Several justices have expressed an interest in curbing the power of administrative agencies. On Tuesday, that goal was weighed against partisan interests in what is likely to be one of this term’s few blockbuster cases.

The days following any tragedy are mixed with grief and a yearning for answers. In the wake of the Easter bombings, a reporter who covered the Sri Lankan civil war unpacks some pressing questions.

Even as pro-democracy forces in the Arab world have sought to learn from the 2011 Arab Spring, so has a pro-authoritarian alliance sought to frustrate them. The focus of that regional clash is now Sudan.

Groups are training high-schoolers across the country to pay attention to the social-emotional well-being of their classmates. Can young people make a difference?

By changing the mindset of local people, San Fernando, Philippines, has diverted most of its trash from landfills and has become nearly litter-free.

Until last Sunday when it elected a new president, Ukraine held a dubious world title. Only 9% percent of Ukrainians had faith in their government, the lowest in any democracy. In other former Soviet states, the level of trust is 48%. What’s more, Ukraine is one of the most corrupt and poorest nations in Europe.

With a reputation like that and possibly setting an example for other Soviet states, voters in Ukraine elected a total newcomer to politics, comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who had only played a president on a popular TV show. In the reality of a campaign, he inspired enough trust to win nearly three-quarters of the ballots. And he beat an incumbent president, Petro Poroshenko, who was seen as part of an entrenched elite that, while it stood up to Russian aggression, failed to change a political system that worsened poverty.

The choice of a novice to lead Ukraine reveals just how much voters want clean governance. “I am not a politician, I’m just a person, a simple person, who came to break this system,” Mr. Zelenskiy said of his victory.

To a large degree, however, Ukraine’s democratic system did work. Compared with other Soviet states, especially Russia, it held a competitive election and removed a sitting president who conceded gracefully and who will allow a peaceful transition of power. “To all the countries of the former Soviet Union: Look at us – everything is possible,” Mr. Zelenskiy said.

In addition, Ukraine is now the only country outside of Israel to have both a Jewish president and a Jewish prime minister (Volodymyr Groysman). For a country with a history of anti-Semitism, this is quite a feat. And it contradicts Russian propaganda that Ukraine is run by neo-Nazis.

Humor helped the neophyte candidate gain widespread trust. When a right-wing politician hinted that Mr. Zelenskiy was less than patriotic by being a Jew, he disarmed his opponent by threatening to “unleash” his Jewish mother on him. On the serious side of the campaign, it was his promises to speed up anti-corruption efforts that won over voters.

Since a pro-democracy, anti-Russia uprising in 2014 that brought Mr. Poroshenko to power, Ukraine has made only small steps against corruption, mostly out of pressure from international creditors. Mr. Zelenskiy plans to install reformers in anti-corruption bodies and bring transparency to military spending. And if he can dominate an election for a new parliament this fall, he plans to end the current immunity for lawmakers.

Ukraine’s best defense against Russia’s heavy hand in its affairs is clean governance and open elections. If Mr. Zelenskiy can maintain the trust put in him by voters, he will not only liberate his country from Moscow’s influence but end its low ranking as a country of little trust in government. As a TV star, his wit won him the trust of the people. Now he must keep it as president.