The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

Jack Ma, the powerhouse creator of the e-commerce site Alibaba, is back in China. What does that tell us about Beijing’s evolving relationship with entrepreneurs? Also: today’s stories, including How pandemic money could help sliding math scores, Biden's target of two-thirds electric vehicles by 2032, and Why one Black mayor sees an American ‘apartheid’. Join the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato and Clara Germani for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Covering the war in Ukraine is more than an assignment for Martin Kuz. It’s a “full investment of head and heart,” says the Monitor special contributor. Also: today’s stories, including Ukrainians striving to remember their history, retirees teaching in Israeli schools, and an Indigenous language making its way into Mexican music. Join the Monitor’s Noelle Swan and Ken Kaplan for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

When San Francisco city officials tried to clamp down on a Little Free Library, a community rallied to defend the book repository. The city recently informed Susan and Joe Meyers that their Little Free Library required a $1,402 “Minor Sidewalk Encroachment Permit,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Also: today’s stories, including the leaking of U.S. intelligence documents, the ethics of the Supreme Court, and a library quenching the thirst for verse. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Noelle Swan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Gun violence is a sad, deadly recurrence in America today. It leaves behind a trail of tears – and sometimes, resolve. Also: today’s stories, including Taiwan leaders’ visits to the U.S. and China, Donald Trump’s post-indictment fundraising, and how Philippine fishing communities are working together after an oil spill. Join the Monitor’s Peter Grier and JJ Wahlberg for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The word “unprecedented” was used in news a lot this week. Mostly it preceded the word “indictment,” as outlets ran extensive coverage of former President Donald Trump’s arraignment in New York on charges related to hush money payments. Also: today’s stories, including a look at an open marketplace holding value, responsible stewardship with water scarcity, and urban dirt biking. Join the Monitor's Peter Grier and Clara Germani for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

In 1968, humanity stood on the cusp of a new age. Within a year, two men would walk on the moon. But as Apollo 8 wheeled around the moon – the first crewed flight to orbit our cosmic neighbor – the United States was in disarray. The Vietnam War raged. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. Riots swept the nation. Also: today’s stories, including a look at Ukraine’s battle against corruption, high school experiences defined by the pandemic, and one woman using her love of horses to help underserved children. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Sara Lang for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

The ABC drama “Alaska Daily” is modeled on the real-life newspaper Anchorage Daily News. The show is fiction, but the issues are real. Also: today’s stories, including how Uruguay is a modern model for democracy, why non-lawyer Edward Blum has brought eight cases to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the search to solve the problem of debris in outer space. Join the Monitor’s Francine Kiefer, Kendra Nordin Beato, and April Austin for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Sports and social commentary often end up intertwined. To commentator Ken Makin, one unfortunate outcome is that unfair stereotypes and harmful narratives are sometimes aimed at athletes. Also, today’s stories, including: Donald Trump arrives in New York for his arraignment. The indictment of the former president’s 34 counts of falsifying business records was just unsealed. Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are coinciding amid a season of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Yet the joy and harmony on display in Jerusalem’s streets creates the feeling that this is the city’s defining character.Join the Monitor’s Clay Collins and Ken Kaplan for today’s Christian Science Monitor Daily.

Monitor staffers were delighted to learn that their work recently won top honors from ACES: The Society for Editing, for the best headline portfolio among national publications in 2022. Second place went to The Washington Post, and third place to The Triton News. Also, today’s stories including: Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were stolen during the pandemic, as Congress rushed to aid small businesses and individuals. Now the U.S. is trying to claw some money back – and fix vulnerabilities in the system. Citizen crowdfunding quickly became a trademark of the war in Ukraine. That solidarity has given noncombatants a way to serve the nation and those fighting reassurance that they are supported. When an important path to higher education and job training is under strain, what happens to the students who rely on it? Join the Monitor’s Amelia Newcomb and JJ Wahlberg for today’s Christian Science Monitor Daily.

Former President Donald Trump’s indictment Thursday will surely dominate headlines for weeks and months to come. We are living through history, the first indictment of a former United States president. There’s much to sort through, including the legal and political ramifications.

Also: today’s stories, including Democrats split over education in Chicago mayoral runoff, A sports conference being a game-changer on gender equality, and A truth-bearing defense against China. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.