World

• Who is Mark Carney? Maybe just who Canada wants to face off against Trump.

  A few months ago, Mark Carney was unknown in Canada. Now he’s prime minister and favored in upcoming elections – thanks to the Trump administration.
• As Kashmiri crafts struggle, papier-mâché artists find hope in creative evolution

  In Kashmir, papier-mâché artisans are struggling to overcome the challenges faced by many of the region’s traditional craftspeople – but they also see a reason for hope.
• How bitcoin drives cheap green energy production in Kenya

  Bitcoin struggles to keep its carbon footprint low. African renewable energy companies struggle to stay afloat. One company has an idea to fix both.
• Points of ProgressHow to recycle a building, and school a president on climate

  Progress roundup: Chinese scientists develop a method to refresh weak batteries. And in Argentina, a law sends judges and more to climate class.
• Difference MakerWhat gives him hope for rebuilding Gaza? Dialogue and science.

  The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, headed by Tareq Abu Hamed, is leveraging science to aid the Gaza Strip.

USA

• Democrats’ big election night gives them first hope since Trump’s victory

  In a closely watched Wisconsin court race, Democrats posted a strong win, and while Republicans held on in two Florida special elections, Democrats made gains there, too. 
• As Hegseth touts ‘warriors’ and ‘lethality’ to flex power, some weigh risk to soldiers

  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stresses “lethality” as the U.S. military’s sole focus. But downplaying rules of engagement can come with consequences for those doing the fighting.
• US children are struggling with reading. Can communities help?

  Volunteers in West Virginia are on a mission to reengage struggling readers. They are among those modeling the idea that it takes a community, and a cultural shift, to develop strong readers.
• Florida’s two US House races offer early verdict on Trump agenda

  In deep-red Florida, two special elections to fill House seats are proving tighter than expected as voters assess moves by the White House and GOP-dominated Congress.
• First LookWisconsin attorney general asks state Supreme Court to halt Musk payments

  Wisconsin's attorney general asked the state Supreme Court to block Elon Musk from handing out checks to voters amid a tightly contested election.

Commentary

• The Monitor's ViewBangladesh’s revolution fixes on equality

  A drive for fairness in hiring led students to overthrow a ruler. Now a new student-led party anchors itself in such values.
• CommentaryFinding the power to fuel our connected world

  Massive data processing warehouses are gobbling up land to support “the cloud.” This is a story about progress, balance – and all of us.
• The Monitor's ViewWhy the seismic giving to Myanmar?

  A country hit by a massive quake finds itself the recipient of a global competition to deliver aid in natural disasters. Generosity, even with selfish motives, can trigger generosity.
• The Monitor's ViewSafety at the top of the world

  As many nations compete for a stronger presence in a warming Arctic, Western allies stick with cooperation on security.
• The Monitor's ViewMexico leans into an essential truth

  For the mothers wanting details of missing loved ones, a president’s nod to their cause helps a nation seeking answers to ending cartel violence.

Economy

• Is there a vision behind tariff chaos? Trump says it’s about jobs and fair trade.

  President Trump hopes to use reciprocal tariffs to boost national self-sufficiency while unleashing a jobs boom. What’s less clear is whether they can work.
• A new US manufacturing boom may bring more AI than jobs

  If Donald Trump can convince manufacturers to come back to the U.S., it may set off not a jobs boom, but an automation boom, as new factories may be the world’s most automated.
• The ExplainerAs trade wars roil markets, what do retaliatory tariffs accomplish?

  As President Donald Trump raises tariffs, other nations are fighting back. They want to force negotiations, but it’s a high-stakes game of chicken for the global economy.
• Trump pushes crypto with White House summit and bitcoin reserve plan

  President Trump is pushing for a cryptocurrency reserve, and digital currency enthusiasts are hopeful. But critics are still wary of the speculative tender.
• Trump’s tariffs and job cuts fuel Main Street uncertainty

  Donald Trump sailed into office on voter anger around inflation. Now his policies are creating uncertainty about prices, investment, and jobs.

Environment

• Points of ProgressThe rights of animals and the environment, from Mexico to Nepal

  Progress roundup: Nepal’s Supreme Court disallowed development in protected areas. And in Mexico, Congress put animal welfare in the constitution.
• Waste not, want not? How Massachusetts became the only state to reduce food waste.

  Every year, Americans discard 92 billion pounds of food. Massachusetts is on the leading edge of states trying to capture and divert food waste.
• Cover StoryVirginia data centers are running out of power. Maryland farms lie in the way.

  Our reporter goes home to cover proposed high-voltage power lines in Maryland, a crucial need for expanding data centers and Americans’ digital lives.
• Points of ProgressLow-tech and upside-down: The solutions under our feet

  Progress roundup: Fish advance science on China’s space station, solar farms host sheep on the ground, and across Africa, new publishers boost writers.
• From the ashes: After wildfire, can this Olive Avenue family move forward?

  Wildfire turned vibrant Altadena to rubble. The Monitor is following what comes next on one block. How neighbors rebuild, how communities change, and how resilience appears in the aftermath of disaster. This is the first installment.

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

• 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.”
• How four women physicists escaped the Nazis, but lost their life’s work

  “Sisters in Science” tells of the rise of female scientists in 1930s Germany – some of whom were Jewish – whose careers were ended by Adolf Hitler.

Culture

• After 2 decades of parenting, I’ve learned the days – and years – are short

  As he cycles through the joys, heartaches, and phases of parenting, a dad of three girls learns to savor all of the seasons of fatherhood.
• You punctuation party animal, you! How I learned to love the exclamation mark.

  I’ve long avoided exclamation points. Until dark times arrived and the lively punctuation became a signal flare in a cold, gray sea. 
• Egypt’s pyramids are amazing. But so is present-day Besaw Island.

  Socially responsible tourism can take many forms. The cultural exchange offered by a trip to a rural island offers a window into another way of living for our reporter. 
• Can US figure skating end its Olympic medal drought? Ask the Quadgod.

  Olympic hope has reverberated through Boston’s TD Garden as the U.S. shows it – finally – could have what it takes to medal in figure skating after a decades-long dry spell. Friday night, America’s Alysa Liu was named the female world champion.
• How Jackie Robinson’s legacy survived attempts to erase it

  On opening day for Major League Baseball, our columnist looks at another side of Jackie Robinson’s legacy: statesman and writer.

Books

• Whodunits with history: Those were the slays!

  Our roundup of mysteries includes Jay Gatsby’s (invented) sister and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as detectives. Retirees and conspiracies abound.
• The quiet voice of Emily Brontë was anything but tame

  “Fifteen Wild Decembers” by novelist Karen Powell shows the depth of creativity shared among the talented Brontë siblings, as narrated by Emily.
• The stories ‘move into hope’: Elaine Pagels reflects on Jesus’ teachings

  The Gospels spread the teachings of Jesus and stories about his life. A Bible historian unpacks the message behind them in “Miracles and Wonder.”
• A fuller portrait of artist-provocateur Yoko Ono

  David Sheff reappraises Yoko Ono’s role, as an artist in her own right and as a support to John Lennon, with whom she collaborated on “Imagine.”
• The 10 best books of March come in like a lion

  March’s 10 best books deliver drama, danger, and determination, from a novel set on a subantarctic island to a biography that reappraises Yoko Ono.