The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

When the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, approached Breonna Taylor’s mother about an exhibition in her daughter’s honor, she was surprised – but decided to help. Could the exhibit help heal a fractured community? Already some signs suggest the answer is yes. Also: today’s stories, including two different exits out of the pandemic for Europe and the United States, the debate over ending the filibuster, and what we can learn from the cicadas. Join the Monitor's April Austin and Noah Robertson for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Najee Harris, a star University of Alabama running back, dropped in at a homeless shelter in Richmond, California, before the first round of the NFL draft – in which he’d go to the Pittsburgh Steelers – got underway. He brought food and gratitude – as a child, his family had lived at the shelter for a few years. Also: today’s stories, including sentencing disparities for drug crimes in the U.S., the authoritarian roots of Moscow’s green policies, and a community garden that hopes to look at the bigger picture, beyond just growing food. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

It’s an American mystery: Why didn’t the census count more people? Also: today’s stories, including the poor pandemic results of global populism, the potential for peace and even cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and how policing has changed over the past year. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Noelle Swan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

A historically Black university dissolves its Classics Department. While some worry that the classics are a bulwark of white supremacy, one staff professor argues these ancient works are vital to understanding Black history. Also, our stories today look at Biden’s first 100 days, the diversity among gun owners, and the universal power of a new film about refugees. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Molly Jackson for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Gardening feeds the soul. It nourishes a sense of hope. And there’s something inherently therapeutic about caring for another life form – even in outer space. Also: today’s stories, including a look at whether the Taliban has changed in Afghanistan, what bipartisanship looks like under the Biden administration, and the Kurdish women fighting against ISIS. Join the Monitor’s Dave Scott and Noelle Swan for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Like a lot of people, Mark Trumbull has been doing a fair number of weekend hikes, he says. But on this past Sunday’s outing, he found himself doing something he usually wouldn’t: bending down to turn over a small trailside log. Also: today’s stories, including why California’s governor is facing a recall vote, the Kenyan art exhibit spotlighting empty cases, and how female strength coaches are raising their voices on behalf of women’s collegiate athletics. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Molly Jackson for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Cooking, for many people, includes a key ingredient: love. For Jessie Hamilton, a cook for a fraternity in Louisiana, and Jenny Wu, a California restaurant owner, their patrons repaid their love with monetary support during a pandemic that hit the service industry especially hard. Also: today’s stories, including the latest on the push for D.C. statehood, the repatriation of young Romanians and Italians as they embrace remote work, and the revival of an old Ramadan tradition in Jordan. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Forensic science is often portrayed as infallible in crime dramas. But in reality, hundreds of convictions have been overturned due to faulty forensic evidence. In Houston, one lab has become a model of reform to boost trust in this critical part of the justice system. Also: today’s stories, including the ethical and economic implications of vaccine passports, a landmark bill to redefine domestic abuse in the U.K., and the short-lived soccer Super League. Join the Monitor's Yvonne Zipp and Noah Robertson for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Saturday will mark the 106th anniversary of the start of the Ottoman Turkish mass killing of Armenians that claimed 1.5 million lives. The genocide is widely recognized the world over, but rarely by U.S. presidents, fearing repercussions from NATO ally Turkey. President Biden plans to recognize it fully. Also, today’s stories, including: how the Biden administration is marrying its jobs policies to its environmental policies, the Sikh community in Indianapolis leaning on each other after the mass shooting at a FedEx facility, and a column on how our Minneapolis correspondent has seen his city change between George Floyd’s murder and Derek Chauvin’s conviction. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

In a court of law, George Floyd’s life mattered. As former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder, some see the first step towards justice. In today’s stories, we explore the future of racial justice, US-China cooperation on climate change, and a Cuba without the Castros. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Yvonne Zipp for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.