson as well as those who worked for the re-election of President John Quincy Adams.

Jackson removed McLean as postmaster general. William Barry of Kentucky was named to the position. Barry was willing to give jobs to Jackson's supporters. But he, too, refused to take jobs from people who had done nothing wrong.

VOICE TWO:

Many government workers had held their jobs for a long time. Some of them did very little work. Some were just too old. A few were drunk most of the time. And some were even found to have stolen money from the government. These were the people President Jackson wanted to remove. And he learned it was difficult for him to take a job away from someone who really needed it.

VOICE ONE:

One old man came to Jackson from Albany, New York. He told Jackson he was postmaster in that city. He said the politicians wanted to take his job. The old man said he had no other way to make a living.

When the president did not answer, the old man began to take off his coat. "I am going to show you my wounds," he said. "I got them fighting the British with General George Washington during the war for independence."

The next day, a New York congressman took President Jackson a list of names of government workers who were to be removed. The name of the old man from Albany was on the list. He had not voted for Jackson. "By the eternal!" shouted Jackson. "I will not remove that old man. Do you know he carries a pound of British lead in his body?"

VOICE TWO:

The job of another old soldier was threatened. The man had a large family and no other job. He had lost a leg on the battlefield during the war for independence. He had not voted for Jackson, either. But that did not seem to matter to the president. "If he lost a leg fighting for his country," Jackson said, "that is vote enough for me. He will keep his job." Jackson's supporters who failed to get the jobs they expected had to return home.

John C. Calhoun

VOICE ONE:

Next, the president had to deal with a split that developed between himself and Vice President John C. Calhoun. The trouble grew out of a problem in the cabinet. Three of the cabinet members were supporters and friends of Calhoun. These were Treasury Secretary Samuel Ingham, Attorney General John Berrien, and Navy Secretary John Branch.

A fourth member of the cabinet, Secretary of State Martin van Buren, opposed Calhoun. The fifth member of the cabinet was Jackson's close friend, John Eaton.

Eaton had been married a few months before Jackson became president. Stories said he and the young woman had lived together before they were married. Vice President Calhoun tried to use the issue to force Eaton from the cabinet. He started a personal campaign against Missus Eaton.

Calhoun's wife, and the wives of his three men in the cabinet, refused to have anything to do with her. This made President Jackson angry, because he liked the young woman.

VOICE TWO:

The split between Jackson and Calhoun deepened over another issue. Jackson learned that Calhoun -- as a member of former president James Monroe's cabinet -- had called for Jackson's arrest. Calhoun wanted to punish Jackson for his military campaign into Spanish Florida in eighteen eighteen.

Another thing that pushed the two men apart was Calhoun's belief that the rights of the states were stronger than the rights of the federal government. His feelings became well known during a debate on a congressional bill.

VOICE ONE:

In eighteen twenty-eight, Congress had passed a bill that -- among other things -- put taxes on imports. The purpose of the tax was to protect American industries.

The South opposed the bill mainly because it had almost no industry. It was an agricultural area. Import taxes would only raise the price of products the South imported. The South claimed that the import tax was not constitutional. It said the constitution did not give the federal government the right to make a protective tax.

The state of South Carolina -- Calhoun's state -- refused to pay the import tax. Calhoun wrote a long statement defending South Carolina's action. In the statement, he developed what was called the Doctrine of Nullification. This idea declared that the power of the federal government was not supreme.

VOICE TWO:

Calhoun noted that the federal government was formed by an agreement among the independent states. That agreement, he said, was the Constitution. In it, he said, the powers of the states and the powers of the federal government were divided. But, he said, supreme power -- sovereignty -- was not divided.

Calhoun argued that supreme power belonged to the states. He said they did not surrender this power when they ratified the Constitution. In any dispute between the states and the federal government, he said, the states should decide what is right. If the federal government passed a law that was not constitutional, then that law was null and void. It had no meaning or power.

VOICE ONE:

Then Calhoun brought up the question of the method to decide if a law was constitutional. He said the power to make such a decision was held by the states. He said the Supreme Court did not have the power, because it was part of the federal government.

Calhoun argued that if the federal government passed a law that any state thought was not constitutional, or against its interests, that state could temporarily suspend the law.

The other states of the union, Calhoun said, would then be asked to decide the question of the law's constitutionality. If two-thirds of the states approved the law, the complaining state would have to accept it, or leave the union. If less than two-thirds of the states approved it, then the law would be rejected. None of the states would have to obey it. It would be nullified -- cancelled.

Daniel Webster

VOICE TWO:

The idea of nullification was debated in the Senate by Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Robert Hayne of South Carolina. Hayne spoke first. He stated that there was no greater evil than giving more power to the federal government. The major point of his speech could be put into a few words: liberty first, union afterwards.

Webster spoke next. He declared that the Constitution was not the creature of the state governments. It was more than an agreement among states. It was the law of the land. Supreme power was divided, Webster said, between the states and the union. The federal government had received from the people the same right to govern as the states.

VOICE ONE:

Webster declared that the states had no right to reject an act of the federal government and no legal right to leave the union. If a dispute should develop between a state and the federal government, he said, the dispute should be settled by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Webster said Hayne had spoken foolishly when he used the words: liberty first, union afterwards. They could not be separated, Webster said. It was liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable.

VOICE TWO:

No one really knew how President Jackson felt about the question of nullification. He had said nothing during the debate. Did he support Calhoun's idea. Or did he agree with Webster. That will be our story next week.

(THEME)

ANNOUNCER:

Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Frank Oliver and Maurice Joyce. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs are online, along with historical images, at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION - an American history series in VOA Special English.

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Foreign Student Series: Getting a US Education From Home

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

This week in our Foreign Student Series, we talk about getting an American education online. A student named Hendra has written to us from Indonesia asking about a good online university.

Finding the right online program requires research, just like a traditional education. Talking to advisers and recruiters can help. Keep in mind, though, that they might have a financial interest to direct you to certain programs.

Avoid a diploma mill. We talked about this last week. Diploma mills, also known as degree mills, are nothing more than businesses. The education is poor quality, if they even require any class work to get a degree.

The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes a group in Washington, D.C., to accredit schools that offer distance learning. One hundred ten programs in the United States and six other countries are accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.

We asked the executive director, Michael Lambert, for advice on choosing a distance learning program. He says the first thing is to go on the CHEA Web site to find if a school is accredited. The address is c-h-e-a dot o-r-g.

Next, make sure the school offers what you need. Do you need a degree, or will a certificate or license be enough?

Another consideration is cost. Often the published price does not include all the costs -- like books. Technology requirements can also add to the costs. Will you need to get new software or a high-speed Internet connection or even a new computer to take the classes you want?

Also, consider the level of interaction that an online program offers. You might never meet the teacher or other students in person. You need to be able to work without the supervision that you might find in a traditional class.

Finally, and this is our own advice, find out what others say. You might search on the Internet for comments or ratings or news stories about schools that interest you. Just remember that what people say is not always fair or true.

So now we have talked about getting an American education online. Next week, we begin explaining the steps to getting an American education in the United States.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Our Foreign Student Series is online at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Bob Doughty.

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Christo, Jeanne-Claude's Art Helps People See Their Surroundings in New Ways

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

Christo and Jeanne-Claude talking about their ''Over the River'' project

And I'm Faith Lapidus with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we learn about the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. This husband and wife team has been making large temporary outdoor art projects in city and rural environments for over forty years.

The artists create these imaginative and striking works for their beauty and magic and to make people see the artwork's environment in new ways. They work with city, state and federal officials for years to get permission to make their projects. And, they hire a team of permanent workers as well as hundreds of temporary workers to make their artistic visions a reality.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was born on June thirteenth, nineteen thirty-five to French parents living in Morocco. Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born on that same day in Bulgaria. Christo studied art at universities in Bulgaria and Austria. Jeanne-Claude studied philosophy and Latin at the University of Tunis in Tunisia.

VOICE TWO:

The two met in nineteen fifty-eight in Paris, France when Christo was hired to paint a portrait of Jeanne-Claude's mother. At the time, Christo was making very modern artwork in which he would wrap objects with paper, plastic or fabric. But these works did not sell well. So Christo took other jobs to support himself financially, including painting portraits of people.

By nineteen sixty, Christo and Jeanne-Claude had a son, Cyril.

VOICE ONE:

''Dockside Packages'' in Cologne, Germany

Their first art project together was called "Dockside Packages". They built it in nineteen sixty-one in the harbor in Cologne, Germany. The work was made up of several layers of oil barrels covered in heavy cloth and secured with rope. The work remained in place for two weeks.

VOICE TWO:

Jeanne-Claude has explained that the temporary quality of their work is a very purposeful design choice. She says that humans love things that do not last, such as childhood and life. She says by making their art impermanent, they give it an urgency that makes people want to see and enjoy it. She has used a rainbow as an example. Rainbows are all the more wonderful because they do not last.

VOICE ONE:

The couple has worked on many other projects that involve wrapping buildings or monuments. For example, in nineteen sixty-eight they covered the Kunsthalle in Bern, Switzerland with three thousand meters of rope and over two thousand square meters of plastic. The museum remained wrapped for one week.

About a year later, they wrapped the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois in a brownish green plastic. The artists decided this color would look striking against the surrounding snow.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen seventy-nine, the couple and over one hundred and ten workers wrapped a two point four kilometer long coastal area of Little Bay, Australia. The project remained in place for seven weeks.

By covering up or adding cloth to familiar buildings and natural formations, the artists get people to think about the objects being wrapped in new and different ways.

VOICE ONE:

All of their environmental art projects include a date in the title of the work. The years show how long the project took to plan from its very beginning to its creation.

For example, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris, France in nineteen eighty-five. But the period listed in the title of the work is "nineteen seventy-five to nineteen eighty-five." This date shows that it took ten years to get permission, gather materials and then build the project. Sometimes the artists stop working on one project when they receive official permission to build a different project.

VOICE TWO:

Sometimes the artists fail to receive the permission they need to build the project. Then a few years later, they try again with better success. But some projects never receive permission. The artists estimate they have built nineteen out of thirty-seven of their proposed ideas.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Christo and Jeanne-Claude do not accept public or private money to make any of their art. They raise the millions of dollars it costs to build each project by selling Christo's early works and drawings of early and recent projects. The artists say they do not accept any money from organizations or private donors because they want total artistic freedom. They say this keeps their art pure.

VOICE TWO:

''Running Fence'' in California

Not all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's works involve covering an object. "Running Fence" was built in nineteen seventy-six in California. The artists designed a forty-kilometer long fence made from heavy white cloth. The fence continued over the hills and valleys of private land owned by fifty-nine farmers. It looked like a white snake flowing over the land and ending in the sea. The artists worked with landowners and officials for three and one-half years to complete this project. It remained in place for two weeks.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen eighty-three, Christo and Jeanne-Claude completed their "Surrounded Islands" project in Biscayne Bay in the center of Miami, Florida. They surrounded the coastline of eleven small islands with over five hundred thousand square meters of bright pink cloth. They chose this color to go with the bright green of the islands and the bright blue of the Miami sky.

VOICE TWO:

''The Gates'' in New York City’s Central Park

Most recently, Christo and Jeanne-Claude created "The Gates" in two thousand five. This project made New York City's Central Park come alive with seven thousand gate structures topped with flowing orange cloth. To many people, these works are beautiful, magical and exciting in the way they change an environment.

VOICE ONE:

However, critics of the projects worry that they will harm the natural environment. The artists work very hard to make sure their art is carefully put into place. The materials are reused once the projects are taken down.

Other critics do not believe the projects are works of art. Christo and Jeanne-Claude are not afraid of hearing from their critics. These energetic public discussions about art show the power of the projects.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Detail of a drawing made by Christo of ''Over the River,'' to be built in Colorado

The couple's most recent work in progress is called "Over the River." Their plan is to place stretches of silver fabric over sixty kilometers of the Arkansas River in the state of Colorado. The artists spoke recently at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The museum has organized an exhibit about "Over the River" with many of Christo's drawings of the river project.

CHRISTO: "All the work here, they are original works of art. I do it with my own hands. I do not have assistants. They reflect the evolution visually and technically of the project. The very first sketches, they're more schematic … less close to the reality because many information, we do not have. But through the exhibit you can see many of the studies become more close to how the project will look."

VOICE ONE:

Jeanne-Claude says that the influence for this project came when the couple was placing fabric on the Pont Neuf Bridge over the Seine River in Paris.

JEANNE-CLAUDE: "What we had seen was shiny fabric in mid-air, the sun shining through it and reflecting on the water of the river Seine. Fabric, horizontal, shining, reflection on the water. You think that could be Over the River?"

VOICE TWO:

To realize this project, Jeanne-Claude and Christo first had to choose the right river. Over several years in the early nineteen nineties, they drove thousands of kilometers in the western part of the United States. They were looking for a stretch of river that met their requirements. The river needed a road alongside it. It had to have high banks so that the cloth could be stretched above the river. And the river had to have both smooth and rough waters. The artists want visitors to be able to experience the project from the road, by foot, or by floating down the river on a raft.

CHRISTO: "The most difficult part is to get permission. Everything in the world is owned by somebody."

VOICE ONE:

In this case, the United States government owns the land. Many meetings with local, state and federal officials are required to get the necessary permission for the project.

JEANNE-CLAUDE: "All the preparation and all the work and all the process that leads to the permit, all that process is very important. It is part of the work of art."

VOICE TWO:

Jeanne-Claude explains that it is like the nine months it takes for a baby to develop. She notes that the nine-month period is not the aim of having the baby. But the process is still very important.

VOICE ONE:

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have another work in progress called "The Mastaba" to be built in the United Arab Emirates. This one hundred fifty meter tall monument is to be made up of over four hundred thousand oil barrel containers. The couple started planning the project in nineteen seventy-seven. This shows that Christo and Jeanne-Claude have the patience to match their creativity and artistic vision.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. You can see pictures of some of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's works at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

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American English Hits a Homer When It Comes to Baseball-Related Idioms

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Workers place a rain tarp on the field in Philadelphia

AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER: with Major League Baseball's championship series delayed by rain -- no World Series game has ever been suspended before -- we thought we'd step up to the plate and reprise a segment from several years ago. We interviewed a linguist at Berkeley about the many baseball-inspired terms in American English.

RS: But first, in case you're keeping score, the Philadelphia Phillies lead three games to one in their best-of-seven series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game five is scheduled to resume Wednesday night.

AA: Baseball started in the eighteen hundreds, and Maggie Sokolik says writers made up colorful ways to describe the game. After all, in those days, there was no television to watch the national pastime.

RS: A lot of those phrases hit a home run with Americans, so today even people who don't follow baseball might still talk about doing something "right off the bat."

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "And if you can imagine a baseball striking the bat, that instant that things happen, things go very quickly, so if you need to do something fast, you might want to do it right off the bat. Similarly now if you have a large plan, say in business, in which you need to accomplish several tasks, you might tell your colleagues that you've 'touched all the bases,' you've contacted people -- you've 'covered your bases' as well, that is, you've prepared adequately."

RS: Which means that you've probably gone beyond rough estimates, or "ballpark figures."

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "Often if we're talking, and perhaps we're negotiating, perhaps we might say, 'you know, we're not even in the same ballpark,' meaning my figures are so different from yours that we're not even communicating about them."

AA: "Why a ballpark?"

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "Well, we have this notion of a ballpark as being a sort of rough area. The playing field doesn't really have a definite boundary. The diamond itself does, but what extends beyond the diamond doesn't have a specific dimension assigned to it. Similarly with time, an inning can be five minutes, an inning could be fifty minutes, it just depends on how long it takes to get all the outs in."

AA: "And it's still if you get three strikes you're out."

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "Exactly."

AA: "And it's not just in baseball anymore. We hear that now in laws. I know in California, if you commit three serious crimes ..."

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "Yes, three felonies and then I think it's a lifetime sentence after that. It 's call the 'three-strike law,' three strikes and you're in prison. I think a less happy baseball metaphor than most of them are."

RS: "Do you have a favorite baseball expression?"

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "I think the ones that I like, there's a lot of baseball expressions that really focus on people making mistakes, because errors in baseball are sort of what make the game interesting and exciting and also make us scream and tear our hair out in the stands. So when you talk about people being 'off base' -- or 'way off base' in fact -- that means that they're really quite wrong. There's also the term, to call someone a 'screwball' which is a type of pitch, but also means that someone is sort of crazy and not thinking straight. If we talk about someone who's really capable, we talk about them being 'on the ball.'"

RS: "Do you see that our baseball vocabulary is evolving, especially since we are attracting athletes from outside the United States, from Central and South America, from Japan. Do you find that with these players coming to the United States, that they're also bringing a new vocabulary into baseball?"

MAGGIE SOKOLIK: "Well, interestingly enough, not a lot, because the answer is that American baseball vocabulary has begun to travel overseas, so the language they bring with them is that which was exported to begin with."

AA: As far as creating new terms, Maggie Sokolik at the University of California at Berkeley says American baseball is in a slump. Still there are more baseball-related phrases out there than most people realize.

RS: In fact, University of Missouri Professor Gerald Cohen tells us the earliest citations for "jazz" had nothing to do with music. San Francisco newspaper writer "Scoop" Gleeson used the term "jazz" in nineteen-thirteen to describe enthusiasm and spirit on the baseball field.

AA: And that's Wordmaster for this week. Our e-mail address is word@voanews.com. And you can find all of our programs at voanews.com/wordmaster. With Avi Arditti, I'm Rosanne Skirble.

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Almost Half of All Deaths Are in People Under 60

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A new study from the World Health Organization says fifty-nine million people died from all causes in two thousand four. Ten million of them were children.

The report says almost half of all the people who died were under the age of sixty. About twenty percent of them were under fourteen.

Colin Mathers was the lead author of the study. He is the W.H.O.'s coordinator for epidemiology and burden of disease. He says the research points to major differences around the world.

COLIN MATHERS: "Africa stands out. The burden of disease, premature mortality is twice as high as for other developing regions in the world. And a substantial component of that burden is because of the high levels of child mortality in Africa compared to other regions. Half of all deaths in Africa are children under fifteen to compare with high income countries where one percent of deaths are under fifteen -- a huge difference."

Sam Jones from Doctors Without Borders treats a patient in southern Sudan

The number one cause of death around the world is heart disease, followed by strokes. Four of the ten leading causes of death worldwide are infectious diseases. These are pneumonia, infectious diarrhea, H.I.V./AIDS and tuberculosis. Other leading causes of death are lung disease, cancers of the windpipe and lungs, road accidents and low birth weight.

The research also shows that between the ages of fifteen and sixty, men have a much higher risk of death than women. The researchers say this is mainly because of injuries from violence, including war.

The study found that the Middle East produced fifty-five percent of the world's war dead in two thousand four. The Middle East has about eight percent of the world population.

Africa has the highest risk of death for men under sixty, followed by eastern Europe. The report says early deaths in Eastern Europe are mostly the result of injuries and heart and lung disease. But deaths from accidental alcohol poisoning are also common.

Worldwide, almost fifteen percent of deaths in women of reproductive age in two thousand four were related to pregnancy. More than five hundred thousand women died of preventable problems during pregnancy or childbirth.

Another finding in the report is a prediction that by two thousand thirty, tobacco will cause ten percent of all deaths worldwide.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. Transcripts and MP3s of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. If you have a general question about health, send it to special@voanews.com. And please tell us your name and where you are. I'm Doug Johnson.

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Continents and Ocean Floors Are Always Moving

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

A massive earthquake in China's Sichuan province earlier this year was the country's worst in more than 30 years.

And I'm Barbara Klein. Scientists who study the Earth tell us that the continents and ocean floors are always moving. Sometimes, this movement is violent and might result in great destruction. Today, we examine the process that causes earthquakes.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The first pictures of Earth taken from space showed a solid ball covered by brown and green landmasses and blue-green oceans. It appeared as if the Earth had always looked that way -- and always would.

Scientists now know, however, that the surface of the Earth is not as permanent as had been thought. Scientists explain that the surface of our planet is always in motion. Continents move about the Earth like huge ships at sea. They float on pieces of the Earth's outer skin, or crust. New crust is created as melted rock pushes up from inside the planet. Old crust is destroyed as it rolls down into the hot area and melts again.

VOICE TWO:

Only since the nineteen-sixties have scientists begun to understand that the Earth is a great, living structure. Some experts say this new understanding is one of the most important revolutions in scientific thought. The revolution is based on the work of scientists who study the movement of the continents -- a process called plate tectonics.

Earthquakes are a result of that process. Plate tectonics is the area of science that explains why the surface of the Earth changes and how those changes cause earthquakes.

VOICE ONE:

Scientists say the surface of the Earth is cracked like a giant eggshell. They call the pieces tectonic plates. As many as twenty of them cover the Earth. The plates float about slowly, sometimes crashing into each other, and sometimes moving away from each other.

When the plates move, the continents move with them. Sometimes the continents are above two plates. The continents split as the plates move.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Tectonic plates can cause earthquakes as they move. Modern instruments show that about ninety percent of all earthquakes take place along a few lines in several places around the Earth.

These lines follow underwater mountains, where hot liquid rock flows up from deep inside the planet. Sometimes, the melted rock comes out with a great burst of pressure. This forces apart pieces of the Earth's surface in a violent earthquake.

Other earthquakes take place at the edges of continents. Pressure increases as two plates move against each other. When this happens, one plate moves past the other,suddenly causing the Earth's surface to split.

VOICE ONE:

One example of this is found in California, on the West Coast of the United States. One part of California is on what is known as the Pacific plate. The other part of the state is on what is known as the North American plate.

Scientists say the Pacific plate is moving toward the northwest,while the North American plate is moving more to the southeast. Where these two huge plates come together is called a fault line.

The name of this line between the plates in California is the San Andreas Fault. It is along or near this line that most of California's earthquakes take place, as the two tectonic plates move in different directions.

The city of Los Angeles in Southern California is about fifty kilometers from the San Andreas Fault. Many smaller fault lines can be found throughout the area around Los Angeles. A major earthquake in nineteen ninety-four was centered along one of these smaller fault lines.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The story of plate tectonics begins with the German scientist Alfred Wegener in the early part of the twentieth century. He first proposed that the continents had moved and were still moving.

He said the idea came to him when he observed that the coasts of South America and Africa could fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He proposed that the two continents might have been one, then split apart.

Later, Alfred Wegener said the continents had once been part of a huge area of land he called Pangaea. He said the huge continent had split more than two hundred million years ago. He said the pieces were still floating apart.

VOICE ONE:

Wegener investigated the idea that continents move. He pointed out a line of mountains that appears from east to west in South Africa. Then he pointed out another line of mountains that looks almost exactly the same in Argentina, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He found fossil remains of the same kind of an early plant in areas of Africa, South America, India, Australia and even Antarctica.

Alfred Wegener said the mountains and fossils were evidence that all the land on Earth was united at some time in the distant past.

VOICE TWO:

Wegener also noted differences between the continents and the ocean floor. He said the oceans were more than just low places that had filled with water. Even if the water was removed, he said, a person would still see differences between the continents and the ocean floor.

Also, the continents and the ocean floor are not made of the same kind of rock. The continents are made of a granite-like rock, a mixture of silicon and aluminum. The ocean floor is basalt rock, a mixture of silicon and magnesium. Mister Wegener said the lighter continental rock floated up through the heavier basalt rock of the ocean floor.

VOICE ONE:

Support for Alfred Wegener's ideas did not come until the early nineteen-fifties. American scientists Harry Hess and Robert Dietz said the continents moved as new sea floor was created under the Atlantic Ocean.

They said a thin valley in the Atlantic Ocean was a place where the ocean floor splits. They said hot melted material flows up from deep inside the Earth through the split. As the hot material reaches the ocean floor, it spreads out, cools and hardens. It becomes new ocean floor.

The two scientists proposed that the floor of the Atlantic Ocean is moving away from each side of the split. The movement is very slow -- a few centimeters a year.

In time, they said, the moving ocean floor is blocked when it comes up against the edge of a continent. Then it is forced down under the continent, deep into the Earth, where it is melted again.

Harry Hess and Robert Dietz said this spreading does not make the Earth bigger. As new ocean floor is created, an equal amount is destroyed.

VOICE TWO:

The two scientists also said Alfred Wegener was correct. The continents move as new material from the center of the Earth rises, hardens and pushes older pieces of the Earth away from each other. The continents are moving all the time, although we cannot feel it.

They called their theory "sea floor spreading." The theory explains that as the sea floor spreads, the tectonic plates are pushed and pulled in different directions.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The idea of plate tectonics explains volcanoes as well as earthquakes. Many of the world's volcanoes are found at the edges of plates, where geologic activity is intense. The large number of volcanoes around the Pacific plate has earned the name "Ring of Fire."

Volcanoes also are found in the middle of plates, where there is a well of melted rock. Scientists call these wells "hot spots." A hot spot does not move. However, as the plate moves over it,a line of volcanoes is formed.

The Hawaiian Islands were created in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as the plate moved slowly over a hot spot. This process is continuing, as the plate continues to move.

VOICE TWO:

Volcanoes and earthquakes are among the most frightening events that nature can produce. The major earthquake in China's Sichuan Province in May, two thousand eight, killed almost seventy thousand people. Many more were injured or left without homes because of the earthquake. At times like these, we remember that the ground is not as solid and unchanging as people might like to think.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Nancy Steinbach. Our producer was Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. We would like to hear from you. Write to us at Special English, Voice of America, Washington, D-C, two-zero-two-three-seven, U-S-A. Or send your e-mails to special@voanews.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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What Is Your Favorite Song About Autumn?

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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. It is autumn in the northern part of the world. So it is time to play some of our favorite songs about this season.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

People have written and recorded hundreds of songs about autumn. Many of these songs express sadness that summer is over. The days are shorter. It is getting darker earlier each day. The weather is cooler. The skies are gray. Birds fly south because they know winter is coming. The leaves turn colors of red and gold and then die, falling to the ground. Some songs about autumn also express the sadness of lost love.

Mary Dawson, in her Internet Writing Journal, writes that this season influenced songwriters to write some of the greatest songs of all time. Here are some of our favorite songs about autumn.

VOICE TWO:

"September Song" by Kurt Weill is one of the most well known, and saddest, songs about the season. It was introduced back in nineteen thirty-eight in the Broadway musical "Knickerbocker Holiday." Many people have recorded this song. Probably the most famous version is sung by Frank Sinatra.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Another famous song about this season is "Autumn Leaves." This song also expresses sad emotions. It was first introduced in a French movie in nineteen forty-six. Later, the famous American songwriter Johnny Mercer was asked to write English words to the music. Since then, many artists have recorded it. Here is a lovely version by Eva Cassidy from her album "Songbird."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The Moody Blues are a British rock band that first became famous in the nineteen sixties. They also recorded a song about fallen leaves, darker days and lost love. It is called "Forever Autumn."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Here is another sad song about things that happen in autumn. "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is by the band Green Day from their album "American Idiot." The song is about the death of a father.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The rock group the White Stripes has a song called "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," from their album "White Blood Cells." Jack White sings about a woman who did not wait for him while he was away.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

But not all the songs about autumn are sad. Here is a more hopeful song, James Taylor's "October Road" from his album by the same name. The song is about leaving the big city for the countryside, going home again after a long time away.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

For people who live in New York City, autumn is an exciting time of the year. New plays open in theaters on Broadway. The season also brings the promise of new love. Vernon Duke wrote the song "Autumn in New York" in nineteen thirty-four. Many famous artists have recorded it. We leave you with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong singing this famous song.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Shelley Gollust and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. You can hear other American songs on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts and audio archives of our programs. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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A Clean Farm Can Reduce Risk of Mastitis

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Cows, sheep, goats and other animals can get mastitis, an inflammation in the udder, the organ where milk is produced.

Milk from an untreated cow is still relatively safe to drink. But the milk is full of white blood cells that thicken and make the milk go bad more quickly. Goat milk, though, might still look normal.

The more cells in milk, the lower the price that farmers can get for it. In the United States, if milk contains too many cells, it cannot legally be sold.

One sign of mastitis is cracked skin on the teats. Also, the udder becomes hot, painful and enlarged, and the animal may not eat.

Mastitis can spread as a bacterial infection. So infected animals should be milked separately from uninfected ones. Flies can also spread the bacteria.

About ten percent of cases are so severe that the cow dies or never returns to good production. But antibiotics can treat most cases.

American farmers have to throw away milk produced during treatment because of rules against antibiotic residues in milk.

Ynte Schukken at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, says the best way to prevent mastitis is to keep the animals clean. The same is true for milking machines, milking areas and pasture lands -- the cleaner the better, he says.

Milkers should always wash their hands. And, in the United States, teats must be disinfected with iodine or other chemical disinfectant before milking. And then they are cleaned before a milking device is used.

Teat injuries can also cause mastitis, so be careful during milking.

Ynte Schukken says mastitis is commonly the number one problem of dairy farmers worldwide. But lately other concerns about the safety of milk products have increased. This follows the discovery of a poisonous industrial chemical in large amounts of Chinese milk. Health officials in China say the problem has been corrected. But the situation is a reminder of the importance of milk safety measures.

Researchers at Cornell are working with American dairy farmers on new systems. Doctor Schukken sees a lot of promise in bulk-tank monitoring systems. Milk is kept cold in large tanks where it is continuously mixed. This way, any testing sample is considered a good representation of all the milk. Less than one hundred milliliters is all the milk needed for laboratory tests for bacteria, viral diseases and other threats.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson with additional reporting by Veronique LaCapra. I'm Bob Doughty.

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New Developments Against TB

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

An estimated one-third of all people are infected with tuberculosis. Most have latent, or inactive, cases. They do not suffer coughing, increased body temperature or other signs of active TB.

A tuberculosis patient looks at a TB awareness poster in a 2007 photo

But each year, about nine million people develop active cases and two million die. TB is an ancient bacterial disease. It can be cured with antibiotics, if patients take all their medicine. The victims, though, are mostly poor and live in developing countries.

Now, scientists have reported two new developments in tuberculosis research.

For the past century, a skin test has been the traditional way to identify latent TB. When cases are found, treatment can prevent many from becoming active. But the preventive drugs have a risk of side effects.

The skin test depends on the body's reaction to an injection of specially prepared TB protein. But the test often falsely identifies people as having latent TB if they have been vaccinated against the disease.

To avoid needless treatment, scientists have developed a blood test. This test is designed to identify patients with a high risk of developing the active form of TB.

Ajit Lalvani from Imperial College London led an international team in developing the blood test, called ELISpot (EL-ee spot). A study showed that the ELISpot blood test identifies latent TB while giving fewer false positive results.

The researchers say the ELISpot test has been recommended for use in about twenty countries worldwide. A report on the new blood test appeared last week in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

In another development, scientists have reported a step toward a better vaccine against TB. One currently used is seventy-five years old.

The new experimental vaccine contains a weakened TB bacterium from a strain of the current vaccine. The scientists say that in their study, the experimental vaccine created stronger responses against TB than the traditional one.

But the new vaccine contains an antibiotic-resistant gene that the scientists do not want released into the environment. So the vaccine will not be tested further. But research will continue on a similar one that does not contain the gene.

Daniel Hoft of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri was lead author of a report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report. It was written by Jerilyn Watson.

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What Does the Average Joe Think?

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Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

A person’s name is very important. Some names also have special meanings in popular American expressions. To better understand what I mean, sit back and listen. You might even want to get a cup of Joe, I mean, a cup of coffee.

One day, an average Joe was walking down the street. An average Joe is a common person – either male or female. This average Joe was lost. He did not know Jack about where he was going. By this, I mean he did not know anything about where to find things in the city.

So average Joe asked John Q. Public for directions to the nearest bank. John Q. Public is also a common person – male or female.

“Jeez Louise,” said John Q. Public. This is an expression of surprise. “Jeez Louise, don’t you know that all banks are closed today? It is Saturday.”

“For Pete’s sake,” said average Joe. This is also an expression used to show a feeling like surprise or disappointment.

“For Pete’s sake. I do not believe you,” said average Joe. He was being a doubting Thomas, someone who does not believe anything he is told.

At that moment, Joe Blow was walking down the street with a woman. Joe Blow is also an expression for a common man. Now this Joe Blow was NOT walking next to a plain Jane. A plain Jane is a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty. She is simply plain. No, the woman with Joe Blow was a real Sheila – a beautiful woman.

Average Joe asked the woman if all banks were closed on Saturday. “No way, Jose,” she answered. This is a way of saying “no.” “No way, Jose. Many banks are open on Saturdays.”

Average Joe did not know either of these two people from Adam. That is, he did not know them at all. But he followed their directions to the nearest bank.

When he arrived, he walked to the desk of the chief bank employee. Now this man was a true Jack of all trades. He knew how to do everything.

“I am here to withdraw some money so I can pay my taxes to Uncle Sam,” said average Joe. Uncle Sam represents the United States government. The banker produced some papers and told average Joe to sign his John Hancock at the bottom. A John Hancock is a person’s signed name – a signature. Historically, John Hancock was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. Hancock had a beautiful signature and signed his name larger than all the others.

As average Joe left the bank he began to sing. But sadly, average Joe was not a good singer. He was a Johnny One Note. He could only sing one note.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.

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Paul Robeson,1898-1976: Singer, Actor, and Civil Rights Activist

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today, we tell about Paul Robeson. He was a singer, actor, and civil rights activist. In the nineteen thirties, he was one of the best known and most widely honored black Americans. Later in his life he was condemned for supporting communism and the Soviet Union.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson was born in Princeton, New Jersey in eighteen ninety-eight. His father was a former slave who became the religious leader of a Protestant church. Paul was an excellent student and athlete. Rutgers University in New Jersey gave him money so he could study there. He played four different sports while at Rutgers. He also was the top student in his class. Members of his class believed Paul Robeson would become the leader of black people in America.

VOICE TWO:

Paul Robeson graduated from Rutgers in nineteen nineteen. He attended law school at Columbia University in New York City. He was only the third black person to attend Columbia Law School. On the weekends, he earned money by playing professional football. He also acted in plays. He married Eslanda Cordoza Goode while he was in law school. After he graduated in nineteen twenty-three, he got a job with a group of lawyers in New York. However, he left when he experienced unfair treatment because he was black. He decided not to work as a lawyer. Instead, he wanted to use his ability in theater and music to support African American history and culture.

VOICE ONE:

Robeson became a professional actor. He joined the Provincetown Players, an acting group linked to American playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robeson was the star in two famous productions by Eugene O'Neill in the nineteen twenties. They were "All God's Chillun Got Wings" and "The Emperor Jones." Critics praised his performances. Robeson became the most recognized black actor of his time.

VOICE TWO:

Paul Robeson as Othello

In London, he earned international praise for his leading part in William Shakespeare's great tragic play, "Othello." That was in Nineteen thirty. Thirteen years later, he played "Othello" on Broadway in New York. It was very popular. In "Othello," Robeson played an African general in ancient Venice. He is married to a young white woman. Othello kills his wife after being tricked into believing that she loves someone else. This is how Paul Robeson sounded in "Othello."

(SOUND: from "Othello")

VOICE ONE:

Paul Robeson also was famous for appearing in the popular American musical play "Show Boat." He performed the play in London in nineteen twenty-eight and on Broadway four years later. He played a riverboat worker. Jerome Kern wrote the music for "Show Boat." Paul Robeson sang the song "Ol' Man River."

(MUSIC: "Ol' Man River")

VOICE TWO:

Paul Robeson appeared in eleven movies in the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties. However, he realized that his acting was limited by the small number of parts for black actors. He criticized the American movie industry for not showing the real lives of black people in America. He stopped making movies and decided to sing professionally instead.

Robeson sang many kinds of music. He sang folk music from many countries. He sang songs to support the labor and social movements of his time. He sang songs for peace and justice. And, he sang African American spiritual music. One of his famous songs was this spiritual, "Balm in Gilead."

(MUSIC:"Balm in Gilead")

VOICE ONE:

Paul Robeson was recognized around the world for his fight for civil rights for black Americans. Separation of black people and white people was legal in the United States. Black people did not have the same rights as white people. They were not treated equally. For example, Robeson could not be served in some eating places in the United States. Violence against black people was common. Angry mobs of whites sometimes killed black people, especially in the southern United States.

VOICE TWO:

In the late nineteen thirties, Paul Robeson became involved in national and international movements that sought peace and better labor conditions. He also supported independence for African colonies from their European rulers. He learned the languages and folk songs of other cultures. He said these folk songs expressed the same feelings that were in African American music. He learned to speak, write and sing in more than twenty languages.

VOICE ONE:

Robeson traveled a great deal in Europe during the nineteen thirties. He found that black people were treated better in Europe than in the United States. He met members of liberal political organizations, socialists and African nationalists. He also met many working people and poor people.

For many years, he performed in concerts in many countries. The songs he sang supported the struggle for racial justice for black Americans, and for civil rights and economic justice for people around the world. He refused to perform at concerts where the people were separated by race. He said: "The idea of my concerts is to suggest that all men are brothers because of their music."

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen thirty-four, Paul Robeson made the first of many trips to the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, he said, he was treated as an equal of whites for the first time in his life. He declared his friendship for the Soviet Union. And he spoke about the need for peaceful co-existence between the United States and the Soviet Union. Conservative groups in the United States strongly opposed his friendship with the Soviet Union and his support for other liberal issues.

VOICE ONE:

Paul Robeson went to Spain in nineteen thirty-eight during the Spanish Civil War. He sang for Spanish civilians. And he sang for the Loyalist forces fighting for the Spanish republic. One of the songs he sang was this Spanish Loyalist song, "The Four Insurgent Generals."

(MUSIC: "The Four Insurgent Generals")

VOICE TWO:

In the nineteen forties, many people in the United States were strongly opposed to Paul Robeson's political beliefs. They said he was too liberal or extreme. Next week, we will tell you about how opposition to his political beliefs affected the last part of his life.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This PEOPLE IN AMERICA program was written by Shelley Gollust and produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again when we finish the story of Paul Robeson in Special English on the Voice of America.

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Financial Crisis Summit Set for November 15 in Washington

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Watching stocks in Tokyo

Credit markets showed signs of some improvement this week. Interest rates for short-term loans between banks fell, in a sign that banks may be more willing to lend. But stock markets fell on new concerns about company profits.

President Bush invited leaders of the Group of Twenty countries to Washington on November fifteenth to discuss the financial crisis. The group includes leading industrial economies and large developing ones like China and India.

A White House spokeswoman said the leaders will seek a common set of ideas for reform of the world's financial system. The summit is meant to be the first in a series of talks.

This week, the Federal Reserve announced a program to lend up to five hundred forty billion dollars to money market mutual funds. And Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson detailed his department's new capital purchase program. The Treasury will buy two hundred fifty billion dollars worth of nonvoting preferred stock in healthy banks.

HENRY PAULSON: "This is an investment, not an expenditure, and there is no reason to believe that this program will cost taxpayers anything. They will not only own shares that should be paid back with a reasonable return, but also will receive warrants for common shares in participating institutions."

In return, the banks have to restrict pay for top officials. The nation's nine largest banks have already agreed to accept half the money. The money will come from the financial rescue plan passed by Congress.

The aim is to increase lending, but experts predict banks may also use the new capital to buy smaller banks.

Also in Washington, government officials considered new measures to help struggling homeowners. And a congressional committee held a hearing on credit rating agencies and their part in the financial crisis. They underestimated the risk of complex securities based on mortgage loans for people with poor credit histories.

Issuers of securities pay the rating agencies to estimate the risk for investors. The heads of the three major agencies said the failures were honest mistakes, and that they are working to regain trust.

But a former official at Standard & Poor's said, "Profits were running the show." The committee released an instant message exchange in which two Standard & Poor's employees discussed a deal last year. The first wrote: "we should not be rating it." The second answered: "we rate every deal ... it could be structured by cows and we would rate it."

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

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'The Simpsons' Turn 20, Though in TV Land They Haven't Aged a Day

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week:

We listen to music from Katy Perry …

Answer a listener question about how parents teach their children about money …

But first, we look at the television family "The Simpsons," still funny after a historic number of seasons on air.

(MUSIC)

The Simpsons

HOST:

A popular American animated television show began its twentieth season last month. "The Simpsons" now ties the old show "Gunsmoke" in number of seasons broadcast. "Gunsmoke" was a Western dramatic show. It was on television from nineteen fifty-five until nineteen seventy-five. "The Simpsons" was first broadcast in nineteen eighty-nine. It is the longest running situation comedy series on television. Faith Lapidus tells about the show and how it stays current.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

"The Simpsons" is about a white, working class family in an average American town called Springfield. The mother is the intelligent and responsible blue-haired Marge. The father, Homer, works at the nuclear power center. Homer is lazy, fat, stupid and selfish but still lovable.

The Simpson children are Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie. Bart gets into a lot of trouble and does poorly in school. Lisa is an excellent student and deep thinker, as well as a great saxophone player. Maggie does not talk, but expresses herself with the baby pacifier that never leaves her mouth.

Cartoonist Matt Groening created "The Simpsons." He has said that Bart is partly based on himself. Groening named some of the Simpson characters after his own family members.

The cartoonist has said no one expected "The Simpsons" to become such a huge success. One reason for its popularity is the large number of funny characters in Springfield. They provide a good, if sometimes extreme, representation of America. Another reason is because the show explores current issues in American life. They include freedom of speech, election corruption, rights for homosexuals, environmental destruction and common family problems. The show makes fun of many social, religious, political and cultural issues.

Because it is a cartoon show, the Simpsons can go anywhere and do anything, so the writers never run out of ideas. Critics say the show is still interesting, intelligent and funny after almost twenty years. "The Simpsons" has won more than twenty Emmy awards. Critics have called it one of the best American television shows in history. Listen now to a little from "The Simpsons."

BART SIMPSON: "Yo. Who's this?"

DENNIS LEARY: "Dennis Leary, you little puke. I'm gonna rip out your heart with two fingers. They taught me how to do it for my show."

BART: "Which show? The one that got canceled or the one that's gonna get canceled?"

DENNIS: "You are so dead."

(Bart and friend Milhouse laugh)

MARGE SIMPSON: "That laughter sounds like the result of misbehavior. Bart! How did you get a cell phone?"

BART: "Same way you got me … by accident, on a golf course."

MARGE: "Mmmph … whose phone is this?"

BART: "You'll never get it out of me."

MARGE: "O.K. Milhouse?"

MILHOUSE: "It's Dennis Leary's! I'm sorry, Bart. I'm desperate for any signs of adult approval."

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Because of its popularity, hundreds of famous people have been heard on "The Simpsons," playing themselves or other characters. They include actors, athletes, journalists, musicians and even astronauts.

Teaching Children About Money

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Chirawan Chidchob who wants to know how American parents teach their children about money.

To answer this question, we talked to several parents and a teacher. Many parents said they give their children small amounts of money each week called allowances. Some parents ask their children to do work around the house to earn the money. Having this small income helps children learn about the cost of goods and the value of money. It also helps them learn what it is like to have a job and earn money for doing it well. Many parents give their smaller children "piggy banks." Children collect their coins in these containers and learn about saving money.

Suze Orman is a well-known American financial expert. She gives advice about money on television and in her articles and books. She suggests that parents set clear limits with their children when shopping. And she says parents should explain where their money comes from to show children the value of working and earning money. Miz Orman also says it is important for parents to show their children how they pay for living expenses such as energy, telephone and water each month. This will help the child understand what it costs to live. And, she suggests teaching young adults about credit cards and the dangers of owing too much money.

Christy Levings has taught elementary school children in the state of Kansas for over thirty years. Her money lessons include teaching students about financial centers like the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City. She also helps her students create imaginary businesses. She gives the children an amount of money for wages. She helps them imagine what it would be like to run a business and plan a budget. She also advises her students to have good habits like counting their change when make a purchase.

Christy Levings says many students have asked their teachers questions about the current financial crisis. She says children hear their parents talk about the failing economy. She says the role of teachers is to be calm and supportive. Miz Levings says teachers are telling students that Americans must make careful choices and help each other during this difficult economic period.

Katy Perry

HOST:

Twenty-three year old singer Katy Perry sings playful and energetic songs about the ups and downs of love. Her album "One of the Boys" has become a hit around the world. This singer from southern California says that all of her songs have a sense of humor whether they are happy or sad. Barbara Klein has more.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN:

That was the hit song "I Kissed a Girl." It is a good example of Katy Perry's smart, funny and often surprising songs. She started her singing career with a much less wild kind of music. The daughter of two religious workers, Katy grew up listening to and singing gospel songs. Her parents did not permit non-religious music.

When Katy Perry was staying at a friend's house, she discovered the music of the English rock group Queen. She says she was greatly influenced by their colorful style and musicality. As a teenager, she began writing her own songs with experts in the music industry. At the age of sixteen she even produced an album of Christian music.

Here is her new album's title song, "One of the Boys."

(MUSIC)

Katy Perry is known for her fun clothes. Her clothing is influenced by the styles of the nineteen forties and the bright colors of the nineteen eighties. Many clothing designers have praised her special sense of style. We leave you with the energetic song "Hot N Cold."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Dana Demange and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer. Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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American History Series: Tragedy Hits as Jackson Prepares for Presidency

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Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English.

Andrew Jackson

Last week in our series, we talked about the election of eighteen twenty-eight. Andrew Jackson defeated President John Quincy Adams, after a campaign in which both sides made bitter and vicious charges. One of those charges was about Jackson's wife, Rachel.

His opponents accused him of taking her from another man. They said Andrew and Rachel were married before she was legally divorced from her first husband. This was true. But it was because her first husband said he had divorced her, when really he had not. Andrew and Rachel remarried -- legally this time -- after they learned of the situation.

Rachel Jackson was a kind and simple woman. The campaign charges hurt her deeply. She was proud that Andrew was elected president. But she was not happy about the life she would have to lead as first lady. At first, it was thought that she might remain in Tennessee. But Rachel Jackson knew that her place was with her husband. She would go with him to Washington.

But then, tragedy intervened. Our story this week is told by Jack Weitzel and Stewart Spencer.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Rachel Donelson Jackson

Preparations had to be made for the move to Washington. And for weeks, the Jackson home was busy. There was little time for Misses Jackson to rest. Her health seemed to suffer. Then on December seventeenth, just a few days before the Jacksons were to leave for Washington, two doctors were rushed to the Jackson home outside Nashville. They found Rachel in great pain. She seemed to be suffering a heart attack. The doctors treated her, and for a time, she seemed to get better.

After a day or so, Rachel was able to sit up and talk with friends. She seemed cheerful. Jackson was at her side much of the time. On Sunday, Rachel sat up too long and began feeling worse. But the doctors said it was not serious, and they urged General Jackson to get some rest. He was to go to Nashville the next day.

After her husband went to sleep in the next room, Rachel had her servant help her to sit up again. Rachel's mind was troubled about the years ahead in Washington. "I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God," she said, "than live in that palace in Washington."

The Hermitage, Andrew and Rachel Jackson's home in Tennessee

VOICE TWO:

A few minutes after ten that night, Rachel cried out and fell from her chair. The servants' screams awakened everyone. Jackson was the first to get to Rachel. He lifted her to the bed. He watched as the doctors bent over her. Jackson read in their eyes that life had left Rachel. Jackson could not believe it. He sat next to her, his head in his hands, his fingers through his gray hair.

To his friend, John Coffee, Jackson said: "John, can you realize she is dead. I certainly cannot."

Rachel was buried two days later. Ten-thousand persons went to the Jackson home for the funeral. The Reverend William Hume spoke simply of Rachel Jackson's life. He talked of her kindness and humility. And he told how she had been hurt by the terrible charges made during the election campaign.

VOICE ONE:

Jackson fought to hold back his tears. When the churchman finished speaking, those near Jackson heard him say: "In the presence of this dear saint, I can and do forgive all my enemies. But those vile wretches who have lied about her, must look to God for mercy."

Jackson felt that Rachel's death was caused by the vicious charges made during the election campaign. He told a friend a few days later: "May God almighty forgive her murderers as I know she would forgive them. I never can." Jackson left his home January eighteenth to begin the long trip to Washington. "My Heart is nearly broken," he said. "I try to lift my spirits, but cannot."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In Washington, no one knew what to expect. Senator Daniel Webster wrote a friend at Boston: "General Jackson will be here about the fifteenth of February. Nobody knows what he will do when he does come. My opinion is that when he comes, he will bring a breeze with him. Which way it will blow, I cannot tell. My fear is stronger than my hope."

Crowds of Jackson's supporters began arriving in the capital. Some wanted to see their man sworn-in as president. Many wanted -- and expected -- a government job. General Jackson arrived in Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, on February twelfth.

Jackson was sixty-one years old. He was a tall, thin man. His face was wrinkled. And his white hair was pushed back from his high forehead. His eyes -- usually sharp and commanding -- were filled with grief. Jackson's health had never been really good. He carried in his body two bullets from duels fought years before. But he was a tough man with a spirit strong enough to keep moving, even when seriously sick. For three weeks, the general met with his advisers and friends. He decided on the men who would form his cabinet.

Martin Van Buren

VOICE ONE:

For the job of Secretary of State, Jackson chose Martin Van Buren of New York, a man of great political ability. He named a Pennsylvania businessman, Samuel Ingham, to be secretary of the treasury. John Berrien of Georgia was chosen to be attorney general. His Navy Secretary would be John Branch, a former senator and governor of North Carolina. For war secretary, Jackson chose an old friend, Senator John Eaton of Tennessee.

Three members of this cabinet -- Berrien, Branch, and Ingham -- were friends of John C. Calhoun, Jackson's vice president. Calhoun expected to be president himself when Jackson stepped down in four or eight years. Martin Van Buren also wanted the presidency. He would do all he could to block Calhoun's ambition.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Andrew Jackson was sworn-in as president on March fourth, eighteen-twenty-nine. President John Quincy Adams did not go to the ceremony at the Capitol building. Jackson had said publicly he would not go near Adams. And he did not make the traditional visit to the White House while Adams was there. Jackson was still filled with bitterness over the charges made against his wife in the election campaign. He felt Adams was at least partly responsible for the charges.

The sky over Washington was cloudy on the fourth of March. But the clouds parted, and the sun shone through, as Jackson began the ride to the Capitol building. His cheering supporters saw this as a good sign. So many people crowded around the Capitol that Jackson had to climb a wall and enter from the back. He walked through the building and into the open area at the front where the ceremony would be held.

A statue of Andrew Jackson across from the White House

VOICE ONE:

The ceremony itself was simple. Jackson made a speech that few in the crowd were able to hear. Then Chief Justice John Marshall swore-in the new president. In the crowd was a newspaperman from Kentucky, Amos Kendall. "It is a proud day for the people," wrote Kendall. "General Jackson is their own president."

From the Capitol, Jackson rode down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Behind him followed all those who had watched him become the nation's seventh president. The crowds followed him all the way into the White House, where food and drink had been put out for a party.

Everyone tried to get in at once. Clothing was torn. Glasses and dishes were broken. Chairs and tables were damaged. Never had there been a party like this at the White House. Jackson stayed for a while. But the crush of people tired him, and he was able to leave. He spent the rest of the day in his hotel room in Alexandria.

The guests at the White House finally left after drinks were put on the table outside the building. Many of the people left through windows, because the doors were so crowded.

VOICE TWO:

Jackson was now the president of the people. And it seemed that everybody was in Washington looking for a government job. Everywhere Jackson turned, he met people who asked him for a job. They urged him to throw out those government workers who supported Adams in the election. They demanded that these jobs be given to Jackson supporters.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUCER:

Listen next week for more about Andrew Jackson. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Jack Weitzel and Stuart Spencer.

Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, along with historical images, are online at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us each week for THE MAKING OF A NATION – an American history series in VOA Special English.

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