All Society
Cover StoryMaple syrup inc.: Vermont鈥檚 maple syrup tradition goes high tech, high financeIn the past decade, the Vermont maple syrup industry has boomed, bringing outside investors, private equity firms, and a host of new challenges and opportunities to the Green Mountain State.
FocusAn old beast re-awoken, anti-Semitism stalks Europe, US once moreBritain, France, the US, and Hungary have seen聽upticks in anti-Jewish invective and assaults in recent years. The resurgence of overt anti-Semitism stems from both an awakening of repressed prejudice聽and a byproduct of anti-Zionism.
First LookUtah's 'free-range' parenting law sparks interest across the countrySupporters say 'free-range' parenting, giving kids the independence to do more on their own, like walking to school or exploring a playground, makes kids happier, healthier, and more resilient.聽
First LookTransgender athletes compete at Boston, other marathonsWith a growing number of transgender athletes at the amateur level looking to compete openly, marathon organizers say transgender athletes are welcome to register and race as the gender they identify as.聽
Why embrace of 'Roseanne' doesn't always extend to politicsThe premiere drew more than 18 million viewers 鈥� and lots of cultural discussion.聽Nostalgia played no small part in the numbers, but culture experts say what's striking is its bid to represent both modern politics and blue-collar America in a way no sitcom has done in years.
For teens, 50 mile march to honor King became a deeper journeyThousands gathered in the city this week to honor the legendary civil rights leader, who was slain 50 years ago Wednesday. Among them were six young people from Pearl, Miss., who walked one mile for every year since his death.
Fifty years after King, Atlantans see a dream still deferredFive decades after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder, the hope of good jobs as salvation is today as promising 鈥� and as elusive 鈥� as in 1968. Interviews with African-Americans in his hometown show both resolve and worry that equality is a promise forever over the next hill.
FocusFlorida, the 'Gunshine State,' tries on new role: gun-control bellwetherFlorida has long been a testing ground for expansion of gun rights. With the gun industry facing its first serious headwinds in two decades, experts say shifts in perception and policy in Florida could, once again, lead the way.
After hurricane Mar铆a, a surge in domestic violence 鈥� and demands for changeThe everyday stresses after a disaster like the Category 4 hurricane can exacerbate abuse. Puerto Rico wasn't ready to handle a flood of women and families looking for help, their advocates say, but there are lessons to learn from last fall's failure.
What the March for Our Lives looked like through the eyes of young reportersThe Monitor sent out two college students and three recent college grads to cover the marches in Washington and Boston. The paper turned over its social media accounts to them on Saturday to give readers a sense of what a youth-led movement looked like from the reporters' perspectives. Here are the moments that stood out.
Spring break in Puerto Rico? After Mar铆a, that means 'rebuild,' not 'relax'Six months after the Category 4 hurricane hit, recovery remains slow. From Boy Scouts to Harvard Law, many students from the US mainland are spending vacation time volunteering here: helping to clear debris, navigate FEMA forms, and restore damaged forests.
Cover StoryHere comes the esports revolution 鈥� are video gamers the Tom Bradys of tomorrow?Investors, the news media, and academia are all beginning to recognize that interactive gaming lies at a confluence of evolving technology and shifting demographics that is transforming entertainment.- No, the Irish were not slaves in the AmericasDespite efforts to debunk the falsehood, the notion of 'Irish slaves' continues to circulate online, clouding discussions about racism and further complicating relations between聽Irish-Americans and African-Americans.
First LookSalt Lake City cafe employs homeless youthMaud's Cafe, a new coffee shop in Salt Lake City, hires homeless youth as baristas, through an聽initiative by Volunteers of America-Utah. The coffee shop and the nonprofit's resource center provide young聽people with a trusted community and job training.
The Explainer'Chief Wahoo' out: the mascot debateThe Cleveland Indians will no longer display 'Chief Wahoo' on team uniforms or in their home stadium starting in 2019. But fans will still be allowed to buy and wear the logo, stirring a long-simmering debate over聽the use of Native American sports mascots.
First LookA 1968 school walkout holds lessons for #NationalSchoolWalkoutParticipants of a 1968 high school walk out in East Los Angeles see their movement echoed in the actions of Parkland, Fla., students. Though the 1968 walk out began over poor school conditions, both movements feature students speaking out when they felt no one was listening.
First LookVeterans find community, healing through outdoor sportsThe Front Country Foundation organizes skiing and surfing trips for veterans struggling to reintegrate into civilian society. Through the excursions, the foundation aims to cultivate a sense of closeness and solidarity between those who've experienced trauma.
First LookChanges in sick-leave laws allow workers to care for 'chosen family'The terminology has quietly been gaining political recognition over the past two years as a number of US states and cities have passed laws allowing workers to use sick days to care for anyone who's聽like聽family to them.
First LookWith war back home, Yemeni immigrants deepen roots in USFor decades, migrants from Yemen have come to the US temporarily to pursue greater economic opportunity. Now, with a massive civil war in the Middle Eastern country, many newcomers are staying 鈥� and bringing a sense of cultural pride with them.聽
Cover StoryTwo mothers, a son鈥檚 death, and the struggle for forgivenessGiselle M枚rch realized how much the concept of forgiveness had always been an abstraction for her. But now, confronted with the call to forgive in a way she could never have imagined, it has become something more wrenching and tumultuous, she says.
