The Christian Science Monitor

In today's hyper-connected world, where you can do everything from going to school to filing your taxes online, access to a fast and reliable connection is essential. Yet some studies estimate that 50 million people living in rural America lack just that. For my latest story at The Christian Science Monitor, I spoke to over a dozen people — from experts to town residents — about how rural communities in Massachusetts are using state, federal, and municipal funds to get their residents online. It's a success story that could point to a way to bridge America's digital divide. https://lnkd.in/eXy9nmw3

Here's a great weekend read: Somebody stealing your forest? Steal their chainsaws! The world's forests are disappearing rapidly, and Nigeria is on the front lines of the crisis. Half of Nigeria's rainforest is in the state of Cross River, where Doris Ofre works and from which much of her community's agriculture and income come. So when illegal loggers invaded, she and 20 other women picked up their machetes and marched toward the scene of the crime. Find out what happened next in writer Saint Ekpali's story in The Christian Science Monitor: https://lnkd.in/gUU6bVtJ #forests #climate #Africa

Many Americans will do the #gratitude thing next week. It can be an act of self-care to just share what you have with people you like. We got The Christian Science Monitor’s food writer, Kendra Nordin Beato, on mic for a less-serious-than-usual episode of our #podcast. Produced by Mackenzie Farkus. On our site or your favorite platform. #Thanksgiving #food

As the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu and his former defense minister Thursday for what it described as depriving civilians in Gaza of items “indispensable to their survival,” aid barely trickled into hunger-stricken #Gaza. The reasons for disappearing aid are many and interconnected: Israeli military restrictions, a monopoly of merchants inflating prices and, recently, the emergence of armed gangs looting aid convoys. It has left many, like Iman Shalat, facing desperate choices. “I had to sell my last pair of earrings to buy flour for my children,” Ms. Shalat says. But that flour has run out, so she goes from tent to tent in the makeshift camp where she lives, asking her neighbors if she can “borrow” some. No-one has any to spare. The Christian Science Monitor Ghada Alhaddad #Israel #MiddleEast #Hamas #ICC #Gaza #humanitarian #UN

Resilience is the foundation of every tradeswoman’s career. Thank you The Christian Science Monitor for highlighting this reality in your recent feature on women in construction. The stories about CWIT's own Lisa Lujano and Verushka Saez demonstrate how tradeswomen continue to build impressive careers. We're proud to see our members and community featured, showing that determination and skill transform challenges into rewarding careers. Read the full article, which features Jayne Vellinga and photos of the CWIT team. Click here to read https://lnkd.in/ga7rhk8q #WomenInConstruction #Tradeswomen #Resilience #ConstructionIndustry

What will Beijing do if Donald Trump follows through on a trade war with China? From Beijing and Washington our correspondents report that China sitting back and accepting tariffs is not a likely scenario. “We must continue to strategically decouple our economy” from China, Trump trade representative Robert Lighthizer recently told a Harvard audience. “This,” he stressed “is the key economic policy battle of patriotic Americans in the upcoming generation.” Today, Mr. Lighthizer is widely seen as the man who will mastermind the incoming Trump administration’s trade policy. And he is preparing to advance his plan to pry apart the world’s two largest economies – with vast and uncertain impacts on global commerce. Read more of Ann Scott Tyson and Laurent Belsie's reporting in The Christian Science Monitor. https://lnkd.in/emVYmPdQ #China #trump #tradewar #tariffs #trendingtopics

Important cover story in this week’s The Christian Science Monitor. Some of the most diligent, talented, and hardworking professionals I have worked alongside are women. The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry would benefit greatly from organizing efforts to hire, train, and retain more women to work in our built environment.

“This is about equity. When aid goes away, the poorest people are always the first ones who will die.” In this powerful and moving article from The Christian Science Monitor, Lalaina Razafinirinasoa, MSI's Deputy Director for Africa, shares her first hand experience of the devastating impact of the Global Gag Rule during Trump's last presidency. ? We'll keep fighting to bring reproductive healthcare to women in Madagascar, and the other countries hit by the Global Gag Rule. Read the full article ? https://lnkd.in/eqs575aK

As the rollout of Intel Corporation's massive chip production investment into central Ohio steadily continues, interest and enrollment in our #engineeringtechnician program continues to grow. We thank The Christian Science Monitor for coming to our campus to help spread the word about the work we're doing in support of our region's strong and expanding #advancedmanufacturing sector employers.

How do you stay connected with kids once they leave the nest? My wife and I help keep those bonds in place by sending care packages to our two grown children, who now live on separate ends of the country. I wrote about our experiences -- and included a few tips -- in a recent magazine essay for The Christian Science Monitor. I feel really lucky to be able to collaborate with editors on affirming content in such an anxious season for so many. Here's to care packages. I might like getting one, myself. https://lnkd.in/gC7QkhWZ