World

• First LookPeace talk pessimism? Trump says he doubts Putin wants to end Ukraine war.

  President Donald Trump is expressing skepticism that a peace deal is in reach, only a day after saying Kyiv and Moscow were “very close to a deal.”
• Russia and the US seem near a Ukraine peace deal. Kyiv’s role may be moot.

  Moscow and Washington seem close to an agreement on a Ukraine peace plan, leaving Russia pleased – even if the talks don’t pan out.
• Tariffs are jamming the US-China supply chain. Who that hits first.

  U.S. and Chinese tariffs on each other’s goods have stifled trade. The first to suffer are factory workers, wholesalers, shippers, and dockworkers.
• On eve of election, Canada’s Tories try to prove they’re ready to confront Trump

  Pierre Poilievre is a long shot to be Canada’s next prime minister. He wants to show that conservatism has the solution to deal with Donald Trump.
• Pope Francis focused on ‘this world.’ He angered some, and inspired many others.

  Pope Francis heralded migrant rights, rang alarms over climate change, and served as a bridge toward peace on several continents. He spurred many citizens to action.

USA

• Disarray at Pentagon puts spotlight on civilian leadership’s crucial role

  Many U.S. military officials welcome the idea of strategic reforms. But they worry now about upheaval without strong civilian leadership.
• When government promises are broken, how is trust restored?

  What can history tell us about the social contract between the U.S. government and the American people? Our columnist interviews author Justene Hill Edwards about the Reconstruction-era Freedman’s Bank.
• ‘Make America Healthy Again’: A movement rallies around RFK Jr.’s agenda

  RFK Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiatives are controversial, but tap into a postpandemic skepticism of the medical establishment and a desire for more natural solutions.
• What USAID cuts mean for Peru as it battles cartels on coca, gold trade

  Peru received $135 million in USAID funding in 2024. Substantial contributions were for areas ranging from democratic governance to minority rights.
• They wanted to build affordable housing. The town took their land.

  A federal case out of Rhode Island could set a precedent in governments’ power over private developments. Can eminent domain be used to halt development in the name of public good?

Commentary

• The Monitor's ViewHugs of mercy in a Texas courtroom

  After a plea of guilty and his sentencing, a mass shooter receives acts of forgiveness from family members of victims. It was both healing and civilizing.
• The Monitor's ViewKenya embraces refugees as partners

  A new plan that integrates more than 800,000 refugees sees them as contributors, not burdens, to society.
• The Monitor's ViewIn postwar Ethiopia, a stand on higher ground

  A potential for renewed war in Tigray state was averted after two former foes – the prime minister and a Tigrayan general – helped rebalance a peace deal that ended the deadly 2020-2022 war.
• The Monitor's ViewThe climate legacy of a pope and a patriarch

  The death of Pope Francis and an award for the Orthodox church leader bring praise for the holy men’s promotion of a spiritual dimension to climate issues.
• The Monitor's ViewEurope’s grassroots anti-graft drive

  Anti-corruption protesters in Serbia finally push the European Union to tackle a problem across the continent.

Economy

• Markets falter as Trump attacks Fed’s independence – and its chair

  The selloff of U.S. assets continued as President Trump stepped up threats for Fed Chair Powell to drop interest rates to spur the economy or lose his job.
• California designs a trade plan to blunt tariffs. Be careful, China expert says.

  California Gov. Gavin Newsom says that to protect its economy from tariffs, the state can make its own trade deals with China. Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, says California has to step carefully to avoid working against federal government interests.
• Why Trump’s ‘madman theory’ tactics could run aground amid trade reversals

  Is there a method behind the Trump administration’s madness? Yes, on both negotiation tactics and long-term economic strategy. But the path to get there is not only rocky; it’s full of pitfalls.
• Tariff chaos tests the status of Treasury bonds as a haven of safety

  The normally staid bond market's latest gyrations suggest that foreign governments, banks, and investors are losing confidence in the U.S. – and upset over President Trump's tariff program. 
• From cellphones to cars, some shoppers stock up before tariffs inflate prices

  Many Americans are cutting back on services and focusing on buying goods that may get more expensive with tariffs. 

Environment

• Points of ProgressHow to reuse exhaust from jets and store energy in sand

  Progress roundup: Dallas airport captures jet exhaust for electricity, Finland innovates with heating methods, plus rights rulings in Japan and Kenya.
• There’s one rare earths mine in the US. How that might change soon.

  The U.S. relies on China for about 70% of its rare earth imports. New Chinese restrictions on exports of the key minerals highlight why presidents from both parties have been trying to kickstart domestic production.
• Points of ProgressGo with the flow: How to squeeze water from fog, and why to remove a dam

  Progress roundup: Small dams across the U.S. are being removed for safety, water quality, and wildlife. And a desert in Chile yields water from fog.
• A tree grows in Altadena: LA community tries to save its fire-damaged canopy

  In a California community where wildfires displaced thousands of residents, arborists and locals are trying to save the area’s unique canopy of trees.
• Florida manatees find warmth at power plants. They may need a new solution.

  Development has cut off many springs that manatees need to survive winter. Warm water now draws them to power plants, but decarbonization means that a more fundamental – and difficult – fix may be called for.

Technology

• First LookGeorgia leads toward a nuclear future with its first operating reactor

  Georgia Power Co. announced one of its two new reactors reached self-sustaining nuclear fission on Monday. The announcement is a key step toward reaching commercial operation of nuclear energy in the United States. 
• First LookCellphone at 50: Its inventor reflects on mobile advances and risks

  Cellphone inventor Martin Cooper, who placed the first mobile call on April 3, 1973, remains hopeful the technology can transform lives, but he’s also concerned about its impact. “We don’t have any privacy anymore,” Mr. Cooper said at a trade show in Spain.
• First LookWhat links toothbrushes and weapons systems? A $52 billion investment.

  The U.S. government has reached a rare bipartisan agreement to invest $52 billion to develop advanced computer chips. Factories, autos, appliances, electronics, toys, toothbrushes, and weapons systems all depend on semiconductors.
• First LookInternet speech: Supreme Court to weigh who is protected online

  Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge Section 230, a 1996 law that protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their networks. The cases are part of a global trend toward holding social media platforms accountable.
• First Look‘Tremendous potential’: Why some disability advocates laud ChatGPT

  ChatGPT has spurred lively conversations about the role of educational technology. While some colleges and universities are cracking down on ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot, other educators believe ChatGPT could help with assisted learning. 

Science

• From retail to the military, ‘intelligent connectivity’ raises ethical dilemmas

  Artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and the Internet of Things are used increasingly often in spaces from retail to the military, raising privacy and ethical considerations. 
• The world’s bananas are at risk. A volcanic island might protect them.

  Cavendish bananas are under threat from a fungus that has wiped out other varieties. The island of La Palma may have the conditions to protect them.
• NASA astronauts’ return is near. Their long, unlikely trip puts focus on resilience.

  An eight-day mission for two astronauts to the International Space Station turned into nine months. NASA crews work to prepare for unforeseen events like this.
• US science funding was a bipartisan priority. Now it’s a target of federal cuts.

  The Trump administration aims to overhaul publicly funded science. Critics say cuts could undermine U.S. leadership that has fueled significant advancements.
• Earth’s green evolution gave rise to everything from dinosaurs to dandelions

  Paleontologist Riley Black traces the cooperation among plants, animals, and ecosystems in “When the Earth Was Green.”

Culture

• Antisemitism reaches 45-year high in US. It’s ‘the canary in the coal mine.’

  Over the past decade, attacks on Jews have jumped almost 900%, a new report finds. A rise in antisemitism has often been seen as a bellwether for threats to the rights and liberties of all.
• These migrants took a legal pathway into the US. Now they reinvest in their homeland.

  Under a process known as circular migration, workers secure an H-2A visa to come for a few months to the United States. 
• Spring verse offers a poetic refuge in tempestuous times

  Five writers offer a collection of poetry to welcome spring and, with it, light and hope during uncertain times.
• Massachusetts loves its small farms. Will that be enough to save them?

  To be a small farmer is to embrace uncertainty – even in a state like Massachusetts with lots of farmers markets and community support. But this year’s U.S. Agriculture Department cuts are imperiling a way of life even for the hardy.
• ‘As Panamanian as you can get.’ How dim sum became a national treasure.

  Chinese food is a national tradition in Panama, adorning earrings and helping to fill eateries. Diners talk with a reporter about why, amid recent debate about who controls the popular canal, dim sum is part of their culture.

Books

• America’s 13 Colonies didn’t fight the Revolution by themselves

  In “Shots Heard Round the World,” John Ferling argues that substantial – and secret – aid from France helped the colonists triumph over Britain.
• Skulduggery among the heirloom tomatoes in ‘The Fact Checker’

  A madcap mystery novel riffs on two New York institutions: the fact-checking department of a New Yorker-like magazine and the city’s farmers markets.
• Mario Vargas Llosa ‘put Peru on the world’s literary map’

  Mario Vargas Llosa, who died April 13, helped ignite intellectual fervor in Peru, while his writings stoked the imagination of the world.
• Spring’s great reads have sprung! Here are April’s 10 best.

  April’s 10 best books range from short stories set in LA to a climate-change novel to a reappraisal of the American Revolution and its effects on other countries.
• Richard Blanco turned from civil engineer to poet. Now he builds with words.

  For National Poetry Month, we talk with Richard Blanco, whose “One Today” poem was read at Barack Obama’s second inauguration.