The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

The Monitor’s Gaza correspondent Ghada Abdulfattah paints a powerful portrait today of her fellow Palestinians as they work – and work – to create some semblance of order or home amid the mountains of debris that surround them. Today’s stories also include whether Mexico’s cartel problem has its roots in lax US gun controls, sheriffs in a ‘sanctuary’ state considering whether to work with ICE, and baby eagles making online viewers’ spirits soar. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Europe has faced many recent “wake up” moments that suggest the world has changed and it needs to strengthen from within. But few were more visceral than the public confrontation last Friday between the Ukrainian and American presidents.

Also: today’s stories, including Ukrainians’ reactions to President Donald Trump’s open rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; resistance to a full nationwide caste census in India, sparking debate over the country’s path to equality; and this week’s Points of Progress.

Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

Israeli communities near Gaza still bear the marks, physical and spiritual, of Oct. 7. But they are rebuilding, and shifting toward rebirth. Today's stories also include why America is considering a sovereign wealth fund, a family grappling with a young son’s hunger to learn amid war's ruins, and why rich oil reserves are a mixed blessing for Ugandans. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

The United States has not had to fight a war against a foreign aggressor on its own territory in two centuries, whereas Europe has, in its long past, known conflict much more frequently than peace. That is why, our columnist writes, the concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump taking Russia’s side in the Ukraine war ripple so deeply through Europe. Today’s stories also include the justice department shifting its focus away from white collar crime, DOGE cuts jolting Virginia’s politics, and why neighborhoods rally to save movie houses. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

While much of Europe is wrestling with resurgent far-right politics, Serbia stands apart thanks to a student-led mass movement against corruption and its strongman president.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at the University of Austin’s radical free speech experiment; how the Pasadena Community Job Center has become a refuge for those impacted by the Los Angeles fires; and an effort to save Yemen’s migratory birds amidst war.

Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

In the wake of the Syrian civil war, exchanges between Alawites, Shiites, and Christians are often fierce. Taylor Luck reports on how they still manage to break bread together, and how religious minorities there have found encouragement as they probe for answers.

Also: today’s stories, including Chinese rights groups that are packing up as U.S. financial aid is withdrawn, the expensive, complicated, and slow process that stands in the way of European military self-sufficiency, and how New York appears to be fast preparing to move on without Eric Adams. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

James Madison called it “the extent and proper structure” of the United States. The Monitor’s Linda Feldmann looks at how now, a U.S. president is upending the country’s centuries-old balance of power. Also: today’s stories, including how German centrists barely fended off the populist tide, how the legacy of the Greensboro sit-ins are carried on today, and how theater troupe in Ukraine is finding that puppets have a special ability to comfort and inspire, even to rehabilitate. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

While Americans differ on how taxpayer dollars should be spent, you might expect them to rally around keeping those dollars away from fraudsters. But what if an unconventional anti-fraud effort – entrepreneurial and fast – fails to gain public trust by pursuing partisan goals?

Also: today’s stories, including worries over press freedom during the Trump administration; what may come next from the Israeli government in the Gaza ceasefire; and acts of everyday defiance in Ukraine against Russian advancement.

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

Is he a co-president? An adviser? A modern-day Rasputin? Elon Musk’s role may be undefined, but the Monitor's Simon Montlake looks at how his influence and impact seem to be growing by the day. Also: today’s stories, including the German "firewall" meant to keep far-right the Alternative for Germany party out of power, a justice reporter talks about the busiest beat in news, and how “Severance,” the Apple TV+ show about workplace drudgery, may be the greatest exploration of work-life imbalance ever filmed. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

A wave of Justice Department resignations in recent days, prompted by the president’s demand to dismiss a pending case against New York City’s mayor, may signal that politics is creeping into the justice system. Today’s stories also include USAID cuts threatening America’s most successful global health campaign, Trump calling Mexican cartels ‘terrorists,’ and how our essayist kindles the light within during the dark days of winter. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.