The Story

A new book by New York Magazine’s former star political writer, Olivia Nuzzi, has unleashed a chaotic slew of revelations about her alleged transgressive relationships with wayward politicians — and the US is hooked. But how did this increasingly bizarre he-said she-said story of conflicting accounts unfold? And what does it tell us about the nexus between politics and journalism - between power and those who are supposed to hold it to account in modern America? Guest: Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Dave Creasey. Read more: The Olivia Nuzzi saga is Nora Ephron’s Heartburn for our social media age Brain worms and blue eyes: the RFK love triangle shocking AmericaClips: ABC, The Hill, Siriusxm, NY Post, The Bulwark. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1980s, the leader of Poland’s Solidarity Movement, campaigning against communism, promised the country’s economy would one day rival Japan. The crowd laughed. Now that dream has become a reality. By the end of this year, Polish living standards are forecast to match those in the Asian economic powerhouse, and Poles across Europe are returning home. So how have they managed it? And will it last? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Harry Stott. Read more: Poland: an economic miracle at the heart of Europe Clips: Netflix / Youtube, BBC, TRT / Youtube, TLDR News EU, Daily Mail / Youtube, Sky. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Health Secretary Wes Streeting is announcing an independent review into rising demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services. Amid soaring welfare costs and long waiting lists, the government says the system needs to be transformed. But with Streeting previously claiming that some mental health conditions are ‘overdiagnosed’, are the right problems being tackled? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Edward Drummond, Taryn Siegel, Micaela Arneson. Read more: Wes Streeting orders inquiry into mental health ‘overdiagnosis’ Further listening: Is ADHD being over-diagnosed? Clips: Sky News, Channel 4 News, Parliament, The Sun, BBC. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday the UN General Assembly met to discuss a plan for Palestinian statehood, two months after President Trump announced his twenty-point peace plan for Israel and Gaza. But has the fighting actually stopped? Is the region any closer to peace? And could Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial derail the whole process? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Gabrielle Weiniger, Israel correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Olivia Case. Read more: ‘With or without Netanyahu, Trump will lead us to a two-state solution’ Further listening: How Trump's Gaza deal could still unravel Clips: WPLG Local 10, Fox, DW News, RTE News, The Guardian, WFAA / YouTube, Middle East Eye, NBC, Yvette Cooper / Twitter. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fallout from last week’s budget continues; first chancellor Rachel Reeves was accused of misleading MPs and the public over the state of public finances, then the chair of the budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, resigned. So how did this row unfold and where does it leave the Prime Minister? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Oliver Wright, policy editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Olivia Case, Shabnam Grewal. Read more: Did Rachel Reeves lie — and will she resign? Further listening: Do bond markets rule the world? Clips: The Telegraph, Times Radio, BBC, parliamentlive.tv, ITV News, Sky News. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2012 Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony went viral thanks to Kony 2012, a documentary about his atrocities. He's been on the run ever since. Today, the son who was groomed to be his father's heir tells his story for the first time. This podcast contains scenes some listeners may find distressing. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Richard Assheton, contributor, The Times and The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Olivia Case. Further listening: Inside Haiti: face to face with the gangs ruling a desperate nation - the Sunday Story Clips: Channel 4, Clevver News, Kony 2012 / Jason Russell / Invisible Children, Inc., The White House / JosephyKony.ogv Photo: Richard Assheton for The Sunday Times. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When an Oxbridge professor says his students are “functionally illiterate”, you know something is wrong. With reading levels in freefall and screentime rocketing, is the era of mass literacy over? In his wildly successful blog, James Marriot argues that three centuries after the reading revolution ignited democracy and modern science, we are now witnessing its great undoing. Where once we spent hours pouring over books, contemplating complicated theories and ideas, we now scroll emotive, short form content. What effect is this major shift having on our brains? And are we are really at the dawn of the post-literate society? The Sunday Times wants to Get Britain Reading. With our campaign you can: • Donate to Bookbanks to put books in the hands of those most in need • Volunteer to read in schools with Coram Beanstalk • Above all, take our pledge to read for pleasure for at least ten minutes a day for the next six weeks Read more about the campaign. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: James Marriott, Times columnist. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Dave Creasey. Read more: The dawn of the post-literate societyI’m a digital native — can I survive without my smartphone?Photo: Chris McAndrew for The Times. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oz Pearlman has guessed Joe Rogan's pin number, freaked out Barack Obama, mind-read Howard Stern’s secret afterlife password and left Richard Branson staring into the middle distance. But behind the viral moments is a former Wall Street analyst who insists there’s nothing supernatural in what he does, just psychology, pattern-spotting and a lifetime spent decoding how people think. We dive into the real tricks of the world’s most in-demand "mentalist", the habits that power his $10m career, and why he says you can learn them too. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Written by: Michael Odell, interviewer and features writer. Read by: Micaela Arneson and Edward Drummond. Producer: Dave Creasey. Read more: The $10m mind-reader who spooked Barack Obama and Joe Rogan Clips: The Joe Rogan Experience, SiriusXM, AGT, TedX, GMA. Photo: Alexander Karnyukhin/Contour by Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inaugural conference of Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party takes place this weekend. But what should have been the coronation of the left’s most potent new force has become a shambles. Will they get it together in time to prevent Zack Polanski’s Greens from sweeping up the left vote? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Harry Stott. Read more: Your Party civil war worsens before inaugural conference Further listening: Why Britain’s left is radicalising Clips: New Statesman / Youtube, Zarah Sultana / Youtube, Times Radio, Channel 4, Canary / Youtube, ITV News, LBC, Socialist Telly / Youtube, Owen Jones / Youtube, Novara Media. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After weeks of trailing, flip-flopping, and media briefings, the government finally unveiled its budget. And while there were no real surprises, questions– both practical and existential– remain. Has Rachel Reeves done enough to save her and Keir Starmer’s jobs? And what will it mean for you, the listener? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Micaela Arneson. Read more: This budget may end up dooming Labour’s election chances What does the budget mean for you? Further listening: The Business Clips: BBC News, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Sky News, Parliament. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of the thirteen sub-postmasters thought to have taken their own lives because of the Post Office scandal, only two have been named publicly. Michael Mann was one of them. Our reporter has spoken to his family, former partner and ex-colleagues to tell his story for the first time. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Hugo Daniel, news reporter, the Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Edward Drummond and Shabnam Grewal. Read more: The forgotten postmaster ‘hounded to death’ by investigators Further listening: The Post Office scandal: How a TV drama delivered justice Clips: ITV, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Horizon Inquiry. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The prospect of peace in Ukraine may be edging closer, after the leak of a controversial 28-point plan to end the war prompted Ukrainian and Western officials to meet for ‘productive’ talks in Geneva. Is this the beginning of the end? And how does the latest proposal ensure that Russia will not invade again? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Mark Galeotti, Russia expert, writer, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Harry Stott, Micaela Arneson. Read more: Why Trump’s 28-point peace plan may just be a trap for Ukraine Further listening: The girl who was kidnapped by Russia - the Sunday Story Clips: Bloomberg, NBC, BBC, AP, Tucker Carlson / YouTube, Laura Logan / YouTube, Africanews. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent survey revealed that more than half of 16 to 34-year-olds have taken part in strangulation during sex, despite the risks of a loss of consciousness and stroke. Many feel a rise in choking in pornography is to blame, a practice the UK government is set to ban. Baroness Gabby Bertin has led an independent review which prompted the change in law. This programme contains descriptions of strangulation during sex. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Alula Hart. Read more: Half of young adults have been choked during sex, survey finds Why the woman outlawing violent porn is just getting started Photo: Andrew Farrar for The Sunday Times. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the Deep South, women raised to believe marriage was their destiny are now walking out, challenging the religious, cultural and political pressures that have shaped their lives. Meanwhile, the booming 'trad wife' movement, championed by conservative powerhouses like the late Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, is attracting a whole new generation of young women to embrace home and hearth and marry young. So, why are more marriages ending in divorce in the deep south than they are across liberal America? Could it mean the trad wife tradition will end in divorce? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Louise Callaghan, US correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Dave Creasey. Read more: Meet the Deep South divorcees escaping life as trad wives Clips: NBC, esteecwilliams. Photo: Corey Arnold, The Times Magazine. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tilly Norwood, the world's first 'AI actress' has rocked Hollywood, sparking union protests and denounced by actors such as Whoopi Goldberg, George Clooney and Emily Blunt. For some she's a threat to the artform, for others an inevitability. She'll never forget her lines, turn up late or fall drunk out of a bar. Tilly can appear in multiple films at once and even change her appearance at will. But what does her creator say? Is she the future of cinema? Eline Van der Velden tells her side of the story, from the A-list backlash, to developing Tilly's personality. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Host: Tom Whipple, science correspondent, The Times. Producer: Dave Creasey. Read more: I invented the AI actress Tilly Norwood. She’s no threat to Hollywood Clips: NBC, CBS, Fox News, Particle6. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The findings of the report into the political governance and decision making during the pandemic are damning about Boris Johnson’s government’s attempts to protect the public from the virus. Who was responsible for a “toxic and sexist culture” and who misled Downing Street? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Eleanor Hayward, health editor, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Harry Stott. Read more: Covid inquiry: eight key takeaways from the report Clips: UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump has bowed to pressure from US lawmakers, including those in his own Republican party, to release files related to the investigation into the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. As leading MAGA figures start to rebel, we ask whether Trump has lost control over his base? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: George Grylls, Washington correspondent, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Olivia Case. Read more: Marjorie Taylor Greene: Americans won’t tolerate Trump’s Epstein files ‘bulls***’ Further listening: The new Epstein emails about Trump Clips: BBC, Sky, PBS, MS Now / YouTube, Democrats / Facebook, Fox. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an attempt to court the favour of the post-Assad regime in Syria, western countries have recently de-proscribed former terrorist groups. What does that mean for those who were deprived of their citizenship for allegedly associating with those groups, back when the West banned them? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Read more: Rabies, Russians and a return to scene of my kidnap, 11 years ago. Further listening: Palmyra: Syria's past, present and future. Clips: The Guardian, CNN, The Times, France 24. Photo: Anthony Loyd for The Times. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced sweeping changes to the asylum rules yesterday; the largest overhaul since the Second World War. The changes have apparently been inspired by Denmark but will they work or are they - as one Labour MP said - ‘repugnant’? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Olivia Case, Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott. Read more: Shabana Mahmood speech: Asylum policy to cope with ‘volatile’ world Further listening: Doomed to fail? Labour’s asylum u-turn Clips: Sky, Times Radio, parliamentlive.tv. Photo: Andrew Fox for The Sunday Times. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From this year, 18 year-old Danish women will have to take part in a conscription lottery and face potentially being called up for an 11 month military service. The country is just one of many in Europe aiming to improve military resilience in response to the growing threat from Russia. But what does it mean to the teenagers caught up on the front line of this debate? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Katie Gatens, commissioning editor of news review, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Edith Rousselot. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.