Sweeping U.S. Supreme Court rulings that boost Donald Trump, combined with his debate performance being far less scrutinized聽than Joe Biden鈥檚, have left many Democrats feeling back on their heels.听
Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we鈥檝e always been transparent about that.
The church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we鈥檝e aimed 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind,鈥 as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.
Here, you鈥檒l find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences 鈥 a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.
Explore values journalism About usOne of our stories today looks at how books can help children learn to be resilient and brave. But more broadly, it touches on a favorite topic of mine: why we should read fiction at any age.
Whether aimed at 6-year-olds or at adults, fiction lets us jump into the unfamiliar, be it fun, surprising, or even scary. We see others鈥 responses and imagine how we might stretch ourselves. Perhaps that鈥檚 why retired U.S. Adm. James Stavridis, author of numerous nonfiction books, chose to co-write a novel three years ago. To be sure, it imagined a future global conflict, not being a brave little bear.
But as he noted in an Audible interview,聽鈥淲e need to imagine more in terms of dangers, cautions, and stories. ... Fiction is how we can do that.鈥
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And why we wrote them
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Sweeping U.S. Supreme Court rulings that boost Donald Trump, combined with his debate performance being far less scrutinized聽than Joe Biden鈥檚, have left many Democrats feeling back on their heels.听
鈥 New officeholder: Jos茅 Ra煤l Mulino has been sworn in as Panama鈥檚 next president. He faces pressure to slow migration through the Dari茅n Gap, which more than half a million people traversed last year.
鈥 No opposition:聽Manhattan prosecutors say they would be open to delaying Donald Trump鈥檚 sentencing in his criminal hush money case following a Supreme Court ruling that granted broad immunity protections to former presidents.听
鈥 Green light:聽A U.S. appeals court allowed the White House to move forward with implementing a key part of a new student debt relief plan.
鈥 Evacuation:聽The Israeli army has ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Gaza鈥檚 second-largest city, Khan Yunis. The new evacuation zone includes the major aid crossing to southern Gaza.
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The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which turns 60 on Tuesday, represents a lineage of legislation that protects against discrimination. Whether that legacy endures depends on us, our columnist writes.
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Military coups used to be commonplace in Latin America. While that鈥檚 no longer the case, regional armies are seeing a renewed prominence as democracies increasingly rely on them for civic functions.
( 6 min. read )
China鈥檚 road map for a new, multipolar world order raises questions of fairness, cooperation, and good governance.
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Bravery isn鈥檛 just for superheroes. That鈥檚 the message of four delightful picture books that will inspire, delight, and entertain young readers and their caregivers.听聽
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On July 1, Viktor聽Orb谩n went beyond being merely the president of Hungary with its nearly 10 million people. He took over the rotating presidency of the European Union with its 448 million people. A day later, his moment of greater power led him to take on greater responsibility: Mr. Orb谩n visited President Volodymyr聽Zelenskyy in Ukraine.
The trip was a symbol of inclusion, dignity, and respect for Ukrainians. Again and again since the Russian invasion, Mr. Orb谩n has opposed EU support for the embattled country, often siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On July 2, one day into his six-month role as EU leader, Mr. Orb谩n took his first trip to Ukraine since the war started.
He promised to report to other EU leaders about his talks 鈥渟o that the necessary European decisions can be taken.鈥 For his part, Mr. Zelenskyy聽said the visit was 鈥渁 clear indication of our common European priorities, of how important it is to bring a just peace to Ukraine.鈥
Mr. Orb谩n has defied the EU on many issues other than Ukraine, but his assent to the bloc鈥檚 presidency helped change his tune. The job requires that a country taking on the role must be an 鈥渉onest broker鈥 among the 27 member states to facilitate agreements.
The European Council鈥檚 website compares the president to 鈥渟omeone hosting a dinner, making sure their guests all gather in harmony 鈥 able to express differences during the meal but leaving on good terms and with a common purpose.鈥
For the next six months, Mr. Orb谩n will be setting the broad agenda for the EU 鈥 but with the need to seek consensus. His stated top priority is to increase the competitiveness of EU businesses.
The EU鈥檚 democratic procedures, based on shared principles, have a way of reducing polarization. 鈥淭his is an extraordinary situation, with a war in the neighbourhood, when we have to provide stability,鈥 J谩nos B贸ka, Hungary鈥檚 European affairs minister, told reporters in June.听 With his visit to Kyiv, one of Mr. Orb谩n鈥檚 first acts as EU president was to stabilize his country鈥檚 ties with a country on track to becoming an EU member.
Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication 鈥 in its various forms 鈥 is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church 鈥 The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston 鈥 whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.
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During a national election, we can keep in view how God is harmoniously governing our nation and beyond, and expect good results.
Thanks for joining us today. We have a bonus read about hurricanes. Hurricane聽Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 in the Atlantic, though it has now been downgraded to a Category 4.听Read why scientists are suggesting that maybe there needs to be a Category 6 rating.听