Americast

Tim Walz is not a household name in American politics and until recently wasn't even considered a frontrunner to be Kamala Harris's pick as vice president. But after days of speculation, Harris has chosen Walz as she looks to gain support among working class and progressive voters.

What does his selection tell us about the Democrats strategy to retain the White House in November? Justin, Sumi and Marianna analyse Walz's selection with Newscast's Adam Fleming on another big day in the election campaign.

HOSTS:

* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter

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This episode was made by Rufus Gray with Jack McLaren and George Dabby. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Barack Obama has already done his two terms as president of the US. Would he be allowed to then serve as vice president to Kamala Harris?

And, Donald Trump made a controversial appearance at the convention for the National Association of Black Journalists last week. Why did he make comments questioning Kamala Harris’s racial identity?

HOSTS:

* Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Madeleine Drury, Ben Morris and Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

After a breathless couple of weeks in American politics it’s time for the Americast team to take stock. Has there been a more tumultuous time in American politics? And what can history tell us about what’s happening today?

This week we’re joined by former BBC correspondent and historian Nick Bryant who tells that Trump is as much product of US history as JFK, Lincoln and Reagan.

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US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

This episode was made by Tim Walklate with Rufus Gray and Elliot Ryder. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

It’s been a tricky week for Donald Trump. With his presumed opponent, Kamala Harris, enjoying a wave of momentum after Joe Biden stood down from the 2024 race, Trump has been defending his VP pick - JD Vance - after criticism of his “childless cat lady” comments.

Harris meanwhile has been campaigning in Georgia, challenging Donald Trump to a debate and pledging to solve the crisis at the US southern border. Harris has previously been criticised for not doing enough to come up with solutions. Can she convince voters that she now has the answers?

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US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

This episode was made by George Dabby. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Donald Trump promised supporters at a rally that he would “fix” things so that they would never have to vote again. Was he referring to the end of democracy in the US?

We answer your questions about how to interpret Trump’s messaging, as well as assessing the effect of political memes on the outcome of the election.

HOSTS:

* Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Catherine Fusillo and Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

In the days after Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid, the Democrats raised more than $100 million. Now, Donald Trump's team have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, challenging whether she can take over Joe Biden's campaign funds.

Where does all this money come from? And what's it used for? This week we're joined by Sarah Bryner from OpenSecrets, an organisation dedicated to tracking the money in US politics to find out why presidential candidates are spending more than ever before on their campaigns, and what motivates people to donate to their cause.

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

In a rare televised address from the Oval Office, Biden makes his first public comments on why he dropped out of the presidential race. He said he would level with the American people, and tell the truth, but did he answer the big question?

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Annie Smith. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the support of a majority of Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee for president.

We answer your questions on how she’s gone from playing a backseat role, to the forefront of the party’s hopes in the election.

Plus - how will the Republican campaign respond? What’s George Clooney doing for the Democrats? And did the Secret Service director Kim Cheatle have to resign after the Trump shooting?

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This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

In one single day, since Joe Biden announced he was stepping down as the Democrat’s nominee, VP Kamala Harris has raised over $150 million for her presidential campaign. She has also gained the endorsements of a large number of Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi and the Clintons.

But how realistic are her chances of winning against Donald Trump and how should the Democrats be shaping her campaign? Steve Israel, a former chair of the Democrat’s Congressional Campaign Committee - who has plenty of experience when it comes to big campaigns - joins Sarah, Anthony and Justin to discuss.

Also, why is Kamala Harris associated with coconut trees? Why does she get blamed for the border crisis by Republicans? We unpack the 5 most important things to know about Kamala, from coconut trees to her record on the border.

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US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni and Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Daffyd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

And says it's "in the best interest of my party and the country".

Americast and Newscast collaborate for another episode. Adam, Justin, Sarah and Marianna come together to talk about what's happened and what it could all mean for the US election.

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US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

This episode was made by Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The Americast series producer is Purvee Pattni. The Newscast assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.