Sensemaker

She was once a female Silicon Valley icon. The world's youngest self-made billionaire. Now, she's a disgraced former CEO, on trial for fraud. Is this where the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos finally ends? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little-known US law, brought back in by Donald Trump, has caused a surge in migrants from Mexico. It's not what President Trump intended. You can now get the Sensemaker newsletter as an email delivered to your inbox once a day. It’s our editors’ pick of the stories that matter most right now, and why, in brief. You can  sign up here for free .  Or if you'd like to join Tortoise as a fu...

Meet Camille Abousleiman, the lawyer trying track down the truth in the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

R&B star R. Kelly has been put on trial for alleged sexual abuse, three decades after his first conviction. Why did it take so long to get to this point? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tokyo Paralympic Games are about to start. But with the city under its fourth state of emergency, enthusiasm is beginning to wear thin. So what price are Tokyo’s residents paying for the Games? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haiti was hit by a deadly earthquake and then, a few days later, a huge storm. It's not the first time the country has faced a catastrophe... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis has blocked a mask mandate for the state's schools, going against advice from the Center for Disease Control. But with a fourth Covid wave causing more hospitalisations, can the state really afford to "get back to normal"? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Davison, an 'incel' who was radicalised online, killed five people with a licensed gun. Should social media checks be a part of gun ownership? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a new Taliban regime mean for women and girls in Afghanistan? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia's triumphant Olympians are returning to a month-long quarantine as the country hits its third wave of Covid infections. What's gone wrong? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a 'code red' report. Disaster is coming faster than we thought. But will leaders act fast enough? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Virginia Giuffre was under the age of 18, she claims Prince Andrew forced her to have sex with him. He's always denied it. But her lawyer is now convinced the case will come to court. Is he right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just months after US President Joe Biden announced he’d be withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, the country is in chaos. How serious is the Taliban threat? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fires have ripped across the island of Evia, in Greece. And when help finally came it was too little, too late.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Belarusian human rights activist Vitaly Shishov was found hanged in a forest on the outskirts of Kyiv in Ukraine it was reported as suicide. His friends were immediately suspicious. They think it might be a political murder. Why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bumble has announced it will be offering free therapy to anyone who experiences sexual assault from someone they meet on the app. Is this a meaningful change, or just smart PR? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With coronavirus cases and hospitalisations both falling in the UK ... could we really have sent Covid packing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four police officers have taken their own lives since the Capitol riots in Washington DC in January, but their deaths are not considered "in the line of duty". Why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Krystina Timanovskaya is a Belarusian sprinter who fell out with her coaches in Tokyo. She got so worried about the fall-out that she's applied for political asylum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India has a terrible track record at dealing with sexual violence against women. The case of a high-ranking politician helps explain why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grime artist Stormzy has been supporting Black students at Cambridge university. He's making an impact, and it's part of a wider change at elite British universities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simone Biles is the greatest female gymnast ever. By talking openly about mental health she may have changed elite sport forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When protestors invaded the US Capitol on Jan 6th the country was shocked. Why do some of its politicians not seem to want to get to the truth about that day? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the UK does well at the Tokyo Olympics, there's a reason why: money. Britain pays for its elite sports to do well. But it turns the taps off if they don't. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel was best in the world at vaccinating its people against Covid. Now, as the country opens up, sceptics are claiming that what's happening in Israel means vaccines aren't very effective. They're wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.