The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The Trump administration’s more aggressive approach to Latin America is welcomed by many in the Cuban diaspora. They see one of their own – Secretary of State Marco Rubio – as an architect of the shift that, for them, has been a long time coming.

Also: today’s stories, including how Australian Jews are reacting to a mass shooting that targeted Bondi Beach’s Jewish community; what’s next for U.S.-Syrian relations following an Islamic State attack on U.S. soldiers; and how the fragile peace in Gaza affords an opportunity for Palestinian families whose relatives have gone missing to search for them.

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

A large tropical island off China’s southern coast will gain independent customs status on Dec. 18 – a move Chinese leaders hope will jump-start development in Hainan and pioneer new levels of openness for the rest of the country, despite the rise of protectionism.

Also: today’s stories, including how a charter school in Hawaii offers a paradigm shift around AI’s role in education; how beef prices have hit record highs in the United States; and the 10 best movies of 2025, according to our film critic.

Join the Monitor's Stephanie Hanes for today's news.

Syria’s need to rapidly reconstitute its security forces has left it vulnerable to infiltration by former rebels with jihadist sympathies at the very time that President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been cultivating ties with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Also: today’s stories, including how a new program in California seeks to involve the public in policymaking decisions, why shifts in workplace policies appear to be creating a tough year for women in the U.S. workforce, and our reviewers’ favorite books of December.

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

With his approval rating for economic leadership dropping in polls, President Donald Trump has tried to downplay voters’ concerns about affordability. The same problem that tripped up President Joe Biden is now dogging Mr. Trump.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at Texas’ Senate race; how some Senegalese say it’s time for the country to be less reliant on France; and how “Zootopia 2” is breaking records in China.

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

The Trump administration is allowing Nvidia to sell its advanced computer chips in China, a reversal of U.S. policy. The move is prompting concern that China could use the chips to close the gap or even win in the AI race.

Also: today’s stories, including why Venezuelan citizens are focused on daily survival after the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, why France is considering adopting a five-day school week, and a Q&A with “Knives Out” series writer and director Rian Johnson.

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

Russia’s Vladimir Putin has vowed to take all of the mostly occupied Donetsk region either through negotiation or militarily. Even as Ukraine resists ceding territory, how is the city of Sloviansk maintaining morale in the face of a forbidding future?

Also: today’s stories, including how even stable cryptocurrencies still carry some risk to the greater economy; whether Germany is ready to lead the way on European defense; and one author’s insight into how the life of Chinese revolutionary Xi Zhongxun sheds light on the actions of his son, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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

Members of Congress have access to information they could use to make money in the stock market. There’s a new push to ban members from buying and selling stocks, with the goal of countering possible insider trading.

Also: today’s stories, including why the Netanyahu government has not stopped West Bank settler attacks, how President Donald Trump’s recent dehumanizing remarks about Somali Americans play to stereotypes, and how one support hub fills a critical gap for foster families seeking essentials for their children in eastern Pennsylvania.

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

Donald Trump’s new national security strategy turns history on its head, dismissing a Europe it says faces “civilizational erasure” and praising far-right parties that Moscow supports. How will the United States’ transatlantic allies react?

Also: today’s stories, including how supporters of Australia’s social media ban hope other countries follow the country’s lead, but critics say legislative bans will be ineffective; how presidential pardons have been used in ways that range from serving the chief executive's own family interests to uniting a torn nation after a war; and how as Syria still faces many challenges, hopes for the future exist one year after rebel forces overthrew its dictatorship.

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

With military leaders in the spotlight over drug boat attacks, an important question is surfacing: How do soldiers know when to follow orders and when to push back?

Also: today’s stories, including why Japan is grappling with the question, “How much work is too much?"; why some retirees are turning to AI chatbots; and our writer’s review of ‘The Name on the Wall,’ by author Hervé Le Tellier.

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

As U.S. and Russian negotiators met, and European leaders scrambled to make a peace deal palatable to Kyiv, Ukrainians were, uncomfortably, bystanders to talks over their future. But their view is firm: Yes to compromise, No to capitulation.

Also: today’s stories, including how the Supreme Court may overturn a precedent that allows presidents to fire the head of independent federal agencies, how President Donald Trump’s bursts of shuttle diplomacy to resolve international conflicts resemble Henry Kissinger, and how an apprenticeship model for youth educators in San Francisco could address a short supply of teachers.

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