The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Two Cleveland-area counties in Ohio reached a last-minute settlement in a case against the nation’s leading pharmaceutical distributors, alleging illegal promotion of opioids by the companies. Also: today’s five stories, including the latest on Brexit in plain British, the equestrian statue repurposed, and two stories about a time of cultural revival in Mexico. Join the Monitor's Mark Trumbull and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

You’ve heard it all before: The country is hyper-divided. Unions are passé. Blue-collar workers resent management. There are truths embedded in these clichés. Yet, when push comes to shove, old-fashioned collective bargaining still works. Also: our five stories, including one of the impeachment inquiry’s key figures, Ukrainian corruption, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s downward trajectory. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Linda Feldmann for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In the stories about Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who died today, you’ll see one phrase often repeated: “Trump target” or “Trump foil.” Also: our five handpicked stories, including Israel's concern about U.S. commitment to the Mideast, a different view of Brexit, and teaching moms to fight terrorism. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Lindsey McGinnis for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

One woman goes out of her way to meet would-be castaways with respectful compassion. Also: our five stories, including a search for long-term water sustainability in India, the promise and perils of international trade in agriculture, and how one Marine veteran has sought meaning in war. Join the Monitor's Eva Botkin-Kowacki and Dwight Weingarten for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Jokes about economics are legion: “Why was astrology invented? So economics would seem like an accurate science.” But the winners of the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences are changing that perception, one experiment at a time. Also: our five stories, including Turkey’s quest to protect itself, shifting political values in Ohio, and censorship in Russia. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Riley Robinson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Let’s take a deeper look at a French phrase that’s reappeared in the news lately: “coup d’etat.” Also: a rebel gun owner taking on the NRA from the inside, a defining moment in Polish politics, and a counterintuitive coastal construction boom. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Sarah Matusek for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

The power dynamics and ethical fault lines in the Middle East are notoriously tangled. Also: today’s five stories, including an Arab twist on populism and democracy, the Nobel prize for new views of the universe, and museums reconsidering their mission. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Eva Botkin-Kowacki for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Last May, 9-year-old Ronan Mattin defied convention at a concert at Boston Symphony Hall. Also: today’s five stories, including a shift toward far-right politics in Poland, the emergence of states’ rights as a liberal cause, and an effort to hold onto a bastion of French culture. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Noah Robertson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

A tweet by the Houston Rockets’ general manager put the National Basketball Association in the middle of a global values clash. Also: our five selected stories, including the U.S. high court’s approach to LGBTQ rights, the future of innovation in Detroit, and a musical symbol of rebirth in New Orleans. Join the Monitor's David Clark Scott and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

From Hong Kong to Iraq to the U.S., the world seems ablaze in clashing interests. Meanwhile, quieter acts of compassion support a more hopeful view. Also: a look at Cory Booker’s love-forward candidacy, a big moment for separatists in Spain, and an effort to help both birds and big cities. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.