Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Dolly Parton
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2019 has been the year of Dolly Parton. The 73-year-old country music star is experiencing a renaissance: She’s got a new Netflix series, she’s the subject of a popular podcast, she’s planning a movie, there’s even talk of her replacing a confederate statue in Tennessee. What's behind the rise of Dolly, and what does it say about American culture and politics more broadly?
Renewable energy
In 2019, Britain generated more electricity from renewable sources than from fossil fuels. This is a huge transformation - in 2010 we got three-quarters of our electricity from coal, oil and gas - and yet it gets surprisingly little attention, even as the climate politics enters the mainstream. Focusing on the negatives is understandable: climate change is a huge threat and fixing it will be an immense challenge. But the current approach is leading to apathy rather than urgency.
Investing
This year is shaping up to be one of the best ever for investors, with nearly every single asset class on track to finish 2019 in the green. From stocks to government debt to corporate bonds to commodities, no matter where you went, you made money. Why did everything go so well?
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How Democrats are turning DOJ lemons into partisan lemonadeTODAY’S BIG QUESTION As the Trump administration continues to try — and fail — at indicting its political enemies, Democratic lawmakers have begun seizing the moment for themselves
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ICE’s new targets post-Minnesota retreatIn the Spotlight Several cities are reportedly on ICE’s list for immigration crackdowns
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‘Those rights don’t exist to protect criminals’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
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Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
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Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
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Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
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US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
