As a candidate, Donald Trump called NATO obsolete. But yesterday, standing alongside NATO's visiting secretary-general, he praised the security alliance as a vital institution. It was a welcome accolade for those who had been rattled by his “America First” inauguration speech – and who still see the US as the much-needed leading voice on the world stage.

NASA’s announcement just hours ago that the Cassini orbiter identified molecular hydrogen on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be parsed for weeks. Could other planets in our solar system be habitable? More study is needed – but all of NASA's planetary work is closely tied to more Earthly research, which the Trump administration wants to scale back. Liz Fuller-Wright reports on whether that might be short-sighted.

Simply knowing someone's name can short-circuit incivility. Knowing their story can be even more powerful. That's one way Germany is creating connections between its majority and minority populations. Real information crowds out the stereotypes or assumptions that can creep in its absence.

Americans aren’t ready to give up the death penalty yet. But the US has dropped out of the top five countries that impose it, and it contributed to a drop in executions worldwide last year. 

Sometimes it can seem like just another bumper-sticker: the message to coexist or engage in a random act of kindness. But the smallest nod toward being polite to your fellow human being can shift an outlook or reduce some tension. And it's equally effective whether you're driving on the expressway or living in a community struggling with crime and unemployment. 

How’s your health? 

The question isn’t so simple anymore, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans by the giant marketing firm J. Walter Thompson. 

The survey found that rapid scientific advances and other trends have expanded the understanding of health to the point that people now say it involves more than a medical perspective. The poll found more than 3 out of 4 Americans consider health to be as much a mental condition as a physical one. Nearly half said being mindful is a form of health.

One of the survey’s surprises is that relatively few people (17 percent) reach for prescription medicines when they feel ill. And about half prefer a nonmedical approach to an ailment. Younger people are much more inclined to prefer a nonmedical method than older people. 

People also are taking greater command of their well-being as their concepts of health evolve, the survey found. They are more careful of who or what they trust with their health. 

“The more we learn about health, the more it seems that health involves everything,” the researchers conclude.

One result of this shift in thinking is that many industries, from hotels to landscape architects, see themselves in the “wellness” business. They provide “restorative environments” or “mood-aligning” experiences. The definition of health care keeps expanding far beyond traditional medicine. More hospitals, for example, are offering spiritual care to patients beyond simply providing access to a chaplain for end-of-life discussions.

In a recent experiment at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, researchers showed patients who could not speak images that depicted a possible spiritual need, such as prayer or inspirational poetry. The patients could select one and also indicate the extent of their need. Then the spiritual help was given. The result was a sharp rise in patients feeling “more at peace” or “more connected with what is sacred,” according to the study. 

The study was seen as a test of spiritual care “as if it were a new medicine.” That result helps reinforce the findings of the survey. So next time you ask someone “How’s your health?” prepare to hear an unexpected answer.

Below: Yemenis present documents in order to receive food rations provided by a local charity, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 13. A Saudi-led coalition launched a campaign in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government in March 2015. The stalemated war has pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine.