

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

Sep 13, 2023 • 6min
Ep 682: Westminster China spy suspect: what we know so far
It’s been revealed that two people – including a parliamentary researcher – have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Why is the news causing so much trouble for the government?For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts. If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 12, 2023 • 6min
Ep 681: How weight loss injections are reshaping Denmark
Weight-loss injections like Ozempic and WeGovy are taking over Hollywood and transforming the Danish economy. What happens if things go wrong? For more Tortoise reporting on Novo Nordisk, sign up to the Daily Sensemaker newsletter: tortoisemedia.com For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 11, 2023 • 6min
Ep 680: Who is Boris Johnson’s baroness?
When the prime minister resigned, he nominated several of his closest allies to join the House of Lords. But one person stood out precisely because barely anyone had heard of her: Charlotte Owen.For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 8, 2023 • 6min
Ep 679: Iran: one year on from the death of Mahsa Amini
Nearly one year ago, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked protests across Iran. The unrest triggered national protests which were met with brutal repression, leading to a number of deaths. So what's happening in Iran one year on?For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 7, 2023 • 8min
Ep 678: Martha’s Rule: how a 13-year-old died unnecessarily from sepsis
The parents of Martha Mills say her death was caused by a toxic workplace culture in the NHS. They are campaigning to introduce procedures for families to ask for a second medical opinion when they have concerns about the current care they’re receiving. Listen to Merope Mills on The News Meeting podcast: https://podfollow.com/the-news-meeting Listen to Merope Mills on BBC Radio 4: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marthas-rule-challenging-culture-will-make-our-hospitals/id73330187?i=1000626669355 For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 6, 2023 • 8min
Ep 677: Crumbling Britain
More than 100 schools in England are completely or partially closed because of concerns that the concrete used to build them – and other public buildings, like hospitals – is unsafe. Is this a crisis that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could have prevented? For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 5, 2023 • 6min
Ep 676: What the death of a Ukrainian pilot tells us about the war against Russia
Andriy Pilschikov was a fighter pilot who caught the attention and imagination of those in the West. He was part of Ukraine's clamour for F-16 fighter planes, but why is the country so keen for them?For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 4, 2023 • 8min
Ep 675: Can Britain work with China?
Last week James Cleverly was the first British foreign secretary to visit China for five years. What does the trip say about the UK’s relationship with Beijing?For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 1, 2023 • 7min
Ep 674: Luis Rubiales: Spanish football’s MeToo moment?
The president of the Spanish Football Federation is under pressure to resign for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the country won the women’s World Cup. Is this Spain’s MeToo moment?For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 31, 2023 • 7min
Ep 673: Disaster averted: defusing the ‘time bomb’ tanker
When Yemen’s civil war broke out in 2014 a tanker that held the crude oil from its oil fields was abandoned in the Red Sea. Now the UN has had to step in to stop one of the largest spills in history.For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


