Jessica Beck

This week, from 2022: As the world faces the worst debt crisis in decades, the need for a global lender of last resort is clearer than ever. But many nations view the IMF as overbearing, or even neocolonial – and are now looking elsewhere for helpBy Jamie Martin. Read by Kelly Burke

This week, from 2022: In a country known for its liberal drugs policies, organised crime operated for years under the public’s nose – until a series of shocking killings revealed how deep the problem wentBy Jessica Loudis. Read by Alice Arnold

This week, from 2022: A wave of bestselling authors claim that global affairs are still ultimately governed by the immutable facts of geography – mountains, oceans, rivers, resources. But the world has changed more than they realiseBy Daniel Immerwahr. Read by Christopher Ragland

This week, from 2023: Having grown up in different cultures with different expectations, my mother and I have often clashed. But as my daughter grows older, I have come to see our relationship in a different lightWritten and read by Dina Nayeri

This week, from 2023: Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time?By Xan Rice. Read by Ben Norris

This week, from 2023: When a US businessman took over a beloved garden a decade ago, he decided on a radical new approach, all in the name of sustainability. But angry critics claim it’s just plain neglectBy Mark O’Connell. Read by Simon Vance

Jessica Beck is the cofounder and CEO of Alfred , a national residential technology and property management platform in the U.S.

This week, from 2023: For the past two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an unprecedented investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken?By Melissa Denes. Read by Ruth Lass

This week, from 2023: he first became prime minister in 1996 and has been pushing the country further right ever since. Most agree his political days are numbered – but the approach he established will prove very difficult to shiftBy Joshua Leifer. Read by Andrew McGregor

This week, from 2023: For centuries, fictional narratives have used outer difference to telegraph inner monstrosity. As someone who uses a wheelchair, I’ve learned you can’t just edit out a few slurs or bad words to fix this – it’s often baked deep into the storyWritten and read by Jan Grue