Audio Reports

Daily podcast

( For July 02, 2009 )

Today:

Monitor Reports

Pat Murphy hosts today's podcast with Monitor reporters from around the world.

Audio Reporter

No solution yet to the constitutional crisis in Honduras.

07/01/2009

How did a single teenage girl survive the Yemenia crash?

Since 1970, 12 plane crashes have yielded only one survivor. Many factors are involved %u2013 and age might be one of them.

Reporter Alexandra Marks talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about both the Yemeni Airlines crash and the latest on the investigation into the crash of Air France flight 447 one month ago.

07/01/2009

Hound Dog

The story of two blues-crazed teens who became one of the best songwriting teams of the 20th century.

6/29/09 Monitor Books podcast

06/30/2009

What We Eat When We Eat Alone

What are the quirky dishes with which we comfort ourselves when dining solo?

Kendra Nordin talks with author Deborah Madison.

06/29/2009

Can Lebanon's Hariri work with Hezbollah?

A Monitor reporter sits down with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri in his mansion as he discusses the legacy of his father and a fresh push for reconciliation.

Correspondent Nicholas Blanford talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about Lebanon's new prime minister and his efforts to form a government.

06/29/2009

Monitor Books - June 29, 2009

A cookbook idea for reality TV personality Kate Gosselin is put on the back burner.

06/24/2009

Right Time, Right Place

How it felt to grow up at the National Review – with William F. Buckley Jr., as a mentor.

Monitor Opinion editor Josh Burek talks with Richard Brookhiser.

06/23/2009

Monitor Books - June 23, 2009

Independent book sellers, like Brentano's of Paris, are falling on hard times. Also, a look at the life of John Lennon.

06/23/2009

Turtle Feet: The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk

A music student renounces all to become a Buddhist monk – and then has second thoughts.

6/23/09 Monitor books podcast

06/22/2009

Ethiopian troops return to Somalia

Less than a year after fleeing in the face of an Islamist insurgency, Ethiopian forces have come back to help prevent a moderate government from collapsing at the hands of militant Islamists.

Reporter Scott Baldauf talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about an alleged Ethiopian military incursion into Somalia and potential Somali militant targets.

06/22/2009

Iraq pullout: Some US soldiers likely to stay behind in Mosul

As US prepares to withdraw troops from major cities, bombings in Baghdad and near Kirkuk have the country on edge.

Correspondent Jane Arraf discusses the difficult position of US troops in Iraq as violence flares up and the time for them to leave is at hand.

06/19/2009

Iran's Khamenei throws down hard line with protesters

On Friday, the supreme leader raised the stakes by giving Ahmadinejad full support and insisting that there was no fraud in the election.

Reporter Scott Peterson talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's sermon at Friday prayers.

06/19/2009

Review: 'The Proposal'

Romantic comedy is a rehash of old jokes and the predictable can't-stand-each-other-but-fall-in-love progression.

Film critic Peter Rainer says he's not that impressed by 'The Proposal,' the latest boss-employee relationship flick.

06/19/2009

Review: 'Whatever Works'

Woody Allen returns to familiar territory with a misanthropic New York physicist played by Larry David.

Film critic Peter Rainer discusses how 'Whatever Works' relates to other Woody Allen pictures in the past 25 years.

06/19/2009

'Barrel monster': Is it a crime, or is it art?

Even the owner of the purloined orange traffic barrels urges the D.A. not to prosecute.

Reporter Patrik Jonsson discusses how the prosecution of a 'guerilla art' case in Raleigh, North Carolina might benefit all parties concerned.

06/16/2009

Iran and Russia nip at US global dominance

At conference in Siberia, leaders of Russia, China, India, and Iran float idea of new 'supranational' currency. China offers $10 billion to neighbors.

Correspondent Fred Weir talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about whether China and Russia might ditch the dollar and how strong their partnership might become.

06/16/2009

If US Navy confronts North Korean ships on high seas, what next?

Other countries, too, are part of the effort to block the transport of nuclear materials.

Reporter Gordon Lubold talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about the parameters the US and other navies can use when encountering North Korean ships suspected of carrying nuclear material or other contraband on the high seas.

06/16/2009

Mexico's drug war seeps southward, too

From Guatemala to Panama, Central America is becoming a battleground for Mexican cartels.

Reporter Sara Miller Llana discusses how the drug trade in Latin America is having an adverse effect on Central American countries like Panama.

06/12/2009

China’s censorship software found faulty

University of Michigan team finds ‘major security vulnerabilities,’ even as mandate to install the program sparks fury.

Staff Writer Peter Ford explains why new measures by the Chinese government to control information on the Internet may endanger the country's computer security.

06/11/2009

Four Guant

The Chinese Muslims, deemed no threat to the US, were released for resettlement and arrived Thursday.

Reporter Warren Richey discusses how four Uighurs previously held at Guant

06/11/2009

Wildcard in Iran election: Obama

His Cairo speech, combined with other early decisions, may have influenced Lebanon's election Sunday %u2013 and could have an impact on Iran's presidential vote Friday.

Reporter Howard LaFranchi discusses the potential effect of President Obama's diplomacy on Middle East politics, including Iran.

06/10/2009

Shooting of two soldiers in Little Rock puts focus on 'lone wolf' Islamic extremists

Did alleged attacker Abdulhakid Mujahid Mohammed act on his own, or was he a trained jihadist?

Reporter Patrik Jonsson discusses the difficulties for law enforcement to track down individuals in the US who could plan and carry out terrorist attacks.

06/10/2009

Once apathetic, young Iranians now say they'll vote

Tens of thousands have rallied in favor of Ahmadinejad challenger Mousavi ahead of June 12 election.

Reporter Scott Peterson talks with CSMonitor.com's Pat Murphy about the Iranian presidential campaign and why voters are enthusiastic about Friday's election.

06/10/2009

Greece faces bleak tourism forecast

Summer bookings have dropped across Europe as travelers head to cheaper spots.

Correspondent Nicole Itano discusses the dearth of tourists so far this year in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.

06/10/2009

Why GED classes are full, now

Poor job market motivates many to earn their high school equivalency certificate.

Chanratta Som, who recently completed his GED testing, talks about some of the reasons he returned to the classroom.

06/09/2009

The Teeth May Smile But the Heart Does Not Forget

The stunning story of a Ugandan man’s quest for the truth about the murder of his father, who was killed during the reign of dictator Idi Amin. 

Monitor Books podcast, 6/8/09