Best of the Spectator

Welcome to a slightly new format for the Edition podcast! Each week we will be talking about the magazine – as per usual – but trying to give a little more insight into the process behind putting The Spectator to bed each week.On the podcast this week: plan BibiIn the early hours of Friday morning, Benjamin Netanyahu leaked his ‘Day after Hamas’ plan for post-war Gaza. But the plan is not a plan, writes Anshel Pfeffer – it is just a set of vague principles that do not stand up to the slightest scrutiny. Its sole purpose is rather to keep the ministers of Netanyahu’s fragile cabinet together to ensure his political survival. Joining the podcast is former National Security advisor to Netanyahu and former head of the Israeli Professor Uzi Arad, to discuss Bibi’s self-interested survival strategy. (03:08)Also this week: Lara and Will discuss some of their favourite pieces from the magazine. Including Richard Bratby’s arts lead on the composer you should take far more seriously and Ysenda Maxtone Graham’s piece on the ‘sad clappies’. Then: why Latvia is expelling its Russian speakers. New rules mean that ethnic Russians, many of whom have lived in Latvia for their entire lives, have been told they need to learn Latvian or face deportation. In the magazine, Lukas Degutis, The Spectator’s editorial manager, interviews people affected by the illiberal policy, as well as the politicians defending the change as part of de-Russification of the Baltic states. We spoke to Lukas and Inga Springe, investigative journalist at Re:Baltica who has been across this story on the derussification of the Baltic. (22:16)And finally: why don’t we have more time, and when we do, why do we waste it? This is the central question of a new book by Gary S. Cross, titled: Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal. We thought this was the perfect question to ask our own Wiki Man columnist Rory Sutherland, who had some fascinating things to say about free time and how best to spend it. (34:39)Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. If there are any areas of the magazine that you are particularly interested in or any questions you have for Will and Lara, please email: podcast@spectator.co.uk. We will try and answer as many as we can in next week’s episode.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the award-winning novelist Colum McCann, whose new book takes him out of the territory of fiction and into something slightly different. American Mother is written in collaboration with Diane Foley, mother of Jim Foley, the journalist killed by ISIS in Syria in 2014. He tells me how he came to reinvent himself as (not quite) a ghostwriter, why he thinks you can use the tools of the fiction-writer to get at journalistic truth, and about what it was like to sit in the room with Diane Foley and the man who murdered her son. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Americano, The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson explores Trump's candidacy with political commentator Deroy Murdock, and The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews. They debate the influence of his rhetoric on American politics. How important is language? Will his achievements as President be enough to secure his re-election? Does personality Trump policy? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the state of polls and why vaccines are divisive in the election; bookmakers might underestimate Joe Biden, and the impact of the cost of living. Analyzing Trump and Biden's chances, polling data, and demographic shifts. Discussing trust in elections, voter behavior, and factors shaping the election outcome. Exploring Democratic candidate polling data and electoral impact.

Experts discuss advancements in dementia research, inequalities in diagnosis rates, and the political discourse on preventive healthcare. They emphasize the need for prioritizing dementia care in politics, addressing challenges in UK life sciences, and exploring the impact of sports-related head injuries on dementia risk. The significance of a balanced diet in Alzheimer's and dementia is also highlighted.

Investigating scandalous allegations against Fr Marko Rupnik by a former nun, questioning Pope Francis' knowledge and involvement. Unveiling lack of transparency and media coverage, exposing complexities of clerical abuse cases and critiques of papal protection.

Julie Bindel and Jackson Katz discuss empowering bystanders to end rape culture, men's fear of confronting abusive behavior, and the importance of men actively challenging misogyny and sexism. They explore the role of allies in fighting gendered violence and promoting gender equality.

This podcast delves into diverse topics like the welfare crisis in Blackpool, a journalist in a Siberian jail, an endangered ancient synagogue, book reviews, and Labour's influence on housing architecture. It highlights struggles in Blackpool, preservation efforts for the Bevizmark synagogue, the evolution of literary works, and architects' responses to the housing crisis.

Freddy speaks to journalist and author of The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties, Chris Caldwell, about the human rights movement. Can America’s influence be considered imperial? Is how we think of human rights outdated? And, what does the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2011 intervention in Libya tell us about the state of human rights today? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Delve into the UK jobs crisis, economic challenges of worklessness, and the impact on the economy. Discuss Labour's housing policy proposals and improving housing quality. Explore hosting during lent, children's smartphone usage, and balancing online identities as parents.