The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Every Tuesday evening, Belinda George climbs into a pair of pajamas and reads a bedtime story to her kids. All of her kids. The principal of Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, Texas, reads on Facebook live so that every child at her elementary school can have the experience of someone who cares about them reading to them and wishing them good night. Also: our five stories, including a look at internet security, the sacrifice of Gaza youths, and the changing nature of church. Join the Monitor's Yvonne Zipp and Timmy Broderick for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In Alabama, the tornado that swept through rural Lee County last weekend left Makitha Griffin wondering how to pick up the pieces of a shattered life. Yet her first instinct was to think of others. Also: our five stories, which look at the changing calculus of apologies in Washington, and humanity's curious path to collaboration. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

The United States is slowly rebuilding its stairway to the heavens. This week, there’s a buzz around a space capsule carrying a crash-test dummy named Ripley. Also: our five selected stories, including the tension between justice and loyalty in Israel, new incentives for teachers, and why Netflix wants to make films in Africa. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

There’s doing good, and then there’s making good. The first can be about altruism, or about reputation management. The second can be a heavier lift. It requires acknowledgment of an old injustice and a will to redress it. Also: our five stories, including a boom in the US manufacturing sector, help amid a housing crisis, and a cultural shift in Kenya. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Samantha Laine Perfas for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

The sheer amount of stuff we’ve learned about the workings of the Trump administration is extraordinary. Journalists and historians will mine this record for decades to come.

Also: In failed Hanoi summit, a silver lining: the drama phase is over; in Serbia, protests against re-emerging authoritarianism; and at Key West, climate change exacerbating housing inequalities. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

The viral story of German firefighters rescuing a rat stuck in a sewer shows the potential of human compassion. Also: major gun-control legislation passing the House for the first time in more than 20 years; an effort to divert tourist dollars into rural communities in Uganda, and how audio stories may encourage a more inclusive and nuanced historical record. Join the Monitor's Eva Botkin-Kowacki and Timothy Broderick for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Good journalism must balance showcasing a range of viewpoints with weighting the credibility and relevance of those lenses. Also: President Trump’s split screen presidency on display, the prospect of a new nuclear arms race dredges up cold war worries for many Russians, and a fight over a century-old cross in the United States. Join the Monitor's Mark Trumbull and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

President Trump has won kudos for taking a tough stance on China’s dodgy trade practices. But the closer the two nations edge toward an agreement, the greater the skepticism that it will involve fundamental reform. Also: our five stories of the day, including a fundamental shift in world order, police reform in New Orleans, and why introducing philosophy to children could be a good idea. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Samantha Laine Perfas for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

When a group of high school students recently faced an urgent deadline, they had an inspiration: Remember your audience. Also: our five stories of the day, including scandal in Canada, a new focus on unsolved murders, and the impact of restored grasslands. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

A Mueller report represents the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. Also: Amid Venezuela’s leadership crisis, Chavistas rethink their support; New Hampshire schools debate how to balance individual choice with public good; and why ‘Roma’ resonates with three Monitor reporter families. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.