World
Top Stories:- Macron visits French territory of New Caledonia amid state of emergency over riots
French President Emmanuel Macron is making an impromptu trip to the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Riots there have raised questions about France’s handling of its colonial-era territories.
- Israel cites new media law, seizes AP equipment, bars reporting from Gaza
Israeli officials have seized the Associated Press’s equipment, banning the wire service from reporting in Southern Israel. They allege that the AP has contributed to coverage by Al Jazeera, the Qatari state-owned news outlet.
- Her father was unfairly arrested in Nigeria. Now her nonprofit fights for others.
Hope Behind Bars Africa offers free legal services to indigent Nigerians, many of whom are unjustly arrested and unable to afford bail or legal representation.
- What unpopular president’s death means for continuity vs. change in Iran
In the Iranian leadership’s conduct of internal elections and foreign relations, the primary focus has been the continuity of the Islamic Republic. President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash, embodied that continuity.
- Taiwan’s new president urges China to ‘face reality’ and work toward peace
The inauguration of Taiwan’s new president marks a fresh chapter in cross-strait relations. Can President Lai Ching-te maintain peace?
USA
Top Stories:- Change your password, EPA warns. Hackers from Russia, China, Iran are targeting water supplies.
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that cyberattacks against water utilities around the United States are becoming more frequent and more severe. The agency has issued an alert urging water systems to take immediate action.
- More companies embrace on-site child care. What that means for working parents.
As access to child care evades many parents, employers are trying to fill the void. Despite its convenience and benefits, is on-site child care a short-term fix or an integral solution?
- How doulas and cafes help people break the last taboo – talking about death
The death of someone you love can feel like a very solitary – and silent – experience in America. Death educators are trying to create space for people to talk about everything from wills to questions about the afterlife and their own legacy.
- Can Ukraine attack inside Russia? Kyiv wants US to say yes.
U.S. military aid is reaching Ukraine with much-needed ammunition and air defense systems. Kyiv wants to use Western weapons to hit inside Russia.
- In swing state North Carolina, a shuttered hospital erodes trust in elected leaders
When a North Carolina city lost its only hospital, its residents lost a sense of security and care for their well being. Health care is featuring prominently in the presidential election as the nation faces a worker shortage and more rural hospitals close.
Commentary
Top Stories:- A twist on Iran’s succession intrigue
The president’s death shifts the spotlight on the possible successors to the supreme leader. Will the people, wary of nepotism, accept a son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
- War in Gaza sparks a reckoning
Some Israelis and Palestinians share a deepening conviction that security means learning to live in peace under different leaders.
- Where boys learn to be men
Raising kind and courageous boys is a challenging undertaking, made harder by stereotypes that inform young men to mask their feelings. In truth, authentic masculinity comes in many forms and includes both vulnerability and strength.
- Brown v. Board of Education at 70: Promise for students, but still work to be done
On the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, our commentator weighs the promise that decision still offers for students against the realities of what their schools look like today.
- New buzz on the ball court
Rookie Caitlin Clark is transforming women’s basketball, thrilling joyful fans with new views of excellence, agility, and equality.
Economy
Top Stories:- AI could transform internet search. Even Google is disrupting its own kingdom.
By rolling out AI Overview, Google is in effect competing with its own internet search results. This comes as lawsuits and AI rivals threaten Google’s dominance.
- After GameStop debacle, Roaring Kitty is back – and meme stocks soar once more
GameStop stocks had a meteoric climb this week in a moment reminiscent of 2021 and some say Roaring Kitty may be behind it all. But this time Wall Street isn’t caught off guard.
- With vote at Alabama plant, UAW challenges South’s antiunion tilt
If Mercedes employees in Alabama vote to join the United Auto Workers, it may signal a power shift in America’s most union-resistant region.
- In this Spanish town, capitalism actually works for the workers
Mondragón, Spain, is the home of an innovative cooperative that uses capitalism to provide a different and more equitable vision of economic success.
- AI may take away jobs – but it’s creating some, too
The impact of AI on America’s economy is more limited than previously thought. Some now say it could help low-skill workers be more productive.
Environment
Top Stories:- Customer service: China’s quick EV battery swaps, and sidewalk story time in Pakistan
Progress roundup: EV company in China makes battery swaps faster than charging. And in Pakistan, volunteers spread the joy of books in an outdoor story time.
- The wind industry is floating an idea: Building turbines on the ocean
As the world searches for new sources of renewable energy, one option is making waves – or at least riding them. Floating turbines could capture powerful offshore winds and generate electricity for millions of homes, as long as they can stay upright.
- The missing link: Energy panel opens the way for more renewables on the US grid
The U.S. power grid is facing a “make-or-break moment,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s chair said May 13. A new rule approved by the commission will make it easier to transmit renewable energy.
- Wildfire season in Canada has begun, after drought-fueled record blazes in 2023
Authorities are ordering people to evacuate as wildfires rage across British Columbia. In 2023, intense Canadian fires sent smoke drifting into cities across the northeastern United States.
- Michigan gets its first-ever tornado emergency as massive hail batters Southeast
Tornadoes have touched down in a handful of states across the U.S. this week, including three in Michigan. Severe storms and massive hail have caused three deaths, dozens of injuries, extensive property damage, and left 135,000 without power.
Technology
Top Stories:- Georgia 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.
- Cellphone 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.
- What 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.
- Internet 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.
- ‘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
Top Stories:- Scientists recorded sperm whales. Their pod-casts offer hints on how they talk.
For years, researchers have tried to link sperm whales’ underwater clicks to the meanings they communicate. A new study of their codas could serve as the basis for future translations of their alphabet.
- Hey now, you’re a dead star. Meet Gaia, the Milky Way’s second-largest black hole.
A black hole named Gaia BH3, 33 times greater in size than the sun, was discovered 2,000 light years from Earth. The only other in our Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius, is 26,000 light years away from Earth and traveling in the opposite direction.
- Some things are worth missing school for. An eclipse road trip, and a search for wonder.
Our reporter, like many parents, wanted his son to experience the wonder of a total solar eclipse. As so often happens with parenting, the one left most in awe by the celestial event was not the fifth grader.
- Howling at the moon on a Monday afternoon. Eclipse brings thousands to Vermont.
In a country seemingly fractured about most things, on Monday, Americans came together under one sky.
- Project ‘Frozen Dumbo’ helps boost dwindling African elephant populations
Factors such as poaching and habitat loss have decimated wild African elephant populations. Operation “Frozen Dumbo” aims to bolster the animals’ numbers in the wild and in zoos.
Culture
Top Stories:- A potato masher, didgeridoo, and, uh, six vacuums. Why I rescue trash.
Rescuing, repairing, and reusing abandoned items is a lost art and a boon to the environment. It can also spark unexpected adventures.
- Once a ‘bedroom pop’ crooner, Billie Eilish is wide awake on her latest album
A once-in-a-generation performer, Billie Eilish rewrites the rules yet again on “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her ambitious third release. It’s a project meant to be enjoyed in full, rich with sonic depth and emotional maturity.
- Half of this taco stand’s area is the grill. It just earned a Michelin star.
El Califa de León is one of the smallest restaurants ever to receive a coveted Michelin star. But what it lacks in area, it makes up for in flavor: no one can get enough of its beef tacos, made the same way since the stand opened in 1968.
- The Sami people bring on spring – with reindeer and sleighs
For the Sami, spring isn’t announced by green sprouts or the chirps of birds. Instead, they sing folk songs around a fire and race reindeer.
- Nemo, Eurovision’s first nonbinary winner, gets a hero’s welcome in Switzerland
Eurovision has long been embraced as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s competition struck a particular victory for acceptance, crowning the contest’s first nonbinary winner with an eclectic anthem about being true to oneself.
Books
Top Stories:- To craft Nordic Noir novels, Scandinavian authors draw on Viking tales
What is Nordic Noir? The genre is more than just tales of ice and fire. It recalls a rich literary tradition of Vikings, gods, and politics.
- The secret to Chinese civilization’s longevity? Exams and bureaucracy.
China is the world’s oldest continuous civilization, and in ancient times was a leader in technology. “In The Rise and Fall of the EAST,” Yasheng Huang probes why.
- Welcome to retirement. So, are you ready to catch your first killer?
While catching killers rather than putting together jigsaw puzzles has become the hobby for senior sleuths, these books are also showing people in their 70s and 80s as vibrant, brave, and clever.
- Behind the verse: Six Monitor poets share why they write poetry
It’s no secret that poetry is one of the least lucrative forms of writing. So what keeps poets returning to write poems? We asked six contributors where they draw their inspiration.
- Lithium is key to green technology. Where will the US source it?
“The War Below” examines the global competition for metals like lithium and nickel, which are needed for electric cars, solar panels, and wind turbines.