【308-309】US to Increase Tariffs on Turkish Aluminum, Steel

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AS IT IS

US to Increase Tariffs on Turkish Aluminum, Steel

August 10, 2018

FILE - Pipelines in Turkish steel manufacturer ISDEMIR's plant is seen in this picture in Iskenderun in Hatay province, May 6, 2010. (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)

President Donald Trump says the United States has decided to increase tariff rates on Turkish steel and aluminum.

Trump announced the action Friday on Twitter.

The tariff for steel imported from Turkey will now be 50 percent. Import taxes for aluminum will be 20 percent. That is two times the level announced earlier this year in March.

The United States is the biggest destination for Turkish steel exports. Turkey answered the March tariff announcement by placing its own tariffs on $267 million of U.S. goods.

Turkey said it would respond to the new U.S. tariff action “without delay” and warned the move would further harm relations between the two countries.

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Trump tweeted that the latest tariff decision came as Turkey’s currency, the lira, “slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar.”

The lira’s value fell about 13 percent against the dollar on Friday. The currency is down about 40 percent so far this year.

Economic experts believe the sharp fall of the lira is mainly because of concerns about the government’s economic policies. The weakened currency’s value has helped increase inflation and worried international investors.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won another term in office in June with expanded powers.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Bayburt, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

He has said Turkey’s economy remains strong, noting a 7.4 percent growth rate in the first three months of this year. But some investors fear the Turkish economy is growing too quickly and could face problems.

Erdogan has been putting pressure on the central bank not to raise interest rates in an attempt to help borrowers. But experts argue that the central bank should instead raise interest rates to ease inflation and to support the currency.

Erdogan has blamed outside forces for trying to bring down Turkey’s economy. On Friday, he said the country had to take steps in answer “to those who have waged an economic war against us.” He urged Turkish citizens to immediately exchange their gold and dollars for lira.

People change money at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 10, 2018.

Relations "not good at this time"

In his tweet about the new tariffs, Trump said “Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!”

One of the difficult issues affecting U.S.-Turkish relations is a dispute over an American clergyman who has been jailed in Turkey since December 2016.

Turkey has accused Andrew Craig Brunson of spying and “committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member.” Brunson is on trial and faces up to 35 years in prison if he is found guilty.

The United States placed sanctions on two Turkish officials earlier this month because of Brunson’s case.

Andrew Craig Brunson, an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, arrives at his house in Izmir, Turkey, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)

Erdogan said Turkey is not afraid of outside "threats." He added that the country will continue to enjoy good economic relations with several major nations. These include places "from Iran, to Russia, to China and some European countries," he said.

On Friday, Erdogan spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Russian government statement said the two discussed economic and trade ties, including the success of several joint projects.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

tariff – n. a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country

destination – n. the place where someone or something is going

rapidly – adj. happening or moving very quickly

wage – v. to fight or organize in order to achieve something

commit – v. carry out or do something

behalf – n. someone’s interest or support

sanction – n. an order given to limit or stop trade under international law

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AS IT IS

Boxing Program Helps People With Parkinson's Disease

August 10, 2018

Parkinson's patient Jim Coppula gets some pointers from his daughter Ellen as he works out on a bag during his Rock Steady Boxing class in Costa Mesa, California September 18, 2013.

The physical fitness business Rock Steady Boxing NOVA gym opened in McLean, Virginia last December.

That was the good news for 75-year-old Neil Eisner. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years ago. He finds the boxing a helpful way to fight back against the disease.

Parkinson’s disease affects the nervous system and causes people's muscles to become weak and their arms and legs to shake.

Rock Steady Boxing, or RSB, was designed to help people with Parkinson's. The exercises in the program are meant to build specific skills.

One involves hitting a bag to work on strength. Another has trainees crawling across the floor. Eisner says the exercises help him perform everyday tasks like moving around and getting in and out of bed.

Some strengthening exercises work the vocal cords.

Eisner said his trainer is working with him to speak out loudly.

"One of the things interestingly enough is you [Parkinson's patients] tend to have a lower voice. When you have that lower voice, people can't hear you, you don't realize it. So, he asks and is getting us to bring up our voice clearly and more loudly."

Staying active important

Private trainer Alec Langstein likes working with older people because he understands their health issues and the need for them to stay active.

"My aunt has a gym in Westchester, New York, and she does a Rock Steady Boxing program there," he said. "She invited me up to her gym to check out the program. She thought it would be a perfect fit for what I do. I helped out with a few classes, and it was just, I thought, an amazing program."

Parkinson's patient Jim Coppula works out in the ring with boxing coach Justice Smith (L) during his Rock Steady Boxing session in Costa Mesa, California September 16, 2013.

The Rock Steady Boxing nonprofit company was created in 2006 by lawyer Scott C. Newman. He was looking for ways to do physical exercise after being diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 40. Since then, more than 500 boxing programs have been started in the U.S. and around the world.

Langstein went to the organization's headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, to become an RSB-certified trainer. A few months later, he opened his Rock Steady Boxing NOVA gym.

Langstein said that the RSB program centers attention on teaching balance and coordination between the hand and eye. It also teaches reaction and foot movement.

“So when I yell out certain numbers, they have to move and react at the same time. So, the brain and the body is working together.”

He added that it also helps people release some of the anger they may have from having the disease.

Improving quality of life

To understand how RSB can help Parkinson's patients, physical therapist Danielle Sequira says it is important to know what causes the symptoms.

Parkinson's patients Jerry Held (L), Jim Coppula (2nd L) and Dan Cathcart (3rd L) stretch as they begin their workout at Rock Steady Boxing in Costa Mesa, California September 16, 2013.

She said that Parkinson's affects the dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that is important to the operation of the nervous system. A loss of dopamine can make movement difficult.

Boxing and other exercises do not cure the disease or stop the loss of dopamine. But, they can improve the patient's life experience.

Sequira said research shows that exercise helps the brain use dopamine better. She adds that, after working with Parkinson’s patients, her goal is for them to start an exercise program out in the community.

RSB seems to have helped Victoria Hebert reduce the symptoms of her Parkinson's. She has a tremor, or shake, in her left hand, and says some situations can make the shaking worse.

"Being cold, being hot, sitting with a crowd that I'm not real comfortable with, I'll start shaking. I end up having to sit on my hand just to keep it still."

But with this crowd, Hebert feels no need to hide the disease.

"That's the big part of it, sharing experiences with others," she said.

"I have to say…Over eight years of time I've never met another person with Parkinson's. Then, I came here, and it was like a whole class of 20, 25 people with it. It was kind of surprising to me, kind of surprising that I, myself, didn't reach out to anybody before that."

I’m Phil Dierking.

This story was originally written by Faize Elmasry for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted the story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Do you know other exercises that help with diseases? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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