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 16, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 408: Donald Trump’s document stash
The FBI discovered 11 sets of classified papers at Donald Trump’s Palm Beach home, some of them were top secret. What will the fallout be for the former president?
Aug 15, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 407: Labour’s union spat
Why is the Labour Party finding it so hard to deal with the trade union movement?
Aug 12, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 406: Returning treasures
The Horniman Museum’s decision to return a collection of Benin Bronzes to the Nigerian government will increase pressure on the British Museum to do the same. But how significant is the move?
Aug 11, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 405: Alex Jones meets the truth
US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to the family of a boy killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, but has his day in court come too late in America’s battle for truth?
Aug 10, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 404: NHS crisis: a junior doctor’s view
New junior doctors have just completed their first week working in England’s hospitals. With the NHS facing a summer crisis, what’s it been like?
Aug 9, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 403: Profiting from energy prices
Oil and gas companies have made massive profits as household energy bills soar. Could they be doing more to help consumers?
Aug 8, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 402: Taiwan tensions
Relations between the US and China were already strained before Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. So why did Nancy Pelosi go, despite the warnings?
Aug 5, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 401: Monkeypox: what we know
The virus is spreading and the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency. How is monkeypox infecting people and who needs to be vaccinated first?
Aug 4, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 400: China's trafficked women
There are almost 40 million more men than women in China, which is fuelling the illegal trafficking of women to be brides that’s spilling over into neighbouring countries.
Aug 3, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 399: Boris Johnson: what next?
A campaign led by businessman and Conservative donor Lord Cruddas to “Bring Back Boris” looks unlikely to succeed, so what might Boris Johnson do next?
Aug 2, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 398: England’s women victorious
England’s women have won the European Championship for the first time in their history. But what does their victory mean for the future of the game, and what needs to be done to ensure its legacy isn’t lost?
Jul 31, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 397: Trump under pressure
The January 6th hearings might have paused for the summer, but the other investigations into Donald Trump’s actions are only picking up pace. What does it mean for the former president, and will he run in 2024?
Jul 29, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 396: Liz Truss’s pitch for PM
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are going head-to-head to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. In the second of two Sensemaker episodes we look at what the foreign secretary believes and what she might do if she wins.
Jul 28, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 395: Mass shootings and the media
Since the start of 2022 there have been more than 300 mass shootings in the United States. The public rarely sees the violent reality of mass shootings, so when journalists do get hold of images from them, is it their duty to publish them?
Jul 27, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 394: Holiday homes under the hammer
Scotland’s Highland council has introduced a scheme to reduce the number of properties used as second homes and holiday lets. It’s not the first one to try. Will it work?
Jul 26, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 393: Rishi Sunak’s pitch for PM
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are going head-to-head to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. In the first of two Sensemaker episodes we look at what the former chancellor believes and what he might do if he wins.
Jul 25, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 392: Zelensky’s purge
Ukraine’s president has removed two top government officials citing many cases of treason in the two powerful organisations they led. What impact have the collaborators had and how serious is the problem?
Jul 22, 2022 · 8 min
Ep 391: Return of Q
The leader of QAnon, the conspiracy theory that believes the US is run by Satanic baby-eating paedophiles, is back. What does it mean for America?
Jul 21, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 390: Covid's new sub-variants
At the start of July, one in eighteen people in the UK were infected with Covid because of two new Omicron sub-variants. How worried should we be about rising cases?
Jul 20, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 389: The basketball star taken prisoner
Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February. The US government may have a way of getting her out – by releasing a man nicknamed “The Merchant of Death”.