Today in Focus

Anushka Asthana traces the production of cocaine from coca plantations in Colombia with the journalist Joe Parkin Daniels, Adeolu Ogunrombi from the West African Commission on Drugs and the author JS Rafaeli. Plus: Rafael Behr on why we need to look beyond the notion of the ‘will of the people’ if we value democracy

Carole Cadwalladr has been covering the biggest pro-leave donor for nearly two years. As each revelation sparks a new investigation, Arron Banks rubbishes her journalism. But those investigations are beginning to bite. Also today: Eva Wiseman on our obsession with true crime

The former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis staked his political career on getting a deal with the European Union – and lost. Now, as Theresa May enters the Brexit endgame, he looks back at the negotiating tactics used against Greece, and what the prime minister could learn. Plus: political correspondent Lauren Gambino reacts to the US midterm results

This week the government revealed its plan to fix some of the problems associated with the rollout of its flagship welfare policy. But how did universal credit end up in such a mess? The Guardian’s social policy editor, Patrick Butler, runs through the troubled history of the biggest reform to benefits since the creation of the welfare state. Plus: Georgina Lawton on who gets to identify as black

Three years into a devastating civil war in Yemen, 9 million people are in urgent need of medical care and the UN has warned of an imminent famine. The Guardian’s Middle East correspondent, Bethan McKernan, has been reporting on the war in which all sides have killed civilians, and some are using British-made weapons. Plus: naturalist Bernie Krause on what he’s learnt documenting wildlife through sound

As Brexit negotiations gear up again this week, the campaign for a second referendum is gathering momentum. But who are the people trying to stop Brexit? We hear from James McGrory, the director of the People’s Vote campaign. Plus: a week on from the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh, Hadley Freeman reflects on the drivers of antisemitism in the United States

Gary Younge visits Racine, Wisconsin, one of the bellwether races in the US midterms. In recent history the city has been a reliable predictor of which way the country will swing. But how much will the Trump factor influence the result? Plus: Gaby Hinsliff on why people hate vegans

How did a far-right, pro-torture, dictatorship-praising populist become Brazil’s president-elect? The Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, describes his run-in with Bolsonaro and the fallout from his election. Plus: Polly Toynbee on her Newsnight confrontation with the UK’s former chancellor George Osborne

Today in Focus is a new daily podcast that brings you closer to Guardian journalism. Hosted by Anushka Asthana, each episode combines personal storytelling with insightful analysis to take you behind the headlines for a deeper understanding of the news