Contemporary events are often thought to be outside the scope of "history":
History depends on perspective: We don't know the consequences and thus the significance of many events; what will happen with climate change? The consequences of the Iraq War and 9/11? And also we are emotionally lost in the trees and can't see the forest, so to speak.
Also, history depends on having lots of information, much of which isn't available for a long time (declassified info, memoirs, archives, other things later revealed, etc.).
Finally, arguably history is studied so we can learn from it, not act on it.
I think the topics the parent brings up are very important, but arguably they belong in another class.