All The Monitor's View
Responding to a cyber Pearl HarborIn less unusual times the hacking of computer systems in top U.S. government agencies might have dominated the news. The act needs a prompt, vigorous response.
Why 2021 brings hope on climate changeEfforts to curb global warming have failed to meet the expectations of the Paris Agreement. But a new U.S. commitment gives a reason for optimism.
What's in a name? A lot.The year 2020 saw names that no longer represent how Americans see themselves come off buildings, places, even sports teams.
Home is where the work isThe pandemic has caused the concept of home as a haven of rest, shielded from the world of earning a living, to be revised.
Christmas 2020This year many traditions will be paused or altered. But the spirit of Christmas will still lift hearts.
Time to give, big or small2020 finds the welfare of many across the globe in jeopardy. But from billionaires to ordinary folks people are experiencing the joy of giving.
Changing tactics on terrorismNigeria has been hit by a series of abductions of schoolchildren by jihadis. Treating them as military opponents hasn’t succeeded. A new program offers amnesty and a way back into society.
The rewards of an upward and outward visionDespite a year of huge earthly challenges, the exploration of space has gone on, including many successful missions and firsts. Even more lies just ahead.
Electricity’s clean giants sizzle – quietlyWorldwide, companies that generate power from renewable, nonpolluting sources are becoming major players.
Europe's eye on torture in its backyardA world leader in setting norms against torture, the continent is finally awakening to the torture of pro-democracy protesters in Belarus.
A decade of declaring decency in governmentIn the 10 years since Tunisia’s revolution, many more nations have seen anti-corruption protests. Yet why does honest governance still seem elusive?
India’s lesson on rushed reforms for farmersMass protests against liberalizing agricultural markets show why progress must come with consensus.
College football’s resourceful rehuddleIf the 2020 season is teaching anything, it’s that keeping things flexible isn’t as impossible as previously thought.
A critical aspect of the vaccination campaignHealth experts put a new focus on alleviating individual fears, learning from the mistakes made during the Ebola crisis.
Britain's stroke against luckA government review of betting laws is aiming at reducing problem gambling, a move that might also reduce a widespread belief in luck and put a focus instead on talent, skill, and discipline.
A Bidenesque aisle-crossing in CongressAs lawmakers near a consensus on a coronavirus aid package, they also reinforce the president-elect’s promise to bind “the wounds of division.”
For Biden, a path out of Iran-US resentmentsBoth countries must address feelings of humiliation over past actions. A window of opportunity opens next year to do just that.
The pandemic’s crisis of doubt about progressThe huge setback for humanity need not lead to a bleakness about the future. One lesson lies in the last crisis that was fully global.
Work-from-home fathers rethink parentingCouples who have school-age children and can work from home are resetting traditional parenting roles. After the pandemic, old notions of fatherhood may not hold anymore.
War might not fix Ethiopia’s ethnic puzzleArmed victory by the national government over a belligerent minority will only put off the need for a new social contract.
