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Last month, Nigel Farage resigned as an MP, in the hope that winning a by-election would clear his name as questions mounted over his personal finances. Voters in Clacton go to the polls today, but will his gamble pay off? Plus: A former Israeli combat medic details war crimes against children in an interview with Haaretz, Owen Jones takes on one of Israel’s cheerleaders, and Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House. With NoJusticeMTG & Dalia Gebrial.

Burnham belatedly calls an emergency COBRA meeting on the UK droughts, will it be too little too late? Plus: The UK heatwave has pummelled productivity & the ascendant US Democratic Socialists narrowly lose the primary race for governor of Wisconsin. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, James Meadway & Branco Marcetic.

Burnham unveils a raft of measures to save the local high street while Britain continues to burn. Plus: Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms are being blamed for the chronic overcrowding in prisons & is “Shrinkflation” the ultimate signifier of late stage capitalism? With Aaron Bastani & Michael Walker.
Have we finally had enough of hyper-consumerism? Moya and Ash confront the political crises that are changing our attitudes to spending, and what that’s got to do with the World Cup and cerulean sweaters. Plus: what to do when you’ve lost all motivation. Read the Vulture article about lifestyle influencers mentioned in the show. Get tickets for Ash at the Southbank Centre on 26 September. Get tickets for Heated: Carnival Afters at Vespers on 30 August. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

UK farmers have warned that food shortages are likely following ‘very poor’ crop yields caused by droughts. Plus: Student loan holders face a ‘ticking timebomb’ of debt and higher taxes, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighs in on Woke 1.0, and several football federations are calling for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign. With Michael Walker, Ash Sarkar & Paul Behrens. Buy Downstream IRL tickets here: https://dice.fm/event/bb9wxv-novara-medias-downstream-irl-trauma-farming-21st-sep-earth-london-tickets Chris Packham’s petition to hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687
The summer of 2026 will go down in history books as the hottest, driest and most deadly set of heatwaves Britain has ever experienced. This weather isn’t normal – but it is predictable according to a global consensus of scientists. And yet this summer, according to the science, will be one of the coolest summers we ever have again. Things will only get hotter from here. Beginning his career as an oil-rig engineer before retraining as a climate scientist, Kevin Anderson’s career has been an extraordinary journey. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sat down with him to discuss what has become his life’s work: sounding the alarm on man-made climate change, and on the fossil fuel industry that gave him his start. Just how much has the planet heated, and why? Is the Paris Agreement’s aim of keeping heating to beneath 1.5°C still achievable, or delusional cope? What are the political obstacles to tackling the issue? Having worked with Andy Burnham in Manchester, what does Kevin think he will do on climate, as PM? Is avoiding catastrophe still possible, and if so, how much time have we got to act, before it’s too late?
Nadia, Keir and Jem wonder why humans are drawn to the beach in a weird-left conversation that spans geological deep-time, the birth of surf culture, the politics of faded seaside towns and more, plus music from 808 State and The B-52’s. Find the music and books mentioned in the show: https://novara.media/acfm Sign up to the ACFM newsletter: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters Follow our playlist on Spotify by searching ‘ACFM’. Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

A third night of anti-migrant protests in Thetford, Norfolk has forced asylum seekers to flee their homes. Plus: Controversial plans to build a data centre in Brick Lane have been approved, droughts are changing the face of England, and the Cambridge plagiarism scandal surrounding Jason Arday continues to dominate the headlines. With Michael Walker, Banseka Kayembe & Adrienne Buller.

Donald Trump’s so-called ‘Board of Peace’ has issued its first building contract in Gaza, and it’s for a military base. Plus: New EHRC guidance on single-sex spaces comes into force, Kemi Badenoch appoints a former neo-nazi to an advisory position, and Rupert Lowe gives a car-crash interview to BBC Radio 4. With NoJusticeMTG, Dalia Gebrial & Caroline Russell.

Greens Leader Zack Polanski attempts to apply pressure on the PM to move the climate crisis up his agenda. Plus: The Israel Lobby finally loses a race in the US senate & we speak to an expert about the latest AI powered security breaches. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, James Meadway & Dr Adel Bibi.