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February 2024
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December 2023
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November 2023
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October 2023
- The Biden Impeachment Inquiry – Lesson
- The Biden Impeachment Inquiry – Quiz
- Israel vs Hamas: One Week in and Still at War – Lesson
- Israel vs Hamas: One Week in and Still at War – Quiz
- 2023 Nobel Prizes Announced – Lesson
- 2023 Nobel Prizes Announced – Quiz
- Trump Ordered Not to Mention Case Against Him – But Will It Last? – Lesson
- Trump Ordered Not to Mention Case Against Him – But Will It Last? – Quiz
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September 2023
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August 2023
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July 2023
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May 2023
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February 2023
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December 2022
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November 2021
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September 2022
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August 2022
- The US Visits Taiwan Again – What Impact Will It Make? – Lesson
- The US Visits Taiwan Again – What Impact Will It Make? – Quiz
- Cold Showers and Hot Days: Europe Limits People’s Energy Use – Lesson
- Cold Showers and Hot Days: Europe Limits People’s Energy Use – Quiz
- Hidden Art Is Being Discovered Around the World – Lesson
- Hidden Art Is Being Discovered Around the World – Quiz
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July 2022
- Last WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Will ‘Lie in State’ at US Capitol – Lesson
- Last WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Will ‘Lie in State’ at US Capitol – Quiz
- Canada and Denmark Make a Deal over Disputed Arctic Island – Lesson
- Canada and Denmark Make a Deal over Disputed Arctic Island – Quiz
- Texas Schools Spark Debate: What Should Kids Wear in Class? – Lesson
- Texas Schools Spark Debate: What Should Kids Wear in Class? – Quiz
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June 2022
- New York Court Says: An Elephant is Not a Human – Lesson
- New York Court Says: An Elephant is Not a Human – Quiz
- Finance Classes at School – A New Trend? – Lesson
- Finance Classes at School – A New Trend? – Quiz
- NASA Will Study UFOs for the First Time – Lesson
- NASA Will Study UFOs for the First Time – Quiz
- New York City Removes Last Payphone – Or Does It? – Lesson
- New York City Removes Last Payphone – Or Does It? – Quiz
- US Hosts ‘Summit of the Americas’ – Lesson
- US Hosts ‘Summit of the Americas’ – Quiz
- The National Spelling Bee – A Time-Honored Tradition – Lesson
- The National Spelling Bee – A Time-Honored Tradition – Quiz
- Queen Elizabeth Marks 70 Years on Throne with Platinum Jubilee – Lesson
- Queen Elizabeth Marks 70 Years on Throne with Platinum Jubilee – Quiz
- Lifeguard Shortage Could Limit Summer Swimming – Lesson
- Lifeguard Shortage Could Limit Summer Swimming – Quiz
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May 2022
- American Artist Warhol’s Painting Sells for Record Price – Lesson
- American Artist Warhol’s Painting Sells for Record Price – Quiz
- Western US Suffering From Harsh Drought – Lesson
- Western US Suffering From Harsh Drought – Quiz
- Time to Say Goodbye to Incandescent Lightbulbs? – Lesson
- Time to Say Goodbye to Incandescent Lightbulbs? – Quiz
- Tibetan Leader Visits Washington to Gain Support for His Culture – Lesson
- Tibetan Leader Visits Washington to Gain Support for His Culture – Quiz
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April 2022
- Masks on Public Transport – Needed or Not? – Lesson
- Masks on Public Transport – Needed or Not? – Quiz
- Shanghai Under Strict Lockdown in ‘Zero-COVID’ China – Lesson
- Shanghai Under Strict Lockdown in ‘Zero-COVID’ China – Quiz
- Are Roundabouts a Good or Bad Addition to US Cities? – Lesson
- Are Roundabouts a Good or Bad Addition to US Cities? – Quiz
- Is it Chicken Kiev or Kyiv? A Scrumptious Spelling Problem – Lesson
- Is it Chicken Kiev or Kyiv? A Scrumptious Spelling Problem – Quiz
- Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed as Next Judge to Join Supreme Court – Lesson
- Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed as Next Judge to Join Supreme Court – Quiz
- Gas Prices Rise Dramatically Across America – Lesson
- Gas Prices Rise Dramatically Across America – Quiz
- Washington, DC Celebrates 110 Years of Cherry Blossoms in the City – Lesson
- Washington, DC Celebrates 110 Years of Cherry Blossoms in the City – Quiz
- Billionaire Elon Musk Tries to Buy Twitter – Lesson
- Billionaire Elon Musk Tries to Buy Twitter – Quiz
- Meet Patron, Ukraine’s Mine-Sniffing ‘Hero’ Dog – Lesson
- Meet Patron, Ukraine’s Mine-Sniffing ‘Hero’ Dog – Quiz
- Top American Officials Visit Ukraine in Secret – Lesson
- Top American Officials Visit Ukraine in Secret – Quiz
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March 2022
- Supply Chain Crisis: Are Pop-Up Sites the Answer? – Lesson
- Supply Chain Crisis: Are Pop-Up Sites the Answer? – Quiz
- Fare Evaders Beware: New York Mayor to Tackle Subway Crime? – Lesson
- Fare Evaders Beware: New York Mayor to Tackle Subway Crime? – Quiz
- Time’s Up For Switching Clocks? Congress Considers Daylight Saving – Lesson
- Time’s Up For Switching Clocks? Congress Considers Daylight Saving – Quiz
- Ukraine’s President Addresses Congress as War Persists – Lesson
- Ukraine’s President Addresses Congress as War Persists – Quiz
- No More Meat? New York Mayor Decrees Vegan Fridays for Schools – Lesson
- No More Meat? New York Mayor Decrees Vegan Fridays for Schools – Quiz
- Big Business Shuns Russia Over Ukraine Invasion – Lesson
- Big Business Shuns Russia Over Ukraine Invasion – Quiz
- ‘People’s Convoy’ Loops Around US Capital in COVID Protest – Lesson
- ‘People’s Convoy’ Loops Around US Capital in COVID Protest – Quiz
- From Train Robberies to Stores – US Sees a Rise in Crime – Lesson
- From Train Robberies to Stores – US Sees a Rise in Crime – Quiz
- President Biden Gives His First State of the Union Speech – Lesson
- President Biden Gives His First State of the Union Speech – Quiz
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February 2022
- Ukraine War Continues as Peace Talks Begin – Lesson
- Ukraine War Continues as Peace Talks Begin – Quiz
- US States Say Farewell to COVID Rules – Lesson
- US States Say Farewell to COVID Rules – Quiz
- Russia Launches Invasion of Ukraine – Lesson
- Russia Launches Invasion of Ukraine – Quiz
- Feuds Erupt as States Redraw Voting Maps – Lesson
- Feuds Erupt as States Redraw Voting Maps – Quiz
- Monobob Makes Olympic Debut – Lesson
- Monobob Makes Olympic Debut – Quiz
- Canadian Truckers Stage Major Protest Against COVID Laws – Lesson
- Canadian Truckers Stage Major Protest Against COVID Laws – Quiz
- U.S. Sends Troops to Europe as Ukraine-Russia Tensions Rise – Lesson
- U.S. Sends Troops to Europe as Ukraine-Russia Tensions Rise – Quiz
- Winter Olympics Begin in Beijing Amid Calls for Boycott – Lesson
- Winter Olympics Begin in Beijing Amid Calls for Boycott – Quiz
- Afghanistan Faces a ‘Tsunami of Hunger’ Under the Taliban – Lesson
- Afghanistan Faces a ‘Tsunami of Hunger’ Under the Taliban – Quiz
- Dealing With Omicron: COVID Rules Around the World – Lesson
- Dealing With Omicron: COVID Rules Around the World – Quiz
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January 2022
- Teen Pilot Becomes Youngest Girl to Fly Solo Around the World – Lesson
- Teen Pilot Becomes Youngest Girl to Fly Solo Around the World – Quiz
- No More Meat and Potatoes? Supply Down and Prices Up – Lesson
- No More Meat and Potatoes? Supply Down and Prices Up – Quiz
- Flight Confusion as 5G Causes Safety Worries – Lesson
- Flight Confusion as 5G Causes Safety Worries – Quiz
- English Translations on French ID Cards? Some say ‘Non!’ – Lesson
- English Translations on French ID Cards? Some say ‘Non!’ – Quiz
- Omicron: Did COVID Catch the Common Cold? – Lesson
- Omicron: Did COVID Catch the Common Cold? – Quiz
- Five Countries Agree: Nuclear War Must Be Avoided – Lesson
- Five Countries Agree: Nuclear War Must Be Avoided – Quiz
- Enes Kanter’s American Dream Come True – Lesson
- Enes Kanter’s American Dream Come True – Quiz
- U.S. Bans Products Linked to Uighur Slavery – Lesson
- U.S. Bans Products Linked to Uighur Slavery – Quiz
- Time Capsules Found in Base of Robert E. Lee Statue – Lesson
- Time Capsules Found in Base of Robert E. Lee Statue – Quiz
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December 2021
- Russia and US Lock Horns Over Ukraine Border – Lesson
- Russia and US Lock Horns Over Ukraine Border – Quiz
- US Military Starts New UFO Research Group – Lesson
- US Military Starts New UFO Research Group – Quiz
- Omicron COVID Strain Comes Out of South Africa – Lesson
- Omicron COVID Strain Comes Out of South Africa – Quiz
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November 2021
- La Niña Weather Patterns May Affect the US This Winter – Lesson
- La Niña Weather Patterns May Affect the US This Winter – Quiz
- Dads on Duty Help Out at Louisiana High School – Lesson
- Dads on Duty Help Out at Louisiana High School – Quiz
- The Price of Thanksgiving Goes Up in 2021 – Lesson
- The Price of Thanksgiving Goes Up in 2021 – Quiz
- Airlines Struggle with Flights Ahead of the Holidays – Lesson
- Airlines Struggle with Flights Ahead of the Holidays – Quiz
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October 2021
- Crisis and Kidnappings in Haiti – Lesson
- Crisis and Kidnappings in Haiti – Quiz
- US Feels Effects of Computer Chip Shortage – Lesson
- US Feels Effects of Computer Chip Shortage – Quiz
- California Oil Spill Investigations – Lesson
- California Oil Spill Investigations – Quiz
- Michigan Governor Vows to Fix Lead-Infected Water Supply – Lesson
- Michigan Governor Vows to Fix Lead-Infected Water Supply – Quiz
- Nobel Prize Winners Announced – Lesson
- Nobel Prize Winners Announced – Quiz
- COVID and School – Rules Vary Across the Nation – Lesson
- COVID and School – Rules Vary Across the Nation – Quiz
- Toilet Paper Shortage 2.0? – Lesson
- Toilet Paper Shortage 2.0? – Quiz
- A Very Merry COVID Homecoming? – Lesson
- A Very Merry COVID Homecoming? – Quiz
- Merck COVID Pill – A New Way to Treat the Virus? – Lesson
- Merck COVID Pill – A New Way to Treat the Virus? – Quiz
- Eruptions at La Palma and Kilauea Volcanoes – Lesson
- Eruptions at La Palma and Kilauea Volcanoes – Quiz
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September 2021
- US Joins UK and Australia in ‘AUKUS’ Defense Deal – Lesson
- US Joins UK and Australia in ‘AUKUS’ Defense Deal – Quiz
- Rules Change for Travelers to the US – Lesson
- Rules Change for Travelers to the US – Quiz
- Is There a Crisis at the Southern Border? – Lesson
- Is There a Crisis at the Southern Border? – Quiz
- What’s Going On With COVID-19? – Lesson
- What’s Going On With COVID-19? – Quiz
- Biden Announces 6-Step COVID Plan – Lesson
- Biden Announces 6-Step COVID Plan – Quiz
- Private Rescue Missions in Afghanistan – Lesson
- Private Rescue Missions in Afghanistan – Quiz
- China’s Crackdown on Video Games – Lesson
- China’s Crackdown on Video Games – Quiz
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August 2021
- US Military Has Left Afghanistan – But What About Those Left Behind? – Lesson
- US Military Has Left Afghanistan – But What About Those Left Behind? – Quiz
- Hurricane Ida Tests New Orleans – Lesson
- Hurricane Ida Tests New Orleans – Quiz
- Records Set for Paralympic Games – Lesson
- Records Set for Paralympic Games – Quiz
- Storms in Tennessee and Northeast Cause Floods – Lesson
- Storms in Tennessee and Northeast Cause Floods – Quiz
The Writers Strike is Finally Over – Lesson
The writers’ strike is officially over today (Sept. 27), as the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to accept the tentative contract with the studios. Scribes closed their laptops and joined the picket line on May 2, making this the second-longest strike of its kind. But for bingers and moviegoers, and even those who casually watch television or films, the show is not quite ready to go on. The writers may be back on board, but the actors are still on strike, with no talks scheduled for the foreseeable future.
The Strike Brings Changes
Both writers and actors went on strike for better pay, benefits, and control and transparency over the use of artificial intelligence, among other things. For five months, Hollywood has been without its writers, forcing shows to stop production and air reruns. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the WGA were stalled in negotiations, with the AMPTP offering $86 million in changes. However, the tentative contract agreed upon, and that writers must officially ratify in early October, increased to $233 million, which many say is a huge win.
The new contract, valid from Sept. 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026, includes a 5% minimum pay increase with more bumps in 2024 and 2025. It also includes “increased foreign streaming residuals” and a “viewership-based streaming bonus” according to the agreement published by the WGA.
“Each writer on a writing team employed for a script will receive pension and health contributions up to the relevant cap,” the contract says. “In addition, when a writing team is employed on a series, the contribution for each writer on the team will be made on the full weekly minimum instead of one-half of the weekly minimum.”
On the contentious point of AI, the contract is not so rigid, allowing room for negotiations at the end of the three-year term. It does, however, regulate the use of artificial intelligence but allows some flexibility to members. A writer “can elect to use AI when performing writing services,” the contract states, but also specifies that “AI is not a writer.”
The strike officially ended at 12:01 a.m. PT, which, as the WGA negotiating committee said, “allows writers to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.”
However, after five months off, there’s a lot of work to do. Plus, the SAG-AFTRA strike is still going on, and writers have been encouraged to join the actors in their protests, just as Hollywood elites stood behind their creators. SAG-AFTRA comprises the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and they have yet to come to an agreement. They have been on the picket lines since July 13.
In a July press conference, Fran Drescher (The Nanny), the SAG-AFTRA president who heads the union, said, “We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way that the people we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things.”
The writers’ strike may be over, but don’t get your hopes up for your favorite shows or anticipated movies to be showing up soon. There’s still a lot of backlog to catch up on. Besides, the scribes may produce the scripts but, without the actors, there’s still no show.