Learn English B1+ | Today's News, Slowed for Intermediate Learners

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: Medicare's $50 obesity drug program is catching on fast, with CVS and Walgreens filling about 100,000 prescriptions each. Also: The US drug agency approves daraxonrasib, a daily pill that nearly doubled survival for pancreatic cancer patients in a trial.

Today’s English focus: is clearly being used, is clearly in use = to be clearly in use. Vocabulary: Prescription (a doctor's medicine order), Eligible (allowed to take part because you meet the rules), Uptake (the amount of use something gets, especially at the start).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-27

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Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: Medicare's $50 obesity drug program is growing fast, with CVS and Walgreens already filling around 100,000 prescriptions each. The episode explains who can get the lower price. Also: The FDA approves daraxonrasib, a daily pill for pancreatic cancer, after a trial found patients lived 13.2 months on average versus 6.6 months with chemotherapy. The episode.

Today’s English focus: be allowed to, to have permission or be permitted by rules = to have permission or be permitted by rules. Vocabulary: program (a planned set of actions or services), eligible (allowed to receive or join something), uptake (the amount of people who start using a service or product).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-27

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: United Airlines is adding new routes to faraway places like Okinawa and Ljubljana, showing how travelers are choosing more unusual destinations and longer international trips. Also: At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, robots beat human sprint records but also crashed, toppled, and even caught fire, showing both speed and limits.

Today’s English focus: is going to add, plans to add = plans to add. Vocabulary: route (flight path), destination (place you travel to), season (period of the year).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-26

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: The US removes Syria from its terrorism list after a 45-day review, and President Ahmed al-Sharaa calls it historic. Also: China's factories and classrooms show a fast-growing robot shift, as more than two million robots and new training prepare workers for automation.

Today’s English focus: is going to do - be about to do / plans to do = is going to do. Vocabulary: robots (machines that can do tasks by themselves or with little help), workforce (all the people who work, or could work, in a place or country), automation (using machines and systems to do work that people used to do).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-25

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: A planned Microsoft-G42 data centre near Lake Naivasha raises fears that another big industrial user could add pressure to an already stressed water system. Also: Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rise to 5,515, with 2,642 deaths and growing calls for faster international action.

Today’s English focus: are going to use, plan or future situation that already looks clear = plan or future situation that already looks clear. Vocabulary: water (water), demand (demand), pressure (pressure).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-24

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: Coca-Cola is building new machines and drink ideas for restaurants and theaters, including dispensers that can make dirty sodas and bright refreshers. Also: Humanoid robots are reaching a turning point as companies want one machine that can do many jobs and people react with both curiosity and unease.

Today’s English focus: can make, can produce or create = can produce or create. Vocabulary: dispenser (a machine that gives out drinks), refreshers (light drinks that feel fresh), margin (the profit left after costs).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-23

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: Waymo spends much more on lobbying as it pushes for fully driverless taxis and competes with Uber over the future of robotaxis. Also: The Panama Canal will let fewer ships through because El Niño has reduced rainfall and water levels.

Today’s English focus: will be able to pass, be allowed to go through in the future = be allowed to go through in the future. Vocabulary: vessel (ship or boat), transit (movement through a place), sustainability (ability to continue for a long time without harm or running out).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-22

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: A US robot seller changes course after a ban on foreign-made robots, and plans to build its own machines in New York. Also: In Washington, D.C., food fans taste jollof rice from different countries in a blind test to settle a long rivalry.

Today’s English focus: be thinking about, to be considering an idea or plan = to be considering an idea or plan. Vocabulary: manufacturing (making products in a factory), deploy (to put into use), integration (connecting parts so they work together).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-21

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: NASA and Katalyst end their rescue mission for the Swift gamma-ray observatory after a problem with the Link satellite, but they may still gather useful data. Also: LinkedIn data shows women make up a much smaller share of hires into high-paying AI jobs than in non-AI jobs, and the gap is wider in leadership roles.

Today’s English focus: is going to, used for a plan or something expected soon = used for a plan or something expected soon. Vocabulary: premium (extra pay), ladder (higher levels in a job or company), roles (jobs or positions).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-20

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn English through today’s real news. Natural-pace English at B1, with a full transcript.

In this episode: Researchers found a hidden Copilot setting that let them test how an AI assistant could leak data and bypass a safety rule after a simple link click. Also: At least 30 children are feared to have been conceived with the wrong sperm or egg donors, and families in northern Cyprus want answers.

Today’s English focus: had chosen, used to talk about one action that happened before another past = had chosen. Vocabulary: Donor (a person who gives sperm, eggs, blood, or money to help someone else), Ancestry (family background or where a family came from), Investigation (a careful official search for the truth).

Learn more from today’s episode with the full podcast transcript, vocabulary explanations, and extra learning materials: https://linguawire.com/episodes/english-b1-2026-08-19

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.