Episodes
Americanswers is back and this week we take a look at presidential term limits. Joe Biden once said he wanted to be viewed as a “bridge” to the next generation in 2020. But did he ever commit to one term in office? Meanwhile, Donald Trump once praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for getting rid of their two-term limits. The team assesses whether Trump would have the ability to follow suit.And, social media algorithms are powerful. How do you leave your own echo chamber in an election year?HOSTS:
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North Americ...
The former U.S. President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its third week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.Sarah and Anthony are joined by the BBC’s US reporter, Kayla Epstein - who’s been in court every day - to hear what happened when Ms Daniels herself took the stand, and court artist Jane Rosenberg reveals how she creates those incredibly candid sketches from the trial.HOSTS:
* Sarah Smith, North America...
JFK’s nephew is taking on Biden and Trump as an independent. He’s a big outsider but his high polling numbers are worrying the main parties, who fear that his bi-partisan policies could steal votes.Sarah, Anthony and Marianna talk about who RFK Jr is, why he’s running, and if he lives up to his reputation as one of America’s most famous conspiracy theorists. And they get to the bottom of how he came to have a dead worm in his brain.HOSTS:
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TO...
Americanswers is back and we take a deep dive into Joe Biden’s TikTok account and the type of content his campaign is prioritising to win over young voters.A vice presidential hopeful has revealed she killed her dog due to behavioural issues. Will the admission end her chances of being Donald Trump’s running mate?And, Kamala Harris has been given a new nickname by a daytime television host. Who is the White House hoping she can win over on the campaign trail?HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online...
Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its second week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.
Americast is launching a new mini series to break down what’s happening in the courtroom over the six-week criminal trial.Sarah and Anthony are joined by the BBC’s US reporter, Kayla Epstein - who’s been in court every day - to hear what happened when an unexpected witness took the stand, what Trump said abo...
Response to student protests across the US have escalated to violence this week, with students clashing, and arrests now exceeding 1,000. We hear from students and BBC colleagues from across the States.And the Americast team speaks to Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, about how universities are responding to protests.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent GUEST:
• Niall Ferguson, historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute...
Following the start of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, we answer your questions on how Joe Biden could handle his main challenger’s legal woes.And, Democrats are worried about the threat posed by Robert F Kennedy's Jr's run for office. But could Kennedy's campaign also be a threat to Donald Trump? We assess his chances and take look at another less conventional third-party candidate.HOST:
• Sarah Smith, North America editorGUEST:
• Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland SecurityGET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• S...
Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York began this week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.Americast is launching a new mini series to break down what’s happening in the courtroom over the six-week criminal trial.Sarah and Anthony are joined by the BBC’s US reporter, Kayla Epstein - who’s been in court every day - to take a look at the key players, reveal the main takeaways from this week and discuss wha...
Hundreds of students have been arrested across the United States as they protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza.Sarah is at Columbia University in New York City, one of many colleges where students are protesting, but where some Jewish students say they feel threatened by the actions of demonstrators.And Marianna takes a look at how social media, and TikTok in particular, are shaping how a new generation of voters are engaging with politics through the lens of the war in the Middle East.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Marianna Spri...
In the latest edition of Americanswers, we get down to basics at the start of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial. Who are the jurors selected to decide Trump’s fate? Who protects them? And how are they being targeted online?Today’s opening statements mark the first criminal trial against a president in US history, as Trump stands accused of trying to cover up hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before he won the 2016 election.HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Anthony Zu...
The president has urged Benjamin Netenyahu to “take the win” after thwarting an attack from Iran. The question now is how Israel responds, and if Joe Biden has any influence over it. Christiane Amanpour, the British/Iranian chief international anchor for CNN, joins Americast to assess what could happen next.In Congress there’s a vote on a pivotal deal that would provide billions of dollars for Ukraine and Israel, and introduce more sanctions for Iran. It could change the course of the conflicts but it could also cost Speaker Mike Johnson his job. We’re asking whether he can survive yet anot...
Donald Trump is no stranger to Megyn Kelly. The pair had a very public fallout in 2015 after the former Fox anchor questioned his temperament in a Republican Party debate.These days the pair are back on speaking terms, with Trump often choosing to do longer interviews with one of America’s most recognisable broadcasters.And on the day he became the first ever president to face a criminal trial, Megyn Kelly joins us to give her thoughts on how much the trial could affect the outcome of November’s election, the Democrat’s strategy to beat him, and whether we might see a televised debate betwe...
In a heavily-trailed announcement on Monday, Donald Trump released a video on his Truth Social platform to announce his position on abortion. Having been considered one of the most anti-abortion presidents in history, he has now said it is a matter for states to decide and later confirmed he would not sign a federal abortion ban.His stance has led to a backlash from senior Republicans, including his former vice president, Mike Pence. Could the backlash extend to the ballot box in November?HOSTS:
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 present...
Orenthal James Simpson, known to the world as OJ, lived many lives. First as one of the greatest ever running backs in the history of the NFL, then as a Hollywood movie star. His fame skyrocketed, however, when he was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The ensuing ‘trial of the century’ gripped and divided the nation.As the news broke, the team interrupted their normal recording to relive the shocking events of his life, trial, and acquittal. Anthony, who was then living in LA, recalls the backdrop of racial tension that underpinned t...
Americanswers is back!In the latest edition of Americanswers, Miles Taylor and Katie Hill join us once more to answer your questions. This week we look at some challenges from listeners about the evidence of social media’s polarising effect in the US, and whether we do enough to hear from Donald Trump’s supporters.We also look at the foreign policy record of the former president as we assess whether the US was safer under his watch.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondentGUESTS:
• Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at De...
Joe Biden and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Thursday for the first time since the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza this week. Netanyahu has called the incident an “unintended strike”, but the White House has said it’s ‘outraged’.Back home, US policy toward the Gaza war is causing problems for the president. A growing campaign of voters are using their ballot to protest Biden’s handling of the crisis.Jeremy Bowen joins us from Jerusalem to assess whether the US/Israel relationship has ever been this strained and we assess how Joe Biden can deal with the domestic ramifications of...
The Americast team have left the safety of the podcast studio for an old fashioned radio phone-in!
5 Live listeners were given the opportunity on Wednesday to quiz all of our hosts on the issues that matter going into the 2024 presidential election.
Nothing was off the table as we discussed issues ranging from voter attitudes towards Trump and Biden, whether 2024 will be America’s first ‘AI election’, or how the candidates could approach a stacked foreign policy inbox.
HOSTS:
Sarah Smith, North America editor
Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media co...
As the election comes closer into view, potential candidates are lining up to be on the ticket with Donald Trump in 2024. After former Veep Mike Pence rules himself out, Americast assembles to answer FAQs about who makes the shortlist and why. Plus, what makes a good VP anyway? And what do they actually do? Find out in the latest Americast.HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 ...
The city of Baltimore has woken up in shock this morning after a major bridge in the US city of Baltimore snapped and plunged into the Patapsco River. The city’s mayor has called the event an “unspeakable tragedy” and confirmed that construction workers were on the bridge when it collapsed.A state of emergency has been declared in Maryland while a huge search operation is under way for at least seven people.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenterGUESTS:
• Dr Stergios Aristoteles, Head of Structures at the University of Birmingham
• Justin Fenton, an investigative reporter at The Baltimore...
Americast is now publishing two episodes a week!We’re joined once again by special guest hosts Miles Taylor, Trump staffer turned whistleblower, and Katie Hill, former Democratic Congresswoman.They sit down with Sarah and Marianna to go through some of the most commonly asked questions we get on Americast.This episode contains a reference to drug overdose which some listeners may find upsetting.HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent GUESTS:
• Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland Security
• Katie...
In an interview that ranged from content moderation on X to its chairman’s use of ketamine, Don Lemon sat down for an hour-long interview with one of the world’s most prominent entrepreneurs.The interview was meant to be the first in a series in collaboration with the platform, but the company posted that “after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”Justin and Marianna spoke with Don to get his thoughts on why the Tesla boss cut ties with him and the grapple for power between traditional and new media.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presen...
Americast is now publishing two episodes a week!We’re joined once again by Special Guest Hosts Miles Taylor, Trump staffer turned whistleblower, and Katie Hill, former Democratic Congresswoman.They sit down with Sarah and Anthony to go through some of the most commonly asked questions we get on Americast.This episode contains a reference to suicide which some listeners may find upsetting.HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondentGUESTS:
• Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland Security
• Katie Hill, former Democratic c...
Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug that can be prescribed by a doctor to treat severe pain. But like its predecessors, that drug has been illegally manufactured and sold by criminal gangs.The president has called the crisis an “American tragedy” but many angles to the epidemic lie elsewhere in China and Mexico. Ben Westhoff was the first journalist to enter a Chinese fentanyl lab posing as a buyer. He spoke with us about the origins of the epidemic, the scale of the problem for US towns and cities and the hope that exists for solutions to the crisis.If you, or someone you know, have been aff...
We answer the biggest questions in the race for the White House...Americast is now publishing two episodes a week!In the first Monday edition of Americast, we’re joined by Special Guest Hosts Miles Taylor, Trump staffer turned whistleblower, and Katie Hill, former Democratic Congresswoman. They sit down with Sarah and Justin to go through some of the most commonly asked questions we get on Americast.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America editorGUEST HOSTS:
• Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland Security in Trump administration
• Kat...
Under the close gaze of his critics - and millions of American voters - Joe Biden delivered arguably the most significant State of the Union address in recent times.The president chose to focus on his economic record, his plans to to fix America's immigration system and repeatedly took aim against Donald Trump.The Americast team chew over the president's speech with the help of Joe Biden's former speechwriter, Jeff Nussbaum, who told us what it's like to work with him and how you judge the success of a speech like the one Biden just delivered.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Mari...
Fifteen states voted on super Tuesday to decide who the nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties will be. Donald Trump didn’t quite get the clean sweep he hoped for, but will Nikki Haley’s Vermont win be enough to keep her in the race?The Americast team discuss the issues that mattered most to voters on Tuesday, namely immigration and the economy, and how the race has become a battle of the incumbents. HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North America cor...
This afternoon the Supreme Court overturned a Colorado ruling that declared Donald Trump ineligible to run for President in the state. Justin and Marianna have been in the US to look at how despite legal, financial and polling challenges, he's on course for an epic election rematch with Joe Biden in November. Marianna’s also uncovered evidence of Trump supporters using AI to attract votes from African Americans.You can watch Panorama, Trump: The Sequel? here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001x0yl HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media ...
US Supreme Court justices are considering two cases from Florida and Texas which could fundamentally alter the future of online free speech. Meanwhile, in Alabama, the state’s top court ruling on IVF has cast doubt on the future of the treatment, as the debate over reproductive rights enters new territory.We unpack what’s going on, how the cases could affect the lives of Americans, and how they could influence the upcoming election.HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GUEST:...
Back on earth, Donald Trump’s legal troubles are mounting and the Republican presidential hopeful now faces debts of over half a billion dollars. We assess how the former president will try to pay off these debts and what effect it might have on his run for the White House.And on the evening that the US returned to the moon, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of America’s most famous astrophysicists - talks to us about why commercial space ventures are in fashion and why people are struggling to know where to get their facts.HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presente...
Love is in the air…or is it? Vladimir Putin expressed his preference for the next American president on Valentine’s Day - but critics suspect there might be more to his endorsement than meets the eye. His comments come in the wake of Donald Trump’s disparaging declaration against NATO and that Russia should “do whatever the hell they want” to countries that don't pay up.And after our emergency episode on Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, we respond to your questions about how, if at all, President Biden could be removed from office.HOSTS:
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