The fifth test flight of the absolutely enormous Starship went entirely to plan , returning everything to Earth for reuse and heralding a new era of big space missions with small price tags. Two years after Brazilians ejected Jair Bolsonaro, their inept and dangerous former president, he still shapes right-wing politics (11:30). And the anxiety-lined past and present of self-help books (19:22). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how t...
Oct 14, 2024•25 min
Britain’s Labour Party came to power promising to restore order and stability. Our correspondent explains whether its rocky start exposes a bigger political problem. Why the issue of abortion could swing voters in Nevada (9:44). And remembering the life of Pearl Harbour veteran Yoshioka Masamitsu (18.34). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, pl...
Oct 11, 2024•25 min
Global warming is increasing the intensity of storms like the one that just hit Florida . Our correspondent explains the science. In a week of reflection on the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, we consider the Palestinian experience (10:58). And why nuclear clocks could help unlock the secrets of the universe (16:26). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to acce...
Oct 10, 2024•21 min
This summer, an American judge ruled that Google’s search dominance was illegal. Now the Department of Justice has revealed possible solutions. How robots could help mend leaking water pipes (9:46). And the best books on the beautiful game (16:38). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how...
Oct 09, 2024•22 min
Necoclí is a tiny town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Beach bars blast party music and sell brightly-coloured cocktails. But Necoclí is not just a tourist destination. It is also a stopping point for migrants heading to the United States. The fastest-growing group among them are Chinese. They are on a journey they call zouxian , or walking the line. Disillusioned with the Chinese dream, they have decided to chase the American version. But first they face a journey that is fraught with peril.&nbs...
Oct 08, 2024•42 min
Twenty years ago America was fighting insurgents in Afghanistan and Iran. As state-on-state clashes become more likely, Randy George is the person in charge of preparing US forces for a new age (9:45). Private tutoring has long been common in East Asia, now it is spreading throughout the continent. And celebrating Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury (17:12). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more inform...
Oct 08, 2024•25 min
After Hamas militants attacked Israel a year ago, few people predicted how deep and devastating the ensuing conflict in the Middle East would be. The Economist’s Middle East experts discuss whether the fissures may ever be fixed , including dispatches from Israel , Gaza and Lebanon . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our F...
Oct 07, 2024•27 min
*This episode was first published 20/07/24 After a year of war in Gaza, people are beginning to discuss the aftermath. Schools, hospitals, the sanitation system are in ruins. Just clearing the rubble will take years. Focusing on the long term, many neglect what needs to happen on day one. Gazans say the territory is becoming lawless. Who will control security, and with what legitimacy? Does anyone have a coherent plan? In this special episode of The Weekend Intelligence The Economist’s edi...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min
One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, men in black were waiting for them. Mr Kovrig was pushed into a waiting SUV. Handcuffed and blindfolded, he was driven to a detention centre in southern Beijing that would be his home for the next 1,019 days. September 24th 2024 is the third anniversary of Mr Kovrig’s release. And now he is ready to talk publicly about his ordeal. On the Weekend Int...
Oct 05, 2024•30 min
Whoever wins Pennsylvania will probably win the presidency: according to The Economist ’s forecast model it’s the most likely tipping point state. We’ve travelled to three different areas to assess how the campaign is going, and try to read the electoral tea leaves. Who’s winning in Pennsylvania? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busi...
Oct 04, 2024•52 min
In a matter of weeks the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah has transformed life in Lebanon . Our correspondent reports from the streets of Beirut. After a pandemic-sized hiccup in the gym industry only the cheap ones and the really pricey ones are building muscle (11:10). And why chess grandmasters are getting younger and younger (17:45). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how t...
Oct 04, 2024•22 min
After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our correspondent analyses the surprise shift in policy (10:25). How will immigration policy play with swing voters in Arizona ? And Sally Rooney , a modern-day Jane Austen with a dash of S&M (19:35). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how...
Oct 03, 2024•27 min
After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate , our correspondent assesses their performance – and its effect on the US election. In Britain the pro-European cause is popular, but its advocates are ineffective (10:53). And why the gleam of a Michelin star may tarnish (19:18). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to a...
Oct 02, 2024•23 min
As Israeli troops move into Lebanon and missiles strike Damascus in Syria, can Israel’s next offensive really stay “limited, localised and targeted”? Japan’s new prime minister loves planes, trains and ramen, but with few allies within his own party, his premiership may attract less devotion (8:57). And the worst invention in modern office life: “the sandwich lunch” (15:24). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+...
Oct 01, 2024•19 min
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Yemen this weekend will have implications far beyond the militant groups that were the apparent targets. Our correspondents analyse what may happen next. Our correspondent reports from a conference for journalists exiled from Belarus—home to “ Europe’s last dictator ”—to find out how they get news in (11:30). And a new card game is shaking Communist Party offices in China (19:21). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and techno...
Sep 30, 2024•26 min
Ukraine’s President has been in New York this week. With a victory plan in his pocket, he’s been shoring up support at the UN and among America’s presidential contenders. On the world stage Mr Zelensky presents a united front but back home things are a little more patchy. It's crunch time for Ukraine. Winter is coming, some Western partners are tiring, Ukrainians are tiring too. In this special episode of The Weekend Intelligence our Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes travels to Ukraine ...
Sep 28, 2024•52 min
Over the past decade a form of wokeness arose on the illiberal left, characterised by extreme pessimism about America and its capacity to make progress. Analysis by The Economist of how influential these ideas are today finds that wokeness peaked in 2021-22 and has since receded. Why is America becoming less “woke”? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist ’s Ainslie Johnstone and Sacha Nauta, and Professor Musa al-Gharbi of Stony Brook ...
Sep 27, 2024•51 min
Ukraine’s president is again on American shores, trying to secure support of all kinds. He needs it —diplomatically, militarily and politically. America’s tendencies toward “woke” discourse and policies have permeated its politics, but our analysis finds that “peak woke” is already in the past (8:57). And the latest instalment of the wildly popular football video-game formerly known as simply “FIFA” (17:13). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information abo...
Sep 27, 2024•23 min
For now, Israel’s moves seem to be posturing, a means to intimidate Hizbullah into backing down. But there remains a prospect of a ground invasion—and another pointless war. Our swing-state series starts with a state that only recently became swing-y: North Carolina (10:08). And a look back at a year’s worth of Economist Podcasts+ audio journalism (19:15). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ou...
Sep 26, 2024•28 min
Even before last month’s revised religious rules , Afghanistan’s women were being crushed under the Taliban’s thumb. Now they cannot even so much as raise their voices. While other countries try to crimp the flow of cheap Chinese electric cars, Britain is welcoming them —for now (9:55). And why the French have at last come to appreciate “Emily in Paris” (16:12). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, ple...
Sep 25, 2024•23 min
A handful of Republican leaders have been denouncing Donald Trump since his first presidential campaign. Will the voices of those who remain be heeded this time around? China’s attempt to fix its pensions by raising the retirement age will create a different problem with childcare (7:40). And the seemingly bottomless market for pet-pampering (14:21). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs...
Sep 24, 2024•21 min
Artificial Intelligence has gained ground so fast that OpenAI, the firm powering ChatGPT, is changing Silicon Valley’s investment model and how it innovates. Why the global nuclear order may be in peril (10:24). And an alternative type of electoral forecasting is gaining ground: political astrology (19:02). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, ...
Sep 23, 2024•25 min
Republicans are already preparing to contest the result if Kamala Harris wins the presidency. American elections demand patience and trust, but with Donald Trump on the ballot those are in short supply. How ugly could this election get ? And what will happen if the result is contested? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan and Congressman Jamie Raskin. This episode uses audio from The Laska Archive ti...
Sep 20, 2024•49 min
After Israeli fires rockets into Lebanon and Hizbullah warns of “red lines” crossed, the Middle East is braced for further attacks. As the planet warms, sport is getting harder – and deadlier (6:32). And celebrating Francisco Lopera , who dedicated his life to researching Alzheimer’s disease (13:36). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ...
Sep 20, 2024•21 min
The first reduction in interest rates for four years shows America’s Federal Reserve thinks inflation is now in check. But does the central bank’s decision suggest it is now concerned about the labour market? Ukraine wants its allies to provide long-range missiles (9:50). Our correspondent explains what difference these would make to the war. And how fashion brands conquered TV (19:44). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to E...
Sep 19, 2024•26 min
The explosion of thousands of pagers across Lebanon and Syria was an attack on Hizbullah, a Shia militant group which had been trying to evade Israeli surveillance by using these low-tech devices. What will such an escalated attack mean for the region? Why Americans’ obsession with big cars makes the country’s roads so deadly (9:25). And the thrill of fossil-hunting (16:31). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+...
Sep 18, 2024•22 min
Large fuel subsidies in Nigeria are popular but ruinous to other public services . Our correspondents report from Lagos on how home-grown oil refining could help wean people off this popular premium. Texas was once a haven for crypto-mining; now many people are souring on it (11:06). And the terrifying rise of Indonesian horror films (17.05). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how t...
Sep 17, 2024•23 min
With less than eight weeks to go to the presidential election, tension is running high after a second probable assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Has political violence become routine in America? Virtual replicas of racing cars, plane engines, even bodies, may change how we diagnose problems (9:08). And celebrating Sergio Mendes , the king of Bossanova (17:04). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more ...
Sep 16, 2024•23 min
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took part in what might be the only debate between them in this campaign. The race is extremely close : will the debate make any difference? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Adam O’Neal. They’re joined by The Economist ’s James Bennet, Lane Greene and Owen Winter. This episode draws on audio from CBS and C-Span. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts Listen to what m...
Sep 13, 2024•53 min
Capsule that can withstand vacuum? Check. Low-pressure spacesuit? Check. Space-friendly Doritos? Check. The first spacewalk by private citizens showcases SpaceX’s prowess, the viability of privately funded exploration—and extraplanetary product placement. Gene editing has revolutionised the treatment for certain conditions, but can the staggering prices be brought down (11:30)? And some big news about Espresso , our daily briefing app (20:20). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist ...
Sep 13, 2024•27 min
