The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

For generations, Sherpas have been highly sought-after guides for international clients intent on making the world’s most difficult climbs. Aakash Hassan reports on one teenage Sherpa, the youngest ever to summit the world’s 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters, and his role as a model and a trailblazer for other young people. Also: today’s stories, including the growing use Ukrainian instead of Russian in Ukraine’s “growing up” as a nation, two U.S. Supreme Court education cases this month that could profoundly change America’s public schooling system, and how Gaza’s journalists are balancing reporting on the war and surviving it. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

What has President Donald Trump done in his first hundred days of his second term? The Monitor’s Washington Bureau Chief gives a rundown.

Also: today’s stories, including how Ukrainians are holding on amidst Russian air strikes on Kyiv; a historic settlement for thousands abused in LA County juvenile homes; and India’s threat to cut off Pakistan’s water supply over tourist deaths in Kashmir.

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

Perceptions of disarray at the Pentagon have grown more urgent as Secretary Hegseth has fired several close advisers. Anna Mulrine Grobe looks at how staffing issues can feed allied nations’ concerns about U.S. military readiness to respond in a crisis. Also: today’s stories, including the varying ideas of peace in Ukraine on the table, the economic cost of tariffs on everyone who makes the U.S.-China supply flow, and how Canada's Conservative Party hopes to position itself moving forward. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

We all learn from the examples set by others, particularly when we see a courage and compassion that refuses to be quelled. Today’s stories include how Pope Francis took stands that others have embraced, a Holocaust survivor on TikTok, and a movement rallying around RFK Jr.’s agenda. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Our story on a dispute over eminent domain in Rhode Island is, at its root, about something deeper – two very different definitions of the American dream. Also: today’s stories, including why the European Union isn’t more competitive, what USAID cuts mean for coca and gold trafficking in Peru, and local activists refusing to look away from Congo’s rape crisis. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

American universities are a powerful engine of scientific research and development. Ira Porter dives into how the sudden untethering of university research and government dollars is likely to have consequences for a generation of scientific advancement. Also: today’s stories, including how the Catholic Church in Spain is at the forefront of the country’s immigration experience, what being a “sanctuary city” actually entails, and how President Donald Trump's preoccupation with the 2020 election appears to be driving significant presidential actions and policies in ways that could have real implications for U.S. democracy. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

From today's stories: Markets falter as Trump attacks the Fed’s independence; U.S. Agriculture Department cuts jeopardize small farmers in Massachusetts; a Rwanda genocide survivor promotes peace through education; and a Ukrainian chaplain ministers to his front-line flock. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Rare earth minerals might be the biggest story you haven’t heard enough about. An extractive industry with the usual nasty environmental knock-ons, it’s also one that feeds green technology. Also: today’s stories, including Trump and courts squaring off over fundamental democratic ideals, the value China places on “face,” and how dim sum became a national treasure in Panama. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Weeks after President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, the shock to the district’s arts world has not subsided. Linda Feldmann reports on how while his cultural agenda may seem minor compared with economic policy or immigration, its influence can be broad. Also: today’s stories, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni becoming the first European leader to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, the United States seeing a sudden drop in overdose deaths, and how after being slapped with tariffs, some US trade partners are leaning toward Beijing. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan for today's news.

Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the first shots fired in a revolution felt round the world. For the men and women preparing to relive the opening choreography of the American Revolution this weekend, bringing history to life has a deep purpose: to honor the stories of real people and the price they paid for freedom. Also: today’s stories, including Trump tariffs decreasing trust in US currency, a South African debate over white farmers, and an essayist offering lessons from the suburbs. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.