The Story

A year ago Times columnist James Marriott ditched his smartphone to escape the endless notifications from his apps. How has he managed without a device many of us feel is indispensable? And could it be a more desirable future? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: James Marriott, Colu...

When Donald Trump took office, he appointed Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency - or DOGE - a new agency designed to radically slash federal costs. Since inauguration day Musk has done just that, laying off thousands of staff, freezing America's entire international aid programme and gaining access to the $6 trillion Treasury payments system. So what will the fallout be? A...

Official figures show that for the first time, people are leaving dating apps. So why the exodus? And could future apps - with AI and augmented reality - be any better at matchmaking? This episode first ran on January 7 2025. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Hannah Skelley, Fashion Wri...

Ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit, Katie and Danny are together in London for a special interview with the man who is synonymous with Artificial Intelligence - Sam Altman. He is the studio talking all things OpenAI, President Trump, Elon Musk, DeepSeek and the future of life and work. Listen to Katie and Danny's follow-up to their interview with Sam Altman as they reflect on the conversatio...

Bridget Jones is back in cinemas with her fourth outing Mad About the Boy , 24 years after her film debut. The messy heroine is the quintessential Gen X icon: too much booze, cigarettes, dodgy office romances and an obsession with the thigh gap. So why is she still winning over new fans decades later? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Time...

President Trump stunned the world and horrified his Arab allies when he proposed that the US should take over Gaza and rebuild it as the "riviera of the Middle East." But where did the idea come from and could it actually happen? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Josie Ensor, US c...

The Times has unveiled a landmark survey of Generation Z. What are their attitudes towards modern Britain, sex, drugs and… mental health? 1 in 3 young people have sought help for their mental health and a growing number are on long-term sickness. So what’s going on? If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online...

When the closed steelworks in Corby, Northamptonshire, were being cleaned up ahead of redevelopment, trucks ferrying debris away from the site released poisonous dust into the air. Dozens of children born during this time had malformed limbs and other issues leading to a decades-long fight for justice. Now their story, which came to national attention via the Sunday Times, is finding a new audienc...

Have you - or someone you know - had a mobile phone snatched directly from your hand? It's a growing trend in London and other cities across the UK, as last Thursday, Met Police revealed they arrested 230 people and seized 1000 phones in just one week. So just who is behind this crimewave, and where exactly do the phones end up? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of T...

On today's Sunday Edition, we're looking back at this episode from March, diving into the fentanyl trade. This week, President Trump cited the fentanyl crisis in the US as his justification for threatening steep tariffs against Canada and Mexico. So how does fentanyl actually get into the US? Fentanyl kills 200 people a day in America, a deadly epidemic felt throughout the country. We trace the jo...

This week the political masterminds (and Hugo) are joined by Theo Bertram, who worked in Downing Street for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. After a new book by Times journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund sheds light on the inner workings of Keir Starmer's government, is chief of staff Morgan McSweeney actually in charge? And should a new YouGov/Times poll showing Reform UK ahead of Labour f...

On Tuesday, a panel of global medical experts convened a press conference. They said they had found a different cause of death in every baby Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering. So what did they find? And what might it mean for Letby's case? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Car...

Having implemented - then temporarily rescinded - tariffs on Canada and Mexico after both countries struck last-minute deals, Donald Trump now has his sights firmly focused on China. Following his announcement of a 10% tax on their imports to the US, China retaliated with their own. So what effect will this new trade war between the world’s two biggest economies have on China, the US and rest of t...

Having ruled the Chagos Islands since the 1800s, the UK now wants to cede sovereignty of the tiny archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. But one island is home to a secretive US military base and, with the growing threat of Chinese influence in the region, America is worried. Yesterday, the Mauritian PM said Sir Keir Starmer intends to “push ahead” with his deal - Whitehall suggested t...

In 2016, 24-year-old Gypsy-Rose Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in the US State of Missouri, for arranging the murder of her mother. Her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, had Munchausen syndrome by proxy - a rare form of abuse where she would convince doctors that her daughter was ill - leading to unnecessary treatment. The harrowing details of what Blanchard went through have made h...

‘ Like an HR manager, not a leader’. This is the description of Sir Keir Starmer from his closest and most influential aide, according to a new book by two Times journalists. It’s just one of the many insights uncovered by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund who lift the lid on the inner workings of the Labour Party and the power struggles behind the scenes. If that’s what the prime minister’s peo...

Tomorrow Thames Water will be going to the High Court in London for the start of hearings to approve a restructuring plan for its debts. So we thought it might be worth a listen back to an episode we made last spring about how the company which leaks raw sewage into our rivers managed to rack up unsustainable levels of debt while also paying out dividends to shareholders.  Warning: this podca...

Kate Mansey shares her first-hand account of a historic moment - witnessing the King become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, marking the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp's liberation. Roya and Kate also talk about the Princess of Wales's visit to Wales and her new role as patron of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in Wales, following in Diana's footsteps. And Princess Be...

Nina Khrushcheva, great grand-daughter of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York, says the West's response to Putin has strengthened him at home and abroad and warns against provoking him further. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com...

A Chinese rival to ChatGPT wiped $700 billion from the value of the world’s largest tech companies in just one day. DeepSeek claims its free, open-source model is more cost-effective and efficient than its American rivals calling into question the dominance of Silicon Valley. One tech baron has even called it a ''Sputnik moment" in reference to the time when Russia surprised the US by launching th...

Robert F Kennedy Jr. - President Trump's pick as health secretary - begins his confirmation hearings today. He's the man who coined the phrase 'Make America Healthy Again', but with a track record of conspiracy-led and anti-vaxx views, Washington has looked at his nomination with alarm. Still, his fight against Big Pharma and Big Food has been welcomed by an interesting cohort: a band of women cal...

Last week a Russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of the UK. The Royal Navy was sent to closely monitor the vessel as it passed through British waters. It’s the latest in a series of incidents across Europe, some culminating in catastrophic damage to critical underwater cables. So what is Russia trying to achieve? And what are the UK and NATO doing about it? This podcast was brought to you th...

It's that time of year again. The Sunday Times Tax List. So who made it to the top? And is there a bit of a dark side to the list this year? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Robert Watts, journalist, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Further reading: The...

Last weekend, The Sunday Times' Josh Glancy landed in Tel Aviv, after the ceasefire had just been announced. Israelis held their breath to see if it would hold, and if their loved ones would be the hostages released. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Josh Glancy, News Review Edito...

For many, paying off a mortgage is one of their biggest financial goals. So, this week Holly and Lucy are joined by mortgage expert Sarah Tucker from  The Mortgage Mum  and Leigh Macfarlane, a content creator documenting her journey to becoming mortgage free. They share practical tips and strategies to make your dream of financial freedom a reality. Contact:  Lucy and Holly at :&nbs...