U.S. leaders are debating whether to increase America’s military engagement in the war in Ukraine. Russia has bombed Ukrainian hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets – acts considered war crimes – and Ukrainian president Zelensky has pleaded with the U.S. and NATO to create a no-fly zone banning Russian aircraft from flying over the country. He says this is the best way to protect Ukrainian citizens and the country from further destruction. However, some say enforcing a no-fly zone would drag America into direct conflict with Russia and escalate the conflict. Listen to hear politicians’ views on the issue and then debate: Should the U.S. military engage in Ukraine?
Story Length: 3:46
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January 28, 2022
2:58
Anti-satellite missiles (ASAT) are defensive weapons, meant to repel attacks launched with nuclear or space-based weapons. Countries that possess ASAT technology, including the U.S., India, and China, occasionally test their weapons by exploding their own satellites in space. The explosions produce thousands of pieces of orbital debris which remain in space, polluting the atmosphere and potentially harming people working on space stations. Some are calling for a ban on all ASAT testing, while others say the tests are a necessary part of a country’s military defense plan. Listen to learn about the consequences of Russia’s recent ASAT test and then debate: Should satellite missile testing be allowed?
Read MoreOctober 22, 2021
6:25
The U.S. stopped drafting men into the military in 1973 and has since depended on a volunteer army. Today, though, every male aged 18-25 still must register for the draft in case of a national emergency. Women are not required to register, but the Senate Armed Services Committee wants to change that. They argue that, ever since gender-based restrictions on military service were lifted in 2016, women have served alongside men, and requiring females to register would be another step toward equality. Others say that women already contribute to the country in ways that men do not, and compliance with the registration system is hard to enforce. Listen to learn more about women and military service and then debate: Should U.S. draft registration include women?
Read MoreMarch 16, 2018
3:46
A false nuclear missile attack alert was recently sent to the phones of residents and visitors in Hawaii. It was sent by a state emergency management worker who believed the drill was a real attack. This has highlighted the disagreement over whose job it should be to warn the public about missile attacks. Federal officials would like the warning to come from local authorities, but there is legislation introduced to make the public warnings the sole responsibility of the federal government. Listen to hear more about this issue and then debate: Who should warn the public of nuclear war?
Read MoreOctober 30, 2015
3:18
United States airstrikes killed 22 people in a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan that was run by an international aid group, Doctors without Borders. The aid group had given their exact location to the U.S. military, Afghan forces and the Taliban in an effort to avoid being targeted by mistake. Doctors without Borders is calling this act a war crime and the United States is calling this a mistake. Listen to hear about both sides of this issue, and debate your students’ point of view on what constitutes a war crime.
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