The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

There is some primordial link between politicians and corn dogs. Maybe they want to be seen eating the food of the people. Maybe they’re hungry. If we had to guess where this candidate-corn dog link was first made, we’d pick a state fair. Also: our five stories, including the surprising effect of body cameras on policing, apparent contradictions of U.S. talks with the Taliban, and the historic roots of the latest tiff between South Korea and Japan. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

What does recovery look like? In Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, it looks like puppies – adorable puppies with mottled coats, giant teddy-bear like ears, and a ravenous appetite for fresh meat. Also: our five stories, including shifting attitudes on gun control, the human toll of climate change, and a rare moment of unity in Brazil around pension reform. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Noah Robertson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

These days, it would seem, authoritarianism is on the march. But in Hong Kong, protesters have put the strongest of strongmen in a bind. Also: the view from El Paso, Texas, transactional diplomacy in the Gulf, and the revival of a rare Greek pony. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Toni Morrison, who died Tuesday, was the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize (1988) in Literature. Her novels lyrically and unflinchingly plumbed slavery, sisterhood, racism, justice, sexual abuse, rage, guilt, and liberty. Also: our five stories explore GOP solutions to mass shootings, justice in Sierra Leone, and the spirit of innovation. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Hannah Harn for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Minority communities have long said killings by white nationalist extremists should be called terrorism. There’s now a willingness among law enforcement and some conservatives to do just that. Also: the difficulties faced by Syrians returning home, the connection between climate change and socialism, and how “glamping” went mainstream. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

We may have witnessed the economic high tide of Donald Trump’s first term. Also: democracy in the workplace, the wonders of deep-sea coral, and lessons of survival from beekeepers. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Hannah Harn for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Ever since the United Nations launched its annual World Happiness Report seven years ago, countries have paid attention. It soon became clear, wealthy countries weren’t always the happiest. Also: stories that focus on aspects of loyalty, sturgeon preservation in Romania, and a classic sport facing an overhaul. Join the Monitor's Kim Campbell and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

What do you think the state of trust is in America? If you said “not great,” many Americans agree with you. Also: a Texas pediatrician visits border detention facilities holding children, Caribbean cruise ships struggle to balance environment preservation and economic development, and France tries a radical approach to radicalization. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Rebecca Asoulin for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In an age of fleeting digital effervescence, “Old Town Road” is a tribute to durability. Also: the quest for equity for evicted San Francisco tenants, progress on saving India’s tigers, and a cool graphic novel about the father of environmentalism. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Eva Botkin-Kowacki for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Here’s an encouraging shift: Young adults appear to be expressing a real interest in real news. Also: the thinking behind a political lane choice, why wealth and patience go together, and a magical space for storytelling. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Molly Jackson for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.