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News Decoder teams up with UNESCO to promote press freedom
News Decoder is helping UNESCO promote press freedom with a global webinar on how threats to journalists’ safety imperil the public’s right to know.
Student skater wins fight to keep New York ice rink open
COVID-19 has hit businesses and tourism hard. But when New York said it would close a famous ice rink, Serena Sabet fought back — and won.
Burmese in U.S. fight for democracy in Myanmar
They are 8,000 miles from Myanmar, but Burmese in the U.S. are raising money in a fight for the restoration of democracy in the Asian nation.
The world still bears the scars of Modern Colonialism
I was taught that Modern Colonialism was a force for global good. Later I learned it was a system of exploitation, oppression and enslavement.
The Civil Rights Movement haunts us even today
Inspired by Black Lives Matter protests, I offer a photo essay as a haunting reminder that the fight continues decades after the Civil Rights Movement.
Like other empires, U.S. faces hard choices in Afghanistan
The U.S. wants to end its longest war and withdraw from Afghanistan—called by some the graveyard of empires. But a May 1 deadline looks uncertain.
COVID-19 has exacerbated eating problems for world’s youth
By cutting the supply of nutritious food and curbing mobility, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated eating troubles among youth around the world.
Caught between China and the U.S., I feel both love and guilt
Born in China, I decided to study in the U.S. I love my home country but harbor guilt as over time I become less and less Chinese.
How ping-pong transformed U.S.-China relations
Ping-pong players paved the way for a thaw in relations between China and the U.S. in the early 1970s. I witnessed this pivotal moment in history.
Is attending U.S. college worth the cost? Well, it depends.
U.S. colleges can cost a lot, and many students take on debt. Is it really worth it, financially, to pay all that money for higher education? Let’s see.
With art protest, concerned students raise climate alarm
Students in Brussels are engaging in an art protest to show the world that it’s time to make far-reaching changes to avert a climate catastrophe.
Yemen war snuffs out fleeting hope for change
A civil war in Yemen marked by foreign meddling has created an unparalleled humanitarian disaster with no end in sight, even if a truce were agreed.
Climate change imperils California water. But there’s hope.
California’s water supplies are being squeezed by climate change. By better capturing, recycling and distributing water, the state can avert a crisis.
Italy taps a technocrat as leader. A model for other states?
For the fourth time in three decades, a divided Italy has named a technocrat as its leader. Is Mario Draghi a model for nations shouldering huge debts?
Democracy is under siege as autocrats advance amid COVID-19
Emboldened by the COVID-19 pandemic, autocrats are strengthening their grip around the world as democracy steadily loses ground.
We probe Mars to grasp humankind’s place in the universe
By exploring Mars, we have taken a step closer to understanding humankind. Did life begin on the Red Planet? Could we one day live there?
Remembering trees and other wonders of nature
An old man and his great-grandson look out over a city — devoid of trees. Is this nature as our offspring will know it?
In France, breaking the code of silence on incest
Allegations of incest in a prominent family are forcing France to come to terms with sexual misconduct that until recently was widely overlooked.
Faculty Spotlight: Linda Rodriguez of St. Andrew’s School
Linda Rodriguez of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Mississippi stands out for helping her students see beyond the confines of their U.S. school.
Antibiotic resistance could prove deadlier than COVID-19
Around the world, microbes are outsmarting drugs. If antibiotics against disease don’t work, bacteria could end up killing more people than COVID-19.
Big money for Big Pharma in rush for COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 is not the world’s first pandemic, but the rush to develop vaccines for the disease is unusual for its speed and the big money for Big Pharma.
Should a COVID-19 vaccine be an obligation for everyone?
As COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out around the world, there's an unanswered question: Should it be an obligation for all of us to be vaccinated? A man receives a COVID-19...
Do GameStop’s wild moves portend a stock market bubble?
Does a battle over GameStop shares that has pitted defiant online investors against big Wall Street firms mean we’re in a stock market bubble?
Prizes honor work helping youth grasp COVID, press freedom
Two new global prizes will honor news producers who help youth understand COVID-19 and teachers who help students learn about press freedom.
COVID-19 confinement can exacerbate seasonal depression
Winter can mean less light and trigger crippling seasonal depression. Confinement due to COVID-19 has made it harder for many people to cope.
Why don’t more U.S. schools teach about climate change?
Most Americans want schools to teach about global warming. But skeptics and lack of training make it hard to implement climate change education.
Can Gen Z push world leaders to fight climate change?
COVID-19 vaccines have been developed in record time. Can that impetus and Gen Z help the world tackle the complex problem of climate change?
Can America’s dysfunctional politics recover its balance?
The U.S. Republican Party is badly split and America’s politics dysfunctional. Is there a way out of this mess?
Russians want change, even without embracing dissident Navalny
Russians are keen for change but are not necessarily pinning their hopes on dissident Alexei Navalny as an alternative to Vladimir Putin.
Microplastics in newborn babies — a hidden peril
They are far smaller than a human hair. But microplastics have been found in newborn babies and pose a growing threat to humans’ health.
Mass trial takes aim at Italy’s dominant mafia
Gutsy prosecutors crippled the Cosa Nostra decades ago. Now, a new trial aims to strike a blow against the ‘Ndrangheta, Italy’s dominant mafia.
India sets example with massive COVID-19 vaccination program
Sprawling and populous, India presents unique healthcare challenges. Its vast COVID-19 vaccination program offers an example to even rich nations.
Poor nations lag in COVID vaccination, posing global peril
COVID-19 vaccination programs are moving slowly in poor nations, threatening the world’s health and raising risks for rich countries’ economies.
In polarized times, we need to listen even to hateful views
Playing in a rock band helped me see that in these polarized times, we need to listen to hateful views to heal divisions and save democracy.
Trump’s “Big Lie” stirs a revolt and mars U.S. standing
Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” — that Joe Biden stole the U.S. presidential election — has stoked a domestic revolt and tarnished America’s global stature.
Will U.S., under Biden, seek ‘primacy’ against rival China?
A top secret White House document, surprisingly declassified, says the U.S. should seek “primacy” against rival China and promote ties with India.
Decoder Spotlight: Christina MacCorkle of The Thacher School
She has written two articles and is organizing a webinar on nationalism. Student Ambassador Christina MacCorkle is now Decoder in the Spotlight.
Biden stirs worries among U.S. allies in Middle East
Donald Trump knit close ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia. The new U.S. administration under Joe Biden is reassessing relations with the Middle East.
South Korea offers lessons for U.S. social movements
A pro-democracy movement in South Korea offers lessons to two U.S. social movements — against police brutality and for a defeated ex-president.
Russian dissident Navalny challenges Putin’s protracted rule
Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia with an iron fist for two decades. Now, dissident Alexei Navalny is testing the Kremlin leader’s enduring grip on power.
To save Earth, should killing nature be made a crime?
Threats to nature persist despite global efforts to save our planet. Is it time to get tough and make killing nature an international crime?
Biden, Harris will not permit white supremacy, students told
In a shift from the Trump administration, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will not tolerate white supremacy, two experts tell a News Decoder webinar.
Deepfakes and AI spur disinformation and threaten democracy
Fake news is already eroding our shared sense of reality. Now, deepfakes and AI stand to fuel disinformation and imperil democracy.
Indigenous communities in Canada more vulnerable to COVID-19
Overcrowding, a flow of migrants, lack of resources — so many reasons Indigenous communities in Canada and elsewhere are vulnerable to COVID-19.
Memoir offers insider look at presidents, a queen and a pope
News Decoder correspondent Gene Gibbons covered six U.S. presidents. His White House memoir offers portraits of presidents, a queen and a pope.
UK PM Johnson’s future clouded by COVID-19, Brexit fallout
Despite a Brexit deal with the EU, Boris Johnson’s popularity as UK leader has plunged as COVID-19 wreaks havoc, with his foibles on display.
Trump, COVID-19 ensure troubled U.S. handover to Biden
Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the U.S. presidential election and COVID-19 ensure an uneasy transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden.
Our most popular stories in 2020 — a year of growth
Articles about COVID-19 and the United States attracted the most eyes in 2020 — a year of substantial growth in News Decoder’s worldwide traffic.
Honduran nonprofit’s trials reflect pandemic’s toll on NGOs
A Honduran nonprofit that builds schools and tackles poverty hopes to outlast the pandemic. Its financial hardship is shared by nonprofits globally.
COVID-19 and a year that changed how we see the future
For some, COVID-19 has meant grief, for others inconvenience. But the year has made us ask: Should we go back to “normal” when the future arrives?