The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast

This year’s partisan contest over redrawing political maps has been expanded – and extended – by the recent Supreme Court decision reframing a section of the Voting Rights Act. The last-minute rush is the latest sign that many election norms aren’t locked in stone. Also: today’s stories, including how President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss the future of AI in Beijing; how in Taiwan, people’s willingness to stand up to coercion from China is closely related to their trust in the United States; and whether legal code is enough to change society in Brazil, which has some of the toughest racism laws in the world. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

Russia is no longer making noteworthy battlefield gains. If anything, it’s been Ukraine, aided by its technological prowess, taking back small pieces of territory. After a punishing winter, Ukraine is in a surprisingly encouraging place. Also: today’s stories, including a look at the booming business women’s professional sports; how the rise of three-year college degrees could affect society; and how one remote Indigenous community in the Philippines runs on water, gravity, and cooperation. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Despite close working ties between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there is a crisis in the U.S.-Israel relationship, with American public support for Israel plummeting. But do Israelis see it? Do they wonder about how to fix it? Also: today’s stories, including how the American Revolution’s influence endures globally; a look at recent local elections in the UK amid widespread dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Keir Starmer; and why a number of Republicans want to restrict immigrant children’s right to education in the U.S. Join the Monitor's Chris Sherman for today's news.

Since late 2024, and especially so now as part of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah militia has been the target of powerful and persistent Israeli attacks. So, how is it that it keeps on fighting, even intensifying its own attacks on Israel? Also: today’s stories, including why President Trump’s retaliatory stance with NATO allies over Iran is influencing Europe’s efforts to strengthen independent defenses; how one volunteer neighborhood patrol in Britain is helping to respond to antisemitic attacks; and one Monitor writer’s film review of a murder mystery that follows a flock of sheep on the hunt for their shepherd's killer. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.

A rise in “teen takeovers” is highlighting young people’s need for safe spaces and connection. It’s also prompting a shift from reactive policing to proactive engagement, including more teen-focused, supervised “third spaces” in communities. Also: today’s stories, including how longtime American allies in Europe and Asia remain on edge about the strength of their partnerships with the United States; how parents and local officials in Boston are pressing for accountability on late school buses; and how one group in Nepal hosts calligraphy workshops to preserve and promote the Nepalbhasa language. Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

Congress may now put $1 billion toward the White House ballroom project, which has so far been funded through private donations. It reflects President Donald Trump’s effort to leave a physical legacy as well as meet a genuine need. Also: today’s stories, including how the Trump administration is hiring more deportation officers and will not give “an inch” even though high-profile immigration operations in U.S. cities have eased; how many Colombian veterans end up enlisting in foreign conflicts – including the front lines of Ukraine; and how the cost of food is rising quickly in Senegal. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

President Donald Trump’s attempts to punish criticism of his governance seem to be delivering diminishing returns among European leadership. The response to his weekend comment about withdrawing troops from U.S. bases in Germany is a case in point. Also: today’s stories, including how Congress is advancing legislation to curb insider trading by government officials and market professionals on major prediction platforms; what's giving Venezuelans hope amid high inflation rates; and a look at the Gorongosa Restoration Project, which works to advance community-centered development and conservation in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

The Trump administration has taken the rare step of charging a group of ruling-party Mexican officials in U.S. federal court. The move puts Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum in a tough spot with her own political constituents. Also: today’s stories, including a look at why Beijing has considered – and practiced – a blockade of the Taiwan Strait, and whether the world is prepared for it; how the story of Joliet, Illinois, reflects the high times and the hardships of the famous Route 66; and how an unexpected encounter compels one writer to see his reclusive neighbor in a new light. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Lebanese people displaced by war have been on an emotional roller coaster. A ceasefire has been extended, but fighting in the south hasn’t ended. Even as families yearning for home prepare to return, despite the uncertainty, they are warned not to take the risk. Also: today’s stories, including how some GOP strategists worry that even if the Iran war ends soon, voters may not feel an improvement in their finances before the midterm elections; how a federal lawsuit filed in Boston marks the latest push by immigrant advocates to challenge the Trump administration’s moves to tighten legal migration pathways; and how a search-and-rescue canine unit helps find unaccounted for Ukrainians amidst Russian advancement. Join the Monitor's Stephen Humphries for today's news.

In a major voting rights case, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, calling it an unconstitutional race-based gerrymander. This continues a decadelong trend of the high court reinterpreting the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Also: today’s stories, including a look at a new Monitor series on the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and what the famous highway can tell us about American identity; how the Iran war has brought jolting change to the climate-policy debate; and how one woman’s vision for planting magnolias in the 1960s transformed a Boston neighborhood into the spring stunner it is today. Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

The Trump administration has proposed a massive increase in defense spending for the coming year. It’s heavy on spending for depleted munitions and plunges deep into drones, as “the future of combat.” Also: today’s stories, including why Israelis want an independent state commission of inquiry to learn the truth about the failure to prevent the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023; how the Iran war is causing shortages of fertilizer in Southeast Asia; and a Monitor contributor’s review of “The Westerners,” a book about the 19th-century American West. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

I​n 2025, in a notable shift, right-wing extremism was no longer the main driver of political violence in the United States. Violent rhetoric and action seems to be rising against President Donald Trump, his administration, and even corporate America. Our story explores why. Also: today’s stories, including a look at how some corners of the MAGA movement are questioning official accounts of two suspected assassination attempts on President Trump; how one group that advocates for Muslim women is finding itself caught in the crossfire of the broader debate over a sweeping reform that could redefine India’s approach to religious liberty; and how the security and restoration of the cultural artifacts is a priority for museums in Ukraine after Russian bombardment. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

The Trump administration’s indictment targets the use of informants in extremist groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the indictment’s focus, rejects the charges as false and politically motivated. At question: Can ends justify means? Also: today’s stories, including a look at Gaza’s first municipal election in two decades; why graduate students at Harvard University are on strike; and how one essayist’s visit to a venerable watchmaker brought out stories of timepieces. Join the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news.

How does a government balance its responsibility to guarantee fair and secure elections with the need to protect citizens’ fundamental right to vote? A voter-roll clean-up in India is sparking allegations of suppression. Also: today’s stories, including how a federal bailout for Spirit Airlines could save thousands of jobs, but is sparking criticism; how the main dispute between the U.S. and Iran is still Iran’s nuclear program; and how softball allows some women in Mexico to take a break from their traditional Mayan roles and do something just for themselves. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.

President Donald Trump’s need to end the war quickly and reach a deal he can sell as a win has given Tehran leverage. Amid an impasse over dueling blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, efforts to return to the negotiating table remained in limbo. Also: today’s stories, including how British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting to keep his job; how Haiti’s longest-running newspaper may be facing its biggest challenge yet with gang violence; and how New Delhi-based groups help couples honor both tradition and the environment on their wedding days. Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

Economic uncertainty raised the stakes for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh. Senators also have had questions about the central bank’s independence from political pressure. Also: today’s stories, including how, throughout its history, Peru has looked west to China as much as it has looked north to the U.S.; how the reconciliation process has become a way for the majority party to sidestep the political opposition; and how melting glaciers in the tropics are reshaping the lives of the people who depend on them. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

It’s not a good time to be a small-business owner in Russia. With the financial costs of the war in Ukraine growing, the Kremlin has been raising taxes on and rolling back exemptions for entrepreneurs. Also: today’s stories, including how a new Israeli occupation zone poses an obstacle for many civilians in Lebanon; why some conservative towns sited for massive immigration detention centers are now pushing back against them; and our reviewers’ top book picks for April. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.