Talk to the Editor: Let's plant the garden

Join the Monitor's gardening expert, Judy Lowe, on Thursday at 1 pm EDT when she discusses gardening trends -- from vegetables to ornamentals, shrubs to roses. It's that time of year.

Israel crisis: US must keep up the pressure

Obama must persuade Israel that peace with the Palestinians is a 'vital' interest, and not merely a common one.

Beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, does Washington see the lurking threats against America?

Though focused on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US must mind other trouble spots.

Israeli Apartheid Week: a ritual of discrimination and incitement against Israel

Israeli Apartheid Week doesn’t seek Middle East peace. It seeks to harm the Jewish people by taking from them the only land where they are not a minority.

FCC national broadband plan: a vision for the nation

The FCC gets the national broadband plan largely right, pushing private-sector competition while helping hard-to-reach populations.

China: the coming costs of a superbubble

China may seem to have defied the recession and the laws of economics. It hasn't. When China's bubble bursts, the global impact will be severe, spiking US interest rates.

The Castro-Chávez link: What are 30,000 Cuban advisers doing in Venezuela?

The Obama administration has dismissed Venezuela's Hugo Chávez as a pesky loudmouth. But he imperils regional security and freedom.

Obama bends No Child Left Behind learning curve

The No Child Left Behind Act was fundamentally correct in demanding standards and testing of public schools. But the Obama plan would correct its flaws.

To win the war in Afghanistan, the US military has to beat the Taliban at the propaganda game

With effective PR, the US military could win the war in Afghanistan.

College tuition is expensive enough, let alone the textbooks

College students can't really afford $200-plus on a textbook. Why not go textbookless?

Obama commission won’t cut deficits. Congress will.

President Obama has created a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to help balance the federal budget by 2015. But few are optimistic about its ability to make substantial cuts.

Adapting to foreign adoptions

Marijuana legalization? A White House rebuttal, finally

White House 'drug czar' Gil Kerlikowske lays out his most thorough arguments yet against marijuana legalization. They help clear up confusion over White House drug policy, and can serve as talking points for parents and officials.

High divorce rates and teen pregnancy are worse in conservative states than liberal states

But moral panic won't help lower divorce rates and teen pregnancy in conservative states; education will.

Health care and job creation are important, but Obama must address racism

A racially conscious approach to lawmaking is essential to rooting out institutional racism.

Paying attention to the obvious

Searching for the hot new thing? Constantly checking your Twitter stream, RSS feeds, and breaking news alerts? It's great to stay informed, but don't forget what's right in front of you

Talk to the Editor for March 11: The US Economy

Why China drags its feet on UN sanctions against Iran

China will work to water down any Security Council resolution though a delay-and-weaken strategy that maximizes concessions from both Iran and the West.

War without death? How non-lethal weapons could change warfare

Using non-lethal weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan would support US efforts to demonstrate restraint and would reduce the catastrophic effects associated with war.

Jobs, jobs, jobs: For Obama, they lie in more exports

Forget the jobs bill. Obama's plan to boost exports by breaking down foreign trade barriers is the fastest way to employ jobless American. But will Obama be tough enough for the task, especially with China?