Beyond Today

Oobah Butler is a writer and professional mischief maker. Last year he made the news for hacking TripAdvisor’s review system by getting his fake restaurant rated number one in London. Whether he's blagging his way into fashion week as a knock off brand designer or sending fake versions of himself on to the BBC, his pranks are often both hugely elaborate and curiously insightful. We got him in to find out why he does it all.

Producers: Lucy Hancock, Jaja Muhammad and Seren Jones

We get inside one of the places where they try to teach pupils kicked out of mainstream school. 50,000 of them are now in what’s called alternative provision. Why are more children being excluded from school and what can be done to support them and the teachers who try to educate them? The BBC’s Noel Titheradge takes us through what he found and Kiran Gill, founder of The Difference, describes some of the solutions for teachers working in alternative provision and pupil referral units.

Producers: Becky Lipscombe, Jaja Muhammad and Philly Beaumont.

This story of a mass murder in the Nigerian city of Jos reveals the devastating impact that fake news can have when it inflames existing tensions. Yemesi Adegoke and Charlie Northcott from the BBC’s Africa Eye talk us through what happened.

Producers: Philly Beaumont and Duncan Barber.

If the government is going to keep to its Brexit timetable, a divorce deal between Britain and the EU needs to be finalised this week. We’re due to leave at the end of March 2019, so as politicians scrutinise the final details, what do we know about how things will be different after that? Chris Mason and Adam Fleming from Radio 5 Live’s Brexitcast tell us that if all goes to plan we may not notice very much difference at all - to begin with. That is, unless, you own a ferret.

Producers: Harriet Noble and Georgia Coan.

Iceland wanted to use a Greenpeace film about palm oil for its Christmas adverts, but was prevented from running it on TV by rules banning political campaigning. Instead the advert has been shared widely online, a PR bonanza for the supermarket. In a world where consumers want brands to take a stance, but we’re also more aware of the ways we can be manipulated by big companies, who do we believe? Melanie Abbott from You and Yours, Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd and Katie Mackay-Sinclair help us figure it out.

Producers: Philly Beaumont, Jaja Muhammad.

Stacey has been presenting current affairs for over a decade. She’s known for her brand of gutsy, compassionate reporting. This week she takes a break from a punishing Strictly schedule to talk to Tina about her on screen style and where it fits into the news. They explore the line between empathy and emotion and why she hesitates to even call herself a journalist.

It is 100 years since the end of World War One. As the generations that fought in the two World Wars fade away, it gets harder to remember the impact of those conflicts. And while most tend to agree that those wars had to be fought, the case for more recent wars, like Iraq and Afghanistan, has been less clear cut. With some young people choosing not to wear a red poppy, are we forgetting the how to remember those who die in service to their country? We hear from a former soldier, who served in Afghanistan, about what the act of remembrance means to him.

This podcast contains discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. You can find support for dealing with PTSD by following this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3CTnhCQD6X0xC6Kw5LVKV3M/ptsd-and-more-support-information-and-support

Producers: Seren Jones, Georgia Coan and Harriet Noble.

He wasn’t on the ballot paper, but Donald Trump still called the mid-term elections a “tremendous success”. Both his Republican Party and the opposing Democrats can find reasons to claim victory as they look ahead to the next big challenge: the fight for the presidency in 2020. Today programme presenter and former Washington correspondent Justin Webb considers Trump, his rivals, and what comes next for America - and the rest of us.

Producers: Harriet Noble and Jaja Muhammad

Should catcalling and leering at women become illegal? Some politicians have been calling for it. The country’s most senior police officers, themselves women, say there are more pressing priorities. They say their efforts should be concentrated on murder, knife and gun crime. But what kind of message does this send to women?

Producers: Philly Beaumont and Duncan Barber

This week the whole of the US goes to the polls for the first time since Donald Trump became president. President Trump himself is not on the ballot paper, but he says it’s still a referendum on him. It’s also become a referendum on #MeToo, the first electoral test since the women’s rights movement began a year ago. The BBC’s White House Correspondent Tara McKelvey assesses how gender politics is changing in America.

Producers: Lucy Hancock and Harriet Noble.