President Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act
On December 13, 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a bipartisan bill that protects same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level. Thousands attended the signing celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. Here, btw takes a closer look at the Respect for Marriage Act, its impact, and its legal […]
Update on the War Between Ukraine and Russia
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of its neighboring country, Ukraine. At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent approximately 200,000 soldiers into Ukraine. Russia sought to capture the capital city of Kyiv and overthrow the Ukrainian government in a matter of days. Initially, it looked like this would happen. Russia captured […]
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Cuba Approves Women’s Boxing On December 5, 2022, Cuban officials announced that women will be able to compete in boxing in Cuba for the first time in history. Cuban women have competed in other contact sports, such as taekwondo, judo, karate, weightlifting, and wrestling. But they were not allowed to box. . Now, however, Cuba’s […]
YOU DECIDE: Should the U.S. Lower the Voting Age to Sixteen?
New Zealand’s parliament is currently debating whether to lower the country’s voting age from eighteen to sixteen. This comes after the New Zealand’s Supreme Court ruled that setting the voting age at eighteen is age discrimination. Several other nations are considering similar measures, while nine–Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Malta, Nicaragua, and Scotland and Wales–have […]
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Protests Against China’s COVID Policies Imagine that another surge in COVID-19 cases caused the U.S. government to declare another nationwide lockdown. Would you be upset? A government-ordered lockdown in China has resulted in widespread protests, which are rare in China due to extensive government surveillance. So far, several protestors have been arrested. China has one […]
CAREERS: Scientific Illustrator
Do you like to draw? Do you like science? Can you imagine using your drawing skills to re-create ancient worlds and long-extinct ecosystems? Would you like to help the world visualize history and make science come to life? If so, then the career of scientific illustrator might be for you. A fascinating combination of art […]
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The Day of 8 Billion On November 15, 2022, the world reached a milestone: the global population officially surpassed eight billion people. In honor of this event, the United Nations celebrated November 15 as the “Day of Eight Billion.” But is this a good thing or a bad thing? According to the United Nations, population […]
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Archaeological Discoveries in Egypt King Tutankhamun was a pharaoh who ruled Egypt for ten years, until his death in 1324 B.C.E. at the age of nineteen. In 1922, British archaeologists opened his tomb and found a wealth of treasures and artifacts. The study of these artifacts taught the modern world a great deal about ancient […]
Florida’s Wildlife After Hurricane Ian
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm generated devastating winds and ferocious surges of ocean water. About 130 people were killed, thousands were left in need of rescue, many thousands more had no shelter, and millions had no electricity. But humans weren’t the only […]
Disposing of Your Pumpkin . . . the Earth-Friendly Way
Halloween is over, so it’s time to get rid of your jack-o-lantern. But don’t toss it into the trash! Every year, Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pumpkins, just to throw them out after Halloween. You might think that the gourds break down naturally in landfills, but they don’t. There isn’t enough oxygen […]