All Society
How a pioneering library pays forward its proud legacy (video)The revival of a cultural institution means so much more if the community it serves makes use of it. In this companion video to his reported story, the Monitor’s videographer takes us inside Western Library in Louisville, Kentucky, to show both its innovative drive and its public reception.
On Columbine anniversary, a nation divided over gunsA quarter century after the Columbine massacre, Americans continue to square off over the interplay of guns, safety, health, and freedom.
First LookAustralia sees surge in public violence despite tough gun laws. Some blame extremism.Australians are demanding answers after a deadly knife attack in a Sydney mall and a stabbing during a church service. Some locals argue that tough gun laws prevented a deadlier attack. Others worry religious extremism is rising unchecked.
First LookThey couldn’t drive back home. US driving schools help refugee women.Women from countries that ban female driving have found newfound freedom in America. Driving schools in Georgia are giving lessons to recent immigrants and refugees looking to build a new life, with freedom front of mind.
Pregnant Black women feel lost in the medical system. Doulas offer guidance – and a voice.As Black expectant mothers try to navigate a medical system in which they have little confidence, Black doulas have become trusted members of their pregnancy teams.
Bryan Stevenson Q&A: Alabama park confronts difficult history in sculptureIn Montgomery, Alabama, a new sculpture park has joined two memorials created by the Equal Justice Initiative started by Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer perhaps best known for his memoir, “Just Mercy.”
With antisemitism on rise, Auschwitz exhibit counters with proof of HolocaustAmid the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitism and Holocaust denial have risen. An Auschwitz exhibit stands firmly for the truth by providing evidence of atrocities – and humanity.
First LookFood companies reverse their pandemic strategies as consumer spending plummetsLow-income Americans are cutting household spending on fast food and groceries. Big food companies like Kraft Heinz are offering more deals and options – a reversal from pandemic-era strategies to justify climbing prices.
Sparrows Point helped build the Key Bridge. Its collapse left residents isolated.Sparrows Point was a company town that lost its iconic company but persevered. Now, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has left residents feeling cut off on the north side of the harbor, wondering what the future may hold.
First LookRecord-setting crowds. Star players. Women’s college basketball has it all.
In US capital, rats thrive where civic trust is low. Here’s how to fix that.From the Rose Garden to the Capitol, in the rat battle in the nation’s capital, victory can be measured in civic cooperation, not total destruction.
First LookMath, English, and bright smiles. Traveling dental care in schools fills a gap.Nearly half of all U.S. children don’t receive regular dental care, according to a federal report. School-based traveling dental clinics are trying to change that, along with other community health programs and nonprofits.
First LookThe US is seeing a stadium construction boom. Who’s paying for it?A proposed sales tax hike to fund stadium projects in Kansas City failed this week at the ballot box. When pro sports teams don’t get the public funds they seek, some double down on a pitch to voters or go to legislators. Others threaten to move.
First LookKept on the sidelines, Black assistant basketball coaches want a shot to leadBlack head coaches are still a rarity in college basketball, despite a growing number of Black coaches rising to the level of assistant coach. Long seen as just recruiters, Black coaches are hoping to take up top posts that don’t change hands often.
First LookThese local newspapers were struggling. Then student journalists took charge.As news deserts grow across the U.S., college newspapers could offer a solution. The Daily Iowan, a student paper for the University of Iowa, bought two struggling local papers which student journalists will help run, in a first-of-its-kind deal.
First LookChaplains serve in hospitals and colleges. Should they be in public schools?Conservatives in more than a dozen states are hoping to reform public school cultures by installing chaplains. The initiatives are drawing concern from some chaplains and interfaith organizations.
Transportation spending surges to historic levels. Will US get historic results?The U.S. has never spent so much on transportation, water systems, and other networks. Whether it will get once-in-a-generation results is unclear.
The new story of old age in rural America: Neighbors and community lend a handAging in rural areas is increasingly viable, as communities and neighbors create support networks for older adults who want to stay where they are.
First LookFull heart. Empty stomach. Can’t lose. BYU’s star combines March Madness and Ramadan.BYU basketball star Aly Khalifa is heading into the March Madness tournament without food or water, observing the strictures of Ramadan. Mr. Khalifa’s sacrifice epitomizes his career as a college athlete and a devout Muslim.
First LookRed, white, and feeling blue: Why young Americans are in a ‘mid-life crisis’The United States and western Europe lost ground in the annual World Happiness Report, a change driven by young people’s dejection around social issues, social media, and economic inequality. But some U.S. legislators are looking to turn the tide.
