FDA Approves COVID Booster for Children Ages 5 to 11
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States is currently averaging more than 100,000 cases per day. This is the first time since February 2022 that the daily average has risen above 100,000. Right now, two-thirds of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And on May 17, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
Remembering Norm Mineta: Groundbreaking Cabinet Member
Norman Mineta died on May 3, 2022, at his home in Maryland. Mineta served in two presidential cabinets as head of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Mineta was the first Asian American appointed to the Cabinet in 2000. As Transportation Secretary during the Bush administration, he helped manage the airline industry in the days following […]
Art and Politics: The 50th Anniversary of Watergate
In the early 1970s, the United States government experienced the Watergate scandal. The investigation led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. Now, the National Portrait Gallery has produced an art exhibit commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of this moment in American history. Here, btw takes a closer look at Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue. What Was Watergate? Early […]
“Troublemaker”: A New Book by John Cho
Difficult times can sometimes lead to important progress. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in anti-Asian American racism and hate crimes. Asian Americans were wrongfully blamed by some for the disease’s introduction in the United States. John Cho–an Asian American actor best known for his roles in films such as Better Luck Tomorrow and […]
Earth Day 2022: Invest in Our Planet
April 22, 2022, is the forty-second worldwide observance of Earth Day. This year’s theme is Invest in Our Planet, which encourages business, government, and individuals to work together to combat climate change. Do you know how Earth Day started? Do you know how you can participate in this year’s observance? Here, btw takes a closer […]
Remembering Madeleine Albright
Dr. Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. Secretary of State, passed away from cancer on March 23, 2022, in Washington, D.C. She was 84 years old. Here, btw reflects on Albright’s incredible life and legacy. Albright’s Early Life and Early Career Madeleine Albright was born Marie Jana Korbelova in Czechoslovakia in May 1937. She was […]
Women’s History Month: The American Quarter Program
Have you ever noticed that most of the people who appear on American money are men? The American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program hopes to change that. Beginning this year and running through 2025, the United States Mint will be issuing five quarters per year that feature women on the “tails” side of the coin. The […]
Women’s History Month: Sidney Robertson Cowell
In honor of Women’s History Month, btw is highlighting the achievements and contributions of women who are less often acknowledged. This week btw takes a closer look at Sidney Robertson Cowell, an important ethnographer (someone who studies people and cultures) and folk music collector. She was instrumental in gathering and preserving folk music in California […]
Women’s History Month: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he was nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring. If the nomination is approved by the Senate, Judge Brown Jackson will be the first African American woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Who […]
Russia Invades Ukraine
Recent headlines and news feeds have been dominated by stories about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an independent democratic nation of 44 million people. What caused Russia to invade its neighbor? What is Russian president Vladimir Putin’s goal? How will the rest of the world respond? Here, btw takes a closer look at this volatile […]