Is Elon Musk behind Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claims?
What links Elon Musk’s business ties in South Africa to the US president’s attack on Cyril Ramaphosa? Will AI hit women in the workforce hardest? And could the case of Adriana Smith - a brain-dead pregnant woman being kept alive because she’s pregnant - reshape abortion laws in states like Georgia?Giles Whittell is joined by writer and journalist Marisa Bate, along with Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong and Phoebe Davis, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from Hay Festival on Thursday 29th May - with Chloe Dalton LIVE at SXSW on Wednesday 4th June - with Coco KhanLIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 17 June - with Zing Tsjeng and NPR’s Lauren Frayer LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Read more of Phoebe’s reporting on abortion laws in the UK here: Police could search homes and phones after pregnancy lossProsecuted, shamed and traumatised for mistake of taking abortion pills too lateFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producer: Rebecca MooreTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
23 Maj 34min
Did Democrats try to hide Joe Biden’s deteriorating health?
Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper’s book, Original Sin alleges that officials working for Biden’s administration tried to keep what they describe as the president’s mental decline hidden. Is the media guilty of sensationalising Cassie Ventura’s testimony and the trial involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs? Why are changes to the fisheries policies between the EU and UK causing such a fuss?Giles Whittell is joined by Anu Anand, Stephen Armstrong and Patricia Clarke as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the News Meeting Live:LIVE from Hay Festival on Thursday 29th May - with Chloe Dalton LIVE at SXSW on Wednesday 4th June - with Coco KhanLIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 17 June - with Zing Tsjeng and NPR’s Lauren Frayer LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:British mountaineer breaks his own record for most Everest climbs by a non-NepaliListen to more of the Observer’s coverage on today’s stories here: The Slow Newscast: The Clooney Intervention The Case against Sean CombsFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca MooreTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
19 Maj 38min
Bradley Wiggins admits he was a cocaine addict. What does his struggle with drugs tell us about retired athlete care?
Why did Bradley Wiggins seek advice from disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong to help him recover from cocaine addiction? What does the indictment of a US judge tell us about President Trump’s plans to take on the judiciary? How is a law from the 1800s being used to criminalise women who have abortions in 2025? Jess Winch is joined by Marie Le Conte, Rowan Moore and Andrew Butler, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the News Meeting Live:LIVE from Hay Festival on Thursday 29th May - with Chloe Dalton LIVE at SXSW on Wednesday 4th June - with Coco KhanLIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 17 June - with Zing Tsjeng and NPR’s Lauren Frayer LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Read The Observer’s exclusive - Bradley Wiggins: ‘I was a functioning cocaine addict’ HERERead Marie’s column on cricket: ‘It’s like a summer fling, but I’m not sure cricket is for me’ HERERead more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:Gunnersbury women’s cricket club celebrate hitting historic centuryThe Cybertruck was supposed to be apocalypse-proof. Can it even survive a trip to the grocery store?How Video Game Sex Scenes Are MadeFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Jess Winch, managing editor at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
16 Maj 29min
What will Keir Starmer’s closer relationship with the EU look like?
Is youth mobility on the cards for Labour’s post-Brexit plan with Europe? Why is it so hard to record incidents of spiking? How will Labour’s immigration plan affect international students and higher education? Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Myers, Katie Riley and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the News Meeting LiveLIVE from Hay Festival on Thursday 29th May - with Chloe Dalton LIVE at SXSW on Wednesday 4th June - with Coco KhanLIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 17 June - with Zing Tsjeng and NPR’s Lauren Frayer LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca MooreTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
14 Maj 31min
Why are the Qataris reportedly gifting Donald Trump a $400mn jumbo jet?
How will Labour’s immigration legislation affect the UK’s care sector? What are the potential conflicts of interests if Trump accepts a jet from Qatar? The Indian Premier League is set to return after the competition was suspended amid rising tension in Kashmir, but what does this tell us about India's power in international cricket? Rebecca Moore is joined by Orwell Prize winning Pete Apps, alongside The Observer’s Patricia Clarke and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HERERead Patricia Clarke’s article in full: ‘How the US president and his clan ushered in a new golden age of corruption’ Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt RussellTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
12 Maj 35min
Are India and Pakistan on the brink of all out war?
As tensions rise between the two nuclear powers and US remains noticeably missing from the world stage, who will be the guarantor of peace between India and Pakistan? What does the new US-UK trade deal tell us about the new world order? Elon Musk is stepping away from Doge, was his time in government a success or costly failure? Jess Winch is joined by author Quinn Slobodian and The Observer’s Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HEREPurchase Quinn’s book ‘Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right’ HERERead more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories HEREHe injected himself with snake venom hundreds of times. His blood could ‘revolutionize’ snakebite treatmentFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise Producer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt RussellTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
8 Maj 34min
Ozempic weddings: What are the risks of slimming down for the big day?
Why are there calls to return British art like the original Winnie-the-Pooh doll from America to the UK? Trump and Zelensky have finally signed the US-Ukraine mineral deal, but who is the real winner? With wedding season approaching, what lengths are people willing to take to look slimmer on the big day?Rebecca Moore is joined by Jeevan Vasagar, James Tapper and Vanessa Thorpe, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April HEREListen to James Tapper’s Sensemaker episode, 'The Down sides of weightloss drugs’ HERE Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:Number of children playing recorder halves in a decadePaul Mescal headlines National Theatre’s bold new season as Stormzy debuts for ground-breaking collaborationSlow news: Cumbria tortoise found a mile from home nine months after going missingFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X, @theObserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise Producer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.
2 Maj 37min
Why do we lose our local parks to festivals every summer?
What do councils do with the money they get from renting public spaces out for festivals? How will the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a woman impact our day-to-day lives? And North Korea has confirmed it sent troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Moore, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Miranda Sawyer as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Follow us on Social Media: @tortoise on IG and X, @tortoisemedia on tiktok @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsHost: Giles Whittell Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.comProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Apr 32min
