Donald Trump and Andy Burnham have had their first meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump said that US-UK relations were better now than when Keir Starmer was prime minister. But he reiterated his opposition to the Chagos Islands deal. We look at what was said, what was not said and the body language between the two men.

Making sense of Trump's UNGA speech

In President Trump's UNGA speech he threatened to annihilate Iran but also said he might make a deal after the midterms. The Cuban delegation left the room when Trump called their country an “absolutely failed state” and said “it will fall”. Trump also said that AI should be renamed “super-intelligence”.

Less lame duck, More raging bull

We look at what we learned from the speech about Trump's foreign policy and his priorities. And what does it say about America that the president used the phrase “to the victor belong the spoils”?

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producer: Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

Why is Donald Trump so relaxed about AI regulation?

After the Anthropic boss Dario Amodei called for AI regulation to save the human race, Trump said that his own IQ was the only guardrail needed to prevent an AI Apocalypse. Not everyone has been reassured by that. And President Trump's breezy attitude to AI may end up costing the Republicans votes.

How are rising gas prices impacting the 2026 US midterms?

All the warning signs on the US economy are flashing red, especially after Houthis in Yemen took over key Red Sea shipping routes. Are there any levers left to pull? The problem is all the options are bad.

Why did a Russian oligarch pay for Donald Trump Jr's wedding?

Umar Kremlev, who's a friend of President Putin, paid for wedding celebration for Donald Trump Jr. We look at how the White House is reacting, why Senate Democrats like Jon Ossoff are seizing on the story, and the dismay that Republicans are expressing behind closed doors.

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producer: Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: All In, Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

• Katy Balls reports from the Republican midterm convention in Dallas where President Trump made a pledge that every adult will get a $5,000 dividend if the Republicans win the House and the Senate. That adds up to about $1.2 trillion.
• Golden balloons were dropped and the crowd joined the president in repeating a vow to vote for "the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can't even breathe".
• JD Vance's speech was received well and the audience chanted "48", suggesting they'd like the vice-president to become the 48th president of the United States. Is he pulling ahead of Marco Rubio as the bookies' favourite to be the Republican candidate for 2028?

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producer: Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

• We're in Dallas for the Republican National Convention. It's been nicknamed Trumpapalooza. But some Republicans are uneasy about putting the president front and centre of their midterms campaign when his approval ratings are so low. Is it a wise move?
• The UK has imposed sanctions on Israel and accused Binyamin Netanyahu's government of supporting ethnic cleansing. How much of an issue is this for the US administration?
• And 25 years on from 9/11, we reflect on how America was changed by the attacks on the Twin Towers.

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producer: Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

President Trump’s Iran war was supposed to be over in weeks. Instead, tensions are escalating again, with Iran threatening cyberattacks on US infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz still at the centre of the crisis. Does Trump really want to rename the Strait of Hormuz Trump Strait?

Katy Balls joins Carole Walker to assess whether Trump is losing control of the conflict — and why he’s saying he’s glad Prince Harry and Meghan have left America.

Produced in partnership with Times Radio

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist, The Times and Sunday Times

Carole Walker, presenter, Times Radio

Producer: Angus Mitchell

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

What can culture tell us about the US that news can’t? Gerry and Katy pick books, films, TV and songs that have shaped the way they see America.

Is Modern Family an underappreciated bit of social realism? Why does Katy think a 2004 Disney movie strikes at an essential component of American patriotism? And what film is the most viewed on Air Force One?

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Picture: Modern Family

Music credit: Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, Bob Dylan from the album Blood on the Tracks (1975), Columbia

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

• Who was attacked by a rabbit on his summer holiday?
• How many days a year does Donald Trump play golf?
• And why was George W Bush so keen on cutting brush?

In this summer special episode, Katy and Gerry explore the political and cultural significance of the American summer.

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Picture: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

Francesca Hong suffered a shock defeat in the Wisconsin primary, losing out to the Democrats’ more centrist candidate David Crowley despite holding a 10-15 point lead in the polls. Is this a sign that the Democratic establishment is finally pushing back against the party’s socialist insurgency? And, as AOC distances herself from the “woke 1” politics of yesteryear, is she quietly positioning herself for a 2028 leadership bid?

And why did Donald Trump hide from an Iranian assassination threat in a catering truck? Spare a thought for poor Marco Rubio, who was effectively used as a decoy.

And the backlash against America’s sprawling data-centre boom is becoming a genuinely bipartisan issue. From Democratic socialists to Republican governors, politicians are waking up to growing public anger over the energy demands and sheer scale of AI infrastructure. Is this the beginning of a wider revolt against Big Tech?

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

What's the best way of avoiding an Iranian assassination attempt? Turns out it's hiding out in a catering truck and using Air Force One as a decoy. Katy Balls takes us inside the clandestine operation.

Produced in partnership with Times Radio

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist, The Times and Sunday Times

Ed Vaizey, presenter, Times Radio

Producers: Amelia Melvin

Picture: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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

One of America's largest states is set to nominate left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed. His victory in the Democratic primary is the latest sign that the party is shifting decisively to the left. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Francesca Hong has defeated her opponent despite previously arguing that Thanksgiving should be cancelled. Is America on the verge of embracing democratic socialism after 250 years, or can MAGA prove it is still the true standard-bearer of the American spirit?

Plus, just how damaging has the war with Iran become for Donald Trump as US military stockpiles begin to run low? What does it mean for America's ability to project power abroad?

And why is Trump threatening a US attorney and an Olympic swimmer over a body of water?

Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters, CNN

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today

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