A rising tide of automation, trade problems and lagging growth in productivity has slashed millions of jobs from the U.S. manufacturing sector. At the same time, a small factory in Northbridge, Massachusetts, has been hiring, expanding and exporting. Riverdale Mills hopes to grow further by making unusual products and building a strong workforce. Riverdale makes materials that have revolutionized lobster fishing with unique processes and materials. The company applied lessons from fishing to making security fences, including some that protect borders.  After welding, the wire metal mesh is dunked in …

Americans shower their loved ones with gifts on Valentine’s Day, with chocolate candy being the most popular gift-giving item, according to a recent National Retail Federation survey. The organization estimates consumers will spend $1.7 million on chocolates this year. That keeps Ben Rasmussen, who creates award-winning chocolates, especially busy. VOA’s June Soh visited his one-man chocolate factory in the Virginia suburbs. Carol Pearson narrates her report. … From: MeNeedIt

In May 2015, China convened a meeting of representatives of 56 countries to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, against stiff U.S. resistance. This May, Chinese President Xi Jinping is inviting heads of several countries in Asia, Europe and the American continent for a meeting in Beijing under the name of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Forum. Chinese officials and experts have made it clear the May meeting’s purpose goes beyond OBOR because they want it to discuss the rising specter of protectionism in different countries, including the United States. …

No place is safe from pollution, including the deepest parts of the oceans. Writing in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom say small creatures called amphipods that live in the Mariana and Kermadec trenches, both of which are more than 10 kilometers deep, have “extremely high levels” of man-made toxic chemicals in their fatty tissues. The chemicals, called Persistent Organic Pollutants, include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PCBs were produced from the 1930s through the 1970s when they were …

French car manufacturer Peugeot has bought India’s most iconic car brand from its maker Hindustan Motors in a deal that signifies the passing of an era in India’s motoring history.   Over the weekend, the C.K. Birla Group that owns Hindustan Motors said it had signed an agreement with Peugeot SA to sell the Ambassador for 800 million rupees ($12 million).   The hulking Ambassador sedan remained largely unchanged for more than five decades, ferrying India’s elite, including prime ministers, visiting heads of states and celebrities. It was a throwback …

Several Chinese cities have shut down their poultry markets in the wake of a bird flu outbreak that has killed at least two dozen people this year across China. Live poultry sales have now been suspended in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, as well as markets across the eastern province of Zhejiang, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, as authorities deal with dozens of new cases of H7N9 bird flu.   Nearly 300 markets and slaughterhouses were shut down in the southwestern Chinese city of Suining, …

The 59th annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles on February 12, honoring the top performers in music over the previous year. Here are the award winners:   Album of the year: “25,” Adele. Record of the year: “Hello,” Adele. Best new artist: Chance the Rapper. Song of the year (songwriter’s award): “Hello,” Adele and Greg Kurstin. Best pop solo performance: “Hello,” Adele. Best pop vocal album: “25,” Adele. Best traditional pop vocal album: “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin,” Willie Nelson. Best pop duo or group performance: “Stressed Out,” …

Adele won the trifecta – album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year – at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, beating out Beyonce in all three categories.  When she won the record of the year, Adele said, “My dream and my idol is Queen B and I want you to be my mommy.” Earlier in the show, Beyonce delivered a performance that was an ode to motherhood with her twin-carrying baby bump featured prominently. Beyonce won the Grammy for best …