The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Before any bestselling book outlined the five love languages – words of affirmation, quality time, gift giving, acts of service, and physical touch – my grandmother taught them to me, writes our education reporter Ira Porter. She raised me and my older sister after our parents’ failures proved insurmountable. Also: today’s stories, including a look at the transgender care debate, U.S. cities preparing for an influx of migrants, and the EPA’s aim for a zero-emission economy. Join the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato and Sara Lang for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Owning up to lies is one thing. George Santos is in legal jeopardy, and the stakes are much higher. Also: today’s stories, including the verdict of E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Donald Trump, breast milk banks in Africa, and Peru’s unsung hero of the Pómac Forest. Join the Monitor’s Linda Feldmann and JJ Wahlberg for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

So much of American politics today promotes a profound sense of impotence – the inability to move entrenched forces, even a degree. With devastating frequency, mass shootings tragically underscore this fact. Also: today’s stories, including a look at changed attitudes surrounding migration in Mexico, Argentine universities grappling with inclusion, and an amateur choir in Minnesota fostering opportunities to connect. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Ali Martin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Today, door-knocking is viewed with suspicion, and tragically, occasionally met with violence. Yet faith traditions are rich with guidance on honoring the visitor and the neighbor, for good reason. Also: today’s stories, including an Indian couple fighting modern slavery in the sugar industry, U.S. asylum-seekers after the end of Title 42, and the role of natural gas in fuel emissions. Join the Monitor’s Husna Haq, Kendra Nordin Beato, and Clara Germani for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Following Thursday’s conviction of four members of the Proud Boys far-right extremist group for plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a juror said that it was their own texts and messages that convinced the jury the men had engaged in seditious conspiracy. Also: today’s stories, including Has the gig economy come for Hollywood?, Turkish elections and the stakes for press freedom, and ‘What readers deserve’: A political profile that looks far beyond spin. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Jingnan Peng for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Through the grainy eye of a surveillance camera, a drone descends toward the heart of the Kremlin and explodes. Ukraine intended to kill President Vladimir Putin with American help, Russian authorities say. Nonsense, Ukrainians and Americans respond. So, what really happened? Also today’s stories, including: Local officials in Ukraine are restoring vital services in liberated areas of Ukraine, where many had pro-Russian sympathies. At a critical juncture in their relationship, the United States and China distrust each other and talk little. Their ability to take responsibility for shaping a path forward matters deeply to the world. The ability to criticize the government without retaliation lies at the heart of the First Amendment. What happens when it’s a corporation doing the criticizing? Join the Monitor’s Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for the Monitor’s Daily podcast.

It was the first time in 19 years that the Maple Leafs made it even this far. The crowd was exultant, their faces smeared blue as they cheered on their Maple Leafs amid the high-rises of downtown Toronto. Also: today’s stories, including Israel marking its 75th Independence Day, security clearances in the United States, and how a traditional music rhythm unites people in Uruguay. Join the Monitor’s Sara Miller Llana, Clara Germani, and JJ Wahlberg for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Sophie Hills wrote in today’s Daily – on porch culture – from a place of deep experience. In today’s introduction, she recalls a special man whose gift was having an open heart for the humanity around him. Also, today’s stories including: To ease its pivot to Asia, the U.S. largely outsourced diplomacy in Sudan. Now, faced with the threat of worsening violence and instability, it must reassess its priorities. Can it achieve both peace and democracy for the Sudanese people? Nikki Haley, could be uniquely positioned to unite the GOP’s warring factions but all she needs is for the front-runners to fail. Why do some people view a doorbell ringing as a threat? Meet the Americans embracing porch culture and trying to keep a sense of neighborliness alive in a society with an epidemic of loneliness. Join the Monitor’s Ali Martin and Troy Sambajon for today’s Christian Science Monitor Daily.

Twenty years ago today, President George W. Bush famously announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln beneath a banner that declared “Mission Accomplished.” Also: today’s stories, including a look at recent bank failures in the U.S., what motivates foreigners to fight for Ukraine, and views on nuclear power. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The grown-ups who cover President Joe Biden don’t get rewarded with a trip to the Oval Office when they shout a question. But off 10-year-old Nina went, her stunned dad left behind. Also: today’s stories, including U.S.-Philippine military drills, a listener’s openness to the culture of giving, and China’s wave of temple visitors. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Jingnan Peng for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.