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Art lovers from around the world descend on New York City every March for several art fairs. One of the longest running and most popular fairs is the Armory Show, which hosts more than 200 galleries from 30 countries. For visitors, who are expected to reach 65,000 this year, the Armory Show cements New York City’s status as an international art destination. Tina Trinh reports.
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From: MeNeedIt
When Johnnie Yellock enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, he knew his job as a combat controller would frequently put him in harm’s way.
“We volunteered in a time of war, we knew exactly what we were up against,” he told VOA. “A lot of our job titles were putting us right on the battlefield. We were ready for that. I was prepared to die for my country.”
Although he was prepared, war has a way of changing the best-laid plans. Even Johnnie Yellock’s.
During a deployment to eastern Afghanistan, on July 6, 2011, the vehicle he was traveling in struck an improvised explosive device, or IED.
The force of the blast tore through his body. Although he had to apply a tourniquet to both of his own legs to stop the bleeding, he continued to help his team by calling in the evacuation flight that would lift them to safety and desperately needed medical assistance.
Helpless, but not hopeless
But instead of being relieved, Yellock was frustrated he couldn’t stay in the fight.
“I went from being the tip of the spear on the battlefield to being loaded on a stretcher and carted off the battlefield, completely helpless.”
“The whole family was blown up with Johnnie,” explains his mother, Reagan Yellock, also a U.S. Air Force veteran, “because it is such a traumatic experience for the whole family. I knew it was a process. My first priority was: My son was alive. What do we do? What do we do to get him help? To get him back to us and what the process is going to be.”
Yellock’s encounter with the IED that July day in Afghanistan ultimately ended his military career, and began a rehabilitation effort that continues today.
“My recovery was extensive for sure,” he admits. “I’ve had about 30 surgeries on my legs, in a process called limb salvage, so it’s a huge effort to maintain and keep my legs from amputation. I now have adaptive braces, but aside from all the physical trials of recovery and changing your lifestyle, your life took a detour. The transition of being an active-duty service member to then retiring from the military, it’s a pretty humbling journey.”
While that journey might have taken him off the battlefield, it has put him in an art gallery at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum in Dallas, Texas, where Yellock isn’t just visiting the exhibits. He’s a featured subject.
A salute from Team 43
“That is a very unique email to receive to find out that your prior commander-in-chief has taken and dedicated a lot of his time painting several of us wounded warriors.”
Yellock is a member of Team 43, as in the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, who has focused much of his post-presidential work to helping wounded “warriors” like Johnnie Yellock adjust to civilian life.
In an exclusive interview with VOA, the former president spoke about Yellock and other veterans who are the inspiration behind his yearlong effort to paint their portraits for an exhibit and book, titled Portraits of Courage: A Commander-in-Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors.
“I know them all,” Bush told VOA. “I’ve ridden bikes with them. I’ve played golf with them. I knew their stories.”
But engaging in sports is one thing. Painting their portraits is quite another.
“How is a person who is agnostic on art for most of his life become a painter?” the former president asked himself.
The answer? The pastime of war-time British prime minister Winston Churchill.
“I happened to read Churchill’s essay, ‘Painting as a Pastime.’ I’m a big admirer of Winston Churchill, and in essence, I said if this guy can paint, I can paint,” Bush said.
Personal tribute
At first, Bush painted simple objects. Then he transitioned to pets, and moved on to world leaders, until his idea for Portraits of Courage began to take shape more than a year ago.
It’s a tribute to those who Bush, as commander-in-chief of the United States military, was ultimately responsible for sending into harm’s way.
“Rarely do I run into a vet who says, ‘You caused this to happen to me,’” Bush told VOA. “These are all volunteers, and I made it perfectly clear we were going to defend the country. And they knew exactly what the stakes were. They go out of their way to make sure that their ole commander-in-chief understands that they understand the sacrifices they made.”
“The trials [Bush] was thrust into … the decisions he had to make, were difficult ones,” Yellock says. “The humility he shows in recognizing the impact that his decisions made on the lives of so many of us soldiers and our family members – those of my friends that didn’t come home from war, and me coming home wounded. I can speak for all those wounded that we don’t regret going and doing what we did. We would do it again if we had the opportunity.”
It’s that kind of sentiment that kept Bush motivated to take a brush to canvas, day after day.
“So when I’m painting these portraits,” Bush explained, “I’m thinking, what kind of character is it that rather than complain or be full of self-pity, they say, ‘Sir, I’d do it again.’”
Of the 98 veterans portrayed in Bush’s artwork for the project, Yellock is featured on a four-panel mural, next to several of his friends.
“About 10 minutes ago was the first time I saw my portrait,” he told VOA. “I was just blown away.”
Raising funds to help vets
Bush says he hopes the art speaks for itself, but Portraits of Courage is more than just an exhibit. It’s a fundraiser to help other veterans.
All proceeds from the sale of the Portraits of Courage book, including a more expensive, limited edition signed by the former president, will help fund programs of the George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, which aims to help military members transition to civilian life, help veterans find employment if needed, and address ways to treat both the visible and invisible injuries of war.
Johnnie Yellock has both.
He is the recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other military decorations. While he is honored to be a part of the exhibit, just don’t call him a hero.
“Those that don’t come home … those are the heroes of our time,” he told VOA.
Four of Yellock’s personal heroes have their names engraved on a bracelet he seldom takes off. They were with him when he stood by Bush to announce the opening of the exhibit, and serve as a lasting reminder to Yellock of the ultimate sacrifice from a war that still continues today.
“We knew the risks. We knew that being wounded or dying was a possibility. But we get to come home, we get to catch up with our families, and we’ll forever regard those who have paid this nation’s ultimate sacrifice, as this nation’s true heroes.”
The original paintings of Portraits of Courage: A commander-in-chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors are on display at the Bush Presidential Museum through October.
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From: MeNeedIt
One by one, several Federal Reserve officials have signaled in recent days that the Fed is ready to resume raising interest rates as soon as this month. The question is whether the official who matters most — Chair Janet Yellen — will add her own voice to that impression.
When Yellen speaks Friday in Chicago on the topic of the Fed’s economic outlook, investors will parse her words for any hint of how likely the central bank is to raise its key short-term rate after it next meets March 14-15. Already, though, traders in futures markets have put the probability of a rate hike at 75 percent, according to data tracked by the CME Group. Just last week, that probability had been pegged at well below 50 percent.
But that was before some Fed officials began suggesting that the strengthening U.S. economy, signs of higher inflation and a surging stock market had bolstered the case for a rate hike.
On Tuesday, William Dudley, president of the Fed’s New York regional bank and a close Yellen ally, said the case for raising rates had “become a lot more compelling.
On Wednesday, Lael Brainard, a Fed board member and previously a leading advocate of delaying rate increases, said she thought the case for another hike was strengthening.
“Assuming continued progress, it will likely be appropriate soon to remove additional accommodation” by raising rates, Brainard said in a speech at Harvard University.
And Jerome Powell, another board member, was even more specific, saying in a CNBC interview Thursday, “I think the case for a rate increase in March has come together, and I do think it is on the table for discussion.”
Earlier in the week, Robert Kaplan, head of the Dallas Fed, said he thought the Fed would likely raise rates “in the near future.”
None of which means a rate increase this month is a certainty. Any unexpected wave of poor economic news or worrisome global developments could give the Fed pause. The government’s jobs report for February, to be issued March 10, will be of particular interest. But the most recent data — notably on job growth, manufacturing and consumer confidence — along with surging stock prices have been broadly encouraging.
In testimony to Congress last month, Yellen had pointed to the solid job market and overall improving economy to suggest that the Fed would likely resume raising rates within the next few months. Yellen noted that Fed officials themselves in December had predicted three rate increases in 2017. But she offered no specifics on when the next one might occur.
In December, the Fed raised its benchmark rate by a quarter-point to a range of 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent. It was its first increase since December 2015, when the Fed raised its key rate from a record low. In estimating three rate hikes for 2017, the Fed was indicating a quickened pace of increases.
On Thursday, Powell was asked whether the Fed might be inclined to accelerate the pace of increases to perhaps four this year. He replied that he thought three rate hikes in 2017 “still feels about right to me” but added that the direction of the economy would determine the proper number of increases.
Before Fed officials began speaking out this week, many Fed watchers and investors had been doubtful of a rate increase this month. The assumption was that Fed officials would want to assess President Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts and increased spending for the military and infrastructure projects, after the details of those projects and the likelihood of their congressional passage became clear. Many thought the Fed would likely want to wait until June to resume raising rates.
A major reason for the recent signals from Fed officials for a rate increase is the robust job market. On Thursday, for example, the government reported that first-time applications for unemployment benefits — a proxy for the pace of layoffs — fell last week to their lowest level in nearly 44 years.
The stock market, in the meantime, has been setting a string of record highs, fueled by confidence that Trump’s plans for cutting taxes and boosting spending will win congressional approval.
And inflation, which had been lagging at chronically low levels, has been edging steadily up, reflecting in part a rebound in gasoline prices and higher wages. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge showed that prices rose 1.9 percent over the 12 months that ended in January. That was the largest 12-month gain in nearly five years and just below the Fed’s 2 percent target for inflation.
Various Fed officials suggested that the rise in inflation and the low 4.8 unemployment rate were evidence that the central bank is now close to achieving its dual mandates of maximum employment and stable prices.
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From: MeNeedIt
This is the Top Five Countdown! We’re raising the curtain on the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending March 4, 2017.
Break out the popcorn, movie fans, because we have a blockbuster debut for you.
Number 5: The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”
The action starts in fifth place, where the Chainsmokers and Halsey rebound two slots with “Closer.” This song is now a record-setter – it has spent 26 total weeks – six months – in the Top Five. That’s the longest Top Five run in the Hot 100’s 58-year history. The previous record was 25 weeks, jointly held by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars with “Uptown Funk,” and LeAnn Rimes with “How Do I Live.”
That’s pretty spectacular, but the real fireworks arrive in fourth place.
Number 4: Katy Perry Featuring Skip Marley “Chained To The Rhythm”
One of our most dependable hit makers returns this week, as Katy Perry opens in fourth place with “Chained To The Rhythm.”
This is not only Katy’s 14th Top 10 single, it’s also her third-highest Hot 100 debut. “Part Of Me” opened at number one in 2012, while “California Gurls” hit second place in 2010. The featured artist on this song is Skip Marley, the grandson of reggae great Bob Marley.
Number 3: Migos & Lil Uzi Vert “Bad And Boujee”
Migos and Lil Uzi Vert slip a slot to third place with “Bad And Boujee,” and Migos are already planning new chart conquests.
On February 24, Calvin Harris dropped his latest single “Slide,” featuring Frank Ocean, along with Migos members Quavo and Offset. Three days later on February 27, DJ Khaled sent out a series of Instagram photos featuring Migos, Justin Bieber, and Chance The Rapper…and it just so happens DJ Khaled is dropping a new album, Grateful, on March 22.
Number 2: Zayn & Taylor Swift “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”
Zayn and Taylor Swift jump a notch to second place with “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.”
On February 22, Zayn faced off against his former One Direction groupmates in the BRIT Awards…and lost. 1D took the Video Of The Year crown for “History,” while Zayn was an also-ran with his “Pillowtalk” clip.
Number 1: Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Ed Sheeran extends his run at the top to four weeks with “Shape Of You,” and it sounds like Ed has a new friend.
Last week, Katy Perry stopped by the BBC for a pre-BRIT Awards interview…and Ed crashed the conversation. He recalled their first meeting after a gig in Toronto in which Ed was covered in sweat…things didn’t go so smoothly then but they’re good pals now.
Will Ed Sheeran’s run at the top continue? Join us next week for the answers!
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From: MeNeedIt
Nearly four decades after Elvis sang his last tune, his legacy got a $45 million boost with the Thursday opening of a major new attraction at his Graceland estate — an entertainment complex that Priscilla Presley says gives “the full gamut” of the King of rock ‘n’ roll.
About 200 people streamed into “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” after the late singer’s wife cut a ribbon and allowed fans to see the $45 million complex for the first time.
Resembling an outdoor mall, the 200,000-square-foot campus sits across the street from Graceland, Presley’s longtime home-turned-museum. The complex features a comprehensive Presley exhibit with clothing he wore on stage and guitars he played; a showcase of the cars he owned and used; a soundstage; a theater; two restaurants and retail stores.
“You’re getting the full gamut of who Elvis Presley was,” Priscilla Presley said during an interview after the grand opening. “You’re getting to see and participate a bit in his life and what he enjoyed and what he loved to collect.”
It’s part of a $140 million expansion, which also includes a $90 million, 450-room hotel that opened last year. The complex replaces the aging buildings that have housed Presley-related exhibits for years. An old, gray, strip-mall style visitor center will be torn down to make room for a greenspace along Elvis Presley Boulevard, the street that runs in front of the house.
Graceland has been updating its tourist experience. Visitors now use iPads for self-guided tours of the house. The new Guest House at Graceland, with modern amenities like glass-encased showers with wall-mounted body sprays and in-room Keurig coffeemakers, has replaced the crumbling Heartbreak Hotel, which is scheduled for demolition.
“We want to keep updating. … If you don’t keep up with what’s going on in the times, you get left out,” Priscilla Presley said. She was joined at the ribbon-cutting by Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden and Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Graceland Holdings.
The opening comes just before the 40th anniversary of Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42.
Adults pay $57.50 for a standard tour of the house and access to the complex. Visitors can also choose to tour just the house for a lower price. Discounts are offered for seniors and children. A self-guided tour of two airplanes owned by Presley is $5 more.
From the ticketing area, people line up to wait for buses that take visitors to the museum, or they can move through the entertainment complex’s large, high-ceilinged buildings.
Gladys’ Diner — named after the singer’s mother — has the feel of a 1950’s eatery, complete with pictures of Presley, aqua-colored chairs and stations where patrons can order hot dogs, burgers and ice cream.
There’s also Presley’s favorite: Gladys’ World Famous Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, fried in bacon grease. Another PB&B sandwich is cooked in butter.
Across a wide walkway lies the automobile museum, filled with some of Presley’s favorite toys. Among them is a pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood — a custom painted model that he gave to his mother — and a sleek, black 1973 Stutz Blackhawk that he drove the day he died.
The walkway leads to the 20,000-square foot museum called “Elvis: The Entertainer,” which features white and purple jumpsuits he wore during concerts and gold-colored guitars he played on stage.
Several retail stores line the complex. A second restaurant, a barbecue joint called Vernon’s Smokehouse — named after Presley’s father — will also open. So will an exhibition focused on Sam Phillips, the Sun Records producer and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer who recorded Presley for the first time.
The complex is still being finished. Priscilla Presley said there’s a warehouse full of artifacts, ready for display.
During the interview with The Associated Press, Priscilla Presley declined to comment about a court battle in Los Angeles between Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter she had with Elvis, and Lisa Marie’s estranged husband.
Among the fans eager to get a glimpse at the new exhibits Thursday was Carol Carey, a retiree who made the short trip across the state line from Southaven, Mississippi, with her son.
Wearing a pink shirt with the words “Wild About Graceland” on it, Carey beamed a wide smile as she talked about the complex.
“We couldn’t wait to see it,” she said. “We’ve been here every other day, checking it out. Getting used to saying goodbye to the old, and seeing friends who are all taking pictures of everything.”
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From: MeNeedIt
U.S. first lady Melania Trump read to a group of children at a New York hospital Thursday to celebrate National Read Across America Day.
In one of her first outings in a traditional first lady role, Trump read to children at the pediatrics ward from the Dr. Seuss favorite, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
She told the children, “I came here to encourage everyone to read and to just think about the books and what you want to achieve in life.”
Trump also brought a box full of children’s books by American author Theodor Geisel, who is better known as Dr. Seuss, to leave for the children.
“Dr. Seuss has brought so much joy, laughter and enchantment into children’s lives all around the globe for generations,” she said. “Through his captivating rhymes, Dr. Seuss has delighted and inspired children while teaching them to read, to dream and to care.”
Melania Trump is living in New York while her son finishes school, rather than joining her husband at the White House in Washington, D.C.
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From: MeNeedIt
Federal law enforcement agents have searched three facilities of the American heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Incorporated in the U.S. Midwest.
Caterpillar spokeswoman Corrie Heck Scott said in an email that the company, the world’s largest manufacturer of mining and construction equipment, was cooperating with law enforcement, but she gave no further details about the searches Thursday. Federal agents with search warrants entered three Caterpillar offices in Peoria, Illinois, and the surrounding area.
News of the searches sent Caterpillar shares tumbling more than 4 percent on U.S. stock exchanges within hours. Caterpillar reported $38.5 billion in sales last year, but that was an 18 percent decline from 2015.
Sharon Paul, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Illinois’ Central District, said the searchers were agents from the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation unit, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s office of export enforcement and inspectors from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which investigates banks.
The Commerce Department said its office of export enforcement focuses on “sensitive exports to hostile entities” and “prohibited foreign boycotts,” among other things.
Caterpillar has faced a number of investigations in recent years focusing on its business practices, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Most recently, in 2015, a federal court in Illinois subpoenaed the company for documents and information relating to the distribution of profits and movement of cash among its subsidiaries. The IRS has charged Caterpillar with $2 billion for unpaid taxes and penalties in that case, but the corporation said it is “vigorously contesting” the tax demand.
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From: MeNeedIt
Street vendors are a part of the life of many American cities. They’re not always regulated and many are immigrants. Los Angeles is a prime example. Street vending is has been illegal. A number of the vendors there are undocumented immigrants. With hopes to protect them from deportation for breaking the law, the city recently decriminalized street vending. Goldy Fogel narrates for video journalist Arturo Martinez.
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From: MeNeedIt
The more science learns about staying healthy, one thing seems increasingly clear: to stay fit, mentally and physically, keep moving. But moving can be hard when most people sit at desks all day. A new study suggests that even if you spend all day in a chair, a couple of hours a week of movement may be enough to keep you healthy. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports.
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From: MeNeedIt
The death from childbirth of a woman named Time magazine “Person of the Year” in 2014 for her work fighting Ebola in Liberia is being investigated after reports surfaced that health workers were afraid to treat her, the country’s health ministry said Wednesday.
Ebola survivor Salomé Karwah died last week four days after suffering complications from giving birth by cesarean section in a major hospital, according to the ministry’s chief medical officer, Francis Kateh.
Josephine Manley, Karwah’s sister, told Time that they rushed her back to hospital after she lapsed into convulsions following the birth, but said staff refused to touch her because she had contracted the deadly virus in late 2014.
“It is tragic that one of our heroes, who survived Ebola, died from childbirth in a hospital,” Kateh told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.
“We are taking the death very seriously,” he said, adding that the authorities were investigating whether staff had refused to treat Karwah.
Karwah, who worked as a nursing assistant after recovering from the virus, was one of five people featured on the Time magazine cover for their work battling Ebola.
Thousands of victims
Liberia was hit hardest by the world’s worst outbreak of Ebola, losing more than 4,800 people in an epidemic that killed about 11,300 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016.
Many survivors have been shunned by their families, communities and even health workers.
The virus can lie dormant and hide in parts of the body such as the eyes and testicles long after leaving the bloodstream — raising questions about whether it can ever be beaten, with West Africa’s 17,000 survivors acting as a potential human reservoir.
While health experts say the risk of Ebola re-emerging in survivors and being transmitted to others is low, some fear that the stigma surrounding the virus could lead to further preventable deaths of survivors in the three affected countries.
“Emergencies like these create lasting effects, partly because they can be so destructive to the social fabric of a country or community,” said Richard Mallett, research officer at the Overseas Development Institute, a U.K.-based think tank.
The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), a medical charity, said many Ebola survivors were struggling to access health care in West Africa, but not as a result of being stigmatized by health workers.
“Many survivors lost their jobs, or their spouse, and can no longer afford health care for themselves or their family,” said Ivonne Loua, head of ALIMA’s survivor care program in Guinea.
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From: MeNeedIt