With astonishing speed, the machinery of testing, tracing and lockdowns is being dismantled. We examine the risks that will pose to a country that is not prepared for big outbreaks. A winemaker’s lawsuit in Napa Valley reveals why many Californians believe regulators are unfriendly to business. And a clever solution to spare sharks from becoming unwanted “bycatch”. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access to print, digital ...
Dec 12, 2022•27 min
Perhaps Pedro Castillo thought he could repeat the coup staged by his predecessor, Alberto Fujimori, in 1992. He did not, and is now behind bars . We ask how his fitful presidency fell apart so suddenly. Our correspondent explains why getting policy right around e-cigarettes is so tricky. And what the funerals of Kenya’s motorbike-taxi drivers reveal about the country. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access to print, digi...
Dec 09, 2022•25 min
Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a hare-brained plan to dissolve the republic and restore a king. Spates of spontaneous violence in Chicago reveal the unintended consequences of America’s organised-crime crackdown. And why Indonesia’s clerics are taking up environmentalist causes. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access...
Dec 08, 2022•25 min
Democrats will have a bit more breathing room in the Senate, with an outright majority provided by Reverend Raphael Warnock’s win . We ask what the state-level victory reveals about national politics. Algeria’s leadership has benefited from an oil-and-gas boom; lamentably, its long-suffering citizenry has not . And why an artificial intelligence success at the game Diplomacy is significant. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full...
Dec 07, 2022•28 min
The enforcers of the hardliners’ mores may have been disbanded; it is hard to know if the regime is bending to protesters or sowing confusion. Either way the disquiet looks set to continue. We take a look at China’s widely watched nightly news and the narrative it hopes to promulgate. And why women are suddenly flooding into America’s funeral-services industry. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access to print, digital and ...
Dec 06, 2022•25 min
Shippers and insurers of Russian crude are now subject to a $60-per-barrel price cap . That may spark Russian production cuts—or an oil-market realignment that undercuts the cap. Senegal might be out of the World Cup, but a visit to its football-academy machinery reveals why it will continue to create star players. And why it’s harder to get deodorant in Manhattan. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access to print, digital ...
Dec 05, 2022•23 min
South Africa’s leader says a pile of cash stashed in a sofa represents no wrongdoing. The outcome of an investigation could be the undoing of his presidency and his party. We examine Britain’s hydrogen-economy plans as representing the tradeoffs that many countries will face. And remembering Jay Pasachoff, the world’s foremost expert on and exponent of eclipses. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey For full access to print, digital and...
Dec 02, 2022•27 min
The Chinese leader who took over a squabbling party following the Tiananmen Square massacre surprised the world by stifling dissent, overseeing a staggering economic awakening—and occasionally breaking into song. We examine the lessons to be drawn from his legacy. After scores of failures, a new Alzheimer’s treatment shows real promise . And our annual ranking of the world’s most expensive cities. Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey ....
Dec 01, 2022•26 min
The Horn of Africa’s resurgent jihadists of al-Shabab pose the biggest problem to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud . He tells us his plans—political, economic and principally ideological—to calm tensions. Western pilots have been training their Chinese counterparts, to widespread consternation. And looking back on the best footballers never to have appeared in a World Cup. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Ac...
Nov 30, 2022•28 min
Behind the pageantry, Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will have much to chew over , from a unified response in Ukraine to tricky trade negotiations. Our modelling suggests that Russia’s weaponisation of energy might ultimately kill more people than its efforts on the battlefield will. And a Ghanaian brewer’s struggles reveal the difficulty of business-building in sub-Saharan Africa. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/...
Nov 29, 2022•24 min
Protests have become as bold as they are widespread —mostly against the country’s unsustainable zero-covid policies, but increasingly against the ruling regime itself. California’s wildfires have been growing more intense, and a new analysis shows just how much those blazes undo the good work of the state’s green policies. And a look at the evolution of the Great British Lad. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffe...
Nov 28, 2022•25 min
Players’ refusal to sing their national anthem at the World Cup has brought their country’s protests onto the global stage. We ask whether the discontent back home threatens the regime. A sober look at global economic data reveals a probable global recession—one that may not even tame raging inflation. And remembering Hebe de Bonafini , Argentina’s icon of resistance. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted...
Nov 25, 2022•29 min
Grief about the deaths of more than 150 people in a crush has turned to anger, and the investigation into what actions were taken—or not taken— has turned political . Our correspondent looks into the vast effort to remake the car industry as automobiles turn into software platforms on wheels. And how Britain’s twee National Trust has waded into the culture wars. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Ac...
Nov 24, 2022•26 min
The power station in Zaporizhia has served as an impromptu military base for Russian forces—but danger is mounting and there are signs that troops may soon give it up. The sportswear-industry boom that has much of the world wearing high-performance kit may soon come to an end . And why teenage angst is such a good fit for horror films. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Nov 23, 2022•24 min
Executives have squeezed out Bob Chapek and re-anointed Bob Iger as boss. But the firm’s woes are less about leadership and more about the new economics of Hollywood . We ask why Zimbabwe’s teen mothers find it so hard to stay in school , and what can be done about it. And pigs prove their intelligence, again, by making up after confrontations. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Runtime: 22 min Hosted on Acas...
Nov 22, 2022•23 min
An issue ignored for three decades came to dominate the summit’s agenda: reparations to poor countries for climate-driven “loss and damage”. Alas, halting those coming losses did not feature much. Our correspondent speaks with a Ukrainian fighter pilot about defending the country’s airspace using mostly Soviet-era kit. And why some words sound the same across many languages. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 21, 2022•28 min
The “Autumn statement” was filled with belt-tightening , from stealthy tax rises to public-service cuts. But perhaps the bitterest part of the pill has been left for the next government to swallow. As the World Cup begins in Qatar, controversies over preparedness and human rights threaten to overshadow what happens on the pitch. And New York City declares war on rats . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hoste...
Nov 18, 2022•22 min
Elon Musk gave Twitter’s remaining staff an ultimatum: commit to “working long hours at high intensity” for “hardcore” Twitter, or leave. We evaluate his reign so far. Under President Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has become a one-party state. And remembering the long life of Anne Frank’s best friend. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 17, 2022•26 min
How did apparently Russian-made munitions kill two people on NATO soil? An accident in the fog of war seems likely, but listen closely: the immediate international response has been telling. Donald Trump has announced he will run for the American presidency again; we ask about his chances and his motivations. And we take you inside India’s tangled hair industry . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on A...
Nov 16, 2022•24 min
The G20 Summit gets under way in Bali today at a time of tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan, and worries about high food and energy prices. We look at what progress, if any, is likely to result from the high-level meeting. An unusually warm autumn has kept gas prices low in Europe. And what a Nobel-prize winner’s work suggests about Neanderthal family life. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. Se...
Nov 15, 2022•23 min
America’s upper legislative chamber remains in Democrats’ hands; they may even expand their majority. We explain what that means for the Biden administration, and why Democrats outperformed expectations. President Biden’s biggest foreign-policy headaches involve China; we ask what to expect from his first in-person meeting with President Xi Jinping. And we introduce our new China-focused podcast, “Drum Tower.” For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here...
Nov 14, 2022•29 min
At the start of this week, FTX was the world’s third-largest crypto exchange. After rumours of illiquidity swirled, customers pulled $6bn in assets. It now reportedly faces an $8bn shortfall, and the contagion is spreading. The Sama-Bajau have fished the same waters for centuries, but are citizens of nowhere, which makes their hard lives harder. And what Rishi Sunak can learn from his fictional predecessors. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here w...
Nov 11, 2022•29 min
Russia says it will withdraw from the only captured Ukrainian provincial capital. We ask how the drawdown might go and what it means for the wider war. Britain is set for the largest wave of industrial action in decades; the strikes could throw the country into chaos . And the long life of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first-ever voter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Nov 10, 2022•25 min
America’s midterm elections have finished. While the full results may not be known for some time, Democrats appear to have outperformed expectations: Republicans will probably narrowly win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call. Argentina’s slum policy is a rare bright spot in the country’s politics. And why the war in Ukraine may put paid to ground-attack aircraft. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenc...
Nov 09, 2022•26 min
In the final episode of our midterms series, we examine how the Republican party’s anti-democratic turn is putting pressure on election administrators. When he briefly reneged on a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports, Vladimir Putin held the world’s grain supply hostage – a tactic beloved of strongmen the world over. And HBO turns 50 this year: we assess its legacy. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted...
Nov 08, 2022•29 min
As the UN’s annual climate jamboree begins, our correspondent calls for a strong dose of realism: limiting warming to 1.5C is just no longer feasible . On average the rule of law is losing ground globally, yet one place it appears to be strengthening is on Russia’s doorstep . And a look at the sports teams everyone loves to hate . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Nov 07, 2022•26 min
America’s midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress, end on Tuesday. For the past three months our correspondents have been travelling across the country, reporting on the trends and concerns shaping the race. This compilation episode highlights the best of their work. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 05, 2022•1 hr 30 min
A surprise peace agreement should permit desperately needed humanitarian relief for millions in the region of Tigray—but there are reasons to doubt the grinding conflict is at an end. Britain has a problem that other rich countries do not: its over-50s are flooding out of the labour market. And our correspondent attends an unexpectedly tame “ crypto rave ”. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. ...
Nov 04, 2022•25 min
Our election model suggests that at least one legislative chamber will revert to Republican control; we ask what sort of government would result. The breach of the Nord Stream pipelines is a reminder of how much infrastructure is at risk of subsea sabotage . And what the trendy term “ikigai” actually means in Japan, its ostensible country of origin. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acas...
Nov 03, 2022•30 min
After a 16-month absence from leadership, Binyamin Netanyahu is back at the centre of the country’s messy politics. We ask how his divisive ways will play out this time. Apple is slowly weaning itself off China as a place both to make and to sell its gizmos. And how the “palaeo” diet bears little resemblance to the real thing. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Nov 02, 2022•28 min
