Your best baby

Genetic testing start ups are a booming industry in America. Behind the headlines of 'designer babies' are companies tapping into disputed science, facing accusations that this is a pathway to eugenics. So what does the story of one company in particular tell us about this new field of fertility and science?Reporters: Madeleine Parr and Matt RussellProducers: Madeleine Parr and Matt RussellAdditional production: Gary MarshallArtwork: Blythe Walker SibthorpSound design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper CorbettSubscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexi sits down with the reporter of this week’s Slow Newscast, Francisco Garcia, to talk about one stop in particular on the road to Putin’s frontline, the Orthodox Church. How did a young man from Dunblane end up converting to this ancient form of Christianity? And why are so many young men converting to the Orthodox Church?Producer: Ada BaruméExecutive Producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Fraser was born and raised in Dunblane. Then, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he signed up to fight...for Russia, not Ukraine. Now he and others who have followed similar paths tell their story of how they ended up on the frontline for Putin.Reporter: Francisco GarciaProducers: Gary Marshall and Matt RussellArtwork: Lucy StevensonSound design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Miller is the United States Homeland Security Advisor. But the vague sounding title belies his immense influence with Donald Trump behind the scenes. He’s better understood as the architect of some of the US’s most audacious recent policies - the capturing of Venezuelan President Maduro, the rollout of ICE enforcement through communities, and a threat to capture Greenland. So what can he tell us about what America will do next?Credits:Reporter: Stephen ArmstrongReporter/Producers: Madeleine Parr, Poppy Bullard, Jonathan LewisSound design: Dominic DelargyArtwork: Lucy StevensonEditors: Matt Russell & Jasper CorbettSubscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Epstein Files are wreaking havoc across British institutions; first the Royal family and now, the government. Peter Mandelson was sacked as US Ambassador in September over his links to the billionaire paedophile, but the latest tranche of documents show the pair were closer than anyone previously knew. What did their relationship look like? And did it give Jeffrey Epstein access to the heart of the British government?Reporters: Ada Barume and Poppy BullardProducer: Poppy BullardSound design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dating app Bumble built its identity on a promise: women make the first move. In this episode, The Observer uncovers a legal campaign by men’s rights activists that helped dismantle that premise.Correction: A previous version of this episode stated that the Los Angeles Angels baseball case settled for $500,000. That case did not settle and was dismissed in court. It was a separate case involving the Oakland Athletics baseball team that settled for $500,000. This episode has been updated.Reporter: Patricia ClarkeProducer: Jonathan LewisSound design: Dominic DelargyArtwork: Blythe Walker SibthorpEditor: Jasper CorbettSubscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are over a thousand oil tankers at sea that are helping finance Russia's war in Ukraine in plain sight. And they're not just trading in sanctioned oil, they're sabotaging the very infrastructure we all rely on. The UK and EU know about them, they pass right by our coasts, but so far have been unable to stop them at any sort of scale. This is the story of a shadow ship, sailing its way through sanctions, sabotage and subterfuge.Credits: Reporter/Producer: Matt RussellSound design: Dominic DelargyArtwork: Lola WilliamsExecutive Producer: Gary MarshallEditor: Jasper CorbettSubscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel hears the shocking story of “Patient A”, who explains that patients are at risk too. Her testimony raises more questions about the way sexual misconduct cases are handled in healthcare, as victims — both doctors and patients — call for change.Reporter: Rachel SylvesterProducer: Gary MarshallArtwork: Lola WilliamsSound Design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper Corbett Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Brooklyn Beckham publicly cut ties with his parents David and Victoria Beckham. Its exposed a rift in the family that seemingly dates back at least to Brooklyn's wedding.More than two years ago, Brooklyn Beckham married the actress Nicola Peltz in a wedding that did not go smoothly. Nicola Peltz's billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, filed a lawsuit against two wedding planners demanding a refund. The Observer's Claudia Williams in this episode of the Slow Newscast asked the question: what happens when you treat a wedding like a billion-dollar business deal? This episode was first published on 28th March 2023Reporter: Claudia WilliamsProducer: Imy HarperSound design: Sam MbathaEditor: Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When an esteemed transplant surgeon is found to have sexually harassed a number of his female colleagues — sometimes in the middle of operations — the General Medical Council recommends that he be struck off the medical register. But that is not what happens.Rachel Sylvester discovers that the case of James Gilbert, isn't a shocking one-off. In fact, it is symptomatic of a much wider problem in surgery.Reporter: Rachel SylvesterProducer: Gary MarshallArtwork: Lola WilliamsSound Design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper Corbett Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe And get access to:Our podcasts before anyone elseA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.