Explore every episode of the podcast Slow News Day

Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s democratic socialist mayor revealed more details about his plans for city-owned grocery stores earlier this week. The move is part of a plan to tackle rising food prices in New York; with those price rises having been felt across America and much of the rest of the world too. What’s really interesting to me, however, is the manner in which the particular project reflects a far bigger trend in both US and UK politics over recent years towards a politics of price. Can this project, and others like it, help fight against predatory pricing models?

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

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Where is Zack Polanski? Not too long ago, he was everywhere. He won the Green Party leadership against two sitting MPs, the Green Party membership exploded and then they won the Gorton and Denton by-election. It was all looking up for the Green Party. Now, it seems that that momentum has all but gone. Why has this happened? Has the Green Party taken a wrong turn somewhere? Have press attacks on Zack Polanski worked to turn potential Green voters against the party? Has Andy Burnham already managed to win left voters back to Labour? And is there any chance of them working their way back into the conversation?

Find out on Slow News Day.

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

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Donald Trump will be celebrating his 80th birthday this Sunday, and he will be celebrating with style. If by style we mean gaudy excess. Donald Trump’s big birthday bash will consist of a specially-arranged, double title fight night of UFC matches being held on the South Lawn of the White House. The meeting of the American Presidency and the UFC might seem a little odd. So, today, I want to both take a look at the event itself, and recap the fairly long collaboration between Trump and America’s premier cagefighting franchise.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins this week, and even before kick off, the tournament has been caught under a mountain of scandal. We can put the blame for the situation at the feet of just one man: FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He may have been the man elected to save FIFA after a wave of arrests and rampant corruption, but has he saved or doomed the beautiful game?

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is due to go public next week. In effect, this means it will go from being a privately-held company owned by Musk and a number of friends and colleagues to being a publicly-tradable company which you, yes you, can buy stocks in too. There’s a real risk that SpaceX might be massively, massively over valued, meaning retail investors (and retirement funds) might end up being forced to buy a stock which rapidly loses value.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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Hasan Piker, the American Twitch streamer has been banned from entering the UK, along with The Young Turks host (and Piker’s uncle) Cenk Uygur. I’ve seen a few attempts to explain what’s going on here online, often by Americans and so I wanted to try and provide an explainer grounded a bit more in UK politics and law. So here we go.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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Elon Musk might be in the process of sabotaging the British far-right and inadvertently handing the Labour Party a massive win. Better still, I don’t think he knows he’s doing it or particularly cares. All of this relates to the by-election which is currently taking place in the constituency of Makerfield, where Andy Burnham’s biggest challenge to winning that seat should be Nigel Farage’s Reform party. But Elon Musk might be about to shoot that threat down with a good, old-fashioned bit of vote-splitting.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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New rules around single-sex spaces, such as changing rooms and bathrooms, were published towards the end of last week. These govern how businesses and organisations in the UK are (and crucially are not) allowed to provide for trans people. It's another win for British transphobes, I'm afraid.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The so-called “steroid olympics” (officially called the "Enhanced Games") are taking place this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. Happening in a purpose-built stadium (for some reason) just off the Las Vegas strip, it will feature more than 40 athletes souped up on personalised regimens of performance-enhancing drugs to see just how far the human body can go (you know, if you add a bunch of performance-enhancing chemicals). Not to spoil the fun or anything, but I’m afraid I’m here to tell you it’s actually fuelled by a kinda weird mix of eugenics, right-wing anti-regulation campaigning and good old-fashioned grift.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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Can Britain Undo Brexit? We're just shy of a decade since the UK voted to leave the EU, but could we be bracing for another big debate about EU membership? Recently, Wes Streeting announced that it would be part of his platform for Britain to rejoin the EU, should he became a candidate to replace Keir Starmer. Could this actually happen, or is there something else going on?

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Eurovision Song Contest is in crisis this year, with five countries: Spain, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Slovenia having pulled out of the competition, with some refusing to broadcast, due to Israel's participation. Critics have accused Israel of using the show to distract from the genocide and human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank. There have also been investigations into voter manipulation.

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Keir Starmer is (almost) gone. Nearly 100 Labour MPs have publicly called for him to resign. But, when he goes, there will be a leadership contest for Leader of the Labour Party and, by extension, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So I want to dedicate some time in the coming week or so to lifting the lid on some of the key contenders for that role. Today, we’re going to take a look at the chap who is currently looking most likely to launch a challenge to Starmer’s leadership, or who would be likely to be one of the first to announce he’s running should Starmer resign: Wes Streeting.

Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://nebula.tv/videos/slownewsday-is-this-britains-next-prime-minister

*The Slow Newsroom*

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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The death of a British politician is now being investigated as a potential act of terrorism. The former Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Maidstone and, more recently, spokesperson for the Reform Party, was found dead in her home in Haytor in Devon last Friday. But, with so much still unknown, as much of today’s story is going to be about Widdecombe’s political life, and about the public response to it. Because Widdecombe’s death has quickly come to be drawn into the debate surrounding Nigel Farage’s seemingly habitual acceptance of undisclosed funds for party political purposes.

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

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It's election day in Britain and Keir Starmer is in trouble. Will he resign? Apparently not! Argh! In his steadfast refusal to resign despite election losses, scandal, and terrible polling fast turning him into Britain's Joe Biden?

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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The stock market might be broken. Really broken. The massive AI bubbles has shown everyone that. But can we really just blame over-enthusiastic investors, or might there be another trend which is keeping the bubble from bursting too?

The Slow Newsroom

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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It’s a bad week to be a dodgy landlord in the UK, as a new piece of legislation comes into force bringing much-needed security for tenants, and reducing the power landlords have to turf out residents at short notice. The BBC earlier this week were billing it as “one of the biggest changes to housing law in history”. But I’m here to tell you that that’s not quite true. In fact it’s really just reversing a ridiculously permissive system which, over the past few decades, has allowed landlords to effectively do as they please, and restoring some much-needed balance to the situation.

*The Slow Newsroom*

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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The King's Going on Holiday! Sorry, I mean an official "state visit" to America in order to salvage some from of working relationship with Donald Trump. This trip puts the Monarchy in an awkward position, as having the King merely stand with Trump implies that he endorses the President's views. It's also incredibly unpopular with the British people.

The Slow Newsroom

Host and Creator: Tom Nicholas

Editors: Georgia Burrows, Jack Carter

Producer: Jack Carter

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Keir Starmer is on his way out. Whether it takes a month or a year, he is going to be a Prime Minister whose tenure is shrouded in failure. But could he be about to take down the entire Labour Party with him? A new poll by YouGov was released recently that showed that the Labour Party could be facing an existential crisis in the local elections on the 7th May. The Labour Party could lose control of as many as 14 of its 21 councils in London. If that comes to pass, we could be seeing the end of the Labour Party as a meaningful political force.

Watch the video version of this podcast at: https://nebula.tv/slownewsday

*The Slow Newsroom*

Host and Creator: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The US-Iran ceasefire expires tomorrow, and all eyes are on Pakistan as it looks like peace talks may, possibly, fingers crossed go ahead, and we might avoid a recommencement of strikes. Donald Trump has accused Iran of violating the ceasefire and continued his streak of threats and brinkmanship, however, whilst Iran has threatened that it is preparing 'new cards on the battlefield'. Tensions are high and everything is up in the air.

Watch the video version of this podcast at: https://nebula.tv/slownewsday

*The Slow News Room*

Host and Creator: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This feed is changing... Join me, Tom Nicholas, for discussion and updates about the ups and downs of UK global politics twice a week.

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In recent decades, more and more energy has been put into developing interventions to either reduce fossil fuel emissions or, in some cases, remove them from the atmosphere entirely. But, which of those interventions actually have the potential to turn the tide in our fight against global heating and which are all talk and no substance?

In today's episode of Induction, Tom chats with Dr Simon Clark to find out.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Simon's videos at https://youtube.com/@SimonClark

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

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Artificial Intelligence is everywhere now. Over the past year, tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E and Stable Diffusion have turned what was previously a fairly marginal technology into headline news. Industry leaders make great predictions about the future of AI, predicting an end to work (and, perhaps even an end to humanity). But how much of that is likely and how much is pure hype?

In this fortnight's episode of Induction, Tom sits down with AI researcher and YouTuber Jordan Harrod to find out.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Jordan's videos at https://www.youtube.com/@JordanHarrod

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past half decade or so, video essays have taken over YouTube. As things stand, a significant portion of the site's largest creators and most popular videos are at least video essay adjacent.

In this fortnight's episode of Induction, Tom takes stock of where the genre has come from, where it is now and where it might be going next with a little help from Neil Farrell from The Leftist Cooks.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out The Leftist Cooks' videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TheLeftistCooks

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nigel Farage isn't the only scandal-ridden far-right political leader right now. His former MEP colleague, and French Presidential hopeful, Marine Le Pen, has just been found guilty (yet again) of the misappropriation of public funds. Yesterday afternoon, the leading figure in France’s far-right National Rally party headed to court to hear the verdict in her appeal against her conviction, last year, for embezzling European Parliamentary funds in order to use them for party political campaigning.

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

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Since his death in 1616, William Shakespeare has often been held up as one of the greatest (if not the greatest) English-language writers. Nevertheless, the world in which Shakespeare was writing was clearly a very different on to that which we live in today. So, what is it that keeps audiences, creatives and other thinkers coming back to his work?

In today's episode of Induction, Tom chats with Philosophy Tube creator and writer behind The Prince, Abigail Thorn.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Abigail's videos on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@philosophytube

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For a long time, one's 20s were viewed as the defining decade of a person's life. The cultural norm was that this was the decade in which one would find a partner, get married, settle down and buy a house. But, even for those who want to pursue such a life plan, the economic shifts of the past twenty years mean that such a route now looks all-but impossible.

In this fortnight's episode of Induction, Tom chats with Leena Norms about the weight of social expectations in one's 20s and how to survive them in a world on fire.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Leena's videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@leenanorms

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this audio-exclusive episode of Induction, Tom is joined by Unlearning Economics to chat a little bit about inflation: what it is, why it's currently so high, and what can be done to bring it down again. (Also contains a lot of talk about Freddo Frogs.)

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out UE's videos at https://www.youtube.com/@unlearningeconomics9021

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It can be difficult to be optimistic about politics. With a climate crisis in full swing and inequality getting worse, it can be easy to slip into a distanced doomerism. But, what if that's bad, actually?

In this fortnight's episode of Induction, Tom chats with Andrewism about the importance of utopias and utopian thinking even in the darkest of times.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Andrew’s videos at http://youtube.com/@andrewism

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this fortnight’s episode of Induction, Tom chats to Dr. Rohin Francis about how the internet has changed our relationship with our own health.

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

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In this fortnight’s episode of Induction, Tom chats to Zoe Bee about why university professors in both the UK and the US have been striking so much lately, and the broader crisis in higher education that has brought academics to breaking point.

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Zoe’s videos at http://youtube.com/@zoe_bee

*The Induction Team*

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this fortnight's episode of Induction, Tom chats to Jason Slaughter from the YouTube channel Not Just Bikes about the recent boom in urban planning content. How has this once-niche subject area come to take over the internet and become... dare I say it... cool?

Watch or listen to every episode of Induction two weeks early at http://go.nebula.tv/induction

Check out Jason’s channel at http://youtube.com/@NotJustBikes

The Induction Team

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Induction, Tom is joined by Mia Mulder to talk about Twitter's weirdly powerful algorithm and how its intensity pushes creators to make some fairly odd content.

Get access to episodes of Induction a full two weeks early on Nebula at https://go.nebula.tv/induction

The Induction Team

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The very first episode of Induction, in which Tom is joined by Münecat to talk about the bizarre backlash to 15-minute cities and the protest against them she attended in Oxford.

Get access to episodes of Induction a full two weeks early on Nebula at https://go.nebula.tv/induction

The Induction Team

Hosted by Tom Nicholas

Edited by Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Induction is a new podcast hosted by Tom Nicholas.

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Two alleged instances of dodgy dealings with dodgy funders, including fresh allegations revealed this weekend of undeclared support from a convicted fraudster have opened up a path to Nigel Farage, the Reform Party leader, being removed from office. In today’s episode of SND, we’re going to take a look at those allegations, as well as explain what the potential consequences of these are. Could this spell big trouble for the Reform Party?

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of Slow News Day, you ask the questions and Tom answers! Last week, we asked you to message in on what topics you would like Tom to cover and we've got a selection of Tom's hottest takes on everything from voting reform to Doctor Who's cancellation.

If you would like to see another Q&A SND, please email your questions over to snd@tomnicholas.com

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The presumed next Prime Minister of the UK, Andy Burnham, has said that he plans to move at least part of 10 Downing Street to the north of England. Not physically. The door and Larry the Cat are staying where they are. But, in a speech this Monday, he said he was looking at establishing an additional office for his Prime Ministerial activities in Manchester, where he had been mayor for nine years. The idea is to try to rebalance political power in the UK, drawing civil servants and politicians into different parts of the country other than London. Will it work? Can Andy Burnham actually do anything about London's political, financial and cultural dominance over the UK?

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can anyone stop Andy Burnham from becoming Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the UK? No, is almost certainly the answer to that. And yet that’s not going to stop politicians on the right wing of the Labour Party (who aren’t super keen on Burnham) from trying. If there is to be a challenge to Andy Burnham taking over as Prime Minister, rather than him simply becoming leader of the Labour Party unopposed, it currently appears that there is one man left who can be that challenger. You’ve possibly never heard of him. (Or at least hadn’t until a couple of months ago). Most Labour MPs probably hadn’t heard of him until a couple of months either. In fact, among Labour Party members, he polls at just 2%. Let's talk about Al Carns.

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Producer: Jack Carter

Editor: Georgia Burrows

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Keir Starmer has officially announced that he will be standing down as Prime Minister, and Leader of the Labour Party, leaving the door wide open for Andy Burnham to replace him. Having just found his way back to Parliament, as the winner of the Makerfield by-election, the “King in the North” is all but certainly our next Prime Minister.

But what does Andy Burnham actually believe? What kind of policies would be looking to implement should he enter 10 Downing Street? What is his thesis for what is wrong with Britain right now and how we might fix it? One of the challenges for Keir Starmer is that, while he was able to become Leader of the Labour Party and then Prime Minister, he didn’t particularly have a good answer to that question. Will Andy Burnham be any different?

On this episode of SND, we’re going to find out.

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

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Keir Starmer’s future as Prime Minister will be decided today, in the most unusual of ways: a by-election in the North West of England. Usually, Prime Minister's fates are decided in General Elections, and by-elections are somewhat inconsequential, outside of the constituency. Makerfield, however, is different because Andy Burnham is standing for Labour. If he is elected to Parliament, he may just become the next Prime Minister. Will he win? Or Will Reform UK scupper his plans?

It's all happening today on SND.

Apologies for only one episode this week. Tom's been sick, but don't worry, he's feeling much better now!

The Slow News Day Team

Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas

Editor: Georgia Burrows

Producer: Jack Carter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.