The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

California, it would seem, needs history to repeat itself. This week, yet another atmospheric river swept across the state. In the small agricultural town of Pajaro, a levee failed. As much as half of crops could be lost in parts of the Central Valley, and it is unclear whether the state’s antiquated infrastructure can cope with potential floods. Also: today’s stories, including a look at taming inflation, Ukrainian residents living in basements in Lyman, and athletes pushing for change. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Sara Lang for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Last month, we shared the results of a Pew survey of parents’ views about raising children. Topping their concerns were mental health, bullying, and safety. So we asked readers: Is parenting harder today? Also: today’s stories, including China’s involvement with the Ukraine war, how President Joe Biden has shifted on immigration, and a Swedish housing project bringing young migrants and seniors together. Join the Monitor’s Amelia Newcomb and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Favour Odenyi wrote about her experience reading the Monitor in an award-winning essay sponsored by DiscoveryBound, a national youth leadership program for Christian Scientists. Also, today’s stories including: The failure of Silicon Valley Bank poses a test of confidence at a time when the economy is already challenged by inflation and rising interest rates, Donald Trump’s grip on the GOP was widely proclaimed to be weakening, and The U.S. has long been the preeminent outside actor in the Middle East. Now China is asserting itself there, stealing Washington's diplomatic thunder. What does this portend? Join the Monitor’s Kendra Nordin Beato and Ali Martin at csmonitor.com/daily.

Silicon Valley Bank wasn’t huge enough to be considered a “systemically important” financial institution that warrants extra scrutiny from regulators. But we are learning that it was big enough to cause plenty of consternation when it failed. Also: today’s stories, including the staying power of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, a California zanjero who delivers water from the Colorado River, and the height of hospitality in Saudi Arabia. Join the Monitor’s Mark Trumbull and Ken Kaplan for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Jeremy Peña, star shortstop for the Houston Astros, looked stunned. He had just been called out on strikes without even receiving a final pitch – and that was precisely the problem. Mr. Peña had failed to be ready in time. Also, today’s stories, including: Why Bakhmut battle is high stakes for all, Israeli protesters: ‘Traitors’ – or best and brightest?, and Atlanta’s Cop City. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann and Ken Kaplan for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

I will never forget my first day in Journalism 101. The white-haired professor stalked among the desks and then asked the question calibrated to change our lives, delivered with perfect pitch and timbre. “Who decides what is news?” Also: today’s stories, including a look at President Biden’s budget proposal, public schools in rural Texas, and our 200th Patterns column written by Ned Temko. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Ali Martin for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Spanish feminism was one of the first stories I covered for the Monitor as a foreign reporter. I will never forget what one leader told me then, 20 years ago: that while most Western women were gaining ground in the women’s liberation movement, Spanish women were living under dictatorship, so they were in overdrive and, in her view, had “sprinted ahead” of their peers. Also: today’s stories, including a look at determination on Ukraine’s front, the battle against misinformation in Latino politics, and a review of the movie “Creed III”. Join the Monitor's Ali Martin and Sara Lang for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Epic snowfall in parts of California moved the Monitor’s Francine Kiefer to consider the human story behind all of the news and social-media images of impassable roads. What she found: examples of residents who are proving to be “mountain strong.” Also, today’s stories, including: A surprising number of Democrats in Congress, as well as President Joe Biden, back a measure that nullifies Washington, D.C.’s new criminal code, an inside look into a sports revolution for women on the court, and a “child-friendly” report in newly post-dictatorship Gambia gets to the heart of a universal truth: To avoid future atrocities, past ones must be remembered.

The United Kingdom and the European Union recently unveiled a revised rulebook for trade in Northern Ireland, which had become a major sticking point in post-Brexit diplomacy. Also: today’s stories, including a new approach to homeless encampments, Oscar nominated "Argentina, 1985" offering hope, and our progress roundup. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins and Stephen Humphries for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has said on numerous occasions that in the United States the rule of law means that the same laws apply to all. That includes former presidents, in his estimation. Also: today’s stories, including the U.S.-China crisis hotline, freedom of the press in India, and the rising popularity of mending clothes in the United States. Join the Monitor’s Peter Grier and Ken Kaplan for today’s news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.