Shows
Neural NewscastGlobal Headlines and Breaking Stories - June 20, 2025Welcome to this episode of NNC Daily News! Today, we're diving into a variety of significant stories shaping our world.In this episode:đ Legislative Update: Discover the implications of the UK Parliament's vote on assisted dying legislation.đłď¸ Political Analysis: Sarah Longwell discusses divisions among Trump supporters and the GOP's future.đď¸ Immigration Tensions: Learn about the immigration standoff at Dodger Stadium and ICE's response.đ Environmental Policy: Explore global support for a carbon tax and its potential impact.đ Market Movements: Analyze the market's response to geopolitical developments involving Iran.đď¸ Consumer Trends: Record-breaking sales at China's 618 shopping festival highlight consumer demand.đ Cybers...2025-06-2009 min
EU ConfidentialThe crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency testThose text messages Ursula von der Leyen didnât want to share? The EUâs top court says thatâs not OK.
In a win for transparency advocates, Europeâs judges have ruled that the European Commission was wrong to hold back von der Leyenâs text exchanges with Pfizerâs CEO during vaccine contract negotiations. POLITICO health reporter Mari Eccles joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack what the ruling means for Brussels, for von der Leyenâs leadership style, and for how the EU handles power behind the scenes.
Then we turn to Poland, where voters a...2025-05-1630 min
EU ConfidentialA divorce and a birthday: Five years of Brexit, 10 years of POLITICOWith POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels â in very different ways.Host Sarah Wheaton kicks things off with Zoya Sheftalovich, editor of Global Playbook, reflecting on POLITICO Europeâs early days and its first big scoop: Jean-Claude Junckerâs kidney stones. Then we head to Maastricht for highlights from a debate organized by Studio Europa Maastricht, where Sarah moderated a conversation on Brexitâs legacy with Joris Luyendijk, Fleur Launspach, Oliver Garner and Ferenc LaczĂł. Finally, Sarah checks in with f...2025-04-2544 min
EU ConfidentialErdoÄan, not Trump, is Europe's new best friend on securityEkrem Ä°mamoÄlu, Istanbulâs mayor and the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan, has been arrested. So what is Europe doing about it? Staying pretty quiet, it seems. Mass protests are breaking out across Turkey but Brussels is keeping its counsel.In this episode Sarah Wheaton speaks with AslÄą AydÄąntaĹbaĹ, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former journalist in Turkey, about whatâs really driving ErdoÄanâs shift toward authoritarianism and how Europe is responding â especially with a view to Turkeyâs growing importance for European security.Bu...2025-03-2836 min
NDAFNDAF Episode 7 - Sarah ShawA conversation with author support specialist and longtime book publicist, Sarah Shaw, formerly of Thomas & Mercer, currently of BookedOnSocial, discussing innumerable strategies and tips for social media-averse creators across any space, particularly thoseâlike NDAFâs host and a couple of our guests so farâwho have found it difficult due to aspects of their own neurodivergence to best connect with readers both online and in person.2025-03-1751 min
Neural NewscastDaily News - Full Episode 209In Episode 209 (Full), aired March 02, 2025, of Neural Newscast, Andrew Lindbeck and Sarah Wheaton cover significant global events. Lindbeck highlights Texas's declaration of independence in 1836 and its impact on American history. Wheaton reports on tensions between the U.S. and Europe over freedom commitments, a lawsuit against New York's climate law, and a proposal to rename the New York strip steak. Daniel Grove discusses a Qantas emergency landing and Australian Oscar nominees. Kara Swift examines Trump's endorsement of cryptocurrencies, while Ethan Wells explores potential tariffs on Canadian lumber. Join us for these stories and more at NNewscast.com or NeuralNewscast...2025-03-0303 min
EU ConfidentialCan Germanyâs next chancellor help Europe deal with Trump?Germany has voted, and Friedrich Merz is now the chancellor-in-waiting. But can he rise to the occasion? With Donald Trump signaling a retreat from Europe and cozying up to Vladimir Putin, the continent faces its biggest security challenge in decades. Will Merz shake off Germanyâs long-standing hesitation and step up?Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by James Angelos, POLITICOâs news editor in Berlin; Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; and Nick Vinocur, POLITICOâs editor-at-large, to break down what the election results mean for Berlin, Brussels and beyond.We e...2025-02-2841 min
EU ConfidentialHow political is your pizza? The Mediterranean Diet and Europe's food battlesPasta, pizza, and Parmigiano â delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, theyâre also deeply political.This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton digs into how food has become a battleground, with POLITICO agriculture reporter Alessandro Ford explaining how Italyâs far-right â and politicians across Europe â are using the Mediterranean diet to push back against Brussels. From Nutri-Score to climate policies, we unpack the rise of gastro-nationalism and how a diet once rooted in simplicity is now fueling a political fight.We also have another installment of our Berlaymont Whoâs Who series: Sarah sits down with POLITICO tec...2025-02-0731 min
EU ConfidentialInside the POLITICO 28 gala: Europeâs most powerful players (and hangover)This week's episode of EU Confidential takes you inside the POLITICO 28 gala, where we revealed our list of the people who will drive the year ahead. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini and senior reporter Aitor HernĂĄndez-Morales to discuss how a vacuum in the EU's traditional power centers and growing disillusionment with traditional parties is giving rise to a new class of influential Doers, Dreamers and Disrupters in this yearâs power ranking. Among them: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who Sarah interviewed at this weekâs P28 gala. Be sure to check...2024-12-1341 min
EU ConfidentialScholz on the brink, Rubio in the wings: Europe faces the new Trump eraWhile Donald Trump is filling out his top team, the EU faces a leadership vacuum. Thank Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been on the phone with Vladimir Putin and faces gloomy prospects in likely snap elections. EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Gordon Repinski, POLITICOâs executive editor for Germany and host of the Berlin Playbook podcast, and Liana Fix, Europe fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, to unpack how domestic chaos in Berlin translates to transatlantic chaos for the rest of the bloc.Then, Sarah checks in with Eric Bazail-Eimil, POLITICO.comâs expe...2024-11-2233 min
EU ConfidentialSummer special: âRent is too damn high!â Europeâs growing housing crisisOn our summer break, we're bringing this episode from January back into your feed by popular demand, looking at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, long waiting lists for social or affordable housing â commonplace problems from Greece to Luxembourg to Portugal. Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICOâs Aitor HernĂĄndez-Morales and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, about the causes of the crisis, its impact across the bloc (including far-right parties using it as an election platform), and solutions at the EU lev...2024-08-0942 min
The Strong Women PodcastBest of Strong Women: The Shocking Dorothy Sayers With Crystal DowningWe are taking a small break this July to gear up for season five of the Strong Women podcast. But during this break, we decided to re-air some episodes that we thought you would enjoy.  Crystal Downing joins us this week to talk about the 20th-century Christian author, Dorothy Sayers. Crystal is Co-Director of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, where scholars research, write about, and preserve the memorabilia of a handful of British writersâincluding a few members of the Inklings. Though Dorothy Sayers wasnât an Inkling herself, she was friends with many of them and w...2024-07-3148 min
EU ConfidentialAs it happened: Ursula von der Leyenâs secret ballot triumphBig decisions awaited the new class of MEPs this week: Whether to back Ursula von der Leyen for a second term atop the Commission; which committee assignments to pursue; and, most urgently, which Parliament bar to visit to get away from it all.Join host Sarah Wheaton for a romp through the Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament, and relive a week that was so crucial for Europe's direction over the next five years.Sarah is joined by POLITICO's Eddy Wax, who takes us behind the scenes of all the horse-trading and political maneuvers during...2024-07-1936 min
EU ConfidentialMEGA shift in the EU's balance of powerAlmost two weeks after the EU election, there is still a lot of political manoeuvring going on â both in Brussels and in national capitals.First, POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Barbara Moens, recaps of the race for the top jobs after European leaders failed to reach a deal at their informal dinner in Brussels earlier this week.Then, we zoom in on the countries and leaders who until recently were calling the shots, but now seem weakened â and those who are trying to seize the new zeitgeist and claim more power than they've had in the past...2024-06-2137 min
EU ConfidentialMacron challenges French voters and spooks BrusselsAs the EU comes to terms with its new (sort of) political reality following last weekend's European Parliament election, France is already back in campaign mode â preparing for snap elections called unexpectedly by President Emmanuel Macron.The French president dissolved the National Assembly in response to the massive success of the far-right National Rally in the European election (and the poor showing of his own Renaissance party).Host Sarah Wheaton and her colleagues discuss Macron's shock decision and whether his gamble can pay off. She's joined by senior Paris correspondent Clea Caulcutt, politics reporter Victor Go...2024-06-1427 min
EU ConfidentialEU election 101 â your questions answeredThis is your essential (and entertaining!) guide to the upcoming European election â everything you've wanted to know but been too afraid to ask.With the crucial vote just two weeks away, we reached out to you, our European and American listeners, on social media and collected the most pressing election-related questions. Both veterans of the Brussels bubble and political novices seem to be wondering about everything from: can you vote online to does it even matter?Host Sarah Wheaton and her panel of POLITICO's election experts delve into the nitty-gritty of voting and what happens ne...2024-05-2439 min
EU ConfidentialHow Russian disinformation could skew EU election â and whether Europe can fight itUrsula von der Leyen made a promise this week: if she secures another term as president of the European Commission, she will prioritize beefing up the EU's defenses against malicious disinformation from Moscow.It's a top-of-agenda issue for many in Brussels and across the bloc, with less than a month until the European election and hostile actors using sophisticated tools such as generative AI.In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton and her guests unpack some of the latest examples of interference from the Kremlin, such as sharing AI-generated deepfake videos of politicians or cloning the...2024-05-1734 min
EU ConfidentialFarmers lead the EU climate backlashAs EU leaders received a stark warning about the climate risks facing the bloc, the European Commission caved to farmer protests and demands to slash environmental requirements.Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO's climate policy reporter Zia Weise about the recent report on climate risks facing the bloc, the first of its kind from the European Environment Agency. We dive into the sobering findings and the reactions.And then Sarah hosts a conversation with POLITICO's senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen and Tom Brookes â the head of the Meloire Foundation and one of Brussels' top green lo...2024-03-2238 min
The Living Room DiscipleBeing Honest About the PastâFeat. Sarah L. Sanderson (Author of The Place We Make)Support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3paiqn3Â
Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/vJcHEmLeKJgNPbgA8Â
On This Week's Episode:
This week, we've got Sarah L. Sanderson, author of "The Place We Make." Sarah is all about radical honesty and the freedom that comes with it -- something that we all want but can struggle to embrace when shame comes into play.Â
Today, we're tackling the elephant in the room -- America's historical struggle with racial injustice. Some may be thinking, "Haven't we moved past this?" but let...2024-03-1141 min
EU ConfidentialVDL 2.0 â How Europe and Ukraine have changed, two years into Russia's all-out warAs we mark two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we take stock of how the war has changed Europe's political landscape and identity â as well as life for Ukrainians under siege. Also, we look at Ursula von der Leyen's campaign to remain European Commission chief.Von der Leyen finally announced her intention this week to officially seek another term at the helm following the European Parliament election in June. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard about the not-so-surprising announcement and what we can expect from von der Leyen's campaign over th...2024-02-2342 min
The Brain Candy PodcastElmo Abuse, Apollo 13, & Guinness World RecordsSarah is in her cranky era since she's dealing with her menopausal symptoms. Susie gives Wil Wheaton a real earful about his ridiculous rant about Larry David's recent bit on a morning show with Elmo. We mourn the loss of Sarah Rice (not our Sarah Rice, a different one). Susie shares the story of Apollo 13 including the reason their mission to the moon was ill-fated, some old gossip about the crew, and why NASA didn't realize the flight was a success for many years. Susie is mad at the Guinness World Records organization for nit-picking with a man who...2024-02-191h 01
EU ConfidentialEurope responds to Donald TrumpDonald Trump has again sent shockwaves across Europe with comments suggesting that he would encourage Russia to invade NATO countries that do not spend enough on defense.In this episode, we discuss reactions in European capitals. Host Sarah Wheaton and her colleagues â senior Paris correspondent Clea Caulcutt, chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig and Stuart Lau who covers China and NATO â check whether Trump's criticism of NATO could effectively prompt EU leaders to enhance the bloc's defense capabilities. They also zoom into Budapest where an unexpected political scandal toppled two of Viktor OrbĂĄn's biggest loyalists.Later...2024-02-1633 min
EU Confidential'Rent is too damn high!' Europeâs growing housing crisisIn this episode we look at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, long waiting lists for social or affordable housing â commonplace problems from Greece to Luxembourg to Portugal. Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO's Aitor HernĂĄndez-Morales and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, about the causes of the crisis, its impact across the bloc (including far-right parties using it as an election platform), and solutions at the EU level. Are there any, given that housing is not an EU competence?Th...2024-01-2641 min
EU ConfidentialEU top jobs kickoff â finding compromise with Viktor OrbĂĄnIn this episode we look at the ongoing tug-of-war between Budapest and Brussels in the context of a rather shocking development that could pave the way for Hungarian PM Viktor OrbĂĄn â who has won a reputation as the bloc's biggest troublemaker â to chair meetings of EU leaders and set the EU agenda.It follows a surprising decision by European Council President Charles Michel to step down and run for a seat in the European Parliament.Host Sarah Wheaton and colleagues Barbara Moens and Hans von der Burchard delve into the quibbles and clashes Viktor OrbĂĄn h...2024-01-1242 min
Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe Nine Tailors, part 2!Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. Weâre discussing the best mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers ever written â in chronological order.The Nine Tailors, a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, is quite possibly Dorothy Sayersâ masterpiece. The murder method in the 1934 novel is a stunner to be sure. The idea came from a sixpenny pamphlet that explained bell-ringing. Is it her finest literary achievement? Let us know what YOU think!Dan Drake was born in Los Angeles two months after Pearl Harbor...2024-01-0157 min