India’s Farmers Struggle with Climate Change

India’s Farmers Struggle with Climate Change

Climate change is altering weather patterns around the world and conditions like rainstorms and dry periods are becoming more extreme. These sudden and dramatic shifts are affecting many industries, especially farming. Farmers in the Asian nation of India have been especially hard hit.  Too Much Rain, Too Little  Weather in the southern regions of India […]

Sri Lanka’s New President

Sri Lanka’s New President

Posted by on Nov 1, 2024 in Stuff You Should Know, World | No Comments

The people of Sri Lanka, the island country located southeast of India, elected a new president: Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dissanayake has vowed to end government corruption and strengthen the country’s economy.  Who Is Anura Kumara Dissanayake?  Dissanayake was born in 1968 in Galewela, a town in central Sri Lanka. Dissanayake attended college and acquired a […]

China Increases Worker Retirement Ages

China Increases Worker Retirement Ages

Posted by on Oct 25, 2024 in Economics, Stuff You Should Know, World | No Comments

China’s legislature recently approved a policy that raises the retirement age for workers. The new policy raises the retirement age of men from 60 to 63. The retirement age changes for women are based upon the type of work they do. The retirement age for women with professional careers will change from age 55 to […]

Former President Jimmy Carter Turns 100

Former President Jimmy Carter Turns 100

In October 2024, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter achieved a milestone. Carter became the first president to celebrate his 100th birthday. Families and friends gathered with him at his home in Plains, Georgia, to honor the occasion. They ate cupcakes and watched antique World War II airplanes fly over his home in his honor.  Carter’s […]

The Annual Replastering of the Great Mosque of Djenné

The Annual Replastering of the Great Mosque of Djenné

The city of Djenné is located in the Inland Niger River Delta of West Africa. This small city is one of the most culturally significant locations in the nation of Mali. It has long been a center of trade and Islamic learning, closely connected to the famous city of Timbuktu. At the heart of Djenné […]

Longshoreman’s Strike Deal Prevents a Major Economic Ripple Effect

Longshoreman’s Strike Deal Prevents a Major Economic Ripple Effect

Posted by on Oct 10, 2024 in Economics, Stuff You Should Know | No Comments

Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reached an agreement to end their strike on Friday, October 4, 2024. These union members are dockworkers at the cargo ports on the nation’s East Coast and Gulf Coast. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) which represents ocean shipping companies and port operators offered 62 percent […]

The History of Pachuco Subculture

The History of Pachuco Subculture

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. These weeks provide an opportunity to explore significant cultural movements of the Hispanic and Latino communities. One such cultural movement is the Pachuco subculture. This subculture emerged during the early twentieth century and became a symbol of Mexican American youth resisting discrimination. Learning about […]

Viking Burial Ground Discovered

Viking Burial Ground Discovered

Posted by on Oct 10, 2024 in Stuff You Should Know, World History | No Comments

A major archaeological find of over fifty skeletons from a Viking burial site may provide new information about Viking culture. The site is estimated to date back to between 900 to 1000 CE. Archaeologists from the Museum Odense discovered the burial site in the village of Åsum, east of Odense, Denmark.   The skeletal remains are […]

Japan’s New Currency

Japan’s New Currency

Posted by on Oct 2, 2024 in Economics, Stuff You Should Know | No Comments

For the first time in 20 years, Japan has new banknotes (paper currency). On July 3, 2024, the Bank of Japan introduced new 10,000-yen, 5,000-yen, and 1,000-yen bills. They showcase three important figures in Japan’s history. They also include new features to limit counterfeiting, or illegally making fake money. Another new feature of the banknotes […]

Mexico’s New Government

Mexico’s New Government

Posted by on Sep 26, 2024 in Stuff You Should Know, World | No Comments

Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, will be sworn in on October 1, 2024.  She is expected to continue the policies of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum will serve through 2030, as Mexico’s president serves one six-year term.   A Background in Science and Government Service  Sheinbaum has a background as a scientist, teacher, […]

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