Stuff YOU Should Know
Brazil’s Election Upset On October 30, 2022, the people of Brazil voted in a new president: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “Lula,” as da Silva is widely known, beat out incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro by a narrow margin: 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent. Bolsonaro is a far-right populist who is known for his pro-business policies. […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Georgia Proclaims February 23 Ahmaud Arbery Day On February 23, 2020, an African American man named Ahmaud Arbery was jogging in a residential area in Georgia when he was pursued, confronted, and fatally shot by three armed white men: Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan. On February 22, 2022–almost two years exactly from […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Brazil’s New President The new year brought more than just confetti in Brazil, where Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as president on January 1. Bolsonaro, 63, is a far-right-wing conservative. Though he is a retired army captain and congressman, he has no previous experience in the executive branch. In fact, he has often been called […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Deadly Earthquake in Japan Last Thursday, a magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan. It lasted for almost a minute, causing roads to collapse, and leading to deadly landslides that killed at least nine people. An additional seven people died of heart attacks as a result of the earthquake. More than 150 people were injured, and in […]
Zika: A Closer Look
A few years ago, after the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa, btw brought you a story that gave you the basics of the virus news. With more news reports of the Zika virus in Miami, Florida and a number of cases in Puerto Rico, we offer you information that will help you better understand […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
New Brazilian Leadership Last month, btw brought you a story of significant conflict within Brazil’s government. Since then, President Dilma Rousseff has been “suspended” from office and faces trial for impeachment. Michel Temer was installed in her place. In a speech he gave during a ceremony introducing his ministers (equivalent to our cabinet), he said, […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Brussels Attacked The story has become and all-too-familiar one, all around the world: On Wednesday, March 23, members of the terrorist group ISIS detonated bombs in a public place. This time, it was an airport and nearby subway station in Brussels, Belgium. In the busy, early-morning rush hour, two explosions (40 minutes apart) killed 35 […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
McDonalds in Brazil Under Investigation As you probably know, McDonald’s is the largest hamburger fast food chain in the world, with restaurants located in 119 countries. Many of those restaurants are operated as “franchises,” which means they are run by individuals under the guidelines made by the corporation. In Latin American, McDonalds’ largest franchise owner […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
India’s New Prime Minister In what is being called a “landmark election victory,” Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will become India’s newest prime minister (the highest political office in the country). Modi won 282 seats, ten more than needed to secure a parliamentary majority. He campaigned with promises of reviving the economy […]