The UK plunged into its deepest recession on record in the first half of the year as the coronavirus lockdown saw the economy contract by more than a fifth between April and June.

The economy shrank by 20.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, worse than any other G7 nation, taking the UK into its first recession since the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

The dramatic fall in output came after a 2.2 per cent drop in the first three months of the year.

Business Correspondent Ben Chapman joins host Tom Richell to discuss the impact of this announcement and what happens next.

You can read an excellent piece of analysis from Ben here as well: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/recession-uk-economy-gdp-falls-why-government-response-analysis-a9666366.html

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At 6pm local time on Tuesday 4th August a massive double-explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut. 

Videos posted to social media showed a large fire burning at a warehouse in the port area of the city, before a blast sent a mushroom cloud towering into the sky and a shockwave across the city that was felt as far away as Cyprus. 

The Independent's correspondent in Beirut Bel Trew joins Deputy International Editor Gemma Fox and host Tom Richell to talk through her experiences of the last 24 hours and how the city is expected to function after such a large scale disaster. 

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With fewer than than 100 days to go to the US election, who will join Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket as vice presidential candidate?

Biden has already committed to selecting a woman and Kamala Harris is currently the favourite.

The Independent's Washington Bureau Chief John T. Bennett wades through the rumours with host Ben Kelly for a detailed look at all the names on Biden's potential shortlist.

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This week, Ben Kelly is joined by US reporter Chris Riotta to discuss the story of Marie Garofalo, a once indignant Trump supporter who has since pledged her support for Joe Biden.

As the coronavirus pandemic and anti-racism protests continue to sweep the US, many voters will find themselves with a difficult decision to make in November.

How important is party loyalty during a time of crisis, and with politics becoming ever more divided, have we lost the ability to listen to views which oppose our own?

Read Chris’ report here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/polarized-trump-biden-election-advice-conversations-with-family-a9624851.html 

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This week, Deputy Editor David Marley is joined by Health Correspondent Shaun Lintern to discuss a hospital trust at the centre of Britain’s biggest maternity scandal in history.

With Shrewsbury Hospital Trust already facing a criminal investigation, why does the picture across the wards appear to be worsening? And what could have been done to prevent such widespread failings?

You can read Shaun's full report here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/shrewsbury-maternity-scandal/shrewsbury-hospital-nhs-england-maternity-test-cqc-a9620521.html 

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This week’s news has been dominated by the latest coronavirus stories. But alongside that, another old news favourite has crept back into view - yes, you guessed it - Brexit. Or life after Brexit, to be more specific.

This week, we’ve had the first glimpse of the government’s advertising campaign to get the country Brexit-ready, we’ve had the Home Secretary unveil her immigration plans, and we’ve learned more about what travel will be like for Brits heading to Europe after the transition period.

Ben Kelly is joined by Policy Correspondent Jon Stone and Travel Correspondent Simon Calder.

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On July 1 The Independent's Chief US Correspondent Andrew Buncombe was arrested while covering a police operation to clear Black Lives Matter protesters in Seattle.

In this first episode of a brand new podcast series Behind the Headlines he recounts his experience, which included officers ignoring him when he was struggling to breathe and being assaulted by a guard in jail.

You can read Andrew's full story here: independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/journalist-arrest-seattle-chaz-protest-police-prison-black-lives-matter-a9606846.html

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On the show today TikTok star and impressionist Meggie Foster joins The Independent's Social Media Editor Ben Kelly to discuss her rise to internet stardom during the Covid-19 lockdown.

For many people around the world ‘lockdown’ has been a major part of the last few months. In fact we’ve just passed a remarkable 100 days of these restrictions in the UK.

Meggie, who was furloughed from her full time job, took to TikTok and began lip-syncing politicians' voices in a new wave of internet satire.

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On the show today Deputy Editor David Marley is joined by addiction expert Ian Hamilton to discuss our relationship with alcohol during coronavirus.

As pubs prepare to open this weekend, are we drinking more or less booze than before the lockdown? And how does being cooped up at home affect us and what dangers could that bring with it?

If you enjoy the show please leave us a rating and a comment.

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On the show today Deputy Editor David Marley is joined by author and pandemics expert Mark Honigsbaum to discuss how this virus, and others like it in the past, came to be.

Where did this virus originate and how does the global response compare to previous examples of pandemics?

Mark is the author of the book The Pandemic Century takes readers from the 1918 Spanish Flu to more recent viruses such as Sars and Mers.

If you enjoy the show please leave us a rating and a comment.

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