海角大神

President Joe Biden won because he was seen as a unifier. Now, even many Democrats say they want a different kind of leader. But other presidents have had rough starts 鈥� and recovered.

Does the term 鈥減roxy war鈥� apply to a conflict that is formally between Russia and Ukraine?聽Whatever you call it, the U.S. and NATO are using ingenuity to affect the outcome while keeping war at arm鈥檚 length.

By providing a safe haven for Ukrainian artists, France is offering them a feeling of home while also creating a connection between the French public and some of Ukraine鈥檚 prized cultural offerings.

Motivated by a determination to set the record straight, journalist and author Danyel Smith stakes a claim for the pivotal role of Black women in pop music.聽

Even as baseball slips from its mantle as national pastime, the Savannah Bananas are reimagining it. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you win or lose, as long as everyone feels as if they belong at the game.

Elected leaders face a profusion of mega-pressure points these days 鈥� inflation, heat waves, high debt, or the pandemic. Many governments have fallen, as in Bulgaria, Britain, and Israel. Others are faltering, as in Ecuador and the United States with President Joe Biden. In Italy, a country notorious for its rapid turnover of prime ministers, the government of Mario Draghi appears to be on the brink of collapse after 17 months of rare unity. Yet a compelling counterforce could keep him in power.

Last Thursday, the prime minister offered to quit after splits emerged in his cross-party coalition. President Sergio Mattarella wisely refused the resignation. That gave enough time for an upwelling of support for Mr. Draghi and his unusual style of consensus leadership in a nation rife with fractious politics.

Hundreds of mayors signed a petition backing him. Many industrialists and unionists joined the chorus. European leaders also weighed in. Mr. Draghi, a U.S.-trained economist and former head of the European Central Bank, had earned a reputation for saving the euro currency during a crisis a decade ago. In addition, the European Union cannot afford a crisis in the eurozone鈥檚 third-largest economy.

Mr. Draghi stands out in Italy because of his humility and tendency to ask questions first. He displays a willingness to listen hard in order to find common ground. Those qualities are especially needed in his drive to pass reforms mandated by the EU to receive pandemic-related subsidies.

Opponents find it difficult to pin down his political views. 鈥淢y personal destiny matters absolutely not at all,鈥� he said last year. But he is always open and transparent about the range of potential solutions, a quality of leadership that was necessary when he led Europe out of its financial crisis.

His coalition of 鈥渘ational unity鈥� may fall someday or he may decide to simply retire. For now, amid so many crises in world democracies, Mr. Draghi offers a lesson in stability, innovation, and competence. Italy seems to appreciate that for now.