The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The intent behind the U.S. Paycheck Protection Program was to help keep small businesses afloat. But there was a loophole: A company was eligible if it employed fewer than 500 employees at any one location. A number of big businesses took advantage. Also: our five stories, including a responsible path back to work in Seattle, emerging self-expression by women in Somaliland, and our global points of progress. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Rebecca Asoulin for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In the spring of 1970, a simple message began to take root in American thought: There’s one planet Earth, so we better take care of it together. That message carries new weight as we mark the 50th Earth Day amid two seemingly intractable global challenges: climate change and a pandemic. Also: our five stories, which include a look at the privilege implied in stay-at-home orders, how small businesses in Russia are rising to the COVID challenge, and 10 books to carry you away while you stay at home. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Peter Grier for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Last week, Linda Feldmann’s friend Marcy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was preparing a Passover dinner when a spark from the stove lit up a nearby basket. Soon the kitchen was in flames. Also: our five stories, including European countries looking at easing lockdowns, how to help teens cope with isolation, and the pandemic “time warp.” Join the Monitor's Jessica Mendoza and Peter Grier for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

As trips to the grocery store have become fraught, Americans who are staying home have sought other ways to fill their fridges and cupboards. Also: our five stories, including a look at how Arab doctors are earning praise in Israel, the broader ripples of President Trump’s criticism of the World Health Organization, and how the food supply chain is adjusting to prevent shortages. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Mark Sappenfield for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Here is a fact about the coronavirus pandemic: It follows a pattern of pandemics becoming rarer and causing fewer deaths. Also: our five stories, looking at coronavirus and the global order, Trump supporters’ views of the crisis, and a volunteer spirit in France’s poorest areas. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Jessica Mendoza for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In the heat of the battle against COVID-19, we’re seeing leadership forged. A compelling case can be made that women leaders have had the most success, so far, in guiding their nations through this pandemic. Also: our five stories, including U.S. leadership in an election year, the paths to economic recovery, and a visual history lesson on universal health care. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

When it became clear we were headed toward a period of physical distancing, the Monitor’s Amelia Newcomb turned to puzzles. Long ago, they offered some happy warping of time and space at her great-uncle’s home in rural Vermont. So she ordered two 1,000-piecers. Also: our five stories, including a look at urban-rural divides around COVID-19, help for elderly people amid physical distancing, and the struggles of India’s migrant workers amid lockdown. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Clay Collins for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Love (of pets) in a time of coronavirus: Animals are soothing in trying circumstances, whether it’s giving a pup a foster home or admiring a co-worker’s hedgehog over Slack. Also: a look at how governors have stepped up during the crisis, how Britain’s pandemic battle is stirring a nation of volunteers, and a Good Friday essay on how a pastor of a 400-year-old church has learned new ways to minister. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Jessica Mendoza for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

As stay-at-home orders swept the globe last month, residents swarmed grocery stores only to find empty shelves. For many, this was their first direct encounter with food insecurity. But for 2 billion people around the world, that uncertainty is a constant. Also: our five stories, exploring the uncertainties that cloud COVID projections, an embrace of autocracy in Brazil, and simmering tensions over top-down rule in the Arab world. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Mark Sappenfield for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Amid coronavirus lockdowns, what is acceptable and what isn’t can be hard to keep track of. And not everyone is following the same playbook. Also: a look at what “wartime footing” means in the U.S., how to help those forced to stay at home with abusers, and the rise of the in-house marathon. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.