Untold: Opus Dei

Connor, a former university student who attended an Opus Dei center, and Jack, a former long-term numerary, share their stories. They discuss links between Opus Dei networks and elite universities. They explore recruitment on campuses, covert funding and think-tank ties. They describe internal culture, pathways into conservative institutions, and why some members became disillusioned.

Catherine, a former participant in Opus Dei youth programs who left at 18, shares first-person memories of summer camps, strict modesty rules, and intense formation. She recalls teachings that policed women’s behavior and a tightly controlled, insular community. The conversation traces recruitment through schools and camps and how leaders shaped who was welcome and why.

A young woman is drawn to a faith that frames everyday work as a route to holiness. She moves into a rural centre and encounters strict rules, enforced obedience and corporal mortification. Financial controls, loss of autonomy and heavy expectations of poverty emerge. The story also probes groupthink, hidden labour and questions about wider institutional influence.

Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches on March 25. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode from The Financial Times, "The Broker" tells the story of how a failed baseball hopeful and disgraced stockbroker reinvented himself as one of America’s most consequential modern arms dealers.From a family-run warehouse in Virginia Beach, Will Somerindyke built his company into a crucial conduit in the Pentagon’s covert supply chains — sourcing Soviet-era weapons for wars in Syria and Yemen before emerging as a central player in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.As artillery shells became the most sought-after commodity of the war, he placed a multimillion-dollar bet on reviving crumbling Cold War factories in the Balkans, transforming himself from middleman to manufacturer.Based on months of reporting, The Broker traces Somerindyke’s rise through the shadow world of privatised warfare — where geopolitics, profit and personal ambition collide — and reveals how modern conflicts are sustained not only by soldiers on the front lines, but by entrepreneurs who move the weapons behind the scenes.This piece, written by the FT’s Miles Johnson, host of Hot Money Season 2: The New Narcos, was originally printed in FT Weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much do we really know about ageing? For decades, scientists have been trying to understand the biology of the ageing process - what happens to our bodies as we get older? And is it possible to slow that process down or even stop it all together?In this series of Tech Tonic, the FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Michael Peel look into the past, present and future of longevity - the wellness movement focused on extending and bettering your quality of life. Episode 1 follows Hannah as she speaks with UCL professor David Gems about the history of ageing research, and then with longevity researcher Matt Kaeberlein to discuss how the industry has developed - including current drugs that could have anti-ageing effects. Plus, Michael visits the Reviv clinic in London where he experiences, first hand, the growing consumer interest in the longevity craze. To listen to the rest of the series, find Tech Tonic on your favourite podcast platform by clicking here!Clips: @DaveAspreyBPR, @drjoshaxe, @HealthCoachKait, Hevolution, Pom, Purina, Garnier, 4G antioxidants, @ChrisWillx, @lexfridman, ABC News, C-Span, CBS, ITV This Morning, Wired UK, The Dissenter, Will TennysonThe FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Swamp Notes: The Bethlehem Project is a new FT podcast series that tackles some of the US’s biggest political and economic issues through the lens of one city: Bethlehem Pennsylvania. The city is a politically divided area in a critical swing state, and reflects a lot of conversations happening nationally. The first episode tackles what happens when immigration enforcement comes to town, and the second episode explore what it's like growing up in Donald Trump's America.Subscribe to Swamp Notes here.Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts This is a repeat of episodes published on Swamp Notes, a sister podcast of Untold, on Nov. 10 and Dec. 17, 2025 respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a heart-wrenching exploration, a toddler's tragic death from lead poisoning highlights severe flaws in the UK's healthcare system. Experts discuss misdiagnosis and the urgent need for routine screenings in primary care. A new Leeds alert system has been instrumental in uncovering previously hidden cases. However, systemic issues impede nationwide testing and contamination remediation efforts. With over 200,000 children potentially affected, the conversation delves into the urgent action required to protect future generations from this silent crisis.

The UK has some of the oldest housing in the world. Although the use of lead paint is banned, what happens to the paint already on your walls? Laura Hughes speaks to families fighting for answers and the children poisoned by their own homes. She learns that it’s not only old homes that pose a serious risk.For more information on how to live safely with lead, please visit the LEAPP Alliance website.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this gripping conversation, Dr. Andrea Sartorius, an ecotoxicologist from the University of Nottingham, reveals shocking findings from her studies on historic lead mine contamination in Wales. She discusses the alarming levels of lead found in soil and the grave effects on local wildlife. Professor Mark Macklin, a geomorphologist, shares insights from his community soil testing and highlights the widespread pollution mapped across floodplains. They both stress the urgent need for awareness and action regarding lead exposure in the UK.