Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America.

I'm Katie Weaver.

And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower and we use words

and phrases especially written for people learning English.

On today's program, Anna Mateo tells the story of America's national bird, the bold eagle,

on All About America. Years ago, the bird of prey seemed like it might disappear, but today

it has recovered and is no longer threatened. Next, Brian Lynn reports on the successful moon landing of a private spacecraft,

operated by Firefly Aerospace in the state of Texas.

Then, Anna is back with a story about how knitting has become popular in many places

in the world as people mix the industrious pastime with movie watching in groups. Then Jill Robbins

and Andrew Smith talk about feedback on Lesson of the Day. But first, we hear from Anna.

The Bald Eagle is a symbol of the United States. An image of the bird is on the flag and seal of the U.S. President,

the seal of the U.S. Supreme Court,

military insignia, as well as the dollar bill.

Even so, the bird has had its ups and downs. At one time the bald eagle was at risk of

permanent disappearance or extinction. Later, however, its numbers recovered. In the early 2000s, the federal government removed the bird from its

endangered species list. Culturally, too, the raptors are doing well again. In December

2024, before leaving office, Joe Biden signed legislation officially making the

bald eagle the national bird of the United States.

The bald eagle has a long complex story of species weakness and recovery. An insect-killing chemical called DDT played a major part in that story.

DDT is a chemical used to kill insects. The substance also proved harmful to eagle eggs. American officials banned DDT in

...