World
Top Stories:- How Israel failed to anticipate Hamas: Intel trusted tech over peopleOn Oct. 7, Hamas forces penetrated a $1.1 billion, high-tech Israeli barrier on the Gaza border. Israel’s army and Shin Bet security force say their intelligence failed by relying on technology at the expense of humans.
- This Haitian shot to fame on TikTok, but others profited from his clipsSocial media may democratize knowledge, but they can also perpetuate perceptions that ideas from some countries are worth more than those from others.
- Why Europe is still embracing DEIEuropean businesses lag behind the United States in employee diversity, equity, and inclusion, but there are no signs they are following Donald Trump’s policy.
- To Russia, with love? Why some in West are heading east to start over.Some Westerners see Russia as a place to build a better, more conservative life. Moscow, facing a demographic crisis, is willing to let them try.
- Points of ProgressA quiet recognition of Black soldiers in South Africa, and new rights in EcuadorProgress roundup: School lunch goes nationwide in Canada, overdue honor for Black soldiers in South Africa, and in Ecuador, marine life gain rights
USA
Top Stories:- Democrats wrestle with ‘truly abhorrent’ options: Shut down government or enable TrumpA government shutdown could happen March 14. After the House passed a Republican bill to fund the government, Senate Democrats face few good options.
- Cover StoryIn Kansas, the Shawnee vie for control of their historyA controversy in Kansas illustrates the dark history of U.S. Indian boarding schools. Can Indigenous peoples like the Shawnee control their story?
- Columbia protester arrest ignites free speech tug-of-warThe Trump administration says deportation can be a tool to combat antisemitism and terrorism. Critics see violations of free speech and immigrant rights.
- Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent harm. An investigation found security risks.Schools are turning to AI-powered surveillance technology to monitor students on school-issued devices to help keep them safe. But that is raising questions about privacy and security.
- Education Department cut by half. Will Trump still try to shut it down?The cuts come after President Donald Trump promised to shut down the Education Department. Critics argue cutbacks are less about improving student outcomes and more about instituting a conservative agenda.
Commentary
Top Stories:- The Monitor's ViewThe hard knocks of rocketryA string of failures in space exploration is a lesson in the lessening of limitations.
- The Monitor's ViewA burst of justice in the PhilippinesA country still scoring low in rule of law marks another success by handing over a former president to an international court for alleged crimes against humanity.
- The Monitor's ViewListen up, wise up: Forums that inspire trustNew types of civic spaces for civil dialogue, such as citizen assemblies, are showing promise in “bringing to light a truth.”
- The Monitor's ViewIn Gaza plan, Arabs recast the futureAs the U.S. shifts its role in the world, the Mideast finds some strength to design peace for endless conflicts.
- CommentaryAmid a torrent of news, eddies of calmIn the first months of 2025, important news from the U.S. political sphere has dominated the headlines. But equally as critical are the stories that don't plaster the front page.
Economy
Top Stories:- Trump pushes crypto with White House summit and bitcoin reserve planPresident Trump is pushing for a cryptocurrency reserve, and digital currency enthusiasts are hopeful. But critics are still wary of the speculative tender.
- Trump’s tariffs and job cuts fuel Main Street uncertaintyDonald Trump sailed into office on voter anger around inflation. Now his policies are creating uncertainty about prices, investment, and jobs.
- Uncle Sam as investor: Why America is considering a sovereign wealth fundPresident Trump continues to talk about creating a sovereign wealth fund. Economists say SWFs invite grift. But others say they cover for tax breaks.
- Risk of a trade war rises as Trump boosts tariffs globallyPresident Trump is hiking tariffs on steel and aluminum, and pledging to impose more. The question is whether this leads to a widening conflict or not.
- Tariffs on China but not Mexico, Canada? The stakes in a potential trade war.In postponing some threatened tariffs but not others, U.S. President Donald Trump is sowing uncertainty for businesses and consumers in his own country and abroad. His tactics could score some wins, but also carry big risks.
Environment
Top Stories:- Points of ProgressA quiet recognition of Black soldiers in South Africa, and new rights in EcuadorProgress roundup: School lunch goes nationwide in Canada, overdue honor for Black soldiers in South Africa, and in Ecuador, marine life gain rights
- LA area’s pets, and their owners, helped by progress in disaster responseAn increase in the integration of trained volunteers with official disaster response has helped people with pets after the Los Angeles wildfires.
- 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.”
- When slash-and-burn plantation fires spread, these Indonesian women douse the flamesThe palm oil industry has put Indonesian Borneo at risk of devastating wildfires. Ahead of International Women’s Day, The Christian Science Monitor joins an all-female firefighting force on patrol.
- Hatched! Baby eagles send spirits soaring for webcam viewers.After a long, painful wait, and just a year after no eaglets ever appeared ... two eaglets have hatched!
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:- 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.”
- How four women physicists escaped the Nazis, but lost their life’s work“Sisters in Science” tells of the rise of female scientists in 1930s Germany – some of whom were Jewish – whose careers were ended by Adolf Hitler.
- China’s DeepSeek impresses. But is a ‘fast follow’ good enough in AI?China’s success with AI tool DeepSeek is giving U.S. markets a reality check. But it’s too early to say that American AI leaders will be eclipsed.
- First LookNvidia unveils new products from supercharged graphics chip to AI that trains robotsChipmaker and AI leader Nvidia revealed its most advanced consumer graphics processor unit, its first desktop computer, and artificial intelligence to better train robots and cars.
Culture
Top Stories:- The ‘Wimbledon of shuffleboard’ has reigned for a century in St. Petersburg, FloridaA coastal Florida city hosts the world’s oldest and biggest institution dedicated to shuffleboard.
- ‘Part dystopian, part delightful.’ Why winter is the new beach season.A beach in high summer is predictable. But an offseason beach holds surprises, even treasure – if you’re paying attention.
- A civil rights activist on what ‘Eyes on the Prize III’ means at this moment“Eyes on the Prize” was a landmark documentary about the Civil Rights Movement. Dream Defenders’ Phillip Agnew, who is part of a new six-part series, talks about what the documentary means at this time of political upheaval.
- Rebels with a robot: ‘Rule Breakers’ celebrates Afghan girls who dared to dreamA celebration of the bravery and ingenuity of the Afghan girls robotics team contrasts with the reality of Afghanistan’s women under Taliban repression.
- The ExplainerWhy does the US have daylight saving time? A look at efforts to ‘lock the clock.’Could time be up for the twice-yearly clock switches?
Books
Top Stories:- Actor Merle Oberon hid her South Asian heritage to keep working in HollywoodBritish actor Merle Oberon’s greatest role might have been played off-camera. She kept her biracial heritage a secret so that her career could soar.
- The unfulfilled promises of emancipation and ReconstructionTwo books about the American Civil War’s aftermath focus on the experiences of formerly enslaved people.
- 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.”
- London’s brief, glorious rise in the art worldIn “Rogues & Scholars,” James Stourton tells how postwar London became the center of the global art market.
- A sweet-natured hare wins the heart of a writerIn “Raising Hare,” Chloe Dalton writes movingly of rescuing a newborn hare and finding herself more open to the wonders of nature.