The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

In his second term, and in particular over the past two weeks, President Donald Trump has unleashed on friend and foe alike a diplomatic style that jettisons all the norms of traditional diplomacy – dialogue, bargaining, trust-building, and patience – in favor of commands, threats, and shows of force. Our diplomacy correspondent takes a look.

Also: today’s stories, including two stories that look at the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage; an essay from our Tel Aviv correspondent on watching Iran fire missiles on Israel while visiting New Zealand, her extended family’s Holocaust refuge; and our film critic’s review of “F1.”

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

With the approval to expand third country deportations, the Trump administration takes another step toward removing immigrants in the U.S. without authorization.

Also: today’s stories, including a debate on how much power Congress and the presidency hold in launching a U.S. military offensive, calls for stronger legal punishment in France as victims feel betrayed by the outcome of a sexual assault trial, and how the conflict between Israel and Iran was marked by the absence of Iran’s allies.

Join the Monitor's April Austin for today's news.

The summit of NATO leaders that opened Tuesday at The Hague began beneath a new cloud of war in Iran. Yet among Europe’s architects of shared security, a cautious optimism obtains.

Also: today’s stories, including an Iranian missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, America’s largest military installation in the Middle East; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signing a law that would mandate that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms; and a book review of “Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America” by Sam Tanenhaus.

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

If diplomatic efforts fail and President Donald Trump opts for military action in the Israel-Iran conflict, how difficult would it be to use “bunker busting” bombs in Iran? Anna Mulrine Grobe has been reporting on the challenges that could arise should diplomatic efforts fail and President Trump opts to proceed with military action.

Also: today’s stories: how Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region is bearing the brunt of Russia’s summer offensive; how the mayoral race in New York City is polarizing the Democratic electorate; and nearly half a year after the LA wildfires, residents are asking whether they should return.

Join the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news.

The Trump administration’s deportation campaign is starting to be felt in farm fields and factory floors across America. Amid reports of arrests and rumors about impending raids by federal customs agents, even immigrants with legal status are wary of showing up to work.

Also: today’s stories, including economic worries amidst war in Iran and Israel; this week’s Christian Science Monitor Breakfast, which hosted “MAGA influencer” and Trump ally Steve Bannon; and how one village in India combated alcoholism and gambling with chess.

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

As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, it is worth considering this question: how are civilians on both sides coping in these times of uncertainty?

Also: today’s stories, including the power struggle between President Donald Trump and the federal judiciary, how the transformation of Mexico’s justice system affects its democracy, and a book review of New Yorker writer John Seabrook's "The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of a Family Dynasty."

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

With much to lose, Arab states have emerged as the loudest voices calling for diplomacy to end the Israel-Iran conflict. Led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, they are urging President Donald Trump to seek a return to business-friendly regional stability.

Also: today’s stories, how U.S. states are now more involved in tracking trends that show where problems need addressing, how U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have reached a trade agreement that may offer a reset in their relationship, and how civilian minivans are being converted into makeshift armored ambulances in Ukraine.

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

As Israel launches the heaviest attack on Iranian targets in decades, what is the likelihood that the Islamic government might now see a nuclear bomb as its only real deterrent?

Also: today’s stories, including a bird poacher who made the switch to serving as a tour guide in Indonesia, Palestinians in Gaza who are struggling to find food, and the conflict in Sudan cutting a student-journalist’s college short.

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

As the United States Army, the linchpin of the military, celebrates its 250th anniversary Saturday, a long-planned military parade in Washington, D.C., has become a lightning rod for concern about the sweep of a president’s power.

Also: today’s stories, including President Donald Trump’s confidence that the chill in U.S. political relations with Africa won’t hinder his economic and strategic goals in countries there, how Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has emerged as one of the loudest democratic voices sounding the alarm about what he sees as the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump administration, and our film critic's review of writer-director Celine Song's latest film, "Materialists."

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

Immigration is Donald Trump’s signature issue. The coverage of the president’s deployment of armed forces in Los Angeles after isolated anti-immigration enforcement protests and violence may help push forward his agenda.

Also: today’s stories, including how college graduates are navigating an increasingly challenging environment, how some in Syria’s Druze community are calling on international intervention, and how a man born into slavery daringly stole and commandeered a Confederate ship.

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