The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Amid sectarian violence in Syria, in which hundreds of Druze were killed, Israel struck Damascus and issued a warning to the new government. Israeli Druze are mourning the deaths, but are divided over whether Israeli military action is the wisest course.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at how some communities in the U.S. are grappling with federal cuts for flood preparation; how a populist surge on the right is gaining ground in Japan; and a Q+A with Nigerian Afrobeat artist Mádé Kútì, grandson of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kútì.

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

President Trump’s new AI policy, which includes promoting private investment in AI, reflects growing bipartisan concern that China is rapidly eroding America’s lead in artificial intelligence.

Also: today’s stories, including volunteers rallying around Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, a book review about vanilla, and Texas Republicans are meeting this week to redraw the state’s congressional map.

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

As President Donald Trump pursues his goal of the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, his administration has tapped an unusual range of government agencies to aid the effort.

Also: today’s stories, including how President Donald Trump finds himself in the middle of an uproar within his base over his administration’s handling of the “Epstein files,” how Arabs and Kurds in Syria are working with one another to secure areas of the country, and how there are now concerns about a return to the days of media owned and dominated by oligarchs, political parties, and the state.

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

The Trump administration argues that the police officer who shot Breonna Taylor should be sentenced to just one day in prison. The recommendation comes amid efforts to reverse policies meant to reduce police violence against minorities.

Also in today’s stories: how Guatemala's anti-graft president might lose support from Indigenous voters; how soccer is bringing together the West African community; and how the federal government can influence U.S. universities.

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

As Russia’s aggression escalates, many in Finland are taking national security into their own hands. Some citizens are attending courses on shooting pistols and practicing driving trucks to support military logistics.

Also in today’s stories: soaring rice prices in Japan frustrate farmers; a baseball league allows blind players to build community; and our review of four standout summer mysteries.

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

White House budget director Russell Vought told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast that it is “very, very substantial” that the Trump administration is getting to claw back spending that Congress previously authorized. This legislative tool, called rescission, which hasn’t been used since the 1990s, is helping the Trump administration reshape the executive branch while dramatically strengthening its hand vis-à-vis Congress.

Also: today’s stories, including how armed gangs in Gaza are making aid trucks difficult for Palestinians to access; our film critic’s review of “Sorry, Baby”; and a look at life along the Tanzania-Zambia railway.

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

Now that the Trump administration has the money to significantly expand its mass deportation efforts, the question is how quickly it can reach its goal of deporting 1 million unauthorized immigrants a year, following historic levels of illegal crossings under former President Joe Biden.

Also: today’s stories, including how Armenia’s government is facing off against its ancient church as the former tries to forge a peace deal with the country’s long-time enemy, how artists throughout Baltimore are remembering Freddie Gray through their creative works, and how the nonprofit Greenagers in western Massachusetts employs crews of local high schoolers to help maintain trails.

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

By one estimate, 233,000 people, including 19,000 Americans, have lost their jobs either with the U.S. Agency for International Development, as USAID is formally known, or with its contractors. The Monitor looked at two people who found fulfillment serving their country by serving others.

Also: today’s stories, including how long-distance trains running late is a pivotal test for Germany’s new government; how one Maine town is moving away from its Industrial Revolution era dams in favor of healthier New England rivers; and how South Koreans are rushing for one last look inside Seoul’s version of the White House: the Blue House.

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

As we approach the half-year mark into President Donald Trump’s second term, it’s worth considering this question: Could Americans and U.S. businesses see better times ahead despite the uncertainty and “tax” that Mr. Trump’s tariff policies have imposed?

Also: today’s stories, including Ukrainian mobile anti-drone units as an indispensable defensive line, Elon Musk’s announcement of the America Party, and how Ken Griffey, Jr., is restoring the legacy of Black baseball.

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

Even as emergency responders continue to comb through debris a week after a flash flood surged on the Guadalupe River north of San Antonio, Texas, an analysis is beginning on how similar tragedies could be avoided in the future.

Also: today’s stories, including how rebuilding after Syria’s civil war is a potentially lethal task, how anyone can make a difference with courage and persistence, and how stories about childhood memories underscore summertime as a season steeped in nostalgia.

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