The Standard

Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing him a possible prison sentence for gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.The Democratic president had previously said he would interfere in the justice process after Hunter’s convictions in the two federal cases in Delaware and California. The “full and unconditional pardon” comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive to be sentenced after his trial conviction in the gun case - with much of the incriminating material coming from his notorious laptop - and guilty plea on tax charges. The u-turn comes less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.The Standard podcast is joined by Professor Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, US politics and public policy expert at the University of Essex.In part two, British drivers will see a shake-up of the road tax rules in the spring, with a new emissions-based charging system and EV drivers paying for the first time.We hear both sides of the debate, with Brian Mooney, campaign manager at Fair Deal for the Motorist, and David Bailey, professor of business economics at the Birmingham Business School.

Welcome to The Standard podcast’s round-up special edition, where we bring you the news highlights from the week that was.It began with nightmare weather as Storm Bert continued to bring disruption into Monday following winds over 80mph and torrential downpours caused “devastating” flooding over the weekend, in which five people were believed to have died.Continuing our reports on the future of Oxford Street, we looked at mayor Sadiq Khan’s hiring plans for some very well remunerated jobs to create a “commercial model” and help envision his pedestrianisation plans.Tuesday brought the announcement of a government white paper on wide-ranging reforms designed to tackle economic inactivity in a bid to bring more than two million people back into work.We also looked at whether Black Friday sales promotions were all they seemed, the closure of London’s historic Smithfield meat market after more than 900 years and spoke with a former British Army officer who had a stroke at 28 and is now skiing to the South Pole, plus Bafta winner Kit Young on starring in a new London interpretation of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse - and getting his new award through airport security. 

Louise Haigh has become the first person to resign from Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.Haigh announced she was standing down on Friday after it was revealed by Sky News and The Times she had a conviction for making a false statement to the police that her work mobile phone was among her possessions stolen during a London mugging in 2013.She pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation while a parliamentary candidate in 2014, before being elected MP for Sheffield Heeley the following year.The London’s Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford reports on the circumstances of the case.Following Haigh’s resignation, Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon South, was named the new transport secretary, after previously work as Sadiq Khan’s deputy transport mayor from 2018 to 2021.Our transport editor Ross Lydall explains Alexander’s work in the capital, and what will she find in her DfT in-tray.In part two, we’re joined by actor Kit Young, on his role in Shakespeare’s All’s Well That End’s Well at London’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, learning a fictional language and getting his Bafta award through airport security.

We're previewing another episode from season three of Brave New World. Evgeny Lebedev is joined by Peter Attia: a longevity expert, physician, and bestselling author.They discuss “Medicine 3.0” — Peter's blueprint for good health — and how happiness is essential to longevity, not just a bonus. “It doesn’t matter how healthy you are,” Peter says, “if the most important relationships in your life are not happy.”

London’s historic Smithfield meat market is set to pull down the shutters for good after over 900 years of trading.The City of London Corporation, which owns the site, voted to stop operating both Smithfield in Farringdon and also Billingsgate fish market in Poplar.Both markets will continue to operate until 2028, and while the corporation had previously planned to relocate both markets to a new £1 billion new site in Dagenham, now the plans for both sites are on hold.The Standard podcast is joined by Save Britain’s Heritage director Henrietta Billings, to discuss the future of the listed Smithfield site.In part two, we speak with former elite para-athlete skier Jonny Huntington, about his bid to become the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported over 560 miles in 40 days to the South Pole, after he battled back from a stroke at just 28 years old.

The government has announced wide-ranging reforms designed to tackle economic inactivity in a bid to bring more than two million people back into work.The £55 million drive will overhaul the job search process, expand NHS mental health support in the most needed regions and tackle obesity.Other plans include providing additional employment and training opportunities for the young people of ‘generation Covid’ .But does this clash with business leaders’ warnings about job cuts fuelled by the first Labour budget’s tax hikes? The Standard podcast is joined by Tom Pollard, head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation.In part two, Which? consumer expert Rob Lilley-Jones on why Black Friday deals could offer same value at other times of year.

Storm Bert continued to bring disruption into Monday after as winds over 80mph and torrential downpours caused “devastating” flooding over the weekend.Five people are believed to have died in the storm and around 160 flood alerts remain in place across England and Wales, where a council leader was among those criticising the Met Office for not upgrading the storm from a yellow to red alert.The Standard podcast is joined by Heather Shepherd, a flood recovery specialist and consultant.In part two, The London Standard’s City Hall editor Ross Lydall on mayor Sadiq Khan’s hiring plans for some very well remunerated jobs - one paying an almost £100,000 salary - to help him seize control of Oxford Street to create a “commercial model” and help envision his pedestrianisation plans.

Welcome to The Standard podcast’s special edition, where we bring you news highlights from the week that was.Headlines were dominated by escalating moves in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, policies around Kyiv’s use of powerful British-American missiles in the war, and Moscow’s retaliation with what the Kremlin says is a new type of hypersonic weapon.Here in Britain, we looked at the impacted of shocks to the energy market and our household bills that the war, as well as the recent cold snap, has caused.There was also continuing domestic anger about the first Rachel Reeves budget, as thousands of farmers marched on Westminster in protest at Labour’s so-called ‘tractor tax’ on inheritance. You’ll also hear our interview with Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at UCL about the impact of methanol on the body after six people died after drinking alleged ‘tainted’ alcohol shots at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos.Plus, inside one of the capital’s Lime e-bikes maintenance depots and could pondlife bacteria be repurposed to power space lasers?

A sixth person has died after allegedly drinking 'tainted alcohol shots' suspected of being laced with poisonous methanol during a backpacking holiday in Laos.All are thought to have died after allegedly ingesting the drinks at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, where online reviews mention “free unlimited shots”.The hostel manager and owner have reportedly been detained by police.Rachelle Abbott interviewed Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University College London, about acute dangers of methanol consumption and its impact on the human body.In part two, The London Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall discusses the latest data on London’s busiest railway stations, and visits Liverpool Street to report on the latest redevelopment plans amid a forecast passenger boom.