Stuff YOU Should Know
New Developments in Brexit For the past two years, Europe has tried to figure out the terms of Britain’s plan to leave the European Union (EU), a process known as “Brexit.” This has been complicated because Britain wants to stay connected to the EU in some ways, such as free trade, but separate itself on […]
Kroger Bans Plastic Bags
In June, btw brought you the story of how many businesses, and even cities, are banning plastic drinking straws in an effort to eliminate some of the plastic waste in our oceans and waterways. Now, one U.S. grocery store chain is taking another important anti-plastic measure, and banning single-use plastic bags as well. The Kroger […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
A Civic Debate Does your school require you to take a civics class? Probably not. Civics classes focus on the study of U.S. government, history, and democracy. One of the reasons why our country first set up a widespread public education system was to create informed and active participants in the government. Until the 1960s, […]
Stop Sipping to Save the Earth
When you order your favorite soft drink or milkshake, how do you drink it? If you said “With a straw,” you’re not alone. In fact, Americans use an estimated 500 million plastic straws every day. But this is about to change. Across the country, universities, food service companies, and even entire cities are banning plastic […]
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Cold Start to 2018 Did you miss any school last week due to snow and freezing temperatures? Over a million students did, particularly along the East Coast, where an intense winter storm–known as a “bomb cyclone,” a “winter hurricane,” or a “nor’easter”–shut down schools and airline flights, and led to floods and even several fatalities. […]
Year in Review: Science and Technology
Space and Discovery One of this year’s most exciting events was the “Great American Eclipse,” which took place on Monday, August 21. Eclipse mania gripped the nation as thousands of Americans traveled to visit the path of totality. Meanwhile, after 20 years in space, and 13 years orbiting Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft’s mission ended dramatically […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Gender and Political Party In the United States today, who has it easier: women or men? As it turns out, your answer might depend at least somewhat on your political party. While 50 percent of Democrats say that women have a tougher time, only 19 percent of Republicans think so. Moreover, while more than two-thirds […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Equi-Hack You may have heard of Equifax. It’s one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the country. It has collected the information of more than 800 million individual consumers and 88 million businesses worldwide. And last week, it got hacked. A security flaw in the Equifax system allowed hackers to gain access […]
California Leads the Way in the Battle Against Climate Change
Back in June, Election Central brought you the story of how California governor Jerry Brown was leading a group of governors and mayors from across the country who all pledged to follow the tents of the Paris Climate Accord even after President Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement. Now, we take a […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Chinese Drought Continues Northern China, especially Inner Mongolia, is facing its worst drought in history. The intense temperature and lack of rainfall over the past few months are causing more and more of the region to be taken over by desert in a process known as desertification. As of late May, roughly 120,000 people and […]