#Gamergate: Beyond Fun and Games
Do you play video games? If so, you may be aware of an ongoing controversy that goes by the name #Gamergate. (∗See explanatory note at the end of this article.∗) There has been a lot of coverage, and a lot of confusing accusations, flying around this story. So btw is going to try and break […]
2014 Nobel Peace Prize Honors Champions for Children
Protecting the rights of children received worldwide recognition last week. The Norwegian Nobel Committee co-awarded its prestigious Peace Prize to Kaliash Satyarthi of India and Pakistani teenager, Malala Yousafzai. Many saw this pairing as a hopeful sign considering the recent flaring of an ages-old conflict between the two countries who share a common border. Both […]
Ebola: What It Is and Is Not
Back in the summer, btw brought you news of an outbreak of Ebola. In the months since, thousands have died and concern over how to both treat victims and stop the rapid spread has grown. What began in West Africa has now officially spread to the United States. A Liberian man named Thomas Duncan had […]
UPDATED: Scotland’s Declaration of Independence?
At the height of the British Empire, England had rule over one-quarter of the world’s population. In the years since, some of the countries under their rule either won their independence through war (the United States and India) or through diplomatic negotiations (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Of its remaining fourteen territories, the citizens of […]
The President’s Address about the Islamic State
The problems in Iraq have been a growing concern for the American people and the Obama administration for the last several months. btw has been providing some summary stories on the advance of the group sometimes known as The Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), the Islamic State in Libya (ISIL), or simply The Islamic State. […]
Proudly Hailing Our Stripes and Stars
When was the last time you sang the Star Spangled Banner? If you attend a lot a sporting events, probably a lot, or maybe the start of a fireworks show this past 4th of July? When was the last time you thought about its origin? The symbols that define America’s national identity–the bald eagle, the […]
Becoming Better, Bit by Bit
September is Self Improvement Month. There are many areas of our lives–physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual to name a few–where even a little improvement can have a significant impact. New Years is typically the time people make resolutions, but the start of a new school year can be a great time for reevaluating those […]
Women’s Equality Day
Tuesday, August 26 is Women’s Equality Day in the United States. This day commemorates the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment where women citizens in the United States were give the right to vote. Learn more about this day by reading information about it on the White House blog page. You can also learn more about […]
Civil Unrest: Yesterday and Today
It has been more than two weeks since the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager sparked protests and riots throughout a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. But the debate that has begun after this this event is not likely to come to a resolution any time soon. As the United States Justice Department and […]
The Difficult Road to Finding Peace
For the past month, btw has been updating you on the latest flare-up in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The recent rash of fighting began July 8 when the Hamas launched rockets into Israel, who responded with a counter-attack air campaign. As new developments continue to come out of the region daily, we […]