Today@VOA: Aging presidential candidates

Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. September 12, 2016

Hillary Clinton, 68, and Donald Trump, 70, are among the oldest candidates ever to seek the U.S. presidency. Neither has released extensive records about their health, although Clinton has provided more information than has Trump. Now, with the Democratic presidential candidate's pneumonia diagnosis, some are calling for both candidates to disclose more about their health history. Just how far into the candidates' private medical records does the public's right to know extend?

On This Day in American History On September 12, 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells is appointed the nation's first female policewoman. The former social worker-turned-cop is given full arrest powers by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Putting convicted criminals to death is a hot-button issue in California. This November, Californians decide whether to abolish the death penalty — or to strengthen it by doing away with lengthy delays. Critics argue capital punishment is disproportionately applied to African-Americans and Hispanics. Both sides agree the current system is broken.

In Tim Kaine's home of Richmond, Virginia, the Cambodian-American community appears ready to embrace the Democratic vice presidential candidate. VOA's Khmer service spoke with Kaine's former roommate, as well as others in the community, about who'll win their vote in November.

Deep within America's South Pole station is an intricate network of ice tunnels carved deep beneath the frozen polar plateau. Through these tunnels run heavily-insulated pipes that carry fresh water and sewage. VOA discovers they are also home to the world's oldest permanent installation of South Pole artwork.

VIDEO: Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, which takes place at the end of the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. In some places, the holiday this year is being observed on Monday, in others on Tuesday. Hard times around the world are forcing some Muslims to modify their traditions, while also sharing the bounty.

Hundreds of educated Afghans have died in terrorist attacks, and dozens of schools have been bombed, burned, or closed by the Taliban and other insurgent groups. Experts say it's a chilling tactic aimed at increasing the number of uneducated youth – a prime demographic targeted by militant group recruiters.

Being a refugee is hard enough, but imagine trying to flee Syria in a wheelchair. That's the predicament disabled siblings Alan and Gyan Mohammed found themselves in as they made a daring escape from the Islamic State.

Who is the person behind U.S. President Barack Obama's jokes? And what kind of education and experience qualifies a person to write funny one-liners for the most powerful man on earth? That's what VOA's Russian Service set out to discover.

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