The 50th Anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy
Fifty years ago this month, the American table tennis team started a dialogue between American athletes and Chinese athletes that began a resumption of diplomacy between the two nations. The foundations for what became known as “Ping Pong Diplomacy” had been set years before. American and Chinese table tennis players first met at a tournament […]
Senate Briefed on Foreign Threats
Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee received a briefing on national security threats from the top U.S. intelligence officials. The intelligence officials named four major foreign threats to U.S. security: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Here, btw takes a closer look at their remarks, and at what the Biden administration plans to do to […]
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Alabama Bill Helps People with Disabilities Needing Transplants Imagine this: you are in desperate need of a kidney transplant. But because of a disability, you can’t be put on the waiting list to receive a new kidney. That is currently the law in Alabama. However, last Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives voted unanimously in […]
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China Faces Dangerous Dust Storm Last week, strong winds blew dust from the Gobi Desert across much of the northern part of China. This caused what weather experts describe as the worst sandstorm China has seen in ten years. The dust turned the sky visibly yellow. Some schools were shut down, and more than four […]
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Back to School? Whether you’re attending school remotely or in a hybrid in-person model, chances are this school year has been a different experience. It’s likely that even if you attend school in-person, your routine is different, and some events and extracurricular activities have been cancelled. You’re probably wondering when things ever will be back […]
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California’s COVID Lockdown Since early December 2020, most of California has been on lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because ICU availability in hospitals has dropped below 15 percent in many areas of the state. Prohibited activities under the lockdown include dining in at restaurants, working out at gyms, visiting salons, […]
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Finalizing the 2020 Presidential Election On Monday, December 14 the members of the electoral college met in each of the 50 states and in the District of Columbia to officially cast their votes representing the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Each of the state’s group of electors cast their votes in turn, starting with […]
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Biden’s Childcare Plan Did you go to private childcare when you were younger? Do you have younger siblings that attend daycare, summer camp, or some other care program that your parents pay for? If so, you are not alone. Many working parents rely on these services daily. But the expense of childcare makes it a […]
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The Price of an Epidemic By now, you’ve likely heard about coronavirus, and you’re probably aware that it’s not a good thing. The disease continues to spread worldwide; just last week, the number of cases in Italy spiked from three to 152 in just a few days. South Korea has raised its national threat level […]
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Brexit Finally Happens Yes, you read that right. Since 2016, btw has been bringing you stories speculating about Brexit–the formal separation of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU). And now, it has finally happened. But did you miss it? For more than three years, the world has waited tensely for the terms of […]