Our stories today about the future of the Middle East, Ivy League presidents, and elections in Brazil have absolutely nothing to do with one another. But when I finished reading them, I couldn’t help but feel my view of the world shift in some important way.

The stories are at turns bracing, honest, and hopeful. But each is fundamentally constructive, looking directly into difficulty or darkness and seeking some wisdom or humanity. 

Sometimes, journalism changes the world. Sometimes, it just changes how we think about it. Sometimes, one can be the beginning of the other.