The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Navigating rules around immigration visas will test Donald Trump’s skill as both politician and leader. The Monitor’s Laurent Belsie and Patrik Jonsson dive into the H-1B visa system and its effect on the amount of highly skilled foreign workers in America. Also in today’s package, Mike Johnson narrowly achieves reelection to speaker of the House, Donald Trump’s plan to abolish the Department of Education, and how one mother turned the pain from a son lost to gun violence into action and purpose. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The New Year’s Day attacks in both New Orleans and Las Vegas confirmed the gravity of official warnings that risks from political violence are rising. Patrik Jonsson and Henry Gass examine the diversification of terror threats for American cities. Also in today’s lineup, black radio icons in the era of podcasts and TikTok, the history of Ukrainian cuisine as a form of cultural defiance, and the tight margins that the GOP must work with in the House of Representatives. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Ira Porter for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Throughout his life, President Jimmy Carter would define his faith as “inextricably entwined with the political principles [he] has adopted.” Today, Harry Bruinius looks at his religious beliefs, while Linda Feldmann dives into his relationship with the Christian Science Monitor. Also in today’s package, Yemen’s Houthi rebels renew their attacks, nicotine bans in Massachusetts, and the Christian Science Monitor’s best books of the year. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

As this is our last Daily before Christmas, we thought we would make it something of a Christmas gift. We start with a cover story from the Weekly magazine in which staffers speak of memorable gifts. Today’s stories also include how addressing an awful truth can help Syria heal, whether Biden succeeded in transforming the federal judiciary, and a guide to conversing through the winter holidays. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Ali Martin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

With Bashar al-Assad's fall, ket parts of Iran's “Axis of Resistance” are diminished or defeated. Scott Peterson dives into what is left of Tehran’s expensive strategy for regional dominance. Also in today's package, Kash Patel's historical comparisons to J. Edgar Hoover, a musical serving as a better informer than the news, and homeowner light displays building human connections in California. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Brooke Holder for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Sophie Hills’ story, the first in her new role as our faith and religion writer, offers a fascinating look at the growth and evolution of “cultural Christianity,” and what that says about the United States and American religion today. Today’s stories also include what Turkey and Qatar want in Syria, how faith shaped Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ path in Congress, and a reporter hunting for ‘Carol of the Bells’ birthplace – in Ukraine. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and JJ Wahlberg for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The worry of fentanyl coming over the U.S. border is a concern politicians have talked about for a long time calling it the ‘most urgent drug threat’ in America. But how is it really getting into the country?

Also: today’s stories, including a lucrative African market up in flames, new holiday traditions in Sweden, and how cookbooks reflect broader societal trends.

Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb and Nate Iglehart for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

As the barriers to movement into and inside Syria have come down, Syrians are racing to reunite with loved ones and visit their former homes, or what is left of them. It is an emotional time, and the destruction they are finding is often vast. Also: today’s stories, including understanding the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, a spate of unusual drone sightings close to U.S. military installations raising questions about oversight, and uplifting traditions and history in museums in Rio de Janeiro. Join the Monitor’s Mark Sappenfield and Troy Sambajon for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The magnitude of the emotions sweeping Damascus cannot be overstated, as our correspondents are witnessing. Unbridled joy is replacing years of terror and unspeakable loss. But the task of restoring order, and faith in a peaceful future, is enormous. Also: today’s stories, including solar panels in space that have the potential to bring power to remote locations or areas hit by natural disaster, Florida voters join states preserving rights of hunters and anglers, and a Washington writer on the Monitor’s “Why We Wrote This” podcast shows how adhering to facts and getting information to the public remain the fundamental job of a journalist. Join the Monitor’s Clay Collins and Brooke Holder for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Our first story: After the fall of the Assad regime, Israel moved quickly to seize border positions and smash Syrian military equipment. But can it translate its strategic advantage into diplomatic achievements? Today’s stories also include why there’s a housing crisis in the United States and what can be done to solve it, a personal essay by Ali Martin about the Malibu wildfire bringing her community together, and how Nigerian women in arranged "money marriages" get a new start. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Nate Iglehart for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.