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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 correspondent, Anthony Zurcher. As well as political analysis, we also specialise in social media. Each week Marianna Spring brings listeners the latest updates from the BBC’s Undercover Voters, our award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. The team is also joined by special guests each week, like CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, Emmy Award-winning TV host, Rachel Maddow, and Succession actress, J Smith-Cameron. Podcasts are published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As well as being a podcast, we are also available every Friday on the World Service. Oh, and by the way, you can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say ‘”Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. Every Monday we answer your questions on Americanswers, with some help from special guests, including Miles Taylor, who was chief of staff at the Department for Homeland Security during the Trump presidency before becoming a whistleblower. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with us on email at Americast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
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Folge vom 22.12.2025Americanswers! What did we learn from the latest Epstein files?The US justice department was forced by law to release documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein at the end of last week, but by Saturday, at least 13 files were removed, leading to accusations of the department violating its obligations. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later said the decision was taken to protect victims' privacy, but how much is the ongoing controversy around the Epstein files affecting public trust?Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to escalate after it emerged on Sunday that the US Coast Guard was in "active pursuit" of a vessel in international waters. The US has already seized two oil tankers this month in Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. We discuss whether Trump is allowed to take action against Venezuela without wider governmental approval.And, what would the new ‘Patriot Games’, designed to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, involve?Justin and Anthony answer your questions on the latest edition of Americanswers…HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #AmericastThis episode was made by George Dabby with Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The series producer is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
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Folge vom 19.12.2025Can Trump convince voters on the US economy?There was a lot of speculation ahead of Donald Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday night and what the president would say to Americans during television primetime. Ultimately the president gave a full-throated defence of his administration’s achievements this year, with a particular focus on efforts to address the cost of living in the US, which has become synonymous with a debate over affordability.The timing of the president’s speech comes after polling suggests the Republican Party is losing support over the direction of the economy. Earlier this week the vice president JD Vance spoke to workers in Pennsylvania to address their fears, telling them “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Will Republicans be able to convince voters that they should still be trusted on the economy ahead of next year’s midterms?Anthony, Marianna and Nomia sit down to go through the most significant aspects of the president’s speech, including a new “warrior dividend” for US service members…HOSTS: • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent • Nomia Iqbal, North America CorrespondentGET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #AmericastThis episode was made by Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
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Folge vom 17.12.2025Has Trump’s chief of staff revealed White House secrets?Susie Wiles is widely credited as being the mastermind behind Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign last year. The White House Chief of Staff, referred to by the president as the “most powerful woman in the world”, is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and a crucial figure in delivering Trump’s national agenda. She also rarely speaks to the media, making her an elusive figure in the president’s top team despite her significant influence. But in a series of interviews for Vanity Fair, she refers to Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, describes JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist” and Elon Musk as an “odd, odd duck”. The White House has described the articles as a “framed hit piece” and accused Vanity Fair of taking statements out of context.In today’s podcast, Justin and Anthony go through some of the most revealing lines from the interviews, and speak to the journalist who sat down with Susie Wiles - Chris Whipple - to find out why he thinks Wiles wanted to speak with him, and how he responds to White House criticism of the interviews.HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America CorrespondentGUEST: Chris Whipple, Journalist and author of several White House books, including Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #AmericastThis episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
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Folge vom 15.12.2025The Americast Awards 2025… on 5 Live!It’s time for the 2025 Americast Awards…There’s no doubt that it’s been a tumultuous year in US politics. From a dramatic disagreement between President Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelensky in the Oval Office, the deployment of the National Guard to cities across America, self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani becoming the Mayor of New York, to Trump announcing his plan to turn Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. Justin, Sarah and Marianna pitch the moments which they think caused the biggest ripples in America this year to Matt Chorley. And we hear some of your picks too. HOSTS:• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter• Sarah Smith, North America Editor• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent GET IN TOUCH:• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk• Or use #AmericastThis episode was made by Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve.The technical producer was Johnny Hall.The series producer is Purvee Pattni.The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nlUkrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzmRadical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6rThe Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd