Best Untapped New York Podcasts (2024)

1
Where the wild things are: the untapped potential of our gardens, parks and balconies 28:04

1h ago28:04

28:04

Gardens could be part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. But what are we doing? Disappearing them beneath plastic and paving. By Kate Bradbury. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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How the Tories pushed universities to the brink of disaster 29:22

2h ago29:22

29:22

Over the past 14 years, the Conservative dream of a free market in higher education has collided with the harsh reality of austerity and the cultural resentment of the radical right – driving some institutions close to bankruptcy. By William Davies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope 31:50

1d ago31:50

31:50

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: It’s easy to despair at the climate crisis, or to decide it’s already too late – but it’s not. Here’s how to keep the fight alive. By Rebecca Solnit. Help support our independent journalism …

1
‘Natty or not?’: how steroids got big 38:06

3d ago38:06

38:06

Once upon a time, it was only hardcore bodybuilders who pumped themselves up with testosterone. Today it is no longer niche. But how dangerous is it? By Stephen Buranyi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Nairobi to New York and back: the loneliness of the internationally educated elite 33:33

6d ago33:33

33:33

Every year, hundreds of Kenyans head off to study at elite universities in the US and UK. On graduating, many find themselves in a strange position: unable to fit in abroad, but no longer feeling like they belong back home. By Carey Baraka. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
From the archive: Brazilian butt lift: behind the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery 42:08

8d ago42:08

42:08

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: The BBL is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world, despite the mounting number of deaths resulting from the procedure. What is driving its astonishing rise? By Sophie Elmhirst. He…

1
Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison 32:49

10d ago32:49

32:49

My poems were written in anger after Tiananmen Square. But what motivates most prison writing is a fear of forgetting. Today I am free, but the regime has never stopped its war on words. By Liao Yiwu. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released? 40:59

13d ago40:59

40:59

Indeterminate sentences are devastating to mental health, but prisoners with mental illness are less likely to be released. The result is a vicious cycle whereby the most vulnerable inmates often have the least chance of getting out – as John’s case shows. By Sophie Atkinson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: Can computers ever replace the classroom? 38:10

15d ago38:10

38:10

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: With 850 million children worldwide shut out of schools, tech evangelists claim now is the time for AI education. But as the technology’s power grows, so too do the dangers that come with it…

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The man who turned his home into a homeless shelter 32:02

17d ago32:02

32:02

Stuart Potts is an unlikely do-gooder – a former crack addict who has hit rock bottom more than once. But since 2020, he has offered hundreds of homeless people a bed in his small flat – and for many of them, it has been life-changing. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From low-level drug dealer to human trafficker: are modern slavery laws catching the wrong people? 38:22

20d ago38:22

38:22

When I heard that a boy from my primary school had been convicted of trafficking, I had to find out what had happened to make him fall so far. By Francisco Garcia. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: How globalisation has transformed the fight for LGBTQ+ rights 39:38

22d ago39:38

39:38

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Much progress has been made in attitudes towards sexual equality and gender identity – but in many places a dramatic backlash by conservative forces has followed. By Mark Gevisser. Help supp…

1
‘Ryan Reynolds never had to deal with this’: the slow death and (possible) rebirth of Southend United 45:23

24d ago45:23

45:23

In 20 years, this Essex club has tumbled down the leagues and seen its ground fall apart. Is a revival finally coming – or will hopes be dashed again? By Tim Burrows. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
César Aira’s unreal magic: how the eccentric author took over Latin American literature 35:05

27d ago35:05

35:05

He has published more than 100 novels, gives his work away, and his surrealist books have a massive cult following. Now Argentina’s favourite rule-breaker is tipped for the Nobel prize. By Alejandro Chacoff. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football 35:17

29d ago35:17

35:17

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: They used to look like quagmires, ice rinks or dustbowls, depending on the time of year. But as big money entered football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and grounds…

1
Mother trees and socialist forests: is the ‘wood-wide web’ a fantasy? 37:06

1M ago37:06

37:06

In the past 10 years the idea that trees communicate with and look after each other has gained widespread currency. But have these claims outstripped the evidence? By Daniel Immerwahr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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‘I’ll stay an MP for as long as I can’: Diane Abbott’s tumultuous political journey 31:52

1M ago31:52

31:52

Britain’s first black female MP faced hostility from the media and political establishment from the start. Nearly 40 years on, she is still not giving up. By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The secret deportations: how Britain betrayed the Chinese men who served the country in the war 49:24

1M ago49:24

49:24

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: During the second world war, Chinese merchant seamen helped keep Britain fed, fuelled and safe – and many gave their lives doing so. But from late 1945, hundreds of them who had settled in L…

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‘He likes scaring people’: how Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, runs India 49:37

1M ago49:37

49:37

For 40 years, Amit Shah has been at Narendra Modi’s side – his confidant, consigliere and enforcer. Today he is India’s second-most powerful man, and he is reshaping the country in radical ways. By Atul Dev. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Guatemala’s baby brokers: how thousands of children were stolen for adoption 32:56

1M ago32:56

32:56

From the 1960s, baby brokers persuaded often Indigenous Mayan women to give up newborns while kidnappers ‘disappeared’ babies. Now, international adoption is being called out as a way of covering up war crimes. By Rachel Nolan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Trump’s useful thugs: how the Republican party offered a home to the Proud Boys 34:02

1M ago34:02

34:02

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Early in Trump’s presidency, emboldened neo-Nazi and fascist groups came out into the open but were met with widespread revulsion. So the tactics of the far right changed, becoming more insi…

1
After I was assaulted, I posted a photo of my injuries. The reaction I craved was not pity, but anger 28:18

2M ago28:18

28:18

Going public after I was attacked was hard, but it helped me overcome the shame that so many victims feel. By Rena Effendi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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‘Super cute please like’: the unstoppable rise of Shein 37:46

2M ago37:46

37:46

It is taking fast fashion to ever faster and ever cheaper extremes, and making billions from it. Why is the whole world shopping at Shein? By Nicole Lipman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The evolution of Steve Albini: ‘If the dumbest person is on your side, you’re on the wrong side’ 45:21

2M ago45:21

45:21

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Steve Albini was long synonymous with the indie underground, playing in revered bands and recording albums by the Pixies, PJ Harvey and Nirvana. He also often seemed determined to offend as …

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‘A new abyss’: Gaza and the hundred years’ war on Palestine 35:41

2M ago35:41

35:41

While much has changed since 7 October, the horrific events of the past six months are not unique, and do not stand outside history. By Rashid Khalidi. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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The true cost of El Salvador’s new gold rush 29:42

2M ago29:42

29:42

Seven years ago, El Salvador banned all mining for metals to protect its water supply. But now the government seems to be making moves to reverse the ban – and environmental activists are in the firing line. By Danielle Mackey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The age of perpetual crisis – how the 2010s disrupted everything but resolved nothing 39:10

2M ago39:10

39:10

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: In an era of bewildering upheaval, how will the past decade be remembered? By Andy Beckett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
How child labour in India makes the paving stones beneath our feet 29:40

2M ago29:40

29:40

Despite promises of reform, exploitation remains endemic in India’s sandstone industry, with children doing dangerous work for low pay – often to decorate driveways and gardens thousands of miles away. By Romita Saluja. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Solar storms, ice cores and nuns’ teeth: the new science of history 36:59

2M ago36:59

36:59

Advances in fields such as spectrometry and gene sequencing are unleashing torrents of new data about the ancient world – and could offer answers to questions we never even knew to ask. By Jacob Mikanowski. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The battle over dyslexia 45:48

2M ago45:48

45:48

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: It was once a widely accepted way of explaining why some children struggled to read and write. But in recent years, some experts have begun to question the existence of dyslexia itself. By S…

1
The new science of death: ‘There’s something happening in the brain that makes no sense’ 34:18

2M ago34:18

34:18

New research into the dying brain suggests the line between life and death may be less distinct than previously thought. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Solidarity and strategy: the forgotten lessons of truly effective protest 33:05

2M ago33:05

33:05

Organising is a kind of alchemy: it turns alienation into connection, despair into dedication, and oppression into strength. By Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: How Hindu supremacists are tearing India apart 42:36

2M ago42:36

42:36

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: For seven decades, India has been held together by its constitution, which promises equality to all. But Narendra Modi’s BJP is remaking the nation into one where some people count as more I…

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New York's Lost Opera Houses 1:00:44

3M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

New York City's lost opera houses are having their fifteen minutes of fame, thanks to the HBO show, The Gilded Age, which brought their dramatic histories to life in the most recent season. We dug into these former opera houses in our new extended episode which weaves in clips from The Gilded Age. We'll cover some of the earliest of opera houses (s…

1
What is the real Hamas? 42:43

2M ago42:43

42:43

How Israeli, Palestinian and US political actors understand Hamas is not merely a theoretical question – it will determine what kind of agreement can be reached to end the current war, and what the future of Gaza will look like. By Joshua Leifer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
A historic revolt, a forgotten hero, an empty plinth: is there a right way to remember slavery? 44:57

3M ago44:57

44:57

As the author of a book about a pivotal uprising in 18th-century Jamaica, Vincent Brown was enlisted in a campaign to make its leader a national hero. But when he arrived in Jamaica, he started to wonder what he had got himself into. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
From the archive: Did Brazil’s evangelical superstar have her husband killed? 56:58

3M ago56:58

56:58

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Flordelis grew up in a Rio favela, but rose to fame after adopting more than 50 children, becoming a hugely successful gospel singer and winning a seat in congress. And now she is on trial f…

1
Rage, waste and corruption: how Covid changed politics 33:46

3M ago33:46

33:46

Four years on from the start of the pandemic, the drama may have subsided but the lingering effects go on. Are we suffering from political long Covid? By David Runciman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Disappearing tongues: the endangered language crisis 28:48

3M ago28:48

28:48

Linguistic diversity on Earth is far more profound and fundamental than previously imagined. But it’s also crumbling fast. By Ross Perlin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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The Main Streets of....NYC? 25:36

3M ago25:36

25:36

Did you know there's a Main Street in New York City? Most people probably associate the idea of Main Street with quaint American towns and villages but New York City has not just one but five Main Streets. Join Untapped New York's founder Michelle Young as she goes on a quixotic mission to find all of NYC's Main Streets. The Untapped New York Podca…

1
From the archive: The mystery of the Gatwick drone 36:35

3M ago36:35

36:35

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: A drone sighting caused the airport to close for two days in 2018, but despite a lengthy police investigation, no culprit was ever found. So what exactly did people see in the Sussex sky? By…

1
‘What’s the worst that could happen?’: Love in the sickle cell capital of the world 42:26

3M ago42:26

42:26

The prevalence of sickle cell disease is changing how Nigerians date, marry and plan their lives. And as genetic testing becomes more common, prospective parents across the world will face similar questions. By Krithika Varagur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Radioactive waste, baby bottles and Spam: the deep ocean has become a dumping ground 24:49

3M ago24:49

24:49

The ocean’s depths are not some remote alien realm, but are in fact intimately entangled with every other part of the planet. We should treat them that way. By James Bradley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive – Out of thin air: the mystery of the man who fell from the sky 40:21

3M ago40:21

40:21

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2021: In 2019, the body of a man fell from a passenger plane into a garden in south London. Who was he? by Sirin Kale. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
200 cats, 200 dogs, one lab: the secrets of the pet food industry 27:29

3M ago27:29

27:29

Pet food is a £120bn industry, with vast resources spent on working out how best to nourish and delight our beloved charges. But how do we know if we’re getting it right? By Vivian Ho. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Power grab: the hidden costs of Ireland’s datacentre boom 25:04

3M ago25:04

25:04

Datacentres are part of Ireland’s vision of itself as a tech hub. There are now more than 80, using vast amounts of electricity. Have we entrusted our memories to a system that might destroy them? By Jessica Traynor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: ‘Is anybody in there?’ Life on the inside as a locked-in patient 35:35

3M ago35:35

35:35

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Jake Haendel spent months trapped in his body, silent and unmoving but fully conscious. Most people never emerge from ‘locked-in syndrome’, but as a doctor told him, everything about his cas…

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‘It was so wrong’: why were so many people imprisoned over one protest in Bristol? 44:28

3M ago44:28

44:28

More people have been imprisoned for rioting during a single day in Bristol in 2021 than in any other protest-related disorder since at least the 1980s. What was behind this push to prosecute so harshly? By Tom Wall. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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What we talk about when we talk about giving up 27:43

3M ago27:43

27:43

We give things up when we believe we can change; we give up when we believe we can’t. By Adam Phillips. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive – Operation Condor: the cold war conspiracy that terrorised South America 43:39

4M ago43:39

43:39

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: During the 1970s and 80s, eight US-backed military dictatorships jointly plotted the cross-border kidnap, torture, rape and murder of hundreds of their political opponents. Now some of the p…

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