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If you鈥檝e followed Florida鈥檚 new law banning sexual orientation instruction in schools, this story from Hungary may sound familiar. Our reporter finds political rhetoric about family values and parental rights at odds with the values of inclusivity and tolerance.

Western media has largely focused on the outpouring of support for Ukraine. But our London columnist looks at why many nations 鈥� including Israel, India, and Brazil 鈥� are not openly backing pro-democracy Ukraine.

As young Russian professionals flee their country for Tbilisi, Georgia, they tell our reporter their exit isn鈥檛 just about fear of being drafted or of economic sanctions. There鈥檚 another motive: a taste of freedom.

Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees are often difficult tests of character and poise. But our commentator watched听 Ketanji Brown Jackson last week through a lens of love.

Sometimes it takes a musical to show us our humanity. 鈥淧aradise Square鈥� offers a brief but inspiring glimpse of racial harmony in Civil War-era New York City.

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For many countries, Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine has been an eye-opener about the need to correct their ways 鈥� none more so than the country of Moldova, Ukraine鈥檚 smallest neighbor. The landlocked nation of 4 million 鈥� one of Europe鈥檚 poorest 鈥� is now on a race to reform.

A week after the invasion, Moldova officially applied for European Union membership. 鈥淲e want to ... be part of the free world,鈥� said President Maia Sandu, who has since been invited to give a commencement speech at Harvard University in May.

Her reformist Party of Action and Solidarity has sped up yearlong efforts at curbing corruption and ensuring equality in public life. In mid-March, for example, the president sacked the head of the National Integrity Authority, an agency set up to fight corruption. Just four years ago, the EU declared Moldova a state captured by oligarchs. That designation helped lead to Ms. Sandu鈥檚 election in 2020 over a pro-Moscow opponent.

Most of all, knowing that Moldova might be next in Russia鈥檚 design to take former Soviet lands, its people have shown warm and welcoming hearts to fleeing Ukrainians.

With the influx of refugees, 1 in 8 children in Moldova are now Ukrainian. Per capita, the country has received the largest number of refugees from the war, or about 4% of its population. Most of them have been put up in some 50,000 private homes.

鈥淲e are the single most fragile neighbor of Ukraine,鈥� Nicu Popescu, Moldova鈥檚 foreign minister, told Financial Times. 鈥淲e are committed to making Moldova a safe place where people can find safety, and calm and dignity.鈥�

For its efforts and fragility, Moldova will receive part of a $320 million initiative by the United States and EU aimed at building up the civic 鈥渞esilience鈥� of Ukraine鈥檚 democratic neighbors. The money is especially designed to counter 鈥淢oscow鈥檚 strategic corruption and kleptocracy.鈥�

Since 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has controlled a breakaway region of Moldova called Transnistria with the presence of some 1,300 troops. That, along with Moldova鈥檚 high dependency on Russian fuel exports, makes its situation similar to Ukraine鈥檚 before the war. 鈥淭o a great extent, this war has indeed united our people,鈥� said the foreign minister.

For now, says Ms. Sandu, that unity is focused on quickly making Moldova 鈥渟tronger,鈥� one that will make it 鈥渁 pole of stability and development in the region.鈥�