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

Jul 19, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 388: The end of cheap chicken
Chicken is the UK’s favourite meat and that’s partly because it’s cheap. Per kilo it costs less than a pint of lager. But it looks unlikely that prices can stay that low. Why is the cost of chicken rising?
Jul 18, 2022 · 9 min
Ep 387: After America's abortion ban
In a Sensemaker special, feminist and best-selling writer Caroline Criado Perez explains how limiting abortion rights harms women.
Jul 15, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 386: Musk ditches Twitter deal
Elon Musk has decided not to buy Twitter and now the social media platform is suing him. What is he up to and what can Twitter do about it?
Jul 14, 2022 · 9 min
Ep 385: Londongrad revisited
Boris Johnson has finally admitted to meeting a former KGB officer without officials in a palace in Italy. Why does it matter?
Jul 13, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 384: Picking the Prime Minister
The Conservative Party has begun choosing its new leader. How will the contest work, and who will pick the next prime minister?
Jul 12, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 383: Britain's fuel protests
High fuel prices are causing pain for motorists. Some have even taken part in “go slow” protests on motorways. Can the cost of petrol and diesel be controlled?
Jul 11, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 382: Nicola Sturgeon’s referendum
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has proposed a date for a second independence referendum. Why now, and will it happen?
Jul 8, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 381: Boris Johnson's legacy
Boris Johnson has quit after losing the confidence of his parliamentary party and squandering an 80 seat majority in less than three years. What did he achieve in that time?
Jul 7, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 380: Johnson on the brink
Chris Pincher’s drunken night at a private members club has set off an extraordinary series of events that could lead to Boris Johnson being ousted as prime minister. How did we get here?
Jul 5, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 379: Women’s football fight for equality
As the Women’s European football championships starts in England, Norwegian superstar Ada Hegerberg will be hoping to light up the tournament after a five-year absence in protest at sporting inequality in her country.
Jul 5, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 378: Afghanistan’s slide to disaster
Afghanistan is reeling from its deadliest earthquake in two decades at a time when it is already facing a humanitarian crisis. The Taliban government has appealed for help from the international community. But will sanctions be eased?
Jul 4, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 377: Porn king under pressure
The man behind MindGeek, which owns some of the world’s biggest porn sites, has lost his CEO and chief operating officer recently. Staff have also been fired. What is going on at the company?
Jul 1, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 376: The star witness
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson gave some remarkable testimony about Donald Trump’s behaviour to the committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. But do her revelations make criminal charges against the former president more likely?
Jun 30, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 375: Check the label
The UK has the highest level of obesity in western Europe. Will better food labels help us break free of junk food?
Jun 29, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 374: Roe v. Wade overturned
The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, a 50 year old ruling that guaranteed a woman’s right to abortion. Why did it make the decision and what can pro-choice supporters do now?
Jun 28, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 373: Ending life support: who decides?
A 12-year-old boy was declared legally dead by a judge, who ruled that he should be taken off life support. His mother, Hollie Dance, will fight that decision in the Court of Appeal.
Jun 27, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 372: Farewell to tennis' golden generation
For the last two decades, a golden generation has dominated tennis' biggest tournaments. But does this year's Wimbledon mark the end of an era?
Jun 24, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 371: Glastonbury at 50
Glastonbury Festival is back for its 50th year. It’s grown a lot since the 1970s to become the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. But apart from its size, how else has it changed and who is it for?
Jun 23, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 370: World swimming’s trans decision
Swimming’s world governing body, Fina, has decided to bar transgender women from elite female competitions. Could other sports now follow?
Jun 22, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 369: G'day, ma'am
Australia has just appointed its first assistant minister for the republic. Matt Thistlethwaite’s job is to oversee the transition toward establishing an Australian republic with an Australian head of state. But will he be successful?