The Christian Science Monitor Daily Podcast
The editors of The Christian Science Monitor take you beyond the headlines with the ideas driving progress in this 10-minute news briefing. The Monitor Daily Podcast is available each Monday through Friday at 6:15 am ET. For more information on the Daily or The Christian Science Monitor, visit CSMonitor.com. Send your comments, suggestions, or thoughts to podcast@csmonitor.com.
Friday, June 6, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
Decadeslong suspicion of elite universities has evolved under President Donald Trump into a full-scale war against institutions deemed to have grown overtly political. At Harvard University, where President Trump has canceled major federal research grants and ordered the suspension of visas for foreign students, it’s a high-stakes contest that echoes far beyond higher education.
Also: today’s stories, including how Trump’s tariff war will affect relationships with Asian allies; updates on the Trump administration’s travel ban; and recent crackdowns on protests in El Salvador.
Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.
Thursday, June 5, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
Lee Jae-myung’s victory in South Korea’s presidential election on June 3 fills a leadership void that was hobbling Asia’s fourth-largest economy. It heralds a liberal shift in South Korea’s domestic agenda and efforts by Seoul, a key U.S. ally, to ease tensions with China and North Korea.
Also: today’s stories, including how antisemitism in the United States is reaching generational highs; how rhetoric is yielding to diplomacy as Iran and the United States prepare for a sixth round of nuclear talks; and a book review on Shaun Walker’s “The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission To Infiltrate the West.”
Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
Ukraine’s successful drone strike on air bases deep within Russia marked a radical evolution in modern warfare. It’s raised hard questions among military analysts about everything from the future of air defense to the nature of nuclear deterrence.
Also: today’s stories, including how reports from human rights groups indicate that Russia is targeting Ukrainian civilians via drone warfare; how some states and nonprofits are using DOGE layoffs to their advantage; and how Poland’s presidential election this week continued a trend of voters endorsing seesawing visions of its future
Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
The economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration's tariffs – many of which were ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in a May 28 ruling that is on hold pending an appeal – has eclipsed any uptick in manufacturing. But some U.S. manufacturing workers are holding onto hope for a domestic manufacturing revival.
Also: today’s stories, including how the flow of migrants from Latin America to the U.S. is reversing back home, challenging the region’s political, economic, and humanitarian crises; how South Korea, experiencing a momentous election, is without any female presidential candidates for the first time in 18 years; and how one Boston bookstore is changing the lives of youth facing social barriers.
Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.
Monday, June 2, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
U.S. President Donald Trump has presented a vision of the Western Hemisphere that hearkens back to a 19th-century spheres-of-influence approach to international affairs: the regions of North, Central, and South America should be exclusively the United States’ economic, diplomatic, and military domain. This approach disrupts a postwar global order and historical alliances — we looked at historical precedents, and at what’s different today.
Also: today’s stories, including a look at an organization led by Palestinians and Israelis seeking peace; what’s to come with Russia-Ukraine peace talks; and how Trump’s efforts to end state EV mandates is changing the rules of the road.
Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.
Friday, May 30, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
Texas provided a border-enforcement blueprint for President Trump. Now people in the Eagle Pass area, which was once an immigration epicenter, live with a new, quieter reality.
Also: today’s stories, including how the Trump administration may handle diplomatic efforts to curtail Iran’s nuclear program; how some Israelis are reevaluating the moral authority of their home country; and how Zimbabwe is still reckoning with its infamous seizures of white-owned farms 25 years ago.
Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
In today's issue, we look at the state of humanitarian aid for Gaza, a hidden provision in Trump's 'big bill,' the US-EU trade war, and what it's like being an eighth grader in the post-pandemic world. Join the Monitor's Kurt Schillinger for today's news.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
The Trump administration is seeking to fast-track deportations. One tactic: Lawyers for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement terminate people’s cases in immigration court. Then ICE officers arrest them there. Today's stories also include more Filipinas choosing to be child-free, a Nigerian nonprofit bringing former foes together, and U.S. student loan borrowers facing turmoil. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
A new regional alignment of in the Middle East, signalling a shift in power away from Iran’s weakened Axis of Resistance. Moderate Sunnis now have friendly governments in Beirut, Damascus, and Baghdad, creating an “Axis of Cooperation.”
Also: today’s stories, including a look at current strains on and shortages faced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); how USAID cuts have affected governments in Central America; and why some teachers are once again turning to blue books in the classroom.
Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.
Friday, May 23, 2025 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily
Aid groups are unloading food and other critical supplies in the Gaza Strip, after a monthslong blockade that has put children at risk of famine. Also: today’s stories, including a deadlocked Supreme Court rejecting religious charter schools, the Harvard community rallying despite Trump funding cuts, and the 10 best books of May. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.
