The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

During the Iran war, Tehran's most potent leverage vis-à-vis the U.S. and global economies proved to be its ability to clamp down on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The search for overland routes for oil and other goods has led directly to Syria, an old crossroads revived.

Also: today’s stories, including how civics education is coming back to American schools; how funds are rising for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, so are detention complaints; and a look at how Colombia’s national soccer jersey became political.

Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

A U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal leaves many Israelis feeling vulnerable and abandoned by their most important ally. They expressed concerns for Israel’s security and freedom of action against its enemies, and some criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to achieve his war aims.

Also: today’s stories, including a closer look at the peace deal with the U.S. and Iran; how one Kansas mayor’s imminent deportation has some Trump supporters conflicted on immigration enforcement; and how a fish farm in Algeria is bringing the sea’s bounty to the Sahara.

Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

On Sunday, the White House will host a series of mixed martial arts fights – one of many planned 250th anniversary events that are proving more divisive than unifying. Some are already seeing America’s semiquincentennial as a missed opportunity.

Also: today’s stories, including the cost of Pakistan’s role as mediator between the United States and Iran, national pride at the World Cup for Cape Verdean soccer fans, and the standoff between Congress and President Donald Trump over privacy concerns with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

The world has watched as President Donald Trump vacillates between promises that peace is near in Iran and threats of renewed war. No one bears the cost of that uncertainty more than Iranians.

Also: today’s stories, including a look at “two-tiered policing,” which is partially fueling the protests over the murder of Henry Nowak in England; how the arrival of general-purpose humanoid robots could allow a new stage of automation; and what writer Robert Macfarlane calls “the seven wonders of birds” in his field guide, “The Book of Birds.”

Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

SpaceX debuts on a U.S. stock exchange this week in what’s anticipated to be a record-breaking public offering, with high stakes for investors and the U.S. economy.

Also: today’s stories, including how a U.S. troop rescue near Iran points to the rising use of sea drones in combat; how on this year’s anniversary of the D-Day landings that turned the tide against Nazi Germany in World War II, the Trump administration offered a full-throated endorsement of Europe’s far-right political parties; and how soccer mania in Mexico is swelling as the World Cup opens.

Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

Decades of dictatorship culminated in 15 years of war and turmoil in Syria, making the country a focal point of hardship in the Middle East. But with the region torn asunder by the U.S.-Iran war, a relatively peaceful Syria is now an outpost of progress and hope.

Also: today’s stories, including why questions are being raised about who sets and implements AI policy in the U.S.; a look at a recent summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un; and how this year’s World Cup differs in size compared to years past.

Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

President Donald Trump keeps saying that a Middle East peace deal is close at hand. But a new round of direct attacks between Israel and Iran raises questions about when – and how – this war will ultimately come to an end.

Also: today’s stories, including why a delay in counting votes cast in California’s primary election could further undermine trust in elections; a look at a new air conditioning unit rental market in India’s major cities; and how some of Maryland’s earliest settlers pioneered a form of religious liberty present in America’s founding documents.

Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Star-spangled superfans hope their raucous support might give U.S. soccer a home-field advantage. How long until the US team wins it all? Might be a while. Only eight countries have won the World Cup since it was first held in 1930. “The American bravado,” a former coach in the US told our reporters, “is that we should be good at everything.”

Also: today’s stories, including how The Stratos Project, a data center near Utah’s Great Salt Lake, has scaled back its planned footprint; why Armenian voters are facing a thorny dilemma as they head to polls this Sunday, and our reviewer’s take on Author Maggie O’Farrell’s new book, “Land.”

Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Over the 19 months since Donald Trump’s election, the Trump family's wealth has grown. We look at how, on matters of personal-finance, a president might be constrained less by laws than by norms that are vulnerable to testing.

Also: today’s stories, including how leading opposition politicians in Israel are trying to undercut the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, on security issues; how a Chilean children's show has gained a national following, and captivated fans in Mexico; and how Boston's Clover Food Lab was set to close – before a last-minute bid came in.

Join the Monitor's Melanie Stetson Freeman for today's news.

International scientists decided it is no longer useful to study the most extreme model of runaway global warming. So why are some people upset?

Also in today’s stories: sanctions on Russia failed to work as planned; US courts renew hopes for asylum seekers; and superstar Victor Wembanyama seeks his first NBA title against the New York Knicks. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.