Overcrowded and understaffed: life in England’s crumbling prisons

27 September 2023 - 34 mins
Podcast Series Today in Focus

Rats, broken windows and overfilled cells are a daily reality for prisoners in England’s crumbling jails. Helen Pidd reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

34 mins

Series Episodes

Why did a Democrat endorse a Republican in Michigan senate race? - The Latest Playing

Why did a Democrat endorse a Republican in Michigan senate race? - The Latest

Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has endorsed the Republican candidate for the Senate after a spat with her party’s own candidate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. The endorsement stunned Stevens’s Democrat colleagues, with one calling it a ‘despicable betrayal’ on the eve of the midterm elections. So what will it mean for the race? Lucy Hough speaks to US southern bureau chief and host of Anywhere but Washington Oliver Laughland – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

13 mins

2 November Finished

The ‘blockers’ who stood up to Elon Musk’s Doge Playing

The ‘blockers’ who stood up to Elon Musk’s Doge

What happens when Elon Musk and a bunch of tech bros try to rip up the US government? Journalist Michael Lewis – the author of Moneyball and of The Big Short – talks to Nosheen Iqbal about his new book Blockers, which tracks the story of the civil servants who stood up to Elon Musk’s ‘department of government efficiency’ as it tried to dismantle the US government. Send your comments and questions to [email protected]. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

35 mins

2 November Finished

Why politicians chasing economic growth is a lie | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty Playing

Why politicians chasing economic growth is a lie | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty

What if someone told you the truth about the economy? For years, governments have tried spending more, spending less, cutting red tape, Brexit, levelling up – and still failed to increase growth per person in the UK. So what’s the lesson from the great British fairytale? On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, rebel economists Karel Williams and Sukhdev Johal explain why they believe praying for growth is a fool’s dream – and why it won’t improve your life. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

47 mins

1 November Finished

From Shakespeare to Star Trek: Patrick Stewart’s extraordinary life – The Latest Playing

From Shakespeare to Star Trek: Patrick Stewart’s extraordinary life – The Latest

Tributes have poured in for Patrick Stewart, who has died aged 86. The distinguished actor had a long and varied career that began on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company before going on to global stardom on the screen in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises. Stewart was born in Yorkshire in 1940, and had spoken of a challenging childhood marred by alcoholism and domestic violence – something he campaigned against for much of his life. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw – watch on YouTube -- Watch the full Patrick Stewart sketch: what has the ECHR ever done for us?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

11 mins

30 October Finished

Donald Trump’s Texas Troubles Playing

Donald Trump’s Texas Troubles

Washington bureau chief David Smith reports from Texas, where the Democrats are hopeful of a stunning victory that could also signal a much wider defeat for Trump in the midterms. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

30 mins

30 October Finished

Shock and anger in Spain after deadly train crash – The Latest Playing

Shock and anger in Spain after deadly train crash – The Latest

Spain has begun three days of mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a crash between two high-speed trains. The town of Urda has become the site of a major operation, as emergency services continue to search through the wreckage and relatives wait for news of their loved ones. There is growing public anger over the incident, which is the second fatal train collision in Spain in less than a year. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent, Sam Jones – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

12 mins

29 October Finished

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