Sensemaker

The Observer

The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.

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1,388 episodes
Updated June 19

Episodes1388

Newest first

Aug 5, 2024 · 7 min
Who are Britain’s far right?
The disorder and violence that has followed the attack in Southport has been condemned as “thuggery,” and an insult to a grieving community. What does it tell us about Britain’s far right?
Aug 2, 2024 · 7 min
Sha’Carri Richardson and the politics of doping
The US athlete is seeking redemption at the Paris Olympics, but what does her story tell us about the politics of doping?
Aug 1, 2024 · 6 min
How does a government overspend on asylum by £6bn pounds?
The chancellor Rachel Reeves accused the previous Conservative government of 'covering up' a £22bn hole in the public finances including £6 billion on housing asylum seekers that hadn’t been budgeted for.
Jul 31, 2024 · 7 min
How Kamala Harris could beat Trump
Her presidential campaign has taken off, but can she maintain the momentum all the way to election day in November?
Jul 30, 2024 · 9 min
FlowGPT vs Bad Bunny and the rise of AI-generated music
AI-generated music is on the rise. Major artists are hearing their voices in songs they never recorded, and the law is struggling to keep up. What does this mean for the future of the music industry?
Jul 29, 2024 · 6 min
Historic jail terms for Just Stop Oil protestors
Why five activists who disrupted traffic on the M25 have been given the longest sentences for peaceful protest in UK history.
Jul 26, 2024 · 8 min
Strictly Come Dancing loses its shine
For two decades Strictly Come Dancing has been a jewel in the BBC’s crown. But now allegations of misconduct against at least two professional dancers have rocked the show – and more celebrity contestants are speaking out about their experiences.
Jul 25, 2024 · 6 min
Simone Biles seeks redemption at the Paris Olympics
The US gymnast was top of the world in Rio, but she struggled in Tokyo. What will Simone Biles do in Paris?
Jul 24, 2024 · 5 min
CrowdStrike: What can we learn from the outage?
The world is still recovering from a global IT failure that affected at least 8.5 million devices.
Jul 23, 2024 · 6 min
Joe Biden has dropped out. What now?
Following weeks of pressure US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 US presidential election. With just over 100 days to go, what does this mean?
Jul 22, 2024 · 7 min
The malaria survivor who helped create a new vaccine
Mehreen Datoo nearly died after she caught the disease when she was a medical student. Now she is part of the team that has helped develop a world-changing malaria jab.
Jul 19, 2024 · 8 min
Ep 897: Brat summer: how Charli XCX captured the zeitgeist
Charli XCX’s new album has taken the world by storm, but its success is down to more than just the music. How did Brat breakthrough to become this summer’s zeitgeist trend?
Jul 18, 2024 · 9 min
Ep 896: Donald Trump’s mini-me
Donald Trump has chosen the ultra-loyal, 39 year old JD Vance to be his running mate. What does this tell us about Donald Trump’s bid for the White House?
Jul 17, 2024 · 7 min
Ep 895: India’s mega-wedding
What do Rihanna, Tony Blair and Andrea Bocelli have in common? They all went to the multi-event wedding hosted by India’s richest family. But why spend so much, so publicly, in a country with huge inequality?
Jul 16, 2024 · 8 min
Ep 894: How an attempt to assassinate Trump upended the presidential race
Donald Trump and Joe Biden have called for unity after the former president was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania, but will it last and how might the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate change the course of the election campaign?
Jul 15, 2024 · 7 min
Ep 893: What is the ‘grey belt’?
The government has promised to build one and half million homes over the next five years by overhauling planning rules and developing what it calls ‘grey belt’ areas. Will it help solve the housing crisis?
Jul 12, 2024 · 7 min
Ep 892: England reach Euro 2024 final
How Gareth Southgate took England’s men to not one but two finals at the European Championships.
Jul 11, 2024 · 7 min
Ep 891: The battle over the future of the Tory party
Following its seismic election defeat the Tory party has descended into bitter infighting over the election of its next leader.
Jul 10, 2024 · 7 min
Ep 890: James Timpson: Labour’s radical prisons minister
Keir Starmer’s government has inherited a prisons crisis in England and Wales. Could the boss of a high street key cutting chain fix the problem?
Jul 9, 2024 · 6 min
Ep 889: France's shock election result
The far right have been defeated in parliamentary elections where they were expected to make major gains and possibly even form a government