x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Americast

Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America

news politics

All Episodes

32:29

Did Donald Trump deliberately provoke the LA protests?

Americast ·

2025/06/11

Sarah and Anthony are joined by Miles Taylor to discuss events in LA and to ask whether the President is deliberately stoking protest for political ends. Miles was the Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Donald Trump’s first term but has since become a vocal critic. He talks about President Trump’s ambition to enact similar policies during his first stint in the White House; plans that were ultimately thwarted. With the President now unbound are we seeing the execution of

en

25:14

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Why has Donald Trump sent...

Americast ·

2025/06/09

Donald Trump has defended his decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles despite criticism from Democrats and California officials. The US president says LA would have been "completely obliterated" otherwise and hits out at Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom, who says he's suing the Trump administration. Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city to stop protests against immigration raids being carried out across Los Angeles, triggering a political row. Newsom, along

en

29:24

Elon Musk says Donald Trump is "in the Epstein files”

Americast ·

2025/06/06

How did one of the most powerful alliances in American politics blow up? The falling out between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has been playing out very publicly on social media, with back and forth insults and threats. Sarah Smith, Marianna Spring, Justin Webb and Anthony Zurcher unpack how the row intensified with Trump threatening to revoke Musk’s government contracts and Musk claiming without evidence that Trump appeared in the unreleased Epstein files. Musk also suggested that Trump should be

en

30:16

Why has Trump imposed a new travel ban and who’s on...

Americast ·

2025/06/06

The US president Donald Trump has imposed a full travel ban on 12 countries mainly in Africa and the Middle East, following through on a promise made in 2024 on the campaign trail. But why has the president chosen to implement the ban now, and how likely is it to survive a legal challenge?The ban includes Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and Libya. But there’s also confusion as to why Egypt remains off the list despite the president citing the recent attack Colorado's Jewish community, which was

en

25:20

Elon Musk trashes Donald Trump's big tax bill

Americast ·

2025/06/04

Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is causing a rift with Elon Musk after the Tesla founder labelled it a "disgusting abomination". If passed, it would add trillions of dollars onto America?s deficit over the next decade. After the bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives it now faces an even tougher passage in the Senate after senior figures like Rand Paul and Ron Johnson called for spending cuts to go further.Justin Webb and Anthony Zurcher assess why Elon Musk has such a problem

en

31:49

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Who controls Donald...

Americast ·

2025/06/02

Donald Trump founded Truth Social in 2022 after he was banned from major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But is the president the sole user of his account, and are there any “tells” for when someone else has posted on his account?We also answer your questions about whether funding cuts in the latest instalment of Donald Trump’s war with Harvard could lead to a brain drain in the US.And, what next for DOGE after Elon Musk officially left the White House on Friday? Justin, Sarah and

en

27:01

Have Trump's tariff dreams been shattered?

Americast ·

2025/05/29

It’s been a chaotic day in the United States.This morning, we heard the news that a court in the US has blocked Donald Trump’s tariffs.Later this evening, we found out that Trump's tariff plan was temporarily reinstated while a court considers a White House appeal.In between that, we recorded an episode, exploring what all this could mean for the global trade war, Trump’s relationship with the courts, and what seems to be the final moments of Elon Musk’s and Trump’s courtship - as the tech mogul

en

28:36

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Is the Trump-Musk...

Americast ·

2025/05/28

Elon Musk says he’s 'disappointed' by Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax bill, marking a break from the US president who he helped to win re-election in 2024.Today Matt Chorley is joined by the full Americast ensemble to discuss whether the Trump-Musk bromance is now over. They also explore how middle class Americans view Trump’s ongoing row with Harvard, and assess the most popular presidential dogs.HOSTS:* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter * Sarah Smith, North America editor * Anthony Zurcher,

en

37:30

Why did Trump ambush the South African president?

Americast ·

2025/05/22

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa went to the White House in hope of a ‘reset’ with the USA on trade and asylum laws. What he got was a choreographed presentation from Donald Trump with allegations of a white genocide taking place in South Africa, with stark parallels to the infamous Zelensky meeting in the Oval Office.Justin, Anthony, and Sarah convene to check the fact on Trump’s assertions, and discuss why the confrontation might really be a message to his MAGA supporters.Plus, Justin

en

27:40

How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' change America?

Americast ·

2025/05/21

Donald Trump's ‘one big beautiful bill’ looks set to be his defining piece of legislation for his second term, if he can get it through Congress. It’s an enormous bill which covers everything from the future of Medicaid, the taxes Americans pay, to border spending and national defence. But not all Republicans are on board and the president may face a fight to pass the bill by his Memorial Day deadline.Justin, Sarah and Anthony unpack how the bill could change peoples’ lives in America, and

en

36:31

Americanswers! Why is Biden’s cancer diagnosis...

Americast ·

2025/05/19

Anthony, Marianna and Justin discuss Joe Biden’s announcement that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They also talk about the political reaction, including US Vice President JD Vance who says Biden and his staff should have been more transparent about the former president’s health whilst in office. They also analyse some MAGA rumours over whether Joe Biden hid his cancer diagnosis, and what this means for the Democratic hopefuls of the future.Plus, the team unpack the backlash to the

en

23:57

We speak to CNN's Jake Tapper on the “cover-up”...

Americast ·

2025/05/18

The fallout from Joe Biden’s failed presidential campaign continues with a new book that accuses senior White House figures of covering up the former president’s “physical deterioration”. The author, Jake Tapper - who co-authors the book with Alex Thompson of Axios - claims Biden did not recognise George Clooney at a fundraiser last June hosted by the Hollywood star and that at one stage of the campaign, aides discussed putting him in a wheelchair.A spokesperson for Joe Biden said "evidence of aging

en

24:37

What is RFK doing for the health of Americans?

Americast ·

2025/05/16

Testifying in front of Congress is often a bruising process for lawmakers, and Wednesday’s hearing was no exception for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who faced questions on cuts to his department, his stance on vaccines and a measles outbreak in the United States.But with Donald Trump’s second term in full swing, just how far has the former presidential candidate got in his quest to ‘Make America Healthy Again?’Justin and Marianna chat with Sheryl Gay Stolberg who covers health policy for

en

26:37

Is Trump's free plane a gift too far for Republicans?

Americast ·

2025/05/14

It’s Donald Trump’s first major trip in his second term as president and he’s chosen to visit the Gulf in a four-day whirlwind tour. He began in Saudi Arabia for a friendly meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Among other issues he agreed to lift sanctions on Syria and struck a number of trade deals, marking a big shift in relations between the two nations since Joe Biden’s presidency.But the trip threatens to be overshadowed by the fallout from Qatar’s gift of a free luxury jumbo

en

20:55

Introducing... Diddy On Trial

Americast ·

2025/05/13

On the first day of Diddy’s trial, jurors have watched a video showing him assaulting his former long-time partner, the singer Cassie.The prosecution’s first witness, a former hotel security guard, says he was called on the night the CCTV video was filmed to help a "woman in distress", where he found Cassie sitting in the corner covering her face.Both the prosecution and defence gave their opening statements. The prosecution say Combs' behaviour was "coercive and criminal" and that he "had the power

en

34:45

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Has China won its trade...

Americast ·

2025/05/12

Donald Trump says the US has achieved a “total reset” in relations with China after both countries agreed to reduce tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days. Today Matt Chorley is joined by the full Americast ensemble to discuss whether this really marks the end of the trade war between the two nations. The team also assess the world’s reaction to the newly elected ‘woke’ pope across social media, and whether his stance on deportation will result in a head-to-head with Trump. And why might Qatar

en

22:21

We Speak To Prof Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel Laureate) On...

Americast ·

2025/05/09

As more details of the trade deal between the UK and United States emerge, we get a view from the Novel prize winning economist and author, Professor Joseph Stiglitz. He explains to Justin why the deal is a mistake for the UK, why China has a better strategy against President Trump’s tariffs, and how the UK’s deal adversely affects the rest of the world. Professor Stiglitz is a former Chief Economist at the World Bank, a former chair of the U.S. President’s Economic Council, and his most recent

en

30:30

Who’s the real winner from the UK’s trade deal with...

Americast ·

2025/05/08

At a press conference inside the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump - with the British PM Keir Starmer on the phone - announced changes to tariffs which included steel, aluminium and car exports. In return, the UK government made concessions on imports of ethanol and American beef, with Keir Starmer calling it a ‘fantastic, historic day’. Justin and Anthony unpack the politics behind the deal, asking who is the real winner? With accusations that the UK has caved in too easily to American demands

en

31:13

Joe Biden's BBC Interview

Americast ·

2025/05/07

In his first interview since leaving the White House, Joe Biden accused the Trump administration of "modern-day appeasement" in pressuring Ukraine to give up territory to Russia. He also spoke about his ill-fated presidential campaign last year that saw him eventually drop out the race against Donald Trump, saying it "wouldn't have mattered" if he had dropped out of the race earlier. The White House said that Joe Biden was a "complete disgrace" in response to the interview.It's unusual for former

en

28:13

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Are the US and Canada...

Americast ·

2025/05/07

Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, made a high-stakes visit to the White House on Tuesday in his first meeting with Donald Trump since winning the election in Canada. How will their relationship affect the future of Canada with Trump still hoping to turn the country into the ’51st state’?And, Donald Trump has pledged to reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison. It was originally shut down in 1963 and has since operated as a successful tourist site in San Francisco. Is the president serious about

en

533 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci