Ruth Abrahams

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Helen Pidd |Ruth Abrahams |Hannah Moore |Tom Glasser |Homa Khaleeli |Elizabeth Cassin

The release of the hit Netflix drama Adolescence this month has unleashed a wave of panic around teenage boys. Keir Starmer said the UK “may have a problem with boys and young men”, while parents began worried conversations about their children’s online lives. But how true to life is it? Michael Conroy, who has been going into schools to train teachers and professionals about boys’ personal development for years, says he has seen a shift in what he hears about.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Michael Safi |Ruth Abrahams |Tom Glasser |Elizabeth Cassin

“JD Vance is a fascinating figure in politics, particularly given how many times he’s reinvented himself,” Tara Setmayer, a political communications consultant and the chief executive of the Seneca Project, tells Michael Safi. “I think there’s a certain amount of cynicism and performative politics when it comes to politicians, especially at that level. But JD Vance seems to bring that to a whole new level,” she says.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Hannah Moore |Liz Pelly |Ruth Abrahams |Homa Khaleeli

Liz Pelly, the author of Mood Machine: the Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, tells Hannah Moore how the way we listen to music has changed over the last decade. Spotify playlists don’t just deliver your favourite genres, they cater for every mood you might be experiencing, whether you are after a “sleepy weepy mix” or “serotonin” playlist.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Lucy Hough |Eleni Courea |Ruth Abrahams |Eleanor Biggs |Joel Cox |Elizabeth Cassin

On Friday, the MP Rupert Lowe criticised Nigel Farage in an interview with the Daily Mail, saying Reform UK was a “protest party led by the Messiah”, and that it was “too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods” and become prime minister. The next day, Lowe was suspended by the party. Reform UK published a statement making a series of allegations against him, including that he had made threats against the party chair, Zia Yusuf.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Michael Safi |Jon Henley |Eleanor Biggs |Ruth Abrahams |Rudi Zygadlo |Courtney Yusuf

On Thursday, after the US decided to halt military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, European leaders in Brussels agreed to a massive and unprecedented increase in defence spending. The Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley, explains to Michael Safi that this €800bn fund marks a new era for the union and will mean tearing up fiscal rules to loosen borrowing. For some member states, such as Germany, achieving this defensive autonomy will require profound constitutional changes.