The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Amid the trials of a long and ugly war, where can people turn for the tranquility and beauty that restores their spirit? Sometimes the solution is right at hand, in parks and private gardens, as the rose lovers of Donetsk, Ukraine, can attest. Also: today’s stories, including the largest Black-centered public art display in the U.S., Germany's new dual citizenship policy, and a Nigerian nonprofit's effort to teach coding to deaf students. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Tesla shareholders voted on Thursday for a record-breaking pay package that could exceed $45 billion for CEO Elon Musk, highlighting a decades-long dilemma: How much should CEOs be paid? Also: today’s stories, including low voter turnout in Iran, India’s new coalition government, and suspicion around urban tree-planting initiatives. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Mary Tabor for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on an abortion drug today was a narrow, procedural one. But it has big consequences, and shows that it’s hard for the justices to leave abortion questions entirely to states and elected representatives. Also: today’s stories, including former President Trump’s first Capitol visit since Jan. 6, the Taliban’s new pals, and a different kind of Civil War military leader.

Join the Monitor's Clayton Collins and Noelle Swan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

War is often portrayed as a man’s world. But in Ukraine women are providing leadership with their own unique courage and expertise. Also: today’s stories, including the Guatemalan President’s attempt to fight corruption, Lebanese Christians caught between Hezbollah and Israel, and English Ph.D.s training AI bots.

Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Tuesday’s guilty verdict against President Joe Biden’s son Hunter is the first-ever criminal conviction of a sitting U.S. president’s son. It came on a firearms-purchasing charge that’s unusual for someone not accused of other criminal activity. Also: today’s stories, including a “continuity election” in the EU, Pakistan’s reckoning with its former prime minister, and an NPR music critic’s new biography about Joni Mitchell. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Ira Porter for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

After a dam in southern Ukraine blew up a year ago, scientists believed it would leave disastrous environmental damage. Actually, the ecosystem is fighting back while residents seem to be struggling. Also: today’s stories, including emotion in both Israel and Gaza after Israeli hostages were brought home, Hunter Biden’s trial amid his father’s elections, and a program in South Africa that teaches teenage boys to become defenders for women. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

On the east bank of the Dnieper river, Ukraine’s army is holding off Russian troops. With western arms on the way, the tide may turn yet. Also: today’s stories, including housing for First Nation people in Vancouver, organ grinders adapt to a more modern Mexico City, and Blue cities in Red states struggle with enforcing strict gun laws. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Climate scientist Patrick Brown admitted in a Free Press interview that he framed his findings not to reflect the truth, but to fit within what he described as the climate alarmist storyline. Climate advocates skewered his critique of the culture surround his work. Also: today’s stories, including how rising sea temperatures are affecting the earth’s climate, how childhood is shaped by war in Mozambique, and Bangladeshi rickshaws get a digital upgrade. Join the Monitor's JJ Wahlberg and Noelle Swan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

School districts nationwide are struggling financially, with challenges including everything from expiring pandemic financial aid packages to declining birth rates. No matter what decisions school districts take to stay afloat, one issue remains the same: a lack of trust.

Also: today’s stories, including a preview of this year’s European Parliament elections, a look inside the Al Mawasi tent city in Gaza, and how knitters and crocheters worldwide are remembering D-Day through their love of craft.

Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Cameron Pugh for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

At a funeral for a Hezbollah commander, fighters share thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war — and the high price they and their families are willing to pay to defeat Israel.

Also: today’s stories, including a look into India’s election by the numbers, why some low-income, treeless communities distrust efforts to plant trees, and how Paris is attempting to make the city more accessible to Paralympians and visitors with disabilities.

Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and April Austin for today's news. You can also visit CSMonitor.com/Daily for more information.