Podcast appearances and mentions of The Christian Science Monitor

Karen Neff, CS, from Mystic, Connecticut, USAYou can read Karen's article in The Christian Science Journal.You can find the Christian Science Monitor podcast, Why We Wrote This, as well as a wide range of other audio content, at christianscience.com/audio.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fourteen years of civil war and five decades of dictatorship left Syria cut off from the global financial system. The Monitor's Taylor Luck reports on how, as the Middle Eastern country is taking its first meaningful steps toward a more democratic form of governance, an economic spring is starting to bloom. Also: today's stories, including French cinema beginning to reconcile with its decades-long problem of ignoring sexual violence, how the Department of Justice is seeking friendly courtrooms in its pursuit of President Donald Trump's deportation goals, and how the end of the academic year has brought a crescendo of laws in the U.S. aimed at restricting cellphone use in K-12 schools. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

In its newly intensified Gaza operation, is Israel aiming for territorial conquest or to apply political pressure on Hamas? The Monitor's Dina Kraft reports on how the goals of Israel's renewed Gaza offensive are unclear, even to Israelis. Also: today's stories, including how Indigenous groups in Brazil are using virtual reality to reclaim their stories, an interview with George Floyd's family lawyer, and how technology and teamwork are showing promise for the few remaining North Atlantic right whales. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.

After George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020, many Americans started to reexamine their communities and themselves. In Kansas City, Missouri, residents still confront a wall of racial separation, but haven't given up on progress. Also: today's stories, including a gang-member-turned-tour-guide in Nairobi, military parents suing over a DEI purge at their kids' schools, and Pakistan's Islamic boarding schools under scrutiny. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

After George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020, many Americans started to reexamine their communities and themselves. In Kansas City, Missouri, residents still confront a wall of racial separation, but haven't given up on progress. Also: today's stories, including a gang-member-turned-tour-guide in Nairobi, military parents suing over a DEI purge at their kids' schools, and Pakistan's Islamic boarding schools under scrutiny. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Previous presidents have called the military to the southern border of the United States to support immigration agencies. The Monitor's Sarah Matusek and Riley Robinson report on how the Trump administration's expansion of the military's role at the border raises a mixture of hope, distrust, and uncertainty. Also: today's stories, including what could emerge from foreign influence as frustration rises in Syria's Daraa Province, Bangladesh's efforts to protect minority rights amid sectarian divides, and an exploration of Malcolm X's legacy of inspiration ahead of his 100th birthday commemoration. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Today's Monitor episode features a report from President Trump's Mideast trip, a look at how students are helping rebuild Bangladesh, and more. Join Managing Editor Kurt Shillinger for this episode.

On the front lines of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers have little faith in the diplomatic peace process. Dominique Soguel looks at how they feel it is up to them to safeguard their country. Also: today's stories, including how American universities are increasingly turning to tuition-free models and income-based plans, how Donald Trump's unpredictability is worrying Israel's leadership, and how California inmates are trying to improve mental health, peer-to-peer. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

David Sterritt is a film critic, author, teacher and scholar. He is most notable for his work on Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, and his many years as the Film Critic for The Christian Science Monitor, where, from 1968 until... Read More ›

The scope of abuse at France's Notre-Dame de Bétharram school has shocked the public. But the survivors of the violence are taking the opportunity to reclaim their agency and force change in the private school system. Today's stories also cover Florida's ‘army' of immigration enforcers, South Africa's ‘soccer grannies,' and an environmental crisis in an Alabama county that fought for civil rights. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

A full-on crisis around U.S.-China trade has eased for now, as both sides can proceed to the less spectacular work of negotiating an agreement. Also: how some Congress members are considering new rules barring politicians from using or sponsoring cryptocurrencies; how the German government has opened the door to outlawing the nation's second-most-popular party, the far-right Alternative for Germany; and how some young voters in Senegal feel disillusioned with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's administration. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

Part 1:We talk with Cameron Joseph, who is s a senior Washington reporter for The Christian Science Monitor.  Prior to that, he was a freelance reporter with work in publications including The Guardian, The Columbia Journalism Review, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Politico Magazine. He previously was a staff reporter for VICE News, Talking Points Memo, the New York Daily News, The Hill, and National Journal. He's covered Washington since 2009, with most of his career focused on elections, Capitol Hill, and the White House. He is a recipient of the 2023National Press Foundation Dirksen Award for distinguished reporting on Congress and the 2020National Press Club award for excellence in political journalism.We discuss the increasing more authoritarian aspect of the current administration. Trump ignores the rule of law, and has essentially taken control of the media, which do not correct his statements. Congress is completely dysfunctional.Part 2:We talk with Robert Hennelly, who is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist focusing on labor, public health, national security, the economy, public finance and the environment. He is the New York City Hall reporter for Work-Bites and his weekly Monday morning radio program on WBAI closely tracks the latest local, regional and national labor movement news. Hennelly is also a regular contributor to InsiderNJ,  Salon, the Village Voice, Raw Story and City & State. For over a decade, he was a reporter for WNYC covering New Jersey, New York and national politics. For several years, he was also the City Hall reporter for the Chief Leader newspaper, and a regular contributor to WBGO, the NPR jazz affiliate in Newark, NJ. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press, CBS Money Watch, and dozens of other publications both in the United States and overseas.His book Stucknation: Can the US Change the Course of Its History of Choosing Profits Over People was published in 2022 by Democracy@Work.We discuss the arrest of Mayor Baraka of Newark, NJ. The Gestapo tactics used during an occasion when the mayor was performing his official duty are disturbing.  

It isn't always intentional that the stories we bring together in our daily newsletter draw connections. But here's an interesting commonality between a story by Erika Page about artificial intelligence and the Viewfinder image of pigeons: According to studies from the University of Iowa, the birds that flock our public squares can learn to identify patterns the same way large language models do. Today's stories also include U.S. agencies pushing back on DOGE and whether US students can help solve Florence's tourist problem. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

The Monitor spoke with a dozen experts who have spent their careers studying, and working to defend, democratic institutions, from Hungary to Colombia to El Salvador. They were nearly unanimous that President Donald Trump is making moves characteristic of burgeoning autocracies. Also: today's stories, including a look at what may be a step towards lowering economic tensions between U.S. and China; how Houthi rebels in Yemen remain undeterred despite a ceasefire with the U.S.; and how legal threats to same-sex marriage have spurred some same-sex couples to tie the knot. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Fred Weir, Moscow Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, reports on Russia's lavish celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Michelle Nanouche, CSB, from Paris, FranceYou can read Michelle's article in The Christian Science Monitor.Come join us! Register for this year's Annual Meeting, being held June 2nd in person and online.

India and Pakistan are inching toward war. Fahad Shah reports on how this is the worst escalation between the neighboring nuclear powers since 2019. Also: today's stories, including Israel's plan to occupy Gaza indefinitely and the weariness more conflict is causing amongst Israelis, why senior government officials, since Obama's administration, keep using commercial services to transmit highly classified information, and the consequences of the proposed funding cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

David Sterritt is a film critic, author, teacher and scholar. He is most notable for his work on Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, and his many years as the Film Critic for The Christian Science Monitor, where, from 1968 until... Read More ›

Cathy Scott, a Los Angeles Times bestselling author, investigative journalist and blogger for Psychology Today, has written eleven books. Her work has appeared in New York Times Magazine, New York Post, George magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Reuters and Las Vegas Sun. Best known for penning The Killing of Tupac Shakur and Murder of a Mafia Daughter, she taught journalism for five years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas until she left to report on the largest animal rescue in US history in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, resulting in the book Pawprints of Katrina. Her latest books are Unconditional Honor and The Millionaire's Wife. Recent TV appearances include Dateline NBC, the Today Show and Vanity Fair's crime series.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Connecting with a human face behind the headlines can bring news home. In today's Daily, you'll meet the family trying to rebuild after being driven from its village last year by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our stories also cover Canada's leverage in US trade talks, a woman who never made it past fifth grade running a roadside library, and a Chicago crossing guard marking 50 years. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

The 5,525-mile-long U.S. border with Canada has been overshadowed by an immigration debate that's often focused on the border with Mexico. The Monitor's immigration reporter joined a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont to take a look at how things have changed there under President Donald Trump's policies — and the ripple effects on the communities that call this region home. Also: today's stories, including fears of war along India's Kashmir border with Pakistan; how some U.S. golf courses are becoming nature preserves; and a Q&A with Rachel Cockerell, the author of "Melting Point: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land.” Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Bobby Lewis, CS, from Buena Vista, Colorado, USAYou can read Bobby's article in The Christian Science Monitor.Listen to the Christian Science Monitor podcast, Why We Wrote This, as well as a wide range of other audio content, at christianscience.com/audio.

Amid commemorations this week of the 80-year anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, polls show a growing desire among Germans to feel less burdened by the past. The path Germany takes will have profound consequences, from how it leads in a militarizing Europe to whether right-wing extremism might rekindle the kind of nationalism the country has scrupulously avoided. Also: today's stories, including a look at how the effects of President Trump's tariffs may impact U.S. consumers and an already disrupted supply chain; a growing effort to fix the U.S. critical mineral deficit through “biomining”; and how Indonesia's national “Green Islam” movement calls on citizens to become environmental stewards. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

After weeks of speculation about his future within the Trump administration, national security adviser Mike Waltz is on his way out of his current job. The Monitor's Anna Mulrine Grobe dives into how Donald Trump's first major shake-up of top administration officials in his second term signaled his interest in honoring loyalty. Also: today's stories, including the expedited recovery for the thousands displaced by the California wildfires in January, how the growing number of children killed in Gaza is prompting a moral reckoning on the part of some Israelis, and the legacy of University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley. Join the Monitor's Linda Feldmann for today's news.

This is how former Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, who was awarded the Medal of Honor, describes courage under fire: “You know, we survived that day not because we hated the enemy, but because we loved each other more.” Also: today's stories, including U.S. soybean farmers bracing for tariff impact, rebels trying govern eastern Congo's largest city, and what happens if the Trump administration is charged with ‘contempt.' Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

David Sterritt is a film critic, author, teacher and scholar. He is most notable for his work on Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, and his many years as the Film Critic for The Christian Science Monitor, where, from 1968 until... Read More ›

For generations, Sherpas have been highly sought-after guides for international clients intent on making the world's most difficult climbs. Aakash Hassan reports on one teenage Sherpa, the youngest ever to summit the world's 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters, and his role as a model and a trailblazer for other young people. Also: today's stories, including the growing use Ukrainian instead of Russian in Ukraine's “growing up” as a nation, two U.S. Supreme Court education cases this month that could profoundly change America's public schooling system, and how Gaza's journalists are balancing reporting on the war and surviving it. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield for today's news.

This week's episode of then & now is part of an occasional series exploring the past, present, and future of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S.-led international order. Guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is joined by Bruce Schulman, Professor of History at Boston University, to discuss the Trump administration's selective use of history, especially its nods to the McKinley era's embrace of tariffs and imperialism. President Trump's invocation of slogans like "Make America Great Again" reflects a broader effort to revive a tried-and-true Gilded Age cultural vision, framing America as a nation betrayed by outsiders and internal dissenters. Bruce argues that Trump's idiosyncratic historical references signal a return to an older, culturally resonant political strategy. To conclude, Bruce examines the roots and ramifications of this vision, challenging the nostalgia surrounding late 19th-century U.S. policy and its relevance today.Bruce Schulman is the William E. Huntington Professor of History at Boston University. Bruce also directs the Institute for American Political History at Boston University. The Institute seeks to establish Boston University as a leading center for the study of America's political past. He is also a contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Christian Science Monitor, as well as websites such as Politico and Reuters. Bruce's teaching and research concentrate on the history of the modern United States, particularly on the relationships between politics and broader cultural change. He is currently at work on a volume for the Oxford History of the United States covering the years 1896-1929.Ben Zdencanovic is a Postdoctoral Associate at the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. Ben is a historian of the United States in the world, domestic and international politics, and economic and social policy. He has a particular interest in the relationship between U.S. global power and the politics of redistribution and welfare state. Ben earned his doctorate with distinction from the Department of History at Yale in 2019, where his dissertation was the winner of the Edwin W. Small Prize for outstanding work in United States history. Prior to coming to UCLA, Ben was a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale Jackson School for Global Affairs and an Assistant Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago. Further ReadingTime Magazine, "Tariffs Don't Have to Make Economic Sense to Appeal to Trump Voters"

Part 1:We talk with Sophie Hill, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor.We discuss antisemitism in higher education in the US. This is being used by the Trump administration to punish universities, particularly the more prestigious universities for not having more stringent rules about antisemitism for their employees and students. However, according to surveys and interviews, rabbis and antisemitism activists do not agree what constitutes antisemitism, and whether Trump's approach is correct. Withdrawing funds from schools hurts ALL students, including Jewish students.Part 2:We talk with John Nichols, who is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation. He has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller “It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.”We discuss, in detail the recent arrest of Milwaukee judge Dugan in her courtroom on what appear to be specious charges. Trump is at was with the judiciary, and this appears to be an intimidation tactic. This is likely to have an chilling effect on the rule of law in the US. Sympathy is currently with the judge.  Music: David RovicsWNHNFM.ORG production

What has President Donald Trump done in his first hundred days of his second term? The Monitor's Washington Bureau Chief gives a rundown. Also: today's stories, including how Ukrainians are holding on amidst Russian air strikes on Kyiv; a historic settlement for thousands abused in LA County juvenile homes; and India's threat to cut off Pakistan's water supply over tourist deaths in Kashmir. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

Perceptions of disarray at the Pentagon have grown more urgent as Secretary Hegseth has fired several close advisers. Anna Mulrine Grobe looks at how staffing issues can feed allied nations' concerns about U.S. military readiness to respond in a crisis. Also: today's stories, including the varying ideas of peace in Ukraine on the table, the economic cost of tariffs on everyone who makes the U.S.-China supply flow, and how Canada's Conservative Party hopes to position itself moving forward. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

We all learn from the examples set by others, particularly when we see a courage and compassion that refuses to be quelled. Today's stories include how Pope Francis took stands that others have embraced, a Holocaust survivor on TikTok, and a movement rallying around RFK Jr.'s agenda. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Mark Unger, CS, from Boise, Idaho, USAHear more from Mark on this episode of Sentinel Watch.You can find the Christian Science Monitor podcast, Why We Wrote This, as well as a wide range of other audio content, at christianscience.com/audio.

Our story on a dispute over eminent domain in Rhode Island is, at its root, about something deeper – two very different definitions of the American dream. Also: today's stories, including why the European Union isn't more competitive, what USAID cuts mean for coca and gold trafficking in Peru, and local activists refusing to look away from Congo's rape crisis. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

American universities are a powerful engine of scientific research and development. Ira Porter dives into how the sudden untethering of university research and government dollars is likely to have consequences for a generation of scientific advancement. Also: today's stories, including how the Catholic Church in Spain is at the forefront of the country's immigration experience, what being a “sanctuary city” actually entails, and how President Donald Trump's preoccupation with the 2020 election appears to be driving significant presidential actions and policies in ways that could have real implications for U.S. democracy. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Rare earth minerals might be the biggest story you haven't heard enough about. An extractive industry with the usual nasty environmental knock-ons, it's also one that feeds green technology. Also: today's stories, including Trump and courts squaring off over fundamental democratic ideals, the value China places on “face,” and how dim sum became a national treasure in Panama. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

From today's stories: Markets falter as Trump attacks the Fed's independence; U.S. Agriculture Department cuts jeopardize small farmers in Massachusetts; a Rwanda genocide survivor promotes peace through education; and a Ukrainian chaplain ministers to his front-line flock. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Weeks after President Donald Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center, the shock to the district's arts world has not subsided. Linda Feldmann reports on how while his cultural agenda may seem minor compared with economic policy or immigration, its influence can be broad. Also: today's stories, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni becoming the first European leader to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, the United States seeing a sudden drop in overdose deaths, and how after being slapped with tariffs, some US trade partners are leaning toward Beijing. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan for today's news.

Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the first shots fired in a revolution felt round the world. For the men and women preparing to relive the opening choreography of the American Revolution this weekend, bringing history to life has a deep purpose: to honor the stories of real people and the price they paid for freedom. Also: today's stories, including Trump tariffs decreasing trust in US currency, a South African debate over white farmers, and an essayist offering lessons from the suburbs. Join the Monitor's Kurt Shillinger for today's news.

Across China, the flow of exports screeched to a halt last Friday, as 145% U.S. tariffs took hold and Beijing announced countermeasures. Ann Scott Tyson looks at how President Donald Trump has set the stage for an epic showdown with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Also: today's stories, including how Somalia's amputee soccer league offers hope and community, how women in Pakistan are making inroads in the paid workforce while also supporting their families, and how President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters see him as a once-in-a-generation visionary. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Local community kitchens and aid groups in Sudan, working where international organizations could not, are facing funding cuts two years into the civil war. But youth-led groups are determined to fill in the gaps. Also: today's stories, including how the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case is the latest showdown between executive and judicial authority under the second Trump term; the reelection of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa; and a look at an innovative network of CO2 detectors enabling the return of tourists and locals to two villages in the Canary Islands after a 2021 volcanic eruption. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

More than a decade after Syria's war began, and months after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, small investments – in homes, in businesses – signal hope. Also: today's stories, including President Trump's controversial use of already existing, but rarely used, legislation to enforce immigration actions; a look at Kenya's satellite cities; and how resettlement organizations are operating under the Trump administration's immigration guidelines. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Conservationists in India are celebrating the triumphant resurgence of big cats, but their increase has been mirrored by a surge in violent attacks on people. Michael Benanav dives into the new questions about safety, balance, tolerance, and coexistence. Also: today's stories, including how Syrians are rallying around their new flag, how music fuels Valerie June, her creative journey, and the world, and how collaboration in California between the Army Corps of Engineers, residents, and professional arborists is now leading to new growth after rampant wildfires. Join the Monitor's Noelle Swan for today's news.

While the transatlantic relationship frays, Europe may be renewing an old friendship. Britain and France seek a “coalition of the willing” to coordinate defense support following the Trump administration's suspension of military aid to Ukraine. Today's stories also include college conservatives who are no longer silent, more colleges trying out the old-fashioned ideal of civility, and Florida manatees who find warmth at power plants. Join the Monitor's Kurt Schillinger for today's news.