Hot Topics

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• Hot Topics: Syria

  The best of web commentary on the Syrian crisis.

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• 7-1-13
  

  The Battle of Gettysburg at 150

  by David Austin Walsh

  Hancock at Gettysburg by Thure de Thulstrup. Credit: Wiki Commons.The Battle of Gettysburg marks its 150th anniversary this week (so does the Union victory at the siege of Vicksburg, but good luck seeing anything about that in the media).To mark the occasion, we've assembled a list of resources -- digital collections, books, and news stories -- about the battle and the Civil War that are worth closer examination.And of course, please share your favorite Civil War books in the comments! We're pretty well read here at HNN, but considering that the amount of works published on the Civil War easily numbers in the tens of thousands, we certainly haven't read (or even heard of) them all!Digital Resources

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• HNN Hot Topics: MOOCs

  Image via Shutterstock/Flickr.NewsCoursera contract with UT system released; history chair says no MOOCs at Knoxville this fall (6-3-13)Historians at MOOC partner schools say faculty not consulted (5-30-13)San Jose State professors fire back at online class offer (5-25-13)Profs get ready for tens of thousands of students in online courses (1-14-13)Commentary

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• HNN Hot Topics: Terrorism

  What historians have to say about the history of terrorism.

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• HNN Hot Topics: The Iraq War

  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian L. Wickliffe.News10 years later, an anniversary many Iraqis would prefer to ignore (3-19-13)PollsPOLL: Has the Media Been Open Enough About Its Role in the Iraq War?Poll: Iraq War not worth it (3-17-13)Iraq: The spies who fooled the world (3-17-13)Commentary

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• HNN Hot Topics: Hugo Chavez, 1954-2013

  News Hugo Chávez of Venezuela dies (3-5-13) Commentary: Historians Greg Grandin: The Legacy of Hugo Chávez (3-5-13) Commentary: Media Mac Margolis: Hugo Chávez’s House of Cards (3-7-13 Tariq Ali: Hugo Chávez and Me (3-6-13)Francisco Toro: What Fidel Taught Hugo (3-5-13) Past Controversies: South of the Border

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• HNN Hot Topics: The Howard Zinn Debate

  Howard Zinn speaking out against the Iraq War in 2004. Credit: Wiki Commons. For the Prosecution:

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• HNN Hot Topics: Trayvon Martin

  Trayvon Martin in an undated photo. Credit: Wiki Commons.News and Commentary

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• HNN Hot Topics: Women's History Month

  The best web commentary about Women's History Month.

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• 6/13/18
  

  HNN Hot Topics: North Korea

  Related Links North Korea—Past Crises HNN PollsWill a Second Korean War Break Out? (August 2010)News

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• 6/26/18
  

  HNN Hot Topics: July 4th

  What are we celebrating on the 4th?  And every other question you've ever had about the holiday!

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• 2/19/18
  

  HNN Hot Topics: Gun Violence

  Right vs. Left: What the Founders believed about gun control.

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• 5-27-16
  

  Memorial Day

  Who invented Memorial Day?

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• HNN Hot Topics: St. Patrick's Day

  The best of Web commentary on the day where everybody's a little bit Irish.

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• HNN Hot Topics: Same-Sex Marriage

  How big a deal is this?

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• 2-19-18
  

  HNN Hot Topics: President's Day

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• HNN Hot Topics: LGBT History

  All across the world LGBT people are celebrating. Here's the background you need if you want to understand what it's all about.

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• 1-13-17
  

  HNN Hot Topics: Presidential Inaugurations

  Highlights of Past Inaugurals.

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• HNN Hot Topics: Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

  The underside of the Space Shuttle Columbia shortly before it began to burn up upon re-entry on February 1, 2003. Credit: U.S. Air Force. Columbia shuttle crew not told of possible problem with reentry (1-31-13) Jonathan Coopersmith: After Columbia, Now What? (8-5-05) NYT: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Space Program (2-2-03)

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• 10-10-01
  

  Leaks to the Media ... An Old Story?

  Image via Shutterstock.Leaks through History Was It Illegal for President Bush to Leak Classified Secrets to Bob Woodward?Deep Throat and the FBI's History of Hiding Its Own LeaksWhy Did President Ford Ban Assassinations? (Explains that Ford leaked the fact that the CIA had plotted the assassination of foreign leaders.)Rick Shenkman: Leaks that might have changed the history of Vietnam Athan Theoharis: Deep Throat and the FBI's History of Hiding Its Own LeaksCIA Spy Case: Valerie Plame Leak Note: This article was first published October 10, 2001 and has been updated.