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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Hillsborough: the 30-year fight for justice
December 02, 2019 03:00 - 32 minutes - 44.7 MBDavid Conn has spent years reporting on the pursuit of justice by families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at a football match in Sheffield in 1989. Plus, Deborah Mattinson on the importance of older voters in the 2019 election. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The alarming rise of the rough sex defence
November 29, 2019 03:00 - 22 minutes - 26.3 MBToo many women’s lives are ending after what those accused of their deaths say were ‘sex games gone wrong’. Anna Moore looks at why strangling has become so normalised. And: Helen Pidd looks back on the general election week. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: shifting identities in Peterborough
November 28, 2019 03:00 - 32 minutes - 44.2 MBRobert Booth on the battle for Peterborough, one of the key swing seats set to determine the election. Plus: Can Dündar on press freedoms under threat in Turkey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: the battle to unseat Boris Johnson in Uxbridge – podcast
November 27, 2019 03:00 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MBRachel Humphreys heads to Uxbridge, where the 25-year old Labour candidate Ali Milani is campaigning to unseat Boris Johnson. And: Jonathan Freedland on antisemitism in the Labour party. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: Can we trust opinion polls?
November 26, 2019 03:00 - 30 minutes - 34.7 MBOpinion polls are showing a lead for the Conservatives but as the Prospect editor, Tom Clark, says, pundits and journalists should resist over-interpreting the data. Plus: Emma Graham-Harrison on the victory of pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong’s local elections. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The rise of Netflix: an empire built on debt
November 25, 2019 03:00 - 27 minutes - 38.1 MBMark Lawson and Dan Milmo discuss the sustainability of the streaming service. Plus: Lara Spirit on why you should register to vote before Tuesday’s deadline. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Windrush: the scandal isn't over
November 22, 2019 03:00 - 27 minutes - 31 MBHubert Howard, a prominent Windrush victim, died recently without receiving compensation or a personal apology. Amelia Gentleman discusses his case. Plus: Polly Toynbee on the boldest Labour manifesto for a generation. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: Labour's plan to nationalise 'rip-off' companies
November 21, 2019 03:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBOn the day of Labour’s manifesto launch, economics editor Larry Elliott and financial editor Nils Pratley discuss the party’s radical plans to nationalise key British industries. Plus Max Rushden on the return of Jose Mourinho to the Premier League. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: The Welsh village on the frontline of the climate crisis – podcast
November 20, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutes - 33.4 MBRachel Humphreys reports on her time in Fairbourne, which will be dismantled by 2045 due to rising sea levels, while Sandra Laville looks at why flooding and the climate crisis should be a key issue in the general election. And Lily Kuo on the Hong Kong protesters still inside the Polytechnic University. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: is Brexit reshaping politics in east Belfast?
November 19, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBThe Guardian’s Ireland correspondent, Rory Carroll, visits east Belfast, where a majority of the protestant and unionist population backed Brexit. Is there an opening for a new kind of centrist politics? Plus: Suzanne Moore on the questions that remain for Prince Andrew. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The Marseille mothers taking on the mafia
November 18, 2019 03:00 - 24 minutes - 27.9 MBAngelique Chrisafis discusses meeting a group of mothers who are fighting to plough money confiscated from organised crime into small associations on impoverished housing estates. Plus: Jamie Grierson on factchecking the Conservatives’ immigration claims. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: why is Hartlepool the Brexit party's top target?
November 15, 2019 03:00 - 32 minutes - 38.5 MBAnushka Asthana visits the historically Labour-held seat of Hartlepool in north-east England that is the Brexit party’s top target in the general election. Plus: Sonia Sodha on how flooding in the north of England has affected the campaign. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: is Scotland moving towards independence?
November 14, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutes - 40.5 MBScotland correspondent Libby Brooks tells Rachel Humphreys how the chaos of Brexit has put independence back centre stage at this election. Plus: Sayeeda Warsi on the Conservative party’s enduring problem of Islamophobia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Trump's impeachment hits primetime TV
November 13, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutes - 38.9 MBJulian Borger in Washington DC on how the US is preparing for wall-to-wall coverage of the impeachment of Donald Trump, which moves to public hearings today. Plus Peter Walker on Jo Swinson and the Liberal Democrats: is their campaign yet to take off?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is the NHS up for sale at the election?
November 12, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 34 MBThe NHS is one of the major battleground issues of the general election as parties debate the future of healthcare in the UK. Sarah Boseley and Denis Campbell discuss the extent of private company involvement in the NHS. Plus: Dan Collyns on the downfall of Evo Morales in Bolivia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: Is the NHS up for sale?
November 12, 2019 03:00 - 30 minutes - 34.4 MBThe NHS is one of the major battleground issues of the general election as parties debate the future of healthcare in the UK. Sarah Boseley and Denis Campbell discuss the extent of private company involvement in the NHS. Plus: Dan Collyns on the downfall of Evo Morales in Bolivia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Meeting George Soros
November 11, 2019 03:00 - 27 minutes - 37.4 MBShaun Walker has spent years covering Russia and eastern Europe and watched how the billionaire philanthropist George Soros has become a figure of hate among populists and the far right. Plus: Lea Ypi on the millions of people who do not have a vote in the UK election Read Shaun Walker’s interview from Guardian Weekend. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
A day inside the hidden world of youth courts
November 08, 2019 03:00 - 34 minutes - 39 MBThe Guardian’s north of England team has spent a month investigating the youth justice system in England and Wales, in which children as young as 10 are put on trial. Today in Focus joined the editor Helen Pidd in a youth court on the final day. And: Jonathan Freedland on the shambolic start to the general election campaign. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Dark arts and dirty tricks: the 2019 general election online
November 07, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBMedia editor Jim Waterson tells Anushka Asthana how political parties are pushing the limits of what is allowed in the unregulated space of social media. Plus: Sabine Rennefanz on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Election 2019: Dark arts and dirty tricks online
November 07, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBMedia editor Jim Waterson tells Anushka Asthana how political parties are pushing the limits of what is allowed in the unregulated space of social media. Plus: Sabine Rennefanz on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Mexico's war with the drug cartels
November 06, 2019 03:00 - 30 minutes - 35.4 MBTom Phillips joins the search for some of the thousands of people who have gone missing or been murdered in the country’s bloody drug wars. Plus Luke Harding on the government’s delay in releasing a report on Russian meddling in UK politics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Mexico's war with the drug cartels | Podcast
November 06, 2019 03:00 - 30 minutes - 35.4 MBTom Phillips joins the search for some of the thousands of people who have gone missing or been murdered in the country’s bloody drug wars. Plus Luke Harding on the government’s delay in releasing a report on Russian meddling in UK politics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How a Guardian story led to a landmark case against big tobacco
November 05, 2019 03:00 - 25 minutes - 35 MBIn June 2018 Sarah Boseley wrote about child labour in the tobacco fields of Malawi. Human rights lawyer Martyn Day read her story and decided to sue British American Tobacco. They recently returned to Malawi to check on the progress of the case. And: Susie Cagle on the Californian wildfires. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
David Attenborough: the making of a British icon
November 04, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 41.7 MBPatrick Barkham joins Anushka Asthana to chart the rise of one of Britain’s best-loved personalities: the natural history broadcaster David Attenborough. Plus: Gaby Hinsliff on women and the myth of ‘likability’. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Cannabis farms and nail bars: the hidden world of human trafficking
November 01, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutes - 33.2 MBLast week 39 people were found dead in a refrigerated lorry trailer in Essex. Annie Kelly discusses the case of Minh, a Vietnamese teenager who was trafficked into the UK in 2013 and found himself enslaved on a cannabis farm. Plus: Robert Kitson on England making it to the Rugby World Cup final. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Boris Johnson's general election gamble
October 31, 2019 03:00 - 27 minutes - 38.6 MBThe Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, tells Anushka Asthana that the general election on 12 December will be highly unpredictable as Brexit preferences, unpopular leaders and tactical voting intersect. Plus: Guy Standing on the plunder of natural resources by private interests. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How the US caught up with Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
October 30, 2019 03:00 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBThe Guardian’s Martin Chulov describes how US special forces finally tracked down Baghdadi, who was killed in a raid at the weekend. Plus: Robert Booth on the criticism of the London fire brigade’s response to the Grenfell Tower disaster. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The women who broke the Harvey Weinstein story
October 29, 2019 03:00 - 26 minutes - 29.9 MBWhen Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey began investigating Harvey Weinstein, they had no idea it would ignite a global reckoning on sexual harassment resulting in #MeToo. And: Rafael Behr on the likelihood of a winter election. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How the Bristol bus boycott changed UK civil rights
October 28, 2019 03:00 - 27 minutes - 31.1 MBMarvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, discusses the 1963 Bristol bus boycott – a protest few may have heard of, but which proved to be a watershed moment in the civil rights movement. And: Waad al-Kateab, the director of the documentary For Sama, on life in Aleppo. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The five brothers forced apart by the war in Syria – podcast
October 25, 2019 02:00 - 33 minutes - 47.2 MBInternational correspondent Michael Safi tells Anushka Asthana how he tracked down five brothers separated by the war in Syria. Plus: Labour’s Lisa Nandy on why MPs should compromise on Brexit for the good of democracy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Naomi Klein on how politics can solve the climate crisis
October 24, 2019 02:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBActivist and author Naomi Klein tells Anushka Asthana that combating the climate crisis must be at the heart of an urgent restructuring of politics and the economy. Plus: Daniel Trilling on the shocking discovery of 39 bodies inside a lorry in Essex. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Are Fox News and Donald Trump falling out of love? – podcast
October 23, 2019 02:00 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MBLuke O’Neil on the powerful relationship between Trump and his favourite TV network. But are things starting to sour? Plus: Jonathan Franklin on the protests in Chile that have turned deadly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is this the end of the road for remainers?
October 22, 2019 02:00 - 26 minutes - 37.3 MBJonathan Freedland joins Anushka Asthana to discuss how the pro-EU movement has grown in numbers and developed its own political identity based around opposing Brexit. Also today: Denise Phelan on the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
How did a town in West Virginia become the opioid capital of the US?
October 21, 2019 02:00 - 25 minutes - 29.7 MBChris McGreal reports on the web of doctors, pharmacists and drug companies that made rural Mingo county, West Virginia, the opioid capital of America. And: Emma Barnett on why we need to be better at talking about periods. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Naming and shaming the polluters
October 18, 2019 02:00 - 32 minutes - 37.5 MBGlobal environment editor Jonathan Watts discusses the Guardian’s investigation into the fossil fuel industry, and the structures that need to change to halt the climate emergency. And: Gary Younge on Donald Trump’s mental health. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Will parliament vote for a Brexit deal?
October 17, 2019 02:00 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MBJennifer Rankin and Polly Toynbee discuss the dilemma facing MPs as the government edges towards a Brexit deal. Plus, Cara Reedy on what it means to be a person with dwarfism. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
On the frontline as US troops leave northern Syria
October 16, 2019 02:00 - 27 minutes - 32 MBMartin Chulov, who covers the Middle East for the Guardian, has spent the past week on the frontline of north-east Syria. He describes the fallout from Trump’s shock decision to withdraw US troops. And: Amelia Gentleman on the EU citizens struggling for the right to remain in the UK. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
What is the truth about vaping?
October 14, 2019 02:00 - 24 minutes - 34.3 MBJamie Doward and Max Sanderson join Anushka Asthana to navigate a way through the haze of the debate around vaping. Is it really safe? Plus: Frances Perraudin on the anniversary of #metoo – what has really changed after two years of the campaign against sexual harassment and sexual assault. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
A fatal crash and the problem of diplomatic immunity
October 11, 2019 02:00 - 24 minutes - 28.3 MBHarry Dunn died in a collision in August with a car allegedly being driven by the wife of a US diplomat, who left the UK soon after under the rules of diplomatic immunity. Patrick Wintour looks at what might happen next. And: author Jonathan Safran Foer on changing the way we eat to avoid climate catastrophe. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Brexit and the Irish border: is there a solution?
October 10, 2019 02:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBLisa O’Carroll and Rory Carroll tell Anushka Asthana that solving the Irish border problem is still key to a Brexit deal. Plus: Wendy Laura Belcher on African literature. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Shell, Nigeria and a 24-year fight for justice
October 09, 2019 02:00 - 26 minutes - 31 MBIn 1995, the Nigerian government executed the Ogoni Nine – environmental activists who were trying to fight Shell’s exploitation of their homeland. Now, four widows are taking the oil company to court. And: Dan Sabbagh on the ramifications of Trump’s shock decision to withdraw from the Turkish-Syrian border. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Thirteen children have been shot dead in St Louis, Missouri. Why?
October 08, 2019 02:00 - 27 minutes - 31.6 MBThe Guardian US correspondent Amanda Holpuch discusses her recent trip to St Louis, where 13 black children have been fatally shot since April. And: Polly Toynbee attends the first day of the Extinction Rebellion protests. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The strange world of TikTok: viral videos and Chinese censorship
October 07, 2019 02:00 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBUK technology editor Alex Hern joins Anushka Asthana to discuss the Chinese-owned social network that is growing its user base with shareable short videos set to catchy soundtracks. But is it also being used as a tool of Chinese foreign policy? Plus: Marie Le Conte on the role of political gossip. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
In conversation with Jia Tolentino
October 04, 2019 02:00 - 25 minutes - 29 MBJia Tolentino, described as one of the world’s greatest young essayists, discusses how the age of the internet has fundamentally changed who we are. Plus: Lisa O’Carroll on the Irish border. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Boris Johnson’s Brexit speech: preparing for an election
October 03, 2019 02:00 - 25 minutes - 35.5 MBBoris Johnson used his first leader’s speech at the Conservative party conference to set up a new phase of negotiations with the EU and an election confrontation with Jeremy Corbyn. Plus: Jim Waterson on Prince Harry, privacy and the media. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Boris Johnson and the Jennifer Arcuri allegations
October 02, 2019 02:01 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBBoris Johnson says he behaved with ‘full propriety’ regarding his links to the US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri while he was London mayor. Matthew Weaver has been following the story for the Guardian. Plus: Wadah Khanfar remembers his friend Jamal Khashoggi on the anniversary of his murder. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Could this impeachment inquiry end Trump’s presidency?
October 01, 2019 02:00 - 23 minutes - 27.3 MBIn a July phone call between Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate former vice-president Joe Biden. An intelligence official decided to blow the whistle on the call. Lauren Gambino discusses how this has led to an impeachment inquiry. And: Joseph Harker on the start of Black History Month. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Is it over for Justin Trudeau? – podcast
September 30, 2019 02:00 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBThe Canadian prime minister achieved a historic victory in 2015 but as he nears the end of his first term a series of scandals are making his political future less certain. With elections next month, journalist Leyland Cecco discusses how likely it is Trudeau will repeat his initial success. And: Kaitlyn Regehr on why new sex education lessons in schools are already outdated. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Prince Andrew's damaged reputation
September 27, 2019 02:00 - 29 minutes - 34.1 MBLast week Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts did her first television interview, and in it restated claims that she had been made to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. ITV royal editor Chris Ship discusses the Duke of York’s friendship with deceased child abuser Jeffrey Epstein. And: Labour MP Paula Sherriff on standing up to Boris Johnson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Can Labour unite and plot a path to power?
September 26, 2019 02:00 - 29 minutes - 41.6 MBSonia Sodha joins Anushka Asthana to discuss Labour’s options now that parliament has resumed and the party has backed Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit strategy. Also today: Tom McCarthy on the moves to impeach Donald Trump. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus