World

• In Mideast, Trump finds his comfort zone: Business first, then policy

  President Donald Trump’s Mideast agenda indicated that business would take priority. Yet the outlines of an emerging Trump foreign policy are visible.
• In newly unstable world, some US allies ponder going nuclear

  Unsure of how far President Donald Trump will go to defend them, some U.S. allies are reconsidering their decision not to build their own nuclear weapons.
• While US pushes peace, Ukrainian troops focus on keeping their country free

  While the United States and Russia talk peace, front-line Ukrainian soldiers dismiss the process and feel it’s up to them to safeguard their country.
• If US ends sanctions on Russia, will Russia welcome back US businesses?

  Warming relations between Washington and Moscow may mean an end to sanctions against Russia. For some Russians, that isn’t a wholly welcome prospect.
• As Trump visits Mideast, Netanyahu’s government is wary of surprises

  When Donald Trump was reelected, Benjamin Netanyahu’s social media posts overflowed with cheer. But comments from Israeli coalition members and supporters indicate a sense they’re being abandoned.

USA

• Supreme Court hears birthright citizenship case. What were the key takeaways?

  Nationwide injunctions have become more prevalent over the past 20 years, with lawyers "forum shopping" for judges friendly to their cause. The Supreme Court Thursday heard a case about whether to limit their scope.
• In Mideast, Trump finds his comfort zone: Business first, then policy

  President Donald Trump’s Mideast agenda indicated that business would take priority. Yet the outlines of an emerging Trump foreign policy are visible.
• Trump’s Qatari plane controversy puts a spotlight on Boeing

  Boeing just won a huge contract from Qatar. But the company is troubled on several fronts – the latest being delays on new Air Force One jets for the U.S. president.
• Focus‘Motivated and inspired’: California inmates are improving mental health behind bars

  Four years after two incarcerated men sought ways to help their peers face mental health issues, Los Angeles County is expanding their successful efforts.
• Colleges in the US are facing hurdles. More are hoping free tuition will help.

  More states are going all in on offering free tuition. How far will the move go to help with the difficulties higher education has faced in recent years – and a predicted pending enrollment cliff?

Commentary

• The Monitor's ViewLatin America’s model of modest leadership

  The region’s response to the death of a beloved former president in Uruguay underscores how that nation’s values have inspired democratic norms across the Americas.
• The Monitor's ViewSovereignty for Colombia’s Indigenous people

  By granting autonomy to Indigenous groups, the government promotes peace and protects the environment.
• The Monitor's ViewIn Norway, more voices, better solutions

  With a rise of distrust in government, a national panel of everyday people shows how civil listening can find a consensus on values for decisions on difficult issues.
• The Monitor's ViewA win for peaceful accord in Turkey

  The country’s main Kurdish separatist group is disbanding and laying down arms – initiating a process that could both strengthen and test democracy in Turkey.
• The Monitor's ViewThe inviting geniality of a front porch

  A large exhibit on how Americans use the porch serves as a reminder of how this public-private space can foster dialogue and neighborliness.

Economy

• Message in US-China trade deal: Neither side wants a sudden breakup

  After 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.
• Can AI be ‘democratic’? Race is on for who will define the technology’s future.

  An American AI company is working to promote “democratic” artificial intelligence. It’s not yet clear what that means or how it might influence how the emerging technology is used.
• The ExplainerUS-China trade talks could temper tariff angst, but rivalry runs deep

  It’s unlikely the U.S. and China can erase the tension in their geopolitical rivalry. But they can manage it. The current talks provide a key avenue.
• First LookBillionaire Warren Buffett’s best and worst investments over the years

  Billionaire investor Warren Buffett announced plans Saturday to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year. Here’s a look back at his career. 
• Hiring is up, GDP is down: Economy sends mixed signals as tariffs loom

  The latest U.S. jobs report beat expectations, yet consumer sentiment is down. America’s economic health may turn on upcoming tariffs

Environment

• Points of ProgressThe right to be a society apart, in Ecuador and South Africa

  Progress roundup: A startup gets closer to carbon dioxide emissions-free steel, Germany strategizes for pedestrians, and African penguins gain protections.
• Forest conservation has an unlikely ally: Faith

  Sacred forests have long been shielded from destruction by their communities. Recognition of that reality is growing in conservation circles.
• Panama vs. US: Whoever runs the Panama Canal needs to find more water

  The Panama Canal is an engineering marvel. But a modern effort to save the critical waterway amid droughts could exact a high human toll. 
• Points of ProgressMore butterflies and birds: Vulnerable species make gains

  Progress roundup: Monarchs doubled in population in Mexico; less drought helped. In South Sudan, a forgotten coffee variety offers climate resilience.
• From sand traps to salmon habitat, US golf courses become nature preserves

  Former golf courses are growing wild again, increasing the amount of public green space in the U.S. In the process, they are teeing up solutions for long-standing environmental challenges.

Technology

• First LookGeorgia leads toward a nuclear future with its first operating reactor

  Georgia 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. 
• First LookCellphone at 50: Its inventor reflects on mobile advances and risks

  Cellphone inventor Martin Cooper, who placed the first mobile call on April 3, 1973, remains hopeful the technology can transform lives, but he’s also concerned about its impact. “We don’t have any privacy anymore,” Mr. 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 online

  Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge 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‘Tremendous potential’: Why some disability advocates laud ChatGPT

  ChatGPT 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. 

Science

• From retail to the military, ‘intelligent connectivity’ raises ethical dilemmas

  Artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and the Internet of Things are used increasingly often in spaces from retail to the military, raising privacy and ethical considerations. 
• The world’s 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’ 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’s 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’s green evolution gave rise to everything from dinosaurs to dandelions

  Paleontologist Riley Black traces the cooperation among plants, animals, and ecosystems in “When the Earth Was Green.”

Culture

• Green thumbs throw a garden party at Connecticut flower show

  The four-day event attracts thousands of flower fans to ooh and aah.
• Families live in limbo as these jewels of Soviet architecture slowly crumble

  The Republic of Georgia’s government has grand plans to restore this onetime spa town to its days of splendor.
• Pope Leo’s challenge: How to build unity in a fragmenting world

  Pope Leo XIV is the first pope born in the United States, but his Peruvian nationality bridges North and South America. His first message, delivered in three languages, was one of peace and unity.
• Mother’s Day memories: 5 writers remember tender moments with Mom

  Mothers and mother figures play a deeply foundational role in our lives. This Mother’s Day, five writers honor the women who shaped them.
• Nobody’s muse: Revisiting the art of Leonora Carrington

  For her unique vision, artist and writer Leonora Carrington is among a number of creative women being celebrated anew. 

Books

• ‘The Emperor of Gladness’ walks a tightrope between despair and hope

  Vietnamese American novelist and poet Ocean Vuong builds moments of tenderness and heartache that flow among his characters like a river.  
• Mark Twain’s legacy is not his tall tales. It’s his larger-than-life persona.

  Mark Twain gave us inimitable characters such as Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. He was no less creative in styling himself as America’s first celebrity.
• How Eadweard Muybridge solved a riddle of movement with his cameras

  “Muybridge,” a thoughtful graphic biography of the 19th-century inventor, delves into his life and his experiments with sequential photography.
• Difference MakerThis restaurateur never made it past fifth grade. Now she runs a roadside library.

  The owner of a popular pit stop in Ozar, India, keeps her business stacked with books that are free for the browsing.
• Her ancestor sought a homeland for Jews. He chose Galveston, Texas.

  Rachel Cockerell talks about her great-grandfather’s role in bringing Jews out of Europe in an effort to create a Jewish homeland in Galveston, Texas.