The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Amassing military forces and bolstered by Iran’s perceived vulnerability, President Donald Trump says “time is running out.” Replying with threats of its own, the Islamic Republic is trying to restore its deterrence and survive what it realizes is an existential challenge.

Also: today’s stories, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s appearance at the Monitor Breakfast; how members of the public and lawmakers are investigating use of force by local and federal law enforcement in the U.S.; and whether President Donald Trump’s energy policy cedes the future of energy production to China

Join the Monitor's Audrey Thibert for today's news.

The seizure of Nicolás Maduro has encouraged Venezuelans, especially in terms of economic growth, but they are unsure what it means for the state of democracy in the South American nation.

Also: today’s stories, including how the U.S.’ National Defense Strategy is pledging “more limited” U.S. support to friendly nations and deterring China “through strength, not confrontation”; how, for a group of young musicians in the Republic of Congo, their orchestra is a cherished opportunity of a lifetime; and our immigration reporter offers more information about the roles various federal agencies play in immigration enforcement.

Join the Monitor's Victoria Hoffmann for today's news.

Alex Pretti was a lawful gun owner, and not brandishing his weapon, when he was disarmed and then fatally shot by federal agents. The resulting controversy focuses on an incident that appears to contradict decades of conservatives’ efforts to legitimize public gun carry.

Also: today’s stories, including how despite billions in foreign aid to Haiti, life for most Haitians hasn’t improved; how many in Pakistan worry the government has made a Faustian pact by joining Trump's “Board of Peace"; and how Democrats now say securing Department of Homeland Security reforms is worth the price of a government shutdown.

Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

Videos of incidents like the recent Minneapolis shootings can be ambiguous, but they can also help determine the narrative most people believe. In the Alex Pretti case, the Trump administration's description of what happened conflicted with what people saw from witness recordings.

Also: today’s stories, including how, despite Beijing’s campaign to encourage women to have more children, new data shows China’s population decline is accelerating; how populism can awaken a nation to concerns ignored by elites, but also unravel institutions; and how, in novelist Val McDermid’s newest book, winter comforts offer a respite from Scotland’s short days and long nights.

Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

After a lightning military advance in Kurdish-held northeastern Syria, Damascus is demanding that the Kurdish-led SDF, a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS, agree to integrate into the national army. The United States has thrown its support behind a unified Syria.

Also: today’s stories, including why the Pentagon is changing Stars and Stripes' independent status, one man's journey from a poor Russian village boy to custodian of state secrets, and our essayist's advice for when the world’s worries threaten to weigh you down.

Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Former special counsel Jack Smith's efforts to prosecute Donald Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election results ended more than a year ago. But political partisanship around the issue remains strong – and was on display as Mr. Smith made his first public comments on the case during a House hearing.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at how some voters now disapprove of President Trump's handling of immigration, why winter has been an added hardship for displaced Palestinians, and how the dispute over Greenland generated mistrust between Washington and its European allies.

Join the Monitor's Audrey Thibert for today's news.

Money matters have driven foreign policy throughout history. But President Donald Trump’s oil moves in Venezuela may hint at a new era of unapologetic grabs for economic power, causing growing resentment – even among allies.

Also: today’s stories, including why SCOTUS is skeptical of President Trump’s attempt to remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board, why China is raising its retirement age for the first time in 70 years, and a look at how The Patriotic Citizen Initiatives shelter gives male migrants in Nigeria.

Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

With President Donald Trump adamant that the U.S. must acquire Greenland, Europe is at a crossroads. The economic tools it has to dissuade Mr. Trump are strong, but slow to roll out. And if Europe does push back, it risks injuring itself, too.

Also: today’s stories, including how five Central Asian nations that all rely on water from regional glaciers appear set to move past bickering and instead share a negotiated usage; how the Trump administration’s cuts and changes to the federal workforce have forced groups to reckon with new norms for outstanding public service; and how Mr. Trump’s focus on Greenland has shaken the NATO alliance and put the entire world on notice.

Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

A brutal Iranian crackdown has appeared to quash most protests, and officials are seeking to portray a sense of “national solidarity.” But images and eyewitness accounts of shocking “atrocities” are accumulating that paint a different picture.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at how U.S. President Donald Trump may respond to protests in Iran; how Ukrainian citizens are being put to the test by Russian air attacks against energy infrastructure; and our review of the Dolly Parton biography, “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool.”

Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Some businesses in Minneapolis and other cities are refusing entry to federal immigration officers, reflecting local dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s deportation campaign as tensions continue to escalate.

Also: today’s stories, including how the formation of the apolitical Palestinian committee was greeted with skepticism and hope in Gaza; how Europe and the U.S. are handling AI chatbot Grok’s “deepfake” images of women and children differently; and how historic protests in Iran are showing more parallels with another uprising nearly 50 years ago.

Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.