What are the 180-year-old rules that prevent MPs from debating issues about the Royal Family? As Donald Trump floats the idea of “clearing out” Gaza, what lies ahead for Palestinians returning home? And President Trump promised tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China - but how will this affect foreign relations with the US’ closest neighbours? Giles Whittell is joined by NPR’s International Correspondent Lauren Frayer, plus Tortoise’s Patricia Clarke and Jasper Corbett as they battle to pitch ...
Feb 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 542
Why were priceless ancient Romanian artefacts stolen from a Dutch museum and what does this tell us about the global black market in stolen art? Will the government’s latest plans to expand Heathrow airport bring the growth Rachel Reeves has been promising? And why did Donald Trump offer federal government employees money to quit their jobs? Giles Whittell is joined by Tortoise’s Katie Riley, Claudia Williams and Jasper Corbett as they battle to pitch the top story. **Join us at the next edition...
Jan 30, 2025•36 min•Ep. 541
How much is tech guru Bryan Johnson willing to put his 19-year-old son through in his quest to avoid dying? Why 33% of surveyed Gen Z-ers say they prefer the army to run the country? What happens to the West Bank during a Trump administration? Basia Cummings is joined by scientist and broadcaster Adam Rutherford, plus Tortoise’s Cat Neilan and Stephen Armstrong, as they battle to pitch the top story. **Get tickets for our next News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th January here: https://www.tortois...
Jan 27, 2025•40 min•Ep. 540
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s direct plea to Donald Trump has led a Republican congressman to demand her deportation. Should Democrats buy Trump’s meme coins? And what’s the point of Davos? Giles Whittell is joined by Tortoise’s James Harding, Patricia Clarke and Katie Riley as they battle it out to see who can pitch the top story of the day. **Get tickets for our next News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th January here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live/book Host...
Jan 24, 2025•34 min•Ep. 539
How Tortoise first reported on the allegations made against author Neil Gaiman. Does a ceasefire in Gaza mean peace? And what are Donald Trump’s plans for day one in the White House? Jeevan Vasagar is joined by Tortoise’s Cat Neilan, Katie Gunning and Chloe Hadjimatheou as they battle it out to see who can pitch the top story of the day. Listen to Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman here: https://lnk.to/NG-Master **Get tickets for our next News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th Januar...
Jan 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 538
As the world gears up for a second Donald Trump presidency, how will newsrooms handle the whirlwind this time around? What lessons will they take from the missteps and chaos of his first term? Tortoise’s deputy editor Giles Whittell is joined by Pulitzer prize-winning American journalists Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan and Tortoise’s data editor, Katie Riley. **Get tickets for our next News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th January here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeti...
Jan 17, 2025•38 min•Ep. 537
What should politicians do about allegations of poor treatment for workers at Shein’s factories in China? Will Keir Starmer back the chancellor amid the UK’s economic woes? And is allowing supervised drug use the solution to Scotland’s drug death crisis? Giles Whittell is joined by Tortoise’s Cat Neilan, Patricia Clarke and Stephen Armstrong as they battle it out to see who can pitch the top story of the day. **Get tickets for our next News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th January here: https://ww...
Jan 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 536
How will climate events like fires and hurricanes affect America’s home insurance market? Why is the Silicon Valley tech boss scrapping fact-checking ahead of Trump 2.0? And what should happen to two french orca whales now their marine park is set to close? Jess Winch is joined by Tortoise’s Giles Whittell, Claudia Williams and Patricia Clarke as they battle it out to see who can pitch the top story of the day. Click here to join us at the News Meeting live on Wednesday 29th January:...
Jan 10, 2025•35 min•Ep. 535
Giles Whittell is joined by Tortoise’s Alexi Mostrous, Jeevan Vasagar and Cat Neilan as they battle it out to see who can pitch the top story of the day. They discuss the allegations levelled by the It Ends With Us co-stars, how journalists should respond to Elon Musk's remarks on grooming gangs in England, and President Biden blocking a $15 billion deal. Listen to Alexi’s series Who Trolled Amber here: lnk.to/WhoTrolledAmber Guests: Alexi Mostrous, investigations editor at Tortoise Cat Ne...
Jan 06, 2025•31 min•Ep. 534
Despite Silicon Valley promising Artificial Intelligence would revolutionise our daily lives, the reality has been slower to unfold. Writer: Patricia Clarke Producer: Rebecca Moore Host: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 06, 2025•8 min•Ep. 533
Giles Whittell and Tortoise journalists predict what stories will make the headlines in 2025. They discuss possible political shifts in the UK, reconciliation attempts in Syria and much needed local council reform. Guests: Katie Riley, data editor at Tortoise Chloe Hadjimatheou, narrative editor at Tortoise Cat Neilan, political editor at Tortoise Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor at Tortoise Email: [email protected] Producer: Casey Magloire Executive producer: Re...
Jan 03, 2025•24 min•Ep. 532
2024 was weight-loss injections such as Ozempic and WeGovy went global. What does that mean for Novo Nordisk, the Danish company making them? And can it live up to the hype? Writer: Claudia Williams Producer: Claudia Williams Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 03, 2025•6 min•Ep. 531
The King's first full year on the throne has been marked by his illness. Along with that of his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales. What does this year tell us about the state of the royal family? Writer: Xavier Greenwood Producer: Xavier Greenwood Photography: Lola Williams Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 02, 2025•5 min•Ep. 530
How England cricket’s greatest batter got even better in 2024. Writer: Andrew Butler Producer: Katie Gunning Photography: Lola Williams Executive producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 01, 2025•5 min•Ep. 529
The tradwife movement, led by influencers like Nara Smith, sparked intense online debate throughout 2024, particularly following Donald Trump's presidential election victory. What does it tell us about the year? Writer: Jess Swinburne Producer: Jess Swinburne Host: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 31, 2024•8 min•Ep. 528
The Belfast rap trio has taken the world by storm. But who are they and how have they managed to capture the zeitgeist? Writer: Elaine McCallig Producer: Casey Magloire Photography: Jon Jones Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 30, 2024•8 min•Ep. 527
Giles Whittell and Jess Winch take a look back on some of the biggest stories of the year and share some of their favourite pitches. From the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to domestic issues like the Grenfell inquiry and the first Labour budget, along with cultural stories such as Gary Lineker's departure from Match of the Day. Guests: Basia Cummings, editor at Tortoise Jeevan Varsagar, contributing editor at Tortoise Pete Apps, Inside Housing contributing editor and Orwell Prize winning ...
Dec 27, 2024•33 min•Ep. 526
How the fallout from the TV show sparked a nearly two hundred million dollar lawsuit. Thanks for listening to the Sensemaker. This episode was written and mixed by Eleanor Biggs. Photography by Jon Jones. The executive producer is Rebecca Moore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 27, 2024•8 min•Ep. 525
How a young woman from Gaza who chronicled life in the Strip after October 7th and became one of the most influential women in the world. Writer : Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer : Gary Marshall Host : Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 26, 2024•8 min•Ep. 524
In 2024, Chappell Roan went from relative obscurity to playing to some of the biggest crowds in festival history. What toll did this meteoric rise take on her? Writer: Katie Riley Producer: Katie Gunning Photography: Lola Williams Host: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 25, 2024•10 min•Ep. 523
The Post Office scandal was one of the largest miscarriages of justice in the UK with hundreds of people wrongly prosecuted for theft or false accounting. So why did it take an ITV drama to bring about change? Writer : Sophie Fenton Producer : Tomini Babs Host : Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 24, 2024•6 min•Ep. 522
For the first time ever, the top ten grossing films of the year are all sequels. What does this tell us about the film industry? Has Hollywood run out of new ideas? Writer: Casey Magloire Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 23, 2024•7 min•Ep. 521
Giles Whittell and guests debate the top stories of the day. They discuss the conclusion of the mass rape trial that found 50 men guilty of raping Gisele Pelicot, the new new terrorism and federal charges brought against accused CEO murderer Luigi Mangione and if the Guinness shortage is real or just great marketing. Guests: Katie Riley, data editor at Tortoise Stephen Armstrong, reporter at Tortoise Jess Winch, news editor at Tortoise Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor at Tor...
Dec 20, 2024•25 min•Ep. 520
The man accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, is alleged to have used an untraceable 3D-printed firearm. What is that and why is it so controversial? Writer: Xavier Greenwood Producer: Xavier Greenwood Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 20, 2024•6 min•Ep. 519
This week, Mark McDonald announced he is trying to bring Lucy Letby’s case back to the Court of Appeal. What reasons does he give for believing the circumstances have changed since her initial trial? Writer: Phoebe Davis Producer: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 19, 2024•10 min•Ep. 518
Saudi Arabia has been awarded the tournament despite widespread concerns about human rights violations and environmental issues. What does this tell us about the changing face of global football? Writer: Andrew Butler Photography: Joe Mee Host: Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 18, 2024•6 min•Ep. 517
A new cryptocurrency linked to the identity of Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of Brian Thompson, has reached a market value of $76 million. Writer: Barney Macintyre Producer: Matt Russell Photography: Joe Mee Host: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 17, 2024•9 min•Ep. 516
Giles Whittell and guests debate what stories should lead the news. They discuss calls for Stephen Cottrell to step down over his handling of a sexual abuse case, failures of the UK’s privatised water industry, and ABC News’s $15 million defamation settlement with Donald Trump. Guests: Pete Apps, Inside Housing contributing editor and Orwell Prize winning author Basia Cummings, editor at Tortoise Stephen Armstrong, reporter at Tortoise Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor at Tortoise Email:...
Dec 16, 2024•30 min•Ep. 515
Billionaire rapper Jay-Z is the first celebrity to be named as a co-defendent in an allegation concerning Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Jay-Z vehemently denies the allegation – that he raped a 13 year old girl in 2000 along with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Jay-Z’s legal team has sued the attorney who filed the claim against him. So who is the lawyer bringing multiple lawsuits against Sean Combs and his associates? Writer: Eleanor Biggs Photography: Jon Jones Host: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Rebec...
Dec 16, 2024•10 min•Ep. 514
Jess Winch and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss the thousands of people disappeared by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia hosting the tournament amid human rights concerns, and a proposed new law banning marriages between first cousins. Guests: Dr Adam Rutherford, scientist, broadcaster and scientist Basia Cummings, editor at Tortoise Claudia Williams, reporter at Tortoise Host: Jess Winch, news editor at Tortoise Email: newsmeetin...
Dec 13, 2024•40 min•Ep. 513
