If Trump’s first term was disastrous for the American trans community, then his second has been cataclysmic, writes Gabrielle Apfel.

If you enjoyed #TheHack tonight here’s why the story mattered….

Lisa Nandy is on Media Confidential talking about the future of the BBC, GB News and how to regulate Big Tech, whatever Trump says open.spotify.com/episode/3Xf9...

If you've been enjoying ITV's the Hack, read up further on what happened next - the extraordinary trove of damning evidence which emerged in multiple legal cases but which were never tested in court www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...

Farage may be riding high in the polls, but he has no idea of what it is to be prime minister www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/uk/...

🎥: Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy joins Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social to discuss Elon Musk and JD Vance’s criticisms about free speech in the UK:

The highest judges of the land and the prime minister cannot trust MI5 to investigate itself. This shows our constitution is working, writes @davidallengreen.bsky.social.

Disaffected Labour members are tempted by the Manchester mayor’s charms—for reasons that are less to do with him than Keir Starmer, writes @tom-clark.bsky.social.

🎧: Cass Sunstein, the scholar behind “nudge” theory, explains how companies exploit our cognitive biases for their own profit. Plus, @ellenhalliday.bsky.social and @aloner.bsky.social discuss Bake Off: “banger” or “dud”?

🎧: She’s not afraid to regulate big tech, no matter what Donald Trump says. Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, joins Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social. 🔗: Listen to the full episode: www.prospectmagazine...

In Farage, we have a would-be leader who praised Truss’s catastrophic budget, who has warm words for Putin, and who was embarrassingly craven to Elon Musk, writes @arusbridger.bsky.social. Is the bandwagon faltering?

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @davidallengreen.bsky.social explains why Starmer established an independent investigation into MI5—and why it shows our constitution is working. Plus, should the UK have mandatory ID cards?

The Lib Dems will continue to be marginal national players unless they can combat Farage head on, speaking out against the new populism with a powerful liberal voice, writes Andrew Adonis.

NEW Why the prime minister ordered an independent investigation into MI5 Neither Keir Starmer nor the High Court accepted the security service’s explanation of a serious error By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

“I am the person who takes three to five business days to respond to a simple text message. I operate on postal timelines and can’t keep pace with the digital world”, writes Alice Garnett.

“You would never accept the scapegoating of Muslims for extremist violence perpetrated by other Muslims. So why is “damn Jews” acceptable?”

🎧: Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, responds to Elon Musk’s allegations that Britain muzzles free speech on Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social.

Instead of leading responsibly after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Trump and Vance are moving American democracy ever closer to the edge, writes @monicamarks.bsky.social.

In July, @prospectmagazine.co.uk convened David Blunkett, a longtime proponent of ID cards, and Rebecca Vincent of @bigbrotherwatch.bsky.social, to discuss whether the UK needs digital IDs, or whether they would make us subject to intolerable state surveillance prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/704...

Berlin has—somewhat improbably—ousted Paris as the metropolitan idyll for aspirant “creatives” from abroad. A new novel gives them their voices, writes Boyd Tonkin.

“Clanker” is a derogatory term used to insult AI products such as delivery robots, therapist chatbots and automated servants. Our future robotic overlords might take, writes Sarah Ogilvie.

Hong Kong’s artists are fleeing the city to work in “self-exile”, or are being sentenced to jail for crimes such as “subversion” or publishing “seditious” children’s books, writes @laujessie.bsky.social.

Keir Starmer is set to announce plans for every adult to have a digital ID card. In July, we hosted a debate over the merits of this policy:

“Although I will not now ever make it to São Paulo in my body,” says artist Frank Bowling, “I will be there in my paintings. And I’m visiting South America all the time in my dreams and daydreams.”

One hopes the secret MI5 document justifying the proscription of Palestine Action is more impressive than the public one—which is a flimsy and unconvincing piece of work, writes @davidallengreen.bsky.social.

It’s not just Angela Rayner and Peter Mandelson. Trouble was baked in from the very beginning. Labour and the Tories need new leadership, writes @peterkellner.bsky.social.

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @isabelh.bsky.social examines the global succession crisis—who will replace today’s strongmen? Plus: @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social grill Labour’s Lisa Nandy on GB News.

Instead of leading responsibly after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Trump and Vance are moving American democracy ever closer to the edge, writes @monicamarks.bsky.social.

Author and Bake Off star Ruby Tandoh’s new book situates appetite “in conversation with big and often unromantic cultural forces, whether it’s advertising or what’s happening online.”

Last night, ITV drama’s new drama on the phone-hacking scandal The Hack premiered. It shows us journalism at its worst, but also how reporting can make real change, writes @arusbridger.bsky.social.

“I find it hard to let things go. Living in the countryside, where we are acutely aware of the seasons, the transition from summer to autumn feels more like a farewell than a hello,” writes Kiran Sidhu.

🎧: Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, responds to Elon Musk’s allegations that Britain muzzles free speech on Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social.

Childhood memories came flooding back to Vitali Vitaliev upon visiting Estonia. Instead of an impoverished former “Soviet Republic”, he saw a thriving western country.

Nearly 50 years after the late Robert Redford’s ‘All the President’s Men’, @itvx.com presents a new tale of journalistic heroism. Prospect’s @arusbridger.bsky.social (played by Toby Jones) helped expose the phone-hacking scandal. He retraces the true story behind the drama: www.prospectmagazine...

With 72 MPs, more than 3,000 councillors and a general crisis of liberalism, this should be the Lib Dems’ moment, writes Andrew Adonis. Where are they?

Should we introduce ID cards in the UK? Does Labour need to identify "better enemies"? Can animals and rivers be people in the eyes of the law? Find out more with up to 30% off Prospect magazine. Offer ends 8th October.

Amid a tsunami of discriminatory bills, America has become the land of the unfree for transgender people, writes Gabrielle Apfel.

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, Gabrielle Apfel details the challenges faced by trans people in America.

Prospect Magazine turns 30 this month! 🎉 In our first issue, John Carr described the internet as “a great big electronic reference book”. 😂 It’s interesting to look back on how we thought of the web. www.prospectmagazine...

🎧: Cass Sunstein, the scholar behind “nudge” theory, explains how companies exploit our cognitive biases for their own profit. Plus, @ellenhalliday.bsky.social and @aloner.bsky.social discuss Bake Off: “banger” or “dud”?

🎧: NPR’s @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social joins Media Confidential with @arusbridger.bsky.social and @lionelbarber.bsky.social to discuss Donald Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against the New York Times.

The terrorist legislation of the United Kingdom is massive. But it is also clumsy, and this clumsiness serves no public interest, writes @davidallengreen.bsky.social.

What’s been the most significant development for UK food and drink since WWII? According to former Great British Bake Off contestant Ruby Tandoh, it’s the boom of bubble tea. ✍🏼 @ellencph.bsky.social

The continent of his birth, the muse of his work, the wellspring of his dreams: artist Frank Bowling reveals the inescapable draw of South America ahead of his first major retrospective in Brazil.

In today’s Lightbulb, Prospect’s free daily newsletter, @benjamin-clark.bsky.social asks what might come next after the UK’s recognition of Palestine, drawing inspiration from our archive. Plus: what bubble tea says about contemporary capitalism.

“You would never accept the scapegoating of Muslims for extremist violence perpetrated by other Muslims. So why is “damn Jews” acceptable?”

A new ITV drama on the phone-hacking scandal, featuring @arusbridger.bsky.social played by Toby Jones, shows us journalism at its worst, but also how reporting can make real change.

Happy birthday to @prospectmagazine.co.uk, who have tirelessly supported my work from the moment Ghost Signs came out. What they make of Keshed remains to be seen but looking forward to catching up with them when i'm down in London for the @indiepressnetwork.bsky.social event at the BL 🙏📚🎉

Does Britain have a ‘reactionary centrist’ problem? This term favoured by US progressives can help us understand Britain’s drift to the right, argues @polphilpod.bsky.social.

Anti-immigrant rioters and vigilante groups say they want to defend women and children—while attacking them, writes @ellenhalliday.bsky.social.