YOU DECIDE: Should Election Day be a National Holiday?
Tuesday, November 5, 2024, is Election Day in the United States. People will be voting for a new president and vice president, along with members of Congress, and state and local issues and candidates. Some voters will have already voted by mail or through early voting. Others will vote in person at their local polling […]
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Sojourner Truth’s Legal Petition In 1828, Isabella Van Wagenen walked into a courthouse in Kingston, New York, to petition a white man to release her nine-year-old son, Peter, from illegal enslavement in Alabama. Peter was released from enslavement on March 15, 1828. It is believed that this case was the first time that an African […]
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Parliament: Back in Session Last month, Election Central brought you the latest update in the Brexit saga (Brexit is the nickname assigned to Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union). At that point, Boris Johnson, Britain’s new conservative prime minister, had convinced Queen Elizabeth II to prorogue Parliament. That meant that Parliament would be […]
Explaining the Panama Papers
Earlier this month, confidential files from a law firm called Mossack Fonseca were made public. The documents, collectively called “the Panama Papers,” were leaked by an anonymous source to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), who shared them with various news organizations. This week, btw breaks down the basics, offers a comparison of other […]
A History of Educational Fixes
Right about now, more than 55 million kids are starting back to school in the United States. Thirty years ago, our nation’s education system was ranked one of the best in the world. Today, that brag is slipping further out of our grasp as our math rankings in particular continue to fall below our expectations. […]
Happy 800th Birthday, Magna Carta!
If there were a Hall of Fame for historical documents, the Magna Carta would be its most valuable player. It is considered one of the most influential pieces of writings in all of history. This past weekend marked the 800th anniversary of the signing of this historic document of governing principles. To mark this milestone […]
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Tis the Season to be Awesome! Last year, btw enthusiastically brought you news of the wildly successful crowdfunding campaign called Project for Awesome. In 2007, “Vlogbrothers” Hank and John Green (the latter of whom is the popular YA writer) encouraged anyone with a camera and a charity to promote to upload a video educating the public […]
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U.S. Ship Violates International Law in Indian Waters On October 12, the Coast Guard of India stopped a ship it suspected of carrying firearms without permission. Local fishermen tipped off the Guard. All 35 crew members on board were detained (jailed) for questioning, and the ship was impounded (taken temporarily.) The MV Seaman Guard Ohio […]
Is Another Government Shutdown Possible?
Congress is about to return from its month-long summer recess. They will be faced with the major task of passing a continuing resolution to fund the government for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1. Failure to reach an agreement could result in a government shutdown, which is what happens when a legislative body […]
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Boston Marathon Bombing Update The bomb that exploded during the Boston Marathon on April 21 killed three people and injured more than 260. The victims ranged in age from 7 to 71. Sixteen of them lost limbs, either directly from the blast, or from complications that required an amputation. Many more of the victims have […]