All From the Editors

Only a third of the nations around the world have ever had a female leader. Yet, research shows that nations led by women consistently benefit from a slate of economic and political benefits.

Raising kind and courageous boys is a challenging undertaking, made harder by stereotypes that inform young men to mask their feelings. In truth, authentic masculinity comes in many forms and includes both vulnerability and strength.

On a police ride-along, a photographer has to get creative to illustrate the scene while protecting the privacy of the people seen through her viewfinder. The result is all the more interesting.

Polarization and mistrust are high in American politics today. How do we get out of that spiral? A conversation with Alexandra Hudson offers clues.  

Farmers worldwide are caught between cheap and efficient large-scale operations that raze the earth, and expensive small-scale practices that regenerate instead of damage. Is there a realistic compromise?

Surveys tell us that people around the world are not too enthusiastic about democracies, but few want to change to a different form of government. The change voters do want? Better politicians who listen to constituents and act ethically.

The murder of French teacher Samuel Paty after he displayed satirical pictures of the Prophet Muhammad to his class shook the country. Our story delves into the sense of betrayal felt by the teachers toward students at the school. Might some Muslim students have felt a sense of betrayal, too?

The reality of life in a war zone is hard to comprehend, much less the sheer will and resilience required to carry on.

The United States stands at an inflection point in its foreign policy. Will it continue to engage internationally, or will it move toward greater isolationism?

President Joe Biden is among the last of Washington's old-school politicians. Four years after he was first elected, is there still a place for the old guard, or has the desire to win wholly remade American politics?

As a “new wave” of Americans rushes into Mexico City, their presence is both an annoyance and a sign of optimism. Where Mexico was once denigrated as poor and crime-ridden, more outsiders are waking up to its profound worth and appeal.

For people who have been victimized by violence, recovery is often an arduously slow and very private process. But a loose network of trauma recovery centers offers a little-known but effective support system for survivors.

Texas lawmakers are waging a new "war on fentanyl," a plan that calls to mind the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and '90s. But this time, at least some prosecutors are making an effort to focus arrests on distributors rather than users.

Disagreements over the death penalty are sharp. A case in Oklahoma reveals just how high the stakes feel to people on all sides of the issue. At heart, they're all grappling with what constitutes justice.

When local governments use fees and fines to finance governance, the result can be a financial and criminal vortex that sucks downward the very people trying to rise out of poverty. The solution is a matter of community responsibility.

For consumers, is it ever possible to balance collective good and individual freedom? Sweden offers an answer with an ethos of not too little, not too much.

At the beginning of a momentous year, the Monitor is turning its attention to one of the central tenets of democracy and the press: trust. 

The jury is still out on whether legal pot helps or harms society. But one thing is clear: Perceptions around cannabis use are dramatically changing.

As the buzz grows about a potential second presidential run by Donald Trump, the news media must again examine how it approaches its coverage. The Monitor’s commitment has always been to report honestly.

During the holiday season, many of us turn our thoughts to home. But what makes a home? This week, 19 essayists offer a look into the spaces tied to their hearts.