“Our economic emergency has only just begun”. That was how the Chancellor Rishi Sunak kicked off his 2020 Spending Review.

There were some sobering forecasts from the Treasury’s independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility - the worst hit to GDP this year since 1709 - a deficit of £394bn of GDP this year (almost 20% of the entire economy).

Plus some very politically controversial decisions - a cash freeze in the pay of many public sector workers - a cut in the foreign aid budget.

Economics Editor Bn Chu is joined by Political Editor Andrew Woodcock and Business Reporter Ben Chapman to break down what the Chancellor announced.

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President-elect Joe Biden gave a widely praised victory speech in the US presidential race on Saturday night, while Donald Trump continued to deny the results.

Looking back over President Trump's term though, has he achieved what he promised?

Host Lucie McInerney and Washington DC Bureau Chief John T Bennett look back to Trump's victory speech in 2016.

An address he never thought he'd have to give, the speech was free of the divisive language we've come to associate with his presidency.

From congratulating Hillary Clinton on her campaign to promising to be a president for all Americans, his words are barely recognizable four years on.

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The US election is just days away, but already millions of Americans have cast their vote.

Mail-in voting has been a controversial topic during this campaign season and quickly became a key area for both candidates to focus on.

Host Lucie McInerney is joined by Senior US Correspondent Richard Hall who has been travelling the length and breadth of America speaking to voters ahead of polling day.

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This week The Independent's award winning health correspondent Shaun Lintern published multiple stories revealing claims that world famous surgeon Derek McMinn has spent the last 25 years storing more than 5,000 samples of body parts.

According to a leaked report staff at Edgbaston Hospital were aware of Mr McMinn's behaviour and went as far as aiding him in his efforts.

Shaun also revealed, via an investigation that was leaked to The Independent, that Mr McMinn may have put the health of patients at risk, in an apparent effort to maximize profits, having them heavily sedated so he perform two operations simultaneously.

Shaun talks through his findings in this episode with deputy editor David Marley.

You can read Shaun's full reports here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/derek-mcminn-surgeon-body-parts-edgbaston-hospital-birmingham-b647226.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/derek-mcminn-surgeon-bones-scandal-sedation-operations-b718918.html

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As possible signs of life have been discovered on Venus, we are closer than ever in answering the age old question: are we alone in the universe?

With our neighbouring planet being host to a rare gas in its atmosphere, could this mean alien life existing in our solar system? And if so, in what form?

To find out more about this breakthrough discovery, Ben Kelly is joined by technology editor and science reporter Andrew Griffin to discuss whether the traditional extraterrestrial might be closer to reality than science fiction, and what this breakthrough means for the future of space exploration.

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Is it a great deal or an awful deal? We've heard both from the prime minister on the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

The grand finale for Brexit is here as negotiations, or lack thereof, enter their final stages. So as threats of walking away with no deal rear their head again, what does the future look like?

Host Ben Kelly is joined by Parliamentary Sketch Writer Tom Peck to discuss the government's handling of the negotiations, and how that fits in with the coronavirus pandemic.

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Christopher Nolan's latest movie 'Tenet' has been released in UK cinemas this week and will land in US cinemas this weekend. Those who are yet to see it, and most of those who have, are asking the same question. What is it about?

The $200m blockbuster is Nolan's most confusing movie to date, so to better understand it Ben Kelly is joined by The Independent's Chief Film Critic Clarisse Loughrey.

Don't worry, there are no spoilers in this episode, in fact we're not sure we'd be able to spoil it if we tried...

You can also read Clarisse's review of Tenet here: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/tenet-review-christopher-nolan-cast-director-time-travel-explanation-a9681936.html

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After two weeks of speeches, protests and fireworks both the Democratic and Republican conventions are over. Donald Trump and Joe Biden have both accepted their party's nomination for president and the race between the two is now officially on.

But what have we learnt over the last fortnight? From Trump using the White House as a party political tool to Biden surprising viewers with his speech to the nation - where are we now as we head towards November?

Host Ben Kelly is joined by US Voices Editor Holly Baxter and US Reporter Chris Riotta who have both been covering the conventions.

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Front pages have been filled with stories of the chaotic fallout of the government's handling of exam results for the past week.

Gavin Williamson and the education department have been under intense scrutiny after they let an algorithm decide the fate of thousands of school children across the country. So, why is he still in his job?

Host Ben Kelly is joined by Policy Correspondent Jon Stone to discuss the catastrophe that has been the A-level results and how Boris Johnson's government deals with crises like this one.

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On Tuesday, Finding Freedom, a biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, was published. Written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the book documents the reporters’ experience of working in close proximity to the couple.

So what does the new book tell us about Meghan and Harry that we didn't know before? And where do these new revelations fit in the wider context of the public's relationship with the couple?

Host Tom Richell is joined by The Independent's lifestyle editor Harriet Hall and reporter Sabrina Barr to discuss all this and more.

Sabrina also liveblogged the book as she read it, you can catch up on that here: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/prince-harry-meghan-markle-book-finding-freedom-news-live-review-omid-scobie-a9663691.html

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The UK plunged into its deepest recession on record in the first half of the year as the coronavirus lockdown saw the economy contract by more than a fifth between April and June.

The economy shrank by 20.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, worse than any other G7 nation, taking the UK into its first recession since the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

The dramatic fall in output came after a 2.2 per cent drop in the first three months of the year.

Business Correspondent Ben Chapman joins host Tom Richell to discuss the impact of this announcement and what happens next.

You can read an excellent piece of analysis from Ben here as well: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/recession-uk-economy-gdp-falls-why-government-response-analysis-a9666366.html

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