Cutting Calories: Monkeys That Eat Less Live Longer

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Also: How aspirin may help colon cancer patients. And the truth about Tyrannosaurus rex. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. This week, we tell about how thin monkeys live longer than fat ones, how aspirin can help colon cancer patients and some new information about Tyrannosaurus rex.

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VOICE ONE:

A recent study found that eating less may extend the life of rhesus monkeys

A study of monkeys over a twenty-year period suggests that eating less may extend life and prevent disease. American researchers said they believe their findings could apply to people as well. Their study was published in the journal Science.

Richard Weindruch of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and his team did the research. They tested the effects of calorie restriction in seventy-six rhesus monkeys over twenty years.

Half of the monkeys were permitted to eat as much as they wanted. The other half ate a controlled diet. They were fed two-thirds of the calories they would otherwise choose to eat. These monkeys were given vitamins and minerals to prevent malnutrition.

VOICE TWO:

The researchers found that thirty-seven percent of the monkeys that ate as much as they wanted had died of causes related to aging after twenty years. In comparison, only thirteen percent of the monkeys on restricted diets had died.

On average, rhesus monkeys live about twenty-seven years in captivity, that is, when they live with humans and not in the wild. Mister Weindruch says researchers do not know why reducing calories increases the length of life. But they believe there is a helpful change in the way the body processes energy in the monkeys that eat fewer calories.

Extended life was not the only observable difference between the two groups. The monkeys that ate less had half the amount of heart disease and cancer. They also had no cases of the disease diabetes. Richard Weindruch explains.

RICHARD WEINDRUCH: "Our data show that there is about a three-fold higher risk of developing a disease of aging in those animals fed the normal diet as opposed to those that have been on caloric restriction since they were adults."

VOICE ONE:

Mister Weindruch says not only is life extended in the monkeys that eat less, but their quality of life is also improved. He noted another surprising observation in the monkeys on a restricted diet. There was a delay in muscle loss and brain shrinkage that lead to mental problems linked to aging.

In addition, there is also a difference in the appearance of calorie-restricted monkeys and those on a normal diet. The monkeys that ate fewer calories look younger and healthier than fatter monkeys on an unrestricted diet.

VOICE TWO:

The study was paid for by the United States National Institute on Aging. Some critics say more research is needed to prove that calorie restriction extends life in monkeys. Mister Weindruch says his study is not complete and that his team will continue to observe the remaining monkeys throughout their lives.

Scientists first studied the effects of calorie restriction on aging in the nineteen thirties. Since then, similar studies have shown life-extending effects of reduced diets on rodents, yeast and worms. Scientists are currently studying the effects of restricted diets on people. However, this is more difficult because it is harder to control the diets of people and because they live longer than other animals.

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VOICE ONE:

People since ancient times have used aspirin-like medicines to fight pain and reduce high body temperature. Modern research has found other uses for aspirin. The drug acts as a blood thinner. It can help blood flow past a blockage in an artery. Blockages can cause heart attacks or strokes. As a result, patients at risk of blockages might be advised by their doctors to take a low-strength aspirin every day. And research continues. A new study has shown that aspirin can improve survival in colon cancer patients.

VOICE TWO:

The study involved about one thousand three hundred patients with colorectal cancer. The cancer had not spread to other parts of the body yet. The study compared patients who took three hundred twenty-five milligrams of aspirin at least two times a week with those who did not use aspirin.

The study found that the aspirin users had an almost thirty percent lower risk of dying from their cancer. That was during an average of eleven years after the cancer was discovered.

Andrew Chan of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital led the study. Doctor Chan says the effects appeared especially strong among patients with tumors expressing an enzyme called COX-2. Two-thirds of colorectal cancers produce that chemical. Doctor Chan thinks the aspirin works by blocking it.

The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was an observational study. In a controlled study, some patients would have taken aspirin. Others would have received a placebo -- sugar pills -- for comparison.

VOICE ONE:

Last year, Doctor Chan reported that a long-term study of almost fifty thousand men showed that aspirin can help prevent colon cancer. But the effects required at least six years of regular use. And the greatest risk reductions were in those who took more than fourteen aspirins per week.

But the researchers warned that the dangers from such large amounts of aspirin should be carefully considered. Aspirin is a kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. The earlier study found comparable reductions from the use of other NSAIDs, but not from the use of acetaminophen.

All of these drugs have their uses but they also have risks. Aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach, the intestines and the brain. People who might want to consider taking aspirin as a preventative measure should first talk to a doctor.

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VOICE TWO:

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named "Jane" at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois

There is new information about Tyrannosaurus rex, the most widely recognized dinosaur and a favorite among children. Many children's books show T.rex fighting bloody battles with other huge dinosaurs.

But now it seems that T.rex may not have been as fierce as scientists once believed.

"Tyrannosaurus" means "tyrant lizard" and "rex" is Latin for "king." The Tyrannosaurus lived in North America during the late Cretaceous Period. The huge animals died out about sixty-five million years ago.

T.rex was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs that ever lived. It stood four to six meters tall, was about twelve meters long, and weighed up to seven tons. Its huge head was one and a half meters long. It also had sharp, bone-crushing teeth. The animal was believed to be a fierce predator that ate other dinosaurs.

VOICE ONE:

Scientists believed the Tyrannosaurus ate even larger plant-eating dinosaurs. And, they believed T.rex could eat up to two hundred thirty kilograms of meat in one bite. But new research suggests that the deadly dinos may not have been as fierce as earlier believed.

Oliver Rauhut is a paleontologist at Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich in Germany. David Hone is a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of China in Beijing.

The two scientists have concluded from fossil records that giant meat-eating dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus rex mainly ate young dinosaurs. Fossil records of the stomach contents of the larger dinosaurs suggest they swallowed these young dinosaurs whole.

VOICE TWO:

The scientists say this belief is further supported by the fact that past discoveries from dinosaur areas show they contained large numbers of dinosaur eggs. This should have resulted in a large number of baby dinosaurs. But Mister Rauhut says fossil records show that this is not the case. He says young dinosaur fossils are extremely rare, a possible sign that many of them had been eaten by attackers.

Mister Hone says the records suggest that Tyrannosaurus rex was like many other predators. It attacked young, old or sick animals that were not much of a threat.

There are some signs of conflict between T-rex and other large dinosaurs. But, Mister Hone says the records seem to suggest that those were few. The scientists say they hope more fossils will be found that support their beliefs.

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VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver, June Simms and Brianna Blake who was also the producer. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our shows, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Listen again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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Study Finds More Trees on Farms Than Was Thought

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Researchers using satellite imagery found that nearly half of the world's farmland has at least 10 percent tree cover. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value in keeping trees.

Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world.

Land used for farming can also support trees

The World Agroforestry Center in Kenya led the study. The findings were reported last week in Nairobi at the second World Congress of Agroforestry.

Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide.

The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least.

The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together.

There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection.

Dennis Garrity heads the World Agroforestry Center. He says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts.

The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They provide windbreaks and shade from the sun. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season.

The important thing, says one expert, is to find the right tree for the right place for the right use.

Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the agroforestry center say the use of fertilizer trees can reduce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. And they say it can double or triple crop production.

Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change.

Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. She says the study shows that trees are critical to agricultural production everywhere.

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

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Afghanistan Commander's Report Submitted, But Secret

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Gen. Stanley McChrystal arrives on 15 Jun 2009 to his assumption of command ceremony in Kabul as head of US, NATO forces in Afghanistan

The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has delivered his eagerly-awaited assessment to his bosses in Washington and Brussels, but the document is being kept secret. Pentagon officials say it will be followed by international consultations and possibly requests for more U.S. and international forces.

According to a NATO release, General McChrystal writes that "the situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable." The general is quoted as saying success will require "a revised implementation strategy," as well as commitment, resolve, and increased unity of effort. But that is all that has been made public.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has not yet seen the assessment, but told reporters what he expects it to contain.

"I think that his assessment, without having read it, I suspect is going to point to the challenges that remain before us in Afghanistan. I think it will also point to areas where we can do better and can make improvements in our strategy and tactics," he said.

Some civilian advisers invited to Afghanistan to help General McChrystal prepare his assessment have said he needs more troops to put down a resurgent Taliban and establish security at least in Afghan population centers. Some analyses of the current situation have been fairly dire, including one by the top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, who has said security in Afghanistan is "serious and deteriorating." But Secretary Gates says he expects a balanced assessment from General McChrystal.

US Defense Sec. Robert Gates talks to reporters while visiting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas, 31 Aug 2009

"While there is a lot of gloom and doom going around, I think that General McChrystal's assessment will be a realistic one and set forth the challenges we have in front of us. And at the same time, I think we have some assets in place and some developments that hold promise," said the secretary of defense.

Gates noted he has been concerned about sending too many foreign troops to Afghanistan and potentially alienating its people. But he says McChrystal can ask for more troops if he thinks he needs them. Still the secretary he acknowledged it would be difficult to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in the short term, and expressed concern about the cost of an increased commitment.

"We have been very explicit that General McChrystal should be forthright in telling us what he needs in order to accomplish the mission that he has been given. And we will look at his assessment and then we will look at the resource recommendations that he makes," he added.

Secretary Gates also said there have been some positive developments in Afghanistan, including the recent election and the arrival of more U.S. and international troops.

Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman says there are no plans to make General McChrystal's report public, calling it "a confidential military assessment."

Whitman says any request for additional forces will come only after high-level international consultations.

"I am told it does not include specific recommendations or requests for additional forces or funding, that only after the president and NATO leaders have had discussions related to implementation will there be resourcing options that could be presented or considered at that point," he said.

ISAF commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal (R), salutes ISAF soldiers during changing of command ceremony in Kabul on 10 Jul 2009

Whitman says this assessment is designed to provide an implementation plan for the new strategy President Barack Obama announced in March, which calls for a regional approach and a focus on ensuring Afghanistan does not again become a base for international terrorism, as it was before the September 11 attacks in 2001. The president also approved an increase of more than 20,000 U.S. troops, most of whom have already arrived.

Any request from General McChrystal would be in addition to the authorized total of 68,000 U.S. troops and the current contingent of 37,000 troops from NATO and other partner countries.

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Japanese PM Quits Party Leadership After Sweeping Rejection at Polls

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Japan's prime minister is clearing the way for a new party, and a new leader, to set the nation's political agenda. The center-left opposition party that swept a nationwide legislative vote is now planning how to use its commanding majority to reshape politics in Japan.

Prime Minister Taro Aso exercised his only real option Monday after Sunday night's resounding rebuke at the polls. He says he accepts responsibility for the defeat, and is resigning as head of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Yukio Hatoyama stands after a press conference in front of a white board full of red rosettes attached on victorious candidates' names, in Tokyo, early Monday, 31 Aug 2009

Sunday's election gave the LDP 119 out of the 480 seats up for grabs in Japan's lower house, which selects the country's prime minister. The Democratic Party of Japan surged to a 308-seat majority, all but confirming party leader Yukio Hatoyama as the country's next leader.

Hatoyama says it has taken a long time, but the opposition has at last reached the starting line. At long last, he says, they are able to create a new kind of politics that will fulfill the expectations of the people.

Sunday's vote is viewed here not so much as an embrace of the DPJ, but as a rejection of the LDP. The conservative party has controlled Japan's legislature almost without interruption for 55 years. Many voters accuse the LDP of being out of touch, and of failing to manage Japan's worst recession since the Second World War.

Hatoyama and his DPJ have promised consumer-oriented assistance such as child-support payments to help families, and vow to overhaul structures that favor corporations.

In foreign policy, Hatoyama pledges tighter integration with East Asia.

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young expressed Seoul's willingness to work with Mr. Hatoyama. He says South Korea places high value on the fact that Japan's Democratic Party has emphasized the importance of South Korea-Japan relations.

The DPJ is expected to maintain a firm policy line on North Korea, especially on the issues of the North's nuclear weapons programs and Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents.

A White House statement issued Sunday says Washington is confident that the United States' partnership with Japan "will continue to flourish."

Mr. Hatoyama has signaled he will seek to make the U.S. relationship less central to Japan's decision-making. Professor Gerald Curtis, a specialist in Japanese politics for decades at Columbia University, says some change is to be expected.

"This election was not only about changing the party in power. It also involves pretty substantial generational shift," said Curtis. "There are going to be a lot of young people in the government; they don't remember the war, they don't remember the occupation, they don't necessarily believe Japan needs to have a special relationship with the United States."

Hatoyama is expected to be formally elected prime minister in a special session of parliament, which must be held within 30 days.

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Dalai Lama Visits Taiwan Typhoon Victims

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The Dalai Lama is visiting typhoon-devastated villages in southern Taiwan, offering his prayers for villagers killed by mudslides. The Tibetan religious leader also says Taiwan should build closer relations with China, while enjoying its democracy and prosperity.

Kneeling in the baking sun in what was the village of Hsiao Lin, the Dalai Lama prayed for the villagers killed by mudslides that followed Typhoon Morakot earlier this month. The village is now an empty stretch of mud, and many of the storm's estimated 500 victims sill lie buried there.

Exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama speaks to journalists during a visit to the typhoon hit village of Hsiaolin, in Kaohsiung county, southern Taiwan, 31 Aug 2009

The Dalai Lama has repeatedly said his visit is humanitarian, not political. A public speech he had been scheduled to give in the Taipei suburb of Taoyuan on Thursday was canceled without explanation. Officials in President Ma Ying-jeou's Kuomintang Party have expressed their wishes for the Dalai Lama to avoid political activities while in Taiwan, and he has appeared willing to comply.

Earlier Monday, about 20 demonstrators confronted him outside his hotel, saying he was not bringing real disaster relief to Taiwan. Asked about the incident later, the Dalai Lama said simply that he supported their right to protest.

"I love it. It is an indication of freedom of expression," he said. "It is wonderful."

The Dalai Lama also said he was not disappointed by President Ma's refusal to meet him. Mr. Ma, who has pledged to improve relations with the mainland Chinese government, may have chosen not to meet the Dalai Lama to avoid angering the Beijing leadership.

China's communist government has long vilified the Dalai Lama for what it calls his effort to create an independent Tibet. China also claims separately governed Taiwan is a renegade province, making the Dalai Lama visit especially sensitive for Communist Party officials.

The Beijing government has expressed displeasure at the visit to Taipei, but not forcefully.

After he arrived Sunday in Taipei, the Dalai Lama said he is not seeking independence for Tibet and praised Taipei's efforts to improve relations with Beijing.

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Burma Refugees in China Head Home as Fighting Dies Down

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Refugees that fled to China to escape fighting in Burma are beginning to head home after Burmese authorities said the situation has returned to normal. But analysts say more fighting could break out as Burmese forces try to consolidate control ahead of next year's elections.

Kokang refugees walk with their belongings after returning to the China-Burma border town of Yanlonkyaing, Burma, 29 Aug 2009

Hundreds of refugees left China's Yunnan province Monday for home in Kokang, the mainly ethnic Chinese region of Burma's northeastern Shan state.

More than 30,000 people from Kokang had fled across the border to China to escape weeks of fighting between Burma's government forces and a local militia that controls the region.

Burma's state media reported more than 30 people were killed in the clashes but that the fighting in Kokang, which broke the region's 20-year ceasefire, had stopped.

Ian Holliday is dean of social sciences at the University of Hong Kong and researches Burma politics. He says Burma's military government is looking to take back control of the country's several militia-controlled areas in time for the 2010 elections.

"Ahead of that election, the junta is extremely keen to really pacify the entire territory and bring it under political control," said Holliday. "So, instead of having this rather gray area of a ceasefire deal which enables ethnic militias to control parts of the territory, the government now wants to make sure that its control extends across all of Burma. And, to do that, the government is upping the ante in its long standing struggle with these militias."

In June, Burmese forces attacked Karen rebels, who control territory on Burma's border with Thailand, forcing thousands of villagers to flee into Thailand.

Holliday says more fighting is possible in the coming weeks in other areas of Burma that are outside of government control.

But, he says the fighting in the Kokang region should stay quiet as China, one of Burma's few backers, is very concerned about stability on its western border.

"We are talking about something which goes right into Chinese security on a border which the Chinese themselves are very worried about," he said. "We have seen Tibet last year, we have seen Xinjiang this year... So, the last thing that they want is anything that might be destabilizing on a frontier like that.

Holliday says China has more leverage on Burma than any other country in the world and that it will use every means to prevent the spread of the conflict. But, he adds Beijing is facing an extremely nationalistic military government in Burma that does not like to take orders from anybody.

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Senegal Activates Emergency Plan After Flooding

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After heavy rains led to widespread flooding in the capital, Dakar, Senegal's Prime Minister has activated a national disaster-response plan to relieve thousands of people affected by the floodwaters. Dakar's sprawling suburbs have been hit the hardest.

Flood waters inundate a neighborhood on the outskirts of Dakar after heavy rains, 31 Aug 2009

Five days of heavy rain have affected all parts of Senegal's capital, from the poshest neighborhoods to the poorest slums. In response, the government activated their national emergency response plan on Thursday, freeing up more than $4 million for flood-relief.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also provided 194 families with emergency supplies including mosquito nets, tarpaulins and water purification tablets.

Despite these efforts, Dakar's densely-populated suburbs are still suffering the effects of the rain as inhabitants live suspended above floodwaters that have nowhere to go.

Ndiaye Thiaw lives in Wahkinane Nimzatt, a neighborhood that has been hit hard by the recurrent floods. She lives on the edge of a large basin dug by the government in 2005 to contain floodwaters.

This year, the basin burst its banks and Thiaw's house now sits on a lone promontory surrounded by trash-filled water.

Thiaw says the water has a huge effect on her family. The conditions we live in are really appalling, she says. Every evening we sit here and break the [Ramadan] fast here in the water. If we had the means, she says, we would do something to stop the water from coming in.

In Thiaw's bedroom, her wooden bedframe sits on bricks, suspended above a foot of yellowish water. In the courtyard, food and cooking utensils are balanced on stacked stones.

Thiaw is worried about the health effects of the water invading her house.

Thiaw says she lights mosquitoes coils to keep the mosquitoes away. We have suspended everything above water level, she says, including important papers like birth certificates and clothes. We make sure our plates do not touch the water and before eating we wash our hands with bleach because this water is full of germs.

Alioune Badara Faye is the newly-elected mayor of Wakhinane Nimzatt. He is troubled by the lack of preparation for an event that is predictable.

Faye says the government waits until the disaster strikes before they activate their emergency plan. They have just released $4 million for flood relief, he says. But what if they had put that money into preparing? The $4 million is difficult to track, it disappears with petrol and food costs. In the end we do not see the impact of that money here.

Though the emergency plan is helping some, Faye says, it is not enough.

The government has provided motorized pumps to evacuate water from flooded areas. At a press conference last week, Senegal's prime minister Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye said that without these efforts the flooding could have been a lot worse.

As the rainy season continues, weather forecasts promise more rain and surely more flooding.

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Rival Claims of Electoral Victory in Gabon

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Gabon's interim leader is calling for calm as three leading candidates from Sunday's presidential vote are all claiming victory.

Rose Francine Rogombe (File)

Interim President Rose Francine Rogombe says there will be only one winner in Gabon's presidential election. As voters wait for official results, she is calling on everyone to show maturity.

Rogombe says Gabon is a country of peace, and people should refuse to be manipulated by losing candidates into demonstrating against the winner. She says violence is not the Gabonese way unless they are provoked.

Rogombe says any candidates who calls for violence in the street is neither responsible nor a democrat. In a democracy, she says, people have to accept both winning and losing.

Three candidates from Sunday's vote are already declaring victory.

Former defense minister Ali Ben Bongo led a crowded field to replace his father, Omar Bongo, who died in June after 42 years in power. The late president's son had both the best-financed campaign and the electoral infrastructure of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party.

Faustin Boukoubi, the party's secretary general, says the ruling party is absolutely certain of victory, but in respect for the law, it is waiting for official results. About 40 percent of Gabon's voters are in the capital Libreville where Boukoubi says the race is tight. But outside Libreville, Boukoubi says Bongo won a large proportion of the vote.

Long-time challenger Pierre Mamboundou finished second to Omar Bongo in 1998 and 2005. This time he says he has come out on top and expects to be Gabon's next president.

Mamboundou says there is no way that Ali Ben Bongo can win because he shares responsibility for all the 42 years of his father's rule. Mamboundou says he can not see how Gabonese who remember all those years could vote for the late president's son.

On the eve of the election, several candidates withdrew their ballot papers and announced their support for former interior minister Andre Mba Obame, who broke away from the ruling party when it chose the late president's son as its nominee.

According to results gathered by his campaign, Obame says he has about 55 percent of the vote nationwide and is waiting for the electoral commission to announce him as the official winner.

Obame's television station was taken off the air Sunday by the National Communications Council because the station said it would carry live coverage of election returns.

Local and foreign journalists in Gabon are prohibited from speculating about results or voting trends, and may only report returns announced by the interior ministry on state-run media.

The country's land and sea borders remain closed until Thursday.

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Some Asian Economies Edge Out of Recession, Caution Remains

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After months of massive government spending, some economies in Asia have emerged from recession. But officials and business experts say it is not yet time for euphoria.

Japan - the world's second largest economy - grew about one percent in the three months ending in June, compared with the preceding quarter. That was a relief to Japanese economic officials who had feared a prolonged slump.

Still, recent data leave cause for concern. Japan's exports continue to plunge and unemployment is at record highs. Hideaki Hirata, an economist at Hosei University in Tokyo, says the bigger picture still looks daunting.

"Quarterly comparison may not be appropriate in this kind of situation," Hirata said. "The level of GDP [gross domestic product] is extremely lower than the level in the last year. Yeah, it hit the bottom but it is a very deep bottom. So maybe the recovery needs at least two or three years."

Fearing a deep recession, Japan's government last year gave billions of dollars in subsidies and cash to Japanese consumers, encouraging them to shop to compensate for the collapse of exports to the West.

Hirata says the subsidies appear to have worked as consumption rose, and so did China's purchases of Japanese goods. China surpassed the United States as the top destination of Japanese goods in the first six months of the year.

"Japan was helped by [the] strong demand of China," Hirata said. "But if we look at exports data in detail, exports to U.S. and European countries are still weak."

Some economists say China could drive the recovery in Asia. Beijing's $600 billion stimulus package helped the economy expand more than seven percent in the most recent quarter. The decline in Chinese exports has been slowing, and factory activity, as measured by electricity consumption, has started to pick up from the lows at the end of last year.

Jing Ulrich is chairwoman of China equities and commodities at the investment bank JP Morgan in Hong Kong.

"If you look around from Japan to Korea to Southeast Asian countries, China is their single largest trading partner," Ulrich said. "As China imports more commodities from resource-rich countries such as Indonesia, and China also imports capital goods from the likes of Japan and South Korea, intermediate components from Taiwan, from Thailand - I think China will absolutely play a critical role in a regional economic recovery."

The heavy government spending in some Asian economies that started last year is producing results. South Korea's economy expanded two-point-three percent in the last quarter and consumer confidence rebounded to a seven-year high in August. The government has budgeted more than $23 billion since November to pump up the economy.

Lee Junkyu, senior advisor in international affairs at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance in Seoul, says government spending has helped, but there could be some risks ahead.

"Government cannot continue its major role, it's not forever…. We need to see the private sector's vitality again," Lee said. "And also I may point [out], there are other risks to the outlook, another bout of global risk aversion and rising oil prices or commodity prices."

The global economic downturn has severely hurt Asia's export economies, because consumers from large markets like the U.S and Europe cut back on spending.

Export-reliant Singapore and Thailand saw their economies expand slightly in the second quarter from the first quarter. But output for both economies is well below levels from last year.

The Chinese territory of Hong Kong slipped out of recession in the second quarter. Hong Kong handles a significant amount of exports being shipped out of China. But government economist Helen Chan remains cautious. She spoke through a translator.

"This is the initial stage of an economic rebound. We are not yet going to have a sound basis for an overall improvement, investment remains slack and swine flu has dealt a blow to tourism. Unemployment will remain serious and is a deteriorating situation in the coming months. We should remain vigilant to [about] our economic situation in the coming months."

Patrick Low, the chief economist of the World Trade Organization, says the recovery seen in Asia is still "tentative".

"We're not quite through the woods yet," Low said. "Unemployment is still rising pretty much everywhere. And looks like it will continue to rise through next year."

He says the massive government stimulus spending could bring inflation. Rising prices could discourage consumers from buying, and that, he says, could again undermine economic growth.

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Beyond 'Law & Order': The US Jury System

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An explanation of how the process works in the country that legal experts say holds 90 percent of the world's jury trials. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

An artist's drawing shows a lawyer giving his closing arguments to the jury during a federal court case in Washington, D.C. in 2007.

And I'm Barbara Klein. This week on our program, we take a look at the jury system in the United States.

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VOICE ONE:

A listener in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Batmunkh Buyantogtokh, wants to learn more about American juries. For that, we visit a courtroom that looks much like the ones in movies and TV shows like "Law & Order."

We are in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The D.C. Superior Court is the general trial court for the city of Washington.

This is the fourth day in the case of a man accused of assault with a deadly weapon. We could not bring in a recorder, but the courtroom is mostly quiet except for the lawyers, witnesses and judge talking.

To the judge's right, along the side of the courtroom, is an area where twelve people are seated. In the front row is a man with glasses who looks old enough to be retired. A woman dressed like a young professional sits behind him, listening as a witness is questioned. A man also in his twenties or thirties rocks back in his seat. His hair is cut on both sides of his head; down the middle stands a mohawk.

These three and the other nine people are the members of the jury.

VOICE TWO:

Each day, thousands of Americans are called to serve on jury duty. The idea of citizens hearing legal arguments might date back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. But the modern trial by jury is a British tradition that colonists brought to North America centuries ago.

Laws on jury trials differ from state to state. But the United States Constitution guarantees the right to trial by jury. The Sixth Amendment establishes the right in all federal criminal cases. The Seventh Amendment gives the same right in civil cases that involve more than a small amount of money.

VOICE ONE:

The American system has three kinds of juries. The most common one is the petit jury. "Petit" -- p-e-t-i-t – comes from the French word for small. Petit juries can have as few as five or six members or as many as twelve. Twelve is traditionally the number in a criminal case.

Often a jury trial will last only a day or two. But some go for weeks or even months.

A judge at the Gage County Court in Beatrice, Nebraska, speaks to jurors during a murder trial last year.

During a trial, lawyers for the opposing sides question the witnesses who testify. The lawyers also make opening and closing statements to the jury. At the end, the judge makes a final statement to the jury. The judge explains the laws that govern the decision the jury is asked to make.

VOICE TWO:

The jury then deliberates. The members meet in private, choose a leader and try to agree on a judgment. Most states require all the jurors in a criminal case to agree on the verdict.

Sometimes a jury is unable to reach a verdict. This is called a hung jury. The judge declares a mistrial. Prosecutors then have to decide whether to try the case again.

Juries decide questions of fact; judges decide questions of law. A judge may overrule a jury's decision in some situations, but that is unusual. Decisions by judges and juries can be appealed to higher courts.

Juries rarely decide sentences. An exception is when a jury is asked to recommend either execution or life in prison in murder cases punishable by death.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Under American law, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. Also, there is constitutional protection against double jeopardy -- being put on trial twice for the same crime. In mistrials, though, prosecutors may retry a case until a jury reaches a verdict.

The verdict is either "guilty" or "not guilty." Jurors must find a defendant not guilty even if they are not completely sure the person is innocent of any crime. Jurors only need to have a "reasonable doubt" -- a reasonable question in their mind -- that the person is guilty as charged. This is true for criminal cases, but civil cases are different.

VOICE TWO:

Individuals and organizations can bring a lawsuit in court if they believe they have suffered a civil wrong. Many lawsuits are settled without a trial. But if a trial is held, jurors are not required to decide "beyond a reasonable doubt." They must decide only that there is enough evidence to support the accusations.

The jury might also award damages. The money could be the amount requested by the plaintiff, the one bringing the action. Or it could be less. Or it could be more, if the jury wants to punish the losing party and set an example for others.

VOICE ONE:

A grand jury is bigger than a petit jury. The United States has two kinds of grand juries. The charging grand jury decides if there is enough evidence to bring someone to trial. If the jury decides there is, then it returns an indictment.

The second kind is the investigative grand jury. Officials often call this kind of grand jury together in cases of organized crime or suspected corruption by public officials. The jurors are asked to approve efforts to gather evidence, often secretly, to build a case.

VOICE TWO:

Some investigations in the United States are heard by a coroner's jury. A coroner is a local medical examiner. The coroner usually calls six jurors to a hearing known as an inquest.

An inquest takes place when someone has died under suspicious or unknown conditions. The jury is asked to decide the cause of death.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Courts choose people for jury duty from public records, like lists of voters or drivers. Some people are excused for health or family reasons, or because they cannot take time from work.

The judge and lawyers for both sides in a case question possible jurors. Lawyers try to choose those they think will be more sympathetic to their side. And they try to exclude those they think will be more sympathetic to the other side.

VOICE TWO:

Lawyers sometimes use experts to help them choose jurors. But jury consultants cost a lot more than most average defendants can afford.

In criminal cases, suspects who do not have enough money for a lawyer are given one free of charge to represent them. Critics of the criminal justice system, however, point out that public defenders are often overworked and underpaid.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

D.C. Superior Court Judge Melvin Wright says television shows like 'Law & Order' do not show trials the way they really happen.

Millions of people recognize the music from "Law & Order." But just how realistic are the trials acted out by Hollywood?

MELVIN WRIGHT: "I think people who watch T.V. get a false sense of what happens in real trials."

VOICE ONE:

Melvin Wright has been a judge for eleven years. He serves on the D.C. Superior Court. He says just choosing a jury even for the simplest trials can often take two or three hours.

VOICE ONE:

And he says programs like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" suggest that scientific evidence is used much more often than it really is. Judge Wright says the cost of gathering lots of scientific evidence can limit the use in real-life trials.

VOICE TWO:

In Washington, jurors receive thirty dollars a day for jury duty. Private employers are not required to pay workers for their time on a jury.

People called for jury duty at the D.C. Superior Court are asked to watch a video explaining the rules of jury service. They are asked to serve for either one day or one trial. If they are not chosen for a trial after a day, they are not required to return. The court provides child care for jurors with young children.

VOICE ONE:

Members of a jury can take notes during a trial. Some courts even let jurors ask questions. But there are supposed to be limits to how much information jurors may gather by themselves. Many courts are rewriting their rules to deal with the use of the Internet and mobile devices.

Judge Melvin Wright explains how the D.C. Superior Court handles this issue:

MELVIN WRIGHT: "We instruct jurors that they cannot during the course of a trial use Google or Twitter or any other electronic device to obtain information. Everything that they are supposed to learn has to come from inside the courtroom."

"The theory is this: If you talk to someone or you go to another source like Google to get information, you have gotten input from a source that the other jurors have not."

VOICE TWO:

Earlier this year, a judge in the state of Florida was forced to declare a mistrial after eight weeks in a federal drug case.

At first, one juror admitted to searching the Internet. But the judge questioned the remaining jurors and discovered that eight others had also gone online to research or discuss the case.

Jurors are not supposed to discuss a case with anyone else during a trial. But the rules are not easy to enforce when the jury goes home at night.

MELVIN WRIGHT: "There is no way we can monitor the activities of each juror twenty-four hours a day. So we have to have some trust that people will do what we tell them to do."

VOICE ONE:

American courts do most of their work without a jury. But legal experts say ninety percent of all jury trials in the world are in the United States. We asked Judge Melvin Wright what he considers the strengths and weaknesses of the American system.

MELVIN WRIGHT: "The criminal justice system relies on the testimony of persons and their ability to tell the truth. And sometimes people are honestly mistaken. Sometimes people come in and lie and people are convicted. So the system is not foolproof."

"But overall, it is in our view, the better system than anywhere else in the world because it gives average citizens an opportunity to listen to the evidence and make independent judgments the government is not part of."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written and produced by Brianna Blake. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. To read and listen to our programs online, go to voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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Dangerous Lead-Based Paint Common Around the World

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Researchers from the U.S. tested paint samples from 12 countries in Africa, Asia and South America and found troubling results. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Workers clean up lead paint at a building in Providence, Rhode Island in 2006.

A new study shows that lead-based paint remains a worldwide threat to public health. Paint containing lead is a major cause of lead poisoning in children.

The heavy metal enters the body when children breathe the paint dust or fumes in the air. Or when babies put their mouth on painted surfaces or swallow pieces of paint.

Lead can damage the brain and the nervous system. It can decrease intelligence, create behavior problems and slow a child's growth.

Researchers tested new household enamel paints from twelve countries in Africa, Asia and South America. The paints were sold under different brand names. The study found that almost three-fourths of the brands had dangerously high levels of lead.

Scott Clark is a professor of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio.

SCOTT CLARK: "Most of the paint brands that we looked at had at least one sample that was above ten thousand parts per million, which is over a hundred times the current U.S. standard."

The United States has restricted lead content in paint since nineteen seventy-eight. Until this past month, the safety standard for consumer paints was six hundred parts per million. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission has just lowered the limit to ninety parts per million.

The new study appears in the journal Environmental Research. The team found levels of lead as high as thirty-two thousand parts per million in tests on some paint samples from Ecuador.

Professor Clark's team also published a study in two thousand six. It found that the majority of new enamel paints from China, India and Malaysia contained lead at levels of at least five thousand parts per million.

Lead paint can be a danger not only to people in the country where it is made. Exports can spread the danger to other countries.

The professor says high quality paint can be produced without lead. He and his team are calling for a worldwide ban on lead-based paint. He says many parts of the world are doing too little to correct the problem of lead poisoning in children. He notes that research has found no safe level of lead.

Of course, lead paint is not the only cause of lead poisoning. Recently Chinese officials closed a manganese metal factory in Hunan province. More than one thousand children living nearby were reported to have high levels of lead in their blood. And in two thousand eight, seventeen people died in Senegal after lead exposure from a battery recycling center.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

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Eugene McCarthy,1916-2005 : His Campaign for President in 1968 Forced a President From Office

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McCarthy’s campaign increased popular opposition to the war in Vietnam. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Eugene McCarthy. His campaign for the presidency in nineteen sixty-eight increased popular opposition to the war in Vietnam. And it changed American history.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Eugene McCarthy was a quiet and mentally gifted lawmaker from Minnesota. As a young man, he was interested in being a religious worker – or a baseball player. Later, he was a college professor. He wrote poetry. He also became active in Democratic Party politics. In the nineteen sixties, he was one of the first Democrats in the United States Congress to oppose the party leadership. He expressed opposition to the war Americans were fighting in Vietnam. And he forced a president from office.

VOICE TWO:

Eugene McCarthy

Eugene McCarthy was born in nineteen sixteen in the town of Watkins, Minnesota. His father’s parents came from Ireland. His father bought farm animals and was a storyteller. His mother raised four children. Eugene completed a study program at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota. There, he completed study programs in economics and sociology.

McCarthy taught social sciences in public high schools for a few years. Then he taught economics, education and sociology at two colleges in Minnesota. He married another teacher, Abigail Quigley. They would later have four children.

VOICE ONE:

During World War Two, Eugene McCarthy worked as a technical aide for a military intelligence office of the War Department. He became active in the Democratic Party after the war. In nineteen forty-eight, he became head of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Ramsey County, Minnesota. That year he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served five terms.

In nineteen fifty-eight, McCarthy defeated a Republican Party senator and won a seat in the United States Senate. Two years later, he became famous by speaking at the Democratic Party’s national nominating convention. He nominated Adlai Stevenson for president. But the Democrats chose John F. Kennedy as their candidate.

In nineteen sixty-four, McCarthy easily won re-election to a second term in the Senate. He served in the Senate for a total of twelve years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen sixty-seven, opposition to the war the United States was fighting in Vietnam was growing. It had begun to harm President Lyndon Johnson’s popular and political support. In October, thousands of demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C. to protest the increasing conflict.

Eugene McCarthy was a leader of the anti-war movement. McCarthy announced he would show his opposition to the war and to President Johnson. He asked Democrats for their support in the party’s presidential primary elections in nineteen sixty-eight. “There is only one thing to do – take it to the country!” he declared.

VOICE ONE:

Eugene McCarthy

McCarthy made political campaign stops across the country. He said the American people were against the war for military, economic, diplomatic and moral reasons. And he said they wanted a change. He said: “Party unity is not a sufficient excuse for silence.” He also said: “We do not need presidents who are bigger than the country, but rather ones who speak for it and support it.”

Many young peace activists and college students worked on McCarthy’s presidential campaign. During the nineteen sixties, many students wore long hair and unusual clothing. But the students who worked for the McCarthy campaign changed their appearance. They cut their hair and wore nicer clothing. The media said these students became “Clean for Gene.” His campaign for president was also called a “Children’s Crusade” because of the many young people involved.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Nineteen sixty-eight was a difficult year for the nation. It was filled with surprises, tragedy, violence and sadness. The primary election in New Hampshire was the first step of the presidential nominating process. McCarthy surprised experts by winning forty-two percent of the Democratic vote in the New Hampshire primary. That was just seven percentage points behind President Johnson. The results of this vote helped the anti-war movement. They showed the deep division within the Democratic Party.

A few days after McCarthy’s success, Senator Robert Kennedy entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president. Robert Kennedy was a brother of President John Kennedy, who had been murdered in nineteen sixty-three. Robert Kennedy had served as the top government lawyer in his brother’s administration. Senator Kennedy also opposed the Vietnam War. Many people were pleased when he announced his plans to be a candidate. But McCarthy and his supporters were angry that Kennedy had entered the race.

VOICE ONE:

On March thirty-first, President Johnson spoke to Americans about the war in Vietnam and his efforts to limit it. At the end of his speech, President Johnson surprised the nation. He announced that he would not seek or accept the nomination of his party for another term as president.

Another shocking event took place a few days later. On April fourth, the nation’s top civil rights leader, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. His death led to riots in more than one hundred cities.

After the riots, Vice President Hubert Humphrey decided to seek the presidential nomination. Traditional Democrats supported him. McCarthy won Democratic primaries in four states. On June fourth, he lost the important California primary to Senator Kennedy. Then another tragic event happened. Kennedy was shot and killed in Los Angeles shortly after giving his victory speech.

VOICE TWO:

Eugene McCarthy

In August, Democrats gathered in Chicago, Illinois for their nominating convention. Thousands of McCarthy supporters and war protesters also went to Chicago. Rioting and violent clashes broke out between the protesters and the city’s police force. Inside the meeting place, delegates voted for the party’s presidential candidate. But having forced President Johnson out of office, McCarthy failed to win the nomination.

The Democrats nominated Humphrey as their candidate to face the Republican candidate, former Vice President Richard Nixon. Nixon defeated Humphrey in the election and became president. The war in Vietnam would continue for seven more years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

After losing the fight for the nomination, McCarthy did not offer to help Vice President Humphrey. In fact, he did not express support for the Democratic candidate until a few days before the election. The next year he gave up his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He separated from his wife of twenty-four years. He also announced he would not seek reelection to the Senate in nineteen seventy.

After retiring from the Senate, McCarthy moved to Rappahannock County, Virginia. He lived alone near the Blue Ridge Mountains. He wrote books, poetry and stories for newspapers.

VOICE TWO:

McCarthy was a candidate for President four other times. But he was not taken seriously as a candidate. McCarthy became increasingly critical of the two-party system and traditional politicians, even Democrats. In nineteen eighty, he supported the Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan, for president over the Democrat, President Jimmy Carter.

McCarthy remained active until the end of his life. In two thousand five, he published a collection of stories and poems. It is called “Parting Shots from My Brittle Bow: Reflections on American Politics and Life.”

VOICE ONE:

Eugene McCarthy died in two thousand five in Washington. He was eighty-nine years old.
A memorial service was held at the Washington National Cathedral. Hundreds of people came to remember him. Among them were people who had worked on his campaign as college students. They said McCarthy had touched their lives with a message of hope. Former

President Bill Clinton was one of the speakers at the service. He remembered that difficult year of nineteen sixty-eight. He said it all started when Eugene McCarthy was willing to stand alone and change history.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Caty Weaver. I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.

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Words and Their Stories: More Expressions That Are Old and True

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Proverbs are popular around the world. Transcript of radio broadcast:

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we explain more proverbs. A proverb is a short, well-known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Proverbs are popular around the world. Many proverbs give advice about how to live. Some proverbs are hundreds of years old, but they are still used today.

For example, my son is just like his father in many ways. We often say the two of them prove the proverb that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

My daughter is very short. She would like to be taller.But I tell her that good things come in small packages. The size of something is not always important.Some valuable things are very small, like diamonds and other jewels.But I also tell my children that all that glitters is not gold. Do not befooled by appearances. Something may look valuable, but may not really be valuable. Also, I tell them do not judge a book by its cover. You should not judge something only by its appearance.

Another proverb is, do not bite off more than you can chew. This means do not try to do more than you are able to do.

Some times I tell my children to cooperate to solve a problem. After all, two heads are better than one. Two people working together can get better results. But another proverb says too many cooks spoil the broth. If too many people try to do something, then the job will not be done well.

I also tell my children that two wrongs do not make a right.You should not do something bad just because someone did the same to you.

Some people are pessimists: they always think about how bad things are or will be. Other people are optimists: they always look on the bright side.They think things will be all right.

Optimists might say that every cloud has a silver lining. They can find something good even in a bad situation. Other people are both pessimists and optimists.They hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Some people often worry about what they will do in a situation that might happen in the future. We could tell them do not cross that bridge until you come to it.

It is usually much better to prevent a problem from happening than it is to find ways to solve it. So we say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Finally, I always liked this proverb: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Honey is sweet while vinegar is not.In other words, you can win people to your side more easily with gentle persuasion than by hostile actions.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein.You can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

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Looking Back at the Life of Edward Kennedy

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Obama calls him ''one of the greatest senators of our time.'' His public service, though, sometimes shared attention with his private problems. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

This week, Americans said goodbye to the last son of one of the nation's most politically influential families. Senator Edward Kennedy died Tuesday of brain cancer. He was seventy-seven.

A visitor writes in a memorial book at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston

Senator Kennedy -- often known as Ted or Teddy -- was the youngest of four sons born to Rose and Joseph Kennedy. He followed his brothers John and Robert into politics. John became president. Robert became his attorney general, and later a senator. Both were assassinated in the nineteen sixties.

Edward first won his Senate seat from Massachusetts in nineteen sixty-two. Six years later, he showed his gifts as a speaker after a gunman shot Robert.

EDWARD KENNEDY: "My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it."

Robert wanted to become president. So did Edward. But his political career nearly ended in nineteen sixty-nine.

Mourners in Boston wait to pass the senator's flag-draped coffin to pay their final respects

He drove a car off a low bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. His passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, died. The senator left and waited hours to go to the police. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a suspended sentence.

Still, he went on to become the third longest serving senator ever. He ran for president in nineteen eighty. The Democrats nominated Jimmy Carter for a second term.

Other Kennedys today are active in politics and public service. Edward's son Patrick is in Congress. But for now no one holds national attention the way the senator did. It was not always good attention.

As the New York Times put it, he "struggled for much of his life with his weight, with alcohol and with persistent tales of womanizing." But President Obama remembered him as "not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy."

Edward Kennedy was known as "the liberal lion of the Senate." He said his "best vote" was his vote against the Iraq war. But he was also willing to compromise with Republicans.

He fought for civil rights for the disabled and for workers' rights. He helped negotiate the Northern Ireland peace agreement in nineteen ninety-eight.

And ten years later, in two thousand eight, he was one of the first top Democrats to support a young senator seeking the party's nomination for president.

EDWARD KENNEDY: "My friends, I ask you to join in this historic journey to have the courage to choose change. It is time again for a new generation of leadership. It is time now for Barack Obama!"

Social issues were at the heart of Edward Kennedy's work. But he never got to reach one of his goals: health coverage for all Americans. His weakening health kept him away from the Senate in his final months. But he continued to work from home to help support President Obama's top legislative aim, a health reform plan.

Edward Moore Kennedy will be buried Saturday near his brothers John and Robert at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. They also had five sisters. Eunice died on August eleventh. The last survivor now is Jean Kennedy Smith.

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

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Short Story: 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' by Mark Twain

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A gambling man places money on a frog jumping competition only to learn a hard lesson. Transcript of radio broadcast:

Now, the VOA Special English program, AMERICAN STORIES.

(MUSIC)

Our story is called "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." It was written by Mark Twain. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.

(MUSIC)

STORYTELLER:

A friend of mine in the East asked me to visit old Simon Wheeler, to ask about my friend's friend, Leonidas W. Smiley. I did as my friend asked me to do and this story is the result.

I found Simon Wheeler sleeping by the stove in the ruined mining camp of Angel's.

I saw that he was fat and had no hair, and had a gentle and simple look upon his peaceful face. He woke up, and gave me "good-day." I told him a friend had asked me to find out about a friend named Leonidas W. Smiley, who he heard was at one time living in Angel's Camp. I added that if Mister Wheeler could tell me anything about this Leonidas W. Smiley, I would feel a great responsibility to him.

Simon Wheeler forced me into a corner with his chair and began telling me this long story. He never smiled, he never frowned, he never changed his voice. But all through the endless story there was a feeling of great seriousness and honesty. This showed me plainly that he thought the heroes of the story were men of great intelligence.

I let him go on in his own way, and never stopped him once. This is the story Simon Wheeler told.

(MUSIC)

Leonidas W. …. h'm… Le… well, there was a man here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of eighteen forty-nine--or may be it was the spring of eighteen-fifty. Anyway, he was the strangest man. He was always making money on anything that turned up if he could get anybody to try to make money on the other side. And if he could not do that, he would change sides.

And he was lucky, uncommon lucky. He most always was a winner. If there was a dog-fight, he would try to win money on it. If there was a cat-fight, he would take the risk. If there was a chicken-fight, he would try to win money on it. Why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would want you to decide which one would fly first so he could win money.

Lots of the boys here have seen that Smiley and can tell you about him. Why, it did not matter to him. He would try to make money on anything. He was the most unusual man. Parson Walker's wife was very sick once, for a long time, and it seemed as if they were not going to save her.

But one morning he come in, and Smiley asked him how was his wife, and he said she was better, thank God. And Smiley, before he thought, says, "Well, I'll risk my money she will not get well.'"

And Smiley had a little small dog. To look at the dog, you would think he was not worth anything but to sit around and look mean and look for a chance to steal something. But as soon as there was money, he was a different dog. Another dog might attack and throw him around two or three times. Then all of a sudden Smiley's dog would grab that other dog by his back leg and hang on till the men said it was over.

Smiley always come out the winner on that dog, at least until he found a dog once that did not have any back legs. The dog's legs had been cut off in a machine. Well, the fighting continued long enough, and the money was gone. Then when Smiley's dog come to make a grab the other dog's back legs, he saw in a minute how there was a problem.

The other dog was going to win and Smiley's dog looked surprised and did not try to win the fight anymore. He gave Smiley a look that said he was sorry for fighting a dog that did not have any back legs for him to hold, which he needed to win a fight. Then Smiley's dog walked away, laid down and died. He was a good dog, and would have made a name for himself if he had lived, for he had intelligence. It always makes me feel sorry when I think of that last fight of his and the way it turned out.

(MUSIC)

Well, this Smiley had rats, and chickens, and cats and all of them kind of things. You could not get anything for him to risk money on but he would match you. He caught a frog one day, and took him home, and said he was going to educate the frog. And so he never done nothing for three months but sit in his back yard and teach that frog to jump. And you bet you he did teach him, too.

He would give him a little hit from behind. And the next minute you would see that frog dancing in the air and then come down all on his feet and all right, like a cat. Smiley got him so the frog was catching flies, and he would catch one of those insects every time.

Smiley said all a frog wanted was education, and he could do almost anything. And I believe him. Why, I have seen him set Dan'l Webster down here on this floor--Dan'l Webster was the name of the frog -- and sing out, "Flies, Dan'l, flies!" And quicker than you could shut your eyes that frog would jump straight up and catch a fly off the table. Then he would fall down on the floor again like a ball of dirt and start rubbing the side of his head with his back foot as if he had no idea he had been doing any more than any frog might do.

You never seen a frog so honest and simple as he was, for all he was so skilled. And when it come to jumping, he could get over more ground in one jump than any animal of his kind that you ever saw.

Smiley was very proud of his frog, and people who had traveled and been everywhere all said he was better than any frog they had ever seen.

Well, one day a stranger came in and says to Smiley, "What might be that you have got in the box?"

And Smiley says, "It's only just a frog." And the man took it, and looked at it careful, and turned it round this way and that, and says, "H'm, so it is. Well, what is he good for?"

"Well," Smiley says, easy and careless, "he can out jump any frog in Calaveras County."

The man took the box again, and took another long look, and gave it back to Smiley, and says, "Well, I don't see anything about that frog that is any better than any other frog."

"Maybe you don't," Smiley says. "Maybe you understand frogs and maybe you don't. Anyways, I will risk forty dollars and bet you that he can jump farther than any frog in Calaveras County."

And the man studied a minute. "Well, I'm only a stranger here, and I do not have a frog. But if I had a frog, I would risk my money on it.

And then Smiley says, "That's all right. If you will hold my box a minute, I will go and get you a frog." And so the man took the box, and put up his forty dollars and sat down to wait.

He sat there a long time thinking and thinking. Then he got the frog out of the box. He filled its mouth full of bullets used to kill small birds. Then he put the frog on the floor.

Now Smiley had caught another frog and gave it to the man and said, "Now sit him next to Dan'l and I will give the word."

Then Smiley says, "One-two-three-go!" and Smiley and the other man touched the frogs.

The new frog jumped. Dan'l just lifted up his body but could not move at all. He was planted like a building. Smiley was very surprised and angry too. But he did not know what the problem was.

The other man took the money and started away. And when he was going out the door, he looked back and said "Well, I do not see anything about that frog that is any better than any other frog."

Smiley stood looking down at Dan'l a long time, and at last says, "I wonder what in the nation happened to that frog. I wonder if there is something wrong with him."

And he picked up Dan'l and turned him upside down and out came a whole lot of bullets. And Smiley was the angriest man. He set the frog down and took out after that man but he never caught him.

(MUSIC)

Now Simon Wheeler heard his name called and got up to see what was wanted. He told me to wait but I did not think that more stories about Jim Smiley would give me any more information about Leonidas W. Smiley, and so I started to walk away.

At the door I met Mister Wheeler returning, and he started talking again. "Well, this here Smiley had a yellow cow with one eye and no tail…"

However, lacking both time and interest, I did not wait to hear about the cow. I just left.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER:

You have heard the American Story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. This story was written by Mark Twain and adapted into Special English by Karen Leggett. Listen again next week at this time for another American Story in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

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Obama Nominates Bernanke for a Second Term

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The Fed chief faces the job of having to pull back government aid and raise interest rates. But if he acts too soon, it could crush a recovery. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

The government says the United States economy shrank at an annual rate of one percent in April, May and June. The decrease was less than expected, and much less than at the start of the year. The improvement was partly the result of increased government spending.

Another report on Thursday showed a small drop in the number of newly jobless workers last week. There was also a drop in the number of people on long-term unemployment assistance.

President Obama announces his renomination of Ben Bernanke in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, while on vacation

On Tuesday, President Obama nominated Ben Bernanke for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. His current four years end in January.

BARACK OBAMA: "Ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom, with bold action and out-of-the-box thinking that has helped put the brakes on our economic freefall."

Ben Bernanke led the central bank through extraordinary efforts to contain the worst economic crisis since the nineteen thirties. But economists say it may still be too early to congratulate him on rescuing the economy.

He is an expert on the causes of the Great Depression. Yet critics say he failed to do his part to prevent the crisis.

He has critics in both parties. Democrat Chris Dodd, chairman of Senate Banking Committee, says Ben Bernanke did not act fast enough at the start. And many Republicans criticize the Fed chief -- himself a Republican -- for what they see as too much spending.

He used the bank's power to create money. The Fed established new lending programs, and approved large purchases of government securities and mortgage-related securities.

But the president's decision to renominate Ben Bernanke for Senate confirmation is considered a safe one. In his second term, he will have to consider how and when to withdraw heavy intervention in the financial industry and raise interest rates. The Fed has reduced short-term rates to almost zero.

Heavy government spending could cause inflation unless officials find just the right time to act. But if they act too soon and raise interest rates too much, the economy could crash again.

The White House budget office on Tuesday lowered its estimate for this year's federal deficit. The government will probably spend less than it thought on the financial system.

The estimate for the next ten years, however, is higher because the recession was deeper than expected. But even after the economy recovers, the deficit is around four percent of the economy. And that, as the report notes, is "higher than desirable."

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Transcripts and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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ArtBabble Shows Viewers the World of Museums

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Also: A question from China about the term ''yellow journalism.'' And new music by the Dave Matthews Band. Transcript of radio broadcast:

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Mario Ritter.

This week on our program, we play some new music from the Dave Matthews Band ...

And answer a question about the term “yellow journalism” ...

But first, we report on a Web site for art lovers.

(MUSIC)

ArtBabble

HOST:

ArtBabble.org is a Web site filled with hundreds of videos about art, artists and museums. It permits viewers to experience the life of museums in many different forms. Museums and galleries from around the United States have placed their videos on this Web site to help connect viewers with the world of art. Barbara Klein has more.

JACOB LAWRENCE: "If everything was stripped away from me, and I had no other support that I could see or appreciate, I would still paint. I would still be doing that."

BARBARA KLEIN:

That was a video about the African-American artist Jacob Lawrence made by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

It is one of many videos on ArtBabble. As you watch a video on this Web site, a list of other videos appears nearby. The list is a suggestion of videos related to the one you are watching.

ArtBabble describes itself as a place where everyone is invited to join the discussion. You do not have to have a college degree in art. ArtBabble was created by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana. This museum invited other art organizations to add videos to the site. They include the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Until now, you could see art videos on museums’ Web sites or on YouTube. But there was no Web site that was only about art videos.

You can see videos about modern artists like Jenny Holzer.

JENNY HOLZER: "My work might be like theater in that I hope there’s an audience. There’s a reason I’m anonymous in my work. I like to be absolutely out of view and out of earshot."

Workers hanging a work by Henri Matisse

Or you can see how experts place art in a museum exhibit.

(SOUND)

One video by the Art Institute of Chicago shows a group of workers very carefully moving and hanging a huge painting by the French artist Henri Matisse.

Another shows a museum guard answering the hundreds of questions he receives every day from visitors. One page of the Web site lists videos by subject. They include Chinese, art, graphic design, sculpture and photography.

One expert at the Art Institute of Chicago described ArtBabble as a giant leap forward for museums and for Web users. He said it offers a modern new way to share high quality videos with a large group of people interested in art.

(MUSIC)

Yellow Journalism

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Jenny Meng in China. She wants to know the meaning of the term "yellow journalism."

The terms "yellow journalism" and "yellow press" are not used much anymore.

They mean a kind of news reporting that uses an emotional style and personal opinion. Yellow newspapers also used a lot of pictures and included things like reduced price coupons for theater and rail tickets. There also were games, prize puzzles and lots of advertisements.

Sometimes, yellow newspapers would also make up exciting news stories and false interviews to increase sales.

The term yellow journalism started in the late eighteen nineties. A fierce media war was going on between two major newspaper publishers in New York. One was Joseph Pulitzer who owned the New York World. The other, William Randolph Hearst, owned the New York Journal.

A "Hogan's Alley" cartoon from 1896

Joseph Pulitzer’s paper had a longer history than Mister Hearst’s. William Randolph Hearst wanted his newspaper to be as popular. He began to take reporters and editors from the New York World to work for his paper. Mister Hearst also took a cartoonist from Mister Pulitzer’s paper. R.F. Outcault drew "Hogan’s Alley," a well loved cartoon with a character dressed in yellow and called “the yellow kid.”

Joseph Pulitzer hired another cartoonist and told him to begin drawing another yellow kid. The media war between Hearst and Pulitzer became a fight between the "yellow kids." As a result, that style of news reporting came to be called yellow journalism. Historians say the yellow press was so powerful it helped push the United States into war with Spain in eighteen ninety-eight.

W. Joseph Campbell is a communications professor at American University in Washington, D.C. He has written four books about journalism, including "Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies." Mister Campbell writes that William Randolph Hearst did not think that reporters should be neutral. He believed in a so-called journalism of action. The publisher thought the press had a duty to place itself into stories to right wrongs where it could.

Mister Campbell says the most dramatic example of this was the freeing of a Cuban political prisoner. Mister Hearst sent a reporter to Cuba in eighteen ninety-seven to secretly rescue nineteen-year-old Evangelina Cisneros from a prison in Havana. The plan worked and it was big news for the New York Journal.

(MUSIC)

Dave Matthews Band

HOST:

The Dave Matthews Band returns with their first CD since the death of band member LeRoi Moore. The saxophonist died a year ago in a vehicle accident at the age of forty-six. LeRoi Moore was one of the founding members of the band. The new CD, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," is named in his honor. And it opens with the sound of his sax. June Simms has more.

(MUSIC)

JUNE SIMMS:

"Grux" is the opening track on the Dave Matthews Band’s new CD. It is the band’s seventh studio album and the first without LeRoi Moore whom they called "GrooGrux King." He took part in the early recording sessions for the album. But, most of the album was recorded after his death.

The South African born Dave Mattews is the driving force behind the band. Carter Beauford plays drums. Stefan Lessard plays bass. Boyd Tinsley plays the violin. Matthews put all the pieces of the band together like a well designed puzzle. Now with LeRoi Moore gone, a piece of the puzzle is missing.

Moore’s sax work can be heard on this song, "Lying in the Hands of God."

(MUSIC)

"Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" is the band’s fifth album to enter the Billboard Magazine’s album chart at number one. Dave Matthews told Billboard that if this is the last album he ever makes, he hopes it is the only album that people listen to.

We leave you with the album’s first single, "Funny the Way It Is."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Mario Ritter. I hope you enjoyed our program.

It was written by Dana Demange, June Simms and Caty Weaver, who was also our producer. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs and send us questions.

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

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