The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

In today's newsletter: the shooting of a Colombian senator and the country's struggle for peace; the debate over mask wearing by ICE agents; President Trump's energy strategy; and a Tunisian judge's work to create libraries for kids. Find these stories, and more, in today's issue.

The story of Hardwick, Vermont, a hamlet in the state’s poorest region, is a case study in what it means for a food system to truly “go local” in a world that has leaned on a global supply chain that’s now under threat. Today’s stories also include a family caught in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack documenting its journey, Coco Gauff finding redemption in Paris, and political parties that were once rivals leading South Africa together. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man with a track record of seemingly impossible feats, came to Washington vowing to bring an ethos of innovation. But even before this week’s blowup with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk had become bogged down in political, legal, and bureaucratic battles.

Also: today’s stories, including the election of left-leaning President Lee Jae-myung in South Korea, Nebraska launching a $100 million program for students with disabilities, and the new government in Syria’s plan to rebuild the Hejaz Railway.

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

Decadeslong suspicion of elite universities has evolved under President Donald Trump into a full-scale war against institutions deemed to have grown overtly political. At Harvard University, where President Trump has canceled major federal research grants and ordered the suspension of visas for foreign students, it’s a high-stakes contest that echoes far beyond higher education.

Also: today’s stories, including how Trump’s tariff war will affect relationships with Asian allies; updates on the Trump administration’s travel ban; and recent crackdowns on protests in El Salvador.

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

Lee Jae-myung’s victory in South Korea’s presidential election on June 3 fills a leadership void that was hobbling Asia’s fourth-largest economy. It heralds a liberal shift in South Korea’s domestic agenda and efforts by Seoul, a key U.S. ally, to ease tensions with China and North Korea.

Also: today’s stories, including how antisemitism in the United States is reaching generational highs; how rhetoric is yielding to diplomacy as Iran and the United States prepare for a sixth round of nuclear talks; and a book review on Shaun Walker’s “The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission To Infiltrate the West.”

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

Ukraine’s successful drone strike on air bases deep within Russia marked a radical evolution in modern warfare. It’s raised hard questions among military analysts about everything from the future of air defense to the nature of nuclear deterrence.

Also: today’s stories, including how reports from human rights groups indicate that Russia is targeting Ukrainian civilians via drone warfare; how some states and nonprofits are using DOGE layoffs to their advantage; and how Poland’s presidential election this week continued a trend of voters endorsing seesawing visions of its future

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

The economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration's tariffs – many of which were ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in a May 28 ruling that is on hold pending an appeal – has eclipsed any uptick in manufacturing. But some U.S. manufacturing workers are holding onto hope for a domestic manufacturing revival.

Also: today’s stories, including how the flow of migrants from Latin America to the U.S. is reversing back home, challenging the region’s political, economic, and humanitarian crises; how South Korea, experiencing a momentous election, is without any female presidential candidates for the first time in 18 years; and how one Boston bookstore is changing the lives of youth facing social barriers.

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

U.S. President Donald Trump has presented a vision of the Western Hemisphere that hearkens back to a 19th-century spheres-of-influence approach to international affairs: the regions of North, Central, and South America should be exclusively the United States’ economic, diplomatic, and military domain. This approach disrupts a postwar global order and historical alliances — we looked at historical precedents, and at what’s different today.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at an organization led by Palestinians and Israelis seeking peace; what’s to come with Russia-Ukraine peace talks; and how Trump’s efforts to end state EV mandates is changing the rules of the road.

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

Texas provided a border-enforcement blueprint for President Trump. Now people in the Eagle Pass area, which was once an immigration epicenter, live with a new, quieter reality.

Also: today’s stories, including how the Trump administration may handle diplomatic efforts to curtail Iran’s nuclear program; how some Israelis are reevaluating the moral authority of their home country; and how Zimbabwe is still reckoning with its infamous seizures of white-owned farms 25 years ago.

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

In today's issue, we look at the state of humanitarian aid for Gaza, a hidden provision in Trump's 'big bill,' the US-EU trade war, and what it's like being an eighth grader in the post-pandemic world. Join the Monitor's Kurt Schillinger for today's news.