Novara Media Podcasts

Die Linke have won a major election, opening a path to the Berlin mayoralty for Germany’s leftmost party.

Plus: Specialist courts for sexual assault cases are set to be rolled out in England and Wales, fears are rising that war could return to Yemen, and Ed Sheeran has apologised for dropping pro-Palestine rapper Macklemore from his tour.

With Steven Methven, Harriet Williamson, James Jackson & David Wearing.

When and why did liberal democracy stop working for the many? On Downstream this week is Daron Acemoglu, joint recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, whose 2012 book Why Nations Fail has sold over a million copies.

He talks to Aaron Bastani about his data-packed new book, What Happened to Liberal Democracy?, which seeks to diagnose and remedy democracy before it’s too late. They talk about the transition to a post-industrial economy, the loss of community, how progressive politics became overrun by middle-class interests, and how AI further threatens our capacity to self-govern and lead flourishing lives.

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Former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson is now working for the controversial US tech firm Palantir.

Plus: Leaks from No. 10 reveal a surprising degree of continuity between the policies of Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham, some eyebrow-raising comments from a former top undercover police officer come to light, and Reform’s Danny Kruger gets humiliated on Question Time.

With Steven Methven, Banseka Kayembe, Martha Dark & Clare Hymer.

Read Clare Hymer & Sam Knights’ full report here:

A UN fact-finding mission has reported that two US airstrikes which killed at least 178 civilians in Iran constitute war crimes.

Plus: Andy Burnham says he is “determined” to hit net zero by 2050, Sweden’s left-of-centre coalition wins the general election, Netanyahu is pushing to strip IDF critics of their citizenship, and the Oxfordshire village of Piddington has voted to secede from the UK over migrant housing plans.

With Steven Methven, Dalia Gebrial & Jack Buck.

Ed Sheeran finds himself isolated as the rest of his warm up acts quit in solidarity with rapper Macklemore’s speech in support of Palestine.

Plus: An inflation rate spike spells trouble for Burnham, author Taj Ali joins us to talk racism and integration, and Nvidia’s CEO has ducked the tech backlash, until now.

With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Taj Ali.

13 people have been injured overnight in the latest escalation of the Houthis’ attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Plus: A delve into the economic realities that Burnham’s agenda will have to contend with, the Celtic nations of the UK say “Westminster’s time is coming to an end” in a new pact, the US is militarising space, and rapper Macklemore has been kicked off the Ed Sheeran tour for supporting Palestine.

With NoJusticeMTG, Aaron Bastani & Laura Webster.

Steven Methven speaks to Eli Clifton & Ian Lustick, authors of “Israel’s Lobby, America in the Grip of a Foreign Power”

Moya and Ash think about how money changes our priorities. Should rich friends should pay for their poor friends? And how do income gaps affect our romantic relationships? Plus: what to do when your partner reveals an addiction.

Get tickets for Ash at the Southbank Centre on 26 September: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/ash-sarkar-the-future-of-relationships

Send us your dilemmas: [email protected]

As Reform’s crypto-billionaire backers break consecutive records for political donations, will the government change the rules?

Plus: The Houthis bombing of a Saudi pipeline has sent oil to $108 dollars per barrel, and experts agree that AI development should be slowed, inevitably Trump has other ideas. 

With Michael Walker & Steven Methven.

This summer’s extreme heat, wildfires and thousands of excess deaths have shown that the climate is destabilising faster than predicted. In the face of this undeniable crisis, what should be done?

Tessa Khan is the founder of Uplift, an organisation working to decarbonise our energy system before it’s too late. The former human rights lawyer realised a decade ago that none of the other social questions matter if we don’t address the climate crisis.

Tessa talks to Aaron Bastani about the calls to keep drilling in the North Sea, whether renewables are susceptible to economic shocks, and how an ageing population impacts climate politics.

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