Library of Congress Transcription Campaign for Post-Civil War Petition
The Library of Congress By the People program uses the power of the internet to make historical documents and historical research more accessible, readable, and searchable. In March 2023, the Library of Congress began a new campaign to learn more about a post-Civil War petition calling for equal rights for African Americans. A petition is […]
YOU DECIDE: Should the U.S. Lower the Voting Age to Sixteen?
New Zealand’s parliament is currently debating whether to lower the country’s voting age from eighteen to sixteen. This comes after the New Zealand’s Supreme Court ruled that setting the voting age at eighteen is age discrimination. Several other nations are considering similar measures, while nine–Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Malta, Nicaragua, and Scotland and Wales–have […]
North Carolina Revises Voting Laws for Felons
This week’s Election Central post takes a look at a North Carolina change in voting rights. If someone has been convicted of a felony, do you think that he or she should still have the right to vote? States vary widely when it comes to restoring voting rights to convicted felons. A case in North […]
Young Voters and the 2020 Election
The most recent story on Election Central focuses on the impact and engagement of young voters in the 2020 election. You may have heard it said before: Young people don’t vote. They aren’t engaged in politics. But believe it or not, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially in the past few years, young […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
McGrath Wins Kentucky Democratic Primary If you are a regular news consumer, you’ve probably heard of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican who is also the Majority Leader of the Senate. Democrats are eager for a chance to defeat McConnell’s reelection attempt in November, but first the Democrats have to complete the primary process. After […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Brexit Finally Happens Yes, you read that right. Since 2016, btw has been bringing you stories speculating about Brexit–the formal separation of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU). And now, it has finally happened. But did you miss it? For more than three years, the world has waited tensely for the terms of […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Census Controversy Continues? You may have heard that the 2020 census is coming up. The census–an official count of every person living in the United States–is very important because the government uses that information to determine funding and programs for different communities. Census data is also used to draw voting districts. As you also may […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Paradise, California: Six Months Later Six months ago, btw brought you the story of the devastating California Camp fire, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed thousands of structures, including homes. Eight thousand families survived the blaze, but lost their houses. Today, half a year later, roughly a thousand families in the town of […]
YOU DECIDE: Voting Rights for Ex-Criminals?
In November, Florida voters approved Amendment 4, a ballot initiative that, for the first time, allows Florida residents with felony records to vote. According to the new amendment, anyone who has completed their prison sentence is eligible to vote, though people who have been convicted of murder or felony sex offenses still are not. The […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Paradise Lost Once again, Northern California is finding itself ravaged by wildfires–and this year is the deadliest and most destructive one yet. The confirmed death toll currently stands at 85, but with at least 249 still missing, it’s expected to continue to rise. Furthermore, after two weeks, the Camp Fire has destroyed more buildings than […]