Issues in the News - Voice of America

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday to no punishment at all in his hush money case. He says the case was politically motivated and maintains his innocence. We speak with Mark Sedlander, a trial attorney and litigator whose practice consists of white-collar defense and government investigations. Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold. Experts say the trend may lead to more severe climate disasters. We spoke with Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.

U.S. President Joe Biden officially blocked Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9-billion purchase of U.S. Steel Friday over national security issues, dealing a fatal blow to the contentious merger plan with the Japanese company. We speak with Scott Laing, a professor at the School of Management, University at Buffalo. The U.S. Surgeon General calls for warning labels on alcoholic beverages. We get insights with Elizabeth J. Kovacs, Director, Alcohol Research Program at the University of Colorado Denver / Anschutz Medical Campus.

Victor Cha, a prominent expert on geopolitics and former advisor in the Biden administration, delves into South Korea's ongoing political turmoil, discussing the impeachment of acting President Han Duck-soo and its implications for international relations, particularly regarding North Korea. The dialogue also shifts to the challenges and opportunities of transitioning back to office work post-pandemic, focusing on employee adaptation, particularly for parents, and the evolving hybrid work models that aim to balance flexibility with effective collaboration.

Donald Trump seemed poised to inherit a relatively strong economy when he begins a second term in January, but things may be changing. And during the first Trump administration tariffs on China proved to be a boon for Vietnam. Will that happen again?

Thousands of Syrians gathered Friday in Damascus' historic main mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, while giant crowds celebrated in the capital's largest square. We spoke with Paul Salem, vice president for international engagement with the Middle East Institute. While Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East are taking most of the world’s attention, Sudan has been ranked as the world's single biggest humanitarian crisis ever. Michelle Gavin, Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations provides insights into the crisis.

TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19. UN talks on plastic pollution concluded in Busan, South Korea Monday without reaching an agreement. This was supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty to tackle the exponential problem by the end of 2024.

There's relief over a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, but the Lebanese are now facing the realization of the challenges that lie ahead. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement raises multiple questions. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday pledged big tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and China.

It’s expected that the new U.S. Trump administration may force Russia and Ukraine to sit down and negotiate. In anticipation of that, both sides escalated their war efforts this past week. We speak with Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow in the Center for a New American Security Transatlantic Security Program. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Leila Sadat, Washington University Professor of International Criminal Law and Special Advisor on Crimes Against Humanity to the ICC Prosecutor help us understand what it means.

Donald Trump wins a second term as president. Are there parallels from the founding fathers of our country? We speak with author and presidential historian Lindsey Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library, whose latest book is Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic. Also, this week, clashes between climate activists and big oil at the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan. We talk with correspondent in Chermaine Lee, who is at the conference in Azerbaijan.

What will a Donald Trump presidency look like in terms of foreign affairs. He has summarized his approach as peace through strength, remains critical of NATO and has repeatedly praised authoritarians. Could his approach help end the war in Ukraine, bring peace to the middle east and help the U.S. as the world realigns? The pre-election polls indicated it was a tight race, giving Kamala Harris a slight edge. But in the end, American voters chose Donald Trump. A look at what led to Trump’s decisive win.