The US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British Crown on 4th July. Accusations have flown that Trump has used the anniversary to celebrate himself, not the country. So what does it tell us about Trump’s place within America…and is it really that unusual?
Ada Barumé is joined by the Observer’s Americans, Erica Wagner and Evan Moffitt to discuss this moment in US history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wasteland: the rubbish gangs
30/06/2026 | 39 mins.
Criminal gangs have turned Britain's waste system into a goldmine and transformed pockets of the countryside into toxic wastelands. But how do you hide an 11,000 tonne illegal dump in plain sight?
Reporters: Jeevan Vasagar and Jonathan Lewis Producer: Jonathan Lewis Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lucy Stevenson Executive producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SNC Extra: Are heatwaves the new norm?
25/06/2026 | 20 mins.
Each year new temperature records are threatened to be broken. But the UK seems to respond not with innovative adaptation, but with shock. Why?
Ada Barumé is joined by academic meteorologist Rob Thomson and Dimple Rana, who is the Heat Resilience Leader at Arup, to discuss how we got here and where we go next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Burnham Identity
23/06/2026 | 29 mins.
Following Keir Starmer's resignation, Andy Burnham is now in prime position to become the UK's next prime minister. So what does he stand for? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SNC Extra: Frank Cottrell Boyce on modern childhood
18/06/2026 | 25 mins.
This week we’re speaking to Frank Cottrell Boyce, the children’s laureate, who has spent two years visiting schools, libraries, and communities to discover what it means to grow up in Britain today.
He’s written about it in a new book ‘A British Childhood: How our children live now’
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell.Subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription:Early access, bonus content and ad-free listening to our podcastsA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Australia