Page 5 - Wrote This News Today

With much of the world’s attention on the cold wins-and-losses scorecard of Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine, and with a counteroffensive reportedly underway, how are Ukrainian civilians holding up? Scott Peterson has now reported from the conflict zone a half-dozen times. For this updated, encore episode of his February show, “War Stories,” he stopped by our Boston newsroom and spoke with host Clay Collins.

A once largely invisible minority, transgender people have swiftly moved into the mainstream of popular culture, and some conservatives appear intent on stoking a social and political backlash, particularly among older voters. Writer Simon Montlake talks about bringing fairness to the fore in coverage of a rights issue on which two sides’ stances are so fundamentally different. Hosted by Gail Russell Chaddock.

Does the promise of a big push into afforestation and renewable energy point to an authentically “greening” Saudi Arabia? To an open quest for an edge in an emerging global market? To both of those things? Our Amman, Jordan-based writer describes the careful listening that went into the reporting of a counternarrative cover story that’s really all about balance and transformation. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Americans’ loss of social connection has long been an issue, and it worsened during the pandemic to the point where loneliness has now hit epidemic levels. In this episode we talk about why we wrote a kind of antidote story – one about front-porch culture and the power of people to collectively make their lives a bit richer. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Where in the Americas can you find the core elements of democracy being well modeled? Some suggest ... Uruguay. It is by no means a Utopia. But these days, Uruguay showcases stability and balance in some striking ways. It’s exhibiting lively disagreement without a lot of extreme discourse. Erika Page, who has been writing from around the region for the Monitor, explains. Hosted by Clay Collins.

There’s a prevailing narrative about U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and it’s not a particularly nuanced one. How can a writer build fairness into a profile of a political figure about whom many have a narrow view? Step one: Get out of Washington. Christa Case Bryant, the Monitor’s congressional writer, talks it over with her predecessor in that role, guest host Gail Chaddock.

Generosity is often an attribute of those who have little. Monitor contributor Nick Roll talks about the discovery and execution of a powerful counternarrative to so much Africa coverage. From a village in Niger, he reported a credible and moving affirmation of humanity, decency, and dignity. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Sure, some Republicans and Democrats have their dug-in stances on key aspects of climate change. But a middle may be bulking up, led by those from across the political spectrum who value immersion in nature and feel compelled, finally, to act – even if in different ways. Christa Case Bryant and Stephanie Hanes spoke with host Clay Collins about shifting perspectives.

Emmanuel Macron’s push for retirement reform has brought the French into the streets in numbers that have been surprisingly vast, even for a country where protest is baked into the culture. How Paris-based writer Colette Davidson sized up why the movement is broadening, explored how hope shines through the anger, and gave space to the less popular perspective that the numbers may add up to a need for reform. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Stories of the U.S. West’s water woes often run from the feast-or-famine saga of snowpack to overdrawn aquifers and conflict over a resource. In this episode, the Monitor’s Mountain West writer, Sara Matusek, talks with host Clay Collins about how she found and told a story of responsibility and ingenuity, of careful stewardship and agency that brings some hope.