World
Top Stories:- With Lee鈥檚 election, South Korea returns to 鈥榩ragmatic鈥� diplomacyThe election of Lee Jae-myung heralds a foreign policy shift for South Korea as the country seeks to balance its critical U.S. security alliance with a more pragmatic,聽amicable approach to China.
- First LookAs US aid dries up, Zimbabweans find new solutions to store waterIn the wake of the United States鈥� aid cuts, which supported projects in agriculture and food security across Zimbabwe, locals are devising their own solutions. For instance, one community built rainwater storage tanks from chicken wire, canvas, and cement.
- Lawrence of Arabia bombed the Hejaz Railway. Syria wants it to run again.More than a century after Arab revolutionaries blew up the Ottomans鈥� prized Hejaz Railway, located in the geographic heart of the Middle East, Syria鈥檚 new government is pushing full steam ahead on its revival.
- Why El Salvador鈥檚 Bukele is doubling down on repressionEl Salvador鈥檚 president escalated crackdowns on protest and civil society in May, prompting the question 鈥淲hy now?鈥�
- Trump鈥檚 pivot to Asia is a turn away from EuropeDonald Trump makes the Indo-Pacific the U.S. military鈥檚 top priority in his 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy, but Asian allies are unsettled by Washington鈥檚 tariff war.
USA
Top Stories:- First LookKilmar Abrego Garcia is returning to the US to face criminal chargesKilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation became a political flashpoint, is leaving El Salvador to face criminal charges by the Trump administration related to transporting people in the country illegally.
- First LookFrom biggest supporter to biggest critic: Musk and Trump break upLosing Elon Musk鈥檚 backing could threaten Donald Trump鈥檚 growing influence among tech donors, social media audiences, and younger male voters. For Mr. Musk, the break could intensify scrutiny of his business practices and government contracts.
- End of a bromance: Why the Musk-Trump partnership blew upThe falling-out between two alpha males made for astonishing social-media theater, but didn鈥檛 come as a surprise. From tariffs to the national debt, differences between the erstwhile allies were hardly hidden.
- As power shifts toward the executive branch, presidents matter more than everThe U.S. president can seem like a 鈥渃hairman of the board,鈥� atop a massive bureaucracy that often runs itself. But the Trump and Biden administrations, in different ways, have shown how much the person with the highest executive power matters.
- The ExplainerTrump鈥檚 鈥楪olden Dome鈥� defense plan: Would it work? Is it worth it?New U.S. defenses against potential missile strikes are seen by some experts as 鈥渁bsolutely necessary.鈥� They also come with big costs and geopolitical risks.
Commentary
Top Stories:- The Monitor's ViewArchitecture drawn with local listeningToday鈥檚 winning designs for buildings are more sensitive to culture, climate, and community.
- The Monitor's ViewIn a parched Syria, a path to plentySix months after liberation from a dictator, Syrians not only are aiming for democracy, but also must find solutions for a severe drought. That crisis may be a unifying moment.
- The Monitor's ViewAfrica鈥檚 tech comes of ageThe world鈥檚 youngest continent finds that its adaptation skills and curiosity create entrepreneurs who can be globally competitive.聽
- The Monitor's ViewMongolia鈥檚 young people right the shipProtests against corruption fell a prime minister and reveal a generation shaping accountable, transparent governance.
- The Monitor's ViewSmall-town values speak to young AmericansAn accelerating trend of leaving large cities points to new possibilities for strengthening community and connection 鈥� and reinvigorating local economies.聽
Economy
Top Stories:- Trump promised to bring jobs to the Rust Belt. The Sun Belt may get them instead.Donald Trump was elected partly on the promise of a factory renaissance. Made-in-America may come back, but not necessarily in the places that led U.S. manufacturing 80 years ago.
- Trade disputes threaten US-EU relations, even as courts weigh Trump tariffsCourts are challenging the legality of President Trump鈥檚 tariff threats, but longer-term risks of America鈥檚 new trade tactics include lost confidence of trusted allies.
- Trump鈥檚 budget bill carries costs: Higher deficits and US debtPresident Trump promised to expand tax cuts while also slashing federal spending. So far, the math in Congress looks like a recipe for federal deficits聽to keep rising.
- This Illinois town aims for economic revival 鈥� but will Trump tariffs help?President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs aim to revive U.S. manufacturing and the cities where it happens. But in Belvidere, Illinois, the reality is complicated.
- Message in US-China trade deal: Neither side wants a sudden breakupAfter initiating a trade war, President Donald Trump has apparently blinked. His massive recent tariffs on China are now on pause after threatening major economic disruption.
Environment
Top Stories:- First LookIt鈥檚 huge, stinky, and brown. Record amounts of seaweed are baffling scientists.Caribbean beaches are being engulfed by聽tons of sargassum seaweed just as tourism season arrives. Scientists think warming waters and agricultural runoff may be contributing to the increasing amount of seaweed washing ashore each year.
- Points of ProgressThe benefits of living with bears and letting nature take its courseProgress roundup: Antarctica鈥檚 newest research base lowers fossil fuel use, a medieval Italian village welcomes its bears, and more.
- The ExplainerHow Trump鈥檚 push to end California EV mandates may change rules of the roadPresident Trump says he鈥檒l sign legislation revoking California鈥檚 ability to mandate its own shift toward electric vehicles. Here鈥檚 a look at what that could mean for the auto market in the state and beyond.
- First LookA Peruvian farmer took on a German energy giant. Who won?A decade-long legal battle between a Peruvian farmer and German energy giant resulted in the court throwing out the case. Still, environmentalists hail it as an 鈥渦nprecedented victory.鈥�
- First LookWill it be another record-breaking summer? Scientists say yes.Higher global temperatures have become the new normal. Following boosts from El Ni帽o years, scientists say temperatures haven鈥檛 fallen back down after upward swings.
Technology
Top Stories:- First LookGeorgia leads toward a nuclear future with its first operating reactorGeorgia Power Co. announced one of its two new reactors reached self-sustaining nuclear fission on Monday. The announcement is a key step toward reaching commercial operation of nuclear energy in the United States.聽
- First LookCellphone at 50: Its inventor reflects on mobile advances and risksCellphone inventor Martin Cooper, who placed the first mobile call on April 3, 1973, remains hopeful the technology can transform lives, but he鈥檚 also concerned about its impact. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any privacy anymore,鈥澛燤r. Cooper said at a trade show in Spain.
- First LookWhat links toothbrushes and weapons systems? A $52 billion investment.The U.S. government has reached a rare bipartisan agreement to invest $52 billion to develop advanced computer chips. Factories, autos, appliances, electronics, toys, toothbrushes, and weapons systems all depend on semiconductors.
- First LookInternet speech: Supreme Court to weigh who is protected onlineTwo cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge聽Section 230, a 1996 law that protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their networks. The cases are part of a global trend toward holding social media platforms accountable.
- First Look鈥楾remendous potential鈥�: Why some disability advocates laud ChatGPTChatGPT has spurred lively conversations about the role of educational technology. While some colleges and universities are cracking down on ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot, other educators believe ChatGPT could help with assisted learning.聽
Science
Top Stories:- From retail to the military, 鈥榠ntelligent connectivity鈥� raises ethical dilemmasArtificial intelligence, 5G networks, and the Internet of Things are used increasingly often in spaces from retail to the military, raising privacy and ethical considerations.聽
- The world鈥檚 bananas are at risk. A volcanic island might protect them.Cavendish bananas are under threat from a fungus that has wiped out other varieties. The island of La Palma may have the conditions to protect them.
- NASA astronauts鈥� return is near. Their long, unlikely trip puts focus on resilience.An eight-day mission for two astronauts to the International Space Station turned into nine months. NASA crews work to prepare for unforeseen events like this.
- US science funding was a bipartisan priority. Now it鈥檚 a target of federal cuts.The Trump administration aims to overhaul publicly funded science. Critics say cuts could undermine U.S. leadership that has fueled significant advancements.
- Earth鈥檚 green evolution gave rise to everything from dinosaurs to dandelionsPaleontologist Riley Black traces the cooperation among plants, animals, and ecosystems in 鈥淲hen the Earth Was Green.鈥�
Culture
Top Stories:- He shoots! He scores! The wins, and losses, of fatherhood.When my son called foul on me, I took a timeout.聽I rebounded in time to witness his victory.
- For the world鈥檚 children, play is serious business. And failure is part of the fun.Play isn鈥檛 always joyful. It can be messy, frustrating, and full of setbacks. But determination is the point.
- Does Boulder attack on Jews mark new front in 鈥榳ar on free speech鈥�?Some 80% of Americans agree at least slightly with the statement that 鈥淲ords can be violence,鈥� and a growing number believe that violence can be justified to silence ideas they find dangerous. What will that mean for freedom of speech?
- Dancers showcase their grace at the largest student ballet scholarship competitionYouth America Grand Prix dancers project a maturity beyond their years as they twirl, leap, and extend their legs beyond what seems humanly possible.
- How a seaweed harvesting collective sustains a village in ZanzibarWhen the tides are right, the collective known as Pania Uchupe gets to work.
Books
Top Stories:- Mollusks and matchmaking combine in this zany mashup of a novelMaria Reva鈥檚 novel involves the Ukraine war, matchmaking, nearly extinct gastropods, and a malacologist trying to save them.
- 鈥楾he Spinach King鈥� tosses together a tale of greed and greensNew Yorker staff writer John Seabrook recounts his family鈥檚 history of innovation and exploitation, creativity and excess, in 鈥淭he Spinach King.鈥�
- 鈥楢 sense of belonging.鈥� How this Boston bookstore changes lives.More Than Words is a bookstore, but one that does more than sell $3.8 million worth of merchandise a year. It serves young people who are dealing with homelessness or legal challenges and gives them a聽place where they belong.
- This thriller about a musical prodigy delivers a virtuoso performanceIn witness protection, a budding cellist and his family must develop new talents in Brendan Slocumb鈥檚 鈥淭he Dark Maestro.鈥�
- Blowing their cover: A dossier on the Russian spies who lived next doorShaun Walker interviewed former Soviet agents for 鈥淭he Illegals,鈥� a highly readable account of Russian operatives and their missions in the West.