Before we get to today’s stories, we are delighted to share that yesterday, the Society for Features Journalism recognized several Monitor stories in its Division 2 Excellence-in-Features 2025 contest. They are:

In first place, for the Arts & Culture Criticism Portfolio: Film critic Peter Rainer’s reviews of “Perfect Days,” “Anora,” and “A Real Pain.” Judges wrote: Readers “get a strong understanding of what happens in the films without being bashed over the head with how they should feel about those movies. The writer … nudges readers to see for themselves, and that’s what elevates this work.”

In third place, for Inclusion & Representation in Features: Ken Makin’s “Walking in the path of the Harlem Renaissance”; Ira Porter’s “Comeback college: How Morris Brown kept its doors open”; and Cameron Pugh’s “Pregnant Black women feel lost in the medical system. Doulas offer guidance – and a voice.”

The society’s annual awards recognize “stories that illuminate everyday lives and the rich diversity of our individual experiences.” Please take a moment to read these stories if you haven’t already, and congratulations to our writers and their dedicated editors, Yvonne Zipp and Kim Campbell.

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Editor’s note: We won’t publish on Monday, May 26, Memorial Day in the U.S. Look for your next Daily on Tuesday.