How Texans Stepped Up To Help One Another During The Brutal Freeze

The deadly winter storm, which swept across 22 states — from Texas to Maine — the week of February 14, 2021, delivered large amounts of snow and ice, and established numerous low-temperature records. While over 140 million Americans were impacted, Texas was particularly hard hit. The Arctic chill caused about 60 percent of the state's energy sources to go offline and water pipes to freeze and burst, leaving millions without electricity and water....

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Remembering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Supreme Court Justice and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at her home in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2020, from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. The 87-year-old, who was appointed to the nation's highest court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, was the longest sitting Supreme Court Justice. She was also only the second woman, after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, to serve in this position....

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Reflecting On The Life And Legacy of Civil Rights Icon John Lewis

American civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA) passed away on July 17, 2020, following a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The 80-year-old dedicated his life to building what he called "The Beloved Community" in America — first as a civil rights leader and then as a lawmaker advocating, for reforms on issues from gun control to health care....

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Three Missions Set To Launch To The Red Planet In July

The solar system is about to get busy! In the next few weeks, a slew of spacecraft will embark on a one-way journey to Mars, to seek evidence of past life and to further investigate its unusual atmosphere. The back-to-back missions are timed to take advantage of the short window of opportunity — caused by celestial mechanics — that will allow them to reach the Red Planet in the most efficient and cost-effective manner....

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Gorgeous Rare White Grizzly Bear Sighted In Canada

With less than 55,000 grizzly bears left in the wild across North America, the sighting of even one is a cause for celebration. Hence you can only imagine how delighted Cara Clarkson and her family were when they spotted two young grizzlies — one with rarely seen all-white fur— foraging alongside the Trans-Canada Highway near Banff, Canada, on April 26, 2020....

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Massive Protests Instigate Sweeping Police Reforms In The US

The unwarranted death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by a Minneapolis, MN, police officer on May 25, 2020, has reignited the debate about race-based police abuse. Protestors argue that the current law enforcement system encourages systemic racism and are calling for nationwide police reform. In addition to changing the laws, activists are also making a strong case for "defunding the police."...

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Americans Demand Justice For George Floyd

Since May 26, 2020, cities across the US have been gripped by protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died in police custody on May 25, 2020. The incident has led to one of the biggest displays of unrest seen in America in 50 years and reignited the debate about law enforcement and race relations globally. From May 30 to June 1, 2020, thousands of demonstrators in cities across the world — from London to Berlin to Auckland to Brazil — marched in solidarity with their US counterparts to demand justice for Floyd and to protest against the mistreatment of minority groups in their respective countries....

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Memorial Day Celebrations Get Innovative Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Memorial Day celebrations usually involve parades, flag ceremonies, and other formal public recognitions to honor the brave men and women of the American Armed Forces who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. This includes those in the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. However, the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing requirement is causing American cities and towns to cancel the beloved traditions and find new ways to honor their fallen heroes. Here are a few innovative festivities planned for the holiday, which will be observed on May 25, 2020....

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Random Acts of Kindness Bring Joy During Coronavirus Outbreak

With schools and businesses closed and many cities and towns under mandatory shelter-in-place orders, the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has drastically changed lives globally within a matter of weeks. To bring joy, optimism, and strength during this difficult period, people and organizations worldwide are performing random acts of kindness for total strangers. Here are a few heartwarming deeds that will bring a smile to your face during these unprecedented times....

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The New Coronavirus Explained

On December 31, 2019, Chinese officials announced that 27 people in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, had been infected with a new strain of the coronavirus. Since then, the number of cases of the contagious affliction labeled 2019-nCoV, COVID-19, or Wuhan virus, have rapidly increased, with new cases being reported daily. On Thursday, January 30, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency, highlighting the urgency for a rapid coordinated international response to curb this global health risk....

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Gung Hay Fat Choy! Welcome To The Year Of The Rat!

On January 25, 2020, over 1.6 billion people of Asian descent across the globe will celebrate the first day of the Chinese New Year — China's grandest festival and longest public holiday. Also known as the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, it is observed on the first day of the lunar calendar, the dates of which fall somewhere between January 21 and February 20 annually....

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The US Senate Impeachment Trial Process Explained

On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, a solemn group of seven US House prosecutors, known as impeachment managers, delivered the 1,416-word bound "Articles of Impeachment Against Donald John Trump" to the Senate Chamber. The ceremonial procession marked the beginning of a rare Senate impeachment trial — only witnessed twice before in American history — to decide whether or not President Trump pressured Ukraine to conduct investigations for his personal political benefit. Here is how the impeachment trial will proceed....

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Commemorating The 18th Anniversary Of The September 11 Terrorist Attacks

On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, Americans will commemorate the 18th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in modern US history. On September 11, 2001, 19 members of the Islamic extremist organization Al Qaeda conducted a series of brutal, well-orchestrated attacks on American soil. In addition to cutting short the lives of 2,977 innocent people, the tragedy also set in motion events that would change the course of life both in the US and worldwide....

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Epic Games Hands Out $30 Million In Cash Prizes At Inaugural Fortnite World Cup

From July 26 to July 28, 2019, New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium hosted the biggest video game competition of all time — the Fortnite World Cup. The event, witnessed by a live audience of over 23,000 and more than 2 million fans online, was the culmination of a 10-week qualification process that whittled down the approximately 40 million hopefuls to the final 200 competitors. In a true testament to the game's universal appeal, the contestants hailed from 34 countries and ranged in age from 13 to 24....

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Jeff Bezos Unveils Plans To Send The First Commercial Manned Mission To The Moon

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world's wealthiest person, was just five years old when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. However, he has never forgotten the grainy black-and-white footage from the historic moment. Since then, the moon has always been the center of the entrepreneur's space-faring ambitions which are channeled through his self-funded spaceflight company, Blue Origin....

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The Partial Government Shutdown Explained

If you have been paying any attention to the news, you probably know that the US Government has been partially shut since midnight December 21, 2018. More specifically, work at nine departments, as well as some agencies making up roughly 25 percent of the federal government, has either ground to a halt or is being conducted at a slower pace because the budget to fund their day-to-day operations has not been approved by Congress. As a result, a fraction of the 800,000 employees, who are considered “non-essential,” have been furloughed, or forced to take a leave of absence. The remaining “essential” employees are expected to report for duty as usual, but will not get paid until a budget has been approved....

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It's Almost Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November, is one of the most popular holidays on the American calendar. Though traditionally a religious and cultural celebration, it is now observed by all. The origin of the fun tradition, which will be observed on November 22, 2018, can be traced back to a harvest feast in 1621. It was organized by Governor William Bradford to celebrate the Pilgrims’ first successful corn harvest....

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Meet Naomi Osaka, 2018 US Open Champion And Japan's First Grand Slam Winner

Naomi Osaka was just two years old when Serena Williams beat the world’s highest-ranked women’s tennis player, Martina Hingis, to win her first US Open title in 1999. Since then, Naomi has watched her idol conquer the tennis world with 22 more Grand Slams, the four most important annual tennis events – the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. On Saturday, September 8, the now 20-year-old Naomi stunned the world by winning the 2018 Women’s US Open Singles Championship, stopping Serena’s quest to achieve her 24th Grand Slam title and tying with Australia's Margaret Court for the all-time record. Naomi’s first Grand Slam victory was particularly sweet given that she is the first Japanese tennis player to achieve this honor....

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Americans Bid Farewell To Senator John McCain

John Sidney McCain III, a decorated war hero and one of the most respected American politicians in recent memory, died on Saturday, August 25, 2018, at his ranch in Sedona, Arizona. The senator, who was just days away from celebrating his 82nd birthday, was admired for his ability to put aside political party differences aside and do what he believed was best for the country....

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US Women Athletes Shine At The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics

After mesmerizing sports fans worldwide for 16 days, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics drew to a close on February 25 with a spectacular light show, featuring 300 Intel drones and K-Pop music. While Team USA, which had the fourth highest medal count with 23 in total, saw virtuosic performances from all its 241 athletes, it was female competitors like 17-year-old snowboarder Chloe Kim that shone the brightest. For the first time in 20 years, American women, who won five of the nine gold medals and thirteen overall, secured more medals than their male counterparts....

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Bolt And Phelps Cement Their Golden Legacies At The Rio 2016 Olympics

The Rio 2016 Olympics will be remembered for many things — Katie Ledecky’s dominating performance in the 800-meter freestyle, Simone Biles’s flawless gymnastic routines, Abbey D'Agostino’s and Nikki Hamblin’s sportsmanship during the 5000-meter qualifying run, and the list goes on. However, the moments that will be forever etched on everyone’s minds will be the events that featured two of the world’s greatest athletes — Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and American swimmer Michael Phelps — who both declared their retirement following the Rio Games....

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