The Israel-UAE accord announced by President Trump August 13 has the potential of normalizing diplomatic ties between Israel and a third Arab state. Is that potentially a significant step forward in defusing the Arab-Israeli dispute? Read ahead. The agreement, fashioned by the two Middle Eastern countries and encouraged by Washington, establishes formal relations between a…
Around the world, those killed by the epidemic as of August 10 approached three-quarters of a billion. Fatalities in our own hemisphere account for more than half grim total, or an estimated 380 million — and rising. The U.S. still has the world’s most COVID-19 fatalities, at least 163,000. From Canada to Chile, total COVID-19…
Voice of America jazz specialist Willis Conover was heard by millions in Russia, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Africa, and the Caribbean during four decades from the mid-1950s until his death in 1996. Surveys at the peak of his career estimated Willis’ audience at 30,000,000 — remarkable for a music show host in the era…
The Amazon, snaking across Brazil, is among the world’s largest rivers. Roughly halfway between the borders of Colombia and Peru is the city of Manaus, one of the most tragic victims of COVID-19 in the developing world. Tyler Hicks, a New York Times photographer, spent weeks vividly reflecting the sad plight of Manaus, and many…
The United States’ closure of China’s consulate in Houston, which was followed by the shuttering of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu by China, was attributed to intelligence activities supported by the Chinese government. But it’s worth remembering China’s expansion and authoritarian control measures that underly the diplomatic clash. The PRC tightens its grip on Hong…
The Washington Post and New York Times have been joined by the National Press Club and PEN America in requesting newly-appointed U.S. international broadcasting CEO Michael Pack to quickly extend guest visas of non-citizen VOA staff members. These 76 journalists are essential to the Voice, the nation’s largest government-funded global multimedia overseas network that reaches…
Seven Senators wrote to new global media director Michael Pack threatening budget cuts if the United States-supported media are politicized. The group, in an announcement June 2, expressed “deep concern” over what they termed as a purge by the Trump administration of five senior officers of U.S. international multimedia organizations shortly after the resignation of Voice of…
On June 17, Michael Pack, the newly-confirmed director of U.S. international broadcasting, arrived at its headquarters in southwest Washington, D.C, with this pledge: “I am fully committed to honoring the VOA Charter, the missions of the grantee broadcasters (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Network in Arabic and Radio-TV Marti…
The newly-installed CEO of five publicly-funded multimedia overseas networks, Michael Pack, wasted no time during his first day in office June 17 in announcing his dismissal of four civil service heads of the networks. They are: President Jamie Fly of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a recently named specialist in Russia and Eastern Europe President Bay…
After four years and two months of innovative leadership at the Voice of America, Ms. Bennett and her deputy Sandy Sugawara issued a statement on June 15 saying: “It’s time for us to leave. This morning, we sent our resignations to Michael Pack, the newly-arrived CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). In…