Some old narratives about labor unions and blue-collar decline no longer seem to apply. It’s not clear how far the worker comeback will go, but employees are making their voices heard – and winning pay raises. 

Africa’s women soccer players have shrugged off discrimination and shone at the World Cup, enjoying unexpected successes that have galvanized fans at home.

“Cultured chicken” is now available for sale in some U.S. restaurants. Supporters tout its environmental benefits, yet critics raise concerns over cost and practicality.

What’s the best way to show support and respect for educators? For one group in Colorado, the answer is to provide free mental health care that empowers teachers.

In our progress roundup, natural resource management is being distributed in ways that expand our idea of who is responsible. Around the world, more land is now owned by the people whose long histories are attached. And in San Francisco’s largest new buildings, water recycling moves in-house.

Two candidates are on the ballot in Guatemala’s presidential runoff later this month. But the contest is less a matter of who vs. who than who vs. what – in this case, the people of Central America’s most populous nation versus the corruption eroding their democracy.

The demands of Guatemalan citizens for honesty from public officials are notable for lacking a personal target. There is no incumbent in the race to rally allegiance or stir dissent. Instead, voters have gathered in the thousands – often for days at a time – to defend their right to self-governance free from interference.

“Guatemala has not experienced such diverse demonstrations to defend electoral results and respect for constitutionally guaranteed procedures since the country re-installed democracy in 1986,” Gabriela Carrera, a political science professor at Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala City, told the United States Institute of Peace last week. “These mobilizations are peaceful, nonpartisan and led by young people. Their central demand is to respect the integrity of the electoral process and the will of the citizens.”

The wisdom of the demands for change in Guatemala rests on the impersonal nature of their focus – trust in civic values rather than faith in individuals.