The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

So often, news is about the ways that violence is trying to subvert peace. But recent events in Afghanistan, of all places, are offering a glimpse of the reverse. Also: the evolution of protesting, religious diversity, and innovation in the classroom. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

A decade ago, the man almost certain to become Pakistan’s next prime minister told editor Mark Sappenfield something he has never forgotten. Imran Khan was a political footnote then – the celebrity cricketer whose political party had sputtered to no great success. Yet his passion was undimmed. Justice, he said in an interview, was essential to Islam. Also: a look at the deeper drivers of tension in politics and the importance of creating community. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Eva Botkin-Kowacki for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Last week in New Mexico, a district court judge ruled that the state is depriving at-risk students – those who are low-income, have a disability, English language learners, Native American – of their right to a sufficient education and therefore is in violation of its constitution. Also: chaos in the immigration system, liquid water beneath Martian ice, and the recovery of the piping plover. Join the Monitor's Kim Campbell and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

London, are you listening? To employees at the Victoria Tube station, the answer was no. They had offered repeated warnings over the PA system about proper use of the escalators. Yet riders were ignoring them, to the tune of 15 injuries per month. Also: the power of social media, how Republican voters view climate change, and how some colleges are fighting discrimination. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

In international soccer, when a national team player retires, it is usually a bittersweet affair. But in the case of German midfielder Mesut Özil, it has set off a firestorm over immigration and racism. Also: democracy’s struggle, the importance of independent media, and the powerful insight of art. Join the Monitor's Arthur Bright and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Should you always obey the rules, as a good team player? Or are you justified sometimes in breaking them to set new ones? That’s the question that must be going round Geraint Thomas’s head as he enters the final, mountainous week of the Tour de France cycle race. Also: a close look at Senator Susan Collins, cautionary tales in politics, and gender disparities in the world of patents. Join the Monitor's Peter Ford and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Could you find Finland, Russia, or Montenegro on a map? Venkat Ranjan could. The 13-year-old from California won the 2018 National Geographic Bee in May. The final question: Lebanon has a population most similar to which South American country? Also: a critical look at the death penalty, full employment in Wisconsin, and Mr. Rogers’ Canadian connections. Join the Monitor's Kim Campbell and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Jane Goodall probably isn’t the first person you’d expect to apply to shoot a Yellowstone grizzly. The famed anthropologist is one of thousands who have applied for one of the first grizzly bear hunting permits issued in Wyoming in 44 years. Also: the fierce loyalty of US veterans, the welcoming spirit of Israel's kibbutzniks, and the sense of fulfillment that comes from volunteering for science. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Eoin O’Carroll for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Today’s issue includes a familiar byline: Sara Miller Llana. Her dateline over the past five years has typically been Paris. Or Berlin. Or Amsterdam, Athens, Bilbao, Budapest, Copenhagen, Kiev, Moscow, Reykjavik, Rome, Stockholm, Warsaw, or … you get the idea. Today, it’s Halton Hills, Ontario, and she is filing as the Monitor’s new Canada bureau chief. Also: our five stories, showing how the consequences of certain actions are not always predictable, and the power of generosity. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Peter Ford for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

While much of this planet has been focused on a certain presidential summit (more on that in a moment), Alyssa Carson has an otherworldly obsession: Mars. Also: a look at paths to progress on the American dairy farm, on gender equity in Afghanistan, and Russia-US relations. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Samantha Laine Perfas for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.