The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

What would aliens make of Americans’ distrust of one another? Or our “cancel culture” and red/blue divide? Also: today’s stories, including Why unions win pay hikes and new clout, ‘Cultured meat’ arrives on menus, and How one group is helping teachers with mental health. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Jingnan Peng for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The story of Antakya is told in the holy texts of the three Abrahamic faiths – the story of a city that was founded as Antioch by one of Alexander the Great’s generals and that became a crossroads of the ancient world. It is the home of saints and Silk Road traders, martyrs, and emperors. But no one knows the story of what will happen now. Also: today’s stories, including Activist or terrorist? Filipino authorities blur the line, As heat waves intensify, so do efforts to protect ocean life, and Where unlikely partners restore watersheds. Join the Monitor's Stephen Humphries and JJ Wahlberg for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Donald Trump now has a new adversary in his 2024 presidential bid – the clock. He will face a long, demanding campaign schedule, as well as a potentially grueling legal schedule. Also: today’s stories, where we cover tensions on Israel’s border, anti-trans law in Russia, a new Black history museum, and a woman King Lear. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

When the new “Barbie” movie hit theaters, Linda Feldmann saw a chance for light escapism – and some laughs. But watching it also afforded a moment of reflection on the decisions parents make for their children. Also, today’s stories, including: Worker safety at issue as extreme heat rises, What Ukrainians need most as they slog through minefields, and Tennessee churches as an unlikely host of civil gun safety debates. Join the Monitor’s Liam Archacki and Ali Martin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

What do people in Germany think about the indictment of former U.S. President Donald Trump? There is an easy answer and a somewhat more complicated one. Also: today’s stories, including A conspiracy to subvert democracy?, Why Brazil’s ‘fake news’ law keeps stalling, and Can unauthorized immigrants legally drive? More states say yes. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Stepping onto a sugar plantation in Barbados, owned by the same family for centuries, was an act of journalism for Whitney Eulich. For her Bajan companion, it was an act of quiet defiance. Also, today’s stories including: Hawaii has become a test case for how coastal communities must increasingly adapt to erosion as sea levels rise, Jordan’s King Abdullah finds himself fighting fake news amid democratic reforms, and can we make amends for ancestors’ misdeeds? For Heirs of Slavery, the first step toward confronting an uncomfortable legacy is humility. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and April Austin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Boston Celtics star guard Jaylen Brown has worn the city’s name on his heart for the past seven seasons. Last week, on the heels of securing the biggest contract in NBA history, Mr. Brown wore something new on his heart: a shirt with a word that spoke to what he planned to do with his newfound wealth – “BRIDGE.”Also: today’s stories, including Washington rushes to put guardrails on AI, Unused French churches get new roles, and How 'old lady' swimmers clean up Cape Cod ponds. Join the Monitor's Laurent Belsie and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The tension in Washington’s hot summer air is thick. Reporters have been staking out the federal courthouse, awaiting an indictment of former President Donald Trump over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. At the White House, there’s new stress over Hunter Biden’s legal woes, which carry high stakes for his father, President Joe Biden. Also: today’s stories, including In Israel’s democracy battle, a pivotal role for military pilots; How a writer learned to help Malawi’s girls help themselves, and Inside the fantastical world of an anime convention. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The Monitor’s editor, Mark Sappenfield, will be working from Germany over the next year. “The human story is more interconnected and more hopeful than much media coverage would have us believe,” he writes in today’s intro. “I hope to share with [readers] insights gained from broadening a sense of home and identity.” Also: today’s stories, including coverage on Russia's attacks on grain trade, Hunter Biden’s courtroom drama, and a Zimbabwean ‘Animal Farm.’ Join the Monitor’s Mark Sappenfield and JJ Wahlberg for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

How does an act of kindness invite connection? Our writer Sara Miller Lana, along with photographer Melanie Stetson Freeman, found themselves in this situation in the back seat of a truck in Namibia. Also, today’s stories including: A court ruling on affirmative action is roiling boardrooms – even as their focus on diversity isn’t likely to disappear. British government at odds with the public in an immigration crackdown over “controlled openness.”, From kids’ books to gritty movies, scholars say sanitizing works of the past are really about the future – and who gets to decide what’s possible. Join the Monitor's Mark Trumbull and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.