Beyond Today

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How did normal get so weird? Feb 01, 2019

Show notes

In the past few years what we think of as normal has changed completely. Ideas and personalities once considered fringe have become mainstream and extreme attitudes seem more acceptable. So who defines the new normal and what will the consequences be? We speak to Peter Pomerantsev from the London School of Economics, who has made a documentary for Radio 4 on the subject. He’s also the author of "Nothing is True and Everything is Possible". He tells us why politicians and the media need to change and why Russia was ahead of the game.

Producer: Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

What can one building tell us about Venezuela? Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

Once a futuristic symbol of all that Venezuela could become, a building called El Helicoide in the country’s capital is now the headquarters of the intelligence services and a prison for political prisoners. We speak to Karenina Velandia, who has been investigating the prison, about the dramatic collapse of the once-wealthy country she grew up in.

You can read her report here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-46864864

Producer: Heidi Pett

Apple: is the iPhone era over? Jan 30, 2019

Show notes

Apple reported falling sales of the iPhone this week. A category-defining product since its launch in 2007, other smartphone makers have largely been playing catch up. The company is blaming a slowdown in China for the fall in revenues, but it also faces serious competition on price and design from China and beyond. Jen Copestake from BBC Click assesses Apple’s dwindling dominance and what that could mean for the company and its customers.

Producers: Duncan Barber and Philly Beaumont.

R.Kelly: is #metoo closing in on music? Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

We’ve been hearing a lot about R. Kelly since a documentary came out in the US earlier this month detailing allegations of abuse and sex with underage girls, spanning several decades. These are allegations he denies. We spoke to veteran music reporter Jasmine Dotiwala, documentary maker Joyce Trozzo, and Hollywood music lawyer Dina LaPolt to explore whether things are really going to change in the music industry.

Are we getting more allergic to food? Jan 28, 2019

Show notes

When 15 year old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died after eating a baguette from Pret containing sesame seeds, a campaign to get better food labelling was launched. Now the Government has started a consultation into strengthening current labelling laws to protect allergy sufferers. But are we getting more allergic to food and what scientific research is being done to find out why some people have more extreme reactions than others? The BBC’s health and science correspondent James Gallagher takes us through the biology.

Mixed by Weidong Lin, additional mixing by Nicolas Raufast. Producer Jaja Muhammad. Editor John Shields.

BTS: Who made Korea cool? Jan 25, 2019

Show notes

Korean culture is increasingly playing a bigger role in our lives: We eat Korean BBQ, watch Korean dramas, and buy Korean cosmetics. But the big drive behind the Korean wave is Korean Pop, better known as K-pop. The country’s music industry is taking the world by storm, penetrating the top music charts in Europe and North America. With the help of journalists, Tamar Herman and Jenna Gibson, and K-pop industry expert Bernie Cho, we ask who made Korea cool?

Producers: Georgia Coan and Seren Jones Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

How do you walk away from your ultra-religious community? Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

Izzy Posen looks and seems like a normal student. But his life before university was far from the norm. He grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in North London, speaking no English and attending an illegal school. This is the story of a man who chose to leave everything he knew behind, and the freedom and anguish that came with that decision.

Reporter: Alice Porter Producer: Harriet Noble Mixed by: Nico Raufast Editor: John Shields

Should the James Bulger story win an Oscar? Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

When toddler James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Merseyside in 1993 and murdered by two ten-year-old boys the country was appalled. Now a new short film has been made and nominated for an Oscar. ‘Detainment’ uses the original police interviews with the boys as a basis for the drama. It’s causing a lot of controversy as the family weren’t consulted and now want people to boycott it. We hear about the original trial from Winfred Robinson, who covered the story for the BBC, and Entertainment Correspondent Colin Paterson, who has seen the Oscar-nominated film.

Producers: Duncan Barber and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

Ocasio-Cortez: the first millennial political icon? Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

Politics on both sides of the Atlantic feels a bit stuck. The government in the US has been shut down for the longest period in its history and politicians here can’t agree on how to make Brexit work. But there are people challenging existing power structures. Last week we heard from Gina Martin, the 27 year old who has got a law banning upskirting through Parliament. And today we’re talking about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She’s only been in office for a few weeks, but she’s already using her social media superstardom to shape political conversation in the US. WNYC political reporter Brigid Bergin and Jon Ossoff, who ran for Congress in 2017, consider whether AOC is an anomaly or part of a wider movement of change.

Producer: Harriet Noble Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

Blue Monday: how bad is it really? Jan 21, 2019

Show notes

The third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday as a combination of money worries and winter weather push us to a collective low. Seventy per cent of the country also think things are getting worse, according to a poll from Ipsos Mori. But that’s not actually the case - in many circumstances life has improved. Rachel Schraer from BBC Reality Check and Joey D’Urso, a producer in the BBC political unit, tell us there are many reasons to be cheerful. They should know. They’ve seen the stats.

Producers: Philly Beaumont and Lucy Hancock.

Editor: John Shields.

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