Following a disastrous live debate against Donald Trump, the Democrats were at panic stations. It looked like Joe Biden was going to lose the election, and he was refusing to step aside. This is how George Clooney rewrote the election script, and how the Democrats went from despair to hope. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member...
Aug 20, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 297
Taylor Swift is performing more concerts in London than anywhere else in the world. The city’s had a tangible impact on her music, her career and her personal life. So what does London tell us about one of the world's biggest stars? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offering...
Aug 14, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 296
Marwan Barghouti has long been touted as the next leader for Palestinians. The only problem is he's locked away in an Israeli jail for the rest of his life. Now it is being whispered he could be released, but after twenty years behind bars, what leadership could he really offer? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get acc...
Aug 06, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 295
Almost a month since the investigation where two women came forward with allegations that the author Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted them - allegations he strenuously denied - more women have come forward. Including another woman made to sign a non-disclosure agreement. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all...
Aug 01, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 294
Episode four: The fan The second woman to allege Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her first met him as an 18-year-old fan. They began a consensual sexual relationship two years later. She alleges he was abusive and once penetrated her without her consent. He strenuously denies any unlawful behaviour and maintains all their sex was consensual. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts f...
Jul 31, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 293
Episode three: The pond New Zealand police tell the former nanny there isn’t enough evidence to actively pursue her sexual assault complaint against Neil Gaiman. He says he offered himself up for an interview with the police. But the facts may indicate otherwise. Clip: 1968 interview with Neil Gaiman - BBC Clip: Big Bang Theory, series 11, episode 21 - CBS/Warner Bros Clip: Newsnight - BBC Clip: William Morrow 2014 Clip: Politics and Prose bookstore 2013 To find out more about Tortoise: Download...
Jul 31, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 292
Episode two: The Whatsapps The former nanny who alleges Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her shares her WhatsApp messages with him. The messages appear friendly and affectionate. He says they’re evidence that she consented to sex with him. But is there another way of reading them? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get acc...
Jul 31, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 291
Episode one: The bath Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful authors. And one of the most loved. His works have been adapted for film, TV and the stage. Now two women, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them while they were in consensual relationships with him. He strenuously denies all the allegations. Clip: The Sandman trailer - DC Comics/Netflix Clip: The Ocean at the End of the Lane trailer - National Theatre Clip: The Simpsons - Disney To find out m...
Jul 31, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 290
In Switzerland, a group of unlikely climate pioneers came together and took their government to Europe's highest human rights court, and won. But the triumph didn't last long. Now, they're facing a backlash. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more If you want to...
Jul 30, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 289
She is arguably the best gymnast the world has ever seen. But history shows us that she’s human too. Will Simone Biles fly at the Paris Olympics or will she fall? – Clips of Simone Biles from Versus on Watch web series and the Call Her Daddy podcast. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's prem...
Jul 23, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 288
Labour have pledged to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. So is this the end of Brexit? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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 c...
Jul 16, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 287
To listen to Dangerous Memories, search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts. When Sarah watched her 23 year old daughter cycle away from her in Chelsea - a well-off corner of London - she had no idea it would be the last time they’d see each other for 6 years. What would make a loving child from a life of privilege suddenly sever ties with friends and family, and vanish? It turns out, Sarah wasn’t alone in losing a daughter. Something strange was happening to other young wom...
Jul 09, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 286
Two reports of rape. Two criminal trials. Two not guilty verdicts. Two men, cleared. Two women – torn apart. A Tortoise investigation has heard how two complainants, Grace*, and Emma*, experienced the justice system from the point their alleged rapist was charged to the moment they were told of the jury’s decision. At a time when a vanishingly small number of police-recorded rapes result in a criminal charge, access to the transcripts of these two trials has permitted a step-by-step analysis of ...
Jun 27, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 285
Two reports of rape. Two criminal trials. Two not guilty verdicts. Two men, cleared. Two women – torn apart. A Tortoise investigation has heard how two complainants, Grace*, and Emma*, experienced the justice system from the point their alleged rapist was charged to the moment they were told of the jury’s decision. At a time when a vanishingly small number of police-recorded rapes result in a criminal charge, access to the transcripts of these two trials has permitted a step-by-step analysis of ...
Jun 25, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 284
Frank Hester has given the largest donations to the Conservative party in history. Even with the party's popularity at rock bottom with the public, on the cusp of potentially entering a period in opposition, Frank Hester has continued to prove a lucrative donor to the party. How is it that the Conservative party has come to be so reliant on the money of one man? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortois...
Jun 18, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 283
Apple’s latest advert was a disaster. What does it tell us about the company’s future under Tim Cook – and about the relationship between the people who make technology and the rest of us? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...
Jun 11, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 282
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative party are far behind in the polls. There are no good options for Rishi Sunak to call an early election, so why now? This is the story of the day - and the year - leading to his decision, and what it reveals bout a Prime Minister who's not known for taking risks. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a me...
Jun 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 281
Donald Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime. In a special one-off, we will be sharing our new series Word for Word: Trump on Trial. In each episode, we’re bringing you the story of the trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in court. This is the final part. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a ...
May 31, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 280
Donald Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial. He is accused of falsifying his business records by saying a hush money payment to a porn star was for legal fees. He's facing 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held in a New York court and Donald Trump has to appear for every day. This is the story of that trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in c...
May 30, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 279
Donald Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial. He is accused of falsifying his business records by saying a hush money payment to a porn star was for legal fees. He's facing 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held in a New York court and Donald Trump has to appear for every day. This is the story of that trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in c...
May 30, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 278
Donald Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial. He is accused of falsifying his business records by saying a hush money payment to a porn star was for legal fees. He's facing 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held in a New York court and Donald Trump has to appear for every day. This is the story of that trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in c...
May 30, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 277
Donald Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial. He is accused of falsifying his business records by saying a hush money payment to a porn star was for legal fees. He's facing 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held in a New York court and Donald Trump has to appear for every day. This is the story of that trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in c...
May 30, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 276
To listen to the Gas Man, search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts. It starts with a tip-off. It’s the late 1980s and US Special Agent Dennis Bass is warned about a shipment of suspicious chemicals headed to a secret destination. So he follows the lead – and ends up stumbling into a global plot helping fuel a war. The main suspect? The Gas Man. In the decades since, Special Agent Bass has been locked in an international game of cat and mouse with the man who supplied a dan...
May 28, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 275
By the end of this year, countries making up half the world’s population will have held elections. But not all of them will have been free and fair. In ‘What’s Wrong with Democracy?’ Professor Ben Ansell of Oxford University will, with the help of academics, journalists, activists and writers, figure out whether democracy is working and how best to preserve democratic freedoms, equality and rights. What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by Open Society Foundatio...
May 22, 2024•13 min
The British army has never faced more serious allegations of wrongdoing; that the SAS committed multiple war crimes in Afghanistan. A public inquiry is beginning to reveal a troubling picture of UK special forces beyond the control of their military and political bosses. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to a...
May 21, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 274
The Sackler family made billions from the opioid painkiller OxyContin, which played a significant part in the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers have been blamed for fuelling the crisis, but have they really been held accountable – or are they getting away with it? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Torto...
May 14, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 273
A year ago the Confederation of British Industry was at the centre of a media storm and a crisis at the organisation quickly ensued. Members left in droves, dozens of staff lost their jobs, board members stepped down, and staff felt unsafe in the workplace. But what really happened? Barney Macintyre and Rebecca Moore investigate. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early ac...
Apr 30, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 272
Boeing once ruled the skies. Now they find themselves in the middle of a scandal, without public trust and their reputation in free-fall. This is the story of where it all went wrong. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more If you want to get in touch with us di...
Apr 23, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 271
In the early days of the invasion, Russia took over Europe's biggest nuclear power station. For two years, Zaporizhzhia's nuclear plant has been under Russian control, and while a nuclear crisis has so far been averted, the fighting has repeatedly threatened a catastrophic situation. The employees are overcoming the threat of torture to manage the plant's safety. This is the story of what happens when a nuclear power station becomes a pawn in a war. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the ...
Apr 16, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 270
At his height Jimmy Lai was a newspaper owner and tycoon who loved to cause trouble. But he’s been behind bars for more than a thousand days with no end in sight. The Hong Kong authorities, assisted by Beijing, seem determined to silence him. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. This is the story of one man’s efforts to take on the Chinese state. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts ...
Apr 09, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 269
