#FreeBritney victory, R. Kelly, and more: 5 podcast episodes about this week’s headlines

It’s been a long week, and lots of old news has resurfaced. First, we have Britney Spears and her conservatorship, from which her father was just suspended from yesterday. Also, R. Kelly was finally convicted for his crimes, and top U.S. military officials testify before the House about the evacuation of Afghanistan.

Take a listen to the biggest headlines that happened this week, below.

TIME’s The Brief

“TIME’s The Brief” is looking at the Democrats who are holding up President Joe Biden’s agenda in the Senate. Also, the news we’ve all been waiting for, on Sep. 29 Jamie Spears was suspended from Britney Spears’ conservatorship after new allegations of abuse, a huge win for her and her team. The court named California accountant, John Zabel, as her temporary conservator. The next hearing in the case will be Nov. 12 to determine if the conservatorship should be terminated permanently.

Up First

With a government shutdown looming, “Up First” is looking at the options Democrats have to avoid it – if any. Rapper and producer R. Kelly was found guilty and convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering. What kind of prison sentence will he be facing? Also, murder rates soared in 2020, but why? Found out with “Up First.”

The Economist Asks

Longtime German Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down from her role as the head of Europe’s largest country and economy. German voters will head to the polls this weekend to vote for her successor. “The Economist Asks” host Anne McElvoy sits down with Wolfgang Nowak, a political veteran and advisor to Merkel’s predecessor, to review her Chancellorship and discuss what made her such an incredible politician.

What A Day

“What A Day” goes more in depth into R. Kelly’s conviction. He was found guilty of all nine charges against him in just six weeks. They will continue to go deeper into his charges in future episodes. Also, Trump lost in Arizona again after a full forensic audit in Maricopa County, AZ. Actually, the audit showed that not only did Biden win the county, but he actually won by 360 more votes than previously thought. Also, Pfizer is testing an oral antiviral drug for COVID-19 and Facebook delays its plan for an Instagram for kids.

5 Things

From USA Today and Wondery, “5 Things” tells us the five most important things to know for today. On September 29, their episode “People under 40 will experience ‘unprecedented life’ of climate change disasters” talks about a new report warning about the upcoming natural disasters for younger generations. Also, Japan will soon have a new Prime Minister in Fumio Kushida, who will replace the current PM Yoshihide Suga. The NBA has new COVID-19 protocols, the WHO is facing sexual assault allegations, and more on the evacuation in Afghanistan.