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Analysis

Saturday

Trayvon Martin's killing 10 years ago changed the tenor of democracy

People in Los Angeles walk in a silent protest march on April 9, 2012, to demand justice for the killing of Trayvon Martin. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

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David McNew/Getty Images

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

Trayvon Martin's killing 10 years ago changed the tenor of democracy

The Black teen's killing on Feb. 26, 2012, helped spark Black Lives Matter. Though the movement has seemingly yielded some cultural change, it comes at a time when hope for legal change is tenuous.

This won't be the first State of the Union speech given during a crisis

President Biden's State of the Union speech Tuesday will be his first since becoming president. But in April 2021, he addressed a joint session of Congress, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Harris behind him on the dais. Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images

Ukraine invasion — explained

This won't be the first State of the Union speech given during a crisis

Even when under maximum pressure, presidents have viewed the speech as a unique opportunity to make their case to the rest of the government, to the nation as a whole and to the wider world as well.

The U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs miss the richest of the rich

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walk past honour guards at the Kremlin in Moscow. U.S. sanctions are targeting Putin and a handful of individuals believed to be among his closest advisors. Sergei Karpukhin/AP hide caption

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Sergei Karpukhin/AP

World

The U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs miss the richest of the rich

The sanctions may do little to dim the jet-setting lifestyles of Russia's ultra-rich and infamous – much less force a withdrawal of tanks and troops.

Friday

George Takei got reparations. He says they 'strengthen the integrity of America'

George Takei testifies before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in California in 1981. Kaz Takeuchi/Visual Communications Photographic Archive hide caption

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Kaz Takeuchi/Visual Communications Photographic Archive

Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022

George Takei got reparations. He says they 'strengthen the integrity of America'

Eighty years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order that sent thousands of Japanese Americans to internment camps. Actor George Takei was among them.

George Takei got reparations. He says they 'strengthen the integrity of America'

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Thursday

American-Born Athletes Competing For China Experience Extra Scrutiny

A skier passes a billboard showing American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, or Gu Ailing, who competes for China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images hide caption

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Consider This from NPR

American-Born Athletes Competing For China Experience Extra Scrutiny

Just under three dozen of China's athletes competing at the Olympics this year were born in other countries. Most famously, ski prodigy Eileen Gu, who has dozens of brand sponsorships and is praised on Chinese social media. That's in contrast to skater Zhu Yi, who has been called a "disgrace" after she fell during her short program. And the rhetoric appears on both sides. Some U.S. commentators have criticized Gu for her decision to compete for China.

American-Born Athletes Competing For China Experience Extra Scrutiny

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Will Activision Blizzard workers unionize? Microsoft's deal complicates things

Raven Software helps develop the popular Call of Duty franchise for Activision Blizzard. Recently, workers there staged a weeks-long walkout to protest layoffs. Courtesy of Activision hide caption

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Courtesy of Activision

Technology

Will Activision Blizzard workers unionize? Microsoft's deal complicates things

The video game industry has long been resistant to organizing. But quality assurance testers at video game giant Activision Blizzard hope to change that.

Will Activision Blizzard workers unionize? Microsoft's deal complicates things

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Tuesday

Monday

Ukraine president's ratings fall as crisis with Russia brews

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes a selfie at the first congress of his party called Servant of the People in the city Botanical Garden, Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, June 9, 2019. Zoya Shu/AP hide caption

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Zoya Shu/AP

World

Ukraine president's ratings fall as crisis with Russia brews

After 2½ years in office, the former comedian Volodymur Zelenskyy is watching his once enormous support dissolve as Ukraine faces the threat of a possible invasion by Russia.

Friday

Sudan's military rulers step up crackdown and arrests of activists

Women chant slogans protesting violence against women and demanding the release of all detainees before the U.N. rights office in Khartoum, Sudan, Feb. 2, 2022. Marwan Ali/AP hide caption

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Marwan Ali/AP

World

Sudan's military rulers step up crackdown and arrests of activists

Hundreds of activists and protest leaders have been targeted since a military coup last October removed a transitional government from power. The detentions have intensified in recent weeks.

Thursday

Indian state begins voting in key test for PM Narendra Modi's ruling party

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flashes a victory sign to the crowd from a helicopter as he leaves after an election rally ahead of state elections in Muradabad, India, Tuesday, Feb.8, 2022. Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP hide caption

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Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP

World

Indian state begins voting in key test for PM Narendra Modi's ruling party

The state polls in Uttar Pradesh – India's most populous with over 230 million people – are a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party ahead of general elections in 2024.

Wednesday

I have a name for what fueled Joe Rogan's new scandal: Bigotry Denial Syndrome

Podcaster and comic Joe Rogan, who also serves as a mixed martial arts commentator, looks on at a UFC fight in 2015. Alex Trautwig/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Trautwig/Getty Images

Race

I have a name for what fueled Joe Rogan's new scandal: Bigotry Denial Syndrome

Joe Rogan doesn't think of himself as a racist. But that doesn't mean his language isn't harmful.

I have a name for what fueled Joe Rogan's new scandal: Bigotry Denial Syndrome

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How Europe's reliance on Russia's gas plays into the war in Ukraine

The receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline stands near Lubmin, Germany, on Feb. 2. Nord Stream 2, owned by Russian energy company Gazprom, is to transport Russian natural gas from Russia to Germany. Germany is postponing certification of the pipeline in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption

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Ukraine invasion — explained

How Europe's reliance on Russia's gas plays into the war in Ukraine

As much as 40% of Europe's natural gas supply comes from Russia, a reliance that puts U.S. allies like Germany in a jam when it comes to sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Thursday

A Story Of Us?

Uriel Sinai/Getty Images Uriel Sinai/Getty Images hide caption

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Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Throughline

A Story Of Us?

We've been seeing a lot of debate recently about how history should be taught. For example, some believe that the Civil War was about state rights while some argue that slavery played a large role in it. But what if we could all agree on one shared history? The past, as we know it, is a collection of billions of smaller stories that coalesce into the stories of families, communities, nations, and entire cultures. According to Tamim Ansary, narrative is the way we invent the past and the key to understanding history is understanding the stories we tell ourselves about three key areas: technology, environment, and language. With a world seemingly more connected than ever and still volatile with a constant sense of fracturing identities, Tamim contends that our shared history is a story we must invent. And the future of our species depends on our ability to develop a story we can all see ourselves in.

A Story Of Us?

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Sunday

From Washington to Trump to Biden, new presidents meet unwanted foreign crises

Civilian participants in a Kyiv Territorial Defense unit train on a Saturday in a forest on Jan. 22, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Across Ukraine thousands of civilians are participating in such groups to receive basic combat training and in time of war would be under direct command of the Ukrainian military. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean Gallup/Getty Images

From Washington to Trump to Biden, new presidents meet unwanted foreign crises

From George Washington's warning against "foreign entanglements" to Donald Trump's "America First," the pledge to keep the focus close to home has been almost as constant as the oath of office itself.