NASA Image of the Day
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:00:59 +0200

Rare Clear View of Alaska
On most days, relentless rivers of clouds wash over Alaska, obscuring most of the state's 6,640 miles (10,690 kilometers) of coastline and 586,000 square miles (1,518,000 square kilometers) of land. The south coast of Alaska even has the dubious distinction of being the cloudiest region of the United States, with some locations averaging more than 340 cloudy days per year. That was certainly not the case on June 17, 2013, the date that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this rare, nearly cloud-free view of the state. The absence of clouds exposed a striking tapestry of water, ice, land, forests, and even wildfires. Snow-covered mountains such as the Alaska Range and Chugach Mountains were visible in southern Alaska, while the arc of mountains that make up the Brooks Range dominated the northern part of the state. The Yukon River -- the longest in Alaska and the third longest in the United States -- wound its way through the green boreal forests that inhabit the interior of the state. Plumes of sediment and glacial dust poured into the Gulf of Alaska from the Copper River. And Iliamna Lake, the largest in Alaska, was ice free. The same ridge of high pressure that cleared Alaska's skies also brought stifling temperatures to many areas accustomed to chilly June days. Talkeetna, a town about 100 miles north of Anchorage, saw temperatures reach 96°F (36°C) on June 17. Other towns in southern Alaska set all-time record highs, including Cordova, Valez, and Seward. The high temperatures also helped fuel wildfires and hastened the breakup of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFCCaption: Adam Voiland
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 EDT

Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Hitch your wagon to a star."
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:00:59 +0200

Breaking International News latest RSS headlines - United States News.net
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:39:41 -0400

Cut in nuclear stockpiles proposed by Obama in talks with Russia

BERLIN - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he would seek talks with Russia to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons both hold by up to a third. Speaking in front of Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate during a visit to the German capital, Obama said he was confident the US could maintain its security while reducing its nuclear capacity by a third. He also called for ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:30 -0400

Karzai says peace talks with Taliban should be Afghan led

KABUL - An angry Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday his government would not join US peace talks with the Taliban "until the peace process is totally under Afghan control." He also suspended talks with the US to discuss the nature of US military presence after international troops withdraw in 2014. A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said the decision was taken over ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:23:12 -0400

North Korean leader Kim used luxury yacht to tour coast, says report

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has used a luxury boat to tour the country's east coast amid indications that the 90-feet-long yacht may have been smuggled into the country in defiance of UN sanctions that bans importing of luxury items to the impoverished country. A website that tracks events in the reclusive state said the yacht, a Princess 95MY made by British-based ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:35:12 -0400

Somalia UN office attacked and 15 killed by Islamist militants

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 15 people, including some United Nations workers, were killed Wednesday when a UN compound in the Somali capital came under a bomb and gun attack by Islamist militants of an Al Qaeda-linked group, a minister said. Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled in a hurriedly called press conference said that the eight slain UN workers included four foreigners working ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:34:40 -0400

NSA director defends e-snooping claiming it helped foil 50 terror attacks foiled

WASHINGTON - The controversial US snooping of foreign emails and telephone calls has prevented more than 50 potential terrorist attacks in at least 20 countries, the director of the National Security Agency (NSA) has said in defending the surveillance programme. The targets include the New York Stock Exchange and other important installations across the world, General Keith Alexander said ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:28:19 -0400

The Age News Headlines
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:51:41 GMT

Gambler stole $220k from kinder
Conman volunteered at daughter's pre-school before stealing from it, a court hears.

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:47:04 GMT

Bird species on the brink
Twenty Australian bird species are at 'imminent risk of extinction', a report shows.

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:11:55 GMT

Prices to soar as dollar takes a big hit

The days of cheap overseas travel and attractive online prices are over, retailers and economists warn.

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:11:54 GMT

Senate vote clears Ahmed for Ashes

Leg-spinner will be granted a passport, making him available for looming series.

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:22:57 GMT

$30b lost in double-whammy

Australian shares have hit the day's lows, losing more than $30b in value, after weak Chinese data rattled investors already spooked by the Fed's plans to wind back its stimulus.

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:22:11 GMT

Crocodile Attacks Increase
Hello.  I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  On today’s program, we hear about some children who are learning not only reading, writing, and arithmetic, but are also being told about real monsters that may live in their back yards.  Then we are off, once again, to the South China Sea.  It is fishing season, and tensions are rising.  We will tell you why.  The Voice of America, As It Is, and you.  What a nice combination!   Of all animals that live both on land ...
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:30:49 +0000

After the French and Indian War - Program No. 10
From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation – American history in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.   This week in our series, we tell about relations between the American colonies and Britain after the French and Indian War about two hundred fifty years ago.   The French and Indian War was one part of a world conflict between Britain and France. It was fought to decide which of the two powerful nations would control North America.   The British defeated the ...
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:30:23 +0000

Words and Their Stories: Money Talks
I’m Susan Clark with Words and Their Stories, a program in Special English on the Voice of America.   People often say that money talks. They mean that a person with a lot of money can say how he or she wants things done. But it is not easy to earn enough money to gain this kind of power. Ask anyone in a business. They will tell you that it is a jungle out there. The expression probably began because the jungle is filled with wild animals and unknown dangers that threaten people. ...
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:30:29 +0000

Citizen Scientists to Help Map CO2 Gas
Also, before the International Space Station, Skylab led the way for long-term space flight | As It Is
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:30:15 +0000

Van Cliburn Competition Looks for the Best of the Best
From VOA Learning English, welcome to As It Is!   Hello, I’m Steve Ember.   Today on our program, we make beautiful music. Well, we may not be making it, but we will celebrate some very talented young people who do at a world famous competition – and the memory of the American concert pianist whose belief in young talent made it possible.   Every four years since 1962, musicians gather from all over the world to compete in the Van Cliburn International PianoCompetition. This ...
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:30:28 +0000