Is the dream of home ownership slipping out of reach for many Americans?

Prices are climbing, supply can’t keep up with demand, and high interest rates are keeping sellers on the side-lines.

Tariffs and rising construction costs are squeezing builders too, piling more pressure on families and the economy.

We hear from first-time buyers, builders and real estate agents all trying to navigate the changing market.

Produced and presented by Monica Miller

(Image: A family look at a new home in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

Once a niche product for runners, footwear that makes you feel like you’re not wearing any is now crossing into the mainstream.

We’ll hear from fans chasing everyday health benefits as well as from brands in the UK, India and US. And we’ll ask whether the barefoot movement is here to stay…

Produced and presented by Helen Ledwick

(Image: Barefoot shoes on display at a 'try on' event in Birmingham, UK)

In the early 2000s, the country had one of the biggest real estate booms seen anywhere in the world - at its peak accounting for 30% of GDP.

But in 2020 that quickly started to unravel. Now, the largest Chinese companies are being taken to court and dismantled, and property bought by ordinary citizens who invested in real estate has plummeted in value.

What went wrong, and how does the crisis affect the rest of the world?

You can get in touch with the programme by emailing us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by Matt Lines

(Picture: A China Evergrande property development is in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, in August, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Many skilled professionals working within creative fields are unhappy about how AI is impacting their industry. They want to protect their work and the creative process from artificial intelligence because of fears over things like job protection, devaluation of skills, and a loss of control over their work.

Some small and medium-sized companies in other industries also say they plan to never use AI technology.

We discuss why that is, and ask whether those businesses that don’t embrace the technology may fall behind.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, send us an email to [email protected]

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: Actress and filmmaker Justine Bateman, who runs the CREDO 23 film festival, which is billed as a non-AI event, in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Steven Meiers Dominguez)

In December 2023, a video was posted on X that generated a lot of attention. Gaining more than five million views in 24 hours, it showed a team of AI-generated TV anchors flawlessly delivering the day’s top headlines.

We investigate how the media industry is embracing artificial intelligence; from the outlets using the technology to re-voice presenters, to the start-ups that use it to script entire news reports.

We also look at the editorial issues facing journalists, ask about the public appetite for AI news, and speak to those fighting AI disinformation around the world.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]

Presenter: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan Lawton

(Picture: An AI-generated female TV news presenter on Channel 1 News. Credit: Channel 1)

When US president Donald Trump visited the Middle East earlier this year, he announced a number of deals between the US and countries in the region.

One major deal was for a partnership to build a massive data centre in Abu Dhabi that is expected to be the largest artificial intelligence (AI) campus outside the US.

We ask whether the Gulf can become a major AI power - and at what geopolitical cost?

Produced and presented by Sameer Hashmi

(Image: US president Donald Trump and UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan unveiled a model of the AI campus. Credit: WAM)

The US and China dominate the field of artificial intelligence - between them they’re responsible for 90% of the world’s AI infrastructure. Where does this leave the rest of the world?

We speak to an AI business in Kenya, a country that doesn’t benefit from lots of investment in the sector.

We discuss the difficulties of trying to innovate in Argentina.

And we explore the divide between regions seeing a lot of investment in the industry compared to those that aren’t, and what this could mean for the future.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: Computer science professor Nicolas Wolovick, in Argentina, next to a supercomputer. Credit: Nicolas Wolovick)

Entry level jobs are likely to be the most affected by artificial intelligence. AI can already do a lot of tasks typically given to junior staff, and businesses are already looking at their hiring policies as a result. We speak to recruiters, businesses, and graduates about what the job search is like right now, and how the world of work could be shaped by advances in technology in the future.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, email us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: A team of young people in a modern office discussing their project. Credit: Getty Images)

Around the world, entertainment companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on shiny new theme park rides and attractions. It's a highly competitive market.

They're big money-spinners for the owners and can help boost local economies too. We look at why a medium-sized town in southern England could soon become a magnet for thrill-seeking tourists, and we travel to Sweden, where a theme park with a very local flavour has been celebrating its 100th anniversary.

But what happens if you live next door to the planned site of a major new attraction? And do the promises of new jobs and improved infrastructure in an area always come to fruition?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

(Picture: People hanging upside down on a roller coaster track. Credit: Getty Images)

It's the newest generation to enter the workforce, in their late teens and twenties, but many say they already feel burned out.

From fears about AI taking their jobs, to lower pay and clashing values with older colleagues, we hear what’s driving Gen Z’s discontent in the workplace, speak to the bosses trying a new approach, and get tips on how to recruit and keep them.

Produced by Sam Gruet Presented by Megan Lawton

(Image: A young person looking tired and stressed out. Credit: Getty Images)

Transport regulators around the world are forcing the automotive industry to fix faults in their cars, even if they are discovered years after the model rolled off the assembly line.

It seems the drive to use more complex technology in vehicles is undermining reliability.

We find out how tighter global scrutiny by road safety watchdogs is making manufacturers recall cars to repair them, even if the process is expensive for the industry.

Produced and presented by Russell Padmore

(Image: In May 2024 Tesla announced that the recall of over 125,000 of their vehicles in the US due to a possible seat belt warning system malfunction that can increase the risk of injury in a collision. Credit: Getty Images)

As US President Donald Trump tries to lure wealthy foreigners with a $5m Gold Card residency visa, we explore the growing global marketplace of so-called golden passports and visas.

Do the super-rich use them as a tax plan, an insurance plan, or something else? And should jet-setters with deep pockets be able to skip the queue?

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at [email protected]

Presented and produced by Josh Martin

(Picture: US President Donald Trump holds the $5 million dollar Gold Card as he speaks to reporters while in flight on board Air Force One, en route to Miami, Florida on the 3rd of April 2025. Credit: Getty Images)