World
Top Stories:- Centrists’ only weapon against the far right: Good governmentCentrist politicians must govern their way out of difficulties as they confront far-right rivals, acknowledging voter anger sparked by economic pain.
- Despite deal with US, Yemen’s Houthis have lots of fight leftYemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels reached a ceasefire with the United States. But analysts say they are already in rebuilding mode.
- Forest conservation has an unlikely ally: FaithSacred forests have long been shielded from destruction by their communities. Recognition of that reality is growing in conservation circles.
- In Congo, a reporter returns to a city transformed by warOn the front lines of war in eastern Congo, a Monitor reporter struggled to make sense of the suffering she witnessed.
- India and Pakistan have fought before. Why this skirmish has the world on edge.World leaders urge calm as India-Pakistan relations deteriorate to their worst state in six years. The scope of India’s attacks and vows of retribution from Pakistan have many in Kashmir preparing for the worst.
USA
Top Stories:- They’ve watched democracies fail. They see it happening under Trump.As Donald Trump fights the courts over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, targets law firms, and tests the rule of law, democracy experts warn they’ve seen this before.
- 10 years ago, SCOTUS said same-sex couples could marry. Why do they worry today?Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that found a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, turns 10 in June. More than two-thirds of Americans consistently support marriage equality. But one attorney who argued the case likens the right to a “split screen” in the Trump era.
- The ExplainerWhy security officials keep using the Signal app despite risksNational security officials are using commercial apps over secure communications systems that feel burdensome. New apps offer privacy, but are easier to hack.
- How Trump cuts could affect your weather reportsProposed budget cuts at NOAA reflect the Trump administration’s frustration with climate research, but also threaten the quality of National Weather Service forecasting.
- Trump leans on Carney, but Canada has its own leverage in US trade talksPresident Donald Trump met Prime Minister Mark Carney amid high tensions over trade and tariffs. The Canadian prime minister expressed hope for launching a constructive dialogue.
Commentary
Top Stories:- The Monitor's ViewWomen’s freedom to ride – and provideIn more countries, women are driving motorbikes, breaking social restrictions while helping other women find safe rides. They are finding new abilities and inner freedom as they support themselves and their families.
- The Monitor's ViewSyrians learn to bend and blendBouts of religious violence since December’s liberation from a dictator have not halted a historic desire for an inclusive society. “We learn together and we empower each other,” one minister explained.
- The Monitor's ViewThe meekness behind human 'flourishing'A global survey by two American universities finds a link between a satisfying life and spiritual well-being. People in less-wealthy nations rank particularly high because of their regular religious engagement.
- The Monitor's ViewOrigins of Ukraine’s drone creativityIn a military milestone, a Ukrainian drone downed a Russian war jet. The source of the country’s culture of tech innovation is now a model.
- The Monitor's ViewWhy water feuds seldom dissolve accordsDespite recent contention over fresh-water resources between countries, the global record is one of collaboration and shared oversight.
Economy
Top Stories:- The ExplainerUS-China trade talks could temper tariff angst, but rivalry runs deepIt’s unlikely the U.S. and China can erase the tension in their geopolitical rivalry. But they can manage it. The current talks provide a key avenue.
- First LookBillionaire Warren Buffett’s best and worst investments over the yearsBillionaire investor Warren Buffett announced plans Saturday to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year. Here’s a look back at his career.
- Hiring is up, GDP is down: Economy sends mixed signals as tariffs loomThe latest U.S. jobs report beat expectations, yet consumer sentiment is down. America’s economic health may turn on upcoming tariffs
- China is a big buyer of US soybeans. These farmers are bracing for tariff impact.Farmers in Illinois, the top soybean-producing state in the U.S., are trying to sort out how much to plant while staring down tariff-related market chaos.
- Markets falter as Trump attacks Fed’s independence – and its chairThe selloff of U.S. assets continued as President Trump stepped up threats for Fed Chair Powell to drop interest rates to spur the economy or lose his job.
Environment
Top Stories:- Forest conservation has an unlikely ally: FaithSacred forests have long been shielded from destruction by their communities. Recognition of that reality is growing in conservation circles.
- Panama vs. US: Whoever runs the Panama Canal needs to find more waterThe Panama Canal is an engineering marvel. But a modern effort to save the critical waterway amid droughts could exact a high human toll.
- Points of ProgressMore butterflies and birds: Vulnerable species make gainsProgress roundup: Monarchs doubled in population in Mexico; less drought helped. In South Sudan, a forgotten coffee variety offers climate resilience.
- From sand traps to salmon habitat, US golf courses become nature preservesFormer golf courses are growing wild again, increasing the amount of public green space in the U.S. In the process, they are teeing up solutions for long-standing environmental challenges.
- Pursuit of critical minerals unearths new idea: Use what’s already dug upRare earth elements are needed for everything from green technology to consumer goods like laptops and batteries. Mining them, though, can cause environmental problems. But researchers say some of what’s needed is already above ground.
Technology
Top Stories:- First LookGeorgia leads toward a nuclear future with its first operating reactorGeorgia Power Co. announced one of its two new reactors reached self-sustaining nuclear fission on Monday. The announcement is a key step toward reaching commercial operation of nuclear energy in the United States.
- First LookCellphone at 50: Its inventor reflects on mobile advances and risksCellphone inventor Martin Cooper, who placed the first mobile call on April 3, 1973, remains hopeful the technology can transform lives, but he’s also concerned about its impact. “We don’t have any privacy anymore,” Mr. Cooper said at a trade show in Spain.
- First LookWhat links toothbrushes and weapons systems? A $52 billion investment.The U.S. government has reached a rare bipartisan agreement to invest $52 billion to develop advanced computer chips. Factories, autos, appliances, electronics, toys, toothbrushes, and weapons systems all depend on semiconductors.
- First LookInternet speech: Supreme Court to weigh who is protected onlineTwo cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge Section 230, a 1996 law that protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their networks. The cases are part of a global trend toward holding social media platforms accountable.
- First Look‘Tremendous potential’: Why some disability advocates laud ChatGPTChatGPT has spurred lively conversations about the role of educational technology. While some colleges and universities are cracking down on ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot, other educators believe ChatGPT could help with assisted learning.
Science
Top Stories:- From retail to the military, ‘intelligent connectivity’ raises ethical dilemmasArtificial intelligence, 5G networks, and the Internet of Things are used increasingly often in spaces from retail to the military, raising privacy and ethical considerations.
- The world’s bananas are at risk. A volcanic island might protect them.Cavendish bananas are under threat from a fungus that has wiped out other varieties. The island of La Palma may have the conditions to protect them.
- NASA astronauts’ return is near. Their long, unlikely trip puts focus on resilience.An eight-day mission for two astronauts to the International Space Station turned into nine months. NASA crews work to prepare for unforeseen events like this.
- US science funding was a bipartisan priority. Now it’s a target of federal cuts.The Trump administration aims to overhaul publicly funded science. Critics say cuts could undermine U.S. leadership that has fueled significant advancements.
- Earth’s green evolution gave rise to everything from dinosaurs to dandelionsPaleontologist Riley Black traces the cooperation among plants, animals, and ecosystems in “When the Earth Was Green.”
Culture
Top Stories:- Pope Leo’s challenge: How to build unity in a fragmenting worldPope Leo XIV is the first pope born in the United States, but his Peruvian nationality bridges North and South America. His first message, delivered in three languages, was one of peace and unity.
- Mother’s Day memories: 5 writers remember tender moments with MomMothers and mother figures play a deeply foundational role in our lives. This Mother’s Day, five writers honor the women who shaped them.
- Nobody’s muse: Revisiting the art of Leonora CarringtonFor her unique vision, artist and writer Leonora Carrington is among a number of creative women being celebrated anew.
- In Palm Springs, California, midcentury modernism is always having a momentTwice a year, architecture experts and enthusiasts come from far and wide to tour historic, tastefully decorated homes during the Modernism Week celebration.
- The peculiar dish that takes me back to childhood? Fried bologna.For our writer, retro classics like Wonder bread, cold hot dogs, stovetop pudding, and ham sandwiches hearken back to his youth.
Books
Top Stories:- Mark Twain’s legacy is not his tall tales. It’s his larger-than-life persona.Mark Twain gave us inimitable characters such as Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. He was no less creative in styling himself as America’s first celebrity.
- How Eadweard Muybridge solved a riddle of movement with his cameras“Muybridge,” a thoughtful graphic biography of the 19th-century inventor, delves into his life and his experiments with sequential photography.
- Difference MakerThis restaurateur never made it past fifth grade. Now she runs a roadside library.The owner of a popular pit stop in Ozar, India, keeps her business stacked with books that are free for the browsing.
- Her ancestor sought a homeland for Jews. He chose Galveston, Texas.Rachel Cockerell talks about her great-grandfather’s role in bringing Jews out of Europe in an effort to create a Jewish homeland in Galveston, Texas.
- Three novels strike at the heart of devastating legaciesA trio of novels translated from Indonesian, Arabic, and French exposes the harmful effects of prejudice and corruption.