On January 20 2025 Donald Trump marked the first day of his second term as president by signing an executive order creating a new taskforce: the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Led by Musk, who had spent more than $250m on Trump’s presidential campaign, DOGE was charged with slashing federal spending, cutting government waste and reducing the size of the workforce.This Friday, Lewis is joined by Michael Lewis, bestselling author of The Big Short, Moneyball and The Blind Side, to discuss his latest book, Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State. It takes us inside Elon Musk’s DOGE through the stories of the civil servants who found themselves labelled as “blockers” as they tried to navigate Musk's leadership.So, what happens when the people responsible for keeping government running become the very people standing in the way of those in power? Was DOGE ever really about efficiency? And who protects the Constitution when those sworn to uphold it are pushed aside?The News Agents is a Global production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Next week some 7 million Israelis will go to the polls to decide the future of their country and whether to boot out Benjamin Netanyahu - a man who has dominated their country for nearly three decades. It’s the first election since the massacre of October 7th and his destruction of Gaza. Will voters blame him for the terrorism on home soil? Or will they believe him best placed to defend their interests and security? Voters outside of Israel must all return home to vote - we speak to one, Ayala Panievsky, who is leaving tonight, about her hopes for the future.Later, thousands of young protestors on the streets and a hard line response from the police in Tirana. Why is it all kicking off again in Albania? And can it really be traced back to Donald Trump again?The News Agents is a Global production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

For more than two decades, Christian Horner was at the heart of Formula 1 — building Red Bull Racing into one of the most dominant teams in the sport, managing world champions and navigating the ruthless politics of the F1 paddock.But behind the victories, rivalries and extraordinary success lies a story far more complicated than the trophies suggest.The former Red Bull Racing team principal joins Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman for an in-depth interview on The Sports Agents ahead of the release of his autobiography Drive.Horner reflects on his remarkable rise through Formula 1, his relationships with the sport’s biggest personalities, the battles fought behind closed doors and the extraordinary events that brought his time at Red Bull to an abrupt and controversial end.From the pressures of leading an F1 powerhouse to the personal cost of life at the very top, this is a rare insight into the power, politics and personalities that shape Formula 1 — from a man who spent 20 years at the centre of it all.Drive by Christian Horner is out now and available to buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1911754785Christian will be sharing stories from the book at the Cambridge Theatre in London on Monday 26th October. Tickets are available from the venue here: https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/christian-horner/📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: [email protected]💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6Executive Producer: Adonis PratsidesSenior Producer: David FinchVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillDigital Content Producer: Jasmine WissartTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

There has always been a flamboyance to Donald Trump. His language, his hair, his addiction to the gay Anthem YMCA - but in recent weeks his chat on the campaign trail has become much more explicit. To cut to the chase, he’s spending more and more time talking about men’s arses. Is Trump becoming more unfiltered in his old age? Why does more and more of his recent attention seem to be fixed on the appearance of the men around him? Or is this all part of his consummate distraction project from the issues he really doesn’t want to discuss - the Iran war and the price of oil. We talk to his former homeland security chief of staff, Miles Taylor.Later, why is Steve Witkoff - the man tasked with ending the war in Ukraine - praising Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian"?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Four years of war, an estimated 450,000 deaths – and yet Donald Trump says Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been “fine”.The US president continues to unravel, on camera, as his personal ratings plummet to new lows (just 31% at the latest count) and the Republican Party readies itself for a disastrous midterm election result in November. Once again, Zelensky is on the receiving end of Trump's mood.So why has Trump turned his back so dramatically on Zelensky? And what's he bargaining for with his love in for Putin? And could it all just be jealously?The News Agents is a Global production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

After the horrifying scenes of violence and destruction all over France this weekend the Prime Minister has this morning called for partial curfews. Are these protests organic frustration amongst the young over rising costs and falling wages? Or is there a political movement afoot here? And is this something the rest of Europe is catching?Later, former Home Office minister Mike Tapp is fresh back from Dunkirk ,Calais and Piddington. What’s the true picture of the immigration problem- and is he right to call it a crisis?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The day he was elected for the first time as MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage promised to root out the "few bad apples" from Reform. Farage told the country: "We’ll never have any of their type back in the organisation, you can have my promise on that”.ITV's latest piece undercover in Reform shows just how hollow that promise was. Their own MP Sarah Pochin condemns the "chauvinist" attitude in the party. A man who failed Reform's vetting for sharing Tommy Robinson posts reveals he was called up and asked to stand for the party. And, perhaps most damningly, Farage appears to defend a candidate accused of racism by one of Farage's own aides, refusing to take action beyond forcing an apology to be issued.Does ITV's reporting put to bed the idea that there are just a "few bad apples" in Reform? What about Reform appears to attract these "bad apples" in the first place? And could Nigel Farage get caught up in the fallout from what looks set to be a bombshell documentary this weekend?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Manchester United’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid has left plenty to unpack — not least Lisandro Martinez’s explosive post-match comments. Mark Chapman and Nedum Onuoha react to the biggest talking points from another dramatic week in Europe.Then, we turn to something far less visible but increasingly common inside football: Snus and nicotine pouch use.Why has nicotine become so normal in dressing rooms? Why are players using it, and what happens when a habit that starts socially becomes something much harder to control?We hear from a former Premier League footballer speaking candidly about his own addiction to snus, explore how these behaviours spread through teams and academies, and ask whether snus is really the story — or simply one symptom of a much wider issue.From nicotine and gambling to nitrous oxide and the search for a release from the intensity of elite sport, this is a conversation about what happens away from the pitch — the dressing room culture which fuels addiction amongst footballers.📩 Got a question for The Sports Agents? https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: [email protected]💭 Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6Executive Producer: Adonis PratsidesSenior Producer: David FinchVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Jasmine WissartTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

ITV spent a year undercover with various elements of the Reform party. Last night, they published a taste of what is to come in the full programme this Sunday. The misogyny, racism, bigotry and stupidity is off the charts. Three councillors have resigned. Are they outliers? Or do they tell us what the party is really like? And is the Chairman right when he says this is just what ordinary Britain sounds like away from the cameras? We speak to former Reform insider Tim Montgomerie.The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Just days after Donald Trump signed a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian oil into America, Ukraine has been dealt a new blow from the US. Elon Musk has been accused of restricting the use of his Starlink devices - crucial satellites used by Ukraine in their war against the Kremlin. Why does it appear that MAGA seems intent on throwing the war for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and, as Andy Burnham hosts Ukraine's president in Downing Street - is there anything he can do to repair the damage? We speak to Trump's former Special Representative for Negotiations with Ukraine, Kurt Volker.Later, the Prime Minister has insisted he won't do any deal with the Greens while their 'Zionism is racism' motion remains party policy. Does he really mean what he says?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/