Thanksgiving Turkey and Traditions
Americans love turkey on Thanksgiving, and it’s only fitting that the president pay homage to one of the countries dearest traditions. Just look at some of these turkey facts through American history. One of the country’s founding fathers Benjamin Franklin had proposed the turkey as the United States’ national bird, instead of the bald eagle. […]
Kenya and Other Nations Focus on Planting More Trees
The east African nation of Kenya has a goal to grow 15 billion trees by 2032. This is part of an effort to restore trees to over 10 million hectares (over 38,000 square miles) of land. On Monday, November 13, 2023, this effort to improve Kenya’s environment received a major boost. Kenya’s government declared that […]
A Pause in Seismic Blasting off Australia’s Western Coast
Australia’s federal court recently ruled that Woodside Energy, Australia’s largest oil and gas company, could not start looking for natural gas deposits under the ocean floor. The court ruled that Woodside Energy failed to discuss the plans with all the affected indigenous groups. Indigenous groups are descendants of the earliest known inhabitants of a region. […]
Maui Wildfire Relief Efforts
The wildfires on Maui that began on August 8, 2023, have caused extensive damage on this Hawaiian island. Severe drought and high winds from Hurricane Dora created conditions that fueled several fires on the island. Precise causes of the fires are still under investigation. A rapidly moving fire destroyed the town of Lahaina, Maui. […]
Russian Spy Whale in Danger?
Did you know that several countries, including the United States, train animals in espionage and other military activities? A beluga whale named Hvaldimir is thought to be a Russian spy whale. Hvaldimir faces dangerous conditions in Sweden. Here, btw takes a closer look at Hvaldimir’s story, as well as the role that animals play in […]
Montana Bans TikTok
If you’re like many Americans, you probably spend time on the popular social media app TikTok. In fact, about 150 million Americans say they use it regularly. But the governor of Montana has now signed a law banning the app, and other states are likely to follow suit. Is this legal? And how will these […]
New Encyclopedia Makes Indian Art History Accessible
On April 21, 2023, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru, India, launched the first comprehensive online encyclopedia of Indian art. The Encyclopedia of Art includes over 2,000 entries that span 10,000 years of art history. It provides information about works dating from the Prehistoric Era) to today. The art represents all ten […]
Fox News Agrees to Legal Settlement with Dominion Voting Systems
On April 18, 2023, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems in a legal settlement. This agreement prevented a long court trial and ended a much-watched battle that involved media reporting and the First Amendment. Dominion is a company based in Denver, Colorado. It sells electronic hardware and software, such as […]
Former President Trump Charged with Felonies
On March 30, 2023, former president Donald Trump was charged with falsifying business records at his private company. Falsifying business records includes entering inaccurate information on a business document for one’s own benefit. It is illegal under New York state law. The records in question are related to money Trump sent to his personal lawyer, […]
Arab American Heritage Month
April is observed as Arab American Heritage month in many places across the United States, though it is not officially recognized by the federal government. Today, there are nearly 3.7 Arab Americans living in all fifty United States. These people can trace their roots to 22 Arab-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa. […]