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

Apr 22, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 328: France's choice
Marine Le Pen is running Emmanuel Macron closer than before in the French presidential race. What’s behind her popularity?
Apr 21, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 327: The Rwanda plan
The UK government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has raised both ethical and legal questions. Why is it still pressing ahead?
Apr 20, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 326: Russia’s new commander in Ukraine
A new phase of Russia’s invasion has begun and Vladimir Putin has put a new general in charge. What do we know about him and what does it mean for the war in Ukraine?
Apr 19, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 325: Elon Musk vs. Twitter
Elon Musk’s relationship with Twitter has gone from prolific tweeter to becoming its largest shareholder, nearly joining its board and then launching a hostile takeover bid. What is he trying to do?
Apr 14, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 324: Partygate: Johnson and Sunak fined
Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have been fined for breaking lockdown rules in Downing Street. A couple of months ago it could have led to the Prime Minister’s resignation, but things are different now. What’s changed?
Apr 13, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 323: Ketanji Brown Jackson makes history
History was made last week when Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first ever Black woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court judge. But her confirmation hearings were marred by baseless verbal attacks from Republican Senators.
Apr 12, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 322: The chancellor’s non-dom wife
Revelations that Rishi Sunak's wife chose to avoid paying UK income tax through her non-dom status have created a political storm for the Chancellor. But were they in the wrong?
Apr 11, 2022 · 9 min
Ep 321: Invaded: Russian atrocities
Like many Ukrainians, Halyna and her parents are returning to homes they fled just a few weeks ago. But the carnage left behind is beginning to emerge.
Apr 8, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 320: The conversion therapy conversion
The government’s conversion therapy ban is going ahead, but will not cover trans people. Why?
Apr 7, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 319: Why can’t the UN do more for Ukraine?
The United Nations is stuck. Russia wields the power of its veto to block any Security Council resolutions condemning its invasion of Ukraine. How did it come to this?
Apr 6, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 318: The recovering Russian ruble
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the country's currency tumbled. More than a month on, it looks like it's bounced back. But has it?
Apr 5, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 317: The gender pay gap bot
On International Women's Day, a Twitter bot drew attention to the gender pay gap in Britain's biggest companies. But does the data they report tell them full story?
Apr 4, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 316: Stan the T-Rex
When a T-Rex fossil was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2020, palaeontologists worried that the skeleton could be lost to science. Eighteen months later, the fossil has reappeared. But is it good news for researchers?
Apr 1, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 315: Partygate spin
Twenty fines will be issued to people in government who breached lockdown rules by going to parties in Number 10 and elsewhere across Whitehall. Throughout this saga the government has ducked and dived, but can it continue to deny laws were broken?
Mar 31, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 314: The Scheherazade: Putin's yacht?
One of the world's largest yachts is currently in the Tuscan resort of Marina di Carrara. Who it belongs to is disputed but there are suspicions it could be owned by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mar 30, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 313: Child Q
A 15-year-old black school girl who was suspected of carrying cannabis was strip searched by police officers at her school. How unusual is this?
Mar 29, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 312: Nigeria’s endless fuel crisis
Nigeria’s growing population keeps facing fuel shortages despite it being Africa’s largest oil producer. Why?
Mar 28, 2022 · 8 min
Ep 311: P&O all at sea
The decision to sack 800 staff via Zoom and replace them with cheaper agency workers seemed to surprise many. But there were signs of what was to come.
Mar 25, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 310: A degree of controversy
After Tony Sewell chaired the controversial Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities the University of Nottingham decided to revoke their offer of an honorary degree. Was it justified?
Mar 24, 2022 · 8 min
Ep 309: Spring statement: what does it mean for you?
Yesterday’s economic update was not a Budget, but with the cost of living soaring Rishi Sunak was facing calls to ease the squeeze. Did the chancellor rise to the challenge?