Podcasts about spectators

In her cover piece for the magazine this week, The Spectator's political editor Katy Balls writes that whilst Keir Starmer's accession seems certain, his agenda is less so. She tries to piece together what a Labour government would look like and which areas they will chose to prioritise. Katy joins the podcast alongside Paul Mason, the journalist who is seeking a Labour seat at the next election. They debate: does Keir Starmer stack up? Also on the podcast: Journalist and scriptwriter Gareth Roberts writes in the magazine this week about the fading art of the pantomime dame and pleads with us to take the politics out of drag. He is joined by The Spectator's business editor – and occasional pantomime dame – Martin Vander Weyer.  And finally:  The Spectator's arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic writes the arts lead for the magazine this week about Iris Barry, the pioneering Spectator film critic who he transformed British cinema. He joins the podcast to discuss. Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

It's taken us nearly four months, but we're back and ready to talk about gaming and geek culture! In Spectator Mode's return, we discuss everything from the reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6, PlayStation deleting people's access to paid content, Street Fighter 6's outrageous pricing on skins, Fortnite, Fallout TV Show, Batman Arkham Trilogy on Switch on running like crap, what the hell is the Xbox Tax, and even Goku vs Superman... again again. This and more on the Spectator Mode Podcast's return just before the end of the year! #spectatormodepodcast #gamingpodcast #theouterhaven #streetfighter6 #grandtheftauto6 #fortnite #thegameawards Be sure not to miss any of our gaming and geek video coverage.Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/theouterhaven?sub_confirmation=1The Outerhaven YouTube Channel -  https://youtube.com/theouterhavenBe sure to check out The Outerhaven's website for news, reviews, previews, and lots more on video games, anime, manga, and geek culture - https://www.theouterhaven.netThe Outerhaven's Twitter Chan - https://www.twitter.com/theouterhavenKeith "Shadowhaxor" Mitchell - https://www.twitter.com/shadowhaxorKarl "Mase" Smart - https://www.twitter.com/themasethingScott "Sithscott" Adams - https://www.twitter.com/sithscottTimestamps 00:00 Where have we been the last few months?2:09 GTA6 Trailer reactions12:51 CAPCOM's Street Fighter 6's skin pricing is ridiculous28:25 Fallout TV show trailer35:42 Fortnite expanding into LEGO, Racing, and Rockband game modes41:02 CAPCOM Confirms more Resident Evil remakes incoming45:35 Batman Arkham Trilogy on Switch (15 FPS!?) / Switch ports are getting bad52:46 PlayStation removing hundreds of shows from paid members1:04:24 What is the Xbox Tax1:15:07 The Great Debate: Goku vs Superman Part 2!1:24:42 Are you looking forward to anything from The Game Awards 2023 / Game of the Year predictions1:39:55 Games we are looking forward to for 20241:45:46 Our plans heading into 2024 Thanks for watching!

As James Cleverly meets leaders in Rwanda to sign a new asylum treaty, the government has laid out a series of plans to bring down legal migration. Some Tories on the right would like the measures to go further, but are these policies too little too late? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Spectator writer, Patrick O'Flynn. 

In this week's 20-min podcast: -WV Sen. Joe Mansion announces he is not running for re-election, but will run on the Presidential ticket instead. Where does he stand on Term Limits? -Ron DeSantis makes no bones about where he stands on the issue -USTL's Holly Robichaud has a report on the billboard effect against pledge-breaker Rep. Ken Calvert -Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales becomes the newest victim of billboard humiliation -John Fund of The Spectator defends Term Limits on Newsmax Plus -New polling reveals the advantage political candidates have when they support the issue of TERM LIMITS

This week: Katy Balls on what the Elgin Marbles row is really about (00:56); Lionel Shriver on feckless politicians when it comes to immigration (06:43) and Marcus Walker on his rage against multi-faith prayer rooms (15:37).

During its October 7 invasion, Hamas terrorists slaughtered more than one thousand civilians in Israel. Its horrific acts of terror on that day also included mass rape, pillaging, the desecration of corpses, hostage-taking, and other unspeakable atrocities. Hamas has openly stated that it aims to repeat these brutalities again and again and again.But why? What does Hamas want?According to its founding charter, Hamas predicates its existence on the annihilation of Israel and extermination of the Jewish people. Yes, there's a word for that: genocide.As for a two-state solution, Hamas has consistently rejected such an idea. And if you think that's just a bargaining ploy, you're dead wrong.Because Hamas has an ideology or, more accurately, a theology.Edmund Husain is an expert this as it pertains to Hamas. He joins host Cliff May to discuss what Islamic theology and history tell us about both Hamas and the future of Israel.  Edmund HusainEd is a British writer and political advisor who has worked with leaders and governments around the world. He was a senior advisor to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and he undertook his doctoral studies on Western philosophy and Islam under the direction of the English philosopher Sir Roger Scruton.He has held senior fellowships at think tanks in London and New York. He's currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.Among the books he has authored: The Islamist, The House of Islam: A Global History, and Among the Mosques.A regular contributor to the Spectator magazine, he has appeared on the BBC and CNN and has written for the Telegraph, The Times of London, the New York Times, The Guardian, and other publications. 

"Ukraine's 2023: From New Year's Optimism to Ongoing Struggle" Despite President Zelensky's hopeful New Year's message, the Ukrainian conflict has evolved into a protracted war of attrition. As the much-anticipated summer offensive appears to have faltered, questions loom: What's next? Is negotiation or dramatic escalation the path forward? In this episode of New Thinking for New World, Ukrainian journalist Svitlana Morenets, author of the insightful article "Zelensky Must Be Honest About the State of the War," delves into the harsh realities. Join the conversation on the sacrifices needed for peace and the uncertain future.

On the podcast: In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's assistant editor Cindy Yu – writing ahead of the COP28 summit this weekend – describes how China has cornered the renewables market. She joins the podcast alongside Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg and author of Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions, to investigate China's green agenda. (01:22) Also this week: Margaret Mitchell writes in The Spectator about the uncertainty she is facing around her graduate visa. This is after last week's statistics from the ONS showed that net migration remains unsustainably high, leaving the government under pressure to curb legal migration. Margaret joins the podcast with Michael Simmons, The Spectator's data editor. (13:07) And finally: why not eat man's best friend? This is the question that Sean Thomas grapples with in his piece for the magazine this week. He writes in light of the news that South Korea aims to ban eating dogs and recalls his experience sampling dog meat in Cambodia. He is joined by The Spectator's vintage chef, Olivia Potts. (21:42) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Douglas Murray, a British writer and commentator, has been on the ground in Israel for about a month, covering the war as a reporter and analyst. He writes for the New York Post, the Sun, and Spectator. He is an international bestselling author of numerous books, including "The War on the West", which can be found here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-war-on-the-west-douglas-murray/1140022863 He is the host of the Uncancelled History podcast -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncancelled-history/id1654052602

This is the third part of my interview with Oliver Soden author of the truly extraordinary new book MASQUERADE — THE LIVES OF NOEL COWARD. In this episode we discuss Noel Coward's life and career during the late 1930s including his amazingly provocative play DESIGN FOR LIVING and the bisexual love triangle at the center of it, as well as dazzling series of nine one act plays and musicals that make up TONIGHT AT 8:30 in which Coward and Gertrude Lawrence played a dazzling array of characters, and Oliver especially focusses on the surrealistic SHADOW PLAY. Then Soden recounts Cowards secret and dangerous activities during the Second World War working as a spy for the British government — much of which he has uncovered and revealed in his book for the very first time. During this incredibly active period Coward also created the plays PRESENT LAUGHTER and BLYTHE SPIRIT and the classic films IN WHICH WE SERVE and BRIEF ENCOUNTER.  If you missed the first three episodes you may want to catch up with those before embarking on this one. Oliver Sodon is a writer and broadcaster whose previous books include the critically acclaimed 2019 biography of composer Michael Tippett. Oliver's writing on art, music and literature has appeared in the Guardian, Spectator, London Review of Books, and the Times Literary supplement, and he is a frequent guest speaker on BBC radio and television broadcasts. Coward was without a doubt one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century and as you will hear Oliver and I had a great time talking about him. And it will be my pleasure to share that conversation with you over the next several episodes.   Critics have hailed this book and Oliver Soden as “Brilliant,” “Excellent,” “Illuminating,” Captivating,” “Definitive,” “fresh and original…a brilliant young writer,” “and emerging literary star.”  Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club members. If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Independent Republic of Mike Graham returns to provide a daily dose of common sense as Mike is joined by Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole, Author and Sociologist Frank Furedi, The Spectator's Cindy Yu and much more! So tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the podcast: In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's assistant editor Cindy Yu – writing ahead of the COP28 summit this weekend – describes how China has cornered the renewables market. She joins the podcast alongside Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg and author of Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions, to investigate China's green agenda. (01:22) Also this week: Margaret Mitchell writes in The Spectator about the uncertainty she is facing around her graduate visa. This is after last week's statistics from the ONS showed that net migration remains unsustainably high, leaving the government under pressure to curb legal migration. Margaret joins the podcast with Michael Simmons, The Spectator's data editor. (13:07) And finally: why not eat man's best friend? This is the question that Sean Thomas grapples with in his piece for the magazine this week. He writes in light of the news that South Korea aims to ban eating dogs and recalls his experience sampling dog meat in Cambodia. He is joined by The Spectator's vintage chef, Olivia Potts. (21:42) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Douglas Murray, a British writer and commentator, has been on the ground in Israel for about a month, covering the war as a reporter and analyst. He writes for the New York Post, the Sun, and Spectator. He is an international bestselling author of numerous books, including “The War on the West”, which can be […]

Douglas Murray, a British writer and commentator, has been on the ground in Israel for about a month, covering the war as a reporter and analyst. He writes for the New York Post, the Sun, and Spectator. He is an international bestselling author of numerous books, including "The War on the West", which can be found here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-war-on-the-west-douglas-murray/1140022863 He is the host of the Uncancelled History podcast -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncancelled-history/id1654052602

 Download Episode. James Carden returns to the show to discuss the Israeli role in Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Carden explains what the enclave was, and he and Scott run through the historical and geopolitical context behind its recent downfall. They then also discuss the ongoing destruction in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, as well as Biden's strange new Israeli diplomat.  Discussed on the show: “Israel's Other War: Ethnic Cleansing in the South Caucasus” (Antiwar.com) “Tel Aviv's Man in Washington” (Antiwar.com) James Carden is a columnist and senior advisor to the American Committee for US-Russia Accord (ACURA) and a former adviser on Russia policy at the US State Department. His articles and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications including The Nation, The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, The Spectator, UnHerd, The National Interest, Quartz, The Los Angeles Times, and American Affairs. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

James Carden returns to the show to discuss the Israeli role in Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Carden explains what the enclave was, and he and Scott run through the historical and geopolitical context behind its recent downfall. They then also discuss the ongoing destruction in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, as well as Biden's strange new Israeli diplomat.  Discussed on the show: “Israel's Other War: Ethnic Cleansing in the South Caucasus” (Antiwar.com) “Tel Aviv's Man in Washington” (Antiwar.com) James Carden is a columnist and senior advisor to the American Committee for US-Russia Accord (ACURA) and a former adviser on Russia policy at the US State Department. His articles and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications including The Nation, The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, The Spectator, UnHerd, The National Interest, Quartz, The Los Angeles Times, and American Affairs. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement is often dated to sometime in the middle of the 1950s, but the roots of it stretch back much further. The NAACP, which calls itself “the nation's largest and most widely recognized civil rights organization,” was founded near the beginning of the 20th Century, on February 12, 1909. As today's guest demonstrates, though, Black Americans were exercising civil rights far earlier than that, in many cases even before the Civil War.  Joining me in this episode is Dr. Dylan C. Penningroth is a professor of law and history and Associate Dean of the Program in Jurisprudence and Social Policy at the University of California–Berkeley and author of Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights. Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The mid-episode music is “Hopeful Piano,” by Oleg Kyrylkovv, available via the Pixabay license. The episode image is “Spectators and witnesses on second day of Superior Court during trial of automobile accident case during court week in Granville County Courthouse, Oxford, North Carolina,” by Marion Post Wolcott, photographed in 1939; the photograph is in the public domain and available via the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. Additional Sources: “8 Key Laws That Advanced Civil Rights,” by Mehrunnisa Wani, History.com, January 26, 2022. “The Reconstruction Amendments: Official Documents as Social History,” by Eric Foner, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “(1865) Reconstruction Amendments, 1865-1870,” BlackPast. “14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868),” U.S. National Archives. “March 27, 1866: Veto Message on Civil Rights Legislation,” Andrew Johnson, UVA Miller Center. “Andrew Johnson and the veto of the Civil Rights Bill,” National Park Service. “Grant signs KKK Act into law, April 20, 1871,” by Andrew Glass, Politico, April 20, 2019. “Looking back at the Ku Klux Klan Act,” by Nicholas Mosvick, National Constitution Center, April 20, 2021. “Reconstruction and Its Aftermath,” Library of Congress The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: David Swift looks at whether hope remains in Jaffa, Isreal (00:51); Mary Wakefield on the civil service's ‘say my name' campaign (06:49) and Peter Hitchens on his time in prison (13:17). 

We all face stressful seasons in lifetimes when we feel like we're treading water and barely getting by. Thankfully, God's Word gives us new strength to keep going, to trust God when it doesn't make sense, and to handle stress even in the most difficult of times. In this series, Pastor Rick looks to the Bible for strategies on how to navigate stressful times. How do you get the power to keep going when troubles are coming at you from different directions? You get it in the same place Jesus and Paul got itfrom God. In this message series, Pastor Rick looks to the lives of people in Scripture to discover biblical principles you can apply when you're feeling overwhelmed. Spectators at a race often shout, Keep going! to motivate the athletes. That's also great advice for anyone who feels emotionally, mentally, or spiritually exhausted from running the marathon of life. Join Pastor Rick as he reminds us that God will give us the power we need to finish what he has called us to do. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1103/29

Spectators at a race often shout, “Keep going!” to motivate the athletes. That's also great advice for anyone who feels emotionally, mentally, or spiritually exhausted from running the marathon of life. Join Pastor Rick as he reminds us that God will give us the power we need to finish what he has called us to do.

This is the third part of my interview with Oliver Soden author of the truly extraordinary new book MASQUERADE — THE LIVES OF NOEL COWARD.  In this episode we discuss Noel Coward's life and career during the 1930s including what has become his most produced play Private Lives, his spectacular patriotic anti-war pageant Cavalcade, and his final musical revue, Words And Music (which was titled Set To Music on Broadway.) And most especially his relationship with the great Gertrude Lawrence. If you missed the first two episodes you may want to catch up with those before embarking on this one. Oliver Sodon is a writer and broadcaster whose previous books include the critically acclaimed 2019 biography of composer Michael Tippett. Oliver's writing on art, music and literature has appeared in the Guardian, Spectator, London Review of Books, and the Times Literary supplement, and he is a frequent guest speaker on BBC radio and television broadcasts. Noel Coward was without a doubt one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century and as you will hear Oliver and I had a great time talking about him. And it will be my pleasure to share that conversation with you over the next several episodes.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the podcast: Anshel Pfeffer writes The Spectator's cover story this week. He voices concern that support from Israel's allies might begin to waver if they don't develop a viable plan after the war finishes. Paul Wood – former BBC foreign correspondent – and Dennis Ross – former Middle East coordinator under President Clinton and advisor to President Obama – join the podcast to debate whether Israel can rely on its allies. (01:18) Also this week: In the Books section of the magazine this week we review Andy Stanton's new book Billy The Blue Whale. It has a fascinating inception and was co-authored by the machine learning tool ChatGPT. Andy is joined by crime author Ajay Chowdhury, who is also known for using AI as a writing tool, to discuss whether AI is the future of fiction. (23:02) And finally: when is it acceptable to date a widower?  This is the question that Elisa Segrave ponders in her piece in the magazine. She says that recently bereaved men are much sought after, and joins the podcast alongside Cosmo Landesman, journalist and former dating columnist for the Times. (35:45) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On the podcast: Anshel Pfeffer writes The Spectator's cover story this week. He voices concern that support from Israel's allies might begin to waver if they don't develop a viable plan after the war finishes. Paul Wood – former BBC foreign correspondent – and Dennis Ross – former Middle East coordinator under President Clinton and advisor to President Obama – join the podcast to debate whether Israel can rely on its allies. (01:18) Also this week: In the Books section of the magazine this week we review Andy Stanton's new book Billy The Blue Whale. It has a fascinating inception and was co-authored by the machine learning tool ChatGPT. Andy is joined by crime author Ajay Chowdhury, who is also known for using AI as a writing tool, to discuss whether AI is the future of fiction. (23:02) And finally: when is it acceptable to date a widower? This is the question that Elisa Segrave ponders in her piece in the magazine. She says that recently bereaved men are much sought after, and joins the podcast alongside Cosmo Landesman, journalist and former dating columnist for the Times. (35:45) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Bridget Phetasy is an American writer, podcast host, and political commentator. She is a contributing editor for The Spectator and has written for The Federalist, Playboy, Tablet, Quillette, The Atlantic, and other outlets. She is the host of the Weekly Dumpster Fire on YouTube and the Walk-Ins Welcome podcast. SPONSORED BY: ExpressVPN. Go to https://www.expressvpn.com/trigger/ and get an extra 3 months free on a one-year package! Become a Premium Member to receive exclusive benefits https://triggernometry.supercast.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Music by: Music by: Xentric | info@xentricapc.com | https://www.xentricapc.com/ YouTube:  @xentricapc   Buy Merch Here: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Join the Mailing List: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/sign-up/ Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media:  https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry:  Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.

We have noticed a definite mindset shift over the last couple of months. We are all aware of the Income Squeeze, but there is a difference between the mindset of something happening to you, versus discovering ways that you can rise to the challenge. Believe it or not, someone in the private practice space IS winning. Shift your focus and go from vision to victory!  Episode at a glance: Don't be the Know-It-All owner Manage by situation Don't do it alone PT's do care, not Billing  

This week it is the scientists' turn to appear before the Covid Inquiry with Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer and Sir Patrick Vallance. James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and The Spectator's data editor, Michael Simmons to discuss the findings this week. 

In this week's episode of the New Flesh Podcast, Ricky and Jon interview return guest Dara McDonald. Dara is a lawyer and founder of All Minus One “a cultural organisation for thinkers, creatives, and tastemakers that unapologetically defends freedom of speech and protects and promotes liberty as a core Australian value”. She has published work in The Australian and The Spectator and also has a substack titled The Conservative Vagabond. Dara has recently been appointed the Co-Director of the Free Speech Union Australia. Topics covered include; the origins of the free speech union, the shocking case of a 10-year-old girl with autism suspended from school for misgendering, the death of the Aussie larrikin and how free speech might bring him back, music listening in the streaming era AND more.   ---ARTICLES AND LINKS DISCUSSEDUse the code NEWFLESH for a discount on Free Speech Union Membership---Follow the Free Speech Union of Australia on X:@FSUofAustralia---The Free Speech Union Australia official website:https://freespeechunion.au/---SUPPORT THE NEW FLESHBuy Me A Coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thenewflesh---Instagram: @thenewfleshpodcast---Twitter: @TheNewFleshpod---Follow Ricky: @ricky_allpike on InstagramFollow Ricky: @NewfleshRicky on TwitterFollow Jon: @thejonastro on Instagram---Theme Song: Dreamdrive "Vermilion Lips" 

Join the Diva of Dool as we discuss this past weeks's show. After meeting Alex, Everett tells Stephanie she sure gets around. True and she always plays the same games. Everett is the best thing that could happen to this boring couple. Chad buys the Spectator from Gwen in the hopes of firing Everett. We see Gwen and Theresa in the same episode. Theresa agrees to run Bella magazine.Brady warns Alex again about Theresa. Alex wants Brady to bring Basic Black to Titan. Constantine gets Theresa to kidnap Victoria so he can be the hero to Maggie. Constantine kisses Maggie. John and Steve talk about going to Greece to investigate Constantine. The kidnapping seems to bring Xander and Sarah together. A heart wrenching episode where Nicole learns her baby died. Ari deserves an Emmy. So much to discuss with this storyline, including why they do  this to Nicole again and will they explain what happened to the baby's body and why Nicole didn't demand to see her baby. Jada arrested Leo. Dimitri took the baby to Sloan for help. Trask convinced Sloan to pass the baby off as hers and Eric's. Leo told Dimitri to leave and save himself. Dimitri sent Sloan to defend Leo. Much more to discuss. More spoilers and rumors and preview for next week.       .       

This week, Fareed talks with CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond live from Tel Aviv about recent Israeli strikes, as well as an update on the ongoing hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Then, Fareed talks to New York Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof about parsing out fact and fiction in the Israel-Hamas war and how dynamics between the two sides perpetuate violence. Next, Harvard University professor of democracy and governance Tarek Masoud joins the show to discuss Egypt's response to the Gaza humanitarian crisis and why the country is limiting entry to refugees. Then, Fareed speaks with Australian Ambassador to the US and China expert Kevin Rudd about what Biden and Xi's recent meeting in California means for US-China relations. Finally, Cindy Yu, assistant editor at The Spectator and the host of the "Chinese Whispers" podcast, joins the show to discuss how Chinese economic troubles have shifted policy towards the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Svitlana Morenets says Ukraine's counteroffensive is not living up to the hype (00:59), Sean Thomas says he likes travelling to crappy towns (10:27), and Angus Colwell defends London's rickshaw drivers (17:38).  Presented and produced by Max Jeffery.

How we achieve net zero is more than just a political or environmental decision. It is one that will have huge societal impacts. How we get our energy translates to how we move around, how we heat our homes. It's a reminder that the energy transition has many trade-offs, as we navigate achieving net zero while protecting the wellbeing of people and industry, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.  Might hydrogen be part of the answer? In this special podcast, The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews speaks with those working in government, NGOs, and industry about how to unlock this technology. She is joined by Chris Stark, Chief Executive of Climate Change Committee (CCC); Chris Skidmore MP, author of the government's net zero review; Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of Energy UK; and Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Gas.  This podcast is kindly sponsored by National Gas. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United States for the first time in six years this week, announcing with U.S. President Joe Biden a range of new collaborations between the world's two biggest economies. Host Ravi Agrawal convenes a panel to analyze takeaways from this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco and is joined by FP's James Palmer, the Spectator's Cindy Yu, and former Obama administration advisor Evan Medeiros. Suggested reading: Robbie Gramer: Biden and Xi Try the Personal Touch James Palmer: Can Xi and Biden Repair U.S.-China Ties? Agathe Demarais: Don't Expect Much From Biden and Xi Christina Lu: Beijing Tightens Its Grip on the Critical Minerals Sector Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the podcast: It's been a busy week in Westminster. On Monday, Rishi Sunak's first major reshuffle saw Suella Braverman sacked and David Cameron make a surprise return to politics.  Then two days later, the Supreme Court's Rwanda ruling left the government's pledge to 'stop the boats' in tatters. It was meant to be the week in which Rishi Sunak had hoped to stamp his authority on a fracturing party, but it seems to have only added to the narrative of Tory disrepair. Katy Balls writes about Rishi's last gamble in the magazine this week, and joins the podcast alongside Kate Andrews, The Spectator's economics editor. (01:01) Also this week:  Svitlana Morenets writes a candid account of the current state of the war in Ukraine for The Spectator. After visiting the frontline recently, she concludes that Zelensky needs to start being upfront with the population about the harsh realities on the battlefield and abandon his current line of tactical optimism. She is joined by Owen Matthews, The Spectator's Russia correspondent, to discuss. (15:05) And finally: what happened to the golden era of television ?  Zoe Strimpel writes in the arts section of the magazine this week that after a boom in quality TV starting in the early 2000s, we are now in the televisual dark ages. She joins the podcast alongside James Delingpole, regular television reviewer for The Spectator. (32:51) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On the podcast: It's been a busy week in Westminster. On Monday, Rishi Sunak's first major reshuffle saw Suella Braverman sacked and David Cameron make a surprise return to politics.  Then two days later, the Supreme Court's Rwanda ruling left the government's pledge to 'stop the boats' in tatters. It was meant to be the week in which Rishi Sunak had hoped to stamp his authority on a fracturing party, but it seems to have only added to the narrative of Tory disrepair. Katy Balls writes about Rishi's last gamble in the magazine this week, and joins the podcast alongside Kate Andrews, The Spectator's economics editor. (01:01) Also this week: Svitlana Morenets writes a candid account of the current state of the war in Ukraine for The Spectator. After visiting the frontline recently, she concludes that Zelensky needs to start being upfront with the population about the harsh realities on the battlefield and abandon his current line of tactical optimism. She is joined by Owen Matthews, The Spectator's Russia correspondent, to discuss. (15:05) And finally: what happened to the golden era of television ? Zoe Strimpel writes in the arts section of the magazine this week that after a boom in quality TV starting in the early 2000s, we are now in the televisual dark ages. She joins the podcast alongside James Delingpole, regular television reviewer for The Spectator. (32:51) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. founder and publisher of the American Spectator joins the Marc Cox Morning Show to discuss the political climate in America and the candidates that are running.  Mr. Tyrrell also talks about his book: 'How do we get out of here?: Half a Century of Laughter and Mayhem at the American Spectator - From Bobby Kennedy to Donald J. Trump

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features our future cult classic pick, Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths and Ralph Brown, Withnail and I was inspired by Robinson's own experiences as a young man in the 1960s.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/19/movies/film-withnail-and-i-a-british-60-s-comedy.html), Joel Siegel in the Chicago Reader (https://chicagoreader.com/film/two-english-guys/), and Hilary Mantel in The Spectator (http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/27th-february-1988/37/cinema).Thanks to our guest Jon Towlson, author of 40 Cult Movies: From Alice, Sweet Alice to Zombies of Mora Tau. Check out Jon on Twitter at @systemshocks and purchase his book on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/40-Cult-Movies-Alice-Zombies/dp/B0CKLR41KW).Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show.Make sure to like Awesome Movie Year on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear and follow us on Twitter @AwesomemoviepodYou can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Twitter @JHarrisComedyYou can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/ and on Twitter @signalbleedYou can find our producer David Rosen's Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod and the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod.You can also follow us all on Letterboxd to keep up with what we've been watching at goforjason, signalbleed and bydavidrosen.Subscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year, plus fellow podcasts Piecing It Together and All Rice No Beans, and music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenAll of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at

As yet another Tory Cabinet reshuffle took place we ask if Sunak is making the last throw of the electoral dice by ditching Braverman and bringing back Cameron?Was he trying to entice back "the blue wall" while assuaging the red meat right with the recall of Esther McVey?Massive pro peace demonstrations took place across the UK last weekend. This display of popular disgust at the Israeli destruction of Gaza and the ensuing loss of life seems to signal a shift, at least among the public, towards a ceasefire. However, despite this the Labour Party leadership seems wedded to the "humanitarian pause" narrative. The SNP have put forward a ceasefire amendment to the King's Speech. How will Labour respond?We look at the attack on Humza Yousaf by Spectator journalist, author and commentator, Douglas Murray and take a closer look at who he is and his ideology.Lesley spoke at the recent Revive Coalition conference, and she updates us on its plans for the future.The Break Up of Britain conference takes place on Saturday the 18th of NovemberTickets are available herehttps://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebreakupofbritain/936799 ★ Support this podcast ★

Douglas Murray is a journalist, author and associate editor of The Spectator. As the turmoil of global events dominates the media, it can feel as though the world is spiralling into chaos. If we can't agree on what's happening, how can we make sense of the world? What's the solution in a post-truth world? Expect to learn how Victoria's Secret betrayed the body positivity movement, why people are struggling to agree on what's true anymore, how the “Gays for Gaza” movement will get on, whether we are past peak wokeness, why there is such a huge increase in conspiratorial thinking, what the most recent South Park episode has to say about our culture and much more... Sponsors: Get a 20% discount on your first order from Maui Nui Venison by going to https://www.mauinuivenison.com/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get the Whoop 4.0 for free and get your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with your first box at https://www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom (automatically applied at checkout) Extra Stuff: Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ Buy my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Michael Simmons looks at the dodgy graph thats justified the second lockdown (00:55), Christopher Howse examines what happened to received pronunciation (05:56), and Melissa Kite wonders whether Surrey's busybodies have followed her and her boyfriend to Cork (14:47). Presented and produced by Max Jeffery. 

Tomorrow is the Annual General Meeting of the National Trust - and battle lines are being drawn. Over the past two years, a protest faction called 'Restore Trust' has emerged to challenge the UK's biggest charity. They accuse the organisation of playing politics by highlighting links to colonialism and slavery. But The National Trust says that the history of Empire needs to be part of what we preserve and document. So, can the most quintessentially British institution weather the storm of the culture wars?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Ben Ellery, News Reporter, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.ukClips: Channel 4 News, The Spectator, National Trust, BBC News, CBS News, Sky News, Parliament TV. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Deprogrammed, hosts Harrison Pitt of the European Conservative Magazine and freelance journalist Evan Riggs are joined by Winston Marshall, podcaster & writer at The Spectator magazine. Winston was previously the lead guitarist with the Grammy and BRIT award-winning band Mumford & Sons. --------------- SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube (click the Subscribe Button underneath the video and then Click on the Bell icon next to it to make sure you Receive All Notifications) AUDIO: If you prefer Audio you can subscribe on iTunes or Soundcloud. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... SUPPORT/DONATE: PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

On the podcast: In his cover piece for The Spectator Ian Acheson discusses the potential disruption to Armistice Day proceedings in London this weekend. He says that Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley is right to let the pro-Palestine protests go ahead, if his officers can assertively enforce the law. He joins the podcast alongside Baroness Claire Fox to discuss the problems of policing protest.  Next: are smartphones making us care less about humanity?  This is the question that Mary Wakefield grapples with in her column in The Spectator. She says it's no wonder that Gen Z lack empathy when they spend most of their lives on social media. She is joined by Gaia Bernstein, author of Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies. And finally: Alan Hollinghurst writes this week about Ronald Firbank, the innovative but little known English author who has recently been awarded a blue plaque. In the magazine he sets out the reasons why he is so deserving and is joined alongside The Spectator's literary editor Sam Leith, to discuss further.  Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On the podcast: In his cover piece for The Spectator Ian Acheson discusses the potential disruption to Armistice Day proceedings in London this weekend. He says that Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley is right to let the pro-Palestine protests go ahead, if his officers can assertively enforce the law. He joins the podcast alongside Baroness Claire Fox to discuss the problems of policing protest.  Next: are smartphones making us care less about humanity?  This is the question that Mary Wakefield grapples with in her column in The Spectator. She says it's no wonder that Gen Z lack empathy when they spend most of their lives on social media. She is joined by Gaia Bernstein, author of Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies. And finally: Alan Hollinghurst writes this week about Ronald Firbank, the innovative but little known English author who has recently been awarded a blue plaque. In the magazine he sets out the reasons why he is so deserving and is joined alongside The Spectator's literary editor Sam Leith, to discuss further.  Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. Listeners will have heard businesses in all sorts of fields – from consumer goods to health technology, from sustainability to the cutting edge of British engineering. But what about the companies that make these businesses work? The behind-the-scenes, boiler room people who offer services to businesses themselves. These days, with advancement in artificial intelligence, their work has been made more effective than ever before. Britain, after all, brought us Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Melissa Readman, partner and investor director at ESM Investments, a fund which invests in early stage companies; Caroline Theobald CBE, an entrepreneur and co-owner of FIRST, which provides enterprise training to young people and business leaders; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: Igloo Vision, which creates immersive spaces using virtual reality for companies and organisations. Synthesia, an AI video creation platform that produces videos quickly and cheaply. ComplyAdvantage, which uses AI and machine learning to carry out financial due diligence for corporate clients. SoPost, which uses a digital platform to help streamline supply chains for retailers. Good-Loop, which converts clicks on online ads into revenue for partnership charities. Yoti, which provides digital IDs for identity verification. Exclaimer, which provides email signature solutions for the marketing and other needs of businesses. LegalVision, which provides legal advice on an affordable, subscription basis. Finboot, which uses blockchain to help businesses track the environmental impact of their supply chains. Huboo Technologies Ltd, which takes care of the storage and shipping needs of e-commerce businesses that don't have their own warehouses.

An unidentified Conservative MP has been accused of rape by several women. These allegations are mentioned in a new book by former cabinet secretary Nadine Dorries. It comes after reports the Conservative party's former chairman, Sir Jake Berry, wrote to the police to make them aware of the claims after leaving the post last year. The deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, has denied a cover-up by the party when he was the chairman. Emma Barnett hears the reaction of Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor at The Spectator, and Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee. A group of mothers under the umbrella of Just Stop Oil are planning a slow march to demand an end to new oil and gas licences and to call for a secure liveable future for their children. Just Stop Oil's tactics around the country, from blocking roads to halting theatre productions, are controversial. Emma is joined by two of the protesting mums. When con woman Melissa Caddick vanished from her luxurious eastern Sydney home in November 2020 - with only her partially decomposed foot found washed up on a beach months later, it set off a frenzy in Australia. Regulators suspect the 49-year-old stole nearly £16m from more than 60 clients, including many of her family and friends, to help fund a lavish lifestyle. Chief investigative reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald, Kate McClymont, joins Emma to discuss. We hear about a development in the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a 21-year-old Kenyan woman who was found stabbed to death at a hotel in the garrison town of Nanyuki in 2012. Witnesses said she was last seen leaving the hotel bar with a British soldier, and her body was found in a septic tank at the hotel nearly three months later. A Kenyan judge concluded after an inquest in 2019 that she had been murdered by one or two British soldiers. As yet, nobody has been convicted. Kenyan police have now flown to the UK to question British soldiers and officers about the case. Emma speaks to Sunday Times journalist Hannah Al-Othman. Sarah Whalley is the producer and director of Forests, an episode of Planet Earth III. She was pregnant during filming and chose to name her child Forest. Sarah talks to Emma about how the isolation of her pregnancy during lockdown was mirrored when they filmed a Hornbill bird in its nest for the first time.

Douglas Murray is a British writer and political commentator. He is an associate editor of the Spectator and a columnist at the Telegraph and the New York Post among others. He is the author of many best-selling books including The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam (2017), The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity (2019), and The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason (2022). SPONSORED BY GiveSendGo - Go to https://www.GiveSendGo.com/ to check out a better alternative to crowdfunding. Support the people who support freedom! Become a Premium Member to receive exclusive benefits https://triggernometry.supercast.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Music by: Music by: Xentric | info@xentricapc.com | https://www.xentricapc.com/ YouTube:  @xentricapc   Buy Merch Here: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Join the Mailing List: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/sign-up/ Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media:  https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry:  Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. This episode showcases the finalists in the Sustainability and Social Purpose category. These businesses all want to make the world a better place – whether that's through helping reduce our emissions or giving back to the local community. They believe that business isn't just for profit, but for a purpose. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Eva-Maria Dimitriadis, CEO of The Conduit Connect, which connects businesses with an eye to social and environmental impact with investors and mentors; Clive Bawden, chief operations officer of Warwick Music Group, a company that makes affordable instruments made from plastic and a former winner of the Innovator of the Year Awards; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: Coracle, which provides digital education to prisoners. Beam, which supports homeless and other disadvantaged people to get jobs, homes and skills. Agricarbon, which provides affordable and accurate soil carbon audits in aid of regenerative farming. Aqua Metrology Systems Ltd, which provides water monitoring to local municipalities, to ensure their water is safe. Sunamp, which uses patented 'heat batteries' to store heat produced by heat pumps, instead of water tanks. Celtic Renewables, which produces sustainable chemicals from unwanted wastes and residues. CeraPhi, which uses the earth's heat, accessible from end-of-life oil and gas wells, to produce clean energy. NatureSpace Partnership Ltd, which helps housing developers and local authorities check for newts, a protected species, in proposed sites for building.

This week: Katy Balls reads her politics column on Keir Starmer's ceasefire predicament (00:54), Matthew Parris warns us of the dangers of righteous anger (06:48), and Fabian Carstairs tells us how he found himself on an internet dating blacklist (14:29).  Presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest again this week is Oliver Soden, author of the amazing new biography: Masquerade — The Lives of Noel Coward. Today in the second part of our conversation Oliver relates how Noel Coward, while still in his early 20s, emerged as one of the signature voices of the 1920s, both in London and on Broadway. If you missed part one of our conversation you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one.  Oliver Sodon is a writer and broadcaster whose previous books include the critically acclaimed 2019 biography of composer Michael Tippett. Oliver's writing on art, music and literature has appeared in the Guardian, Spectator, London Review of Books, and the Times Literary supplement, and he is a frequent guest speaker on BBC radio and television broadcasts. Coward was without a doubt one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century and as you will hear Oliver and I had a great time talking about him. And it will be my pleasure to share that conversation with you over the next several episodes.   Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club members! If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent “X” post that went viral, a young woman lamented:   [I'm] Realizing at 32 that I don't care about building a career or climbing any corporate ladder. All I want to do is make the most amount of money working the least amount of hours possible so I can spend the MAJORITY of my time with my family, living life on my own terms instead of spending 40+ years working for a boss who's paying me what he thinks is “fair.”  This woman speaks for many 30-and-40-somethings who wish they'd prioritized marriage and children earlier. As births in the U.S. sink farther below the replacement rate, and the average age of first marriage hovers near an all-time high, a growing number of people are seeing the appeal of a life centered more around family than career, success, or status.    In fact, Gallup's Social Series survey recently found that desire for larger families is at a 50-year high: 45% of respondents said that three or more children is their ideal, a big change from 20 years ago, when only 33% of Americans wanted that many kids. This, however, only makes our nation's empty maternity wards and rock-bottom birth rates more puzzling. What is growing in America are not families, but the chasm between the families Americans say they want and the families they are forming.   In a Wall Street Journal article in May, Janet Adamy described how the “gap between women's intended number of children and their actual family size has widened considerably. ... [B]y the time women born in the late 1980s were in their early 30s, they had given birth, on average, to about one child less than they planned.”  Multiplied by tens of thousands, that's a lot of missing kids. This “birth dearth” has become so serious and undeniable that even mainstream media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have finally acknowledged it and even debated ways to reverse it. Adamy thinks that economic and social factors are to blame. Women cannot afford to have as many kids as they want and can't find mature, financially stable men with whom to have them.  These factors cannot sufficiently explain the numerous ways Americans actively opt for child-free lives. For instance, more and more households are choosing pets over children, and our spending on those pets increased by a whopping 30% between 2018 and 2021. More importantly, marriage is rarer than ever, especially among lower-income Americans even though marriage is the most reliable means of building and keeping the financial stability required for children.  Also, the rate of vasectomies has risen by more than a quarter in the last decade and are easier than ever to obtain. Planned Parenthood of Oklahoma City recently advertised free vasectomies on Facebook with the slogan “snip away the stress.” They were fully booked in two days.  And finally, if, as several writers have asked recently, our lack of fertility can be chalked up to “it's the economy, stupid,” how did previous generations manage far higher birth rates in much more difficult times?  Louise Perry offered a better explanation than any of these in an article published earlier this year in The Spectator. In it, she blamed our “progressive” lifestyle:   The key features of modernity—urbanism, affluence, secularism, the blurring of gender distinctions, and more time spent with strangers than with kin—all of these factors in combination shred fertility.  In other words, we are witnessing the domination of a life-script in which children feel superfluous. The way we live, the things we value, the roles we assume, and the priorities we set have made family an afterthought.   We've been culturally conditioned, at nearly every turn, to put other things ahead of marriage and children. We believe that marriage and family “will just happen when it's time.” But these things rarely do just happen in our culture, which is why so many find themselves like the woman in the viral video, wishing things had gone differently but painfully aware that lost time can never be reclaimed.   Mega trends like this cannot be changed overnight. Certainly, there are policy moves, like those recently suggested by Brad Wilcox and David Bass of the Institute for Family Studies, that can make change easier.  Ultimately, it comes down to individual choices to plan life in a way that centers, rather than marginalizes, marriage and family. That means these things can't be an afterthought, seen as a kind of “capstone” that young people expect to simply fall into place when the time is right. Rather, they must be thought of as foundational realities and, as such, things to pursue and around which other aspects of life should revolve.  This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.