The housing crisis is a vast web of overlapping problems and failings. It’s a feature of modern Britain.  But as the economy flounders, the crisis takes new forms, dragging more people in. And the impact on those caught in its grasp is devastating. In this week’s episode of The i Podcast we are joined by our housing correspondent Vicky Spratt who has uncovered a scandal about how mothers and children are being treated by the very authorities they have turned to for help.  Produced by Albert Evans and edited by Julia Webster. Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - l ..read more

It might sound like science fiction, but while unions worry about AI’s risk to jobs, some experts are concerned about a more existential threat to humanity. In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, host Molly Blackall is joined by i science writer, Stuart Ritchie, to look at why many have concerns about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. This new technology could reinvent the economy freeing workers from menial tasks and boosting productivity. Yet on the flip side, millions of jobs are at risk due to it’s widespread use. But job losses may turn out to be the least of our worries. Be ..read more

Ukraine’s Western allies have announced they will supply the embattled nation with high-tech tanks in a strategic move they hope will be decisive in its battle with Russia. From the German-engineered excellence of the Leopard 2 to the British Challenger 2, complete with a kettle for making tea, these new weapons will augment the Soviet-era vehicles Ukraine has been using to hold off the Russian advance. In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, Chief Reporter Cahal Milmo and Senior Reporter Serina Sandhu join Molly Blackall to explore how the new tanks could have an impact on the conflict, wh ..read more

Labour has enjoyed a hefty polling lead over the Conservatives for more than a year. Polling averages are giving Labour up to a 20-point lead and many in Westminster expect them to win the next election – due within the next two years. In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, policy editor Jane Merrick and political reporter Chloe Chaplain give us the inside view on how the Opposition party will navigate the coming months – and how it intends to turn the polling lead into a landslide victory. Later, senior reporter Serina Sandhu joins our host, Molly Blackall, to take us on a deep dive into ..read more

Having a child is supposed to be a life-affirming experience, if you follow popular logic.  But what if you hate it? There’s a growing movement promoting a “child-free lifestyle” - and some of its biggest proponents are parents, fed up with their offspring and wishing they'd taken a different path. In this week's episode of The i Podcast, we are joined by chief features writer Kasia Delgado, who has been talking to the parents who regret having children and the groups they have formed to share their experiences.  We will also hear from the parents themselves about the taboo s ..read more

Two years since the Taliban stormed Kabul, devastating the lives of thousands of Afghans, those who fled to Britain are now facing an uncertain future.  The Taliban takeover marked the end of a 20-year presence of coalition forces in the country and the beginning of a dark new chapter for the nation, restricting rights and freedoms for women and girls.  Afghans who worked with the western-backed Government live in fear for their lives. Many who worked with the British, American and other Western nations braved perilous journeys to escape their new reality.  In this week’s epi ..read more

Two years since the Taliban stormed Kabul, devastating the lives of thousands of Afghans, those who fled to Britain are now facing an uncertain future.  The Taliban takeover marked the end of a 20-year presence of coalition forces in the country and the beginning of a dark new chapter for the nation, restricting rights and freedoms for women and girls.  Afghans who worked with the western-backed Government live in fear for their lives. Many who worked with the British, American and other Western nations braved perilous journeys to escape their new reality.  In this week’s epi ..read more

Six years ago Paul Price's life changed forever. He was picking up his daughter from an Ariana Grande concert when a terrorist detonated a bomb in the entrance to the Manchester Arena.  It was one of the most devastating terror attacks in a generation and Paul was at its epicentre. He spent the following eight months in hospital as doctors battled to fix his shattered body. But these months of pain and loss were followed by another challenge - accessing the support he desperately needed from the British government. In this week's episode of The i Podcast, we visit Paul at his house in ..read more

It wouldn’t be the first time a whistleblower has stunned the US Congress with an extraordinary revelation, but last week’s hearings were truly stranger than fiction. Not one but three military witnesses testified about their experiences of UFOs, otherwise known as UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena). In this week’s episode of The i Podcast we’re joined by science writer, Stuart Ritchie, and senior reporter, Richard Holmes, as we explore the line between fact and fiction in these extraordinary testimonies. Former intelligence official David Grusch told Republican Representative Nancy ..read more

A general election is on the horizon in the next 17 months. Last Thursday’s triple-decker by-election results could be the final major democratic exercise in Britain before we head to the polls nationally.  You may have heard the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders claiming by-election success, but look a little closer at the results and you’ll find things that will worry politicians of all stripes.  In this week’s episode of The i Podcast chief political correspondent Richard Vaughan and politics reporter Poppy Wood join us to pick through the by-election aftermath ..read more