By The BBK Staff
Boys and Girls Basketball Region Champions
By Alex Piazza
The War Eagles Basketball teams (both boys and girls) are ranked first in their respective 4-AAAAA Regions. After beating Tri-Cities on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 for Region Champs, concluding an undefeated run, Woodward Academy will hold the first three State Championship games for each team in Paget Gymnasium. Round 1 was on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The Boys beat McIntosh High School with a score of 69-50, and the Girls beat Dutchtown High School with a score of 85-66. Come support the teams on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, when the girls play Creekview High School at 4:00 p.m. and the boys play Milton High School at 5:30 p.m. If the WA teams win these games, they will advance to the Quarterfinals on February 25th and 26th. Tickets can be purchased at GoFan for 15 dollars per person. Go War Eagles! Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming games.
Atlanta’s Inspector General Resigns After City Council Dispute
By Auria Araghi
On Monday, Feb. 17, Atlanta Inspector General Shannon K. Manigault announced her resignation in the heat of the city council’s 14-1 consensus to significantly restructure her agency’s operations. As specified by the ordinance, which took effect soon after Mannigault’s announcement, the Office of Inspector General must follow a formal set of guidelines when obtaining records for investigations and now no longer has access to surveillance recordings provided by covert cameras and detectors–among other limits placed on the OIG’s capacity to inspect for fraud and misconduct in the city government. The new legislation comes a week after the Trump Administration fired several independent watchdogs supervising programs run by federal departments, including the Department of Defense, Agriculture and Health and Human Services.
Atlanta United Season Opener
By Brett Schlossberg
Atlanta United starts their season this weekend when they host CF Montreal on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The match will be streamed live on the Apple TV MLS Season Pass. The team re-signed Miguel Almiron, who contributed 21 goals and 28 assists in 62 games across his two seasons, playing a key role in winning the MLS Cup in 2018. Club President Garth Lagerway feels the signing will only benefit the team. In addition, the team hired coach Ronny Delia, who won the MLS Cup with New York City Football Club (NYCFC) in 2021. The team has not had an MLS Cup-winning head coach since 2018 (Gerardo “Tata” Martino). With the strong end to last season, club executives and fans hope the team might have what it needs to dominate this season.
Counting The Days Til Cancún
By Greta N. Vianna Sletteland
As the first week of March approaches, many seniors at the Academy are becoming increasingly excited about the (unofficial) senior Spring Break trip, which will take place in Cancún, Mexico, at the Moon Palace Resort, beginning Sunday, Mar. 2, 2025. The week will be full of activities with days to soak up the sun, private dinners, group photos, beach bashes and an exciting catamaran excursion for 4 hours on Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2025. Cancún is an exciting place to visit, with beautiful beaches and fun in the sun. However, seniors should be aware of crime in the area, which can be violent. Seniors are advised not to leave the resort, especially at night, and to stay in groups with people they know. Travelers must also be smart about the weather, wearing sunscreen and hydrating, for the sun can be very hot.
504 Lawsuit
By Daniela Palatchi
On Sept. 26, 2024, Texas filed a lawsuit against Xavier Becerra, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services, claiming section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to be unconstitutional, with a strong emphasis on the unconstitutionality of the gender dysphoria clause that Joe Biden added to it in May 2024. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, originally signed into law by Richard Nixon, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in various federal programs. Section 504 of this act prohibits organizations receiving federal funding from excluding those with disabilities from receiving program benefits and services. Section 504 has allowed for many students in public schools to receive the proper accommodations for their various disabilities. The goal of the lawsuit is to eliminate Section 504 and, with it, any benefits students or federal workers are receiving. 16 other states have joined Texas in the lawsuit, including Georgia. Both the 17 states and the federal government must file the papers with the United States District Court by February 25, 2025, for any further action to take place. While Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued that this change would not end 504 protections for students in Georgia, the lawsuit is sparking outrage from concerned and upset parents in the Metro area.
Removal of DEI in Public Schools
By Akiva Bryant
On Feb. 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter ordered by the Trump Administration to American schools and universities, giving them two weeks to remove race-based programs and diversity initiatives. If schools don’t abide by the order, they will lose federal funding. According to NPR, “[t]itle IV, student loans, state funding for curriculum development, free or reduced lunch programs, and support for students with special needs,” plus more, are all at risk. In other words, Trump is eliminating DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in public schools. Advocates for DEI, say the programming tries to ensure that everyone is treated equally and doesn’t face discrimination at their job or school.
According to ed.gov, Craig Trainor, the Education Department’s acting assistant for civil rights, supports this order. “With this guidance, the Trump Administration is directing schools to end the use of racial preferences and race stereotypes in their programs and activities—a victory for justice, civil rights laws, and the Constitution,” Trainor said. “For decades, schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for ‘diversity’ or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment, and character—not prejudged by the color of their skin. The Office for Civil Rights will enforce that commitment.” From removing programs to leaving inclusive groups up on their website, schools range in their decision to uphold or ignore the order.
Chappell Roan New Single “The Giver”
By Trey Voegtlin
On Tuesday, Chappell Roan began promoting her upcoming single, “The Giver,” on billboards around the country. The singer had already teased the track on SNL a few months back, but, as of Tuesday, she added a number in which you can call and listen to a snippet of the new single. The snippet showed a country inspired sound, which isn’t necessarily new for Chappell, but it has sparked curiosity among her fandom. Chappell continued promoting the single on her website with the opening of preorders for the release of the physical media versions of the single. The cover is reminiscent of her breakout single, “Good Luck, Babe!” which was released last year, making fans wonder if the hit song was not only a stand alone single, but also an entryway to a new era of music for Roan. The release date for “The Giver” has not been provided.
Trump Administration Shakeups Extend to National Cultural Institutions
By Hannan Zeyde
On Friday, Feb. 7, the White House announced the dismissal of National Archivist Colleen Shogan, who was responsible for preserving and providing access to important government documents and records. Alongside the dismissal of Colleen Shogan, President Trump asked for a list of staff at the National Archive who should also be fired. The following Monday, Feb. 10, Trump fired eighteen members of the Kennedy Center board, chosen by previous administrations, and stepped into the role of board chair himself. The Kennedy Center is the national cultural hub for the U.S., hosting over 2,000 shows per year. Many have expressed concerns that firings at both traditionally non-partisan institutions are in response to the National Archives’ role in the justice department’s investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents and perceived snubs on the part of the Kennedy Center during Trump’s first presidency.
The Unsolved Toronto Plane Crash
By Sabenah Abudu-Abrams
Not even two full months into 2025, and there have already been at least 88 U.S. plane crashes. On Monday, Feb. 17, Delta plane 4819, originating in Minneapolis and containing 80 people, crashed and flipped over in Toronto. Although there were no fatalities, many of the flyers were left traumatized. 21 people were injured, although they have all now been released from the hospital, and two remain in critical condition. Investigators have yet to find the cause of the plane crash, but extreme conditions were noted by the Toronto Pearson International Airport days before the accident. The black boxes required to be in every aircraft were recovered on Tuesday, Feb. 18, which will hopefully uncover the truth about the accident.
Breaking News: On Feb. 19, two single-engine planes hit each other midair outside Tucson, Arizona, resulting in two deaths reported so far. Two other individuals involved in the accident are presumed injured. The Marana Regional Airport has been temporarily closed while the investigation takes place.