James O'Brien Daily

What happens when America turns its back on Ukraine?

Donald Trump’s apparent alignment with Vladimir Putin raises urgent questions about Ukraine’s future, from restrictions on Starlink and military intelligence to the possibility of Europe having to fill the gap left by a retreating America. Financial Times chief Ukraine correspondent Christopher Miller joins James to explore the impact on Ukraine’s fight for survival and the fears facing its people.

Plus, an ITV investigation exposes racist comments by Reform UK candidates and councillors, raising serious questions about the party’s vetting process and Nigel Farage’s response. Where does the line between “legitimate concerns” and outright racism lie and could the public’s rejection of racist politics offer a reason for hope?

This episode was recorded on the 15th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

A national campaign has launched in the hope of finding 10,000 new foster places. James hears extraordinary, emotional accounts from foster carers - from children arriving with almost nothing, to the painful and joyful reality of letting them go, these calls reveal why fostering can change everyone involved.

Then, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich joins James to discuss his 491 days in a Russian prison, why he quickly understood he was being held as leverage, and the prisoner swap that finally brought him home.

This episode was recorded on the 14th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Released from prison with a small discharge payment, no settled home and a long list of conditions: what could possibly go wrong? James explores why so many people return to prison so quickly, often not for a new crime but for breaching the terms of their release.

Plus, Andy Burnham begins reopening the Brexit conversation. Is Britain finally ready to admit that making trade with its closest neighbours harder was a catastrophic mistake?

This episode was recorded on the 13th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum. So why did Vladimir Putin want Britain out of the European Union - and why are so many people still reluctant to confront the answer? James examines how division, disinformation and distrust can weaken a country far more cheaply than military force.

Plus, what does Donald Trump’s apparent unwillingness to oppose Vladimir Putin mean for Ukraine, Europe and the world? James hears from callers wrestling with the unsettling possibility that the President of the United States is acting consistently in Russia’s interests.

This episode was recorded on the 12th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to broadcast a firing-squad execution. James asks what happens when state killing becomes a public spectacle - and why the presence of a camera makes it feel still more horrifying.

Plus, James examines a major new review of young people’s mental health. Its message is clear: they are not weak, overdiagnosed or “snowflakes”. They are facing pressures previous generations did not and they need support, compassion and understanding.

This episode was recorded on the 9th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Brexit, Covid lockdowns and Liz Truss's mini-budget have all taken a lasting toll on Britain's mental health, according to new research. James explores how major political decisions and global events can shake our sense of security, hearing from callers about anxiety, personal trauma and the moments that changed how they see the world.

Plus, who exactly is Kemi Badenoch trying to win over? Following her Conservative Party Conference speech, James hears from voters torn between their distrust of the Tories and their fear of Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

This episode was recorded on the 8th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Inheritance tax affects a small proportion of estates, so why does it provoke such a powerful reaction in almost everyone else? James asks whether it is morally wrong to tax wealth passed down through families, or whether those receiving large inheritances should see themselves as fortunate.

Plus, James unpicks Kemi Badenoch’s latest speech and speaks to LBC's Washington Editor Simon Marks about mounting concerns over the integrity of the forthcoming US midterm elections.

This episode was recorded on the 7th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Cancer is increasingly affecting people under 50 - but what does it feel like to receive a diagnosis at an age when you never imagined it could happen to you? From missed symptoms and life-saving persistence with GPs to treatment, anxiety and the long road afterwards, this is an honest conversation about the reality of cancer at a younger age.

Plus, business owners respond to Jeremy Clarkson’s claim that Britain is no longer a place to build a company.

This episode was recorded on the 6th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

The Green Party has voted to define Zionism as a form of racism, prompting concern from Jewish members who fear it could stigmatise people simply for attending synagogues or identifying with Israel’s right to exist. James explores the crucial distinction between condemning the Israeli Government’s actions in Gaza and defining Zionism itself as racist.

Then, after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says employers are too quick to recruit from overseas, James hears from employers facing challenges finding the skilled workers they need.

This episode was recorded on the 5th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Half of prisoners in England and Wales are functionally illiterate. James asks what prison is actually for when education, rehabilitation and support on release are so limited - and why a system meant to reduce crime can leave people more likely to return.

Then, James examines Suella Braverman’s comments on Englishness, hearing from callers who ask how a former Home Secretary can tell people born and raised in Britain that they do not belong.

This episode was recorded on the 2nd of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.