Stuff YOU Should Know
Biden Calls Killing of Armenians Genocide Over one hundred years ago, about 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Now, for the first time, an American president has officially recognized this tragedy as a genocide. President Biden made a statement on April 24, 2021, on the 106th anniversary […]
Anniversaries of the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Seventy-five years ago last week, the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities: Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). This decision was largely credited with speeding the end of World War II. But it also caused enormous devastation to Japanese civilians. Here, btw takes a closer look at the impact […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Reconsidering Facial Recognition Technology Imagine that you are accused by law enforcement of a crime you didn’t commit. Imagine that the reason for your arrest is that you were misidentified by flawed facial recognition technology. Following the protests surrounding George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Democrats in Congress have been considering widespread police reform. One of […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Coronavirus Hits Prisons By now you’re probably very familiar with the phrase “social distancing.” Hopefully, you and your friends and neighbors have been practicing this policy. But what happens when people are kept together in close quarters and physically can’t practice social distancing–such as in prisons? The United Nations addressed this concern last week, saying […]
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The Bright Side of Quarantine No doubt about it: the self-quarantining and shutdowns resulting from the worldwide coronavirus outbreak have caused a lot of stress. Some experts worry about the effect widespread business closures will have on the economy in the long run; others are concerned about the psychological effects of social isolation. But there […]
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A Plan for Peace and Safety After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day in 2018, students across the United States came together to protest gun violence. On March 24, 2018, the group marched on Washington, D.C., with over 880 sister marches taking place at the same […]
Japanese Emperor Abdicates Throne
Emperor Akihito, the 125th emperor of Japan, is stepping down from the throne he has held since 1989. Why is this such significant news? Because Akihito is the first Japanese emperor in modern history (since about the mid-1800s) to abdicate, or leave, his throne. Here, btw takes a closer look at the decision, and at […]
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Deadly Earthquake in Japan Last Thursday, a magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan. It lasted for almost a minute, causing roads to collapse, and leading to deadly landslides that killed at least nine people. An additional seven people died of heart attacks as a result of the earthquake. More than 150 people were injured, and in […]
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A Champion Promise LeBron James may be the best basketball player in the world. But now he’s contributing something to society that’s arguably even more meaningful: a school. Situated in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, James’s school–called “I Promise”–is no ordinary educational facility. Focusing on academically “at-risk” youth, the program seeks to do more than […]
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 […]