Sensemaker

The case of a couple accused of attempting to launder $4.5 billion worth of bitcoin teaches us a lot about cryptocurrency and its place in the economy. You can read more about this case in Tortoise's Sensemaker newsletter: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2022/02/17/sensemaker-220217/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tributes have flooded in for music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards, who has died at the age of 31, a Youtube star who helped propel British rap and grime into the mainstream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK expelled everyone who lived on the Chagos Islands more than 50 years ago. Why are they still being blocked from returning? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15-year-old Kamila Valieva’s doping scandal has made headlines around the world. But she’s just a child. What about the team of adults surrounding her? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation has hit a 30-year high as energy, fuel and food costs continue to soar. A humble bag of pasta can tell us why the prices of supermarket basics are rising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Germany’s new chancellor was initially criticised for his slow and awkward response to the Ukraine crisis, but he has now met Vladimir Putin. What does it tell us about his policy towards Russia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Insulate Britain activists were jailed last week. Since their protests began in September global energy prices have risen dramatically and British households face a 54% increase in their fuel bills. It might strengthen their case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson over Partygate last week. He is known to be a critic of the prime minister, so will it make any difference? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French president Emmanuel Macron met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week. It was an attempt to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine, but Macron had another aim too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Academy Awards is improving diversity seven years after a hashtag criticising the Oscars went viral, but progress is slow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Kaji is one of the highest paid ‘child influencers’ on the planet, but internet success stories like his pose a challenge to regulators.Sign up to the Tech States newsletter here: https://torto.se/3HA5XNS  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week the Isis leader was killed during a raid on his hideout in Syria. What will his death do to the strength of the terrorist group he once led? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much is made of Carrie Johnson's apparent influence over policy in Number 10, but her power tells us something about her husband too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a mega iceberg melted it released 152 billion tonnes of fresh water into the ocean, but that is not what is worrying scientists most. It represents a bigger problem for our planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government has hinged its success on its ability to "level up" the country. A mayor and former rugby player provides the blueprint for how the Tories can do it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Adams, New York City’s new mayor, faces his first major test. Can he curb the recent spike in shootings while balancing police tactics against the rights of poor communities? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been more than 20 years since the British military lifted their ban on gay people serving, so why are LGBT+ veterans still waiting for compensation? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yevhen Murayev was named in a strange Foreign Office press release as the potential leader of a pro-Russian government in Ukraine. Who is he and what is the UK up to? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian Open banned t-shirts about the missing Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, but then u-turned. What does it tell us about how sporting bodies deal with repressive regimes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How an investigation by the Metropolitan Police threatens Boris Johnson no matter what it finds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An anonymous crypto group thought they bought the rights to Dune. They were wrong.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every year Larry Fink, one of the biggest names in finance, writes a letter to the business world. Why has it become one of the most anticipated events in the calendar? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most exciting sporting rivalry you’ve probably never heard of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it do to a politician, to be caught lying to parliament?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virginia Giuffre is Prince Andrew's accuser. She's fought some of the most powerful people in the world - and, amazingly, she's won. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are Serious Violence Reduction Orders, and why are they controversial? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It isn't just parties at Downing St where the Prime Minister broke his own rules. He did it over his second home as well.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who orchestrated the killing of the country's president? Suspicion is now falling on the country's prime minister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Dominic Cummings was driven out of Number 10 at the end of 2020, many thought the days of the “Westminster protagonist” were over. Then came partygate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zolgensma is a life-saving drug but it costs more than a million and a half pounds per patient. Who decides if the NHS can afford it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Indian businessmen, the Gupta brothers, became enormously influential in South Africa. A new report says they effectively captured the country.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lewisham in south east London is considering a softer approach to young people caught with drugs. Is the rest of the UK ready to endorse it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An anti-government movement is growing in Kazakhstan. So why are Russian soldiers the ones crushing it?   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Incels - men who are 'involuntarily celibate' and blame women - are growing in numbers and getting angrier and more misogynistic. A man who goes by the name Alexander Ash is promoting their rise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Prince Andrew strike out a case against him by a woman who accuses him of abusing her when she was a minor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Omicron variant of Covid is surging across the UK, but the government seems determined not to go beyond its famous "Plan B" - the restrictions we're living with now.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're doing something a little different. We're going to kick off the year by predicting a few big things we think will happen in 2022. Sign up to our ThinkIn "2022 Predictions: What's coming next?" https://www.tortoisemedia.com/thinkin/2022-predictions-whats-coming-next/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May, Belarus forced a plane to land because it had an exiled journalist on board. It created an international diplomatic crisis.  Listen to Pariah: https://podfollow.com/1564715288 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some people said COP26, the global climate conference, was doomed because China’s president didn't show up. Then along came an unusually capable civil servant known as ‘the panda’. Sign up to our Sensemaker newsletter: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/sensemaker/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to revelations from one former Facebook insider, 2021 was a year of reckoning for the tech giant. Subscribe to the Sensemaker podcast: https://podfollow.com/1548929040 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cressida Dick is in charge of the Metropolitan Police. But having a woman at the top hasn’t shielded the force from accusations that it’s still a deeply sexist institution.    Listen to Wrong turn: murder, miscarriage and justice: pod.fo/e/eae38 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The day after the Taliban took Kabul, a young man fell to his death from a US airplane. The tragedy revealed a lot about America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Listen to the Slow Newscast: https://podfollow.com/1487320403 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britney Spears has rarely been out of the headlines this year. What does her story tell us about pop culture in 2021?Listen to Popbitch: https://torto.se/326f3lC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Simone Biles put her mental health before more medals, and pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics, the world was amazed.  Subscribe to the Sensemaker podcast: https://podfollow.com/1548929040 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How a Russian actress, not a joyriding billionaire, is the best person to show us where space travel is going.Sign up to our daily Sensemaker newsletter: www.tortoisemedia.com/sensemaker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squid Game's director Hwang Dong-hyuk originally had the idea for this year's runaway TV hit in 2009. His story is a 12-year lesson in endurance. Listen to the Playmaker podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1579093092 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conservative leaders have traditionally been in favour of low taxes and spending - but not Boris Johnson. How will he and his Chancellor Rishi Sunak sort out their differences? Listen to ThinkIn with James Harding: https://podfollow.com/1562163623 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three dads came together this year in the saddest of circumstances; they all had daughters who'd taken their own lives. They turned their tragedies into a story of love and hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Malta became the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use. Will this be a trend across the rest of Europe? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Omicron variant is causing a rapid rise in Covid-19 infections. Is the UK government making the right call by not clamping down on unvaccinated people? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.