The Story

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her Spring Statement - but what does it really mean for your money? Holly Mead is joined by Jo Noble, Chris Etherington and Tom Selby to break down the key takeaways - from welfare cuts to tax crackdowns - as they look at what was announced, what was left out, and what’s still to come later this year. 

Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning to ‘kidulting’ to find answers? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Sam Chantarasak.Further listening: Studio Ghibli: Is this the end for the Japanese studio that inspired Pixar?The South Korean culture machine that conquered the worldClips: SEGA, Pokémon Theme/POKEMON, MSNBC, CNN, AJ+, Sony, PlayStation, CBS, SXSW, TikTok/@otakuintokyo, TikTok/@kaitlyneats, Your Name/dir. Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films/Toho.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

It's been called "a big mistake", "reckless" and "the highest level of f**kup imaginable" - but just how did a senior journalist come to be added to a chat group between some of the US government’s most senior members who were discussing military action? As the Trump government looks to downplay the incident, what does it tell us about how they view their allies and conduct their business? And what could the fallout be?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: David Charter, assistant editor (US), The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Edward Drummond and Olivia Case.Clips: Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes.Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

The arrest and jailing of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey’s main political challenger to President Erdogan, has sent shockwaves across the country. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest his detention and express growing concerns over Turkey's shift toward autocracy. Does this mark a turning point in Turkey’s democracy? And will Imamoglu still be able to stand in the 2028 presidential elections? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Andrew Finkel,  journalist and author of Turkey: What Everyone Needs to KnowHost: Manveen Rana.Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Edith Rousselot.Further reading: The Erdogan I knew is a mirror image of the man he’s just locked upClips: BBC News, Euronews, Reuters, Sky News. Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

The Netflix smash-hit drama is getting everyone talking – including the prime minister. Adolescence centres on the murder of a 13-year-old girl by a boy in her class, and tries to tackle the question: why did he do it? Is this ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ television? Or a timely spotlight on a dark online ecosystem drawing in young men?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests:Jonathan Dean, Executive Editor of Interviews, The Sunday Times Culture.Nathaniel Cole, workshop facilitator for young people.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Taryn Siegel.Further reading: What teens really think about Adolescence — in their own wordsClips: Netflix, ITV, TikTok/shabazsays, TikTok/dr.amanisamahPhoto: Netflix.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

Meet JD Vance, man of Munich and the Oval Office onslaught. He thinks Europe is in a death spiral and the future is Catholic-infused post-liberalism. But what are his roots, what does he read, and - most importantly - what does he want? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Edward Drummond.Further reading: Pugnacious bully or deep thinker — who is the real JD Vance?Further listening: Bannon vs Musk: The battle for the soul of Donald TrumpClips: Fox News, CNN, ABC News, NBC News, Forbes.Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com