Layoffs in the Tech Industry
In 2023, more than 260,000 jobs in the United States were lost in the technology industry. During the first four weeks of 2024, nearly 100 technology companies laid off about 25,000 employees combined. This included workers from Google, Amazon, TikTok, and Microsoft. Why are employees being let go in an industry that continues to innovate? […]
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A Vaccine for Alzheimer’s? The news is full of stories about the COVID-19 vaccine, but there is another vaccine being tested that could make just as big a difference in the lives of many Americans. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and kills more than 120,000 Americans per year. An estimated six […]
Finding Your Way(band)
Running a marathon is extremely difficult, even under the best of circumstances. But runners with disabilities may face a whole host of additional challenges. Here, btw takes a look at the unique story of a runner named Simon Wheatcroft, and how new technology helped make it possible for him to run the New York City […]
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A New Name for Rhode Island Did you know that the real name of Rhode Island isn’t just . . . Rhode Island? It’s actually “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” For the past several decades, residents have pushed to have the second part of the state’s name removed, due to its historical […]
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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 […]
Smartphones: The Future of Voting?
Last week, btw took a closer look at the new use of smartphones in the Iowa caucus: for the first time ever, Iowans will be able to vote for their favorite candidate in the Democratic primary election from the comfort of their own homes, using an app on their phones. But Iowa isn’t the only […]
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A Nation at War? Congress Wants a Say Last week, btw brought you a closer look at the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Now, Congress is trying to dial back that tension and avoid war by putting a limit on some of the president’s war-related powers. Introduced by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, the […]
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A Festival of . . . Camels? Now that summer is approaching, festival season is upon us. Across the United States, you can find festivals celebrating nearly everything, from hot air balloons to sauerkraut, from corn to walleye. But here’s one festival you’ll need to travel a bit further for: the Thousand Camel Festival. Held […]
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Deadly Shooting in California It was supposed to be just a fun night out. But for a dozen people at a California bar, the evening ended in tragedy. Last Wednesday evening at about 11:20 pm, during “College Country Night,” Ian David Long entered the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, dressed all in […]
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Silence of the Girls As you can probably imagine, cell phones are an important part of life for teenagers in almost all parts of the world, not just the United States. And you can probably also imagine that some teenagers have greater access to technology than others, right? But what you might not know is […]