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 fully-fledged member, activate your 30-day free trial to access all our journalism.For more information on today's episode, visit tortoisemedia.com/listen. Transcripts of each episode will be made available the same day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

After Tokyo comes Paris in 2024. If these Olympic games are difficult because of Covid, what legacy will they hand on? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There were 40 prisoners left in the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. Until one was released this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pegasus is a piece of spyware that can infiltrate your phone and steal its secrets. This week we learned how governments are using it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Floods in Germany have left more than a hundred dead and wrecked whole towns. It's not just a freak event, it's a climate-change catastrophe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Covid infections in the UK multiply, the NHS app is pinging hundreds of thousands of people to tell them to self-isolate. Businesses are wondering how they can cope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Africa has seen an outbreak of widespread violence and looting. What's going on? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rarely has a gesture been as misunderstood as taking the knee. We've looked into its history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sputnik V is the Russian vaccine against Covid. The world isn't sure it's getting the whole truth about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his own home last week. But who was behind it all? And why did they want to kill him?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At first Boris Johnson said that after the great unlocking, masks would no longer be mandatory. Just days later, he changed his mind. Why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Girardi was such a famous lawyer that he was portrayed as a character in a Hollywood movie. But then rumours started to emerge that his clients weren't getting all the money he'd won for them in settlements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vax That Thang Up could be the sound of summer 2021. It's a pro-vaccination remake of Juvenile's 1999 hip-hop classic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why it took 50 years for the unjust conviction of six men – made up by a corrupt copper – to be overturned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ransomware attacks - taking over computer networks and blackmailing their owners - has become huge business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As 28 people are confirmed dead and 117 are still missing in the rubble, America is asking: what went wrong at Miami's Champlain Towers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands of unmarked graves have been found in Canada at former residential schools for children from indigenous families. The true scale of the scandal is still emerging. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour won this week's by-election after a very hard-fought campaign. And the party wasn't only fighting its opponents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Bill Cosby was jailed for sexual assault - one of the highest-profile stars held to account after the #MeToo movement. So why has he just walked free? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China's ruling party are about to celebrate their 100-year anniversary. But their new anthem isn't quite what you'd expect... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Hancock's resignation as Health Secretary has triggered a bout of political infighting. Who's going to win? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John McAfee invented anti-virus software and made millions. Last week he took his own life in a Spanish jail, convinced that politicians and the FBI were out to get him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britney Spears's speech to a court about the conservatorship that runs her life has made headlines. But it's also raised an important question: who gets to decide if you can have a child? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In just 2 months, Northern Ireland's DUP has toppled a leader, elected a new one, forced him to resign... and elected another new one. Huh? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No professional American footballer has ever come out as gay while he was still playing. That changed this week thanks to Carl Nassib. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American track star Shelby Houlihan has lost her place at the Olympics after testing positive for a steroid. She blamed a Mexican takeaway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.