The Standard

An Evening Standard investigation's revealed a staggering 2.9 million tons of good-to-eat farm produce is being dumped in landfill, incinerated or sent to waste treatment plants that produce biogas as soaring numbers of people go hungry nationwide. 

In this episode of The Leader podcast, our Investigations Editor, David Cohen tells us what he's discovered, and how a crisis is leading to children and mothers resorting to shoplifting to feed themselves. 

We also speak to the CEO of food redistribution charity FareShare, George Wright, who is calling for government subsidies to help the farming industry cover the cost of extracting surplus crops to be sent to people who need them. 

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After a disappointing July and August, we’re finally getting some sunshine, and with it a heatwave driven economic boost for the capital. But, is it enough to make up for a subpar summer? 

Hospitality bosses and economists are welcoming the unexpected boost in sales for September as temperatures climb towards 32C, and Londoners head to beer gardens to make the most of the weather. 

The Evening Standard’s Daniel Keane explains how the post summer heat is benefiting London’s economy, why we’re finally getting the sunshine now, and shares top tips for staying safe in the sun.

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Following an Evening Standard investigation into the single justice procedure, Tristan Kirk, our courts correspondent, reveals the truth behind this 'conveyor belt' system. 

Some of the scandals uncovered are a sick pensioner convicted of breaking the Covid lockdown with a visit to his allotment, parents unlawfully fined in dark corners of the justice system over truancy allegations, and women who attended the vigil for Sarah Everard prosecuted while oblivious to criminal cases against them. 

We take an in-depth look at what is happening with our courts system and how it’s being used to prosecute Londoners 'behind closed doors'.

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As the new term officially begins, there’s a row over who will shoulder the burden of paying to repair all the schools affected by the concrete crisis. 

The start of the new academic year saw dozens of schools in England fully, or partially closed, due to potentially unsafe reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete - also known as RAAC.

Now, the government is under pressure to publish a full list of buildings that are impacted, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hit back at those blaming him for the crisis.

The Evening Standard’s Deputy Political Editor, Jitendra Joshi, shares his insight from Westminster.

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After taking WordPress from a small blogging site in the 2000s to an all-in-one website creation platform, which is now the backbone of around a third of all websites, Matt Mullenweg has now set his sights on social media. Now as CEO of Tumblr, Matt reveals his plans to revamp the site, welcome disillusioned ex-Twitter and Reddit users, and create a social site that is, at its core, open-source. In this episode:

• Matt’s battleplan for making Tumblr better
• How social media sites copy features from competitors
• Making Tumblr’s algorithm open-source
• How AI will play a role in improving Tumblr

Listen to the full interview here.

For more news, interviews and analysis go to standard.co.uk/business.

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It’s a nightmare start of term for many pupils heading back to class on Monday - with warnings that over 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been built with ageing concrete leaving buildings at risk of collapse.

Now thousands of children face a return to lockdown-style online learning at home or in temporary cabins.

The new crisis follows years of underinvestment in school infrastructure and follows reports of sewage bubbling up through floors and one classroom baking in over 30C heat.

Now, some headteachers will have to relocate children to other classrooms or temporary cabins after potentially crumbling steel-reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found, which was used in school construction between the 1950s and 1990s.

The Department for Education, which will fund the work, has not given a timeline for replacing the Raac, and school leaders have called for an “urgent plan” to fix buildings.

So, how’s it come to this and what now for lessons after the trials of learning through the pandemic?

The Leader podcast’s joined by Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, and Billy Huband-Thompson, policy associate for The Centre for Education & Youth. 

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We examine Ukraine’s long-range drone war penetrating deep inside Russian territory - both in the air and underwater.

But first, there’s more on Rishi Sunak’s mini cabinet reshuffle and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps being parachuted into the Ministry of Defence.

The former six-day Home Secretary replaces Ben Wallace, who was the longest serving defence chief of this latest Conservative government, having worked under three prime ministers.

The Leader podcast’s joined by Professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey, visiting professor of war studies at King’s College London to discuss what the appointment means for British defence strategy.

In part two, Professor Willasey-Wilsey tells us about his research trip to Ukraine where he met commanders in charge of the programme for building vast squadrons of drones to bomb Russian targets.

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Britain’s air traffic control data meltdown has left thousands of Britons marooned in foreign airports.

It’s forced the relatively lucky ones to pay for hotel rooms, while other passengers bed down on floors in terminals - with many running low on prescription medication.

Nats (National Air Traffic Control Services) blames a vague “technical glitch” caused by a rogue flight plan.

But was this catastrophic IT failure linked to Nats' ageing digital infrastructure?

The Leader podcast’s joined by Evening Standard business editor Jonathan Prynn and travel consultant Paul Charles, who’s CEO of Mayfair-based The PC Agency, and was formerly Virgin’s Atlantic’s communications director.

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Cometh the day, cometh the Ulez as London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s flagship scheme to fight pollution in the capital goes live.

It means drivers crossing the boundary into outer London will have to pay a £12.50 fee if their cars don’t meet exhaust emissions requirements.

There have been protests against the expanded Ultra low emissions zone, now boundaried by the North Circular and South Circular, while vandals also targeted enforcement cameras.

Supporters say it’s crucial for improving Londoners’ respiratory health but critics call it an anti-car tax, saying the scheme will hit the poorest, hard-working Londoners who rely on a daily runabout vehicle. 

The Leader podcast’s joined by the Standard's local democracy reporter covering City Hall, Noah Vickers, along with Karina Fernandez, a mother of two young sons and a campaigner for clean air group Mums for Lungs, plus Brian Mooney, spokesman for the Alliance of British Drivers in London.

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We're in El Salvador with local journalist, Julia Gavarrete, takes us to ‘the Power of the Red Butterflies’ project in Chalatenango, where they are aiming to dispel myths around female bodies.  Menstruation is viewed here as a subject only for women, it’s seen as dirty and believed that when someone is experiencing one, they should hide themselves away. In the Evening Standard’s #LetGirlsLearn series, we’re aiming to shine a light on innovations and solutions that are helping girls to fulfil their right to education and healthy, productive futures around the globe.

You can find out more online at www.standard.co.uk/optimist/let-girls-learn

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