• Is Trump succeeding in deporting millions?
    May 9 2025

    Donald Trump vowed to tighten borders and deport en masse. Now over 100 days in, his administration races to deliver on sweeping immigration promises. Is he succeeding?


    Writer: Serena Cesareo


    Producer: Serena Casareo


    Host: Claudia Williams


    Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    9 mins
  • The Met Gala’s anti-MAGA resistance
    May 8 2025

    This year’s red carpet bonanza celebrated Black tailoring and rejected Trump-era masculinity in a rare moment of defiance.


    Writer: Stephen Armstrong

    Producer: Karla Patella

    Host: Tomini Babs

    Episode photography: Joe Mee

    Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    8 mins
  • Why Reform is no longer the party of old white men
    May 7 2025

    The results from last week’s local elections show that Nigel Farage’ party is now the most popular choice for gen X women.


    Writer: Rachel Sylvester


    Producer: Ada Barumé


    Host: Casey Magloire


    Episode photography: Joe Mee


    Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    7 mins
  • Why do councils rent out their parks for summer festivals?
    May 6 2025

    Underfunded councils are turning parks into festival grounds to raise cash but this is transforming the meaning of public space in cities.


    Writer: Stephen Armstrong

    Producer: Rebecca Moore

    Host: Claudia Williams

    Episode photography: Joe Mee

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    9 mins
  • The downsides of weight-loss drugs
    May 2 2025

    Weight loss drugs can be transformative for people who have struggled with obesity. But with a spike in hospital admissions experiencing adverse reactions to the drugs, should we be doing more to regulate this growing market?


    Writer: James Tapper


    Producer: Ada Barumé


    Host: Tomini Babs


    Executive producer: Rebecca Moore



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    6 mins
  • The other Tate Brother
    May 1 2025

    Tristan Tate is far less well-known than his notorious brother, Andrew. New evidence suggests he holds a central role in their alleged criminality.

    Writer: Phoebe Davis

    Producer: Katie Gunning

    Host: Casey Magloire

    Episode photography: Joe Mee

    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett


    The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.


    To find out more about The Observer:

    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    8 mins
  • What does the Supreme Court ruling on sex mean in practice?
    Apr 30 2025

    The judges had to decide what the words ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ meant in the Equality Act. They decided that they referred to biological sex. It will have an effect on how trans people access services and single-sex spaces.


    Writer: Jess Swinburne

    Producer: Katie Gunning

    Photography: Joe Mee

    Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore


    The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.


    To find out more about The Observer:

    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Are Chatbots afraid of dying?
    Apr 29 2025

    Since December 2024, a run of scientific papers has illustrated AI’s capacity for deception. Deep learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio says the consequences could be existential.


    Writer: Patricia Clarke


    Producer: Ada Barumé


    Host: Tomini Babs


    Photography: Joe Mee


    Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    10 mins