Learning About Presidents Day
Each year on the third Monday in February, the United States celebrates Presidents’ Day. This holiday’s history began in 1885. That’s when Congress established February 22 as a day off for all federal government workers to honor George Washington’s birthday. The Holiday’s History This was the first federal holiday created to honor an individual’s birth […]
Motel Renovation Highlights Role of A.G. Gaston in the Civil Rights Movement
The renovation of an important building in the American civil rights movement is nearly complete. The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham, Alabama is now a part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. The motel served as a safe place for African American travelers who were discriminated against in the American South during the 1950s […]
Minnesota’s New State Flag
Minnesotans will see a new flag flying over schools, government offices, and public buildings this spring. The State Emblems Redesign Commission approved the new state flag design in January 2024. What Motivated the Redesign? Government officials and numerous citizen groups believe the new design reflects Minnesota better than the previous design. The old design included […]
Workers in India Rescued After 17 Days
On November 12, 2023, a landslide and tunnel collapse trapped forty-one construction workers in a tunnel in the Himalayas in northern India. On November 28, after 17 days underground, all of the workers were freed! They emerged through a 3-foot-wide escape tunnel that rescuers had carefully drilled. Although wheeled stretchers were available, the men crawled […]
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 […]