The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The country is catching up to what has always been true: Love bridges racial differences. That’s true among friends, parents and children, husbands and wives. Also, today’s stories include, Afghans’ moral dilemma, energy efficient buildings, and ‘mudlarking’ on the River Thames. Join the Monitor’s Trudy Palmer and Dave Scott for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

In the United States, California has led the way with an ambitious zero-emissions goal: By 2035, all new passenger cars and trucks bought in the state will be electric or hydrogen-powered. No fossil-fueled autos. Zero. Also: today’s stories, including a look at the Peace Corps as it returns volunteers to the field, how the rift between France and the U.S. will affect cooperation on China, and the need for greater power grid resilience. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The Harvard chaplain stories fed concerns that an elite, liberal university was pushing its secular agenda onto faith-based campus organizations. But the story turns out to be quite different. Also, today’s stories include Palestine’s changing global relations, missionary work going virtual, and a Sri Lankan papermaker who uses elephant dung in his products. Join the Monitor's April Austin and Jingnan Peng for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Until recently, if visitors walked the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, they likely would be unaware of its troubled history. But yesterday, that changed – in a way many hope will promote reconciliation. Also: today’s stories, including how Angel Merkel changed Germany and the world, how employers are handling faith-based vaccine exemptions, and the battle to save Earth’s largest tree from California wildfires. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Clay Collins for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Susan Coti has long been an educator. On Sept. 11, 2001, she was Linda’s daughter’s fourth-grade teacher. In 2012, her Marine son was killed in Afghanistan. Ever since, this gold star mom has devoted herself to honoring the life of her only child in ways he would find meaningful. Today’s stories explore journalism in Afghanistan, Canadian elections, and opposition-minded voting in Russia. Join the Monitor’s Noelle Swan and Ken Kaplan for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

If 2020 was the year of turmoil, 2021 might well be the year of resilience. There’s the need for individual resilience amid the pandemic or natural disasters, and there’s a push to build a broader resilience in communities and countries. Today’s stories explore Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s influence on Washington, Madagascar’s famine, and what Hurricane Ida taught the world. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Jessica Mendoza for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Sian Proctor is a private pilot, geoscientist, teacher, and poet. She’s also going to be the first Black, female pilot of a spacecraft. Also: today’s stories, including a look at culture wars in American schools, big wins and pure joy at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, and a new approach to reducing coastal erosion. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Samantha Laine Perfas for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Sara Miller Llana traveled for work to Gander, the Newfoundland town that welcomed stranded passengers during 9/11, and brought her daughter. That’s reality as a foreign correspondent, and Sara’s happy to report that from Dutch politicians to Canadian authors to Slovak mayors, sources have been universally awesome about it. Today’s stories explore how older adults showed resilience during the pandemic, environmental initiatives in Russia, and Gaza Strip’s first private museum showcasing local culture. Join the Monitor's Kim Campbell and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

It took Viola Fletcher 107 years to become a “queen mother.” The honorary designation was a gift from Ghana on her recent visit there. Also: today’s stories, including an update on California’s recall, an end to dowry in Kashmir, and a new way to foster religious tolerance. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Noelle Swan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Twenty years after 9/11, the U.S. military is out of Afghanistan. But the battle to help those left behind is far from over. Also: today’s stories, including Afghans fighting to protect the social gains of last 20 years amid Taliban rule; advocates calling to close loopholes in America’s child marriage laws; and a photo essay capturing scenes immediately after 9/11. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.