The Republican race for the White House is getting crowded. With eight candidates all gathering in Iowa to campaign, eat roast pork and ride motorbikes, the Americast team looks at who came out on top and whether any of them could beat Donald Trump, who is facing fresh criminal charges over his handling of classified documents. Harvard professor Steven Pinker, who sees himself as a liberal, tells us why he thinks academic freedom is under threat on US college campuses. And first, Sarah wanders through the White House with the BBC’s political editor, Chris Mason, who has flown with the prime minister to Washington. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GUEST: • Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University GET IN TOUCH: • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF. This episode was made by Daniel Wittenberg, with Alix Pickles, Natasha Fernandes and Alex Collins. The technical producer was Gareth Jones and the sound designer was David Crackles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Journalists and podcast hosts Jon Ronson and Gabriel Gatehouse join Marianna for a special episode of Americast delving deep down the rabbit hole of conspiracies. The trio talk about why America is a breeding ground for conspiracies, how to spot them, and what happens if they’re true. We also look at whether conspiracies and misinformation might affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential election and what role artificial intelligence could play in their spread. HOST: • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent GUESTS: • Jon Ronson, host of 'Things Fell Apart' • Gabriel Gatehouse, host of 'The Coming Storm' GET IN TOUCH: • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF. This episode was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Alix Pickles, Natasha Fernandes and Alex Collins. The technical producer was Ben Andrews and the sound designer was David Crackles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

It’s Elon Musk’s latest launch… not a rocket this time, but Ron DeSantis’ campaign for president, live on Twitter! But after some technical hiccups, is it a failed lift-off? The Americast team reviews how it went and tries to answer whether Florida's governor can win the White House. And after dining with Sarah and Anthony in DC, J Smith-Cameron, who plays Gerri in Succession, meets Marianna in London ahead of the show’s finale, and turns the tables by asking her what reporters can learn from how the show portrays the media. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GUEST: • J. Smith-Cameron, ‘Succession’ actress GET IN TOUCH: • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast Find out more about our award winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF. This episode was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic, Alix Pickles and Natasha Fernandes. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Crime is a growing worry in many American cities and has divided Democrats. New Orleans had the unenviable title of the US murder capital in 2022 – what went wrong in a city better known for its smooth music than the sound of gunfire? The Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, tells us what she's doing to address the poverty and lack of opportunity which have plagued her city, and why she thinks she's being unfairly targeted over her track record. And after Prince Harry and Meghan's "near catastrophic" New York car chase, the Americast team asks how that could really happen in midtown Manhattan. HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Katty Kay, US special correspondent • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GUESTS: • LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans • Anna Adams, BBC reporter in New Orleans GET IN TOUCH: • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast Find out more about our award winning "undercover voters" here: bbc.in/3lFddSF. This episode was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Natasha Fernandes, Alix Pickles and Ivana Davidovic. The studio manager was Emma Crowe and the sound designer was David Crackles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Has Donald Trump’s sexual assault verdict damaged his reputation? The Americast team explains why a top Texas Republican thinks he’s toast, even though Trump is fighting the ruling. Sarah is on the US border with Mexico in El Paso, where a controversial Trump immigration policy known as Title 42 is about to expire and a state of emergency has been declared. A Texas Congressman and Democrat, Joaquin Castro, tells us why he blames President Biden as well as Trump. And Santos Watch is back after the under-fire congressman George Santos was charged with fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America editor • Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent GUEST: • Joaquin Castro, Texas congressman (Democrat) GET IN TOUCH: • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email [email protected] • Or use #Americast CLIP CREDITS: • ABC ‘Good Morning America’ Find out more about our award winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF. This episode was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Alix Pickles, Ivana Davidovic and Natasha Fernandes. The studio manager was Dafydd Evans and the sound designer was David Crackles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.