Skip to main content

United States

People

10 Questions for Jessica Watkins

December 8, 2017

In June, 12 people were chosen from more than 18,000 applicants for NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidate class. Jessica Watkins, 29, is the youngest of the 12. She talked to TFK’s Dante A. Ciampaglia. 1. What made you want to become…

Government

Flynn Pleads Guilty

December 7, 2017

Michael Flynn briefly served as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. On December 1, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He also agreed to cooperate with the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016…

Government

No Texting Allowed

November 13, 2017

It’s illegal in 47 states to text while driving. But walking? On October 25, Honolulu, Hawaii, made it against the law to text or look down at an electronic device while crossing the street. Lawmakers hope this will solve a…

Government

In Need of Repair

November 6, 2017

Nearly 150 years ago, workers hammered the last spike in America’s transcontinental railroad, linking the country from coast to coast. Then came Grand Central Terminal, an opulent train station in New York City. The Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco.…

Audio
Spanish

Government

TFK Explains: The Russia Investigation

November 6, 2017

Robert Mueller has filed the first charges in the Russia investigation. Here’s what you need to know. What is the Russia investigation? During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, Russians broke into the computer systems of Republican and Democratic Party leaders.…

Debate

The Homework Debate

October 30, 2017

In July 2017, families in Marion County, Florida, got some surprising news about the school year ahead. “Traditional homework as we know it will disappear, at least for elementary students,” school superintendent Heidi Maier said in a voice message to…

Audio

Debate

Do Kids Need Homework?

October 30, 2017

Should elementary schools assign homework? TFK asked two experts to weigh in. Janine Bempechat is a professor of human development and psychology at Wheelock College, in Massachusetts. She studies kids’ motivation for learning. Below, she explains why homework serves an…

People

Boy Scouts to Welcome Girls

October 23, 2017

The Boy Scouts of America announced on October 11 that it will admit girls. Starting next year, girls in grades 1 to 5 will be able to join Cub Scout dens. The dens will be separated by gender. Each Cub…

Weather

California Fires

October 18, 2017

A state of emergency was declared in California last week, after more than a dozen wildfires broke out in the state. Most of the fires began on October 8, in Northern California. They grew rapidly, fueled by winds of up…

Sports

NFL Protests

October 6, 2017

On September 24, more than 200 National Football League (NFL) players sat, knelt, or raised a fist during pregame national-anthem ceremonies. Some teams locked arms on the sidelines, and three teams stayed in the locker room during “The Star Spangled…

Video