The Week Unwrapped: Morning sickness, a missing minister and massive bills

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Jess Hullinger, Rebekah Evans and Guy Anker

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In this week's episode, we discuss:

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Morning sickness

Scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of what causes morning sickness, putting them a step closer to effective treatments. Most pregnant women suffer from some degree of nausea, but in the most serious cases it can lead to hospitalisation or even death. Until now, doctors have not been able to do much more than treat the symptoms, but these new insights suggest that hormonal therapy could alleviate the root cause.

The missing minister

The job of minister for disabled people was "downgraded" in the recent cabinet reshuffle, following a decision by the government to fold the brief into the role of a parliamentary under secretary instead of a more senior minister. Why is this decision so important? What is the government's intention going forward? And are voices from the disabled community being heard?

Energy bills

The artist Grayson Perry drew attention to a perennial problem this week, when he tweeted about his energy bill – which had risen from £300 a month to £39,000. This kind of error happens quite often, and while cases like these might be easily spotted and rectified, less extreme mistakes can cause anxiety to people receiving unexpected bills. What do these problems tell us about the energy market – and what can we expect to happen to prices in 2024?