

Sensemaker
The Observer
The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone else A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Recipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2024 • 9min
Ep 802: What George Galloway’s return means for British politics
Rochdale’s new MP is a pro-Palestinian agitator who now has a parliamentary platform from which to exploit Labour’s divisions ahead of the general election. What could his return to the House of Commons mean for British politics?To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 1, 2024 • 8min
Ep 801: A spike in spiking?
A recent report suggested there was a “hidden epidemic” of spiking in the UK, but the data is complicated and often misunderstood. What’s really going on?To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 29, 2024 • 7min
Ep 800: How to hack the hackers
Last week the world’s largest ransomware gang was taken over in an extensive, international police operation. What does the infiltration of LockBit tell us about the fight against cyber crime?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 28, 2024 • 9min
Ep 799: How Birmingham went bust
Exploring how Birmingham City Council declared bankruptcy, leading to increased council tax rates. Delving into mismanagement of funds, IT system failure, and equal pay dispute causing financial crisis. Birmingham faces job losses, protests, and budget cuts amidst funding shortfalls and aging population.

Feb 27, 2024 • 9min
Ep 798: When egg freezing goes wrong
A hospital in London has told more than 130 patients that their eggs and embryos might have accidentally been damaged. What does this incident tell us about the UK’s fertility services?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 26, 2024 • 9min
Ep 797: The case against Julian Assange
British judges are deciding whether the founder of WikiLeaks should be allowed to appeal his extradition to the United States. What is he accused of doing?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 23, 2024 • 7min
Ep 796: The university that contributed to a student’s death
A landmark judgement has found that the University of Bristol contributed to the death of a student called Natasha Abrahart by discriminating against her. What does her suicide tell us about the duty of care that universities have towards their students?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 22, 2024 • 8min
Ep 795: Why Trump is selling golden trainers
Donald Trump is on the campaign trail for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, so why did he take time out to promote a new Trump-branded footwear range?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 21, 2024 • 8min
Ep 794: How The Body Shop lost its sheen
The business known for its natural and ethical beauty products has been a staple of the British high street for the past 50 years. Now it’s closing half of its UK stores and reducing the size of its head office, leading to hundreds of job losses.To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 2024 • 9min
Ep 793: Russia after Navalny
Kremlin critic and Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has died in prison. As questions swirl about his death and world leaders condemn Vladimir Putin, what does it mean for Russia?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


