The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The United Nations is trying to adapt to major cuts in its funding, affecting its ability to provide humanitarian aid to countries in need. This is one of the key challenges facing global leaders and diplomats traveling to U.N. headquarters in New York this week.

Also: today’s stories, including how some members of Congress’s track records with technology could play a part in regulating artificial intelligence; why many hope adopting a new pact will put the tensions around President Donald Trump’s preoccupation with Greenland to bed; and a look at a migrant in Beirut who hosts cricket games that form community and provide support.

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

Diesel fuel is key to the American economy because it’s used by trucks and railroads to move most goods across the country. Analysts say the steady rise in diesel’s price per gallon means consumers and businesses should expect to see even higher prices.

Also: today’s stories, including how Houthi threats to Saudi Arabia's oil exports are having an impact on global energy markets; why a two-part biopic about Charles de Gaulle has proved to be a major hit with French filmgoers; and a look at how female basketball players in Somaliland are advocates for both gender equality and Somaliland’s right to sovereignty.

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

This weekend’s parliamentary elections in Russia appear set to be even more predictable than usual. But that predictability hints at what is worrying the Kremlin, and how little it has to offer the public right now.

Also: today’s stories, including Mark Carney turning across the Atlantic to seek a partnership with the EU, a look at a Navy SEAL trying to reform FEMA, and what a University at risk of closing in Ecuador can teach us about social gains.

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

As the war in Iran pushes up the price of fuel and food, experts say Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh had little choice but to raise interest rates for the first time in three years.

Also: today’s stories, including how moving military assets in the Pacific has made it easier for China and North Korea to pursue their objectives; why an upcoming Xi-Trump meeting could be key for AI guardrails; and a look at a documentary about Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza that has sparked national controversy in Israel.

Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

The Trump administration is designing AI tools to vet chemicals and pesticides for safety, the Monitor’s Aaron Glantz and Story Hinckley report. Critics question whether the administration is meeting legal standards for transparency.

Also: today’s stories, including how a traffic stop could lead to much more as ICE deputizes local law enforcement; why Armenia and Georgia are diversifying their international relationships amid political turmoil; and a new biography on Harry Belafonte’s activism and cultural significance.

Join the Monitor's Chris Sherman for today's news.

History shows periods of corruption tend to be followed by waves of reform. But legislative or constitutional fixes face high hurdles in such polarized times.

Also: today’s stories, including why Congress is now prioritizing regulating AI; a look at how members of BRICS and other alliances are looking to counter President Donald Trump’s worldview; and why travel center chain Buc-ee’s logo lawsuit is fueling debate over the balance of power between national and local brands.

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

President Donald Trump has aimed big with moves ranging from domestic deregulation to a deal for Venezuelan oil. But other factors, notably his war in Iran, have pushed some key energy prices up.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at a potential revision of whaling laws in Iceland; why two supreme court justices in Brazil are trading barbs – and allegations of illegal activity; and our essayist’s encounter with an alligator in the suburbs.

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

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Americans still see their country as an important player on the world stage. But their views on how the U.S. should engage globally have been shifting, driven in part by partisan politics.

Also: today’s stories, including why Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen are heading toward war; why the US appears to have given up on nuclear deal with Iran; and our photographer’s remembrance of one of her hardest shoots – and the light she found there.

Join the Monitor's Mackenzie Farkus for today's news.

After the 2001 attacks, pundits predicted a “clash of civilizations,” a geopolitical theory popular in the 1990s. The reality has been much more complicated.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at a debate in Rhode Island over a new tax law targeting vacation homes; how the U.N. will choose its next chief as pressure to prove its relevance mounts; and why urban foraging is rising amid an uptick in food prices.

Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

The success of the far-right Alternative for Germany in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt has led to disbelief in a country that has tried to avoid any repetition of its extremist past. Germans are now asking whether the party is a threat to democracy or if, after its electoral success, other parties should work with it.

Also: today’s stories, including why Israel’s “capital of the north” is struggling to recover financially and demographically; a look at how homebuyer programs and a new bipartisan housing bill could help hopeful homebuyers find a way into the market; and how Massachusetts is adjusting to hotter weather.

Join the Monitor's Chris Sherman for today's news.