All From the Editors

In a disaster, humans rush to help. May they ever do so. But when rescue turns to recovery turns to rebuilding, there are smarter ways to offer a hand up without making it a hand out.

While it's fun to marvel at the physical and mental excellence on display in the Olympics, it is important to remember that democracy and freedom require not just a few heroes, stars, and celebrities but the committed participation of everyone.

In the sixth year of his presidency, Barack Obama's 'hope and change' slogan is a fading memory. His best option now may be to keep calm and carry on.

The new chair of the Federal Reserve knows that Job 1 is jobs. Being out of work is individually and collectively debilitating. Gainful employment is good for everybody.

Earth's two poles are remote and dangerous. But they have what no nearby planet has: water, air, and abundant natural and biological resources. That makes these frigid regions hot.

The spotlight of news usually falls on big, important issues -- "the rise of China," "the war on terror," "political conflict in Washington." But reporters gathering that news often find meaning in one-to-one relationships and small-scale incidents they encounter on the job. That's news too.

Iran's culture is deep. Its people are complex. Its doors have for too long shut out the rest of the world. A Monitor reporter who returned to Iran after being barred for more than four years found Iranians eager to talk.

Any religious movement encounters resistance. That is, of course, true of Christianity, which was born in the always-conflicted Middle East. The dire circumstances of Middle East Christians in the 21st century has brought them back to the fundamental faith of the first Christians.

Is it better to bring sunlight to a disturbing issue to draw attention to it? Or is there a risk of fear-mongering -- or even enabling copy-cats? Nowhere is that tension more pronounced than with news of a teen suicide.

Five months after his release from his 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela visited Boston, and on a Sunday morning he dropped in on the reporters and editors of The Christian Science Monitor.

News trends seldom seize attention through shock and awe. But while some trends are little more that fluff, others -- such as the quiet improvement in economic and civil security in Latin America -- recognize significant shifts well worth knowing.

Humanity's age-old social network, which we benefit from and which we extend to others, is fueled by kindness. Researchers now believe that kindness is a powerful, self-reinforcing force.

Spying has a long a colorful history. It has been amped up to extraordinary levels today by the National Security Agency and other super-secret operations. But there's a price for all that capability.

They were soldiers once and young. Now they have gray in their hair and are returning to Vietnam to help that country -- and themselves.

We're testing new approaches to our website aimed at making CSMonitor.com more accessible and deepening your engagement with the award-winning journalism of The Christian Science Monitor. 

It's difficult to know how revolutionary a new leader will be. Is that smile just a pleasant first impression? Or is this really a case of 'what you see is what you get?'

Amid all the controversy over the troubled launch of the Affordable Care Act's public health exchanges, another revolution is taking place in the much larger world of employer-provided health care. 

Older generations are always leery of the new fad, trend, or technology that younger generations embrace. That's as true for today's "touch-screen generation" as it was for the rock 'n' roll generation.

We can extract fascinating and useful information from the relics of past civilizations. But the stories archaeology tells are always sketchy and subject to revision -- especially where the Holy Land is concerned.

For decades, energy security was a major concern to consumers, businesses, and governments. There was no magic solution to the problem. Instead, persistent effort and incremental improvement made the difference.