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 […]
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Soccer Team Rescued from Thailand Caves Last week, btw brought you the story of the boys soccer team that was trapped in a vast cave system in Thailand. Now, after a staggering seventeen days underground, all twelve of the boys and their coach have been rescued and brought to safety. The boys initially became trapped […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Five Types of Diabetes? Do you or someone you know suffer from diabetes? If so, you’re not alone: it’s the fastest-growing disease worldwide. Until recently, the disease has been classified into two types. Type 1, or early-onset diabetes, is the kind that people are born with. Type 2, or late-onset, develops over time. But scientists […]
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Big Plans for Apple in the U.S. Chances are, you own an Apple product . . . or two. But despite its popularity, Apple has also faced a lot of criticism, mostly for outsourcing its manufacturing to Asia, where workers complain of mistreatment and poor conditions. This is obviously bad for Asian workers, but it […]
Year in Review: World News
The U.S. and World Conflicts The deadly civil war in Syria continued to dominate the news throughout the early part of the year. In April, the United States conducted air strikes against the Syrian government, but with Russian support, the rebellion was largely destroyed. Meanwhile, the relationship between the United States and North Korea continued […]
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Brexit Bots? If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard a lot about the possibility of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Most recently, it was revealed that Russia purchased ads on Facebook and Google during the election season in an effort to sway voters. As it turns out, however, the United States […]
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New Options in Education Do you have a plan for what you want to do when you finish high school? In West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the nation, 17 percent of young adults are neither in school nor working. That’s the second-highest rate of “disconnectedness” in the country. Now, West Virginia is trying […]
Happy 150th Birthday Canada!
Last weekend, our neighbor to the north turned 150, celebrating with huge parades and festivals all over the country. Here, btw takes a brief look at the history of Canada. Origins Like the United States, Canada was once populated by tribes of Aboriginal people who were eventually displaced by European explorers. In 1534, French explorer […]
British Election Upset
On June 8, the United Kingdom held a general election, with surprising results. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party lost 12 seats in the UK’s Parliament, which means they also lost their majority. The Labour Party, on the other hand, gained nearly 30 seats. So what does this mean for Britain, especially with Brexit looming? […]
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Japanese Emperor Retiring? In Japan, unlike in the United States, emperors don’t have term limits. In fact, they aren’t allowed to retire . . . ever. But all of that may be about to change. Japan’s current leader, Emperor Akihito, is 83 years old. The son of the infamous Emperor Hirohito, who ruled Japan during […]