World

• These islanders lost their houses to lava. Four years on, do they feel at home?

  The residents of a La Palma town destroyed in a volcanic eruption, like people worldwide displaced by disasters, must redefine notions of “home.”
• Points of ProgressWhere a women’s tax is canceled, and businesswomen’s decisions valued

  Progress roundup: Malta brings free period products to schools, a study in Kenya and Senegal finds women’s decision-making superior to men’s, and more.
• Israel has the power to avert famine in Gaza. Will it use it?

  Humanitarian professionals say famine can be averted in Gaza, but only if Israel allows much more food and other aid into the strip.
• Difference MakerThese turtles are endangered. Young scientists have stepped up to help.

  Students in Hardwick, Massachusetts, are playing a crucial role in a long-running conservation program.
• With Gaza suffering, Europe and Arab states take big diplomatic steps – together

  For years, Arab states wanted Europe to recognize Palestine; Europe wanted Arab states to rein in Hamas. Now, they have stepped forward together to do something hard for each.

USA

• National Guard takes new role aiding immigration operations in GOP states

  The Trump administration is expanding National Guard support at immigration detention sites. Florida activated troops on Tuesday.
• National Guard takes new role aiding immigration operations in GOP states

  The Trump administration is expanding National Guard support at immigration detention sites. Florida activated troops on Tuesday.
• The pandemic divided the US. Could a full accounting help the nation heal?

  Why a diverse range of voices says a pandemic reckoning is needed – and how to get there.
• Trump’s tariff map takes shape, reordering global trade

  After an era pushing the world toward open trade, the U.S. under President Trump has just pivoted toward higher tariffs and bilateral brinkmanship.
• Trump claims economic wins, as tariff policy defies naysayers – for now

  The president has recently touted a trade deal with the EU, strong second-quarter growth, and a new stream of tariff revenue coming into the U.S. Treasury. But the overall economic outlook is uncertain.

Commentary

• The Monitor's ViewAn inclusive Lebanon, one fewer gun at a time

  For the first time, the country’s leaders discuss a timetable for disarmament with Hezbollah, giving the militant group an opening to focus on a democratic path.
• The Monitor's ViewA ‘truce’ over free speech in Iran?

  Following a public outcry, the president has pulled back an internet censorship bill. Can this move help repair Iranians’ trust in government? 
• CommentaryAn invitation to reflect

  Despite being responsible for the deaths of nearly 1 million people, the pandemic has yet to inspire U.S. politicians to rebuild trust with the public. The Monitor examines how gentle reckonings inspire positive change.
• The Monitor's ViewAn Arab light on a Hamas-free Gaza

  Much of the Muslim world has asked Hamas to end its governance, perhaps initiating freedom for a people who already embrace their individual sovereignty and right to self-governance.
• The Monitor's ViewStand-ups won’t sit down in China

  While overtly political comedy can spell trouble, stand-up comics – including an increasing number of women – are finding creative ways to question restrictive norms.

Economy

• Trump’s firing of BLS official casts shadow on federal data gathering

  Donald Trump isn’t the first president to struggle over official data, with agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But trustworthy data is vital for financial markets, and the firing of BLS chief Erika McEntarfer has raised concerns.
• Tariffs may sting LA docks. Deeper changes are coming to this blue-collar bastion.

  President Trump’s tariffs have already affected economic activity at the LA docks, the nation’s largest. But automation and artificial intelligence are the challenges that could cause the most hardship for thousands of workers.
• Trump’s tariff map takes shape, reordering global trade

  After an era pushing the world toward open trade, the U.S. under President Trump has just pivoted toward higher tariffs and bilateral brinkmanship.
• Trump’s tariff tension may be easing after deals with EU, Japan

  President Trump has challenged conventional trade policy, and the U.S. is agreeing to deals with the European Union, Japan and others. Whether America comes out ahead depends in part on what the details of the tariff agreements turn out to be.
• Embracing loose AI policies, Trump seeks edge in US race against China

  Under President Trump’s new AI plan, America’s strategy has moved from cautious to bold, though critics are concerned that key safeguards are missing.

Environment

• Points of ProgressWhere a women’s tax is canceled, and businesswomen’s decisions valued

  Progress roundup: Malta brings free period products to schools, a study in Kenya and Senegal finds women’s decision-making superior to men’s, and more.
• Where did your shrimp dinner really come from? This reporter surfaces hard details.

  From shrimp to squid, seafood’s journey from ocean to table is often fraught with labor and environmental abuses. Journalist Ian Urbina's work is shedding light on a largely unpoliced realm.
• With cruise ships comes pollution. European ports search for ways to clear the air.

  Europeans have been pushing back on overtourism. For many, especially in places like Barcelona, the issue is not just crowds but also pollution. Is there a way for port cities to have needed cruise dollars and cleaner air?
• Points of ProgressIn California and in Poland, new laws for who belongs where

  Progress roundup: A $56 million purchase doubles the Yurok tribe’s holdings along the Klamath River, and Shanghai bus riders create new routes.
• Cities scramble to make up for cuts in flood-safety funding

  With climate change predicted to bring more severe weather, many U.S. communities used federal grants to help prepare. President Trump’s funding cuts are kicking off a race to replace the money, or lose projects.

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

• FocusGod in the machine? People use chatbots as spiritual advisers.

  Could your next spiritual guide be artificial intelligence? AI is offering Christians, Jews, and others an alternative to priests, rabbis, and faith leaders.
• 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.

Culture

• Should art be ‘patriotic’? Artist pulls her Smithsonian show, citing censorship.

  Artist Amy Sherald pulled her show from the National Portrait Gallery, citing efforts to censor her work. The decision comes as the Trump administration has railed against “wokeness” in federally funded museums and slashed funding for local cultural institutions.
• David Hockney’s world vibrates in living color

  In “David Hockney,” the artist’s work jumps off the page, pulsing with life. A retrospective and a book capture his vitality and inventiveness.
• David Hockney’s world vibrates in living color

  In “David Hockney,” the artist’s work jumps off the page, pulsing with life. A retrospective and a book capture his vitality and inventiveness.
• This long-running flea market in Massachusetts is the thrift that keeps on giving

  The oldest outdoor antiques flea market in the United States has built a dedicated community of buyers and sellers. 
• In Greece, I learned to taste my way through love and life. Opa!

  In one magical, midnight phyllo-making session on the island of Corfu in Greece, I learned that all I kneaded was love.

Books

• David Hockney’s world vibrates in living color

  In “David Hockney,” the artist’s work jumps off the page, pulsing with life. A retrospective and a book capture his vitality and inventiveness.
• Alaska beckoned. A young adventurer trades screen time for wilderness savvy.

  Ben Weissenbach found himself tamed by the Alaskan wilderness, schooled by skilled outdoorspeople, and rescued from hubris by an eagerness to learn.  
• How Monopoly games rescued POWs from German prison camps

  In “Monopoly X,” Philip E. Orbanes explores the ingenuity and resourcefulness behind the creation of special game boards with hidden tools.
• The day that Unite the Right marched in Charlottesville

  Journalist Deborah Baker follows the trail of far-right agitators, city officials, and church leaders in ”Charlottesville: An American Story.”
• Cool midsummer reads to help you get by in July

  The Monitor’s 10 best books for July take you on a spin through humor, history, true crime, and nature.