The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

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.

It isn’t often that we see good news coming out of Mauritania. But the Israeli newspaper Haaretz did a recent feature on a surprising aspect of Mauritanian life: the popularity of all-female banja bands. Also: the cost of domestic tranquility, the potential of career-themed schools, and an inspiring new role for Snoopy. Join the Monitor's Marjorie Kehe and Dave Scott for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

What do the Thai cave story (which ended this week) and the World Cup saga (which will end Sunday with cheering in Paris or Zagreb) have in common? Both have refugees from conflict at the heart of mostly happy outcomes. Also: our five stories for your Friday, highlighting dispute, discovery, defiance … and cultural preservation you can hear. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

The phrase “shocks the nation” gets overused. But two hate crimes, decades apart, sent out shock waves whose reverberations echo today. Also: a look at unintended consequences and confronting past wrongs. Join the Monitor's Yvonne Zipp and Eoin O’Carroll for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

What happens when your news consumption gives you only a narrow slice of the full picture? For one, you may become misinformed. For another, your could be less well served by government – national or local. Let us explain. Also: the power of rejecting fear, keeping an open mind, and prioritizing compassion. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

A note of apology. That may be one of the most telling details of the rescue of a dozen Thai boys and their 25-year-old soccer coach. Also: a rare collaboration to save the greater sage-grouse in Wyoming, an innovative journalism team in Michigan, and teaching life skills to children in Bangladesh. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Last week, a reader sent me a story titled “Why the media has broken down in the age of Trump.” It is by a New York Post columnist who says coverage of President Trump marks a “total collapse of standards, with fairness and balance tossed overboard. Every story, he adds, has become “opinion masquerading as news…” I hear this from many readers. And they have a point. Also: a poignant European anniversary, an unusual look at the principles of free trade from Africa, and the difficult conversations around a beloved book. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Samantha Laine Perfas for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

People keep referencing the summer of 1968. It’s worth a look back. The clenched fists of that summer make statue-climbing and anti-Trump balloons look tame by comparison. Also: a look at political extremes, the definition of merit, and what you’ll find at the back of the pack of the world's largest ultramarathon. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Eva Botkin-Kowacki for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

For much of Southeast Asia, the term tsunami conjures images of devastation. But in Pakistan, a so-called Billion Tree Tsunami, has become a symbol of hope. Also: a wave of new hope cresting in Mexico, shifting perceptions around marijuana use among US veterans, and the scientific quest for a better way to recycle plastic. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan and Ken Kaplan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.

Forget the World Cup. The most compelling “soccer story” of the week is one of hope and perseverance and global cooperation. A Thai boys soccer team, lost in a labyrinth of caves in northern Thailand, was found Monday. Also: the quest for integrity in American democracy, new paths out of poverty in Oklahoma, and the power of humor in Colombian politics. Join the Monitor's Dave Scott and Noelle Swan for today's news. For more information, visit csmonitor.com/daily.