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Burcu Karakas

Burcu Karakas is a graduate student at Boston University, studying international relations and journalism. She is serving as a D.C. correspondent for the New Bedford Standard Times. Burcu worked in Istanbul, Turkey as an intern for Milliyet, a major newspaper in the country. She also worked as a foreign news desk intern for CNN Turk. During her time in Washington, she also will be interning at Voice of America's Turkish service. Burcu looks forward to getting the most out of the program.

STORIES WRITTEN:

Women more vulnerable to global warming, UN report says

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Women are likelier to be affected by and to suffer from climate change than men are, according to a United Nations Population Fund report released Wednesday.

Terra cotta warriors watch over National Geographic

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 —The greatest number of the famous Chinese terra cotta warriors ever to travel to the United States will be on display beginning Thursday at the National Geographic Museum in Washington.

More H1N1 vaccine expected in the following weeks

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 —Leaders of a Senate committee expressed disappointment and frustration Tuesday over the slow pace of distribution of the H1N1 vaccine. Speaking at a committee hearing Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said there have been “more flu deaths than previously realized and fewer vaccine does than originally promised.” He said this created public frustration and confusion among those with the highest risk.

Early child education discussed in Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 – Viewing early childhood education as an economic issue was the focus of a national conference in Washington this week. Partners in Early Childhood and Economic Development, a program funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, convened experts to discuss and share ideas about the future of early childhood education in the country.

Biometric information used in identifying criminals

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 – Federal agencies and local law enforcement departments have identified more than 111,000 criminal aliens in the first year of a joint program that checks the digital fingerprints of persons arrested and booked at the local level against immigration and FBI records.

Coakley beats other Democrats on fundraising

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 – Martha Coakley raised almost $2.2 million in one month in her race to replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate, much more than did  the two other candidates in the Dec. 8 Democratic primary, according to each candidate’s campaign finance filing.with the Federal Election Commission.

Team Boston competing in Solar Decathlon

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 – Curio House, a project designed and built by students from Boston Architectural College and Tufts University, is competing this week in the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall.

Bill Clinton urges changes to current health-care system

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 —Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday the nation’s health-care delivery system is no longer sustainable.

Immigration detention system changes announced by Napolitano

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 – New initiatives to enhance the security and efficiency of the immigration detention system were introduced by Department of Homeland Security officials Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the aim was to “update the entire immigration system.”

Biden: Change in health care system is needed by everyone

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 —Vice President Joe Biden told state insurance commissioners Tuesday that the health insurance status quo needed to be changed immediately. Biden spoke to members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners at the group’s annual conference in a nearby Maryland suburb, telling them the need to change the system is for everyone and “not only for those who don’t have health insurance.”

Massachusetts protesters join taxpayers march in capital

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 –Protesting a host of issues from health care reform to the stimulus packages, tens of thousands of people gathered in downtown Washington Saturday to demonstrate for lower taxes and less government.