The Standard

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While it used to be that when a footballer’s name was strewn across the front pages, it made for grim reading, now English footballers are dominating the headlines for all the right reasons. Manchester United forward 22-year-old Marcus Rashford is taking on the Government over its refusal to provide free school meal vouchers to pupils during school holidays. And, Manchester City’s 25-year-old Raheem Sterling has plants to create a foundation aimed at supporting disadvantaged young people. The Evening Standard’s football journalist James Robson says the authenticity behind their campaigns is driving real change.

And, hidden pockets of water on the moon could be much more common than scientists previously thought, and the discovery could have potential implications for future lunar missions. Paul Hayne, assistant professor in the laboratory of atmospheric and space physics at University of Colorado Boulder, said this could not only have implications for future lunar missions, but also how we understand how we got water on Earth.

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The founder of revolutionary charity Teach First has warned the coronavirus pandemic risks undoing years of work spent improving education for poorer children in London and could create an “educational underclass”. Our education editor Anna Davis tells us how Brett Wigdortz is worried about an impending national crisis as London risks “backsliding” on all the good work that has been done to narrow the gap between rich and poor children’s educational achievements.

And, female film directors are changing the face of horror. Our arts commissioning editor Katie Rosseinsky says a new wave of female-led films are playing fast and loose with the genre as they take back ownership from what’s traditionally been a boy’s club of directors. As it turns out, they are the perfect opportunity for women to make their debut in the film industry.

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More than 300 Tory MPs have been accused of “cruelty” after they voted against footballer Marcus Rashford’s bid to extend free school meals through the school holidays. Opposition figures branded the outcome ‘disgusting’ with many accusing the Government of “not caring” that the more than 1.4 million children eligible for free school meals would now go hungry. Our editorial column says hungry children need to be a priority. And, School Food Matters CEO Stephanie Slater is among the voices calling for a rethink on the decision.

And, Rishi Sunak came to the rescue of millions of people fearing redundancy today with a multi-billion-pound package of support plus help for London’s struggling bars and restaurants. Rising to the crisis posed by a Covid winter surge, the Chancellor announced he was almost doubling the wage subsidy for workers forced to go part-time. The Evening Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy explains who the fifth coronavirus package will benefit.

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In January, up to 90 volunteers could be deliberately infected with Covid-19 in a bid to speed up development of vaccines and learn more about the virus. The group will be kept at the Royal Free hospital for two-and-a-half weeks in the world’s first ‘human challenge’ study for coronavirus. Dr Chris Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London and lead researcher on the human challenge study tells us why this is crucial to answering some of the big questions around the new disease.

And, travel bosses have welcomed the roll-out of rapid Covid-19 testing for passengers leaving Heathrow for Italy and Hong Kong as a small ‘step in the right direction.’ The £80 test will allow them to enter the two countries without lengthy quarantine. But, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has refused to authorise the use of tests at airports on return from trips abroad, arguing that they are not effective in identifying passengers infected with the virus. Travel journalist Lisa Francesca Nand tells us airlines are calling for it to be rolled out more broadly to save the struggling industry.

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Leading West End bar and restaurant operators warn they won’t survive the winter after a ‘horrendous’ first weekend of Tier-2 Covid-19 restrictions in the capital. Normally heaving streets were left desolate and ‘no mixing’ laws triggered tens of thousands of cancellations. The Evening Standard’s consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn spoke with restaurateurs and bar owners, saying the weekend was ‘as bad as anyone had feared’.

And, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are just over three weeks away from the November 3 US Presidential Election. Both have hit the campaign trail hard over the weekend as they try to flip key battleground states. Lecturer at the UCL centre for US politics Dr Julie Norman tells us what to expect this week ahead of Thursday’s debate.

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Boris Johnson has dramatically told Britain to prepare for a No Deal Brexit after a bust-up with Brussels on trade talks. The Prime Minister put the country on notice that its EU departure at the end of the transition period on December 31st could be without a trade deal with the European bloc. The Evening Standard's deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil tells the podcast why the fallout happened, and what to expect next.

Also, restaurants, pubs and bars across London are scrambling to be ready for the new “high alert” restrictions coming into force as economists warn the measures would cost the capital an extra £10 billion. Hospitality industry leaders say the Tier 2 status ordered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday would be the “final nail in the coffin” for many venues. Our consumer business editor, Jonathan Prynn, says one industry boss is warning of up to 200,000 job losses this weekend.

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Tighter Tier 2 restrictions are being imposed in London to stop the Covid-19 epidemic worsening. But the government announcement hasn't stopped speculation that a much tougher 'circuit breaker' is still around the corner. Our education editor Anna Davis says the rumours have got headteachers worried that an effective 'lockdown 2' is on its way, with no way to prepare. Anna tells us how teachers are concerned another extended break could harm children who have already had a disruptive year. 

And, Donald Trump has threatened to remove protections for tech companies after Twitter and Facebook censored a story about Joe Biden's son, Hunter. The New York Post story claims Hunter Biden introduced his father to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm before the former vice president lobbied for the firing of a prosecutor who had investigated the company. It's been denied by Joe Biden and the Democrats. The story's the latest in a long line of what's called "October Surprises" in US elections. We speak to US politics historian Christopher Phelps on when they started and whether they ever have any effect on the result

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Boris Johnson's insisting his three-tier approach to tackling coronavirus just needs time to prove it works, but told the Commons earlier that he's "ruling nothing out" as pressure bears down on him to impose a "circuit breaker" approach. Some scientists, including the government's own SAGE advisors, say the draconian lockdown would be the most effective way to halt the infection's spread, but economists are warning it could have a catastrophic effect on businesses. Our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil tells us why the PM faces a difficult balancing act, and why Sir Keir Starmer's calls for a circuit breaker are making it harder for the government to do it. 

Also, MI5 is having to protect research into a coronavirus vaccine from interference by saboteurs. Britain's top spy, Ken McCallum, also says the agency has been helping with building hospitals, and repurposing research originally done on toxic chemicals to help understand how Covid in droplets might disperse  The Evening Standard's Martin Bentham joins the podcast to talk about the new role the service finds itself working within in a post-pandemic world. 

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