Épisodes

  • There Will Be Oil

    There Will Be Oil
    Dec 16 2025
    The Golden State is politically blue, and it’s a leader in green energy. It also has a foothold in crude. Reporter Simon Montlake went to a SoCal town built by oil – and to a festival called “Oildorado,” which celebrates that fact – to take the measure of a place that illustrates the trade-offs and halting transitions that characterize the global energy story. He joined our podcast to talk about the cover story that his reporting yielded, and about how he bakes fairness into his work. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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  • It Came from the Bog

    It Came from the Bog
    Nov 25 2025
    The cranberry, with its short seasonal star turn, has a compelling history as a North American fruit. Growing the crop is a tricky business – climate-sensitive, naturally collaborative – with some old practices but also a growing cast of innovators. In this episode, food writer Kendra Nordin Beato goes deep on the tart, red orb. Also included: An encore excerpt from last year’s show with Kendra on the history of Thanksgiving food. And on the side-dish skirmish over how cranberries should best be served. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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  • ‘We Went Up on the Roof’

    ‘We Went Up on the Roof’
    Nov 14 2025
    Sarah Matusek didn’t wake up one recent morning expecting that her day would include driving a getaway car. Reporting can be like that. In this episode, Monitor immigration writer Sarah Matusek talks with host Clay Collins about the logistics of getting access to – and egress from – places including a Portland ICE facility, about the nuance of the legal language around her beat, and about how she approaches reporting fairly on what might be the most divisive set of dueling narratives in modern U.S. discourse.
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  • Shared Anguish, Shared Hope

    Shared Anguish, Shared Hope
    Oct 31 2025
    Taylor Luck, an Amman, Jordan-based writer for The Christian Science Monitor, recently joined Christa Case Bryant, the Monitor’s editor, on our Daily podcast to talk about his dynamic beat. This episode of “Why We Wrote This” begins with a reprise of that conversation, followed by a curation of excerpts from Taylor’s previous appearances on this show. Those include Taylor’s account of his career’s beginnings, more anecdotes from the field, and a discussion about his sense of a restive region’s yearning for stability.
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  • Asking the ‘Why’ Questions

    Asking the ‘Why’ Questions
    Oct 17 2025
    You can’t go home again. Except maybe you can, for an open-hearted second look that applies lessons in listening gained during years of immersion abroad. Scott Baldauf, a Monitor staff reporter who’s been operating at a distance for decades, talks about the early days of his new U.S.-based gig as America correspondent, about his philosophy and process, and about what makes Monitor journalism different. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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  • You Can’t Sneak Up on a Wolverine

    You Can’t Sneak Up on a Wolverine
    Sep 19 2025
    We’re back from our hiatus! In this episode, we talk with Mark Sappenfield, the Monitor’s former top editor turned roaming Europe reporter and watcher of global trends. Find out what that shift has been like, and what went into the framing of his highly readable recent story on Finland’s grassroots defense strategy – a talker in the newsroom and beyond. Plus, Mark gets going on his favorite word (nuance) and his favorite riff: what’s special about Monitor journalism. Also, hear about a Finn so stealthy that he gave up hunting because it had begun to feel unfair. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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  • New Cities in an Old City’s Orbit

    New Cities in an Old City’s Orbit
    Jun 5 2025
    Nairobi is like many cities. It’s vibrant but chaotic. Well-functioning here, showing cracks in its infrastructure there. In this episode we go behind writer Erika Page’s reporting of a tale of two (satellite) cities outside of Kenya’s capital, part of a growing constellation of such centers of life and commerce. And we talk about how a reporter keeps finding stories about people trying, at least, to do things better. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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  • A Sustainable, High-Tech Life

    A Sustainable, High-Tech Life
    May 15 2025
    A lot of technology, including some that ultimately makes us “greener,” calls for extractive practices and carries upfront costs. Its use slurps resources. But it also makes us productive and provides essential support for modern lives. Climate writer Stephanie Hanes joins host Clay Collins for a conversation about data centers and rare earths – and about being intentional and aware of the tradeoffs that modern life puts in front of us.
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