The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The Monitor’s former Moscow correspondent recalls her visit to the grand opening of the first McDonald’s in Moscow in 1990 in light of McDonald’s decision to shutter all 847 Russian locations in response to the invasion of Ukraine last week. Also: today’s stories, including a dispatch from the frontlines in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian diaspora in Brazil, and the moral quandary of a no-fly zone. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Will sanctions against Russia put the squeeze on President Vladimir Putin? Could they backfire? The Monitor’s Moscow correspondent gives his view. Also: today’s stories, including reflections on two years of the pandemic, Russophobia, and pro hockey’s response to the invasion of Ukraine. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

This week, our daily columns are answering questions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today, it’s about culture: Why is music so important at moments like this? Also: today’s stories, including Gulf states’ reluctance to help out on the Ukraine crisis, how an octogenarian app developer is making sure fellow seniors aren’t left behind, and how effective and sustainable the global campaign of sanctions against Russia will be. Join the Monitor's Stephen Humphries and Ali Martin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Gas stations are emerging as intersections of moral values in the United States. Also: today’s stories, including a look at why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has won widespread respect, the return of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the story behind a cook’s evolving soup recipe. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Erika Page for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

After strong early reporting by Martin Kuz from Kyiv and Lviv, the Monitor now has another reporter inside Ukraine: London-based Scott Peterson, a former Moscow bureau chief with significant conflict-zone experience in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. Scott walked into western Ukraine from Poland last week, in an authorized crossing, and then traveled by overnight train to the Black Sea port of Odessa. “From the outside it looks like things are so inevitable,” Scott says, given Russia’s military might. “But I have been surprised at the level of desire to resist on the part of the Ukrainians.” Also: today’s stories, including a shift to pro-Ukrainian unity in Odessa, Ukrainian-born Israelis joining Ukraine’s defense, and a look at abortion rights from the global perspectives. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Jessica Mendoza for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

How do you give Russian President Vladimir Putin an off-ramp in a morally responsible way? This is important because cornering Mr. Putin would be dangerous for everyone. Western sanctions are biting quickly, the Russian military has performed poorly, and an angry leader could be tempted to double down on violence or escalate nuclear tensions. Also: today’s stories, including how Putin’s war reinvigorated the West, African students stranded In Ukraine face racism, and how a children’s TV show helps Indigenous voices thrive. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The Monitor correspondent who reported on the end of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe reflects on Russia’s renewed assertion of dominance in Ukraine. Also: today’s stories, including democratic unity in Europe, the economic fallout of the world’s sanctions on Russia, and debates about security at houses of worship after recent shootings. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Lindsey McGinnis for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Can we call the divide between Russia and the West a new Iron Curtain? Our reporter examines the historical origins - and the value - of the imagery in explaining the Russian invasion today. Also: today’s stories, including why members of Congress are united in finding ways to help Ukraine, how trust in the US public health system might be rebuilt, and some poignant accounts of Ukrainians passing through Lviv. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Amelia Newcomb for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

This week we’re answering some questions that are top of mind for many people as they watch the Ukraine invasion. Today, it’s about faith: How do you pray for peace when war has already begun? Also: today’s stories, including a look at how religion factors into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, why political parties in the U.S. are facing political pessimism, and hope for justice in Honduras. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Erika Page for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

When Russian troops invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin warned any countries that tried to stop them that they’d face “consequences that you have never encountered in your history.” That was seen as a veiled nuclear threat, and yesterday he openly ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to upgrade into “a special mode of combat duty.” But might he actually order a nuclear strike? Also: today’s stories, including President Joe Biden's speech amid crises, Germany’s new toughness on Russia, and China and Russia's friendship in Ukraine. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.