Podcasts

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the ramifications of the US midterm elections and the dangers for the US Democrats, believing we are living in dangerous times politically. He also explains the importance of the split in the Eastern Orthodox Church and considers why MI5 might have taken over in the fight against UK right-wing extremism.

James Cameron-Wilson dissects the latest UK box office stats, where Bohemian Rhapsody reigns supreme. He reviews new films The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Slaughterhouse Rulez and Mike Leigh's Peterloo. Also recommended by James is the Blu-Ray release of the 1978 Australian eco-thriller Long Weekend.

Steve Caplin on Facebook's 3D photos, on a drone that could be a massive aid in disaster operations, on Amazon's "review factories", on a way to make film ratings more objective, on a self-cleaning water bottle and on a quick stop bike lock for when you just want to "pop in" for something and don't want the hassle of fastening your bike to a piece of street furniture.

Is austerity really coming to an end? And are the rich getting richer thanks to the Government? In the This is Money podcast this week, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost analyse the 2018 Budget. Money for the NHS, little extras for schools, cash for roads, help for the High Street and the baby rabbit in the hat - pulling the rise in the basic and higher rate tax thresholds to £12,500 and £50,000, respectively, a year earlier than promised. We also talk about what a no Brexit deal means for interest rates? We heard from the Bank of England this week about the likely impact such a scenario could have on interest rates and how quickly they will go up – or not. Despite sticking this week to 0.75%, the decision came with a few notes of warning – largely that it was based on a 'smooth transition' for Brexit. And finally, we report on the latest in our 'stop the private parking sharks' campaign - how the good people of Essex town Basildon have taken to the streets to protest about one firm running a car park and dishing out charges.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Shares of Apple fall despite quarterly profits rising 41%; Starbucks hits an all-time high; Fitbit and Under Amour give shareholders a reason to smile; Kraft Heinz and GE hit new lows; Ron Gross, Jason Moser, and Matt Argersinger analyze those stories, along with the latest results from Alibaba, Shake Shack, MercadoLibre, Spotify, Teladoc, and Yum Brands; Plus, we share three stocks on our radar.

Adam talks to IEMT trainer and founder of Interesting Talks (the largest Meetup Group in London) Matt Kendall. They discuss the latest technology in dealing with trauma and anxiety and also explore the perils of the personal development industry. They highlight that many people drawn to personal development seminars are often vulnerable people with mental health issues prompted to sign up for expensive courses. They question whether the industry actually solves problems or just perpetuates a myth of success and accomplishments for financial gain.

Political commentator Mike Indian, in conversation with Simon Rose, discusses the political ramifications of the Budget, why Hammond and May (the politicans not the Top Gear presenters) are such a solid team not so long after she wanted to sack him, wonders whether we are nearly there with Brexit negotiations and suggests what we should look out for in the US mid-term elections.

Abundance Investment is a crowdfunding platform that raises cash for green and social infrastructure projects. Abundance is currently looking for people in its own business and it's doing that via the Seedrs platform. Ed Bowsher spoke to Louise Wilson, co-founder and managing director of Abundance.

Steve Caplin enlightens us about a demonstration of what 5G will be able to do, on Amazon extending its Alexa services, of the consequences of mistakes on Google Maps, on autonomous taxis to launch in London in 2021, of the invention of plastic from potatoes, on the world's lightest phone stabiliser, on a concert hologram of Amy Winehouse and on the French navy using albatrosses to track illegal fishing boats.

James Cameron-Wilson discusses the amazingly strong box office debut of Bohemian Rhapsody about Queen and Freddie Mercury, as well as the other new film, The Hate U Give. For home release, he strongly recommends Whitney, Kevin Macdonald's documentary about the singer.