Air traffic control staffing shortages are affecting flights at various U.S. airports due to the partial government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday. The White House backed off President Donald Trump’s assertion that government employees were being laid off but warned of potential firings as the shutdown stretches into its seventh day. Lawmakers resolved the last shutdown in 2019 after absences of airport controllers and security screeners spiked. – Reuters

France is looking for its fifth prime minister in less than a year after Sébastien Lecornu resigned yesterday over conservatives’ objections to his choice of defense minister. He served just 27 days in office, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in French history. Edouard Philippe, President Emmanuel Macron’s first prime minister and ally, called today for Mr. Macron’s resignation and early presidential elections. – Staff

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with President Trump in Washington today in a delicate political balancing act. With tariffs on aluminum, steel, and lumber, the Canadian economy is starting to show signs of strain. But many Canadians want to keep their “elbows up” – the hockey slogan that helped bring Prime Minister Carney to victory – against Mr. Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats. Mr. Carney’s approval remains high but has dipped as Canadians lose patience with the uncertainty. – Staff

The International Criminal Court convicted a leader of the Janjaweed militia for his role in atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region over 20 years ago. It was the first time the court has convicted a suspect of crimes in Darfur. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman will be sentenced at a later date. The verdict came as allegations of atrocities and famine emerge from Sudan in a new conflict. – The Associated Press

India and China will resume direct flights between them after a five-year freeze. It’s the latest in a series of moves to normalize ties as U.S. tariffs force New Delhi to rethink its alliances. China-India relations, which collapsed after a deadly 2020 border clash, have long faced distrust and competition. But during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last month, he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping described their countries as “partners, not rivals.” – Staff

Violent crime in Detroit fell below last year’s 60-year-low, the city said yesterday. Homicides dropped by 15% and non-fatal shootings by 22%. Last week, the Michigan legislature approved a budget that doles out $95 million for public safety, with the largest share for municipalities with high crime rates. The news comes as President Trump mobilizes the National Guard to cities he deems unsafe. – Staff

Some bird species understand each other’s alarm calls. Researchers at the Doñana Biological Station in Spain found that 21 types of bird use the same “whining” sound when they see birds that lay eggs in other species’ nests, known as brood parasites. The discovery suggests that animal and human communication are “on a continuum, rather than ‘language’ being a uniquely human feature,” researcher Will Feeney told New Scientist. – Staff

On the second anniversary of the massacre that ignited the war in Gaza, Dina Kraft, the Monitor’s correspondent in Israel, reflects on how Oct. 7 has exhausted Israelis and changed the society around her, which is experiencing anger, doubts, and concern over internal dissent.

As President Donald Trump pushes to deploy the National Guard in Democratic cities, a battle is escalating over the use of troops to support a crackdown on illegal immigration – testing the balance of powers between the executive and judicial branches.

Republicans say Democrats want to give health care to unauthorized immigrants. The Democrats’ proposal doesn’t call for that, and the law prevents it in most cases. We look at the nuances of a top issue in the government shutdown.

The world's use of solar power is growing at an unprecedented rate. That's good news for the planet, but in many countries, this boom isn't environmentally motivated. In Nigeria, for instance, solar is simply more reliable – and increasingly more affordable, too.

Some might think that the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen is all in the past. But there is a generation of students at famed Tuskegee University, a historically Black university, who are poised to rise to the standard of their predecessors.

In the last 15 years, the public perception of higher education has plummeted. Only one-third of Americans rate such education as “very important,” down from three-quarters in 2010. Even a majority of college grads agree. Reform is now on the lips of many a university leader. And campus debates over types of reform have largely lived up to the core principles of advanced learning: civility, evidence, reason, and innovation.

But then, earlier this year, the new Trump administration began to demand its brand of reforms and wielded a big stick: It cut, or threatened to cut, billions in federal funds to many universities. Some schools went along with the demands despite an erosion in academic freedom. Others resisted and won in the courts. The president's action disrupted the work of many universities and set a harsh partisan tone in the national discussion about university reform.

Last week, however, the White House appeared to shift tactics. It offered an experiment in incentives and listening. It proposed a “compact” with nine universities that would reward them with “multiple positive benefits,” such as new federal research grants, if they volunteered to make specific changes in 10 areas, from grade inflation to gender definition to a cap on international students.

This carrot approach is similar to one started in 2009 by President Barack Obama with a program dubbed Race to the Top. It rewarded states that adopted K-12 education reforms preferred by the White House.

The Trump administration has welcomed feedback on its proposal. Some of the nine universities have opened a campus dialogue about the offer. A civil debate, the kind essential to learning, could now lead to compromises of all sides.

The nine schools were chosen because they have a president or a board that “really indicated they are committed to a higher-quality education,” a top White House official told The Wall Street Journal. “We hope all universities ultimately are able to have a conversation with us.”

Some of the proposed reforms might be difficult for the school leaders to accept. How can they prevent students from belittling conservative ideas, for example, without imposing on free speech? Yet the door is now open for a two-way debate on the reforms without bullying or lawsuits. “Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those [listed in the compact],” states the proposal.

Reason, respect, and facts just might prevail. And universities might again be seen as important for individual advancement.