All Perspectives
- Readers RespondReaders Write: How to stop illegal immigration; 'Sequester' is hurting criminal justiceLetters to the Editor for the April 22 & 29, 2013 weekly print issue:聽It's fair to say that if there were no hiring of illegal immigrants, none would come.聽Sweeping federal spending cuts are having a devastating effect on the criminal-justice system and its ability to carry out constitutional mandates.
After Boston Marathon bombing: Faith in WatertownA pastor at a suburban church in Watertown, Mass., reflects on the Boston Marathon bombing, the pursuit of a terrorist suspect to her town, and how her congregation lived through a nightmare to emerge 'filled with a mighty spirit 鈥� a holy one.'
LeanIn.Org pushes women to stick with career ambitionsLeanIn.Org, founded by Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, 'plans to focus on very practical and actionable skills that women can use in the workplace and that men and women can use to combat gender biases,' says its president, Rachel Thomas.
EcoZoom builds a market for clean cookstoves in developing economiesIn impoverished areas, people spend $1 to $2 per day to burn charcoal or wood to cook food, a huge expensive for them. A clean-burning cookstove cuts that cost by more than half.
Copenhagen makes an ambitious push to be carbon neutral by 2025More bicycle lanes, biomass generation, public transit, cooling buildings with seawater 鈥� it's all intended to make Copenhagen the world鈥檚 first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
Difference MakerPaul Gini猫s turned a failing African university into a world-class problem-solverToday 2iE is recognized as a 'center of excellence' producing top-notch home-grown African engineers ready to address the continent's problems.
Patrons praise restaurant staff near Boston Marathon blastDiners at Forum, a restaurant near the two bomb detonations at the Boston Marathon, laud the efforts of staffers who kept them calm and helped them to safety: 'They could have run like the rest of us, but they stayed there and showed us the way out.'
Circle of Six aims to stop rapeA phone app that quickly alerts six friends if a woman feels threatened is expanding from the US to New Delhi and possibly Mexico City.
After Boston Marathon blast, many show kindness to runnersGestures were as small as offering a drink of orange juice or the use of a cell phone or bathroom to taking runners into their homes or businesses.
Rural electric co-ops go greenElectric cooperatives have served rural Americans for generations. Some are taking advantage of their member-owned status to begin weaning their regions off of fossil fuels.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Video games foster unthinking acts; Marxism endures in ChinaLetters to the Editor for the April 15, 2013 weekly print issue:聽Video games train people to respond without thinking 鈥� the same motor memory employed in firing a gun. And聽in spite of China's capitalist boon, cardinal Marxist axioms are still deeply embedded in Chinese political ideology.
Fiji students set to become the world's savviest saversThe project will teach money-management skills to young students in Fiji using innovative techniques, such as games, that engage as well as inform.
Difference MakerClaudio Miranda's music is taming a once-violent Brazilian neighborhoodRaised in one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods in S茫o Paulo, Brazil, he now helps youths reimagine themselves creatively through music, video production, art, performances, and education.
Why we're hard-wired for best practicesWhether on Capitol Hill or in isolated desert communities, people tune into each other to find out what works. The adoption of "best practices" seems to be embedded in human nature.
Girls just want to have fun ... in high-tech careersGirls Who Code steers young women toward careers in science and technology, fields traditionally dominated by men that face a shortage of workers in the future.
Start an orphanage in the Philippines at age 80? Of course!When a man offered to sell Lois Prater his child, her shock turned to action. Refusing to let her age stop her, she founded King's Garden Children's Home.
In Lebanon, a doctor offers comfort and healing to refugees from neighboring warsDr. Irad Beldjebel spends his days not only treating refugees, but serving as an all-round counselor to those fleeing violence 鈥� a trusty shoulder to lean on for people who are often traumatized by the past and unsure about the future.
How to curb invasive species? Eat 'emKaren Monger says there's a more sustainable alternative to culling, pulling, or poisoning invasive plants: Put them on the dinner table.
What does amnesty accomplish?The last big immigration amnesty in the United States took place in 1986. As the US considers immigration reform, the Monitor examines the costs and benefits of that decision -- and catches up with some of the almost 3 million people it affected.- Readers RespondReaders Write: What real US tax reform could look likeLetters to the Editor for the April 8, 2013 weekly print issue:聽If the US only taxes individuals (not businesses) with a personal income tax and a retail sales tax, the savings to governments, businesses, and families would be enormous. Another idea:聽Do away with income tax, initiate a three-tier flat tax with no exemptions, and then initiate a national sales tax.
