There’s nowhere quite like Hong Kong. But in part, the protests stem from a feeling that is just as universal as it is uniquely local: concerns about forces reshaping their culture, language, and identity – simply put, their home.

Coup, or no coup? That’s the question that’s dominated debate about Evo Morales’ fall from power. But a bigger question lies ahead: Where does Bolivia’s democracy go from here?

A White House meeting this week featured President Trump’s relish for meeting foreign leaders, but also the long-standing challenge of diplomacy with a nation closely tied to both NATO and Russia.

Modern technology has revolutionized food production, but for some farmers, newer isn't always better. Across the U.S., a growing crop of producers are returning to an old way of farming. This story is part of an occasional Monitor series on “Climate Realities.”

Eugene Bullard lived enough to fill five biographies. The first African American combat pilot also volunteered in the French Foreign Legion, and was a boxer, spy, and nightclub owner. “All Blood Runs Red,” his biography, joins books about Dorothy Sayers, Flannery O’Connor, and Bella Abzug as the ones our critics most enjoyed in November.

Is all gun control local? With Congress deadlocked on passing new gun-safety measures, it may be coming to that. In the wake of recent mass shootings – including the latest at a Southern California high school – many cities and states have taken actions of their own. Now the FBI and U.S. Justice Department are focusing on better ways to support communities and individuals to curb gun violence.

On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr launched a federal program called Project Guardian. Its primary aim is to assist community organizations and local law enforcement “in ways that fit the local circumstances.” It would, for example, make sure there is an adequate mental health response for troubled individuals. It would also swiftly update federal databases to show when someone should not be allowed to own a gun. In addition, it would back up state prosecutions in gun cases by adding federal charges.

The FBI, meanwhile, issued a report today that analyzed the profiles of dozens of lone gun attackers and concluded that “all citizens have a critical role in prevention.”

The report said mass gun violence can be prevented through early recognition and reporting of “concerning behavior.” The main reason: “Most offenders were not truly isolated and had family, peers, or online contacts who were in a position to notice troubling behavior.”

“Prevention is more than just a law enforcement effort,” stated Christopher Wray, director of the FBI.

The report found that in 69% of the cases studied, one or more individuals – dubbed “bystanders” by the FBI – took some action to address one or multiple concerning behaviors that had been observed in a gun offender.

“Often, this took the form of expressing concern directly to the offender and/or expressing concern to friends and family members,” the report found.

In a third of cases, such individuals expressed concern to one or more community authority figures, such as a religious leader or a medical professional, at some point during the offender’s life.

Most shooters are white males adrift in society and holding strong grievances, the FBI concludes. Better efforts to recognize, report, and help potential attackers would be “incredibly valuable” in preventing attacks.

To help root such individuals in neighborhoods and homes, says Vikram Patel of Harvard University’s School of Public Health, they need counseling on the quality of social relations. “Many people will mock the idea of love being a potent medicine,” he writes, but love is the “most powerful intervention.”

And there is nothing more local than a loving relationship.