The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

As seasoned NATO hands like to say, when you’re dealing with 29 democracies, it comes with the territory. Also: today’s five stories, including the importance of Georgia’s shifting politics, the need for difficult conversations on climate change, and how holograms are redefining live music. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

We’re in the year’s most prominent season of giving. But do some of the ways we give exacerbate the problem of too much stuff? Also: the just-released House impeachment report, the potential impact of more women in EU leadership, and the choices individuals make around confronting climate change. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Timmy Broderick for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

What does a community of hope sound like? Well, like a reef rave. Let’s listen.

Also: the symbolism of a new skyscraper in South Africa, scientific insights from the visually impaired, and a modern movie homage to Agatha Christie. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Riley Robinson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

World leaders are settling into Madrid today for 12 days of climate negotiations. Also: the first woman to lead the European Commission, why Hong Kong protesters are feeling grateful for President Trump, and cookbooks as cultural windows. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Dwight Weingarten for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Regular viewers of Fox News’ “The Five” will know that co-host Jesse Watters and his mother do not see eye-to-eye on politics. Yet viewers will also know something else: how much Jesse Watters and his mother adore each other. Also: our five stories, including the fairness of the rules of war, how floods affect a sense of home, and how Bedouins had a change of heart about their own history. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

If you’ve seen the movie “Ford v Ferrari,” you’ll recognize the historical echoes with the car industry today. More than five decades ago, Ford was trying to regain its status as an automaker for a younger generation. The debut of the Mustang in 1964 was the embodiment of that goal. Last week, Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, an electric vehicle. Also: our five stories, including personal lessons from Watergate, how Netanyahu reshaped Israeli politics, and big tech’s push to better banking. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Eva Botkin-Kowacki for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

To begin a week that celebrates gratitude, a moment on one of its companion attributes: humility. Also: our five stories, including democracy’s near-term win in Hong Kong, the environment as a global voting issue, and personhood for nonhuman animals. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

I’ll never forget the day my city editor pulled me aside with a piece of advice. Also: today’s five stories, including the decision to leave valuable assets buried underground in the Netherlands, an effort to help foster children feel at home, and the power of scripture as an art form. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Linda Feldmann for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Earlier this year, toy company Mattel debuted a Barbie doll with a prosthetic leg and another with a wheelchair. Last Friday, Ashleigh Bentz donated nearly 600 such dolls to a St. Louis children’s hospital. Her reasoning? To give patients a gift that would meet them where they are. Also: our five stories, including how community can rebuild after disaster, the role of women in the impeachment hearings, and how a new film tapped into the universal influence of Mister Rogers. Join the Monitor's Eva Botkin-Kowacki and Noah Robertson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Populations of humpback whales in the South Atlantic have recovered from near extinction to pre-20th-century abundance. The numbers are unfathomable – from 450 in the 1950s to 25,000 now. Also: questions about Latino political power, Chinese students on U.S. campuses, and a new app for an old tradition in Jordan. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.