Stuff YOU Should Know
Polar Vortex Explained If you live in the northeastern quarter of the United States, then you probably spent the first of the year hunkered down waiting for the weather to change. The abnormally low temperatures are being blamed on a phenomenon known as the polar vortex. While it may sound like the name of a […]
Japan’s Shrinking Population
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan recently reported that there were 6,000 fewer babies born in 2013 (1,031,000 total) than the year before. This is the fifth consecutive period of decrease. At the same time, there were 19,000 more deaths (1,275,000). This trend is not new news, as Japan has seen a […]
btw’s Year in Review: World News
Last week, btw took a look at the big stories from around the United States. This week we move on to the rest of the world. With the Internet, social media and other various outlets, the world community feels closer than ever. We saw a shift in leadership with the election of a new pope […]
Understanding Apartheid
Last week, btw reported on the death of Nelson Mandela. He was a prominent world leader and South Africa’s first black president. But he is perhaps best known for his fight to successfully end apartheid in his country. So What Is It? South Africa has a long history of racial tension going back to its […]
Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013
Nelson Mandela passed away yesterday. Mandela was one of the most significant political and social leaders of the late 20th century. As a political activist, Mandela led social protests in South Africa against that nation’s apartheid policy of racial segregation. For his actions, Mandela was jailed by the South African government. He spent 27 years […]
A Look at Magnificent Libraries
Going back to their earliest days–2600 B.C.E.–libraries have been many things to many people. For some, they are institutions of learning and a place to acquire knowledge. For others, they are sanctuaries, safe havens, community gathering spaces or architectural marvels. Even today, in an age where the printed word is challenged by digital content, libraries […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
China Ends One-Child Policy China has the highest population of any country in the world. Between 1949 and 1976, its population almost doubled from 540 million to 940 million. This was due, in part, to a dramatic increase in life expectancy as well as a belief that more people empowered the country. In 1979, however, […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Super Typhoon Thrashes the Philippines The strongest recorded storm ever to reach land hit the Philippines on November 8. There are at least 10,000 reported deaths so far, and more than 11 million people said to be affected, around 673,000 of them completely displaced. The Philippines is a country made up of a cluster (or […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Us First! You have probably heard about the Wright Brothers, the guys from Dayton, Ohio who have the credit for building the world’s first operable airplane and making the first human flight. You may also know about Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the place where the brothers first flew their plane. You might not have heard of […]
The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
The end of war can be cause for celebration. The acknowledgement of victory and the joy of the thought of returning home to loved ones is cause to remember. Edward George Honey, a World War I veteran and journalist living in London at that war’s end also believed it was cause for a respectful silence. […]