Remembering Hurricane Katrina Ten Years Later
You’ve likely heard a number of tenth anniversary stories regarding Katrina, the hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005. Here is a story looking back on the storm and the effects it has on the Gulf Coast region and the people that made it through the storm. (And make sure you click on the […]
ADA: 25 Years of Equality, Independence and Freedom
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This is civil rights legislation intended to create equal opportunities for people with disabilities. It provides both protection from discrimination and requires employers and public facilities to provide appropriate accommodations. In honor of its 25th anniversary of this important […]
Reforming Our Prisons
Last month, President Obama made a visit to the El Reno Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, making him the first sitting American president to visit a federal prison. The trip was an effort to highlight his commitment to overhauling the nation’s criminal justice system. “Mass incarceration makes our entire country worse off,” he said in […]
YOU DECIDE: Is the Iran Deal Good for the United States?
As btw reported back in April, many countries have viewed Iran’s nuclear ambitions as a considerable threat. In 2006, a diplomatic group made up of six world powers calling themselves P5+1 (named for the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus one non-member), gathered together to strategize on the best way to […]
Landmark Ruling on Marriage Equality
At the end of June, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ended its 2014–2015 term with a number of hot-topic decisions. One of its biggest was a landmark ruling on same-sex marriage. This means that the decision will have significant and lasting impact on future legislation. You’ve probably witnessed the flurry of reactions […]
Charleston Deaths Cause National Debate
On Wednesday, June 18, in Charleston, South Carolina, nine African American members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church were shot and killed while attending a Bible study meeting. The victims were members of the Emanuel AME church and citizens of the Charleston area. The three men and six women ranged in age from the […]
Happy Juneteenth
President Abraham Lincoln declared an end to slavery in the United States with the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862. Following the Union army’s success at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln proclaimed “That on the 1st day of January . . . 1863, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a […]
Water and Blues: Texas Flood
Last summer, the state of Texas was in the middle of a severe drought. Heavy rains and tornadoes over the recent Memorial Day weekend, however, have saturated the ground and caused flooding across much of the north and eastern part of the state. Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and parts of Kansas have all experienced record […]
Memorial Day Rememberances
Monuments and memorials tie us to our past and teach us lessons for the future. Official memorials must be pre-approved by an act of Congress. There are 29 official national monuments located throughout the United States, and they are owned and managed by the National Park Service. Fourteen of them are in our nation’s capital, […]
Uniting the Americas in Summit
At the beginning of the year, btw brought you news of President Obama’s announcement of a historic shift in the United States’ relationship with Cuba. Earlier this month, the leaders of the two countries sat down together for the first time in formal talks. Both were present at the Summit of the Americas, a regional conference […]