Americast

After announcing he would place tariffs on Canada and Mexico during his campaign, the president nearly followed through. After sending the world economy into a frenzy, Trump then postponed the trade war with his North American neighbours on hold after securing concessions from both of them over border security. But he still has China and the EU in his sights. Is the UK next on the list for the tra...

Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. Over the next few weeks, new profiles will drop every Sunday. We start with Marco Rubio, the one-time presidential hopeful in 2016 who famously fell out with Trump when vying for the Republican nomination. The pair have since patched things up, but how did...

With daily announcements, executive orders and press conferences from Trump’s presidency in its first fortnight, how should we be navigating the daily torrent of news? Americast examines the deliberate strategy by the White House (also used in Trump’s first presidency) to “flood the zone” with news. Justin, Anthony and Marianna discuss whether Democrats and the media should be properly scrutinisin...

An air collision involving a commercial jet and a military helicopter is believed to have killed 67 people in Washington DC. The recovery operation continues with the cause of the disaster still unknown. Anthony speaks to Sarah, who's been on the banks of the Potomac River where the rescue operation is taking place. HOSTS: * Sarah Smith, North America Editor * Anthony Zurcher, North America Corres...

Donald Trump's plans to reshape the federal government have gathered pace after almost all federal employees received an email on Tuesday offering the option to resign and receive pay for eight months. How many workers will take up the offer and what happens to those that don't? And, Karoline Leavitt has made history as the youngest White House press secretary at the age of 27. Sarah was at her fi...

It’s been a week since President Trump took the oath of office for the second time, and his administration have wasted no time in issuing executive orders and setting the tone for the next four years. Sarah, Justin and Marianna join Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live once again to answer your questions on coins, Greenland, Columbia, and what the Democrats have been up to. And, our own Anthony Zurche...

After he declared that "America's sovereignty is under attack” in an executive order, reports suggest that Donald Trump could send thousands of troops to install barriers at the US border with Mexico. Are barriers the answer to stop illegal crossings? President Trump has given his first broadcast interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. In the interview he described the attacks on January 6 as “ve...

On the first full day of his presidency, Donald Trump defended his decision to release high-profile prisoners jailed over the Capitol riots and to pardon nearly 1,600 people in connection with Jan 6th. Marianna, Sarah and Anthony are together in DC as they discuss who has been released, what the reaction has been, and how Trump is changing the narrative over who was responsible for the riots. Also...

Donald Trump is back in the White House. The 45th and now 47th president of the United States is wasting no time putting his plans into action. We look at his speech, and what those actions are. Justin, Sarah, Marianna and Anthony are together in Washington as all the news breaks. This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Ricardo McCa...

At a raucous rally in Washington DC, Donald Trump has promised "historic speed and strength" as he prepares for his inauguration on Monday. Thousands of his supporters are brazing freezing temperatures to watch him be sworn in to office as he told his supporters to expect a blitz of executive orders on day one of his presidency. The Americast team are in Washington DC to assess what is meant by an...

Joe Biden has given his final address setting out the list of achievements that he would like to define his four years in the White House. Sarah and Anthony unpack at the 46th president’s domestic successes and failures. They’re joined by his former senior advisor, and friend, Anita Dunn. She tells us what the president is really like behind closed doors, how he’ll be remembered, and whether he wa...

President Biden’s final week in the Oval Office coincided with an historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Both he and President-Elect Donald Trump were quick to claim credit for the deal, with Biden beginning his farewell address by highlighting his administration’s part in the negotiations. What does the deal say about Joe Biden’s role in the war between Israel and Hamas, did he ma...

TikTok’s future in the US lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, as the justices consider whether the app should be banned over alleged national security concerns. Despite support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the looming ban is unpopular among many everyday Americans - and incoming president Donald Trump. Sarah, Marianna and Anthony unpick the politics behind the ban and the pla...

Three wildfires are still burning in the Los Angeles area and the death toll has risen to 24 as the LA mayor says 'urgent preparations' being made for strong winds. With nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders and thousands of properties damaged or destroyed, does the US need to rethink the way it builds its homes? And, President Donald Trump was sentenced on Friday to an "unconditional disc...

Social media giant Meta says it will abandon independent fact-checking practices on Facebook and Instagram. Is the new policy an attempt to improve relations with Donald Trump before he takes office later this month? And what does the switch-up mean for the spread of misinformation on Meta’s platforms? Meanwhile, Los Angeles is grappling with the most destructive fires in the city’s history - and...

It was a press conference intended to showcase investment from a Dubai-based firm in new US data centres, but its focus quickly switched to what the incoming president might do when it comes to America’s closest neighbours. Fielding questions from reporters, Donald Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal. While he appeared to rule out the possi...

On Monday the Senate certified the results of the 2024 election, the first time it has done so since the January 6 riots in Washington DC four years ago. President Biden vowed there would be no repeat of the violence on that day, so what is security looking like on Capitol Hill? And, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Pa...

New Orleans is mourning the loss of at least 14 people after a pick-up truck drove into a crowd of people in the city’s French Quarter in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Justin, Anthony and Marianna explain what we know so far and how both Joe Biden and the incoming president, Donald Trump, have responded to the attack. HOSTS: •⁠ ⁠Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter •⁠ ⁠Marianna Spring, Social Media...

On a fateful Thursday evening in November 2023 - to mark a year to go until the election - Justin, Sarah, Marianna and Anthony made predictions for our very own Americast time capsule. Not to be opened until after Americans had gone to the polls in 2024. Who accurately predicted which presidential candidate would drop out of the race, and who said one of the candidates would undergo a health scare...

Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. The 39th U.S. President and Nobel prize winner lived longer than any president in history. He celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2024. How did a peanut farmer from the Deep South and Georgia Governor become president? Justin speaks to Jonathan Alter, author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life. From brokering peace in the Middle East, to...

Over the course of 2024, X has changed from what Elon Musk once described as a “digital town square,” to a platform that seems to reward users with more extreme political views. Marianna focuses on individual X users who have shot to prominence, and are emblematic of the changes and their consequences. What makes some X users particularly successful, why does it matter, and what are the implicatio...

The team go through your questions for the last time this year. How bid would the Watergate scandal be if it happened now? Should Supreme Court justices be elected? And are the British presenters developing American accents… We’ll get into all this and more on a very festive episode of Americast. HOSTS: * Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter * Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Corresponde...

The US could face a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday, and Elon Musk is pushing for it. President-elect Donald Trump followed his calls to reject a bill that would have kept the government funded through March. Without it, some public services could be put of hold… So what’s it all about and how serious would it be? Justin, Anthony and Marianna explain. Plus, Walker Watch returns! HOSTS:...

Donald Trump has achieved a legal victory after ABC News announced that it was paying Trump $15 million and legal fees to settle a defamation lawsuit related to remarks made in March by morning news presenter George Stephanopoulos. Following the settlement Trump said he intends to pursue further lawsuits against “dishonest” media, including the Des Moines Register newspaper for "brazen election in...

It’s been over a month since Democrats lost the election, and questions linger over the future of the party. One prominent member who has stayed quiet in recent weeks is vice president Kamala Harris. Is she plotting to run again in 2028? Or does she have her eyes on the California governor’s mansion? And, mystery continues to swirl after nearly a month of drone sightings over New Jersey and other...