The Father of Modern Surfing
As we celebrate the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community during the month of May, btw remembers the father of modern surfing. Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku was also a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming. Duke Kahanamoku’s Early Life Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was born in Honolulu in 1890 when Hawaii […]
Maui Wildfire Relief Efforts
The wildfires on Maui that began on August 8, 2023, have caused extensive damage on this Hawaiian island. Severe drought and high winds from Hurricane Dora created conditions that fueled several fires on the island. Precise causes of the fires are still under investigation. A rapidly moving fire destroyed the town of Lahaina, Maui. […]
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Protests Against China’s COVID Policies Imagine that another surge in COVID-19 cases caused the U.S. government to declare another nationwide lockdown. Would you be upset? A government-ordered lockdown in China has resulted in widespread protests, which are rare in China due to extensive government surveillance. So far, several protestors have been arrested. China has one […]
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Hawaii May Lift Travel Restrictions Soon As COVID infection rates and new case counts decline across the country, many states and communities are relaxing restrictions. Mask mandates, social distancing rules, and travel restrictions are being removed. Hawaii has some of the strictest travel restrictions in the country, but it may be dropping these rules by […]
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Delivery Companies Go Electric More Americans are purchasing electric passenger vehicles. But they still only accounted for two percent of new vehicle sales in 2020. Major delivery companies are putting greater emphasis on electric vehicles in their delivery fleet. UPS has purchased 10,000 electric vehicles; Amazon has purchased 100,000; DHL plans to replace one-fifth of […]
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Hawaiians Face Widespread Unemployment and Few Solutions Hawaii has been hit harder than most other states by the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s because the islands are so heavily dependent on the tourism industry, which has ground nearly to a halt. While several states depend on tourism, Hawaii is unique because most […]
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California Tackles Homelessness Crisis Widespread homelessness can sometimes feel like an impossible problem to solve. But in the wake of receiving a troubling report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently, the governor of California has decided to make a bold attempt at tackling his state’s homelessness problem: by declaring a […]
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Crisis in Venezuela United States citizens may consider elections to be stressful and sometimes controversial events. But Venezuela is facing a potentially violent crisis in the aftermath of its own presidential elections last week. The country’s sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, has refused to recognize top vote-getter, leader of the National Assembly Juan Guaido, claiming election […]
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Voter Controversy in Georgia A new development in the hotly-contested Georgia governor’s race has led to accusations of voter suppression. To review: in November, Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state, will face off against Stacey Abrams, the Democratic former state House minority leader. If Abrams wins, she will become the first black governor in […]
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 […]