Saturday, February 21, 2026 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily

The hostages, living and dead, are home, yet the war in Gaza is unfinished business for Israelis. As the country pivots toward election-year politics, how is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to authorize an independent state inquiry into Oct. 7 playing? Also: today’s stories, including why the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s use of an emergency economic law to set broad tariffs; how schools that support undergraduates’ basic needs are reporting better retention and achievement rates; and our reviewers’ favorite books of February. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.