Americast by BBC News
BBC News
Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher. As well as political analysis, we also specialise in social media. Each week Marianna Spring brings listeners the latest updates from the BBC’s Undercover Voters, our award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. The team is also joined by special guests each week, like CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, Emmy Award-winning TV host, Rachel Maddow, and Succession actress, J Smith-Cameron. Podcasts are published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As well as being a podcast, we are also available every Friday on the World Service. Oh, and by the way, you can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say ‘”Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. Every Monday we answer your questions on Americanswers, with some help from special guests, including Miles Taylor, who was chief of staff at the Department for Homeland Security during the Trump presidency before becoming a whistleblower. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with us on email at Americast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
Categories: News & Politics
Listen to the last episode:
Five years on from the Jan 6th Capitol riots in Washington DC, the narrative around what happened that day continues to shift and cause division within America.
In Congress, a new Republican-led House panel the Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding January 6th 2021 held its first hearing this week. Republicans say it’s needed because the previous committee, led by Democrat Nancy Pelosi was a “sham from the start”, finding Trump responsible for inciting the riots.
But Democrats continue to blame Donald Trump, accusing the US president of pardoning hundreds of violent rioters and trying to reversion the history of Jan 6th.
In today’s episode, Marianna and Anthony discuss why the divisions continue, what the American public think, and who is winning the argument of what really happened that day.
HOSTS: • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
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533 - The Jan 6th Capitol riots five years on… Why America is still divided Fri, 16 Jan 2026
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532 - Can Denmark convince Trump not to “conquer” Greenland? Thu, 15 Jan 2026
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530 - Can the US really rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry? Sat, 10 Jan 2026
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529 - The fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting Thu, 08 Jan 2026
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528 - How far will Trump go to seize Greenland? Wed, 07 Jan 2026
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527 - Americanswers... On 5 Live! Could Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro be found not guilty in a US court? Mon, 05 Jan 2026
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526 - Trump’s Venezuela takeover... everything you need to know Sun, 04 Jan 2026
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525 - How did a YouTuber stop federal funding to Minnesota? Fri, 02 Jan 2026
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524 - Americanswers! What’s happening in Trump’s battle with universities? Mon, 29 Dec 2025
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523 - What will be the biggest US stories of 2026? Wed, 31 Dec 2025
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522 - Were our 2025 predictions right? Wed, 24 Dec 2025
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521 - Americanswers! What did we learn from the latest Epstein files? Mon, 22 Dec 2025
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520 - Can Trump convince voters on the US economy? Fri, 19 Dec 2025
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519 - Has Trump’s chief of staff revealed White House secrets? Wed, 17 Dec 2025
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518 - The Americast Awards 2025… on 5 Live! Mon, 15 Dec 2025
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517 - How far will Trump go in his 'war' with Venezuela? Thu, 11 Dec 2025
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516 - Does Trump have a plan to reform healthcare in America? Wed, 10 Dec 2025
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515 - Americanswers... On 5 Live! Has Trump just made the US/Europe breakup official? Mon, 08 Dec 2025
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514 - Is Trump giving the FIFA World Cup a MAGA makeover? Fri, 05 Dec 2025
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513 - Did Donald Trump fall asleep at a cabinet meeting? Wed, 03 Dec 2025
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512 - Americanswers… On 5 Live! Why has the US been accused of war crimes off the Venezuelan coast? Mon, 01 Dec 2025
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511 - The Donald Trump v Zohran Mamdani Show Fri, 28 Nov 2025
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510 - Has Trump's retribution campaign been derailed (for now)? Wed, 26 Nov 2025
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509 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! What’s really going on with Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine? Mon, 24 Nov 2025
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508 - Marjorie Taylor Greene v Donald Trump Fri, 21 Nov 2025
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507 - Will Trump delay releasing the Epstein Files? Wed, 19 Nov 2025
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506 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! Has Donald Trump changed his mind on the Epstein Files? Mon, 17 Nov 2025
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505 - Are cracks showing inside Trump’s MAGA movement? Fri, 14 Nov 2025
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504 - Trump vs the BBC…what happens next? Wed, 12 Nov 2025
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503 - Americanswers on 5 Live! Why is Donald Trump threatening to sue the BBC for $1 billion? Mon, 10 Nov 2025
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502 - The Democrats are back… but will it last? Thu, 06 Nov 2025
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501 - Zohran Mamdani wins New York mayoral race Wed, 05 Nov 2025
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500 - Americanswers…on 5 Live! Could Andrew answer Epstein questions before Congress? Mon, 03 Nov 2025
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499 - Is Donald Trump building a ballroom or a bunker at the White House? Fri, 31 Oct 2025
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498 - Are the US and China about to end their trade war? Wed, 29 Oct 2025
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497 - Americanswers…on 5 Live! Will Kamala Harris (and Donald Trump) run for president again? Mon, 27 Oct 2025
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496 - Inside Mamdani’s campaign to be mayor of New York City Thu, 23 Oct 2025
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495 - Does Trump really want to invade Venezuela? Wed, 22 Oct 2025
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494 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! How will Donald Trump respond to the ‘No Kings’ protests? Mon, 20 Oct 2025
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493 - Can Trump silence the press? Fri, 17 Oct 2025
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492 - The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party Wed, 15 Oct 2025
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491 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! Has Donald Trump delivered a “historic dawn of a new Middle East”? Mon, 13 Oct 2025
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490 - Trump's new plan for America's top universities Fri, 10 Oct 2025
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489 - Can Trump turn a Gaza ceasefire into a lasting peace deal? Thu, 09 Oct 2025
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488 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! Is Chicago really a ‘war zone’? Wed, 08 Oct 2025
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487 - Why is Trump blowing up Venezuelan "drug boats"? Mon, 06 Oct 2025
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486 - Will the Democrats’ shutdown gamble pay off? Thu, 02 Oct 2025
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485 - Americanswers… on 5 Live! What next after US government shutdown? Wed, 01 Oct 2025
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484 - Trump vs Comey (and the city of Portland) Mon, 29 Sep 2025