Stuff YOU Should Know
Happy Thanksgiving! Food Prices are Falling Grocery prices have been falling for eight straight months, the longest streak of falling food prices in the U.S. since the 1960s: bad news for grocery stores, good news for consumers. On average, egg and cheese prices have dropped 50 percent in the last year. Other staples, such as […]
A Look at the Syrian Conflict
During the second presidential debate earlier this month, both candidates made references to the ongoing conflict in Syria, particularly in the city of Aleppo. The war in Syria began as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad five years ago, and has since split Syria into many parts, killed more than 400,000 people, and displaced millions […]
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Officer Acquittal in Freddie Gray Case Last year, btw brought you news of the death of Freddie Gray. Gray died while in the custody of Baltimore, Maryland police. News of his death sparked outrage and protests that came in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. Last month, officer Edward Nero went […]
ISIS Strikes Beirut and Paris
Last Friday, November 13, terrorists conducted several attacks in Paris. There were also terrorist attacks the day before in Beirut, Lebanon. In both cases, the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) has assumed responsibility for targeting innocent bystanders in busy, public places. The terrorist group also officially claimed responsibility for the Russian airliner that had been […]
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Russian Jet Crash Suspicious Last month, a Russian airliner exploded over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. All 224 passengers were killed. Unlike the Malaysian plane that disappeared over the Indian Ocean last year, however, the United States is not involved in the investigation. (There were no Americans on the flight, which would have given our […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Russian Air Strikes in Syria As ISIS continues to threaten in Syria, Russia has acted on its own with air strikes. A coalition against ISIS—which includes the U.S., France, Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia—has publically opposed the military actions. The coalition nations say that the Russian have killed civilians and air strikes […]
Where Was Putin?
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on March 5, and then wasn’t seen or heard from again for eleven days. This is highly unusual because the Russian leader typically maintains an almost-daily presence in the lives of the Russian people. News of his visits, meetings, and general daily activities are […]
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Another Attempt at Peace in Russia For the past year, btw has brought you stories about the conflict in Russia regarding its relationship with the neighboring Ukraine. The most recent effort to halt the ongoing violence is a series of peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois […]
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Celebrating Flight There are a lot of days marked to commemorate great achievements (or great figures) of history. August 19th marks National Aviation Day. The day coincides with the birthdate of American inventor Orville Wright–although it honors the achievement of his brother Wilbur as well. This commemoration day was established in 1939 by an official […]
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Aviatrix Extraordinaire July 24 was Amelia Earhart Day, a celebration of a famous female pilot innovator. The small town of Atchison, Kansas (Earhart’s birthplace) celebrates the accomplishments of their favorite daughter by drawing the community into its downtown for a day of food, crafts, carnival games and a concert. The first annual celebration took place in […]