When you listen to stories about the US government, you often hear this word: Senate. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it adjourn under the previous order. The Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow. The Senate is one of the two major groups of lawmakers that make up the US national legislature. There are 100 Senators, two from each state. Along with the House of Representatives, they make the nation's laws. Senators also approve treaties and high-level federal officials. Now, when you hear the word "Senate," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America;s "News Words." This word does not mean something good: Several municipalities declared bankruptcy before Detroit did, but their debts were smaller. Stockton, California owed $26 million, while Detroit owes 18-and-a-half billion. "Bankruptcy" means you don't have enough money to pay your debts. It is a formal and legal action. People, companies, and even cities, can declare bankruptcy. It often means that their property will be sold to pay their debts. And they will have a bad credit rating for years. Now, when you hear the word "bankruptcy," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Many business news stories use this word when talking about making money: The US central bank noted in its statement that the job market has improved, consumer spending and business investment has increased and the housing market is stronger. When people or companies put money into a business, for example, with the hope of making more money, it is called an "investment." Investments can include stocks, bonds, property, and equipment. Businesses make investments hoping to increase their profits. Now, when you hear the word "investment," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words." In the US, federal laws are made by the Congress. Listen to this story about two bills: Even if the immigration bill passes in the Senate, lawmakers in the House of Representatives are considering their own reforms. Agriculture also is a focus this week, as the Senate prepares to vote on the Farm Bill. The House is expected to take up the package later this month. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members. The number of representatives each state has depends on the number of people in the state. Often, this group of lawmakers is called simply "the House." Now, when you hear the term "House of Representatives," you'll know what these News Words means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words," where we teach you about words in the news. Today's word has to do with criminal charges and the courts. The indictment that the grand jury returned today charges the defendant with numerous counts, among them: conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, and using a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death. An "indictment" is a list of charges against someone after he or she has been arrested for a crime. It details what the person will stand trial for in a US court of law. Now, when you hear the word "indictment," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words," where we teach you about words in the news. When you hear the word "encouraging" in a news story, what does it mean? In this monthly jobs report, was the news good or bad? 175,000 jobs created in an encouraging sign of improvement in our labor market. "Encouraging" means to give hope that something good will happen -- in this case, more jobs will lead to a better economy. And if people encourage you to do something, it means they support you and want you to succeed. Now, when you hear the word "encouraging," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words," where we teach you about words in the news. US Army Private Bradley Manning was convicted of making public the largest number of secret documents in history. After three years in prison, the 25-year-old soldier and former intelligence analyst arrived at military court to hear his sentence: 35 years for committing espionage. Espionage means to spy. It is when a country uses people to get secret military and political information about another nation. And industrial espionage is when a company spies on another business to get plans or technical information. Now, when you hear the word "espionage," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words," where we teach you about words in the news. When the George W. Bush Presidential Library opened in Texas, all of the living US presidents - past and present - gathered for the ceremony. One of the things that the presidential library's opening demonstrates in many ways is an end to the administration. This is really the last thing he is going to do as president of this administration of this group of people. The word "presidential" means having to do with a president. Presidential libraries hold the official papers from a president's administration. Presidential elections are when voters choose a president, often a nation's top public official. Now, when you hear the word "presidential," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words." Here's a word you might have heard: Surveillance. It's in a story about US government intelligence agencies watching Americans'telephone and Internet records. President Obama put forward his defense of the secret surveillance programs, when asked by a reporter during a health care event in California. "Surveillance" means to watch or follow someone, or something, closely. Usually, it's done secretly. US intelligence groups say gathering telephone and internet records helps prevent terrorism. Now, when you hear the word "surveillance," your English will be good enough to know what this News Word means. Welcome to the Voice of America's "News Words," where we teach you about words in the news. When you hear a story about American business, sometimes you hear this phrase: Stock market. Traders are pausing Thursday after the US stock market's longest rally since July. A stock market is where people buy and sell ownership certificates, or stock, in companies. Many countries have stock markets. In the United States, the best known one is the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. The NASDAQ is another American stock market. Now, when you hear the phrase "stock market," your English will be good enough to know what these News Words mean. For more "News Words", visit our website at LearningEnglish.voanews.com. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday rekindled his criticism of California’s wildfire prevention steps and threatened to withhold billions of dollars of federal funding amid one of the most destructive fire seasons on record. “It’s hurting our budget, it’s hurting our country and they better get their act together,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting about California’s forestry management. He did not specify the type of funding that could be withheld. The Republican president’s comments, which followed his criticism in August of California’s wildfire prevention efforts, were aimed at Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, whom he has frequently criticized over immigration and other policies. With wildfires having charred nearly 2.8 million acres (1.1 million hectares) over the past two years in California, Trump said the state should do more to remove rotten trees and other debris that fuel fires. Brown’s press secretary, Evan Westrup, cited several fire prevention steps the governor had taken, including last month’s law requiring utilities to have fire prevention plans, and an order doubling to 500,000 acres (202,340 hectares) the land open to vegetation thinning. “The president’s comments are about as credible as his self-proclaimed ‘natural instinct for science,’” Westrup said in an email, referring to Trump’s self-assessment in an Associated Press interview this week. Six years of drought The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, noted that in the past two years of intense wildfires, the amount of federally managed forest land in California burned exceeded the amount of charred state forest land by 1.49 million acres (603,000 hectares) to 1.13 million acres (457,000 hectares). A six-year drought is mainly blamed for killing an estimated 129 million trees in state forests and CalFire has crews of 60 workers clearing debris every day, spokesman Scott McLean said by telephone. This week, California’s largest public utility cut off power to about 60,000 customers for up to two days in a fire prevention move when high winds threatened to topple trees and power lines. Plenty of water In August, Trump tweeted that unspecified water diversions to the Pacific Ocean were making California wildfires harder to fight. California had plenty of water to fight the blazes and the fires are primarily fought by crews hacking away at dry brush with hand tools and bulldozers, not with water, McLean said at the time.