All The Monitor's View
States make headway on opioid abuseIn New England overdose deaths appear to be dropping. And nationwide new state laws and programs are beginning to make a difference.
Want good news at year鈥檚 end? Crime is down 鈥� againBad news can shock and stick in thought, but progress needs to be reported too. The steady drop in violent crime is one example.
Poland鈥檚 anti-democratic driftAs Warsaw cracks down on its independent judiciary the European Union has taken a strong measure to object. The US could provide its own nudge.
Two moves to purify sportsThe ban on Russia for Olympics doping and the conviction of FIFA officials for corruption in World Cup soccer have been needed steps toward reforming two of the world鈥檚 biggest sporting events.
An orbiting message of peaceNations have spent more than 17 years working peacefully together on the International Space Station to advance human knowledge.
The wider meaning of #MeTooA movement that has highlighted sexual harassment is beginning to resonate in areas such as equal rights and equal pay.
The real story in Puerto RicoPeople there are doing much to help themselves and each other. Those who live at a distance can join with them through prayers and donations.
A New Deal for South AfricaThe election of a new leader by the African National Congress could signal a watershed moment in the effort to wipe out corruption and cronyism, and improve the lives of poor South Africans.
When corporations come clean on climate effectsShareholders are becoming a powerful force prodding companies to explain what they are doing about climate change and how it will affect them, for better or worse.
When 鈥榗ulture clash鈥� gets in the wayA quarter century after the notion of a 鈥榗lash of civilizations鈥� became a popular view of the world, the exceptions point a different way.
Hope for US-North Korea talks?Hints and events are lining up for possible negotiations and a lessening of fear of war in Northeast Asia.
People once at odds don鈥檛 try to even the scoreCountries from Iraq to Colombia are now seeking reconciliation after war or dictatorship. One country, Rwanda, shows what can be done.聽
An Arctic pact shows what鈥檚 possibleDozens of countries eager to fish in the warming Arctic have wisely decided to hold off for 16 years. This caution 鈥� and cooperation 鈥� provide a precedent for further agreements on the far north.
Grass-roots view of Trump鈥檚 security strategyIn coming days, the White House will issue a strategy on dealing with foreign threats. But most Americans are already on the front lines of such work. They need thoughtful help from presidents.
Taiwan lets go a symbol of ancient daysA new law calls for removing landmarks honoring a former dictator, Chiang Kai-shek, whose Confucian-style rule on the island nation finds renewed favor within China鈥檚 ruling party.
If not the US, then who as Mideast mediator?President Trump鈥檚 decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem is seen as ending the US role as mediator between Israelis and Palestinians. Now may be the time for another power to be a third-party facilitator that can bring fresh thinking to both sides.
Olympic-class athletes find their voice of integrity聽The ban on Russia at the next Olympics was driven in part by demands of athletes who want to stay clean, play fairly, and not again be cheated of medals.
Raising graduation rates, one expectation at a time聽One probable reason for the steady rise in high school graduation rates may lie in higher expectations of schools and in teacher attitudes toward students.
Lift the ban on sports gambling?The Supreme Court could open the floodgates to legal betting on sports, a move that would need citizens, not just state lawmakers and sports leagues, to be involved in weighing the potential costs, such as match-fixing and underage gambling.
Why speak up about anti-Muslim tweets?The British leader鈥檚 denunciation of a retweet by President Trump, along with her support for Muslims, adds to a trend against such religious bigotry.
