Current Events for History, Government, and Civics Classrooms

Current events provide scholars with ample material for study. They might explore the rise of right populism and ethnic nationalism, a nightmarish post-fact political era, or the long-term impact of surveillance and robots on the economy and employment. Or they might analyze whether Trump will break through the sclerosis of Washington elites and usher in economic invigoration, international stability, or broader social inclusion.

Each week, the Bill of Rights Institute searches for contemporary news articles that explore themes used in U.S. History, Government, and Civics classrooms. We then identify resources that connect those articles to the curriculum.

NYC and the country changed forever on 9/11, 24 years ago. Here’s a look back at how the day unfolded.

Financial Market News

Financial market news:

Fall is a time of change, whether it’s back to school, football season or the annual public service announcement that September is historically the worst month for stocks (guilty as charged). This week brought choppy trading with the equal weight S&P 500 up 5% — with Google’s hefty offer for TikTok driving much of the gain. Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg joins Yahoo Finance editor Brian Sozzi at the 2025 Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference to talk growth, M&A, convergence in media and AI.

Using News Updates to Position Your Business As a Thought Leader

News updates help people stay informed on topics that are of interest to them, promoting lifelong learning and enriching their intellectual curiosity. They also enable individuals to take precautionary measures and support their communities during natural disasters or security threats. Being well-informed empowers people to make informed decisions that impact their lives, leading to a more positive and productive existence.

Sharing relevant news content positions your business as a thought leader in your industry and fosters audience loyalty. It also demonstrates that you are an authority in your field, which can lead to new business opportunities and networking with influential partners. For example, an IT company could publish a news article discussing the latest developments in AI technology, positioning themselves as a trusted resource for insights that can enhance businesses and increase revenue.

Unlike traditional newspapers, online news sources provide real-time information on current events, enabling readers to access breaking news stories as they happen. This can be especially beneficial in times of crisis or emergencies, where having quick and easy access to relevant information is critical.

One popular news-gathering app is Flipboard, which has a sleek and intuitive interface that mimics the experience of thumbing through a magazine. It allows users to follow their favorite topics and news outlets, give individual stories a thumbs up or down, and save searches and articles to read later. In addition, Flipboard can integrate other media, such as podcasts or tweets, alongside news articles to provide a more comprehensive and immersive experience.

Media Coverage of Protests and Race

News media coverage of protests plays a crucial role in how a social movement is understood and supported by the public. Studies show that media depictions of protests vary based on the subject of the protest, the year, and the ideological leaning of the outlet covering the story (Bae 2010). This variation extends to how media portray the people participating in the protest. News media coverage of protests that involve predominantly non-White protesters is more likely to use language that evokes fear and anger than coverage of protests that feature mostly White protesters. These differences remain significant even after controlling for the subject of the protest, the year, transcript length, and the outlet’s ideological leanings.

These findings support a growing body of research that shows that how media depict a protest movement and its members can have profound consequences for the movements’ ability to attract support and sway policymakers (Feinberg et al. 2020). Earlier research has shown that activists can strategically deploy tactics to affect how they are perceived by the media (Andrews and Caren 2010). Specifically, non-confrontational approaches to a protest often draw more coverage than confrontational approaches.

Our analysis further suggests that the racial makeup of protesters has a unique influence on how media cover them. In particular, a story describing a protest featuring mostly Black protesters is more likely to be framed using evocative language than a story describing a protest with mostly White protesters. These evocative wordings are most commonly used to frame protests that concern a racial issue or police grievance, but also appear in coverage of the UC Davis student protests and the Ferguson protests.

The Importance of International Affairs

International affairs is the study of relationships among nations and states, examining their policies and interactions to form alliances or resolve conflicts. This interdisciplinary major incorporates elements of political science, economics, history, geography, journalism and languages to prepare students to think flexibly across cultures, times and systems.

A global society faces a host of challenges, from climate change and food security to conflict resolution and diplomacy. Our graduates take on those issues with the knowledge and real-world skills to make a difference in their careers, whether they choose to work for government agencies, nonprofits or global tech and business.

The roots of modern international relations (IR) date back to ancient times, when philosophers like Thucydides and Aristotle wrote about the nature of war and peace. The field grew into a discipline after World War I, with Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points announcing a new era of cooperation between Great Powers and the establishment of the League of Nations and later the United Nations signaling a desire for broader international engagement.

Today, global politics is more complex than ever before and the need for a deeper understanding of international relations remains as important as it was in 1913. By choosing to focus on international affairs, you can join the ranks of experts who analyze the dynamics of global systems and find solutions that promote peace and prosperity for all.

How to Write News Headlines That Stand Out

News headlines serve many functions, including enticing readers to read stories, summarizing important information, and directing attention. They also influence readers’ thoughts about the news source itself. For example, when a journalist or editor creates a headline that is creative, sensationalist, or both, it can negatively impact how the reader perceives the news organization.

As such, it’s important that the content you produce as a content marketer or PR professional is not only relevant to your audience’s interests but is factual and accurate. To do this, you should be aware of what’s currently trending and use this knowledge to inform your own writing.

To make your headlines stand out, use emotive words that convey excitement, anger, or fear. In addition, it’s a good idea to keep your headlines short and concise. This is especially true when it comes to online content, where headlines are often skimmed or ignored altogether.

Another way to make your headlines more readable is to remove unnecessary words, such as articles (a, an, the) and connecting words, like because or however. A shorter headline is easier to read, and it’s more likely to elicit a response from the reader.

Health News

Health news covers a wide range of topics, including a new alarming CDC report on “ultra-processed” foods, developments in vaccine funding and excessive screen time risks. Plus, actor Rob Lowe shares his family’s history with breast cancer and a partnership to help promote the importance of early screening.

As the first wave of children head back to school, pediatrician and ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel offers tips to keep kids healthy both inside and outside of the classroom. Plus, a new study suggests that people who regularly eat a variety of fruits and vegetables are less likely to develop a heart attack or stroke than those who do not.

KFF has released an analysis of the latest data from our Diagnosis Debt project, showing that 41% of U.S adults say they have medical or dental debt that they are unable to pay. The findings are based on a new national survey conducted by our partners at the Kaiser Family Foundation and NPR.

A divided federal appeals court throws a lifeline to the Affordable Care Act, ordering a lower court judge to reconsider his decision to strike down the law. And the CDC says a tick-borne illness called Powassan virus is on the rise. The disease is similar to Lyme disease, but the symptoms are different. NBC’s Jaclyn Lee reports.

Sports Coverage

People who follow a sport want to read or listen to reports about their team’s matches, especially if they are winning. They also want to see league tables published, so that they can keep track of their team’s position in the table. In addition, people who play sports at a fairly low level may want to see the results of other teams in their league, so that they can get a better idea of how good or bad their own team is.

A journalist must be careful not to let his or her own interest in a particular team influence the way that he or she covers a match. If a reporter feels that they are biased in some way, then this could damage their credibility as a journalist. It is also important that journalists don’t cheer during a match, even if they are supporting the team which is playing. This can be distracting to the players and other spectators, and it is against journalistic ethics.

It is often difficult to decide how much coverage to give to a sport. Decision-makers must consider whether it is more important to cover spectator sports, or to focus on participant sports, and also which sports are popular in a given country. Obtaining accurate statistics is often difficult, but researchers at sports institutes and the government’s national census can sometimes help to provide some indication of which sports are popular in a particular country.

How to Get Social Media News Updates

Social media news updates are an important way to keep up with the ever-evolving social media landscape. Keeping up with the latest changes and features can help you create more engaging posts that reach your target audience.

The best way to stay up-to-date on Social media news is to follow the official accounts of each platform. They typically share a mix of news and tips, as well as announcements about new features and improvements. Examples include Facebook’s news page, Instagram’s business account, Snapchat’s news page, LinkedIn’s news feed, and the Twitter accounts for each of these platforms (@facebook or its Facebook Page, @instagram or its Facebook Pages for Business, @Snapchat or its SnapChat for Business, @LinkedIn, or @Google+).

In addition to following the official accounts of each platform, you can also subscribe to newsletters that cover the top social media news stories each week. Popular sites like Mashable’s Breaking News and TechCrunch’s weekly newsletter each publish a top 10 list of the most interesting news.

Another option is to listen to social media marketing podcasts. Many of these feature interviews and insights from experts, as well as news updates. You can subscribe to these podcasts in a podcast app like Spotify or iTunes, and listen on your phone or laptop while you’re on the go. You can even automate this process by using an app like IFTTT (If This Then That) to link your favorite apps and services, ensuring you hear about the latest news updates as soon as they’re published.

How to Make the Most of News Aggregation Sites

News aggregation sites are a powerful tool that lets you keep track of news on topics you care about in a single platform. Whether you’re an avid reader or a journalist, aggregator sites help you stay informed and make the most of your time.

With news aggregator websites like Google News, Flipboard, and Feedly, you can access top stories from a variety of sources in one place. Moreover, you can customize your feed by following a specific news source or topic to get a more personalized content experience. Furthermore, reputable news aggregators prioritize articles from trusted sources to reduce the risk of clickbait and sensationalized headlines.

Some aggregators have tools that visualize bias and help you compare perspectives. These are useful for journalists, investors, or anyone who wants to make sure they’re not reading only the news that confirms their preconceived beliefs. These tools can also be used to increase readership for individual news websites.

Some aggregators use ads to earn revenue, while others have more specialized business models. For example, the social media aggregator app Feedly offers premium features and integrations for users who want to keep tabs on more than just their social feeds. Others, like SmartNews or Reuters, are ad-free and provide recommendations based on user reading habits. Still others, such as Pocket and Ground News, focus on offline reading and offer a distraction-free, clean reading experience. Moreover, some aggregators have partnerships with publishers or sell anonymized data about user news consumption trends to advertisers and research firms.