Today in Focus
1,722 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 649 ratingsHosted by Michael Safi and Helen Pidd, Today in Focus brings you closer to Guardian journalism. Combining personal storytelling with insightful analysis, this podcast takes you behind the headlines for a deeper understanding of the news, every weekday. Today in Focus features journalists such as: Aditya Chakrabortty, Alex Hern, Alexis Petridis, Andrew Roth, Emma Graham-Harrison, George Monbiot, Jim Waterson, John Crace, John Harris, Jonathan Freedland, Kiran Stacey, Larry Elliott, Luke Harding, Marina Hyde, Nesrine Malik, Owen Jones, Peter Walker, Pippa Crerar, Polly Toynbee, Shaun Walker, Simon Hattenstone and Zoe Williams. The podcast is a topical, deep dive, explainer on a topic or story in the news, covering: current affairs, politics, investigations, leaks, scandals and interviews. It might cover topics such as: GB, Scotland, England and Ireland news, the environment, green issues, climate change, the climate emergency and global warming; American politics including: US presidential election 2024, Biden, Trump, the White House, the GOP, the Republicans and the Republican Party, the Democrats and the Democratic Party; UK politics including: UK election 24, Parliament, Labour, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer; culture; the royals and the royal family, including King Charles III and Prince Harry; HS2; the police and current affairs including: Ukraine, Russia, Bangladesh, Israel, Palestine, Gaza and AI.
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Episodes
How the Guardian covered 2022
December 23, 2022 03:00 - 36 minutes - 55.5 MBThe Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, talks about how the newspaper covered a year that witnessed war in Europe, three UK prime ministers, the death of the Queen and a winter of industrial strife. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Christmas in Kyiv
December 22, 2022 03:00 - 28 minutes - 43.8 MBKyiv residents this year are facing the holiday season expecting blackouts and missile attacks. Isobel Koshiw reports from Ukraine’s capital. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The career criminal who became a prison correspondent
December 21, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 50.2 MBThe late Guardian journalist Eric Allison spent more than two decades uncovering and writing about abuses in the British justice system. But for almost 50 years before that he was a forger and a thief. What made him give up his life of crime?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The bribery scandal rocking the EU parliament
December 20, 2022 03:00 - 29 minutes - 45.4 MBBelgian police have seized wads of banknotes worth more than €1m in a series of raids that have plunged the EU parliament into its worst corruption scandal. Jennifer Rankin reports from Brussels. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Three prime ministers and a funeral: Marina Hyde’s political year
December 19, 2022 03:00 - 28 minutes - 43.9 MBThe Guardian’s award-winning columnist Marina Hyde picks over the political year. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The ‘prince’ and the plot against Germany – podcast
December 16, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 47.2 MBHave you heard the one about the former paratrooper, politician and ‘prince’ who walk into a hunting lodge and allegedly plot to overthrow the German government? Philip Oltermann in Berlin explains why it was no joke. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
33 hours on the frontline of the NHS
December 15, 2022 03:00 - 29 minutes - 45 MBThe Covid pandemic has eased, so why is the health service facing its worst winter yet? And how is it coping with endless waiting lists, a staffing crisis and strikes?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The age of extinction: can we prevent an ecological collapse?
December 14, 2022 03:00 - 27 minutes - 42.3 MBThe Cop15 conference in Canada brings together representatives from all over the world with an urgent mission: preventing the breakdown of Earth’s natural habitats and the extinction of the many species we rely on. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Should you freeze your eggs?
December 13, 2022 03:00 - 34 minutes - 48.3 MBSince egg freezing became available to anyone who could afford it a decade ago in the UK it has increased tenfold. But are clinics transparent with women about their chances of a successful pregnancy?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Building for end times: the boom in bunkers
December 12, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 46.4 MBThreat of nuclear war and a global pandemic have spurred a boom in individuals purchasing survival bunkers, says author Bradley Garrett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The artists defying Putin’s war on Ukrainian culture
December 09, 2022 03:00 - 29 minutes - 45.3 MBFrom poetry to pop music, Ukrainians are using art to take a stand against Russia – and Putin’s assault on their identity. From dancers to documentary makers, they explain how work they have created in the conflict zone is a weapon of resistance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Why are so many workers going on strike?
December 08, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 46.2 MBFrom posties to paramedics, the list of professions taking industrial action seems to keep growing. But will it lead to better working conditions – or just bring the UK to a standstill?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
What’s gone wrong with England’s water?
December 07, 2022 03:00 - 26 minutes - 40.7 MBMore untreated sewage is being pumped into England’s seas and rivers than ever before. Sandra Laville follows the money to find out who is responsible. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The far-right radical in Israel’s new government
December 06, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 47.1 MBItamar Ben-Gvir has spent a lifetime on the fringes of Israeli politics. He was once considered so extreme that he wasn’t allowed to serve in the Israeli army. Now he is the country’s security minister. Bethan McKernan reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Michelle Mone lobbied for PPE Medpro. But was she enriched by its profits?
December 05, 2022 03:00 - 29 minutes - 44.8 MBDuring the early weeks of the pandemic, the government was scrambling to find protective clothing for health workers. The Tory peer recommended one supplier to the government – but how far did her links with it go?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The young people speaking out against the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
December 02, 2022 03:00 - 43 minutes - 64.6 MBRachael Reign was an active member of an evangelical Christian church with branches worldwide. It was only after leaving that she came to believe it had exposed her to a ‘horrendous’ ordeal. Maeve McClenaghan reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Imprisoned for being HIV positive
December 01, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 48.6 MBIn more than 80 countries, people living with HIV still face criminalisation. We hear from two people who faced criminal charges in the US. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How far could China’s ‘zero Covid’ protests go?
November 30, 2022 03:00 - 28 minutes - 44.2 MBChina has been rocked by an outpouring of communal anger at the government’s restrictive ‘zero Covid’ lockdown policies. Could the protests develop into something more substantial? Tania Branigan reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The crypto-collapse: inside the crazy world of FTX
November 29, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 48.7 MBThe cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapsed earlier this month, leaving billions of dollars unaccounted for. Alex Hern explores what happened and where the money went. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How dangerous is it to live in a damp, mouldy home?
November 28, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 48.3 MBThe death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from exposure to mould has shown the consequences of uninhabitable homes. But how many people are living in similarly unhealthy conditions and what can be done to protect their health?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Inside Qatar 2022: the World Cup of politics and protest
November 25, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 51.3 MBFootball’s governing body Fifa has tried to keep politics out of the World Cup – but there has never been a more political tournament, reports Michael Safi in Doha. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is a second referendum on Scotland’s independence further away than ever?
November 24, 2022 03:00 - 24 minutes - 38.1 MBThe supreme court has ruled that the Scottish parliament cannot hold a second referendum without Westminster’s approval. Where does that leave the independence movement?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Trump v DeSantis: how ex-president’s fan could be his biggest rival
November 23, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 42.9 MBFlorida governor Ron DeSantis passionately praised the former president – now he is being talked about as a possible presidential candidate himself.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Cop27: another blow to 1.5C?
November 22, 2022 03:00 - 26 minutes - 40.9 MBAt Cop27 in Egypt, negotiations ran 40 hours past the Friday night deadline. Country delegates were able to agree a historic deal on loss and damage, but less progress was made on global fossil fuel emission targets. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Beyond 8 billion: why the world’s population matters
November 21, 2022 03:00 - 28 minutes - 43.8 MBThe world now contains 8bn people, according to the UN. Hannah Ellis-Peterson reports from India, which is on course to overtake China as the most populous nation. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Excitement, boycotts and rainbow protest: Qatar’s World Cup kicks off
November 18, 2022 03:00 - 34 minutes - 44.4 MBThe 2022 tournament is finally here. But for more than a decade, disquiet over the Gulf state hosting football’s biggest event has been growing. Four people – with very different perspectives – explain their views. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Autumn statement 2022: it’s going to hurt but will it work?
November 17, 2022 03:00 - 28 minutes - 44.3 MBThe Guardian’s economics editor, Larry Elliott, looks ahead to Jeremy Hunt’s crucial autumn statement, which is set to usher in a new era of austerity, and explains why is likely to fail just like George Osborne’s before it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Reclaiming Kherson: what Russia’s retreat means for the fight for Ukraine
November 16, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 47.7 MBUkrainians have reacted with jubilation after retaking Kherson city and the region around it. But what did living under Russian occupation do to the area and its people – and is this really the beginning of the end of the war?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is the UK housing market heading for a crash?
November 15, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 50.3 MBA steady stream of bad economic news has filtered into Britain’s property market, prompting fears that prices could tumble. But how worried should people be? Rupert Jones reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The mystery of Teesside’s dead crabs
November 14, 2022 03:00 - 53 minutes - 78.4 MBWhen thousands of crabs started washing up on the beaches of Teesside in north-east England, authorities blamed algae in the water. But the fishers watching their livelihoods disappear weren’t buying it. Joshua Kelly reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Cop27: the future is solar, but it won’t be simple
November 11, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 51 MBAs Joe Biden arrives at Cop27 in Egypt, he comes with a good story to tell on America’s transition to renewable energy. But on the ground in rural Indiana where the country’s biggest solar plant is being built, things are getting nasty. Oliver Milman reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Iran’s protest generation on why they won’t be silenced
November 10, 2022 03:00 - 29 minutes - 45.4 MBThere have been arrests, violence and a rising death toll during more than seven weeks of protests in Iran. Demonstrators across the country – many of whom are students or even schoolchildren – are refusing to back down. What do they want and why are they willing to risk everything to get it?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
What the scandal at Manston asylum centre says about our migration system
November 09, 2022 03:00 - 35 minutes - 54.1 MBFor the last six weeks conditions at a centre housing people who made perilous journeys across the Channel on small boats have been making the headlines. The home secretary, Suella Braverman, has pointed the finger at a ‘broken’ system. But why is the Home Office so often at the centre of a crisis?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
US midterms: is it still the economy, stupid?
November 08, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 46.1 MBThe Democrats have learned hard lessons over the years about what happens when election campaigns neglect the economy, so has the party been strong enough in its messaging for today’s midterm elections? Lauren Gambino reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Who is robbing Lebanon’s banks?
November 07, 2022 03:00 - 44 minutes - 66 MBA spate of bank robberies has hit Beirut in recent weeks but they are heists with a twist: people are demanding – at gunpoint – that staff hand them their own money. Michael Safi reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Cop27: was this the year climate progress unravelled?
November 04, 2022 03:00 - 27 minutes - 43 MBThe war in Ukraine has led to soaring energy prices, political enmity and instability. Can the meeting of global leaders re-focus the world’s attention on the climate catastrophe?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Can Twitter survive Elon Musk? (And can Musk survive Twitter?)
November 03, 2022 03:00 - 32 minutes - 49.8 MBElon Musk marched into Twitter as its new owner last week and immediately started making changes. Alex Hern reports on what lies ahead for the social media company. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Just Stop Oil and the threat of the public order bill
November 02, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 46.6 MBAs the UN’s environment agency reports there is “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place”, climate activists resort to extreme actions to draw attention to the climate crisis. Damien Gayle reports on the Just Stop Oil group and the government bill designed to crack down on ‘disruptive’ protest. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Culture wars, abortion and conspiracy theories: what the midterms tell us about the US
November 01, 2022 03:00 - 34 minutes - 51.7 MBFlorida used to be seen as a swing state but in recent years it has lurched further and further to the right. Now there are worries democracy itself is under threat. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
What does it take to be an undercover police officer?– podcast
October 31, 2022 03:00 - 31 minutes - 48.6 MBDavid Taylor began his undercover career targeting small-time drug dealers before going deeper into the world of organised crime. But it ended when he was suddenly pulled from a major investigation and he wants to know why. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Ben Roberts-Smith v the media, part one: reputation
October 29, 2022 02:00 - 46 minutes - 68.9 MBBen Doherty hosts a special series on the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial. Australia’s most-decorated living soldier is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
War hero or war criminal? Australia’s defamation trial of the century
October 28, 2022 02:00 - 26 minutes - 40.9 MBBen Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. Ben Doherty reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Can Rishi Sunak pull the Conservative party back together? – podcast
October 27, 2022 02:00 - 28 minutes - 43.5 MBAfter the chaos of Liz Truss’s short-lived stint as PM, there were claims the Conservative party was ungovernable. Can Rishi Sunak unify it once more?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The rise of Europe’s far-right parties – podcast
October 26, 2022 02:00 - 30 minutes - 46.2 MBWhy are far-right parties becoming more influential in European politics? Jon Henley reports on the rise of the Brothers of Italy and the Sweden Democrats. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is the UK ready for Rishi Sunak?
October 25, 2022 02:00 - 27 minutes - 42.5 MBNosheen Iqbal heads to Westminster, where the latest Tory leadership contest has resulted in the UK’s third prime minister this year. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Operation Soteria: a new approach to investigating rape
October 24, 2022 02:00 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBWhat can be done to improve rape conviction rates in Britain? Alexandra Topping reports on the police forces trialling a way of investigating rape and sexual assault cases. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The end of Liz Truss
October 21, 2022 02:00 - 28 minutes - 44.2 MBLiz Truss has resigned after a disastrous premiership marked by U-turns and a self-inflicted economic crisis. Sonia Sodha reports on a day of turmoil in Westminster. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The all-powerful Xi Jinping
October 20, 2022 02:00 - 30 minutes - 46.3 MBXi Jinping is cementing his grip on power and is expected to be handed a third term. Rana Mitter and Emma Graham-Harrison examine what he will he do with it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Liz Truss’s attack on nature
October 19, 2022 02:00 - 30 minutes - 46.6 MBAmid the chaos engulfing Liz Truss’s government, one part of her growth agenda still in place is the junking of environmental protections. Sandra Laville reports on why green groups are so furious. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Who’s running Britain?
October 18, 2022 02:00 - 25 minutes - 40.2 MBJeremy Hunt has only been Chancellor for a few days. But on Monday he set about reversing almost everything that was in the prime minister’s policy platform. Is Liz Truss really still in charge of the country?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus