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The United States, Japan and other partner nations are bringing high-quality infrastructure to the Philippines, including clean energy and port modernization projects to further economic growth.
Announced during the historic trilateral summit President Biden hosted at the White House with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio April 11, the investments will connect major cities and ports on Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island.
“Our three nations are proud to partner on the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment corridor in the Indo-Pacific,” the three leaders said in a joint statement. “The Luzon Corridor is a demonstration of our enhanced economic cooperation.”
The economic corridor will connect Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines through modernized ports, railways, clean power projects and supply chain improvements to advance the semiconductor and other industries.
The investments are part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) that Group of Seven nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States announced in 2022 to mobilize $600 billion in public and private sector funding for sustainable, quality infrastructure in developing and middle-income countries. The U.S. has already invested over $30 billion in PGII projects.
The Luzon Corridor demonstrates U.S. commitment to partners in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, launched in May 2022, to accelerate investment to the region and promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
When NASA astronaut David Scott became the first person to drive on the moon July 31, 1971, his seat resembled a lawn chair and his vehicle averaged 9 kilometers per hour. Yet he described the rover as “about as optimum as you can build.” After all, it allowed Scott and his Apollo 15 crew to explore more of the moon than astronauts before them had.
Decades later, NASA is working with the U.S. private sector and Japan to advance far more sophisticated vehicles that will allow astronauts to explore the moon’s rugged south pole, where night lasts two weeks and temperatures can drop to minus 173 degrees Celsius.
On April 10, NASA and Japan reached an agreement to send a pressurized rover to the moon. Japan will build a rover that will accommodate two astronauts for 30 days, allowing for greater exploration of the moon’s surface. NASA will deliver the vehicle to the moon, and plans to transport two Japanese astronauts to the moon as part of a future Artemis mission.
Meanwhile, NASA also has invited three U.S. companies — Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab — to advance technologies to support a 21st-century rover that will await its astronaut drivers when they arrive on the moon during an Artemis mission planned for 2029.
“This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while announcing the partnership with U.S. companies.
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads. @NASA has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to advance capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle that #Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the lunar surface.
READ MORE https://t.co/lsXs3Pwxn7
— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) April 3, 2024
Through the Artemis program, NASA works with the private sector and partner nations as they prepare to return astronauts to the moon and explore Mars. Three dozen countries, including the U.S., Australia, Colombia and Japan, have signed on to the Artemis Accords, outlining principles for cooperation in the peaceful exploration of space.
By contracting with industry to advance rover technology, NASA is tapping into the innovation and good value the U.S. private sector can bring to a project. Some features planned for a future rover include:
Lunar Outpost, which is based in Colorado, says its plans call for “a flight deck-forward design that provides expansive views for navigating the challenging lunar environment.”
In February, Houston-based Intuitive Machines delivered equipment to the moon for a NASA-supported mission — the first U.S. lunar landing since the Apollo missions, which put the first man on the moon and Scott in the first driver’s seat on its surface.
The next-generation vehicle will take us “to places never visited by astronauts,” NASA says. “Harsh landscape, extreme cold and limited sunlight at the moon’s south pole demand a truly off-road and off-planet vehicle.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, European countries have contributed generously to Ukraine. From generators to food to tents, aid from Europe and the United States is helping keep Ukrainians warm, fed and sheltered.
European partners such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Italy have led Europe’s aid to Ukraine, supporting refugees and providing for Ukraine’s defense.
These nations are investing in Ukraine’s recovery not only because they feel a strong sense of solidarity with Ukraine and understand the lessons of history, but also because they recognize supporting Ukraine is a smart investment.
“We are at the forefront of humanitarian support for Ukraine,” as well as providing defensive weapons and working to achieve peace, Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso said before the bilateral Ukraine Recovery Conference between Italy and Ukraine in 2023. “At the same time, we are preparing the conditions to support Ukraine and to realize the reconstruction of the country that will become the greatest European growth asset in the coming decades.”
The numbers confirm Urso’s point. Ukraine has a population of more than 40 million people, extensive natural resources and a highly qualified workforce.
Ukraine possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of titanium and iron ore, fields of untapped lithium and other energy sources. Ukraine’s information technology industries are growing strongly, employing nearly 300,000 IT specialists.
Ukraine already is a good investment. According to a USAID survey, 89% of the companies who invested in Ukraine before the 2022 full-scale invasion were either meeting business goals (49%) or exceeding them (40%). These figures point to the promise of a Ukrainian recovery for those who invest now.
According to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, “Now is the right moment to begin looking at Ukraine as a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity. The biggest national recovery project in Europe since World War II is already underway and will gain considerable further momentum in the months and years ahead. Those who join this process during the early stages will benefit.”
Conferences on Ukraine’s recovery have occurred in Lugano, Switzerland; Vilnius, Lithuania; Rome and London. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed Italy as the host of a 2025 Conference for the Recovery of Ukraine, emphasizing its significance in European reconstruction efforts.
“Investing in Ukraine’s reconstruction today is an extremely prudent and forward-looking investment,” Meloni said. “It is an investment in peace, it is an investment in well-being. It is an investment in the economic growth of Ukraine, Italy and Europe.”
American Muslims marked the end of Ramadan on April 10, concluding the holy month of fasting with prayer and daytime meals with family and friends.
There are roughly 3.5 million Muslims living in the United States. Many U.S. Muslims are finding success, earning degrees and opening businesses at higher rates than other members of the population.
More U.S. schools and universities recognize Ramadan as a holiday and work with Muslim students to balance fasting, academics and even athletics.
As President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, the White House staff is preparing for a special evening April 10, when the Bidens will hold a state dinner to honor their guest.
For more than a century, American presidents have put diplomacy on the menu at these formal dinners. At this one, White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison will oversee the meal. Entertainment will be provided by singer-songwriter Paul Simon, a personal favorite of the first lady, along with performances by “The President’s Own” Marine Band Chamber Orchestra, the Army Strolling Strings and the Air Force Strings.
Are you ready to experience a state dinner? This digital story from the State Department puts you front and center in the White House dining room.
A version of this story was previously published October 25, 2023.
Like people in Mexico and Canada, millions of Americans are preparing to watch an April 8 total eclipse. They’re planning viewing parties or road trips to the best locations. They are buying lots of pairs of funny-looking safety glasses.
Educators and scientists are also committed to making the most of the research opportunity.
When the sky turns dark at midday, stars shine and the horizon glows all around, something unusual is happening. During a total solar eclipse, temperatures also can drop by -6 degrees Celsius. Dogs howl. Many other animals search for a place to sleep. But, if you see a 99% partial eclipse, you will see none of that. “It must be 100 percent,” said Gerard Williger, a physics professor at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. While a partial eclipse dims daylight, only when there is a total eclipse do “you get all those great effects.”
Ancient peoples were so impressed by the effects of total eclipses that they recorded their memories in carvings in rock or bone that have been preserved in North America, Europe and East Asia and Pacific regions.
While a partial eclipse will be visible nationwide, the total eclipse will pass over U.S. states including Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Texas. Another total eclipse will not occur over the lower 48 U.S. states until 2044. A total solar eclipse will occur over Alaska in 2033.
At the University of Kentucky, Williger is teaching a semester-long course on the eclipse, one of several offered by U.S. higher-education institutions. Williger’s course covers everything from the astronomy of the moon’s passage in front of the sun to the appearance of eclipses in art, literature and movies. His students range in age from teenagers to octogenarians.
In fact, many colleges will provide glasses for safe viewing or offer lectures on the scientific research on eclipse events.
On April 8, 2024, you can experience a breathtaking celestial event — a total solar #eclipse. Not in the eclipse path? You can experience it with us on https://t.co/EuPGk4Yfo6.
Tune in to our media briefing at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 UTC) on March 26 to learn more:… pic.twitter.com/kKmcyU323z
— NASA (@NASA) March 22, 2024
NASA has enlisted everyday Americans to capture what will be rare glimpses of the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, that is visible during the total eclipse. Teams of citizen scientists ready to work with NASA include students at Butler University in Indianapolis and a group of teachers in Texas.
NASA’s Citizen Continental-America Telescope Eclipse 2024 program has provided training and equipment for the groups that will each collect several minutes of footage for an hourlong film to inform scientific research.
“We are going to be setting up cameras — it’s a telescope with cameras attached, and we’re going to be tracking the eclipse as it moves over us,” Jo Lin Gowing, a mechanical engineering professor at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, told CBS news.
“We will have a [movie] of the solar corona right now,” Williger said. “It will help us to understand the sun.”
Research conducted during a 1919 eclipse proved Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which in turn helps scientists operate GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. Eclipses also have helped scientists measure the size of the Earth and understand its rotation over time. Helium — an element used in medical technology, manufacturing and space exploration — was discovered during an 1868 eclipse.
April 8 will be “our chance,” Williger said.
Black Muslims have been part of America’s story since the beginning. They continue to weave color into the fabric of diversity in U.S. culture today.
The first Muslims in America arrived 500 years ago — long before the United States was established as an independent country. Historians note that Muslim explorers sailed on colonial expeditions to America in the 1500s.
Later, they came as slaves forcibly brought from West Africa. Scholars estimate approximately 30% of slaves in America were Muslim. Historical records, including slave diaries, document the lives of these enslaved Muslims, some of whom wrote Arabic manuscripts and others who practiced their faith in secret.
One significant historical artifact, on display in the Library of Congress, is Thomas Jefferson’s 1734 edition of the Quran. Curious about world religions and legal systems, Jefferson acquired this copy of the Quran as a law student, and some scholars point to it as one influence on Jefferson when he wrote about the principle of religious freedom that became part of the U.S. Constitution.
The first Muslim Americans elected to Congress — Keith Ellison in 2007 and André Carson in 2008 — are Black and were sworn in with their hands resting upon Jefferson’s copy of the Quran.
In a 2019 study, the Pew Research Center found that Black Muslims represent 20% of Muslims in the United States. Nearly 70% of Black Muslims are born in the United States and 49% identify as converts to Islam. Geographically, Black Muslim American communities tend to be in urban areas and in Northeastern cities in the United States.
Black Muslim Americans have played important roles in the civil rights movement (like Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X) and in professions spanning public service as well as art, business, sports and more. Their contributions, along with the intersectionality of their Black and Muslim identities, offer unique perspectives and are a significant part of America’s story and diversity. You can learn more about them at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Here’s a look at some Black Muslim Americans who’ve made their mark on pop culture in the United States and around the world:
Titans of boxing and basketball, athletes like Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon are among America’s most celebrated Black Muslims.
Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad made history when she represented Team USA in 2016 as the first American woman to wear hijab in the Olympics. She won a bronze medal in fencing and inspired the first Barbie doll to wear a hijab the following year as part of Mattel’s “Shero” (she-hero) line of dolls.
Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar in 2017 for his performance in Moonlight. He won again in 2019 for his portrayal in Green Book of an African American musician confronting discrimination while performing on tour in the American South during the 1960s.
Fellow Black Muslim actor Dave Chappelle is known for his stand-up comedy and satire. In interviews, Chappelle has talked about converting to Islam as a teenager after befriending Muslim employees working in a pizza shop across the street from his Washington home.
Many popular Black rappers and musicians are Muslim. The list includes Akon, Alia Sharrief, Busta Rhymes, Lupe Fiasco, Yasiin Bey (previously known as Mos Def), Native Deen and T-Pain (shown above).
Their lyrics express views on a wide range of topics, from life in their hometown to love to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bey often recites the common Islamic opening prayer (“in the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful”) at the beginning of first songs on his albums.
In 2014, Alia Sharrief organized a hip-hop concert in California called “The Hijab Chronicles” that featured a full cast of Muslim female artists.
Model Iman famously starred as the queen in Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time music video. The Somali American worked with major designer labels like Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace.
Halima Aden, also a Somali American, became the first hijab-wearing model to walk international runways. She also was featured on the cover of several magazines, including Allure, Sports Illustrated and Vogue.
A version of this article was previously published February 9, 2022.
On April 4, 1949, nations in Europe and North America formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to build a peaceful future after the destruction caused by World War II.
U.S. President Harry Truman called the alliance “a shield against aggression” that “will permit us to get on with the real business of government and society, the business of achieving a fuller and happier life for all our citizens.”
As NATO celebrates its 75-year anniversary, learn how the alliance’s security has enabled nations to grow and prosper, and advance technologies that enrich our world.
Recently, the International Space Station (ISS) marked a historic milestone — the 25th anniversary of the launch and docking of the Unity module. Also known as Node 1, the module was the first U.S.-built component of the ISS.
During the intervening 25 years, the ISS has been home to a rotating crew from a host of countries and the site of groundbreaking experiments that will help future astronauts and earthbound individuals alike.
To learn about discoveries made on the ISS, let actor Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, take you on a journey to see how science in space reflects — or diverges from — innovations seen in the movies or on TV.
A version of this story was published December 27, 2023.
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