Germany took a step toward a new chancellor. Its February election left the nation’s two main centrist parties with one choice: Join hands or risk opening the government to right-wing forces. Today, as long expected, the center-left Social Democrats agreed to join a coalition led by the center-right Christian Democrats. This paves the way for Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats to become chancellor. It also maintains the “firewall” that ensures the right-wing Alternative for Germany will have no role in the governing coalition, despite being the second-largest party. – Staff

U.S. consumer confidence hit a five-year low. It slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic, as worries about the impact of tariffs on the economy appeared to take a toll on consumer expectations for growth. The Conference Board said Tuesday that the index fell 7.9 points in April to 86, its lowest reading since May 2020. – The Associated Press
Related Monitor story: In times of uncertainty, people and businesses often slow spending. Our report from last month.

President Trump adjusted some automaker tariffs. He signed executive orders late Tuesday to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, the White House said, a significant reversal on the import taxes. Mr. Trump portrayed the changes as a bridge toward automakers moving more production into the United States. “We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term,” Trump told reporters. – AP

No, Amazon did not tease tariff-cost transparency. A report early Tuesday by Punchbowl News sparked speculation the e-commerce giant would do so. The Amazon service Haul had “considered the idea” of listing import charges on some products but never approved it, said a company spokesperson. The White House press secretary called the rumored action a “hostile and political act.” Tuesday afternoon President Trump praised Amazon’s Jeff Bezos on the matter. “He solved a problem very quickly and he did the right thing,” Mr. Trump told reporters. – AP

Veterans want answers on messaging app leaks. More than 85% said they believe there should be accountability for the recent episodes involving Signal, according to a new poll by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. That included three-quarters of veterans who identify as Republican. The majority of respondents (89%) said they had deployed directly or in support of U.S. operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syria. Along with their desire for accountability, 87% of vets who voted in the 2024 presidential election said they remain satisfied with their vote choice. – Staff

The European Union is courting the world’s researchers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday invited scientists and researchers from around the world to make Europe their home. Ms. von der Leyen made the statement as the Trump administration is threatening to cut federal funding for Harvard and other U.S. universities, mainly over how they have handled pro-Palestinian rallies against Israel’s war in Gaza, but also over such issues as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and climate initiatives. – Reuters

Across Ukraine, millions have been proclaiming their identity and independence by using their native tongue while learning, working, or socializing. Some 70% of citizens, up from 40% before the war, now use Ukrainian instead of Russian. That’s just one metric of a change that has swept across the country during a decade of political upheaval and war, but the one Ukrainians often cite first. “We are in the process of growing up as a nation,” says Evgeniya Blyznyuk, founder of a polling organization. “And just as with children, our use and choice of language is part of that process.”

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two education cases this month that could profoundly change America’s public schooling system. One question before the justices is whether charter schools are, indeed, public schools. Their answer could upend how charters operate in the 46 states and Washington, D.C., where they exist. And, in a twist, opponents of one case include people who favor both religious schooling and public charter schools. At issue is the First Amendment and what President Thomas Jefferson described as a “wall of separation between church and state.”

In the 50 years since it ended, the Vietnam War has reshaped the attitudes of service members and war protesters alike. There is reflection within the Pentagon. Today, U.S. diplomats in Vietnam have reportedly been instructed not to take part in commemorations for a conflict America didn’t win. Yet the United States and Vietnam continue to forge ties in a process of reconciliation and trust-building. There is also reflection that is personal. For Rodney Coates, a young Black soldier in the late 1960s and early ’70s, the journey to reconciliation, even with his own country, began when he qualified for an academic deferment from the draft.

Gaza journalists continue to don their press vests and report – even as Israel blurs the line between media workers and military targets. They say they are driven by a mission: to document the impact of the war in Gaza on their community and prevent the world from averting its gaze. They’ve also formed close bonds in the crucible of war. “Our connections and ties have grown stronger than with our family members,” says photojournalist Abdul Raouf Shaath. “We share our problems and the challenges we face with one another; we share our equipment.”

For generations, Sherpas have been highly sought-after guides for international clients intent on making the world’s most difficult climbs. Consider Nima Rinji Sherpa. Everyone in Nepal, a small nation in the Himalayas, seems to know who he is. In 2024, at age 18, he became the youngest person to summit the world’s 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters (that’s 26,247 feet). Today, this trailblazing role model aims to inspire other young people to become athletes, opening opportunities and shining a light on the extraordinary work of Sherpas.

Last week, Ukraine and Poland began to put aside a big source of tension in their relationship as neighbors. Work began on exhuming the remains of thousands of Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. Families of the Polish victims have long wanted answers.

“We have found the right formula: that we will not bargain over the dead, but both sides will fulfill their Christian duty,” Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, told the radio station TOK.

What helped trigger this step of reconciliation in 2025? One more crisis in Europe, namely the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both Poland and Ukraine are neighbors of Russia.

In recent decades, the continent has had its fair share of crises, from a financial meltdown to a mass influx of migrants to climate disasters. Then there was the pandemic, the Russian invasion, and the urgency to curb reliance on Russian gas and oil.

The latest challenge? America turning inward under Donald Trump, hitting allies with tariff threats and a weakening of security guarantees.

Yet as with Poland and Ukraine healing their historic wounds, European nations have shown some mettle in mending internal tensions for the sake of unity around the values of the European Union. According to a Eurobarometer survey in early 2025, about 90% of EU citizens expect more unity from the bloc’s 27 countries in order to meet the current global challenges.

“In the middle of the chaos, Europe stands firm, grounded in values, ready to shape what comes next,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Politico.

The most immediate action for EU countries is quickly beefing up defense forces as the United States withdraws support for Ukraine. France appears poised to provide a nuclear defense for Europe. Sweden and Finland have joined NATO. The bloc plans to harmonize its capital markets and offer new incentives for high-tech talent.

Adversity from each crisis in Europe has made it more resilient, less divided. Or as the Poles like to say, Jakoś to będzie. Or, reach for the impossible, everything will be OK.