Stateside with Kai and Carter

Lindsay Clancy killed her children. Here's why so many women still support her.

The trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse accused of murdering her three children, is wrapping up its fifth week. On Friday morning, the defense rested, and the public attention to the case is at a fever-pitch — especially on social media. Clancy, 36, does not deny that she strangled her children, but has pleaded not guilty due to lack of criminal responsibility, also known as an insanity defense. She argues that she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis, a rare and devastating condition that can go unrecognized and untreated. Host Carter Sherman speaks with Jenna Amatulli, deputy head of news for Guardian US, about how the case has renewed attention on the fundamental shortcomings in America's maternal healthcare system, and about why Clancy's story has captivated—and polarized—so many people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seeing Gaza through the eyes of a trauma surgeon

Ten months into a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel and Hamas seem like they are no closer to a real end to the war. Israel reportedly says they will carry on with their military operation until Hamas fully disarms. Hamas has said they will not begin disarming until Israel begins withdrawing. At the center of it all are Gazans living without the basic infrastructure of electricity, water sanitation and hygiene. Kai Wright speaks with two surgeons – Dr Mark Perlmutter and Dr Feroze Sidhwa – who worked under those conditions. The doctors are at the center of the new documentary, American Doctor, which chronicles what they witnessed first-hand while volunteering on the frontline in a Gaza hospital. The film follows the doctors and a third, Dr Thaer Ahmad, in their work on the ground and their subsequent return to the US to tell the media and congress what they saw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Nolan Wells’ death made Black parents say the quiet part out loud

When 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing, his story immediately touched a nerve in Black families. He was last seen while hanging out with a group of white friends, at a popular beach near Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Nolan never came home from the trip, and he was found dead days later. Many questions about how he died remain unanswered publicly. And the mystery surrounding his death has revived an old conversation within Black communities: are we ever truly safe in white-dominated spaces? Who will feel responsible for our children’s safety when we send them out into a world where Black life is not valued? Host Kai Wright talks with historian Stacey Patton and writer Ashley Stoney about why Nolan Wells’ story has captured so much attention – and sparked so much anxiety – among Black parents, in particular. What does our collective reaction to Nolan Wells’ disappearance and death reveal about the limits of interracial society today? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does everything feel meh? We're in the era of joyless decadence

We should, in theory, be happy. Thanks to our phones, we can do practically anything – listen to our favorite bands' entire discographies, have extravagant meals delivered to our door, travel the world through an endless scroll. So why do so many of these experiences feel so joyless? Why do so many of us feel so empty all the time? Hosts Kai Wright and Carter Sherman wrestle with these questions with academics Michèle Mendelssohn and Charlie Tyson, who argue that we are living in an era of decadence without pleasure. While decadence always arises in times of extreme inequality, they say that tools like AI and GLP-1s reveal how we've lost our ability to truly enjoy things – and, ironically, reclaiming decadence may help us finally have fun.Michèle Mendelssohn and Charlie Tyson’s Guardian essay: Why does everything feel joyless? Welcome to the age of decadence without pleasure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The doctor who helps put prisoners to death

On 13 August, three states are set to carry out executions by lethal injection. It’s the first time since 2010 that three people will be put to death on the same day in the US. In Tennessee, the execution of Darrell Hines is in the spotlight, because the last lethal injection in the state was botched. Ed Pilkington speaks to Kai Wright about the doctor at the center of that botched execution, whose identity was revealed inadvertently last year. Ed explains how his reporting has lifted the lid on a role that is usually hidden away from public view, and what it tells us about the American death penalty today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.