A tentative aid deal in Gaza is just a sliver of what is needed ; hunger and disease may well claim more Palestinian lives this year than the military campaign will. New research suggests American places worst-hit by the opioid epidemic are undergoing a rightward political shift (11:45). And why Britain, renowned for its facility with statistics, might end its decadal census (17:19). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have ful...
Jan 17, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast China’s flip-flopping on video-game regulation reveals a messy message: leaders want to encourage “hard tech” such as chips and AI over the consumer kind—without sparking another costly crackdown. We ask Mark Carney , a former central-bank governor, whether he has ambitions to lead Canada (09:16). And why so many social-media types want to share their diaries online (18:19). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full a...
Jan 16, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Taiwan’s election of William Lai Ching-te of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is sure to annoy leaders in Beijing; we ask what to expect next. Britain’s Post Office scandal simmered for two decades before a television series made it boil over (10:14). And what happens when climate change makes it too hot to work (17:44). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your...
Jan 15, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast America and its allies delivered on a threat to retaliate against Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been targeting Red Sea ships . How far will the escalation go? We visit Iowa ahead of the first event of America’s presidential-primary season and ask if any surprises await (10.16). And remembering Mike Sadler , one of the first recruits to Britain’s SAS special forces (19.17). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access ...
Jan 12, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast America seems to be in a best-of-worlds scenario: growth is outpacing expectations even as inflation keeps falling —how will the party end? This week’s loss of the Peregrine One Moon lander was disappointing, but our correspondent sees the good news from the launch (9:19). And how Japan’s geishas are modernising their trade in order to keep it alive (17:35). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows ...
Jan 11, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gabriel Attal, France’s youthful new prime minister , represents President Emmanuel Macron’s renewed push to pass policy reforms and to counter a resurgent far-right. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a landslide re-election of President Félix Tshisekedi has raised eyebrows—and tempers (7:41). And a look at how “ The Wicker Man ” may be the force behind a rise in paganism (15:30). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have...
Jan 10, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast As with many technologies that preceded it, generative artificial intelligence is increasingly viewed as a means to geopolitical advantage: welcome to the era of AI nationalism . Creole language and culture were long suppressed in Louisiana; we meet the young folk trying to revive it (10:21). And the scientific results that prove Taylor Swift can cause earthquakes (19:45). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to...
Jan 09, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our correspondents travel through the rainforest, seeing the pollution and clear-cutting firsthand. Establishing the rule of law first requires a decent property register . We examine why a proposed deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland has unsettled the whole of the Horn of Africa (11:17). And Britain’s army mulls permitting its servicemen to grow beards (18:07). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our s...
Jan 08, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast From Brexit to covid-19, nothing has yet stymied London’s successes. The city has its problems, but it remains a paragon of policymaking . In the last of our series on democracy around the world, we examine what is at stake in India’s coming election (9:16). And a tribute to Gao Yaojie , whose findings about the spread of AIDS shocked and shamed China (16:53). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our show...
Jan 05, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Labour markets are changing in all kinds of ways, thanks to ageing societies, hot-running economies and technological boosts. It all adds up to a golden age for workers . As part of our series on democracy around the world, we examine the coming election in Britain (09:35). And India steps into the single-malt-whisky game with success (17:17). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your...
Jan 04, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Saleh al-Arouri has long been a high-priority target for Israel and his death could weaken the Palestinian militant group. However, it could also draw neighbouring Lebanon into the war in Gaza. As South Africa heads to the polls, the lack of alternatives to the ruling party are jeopardising the health of its democracy (09:32). And why French women are walking away from the high heel (17:16). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll ...
Jan 03, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Vladimir Putin promises to intensify Russia’s attacks, Mr Zelensky is frustrated at the wavering support from the West. Speaking to The Economist from his situation room, Ukraine’s wartime leader is defiantly optimistic, urging partners to remember that the country faces a terroristic, existential threat. Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more ...
Jan 02, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Citizens across more than 70 countries will be heading to the polls over the next twelve months. It’s a record year for voting, but how democratic will the processes be? One of the year’s most significant elections will take place in Mexico , where the incumbent president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will loom large. (10:35). And, how ambient music can help you block out the noise. (17:44). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, yo...
Jan 01, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Only at the end of the year can a full appraisal be made of the figures—and landmarks—that the world has lost. From Harry Belafonte to Henry Kissinger , from Silvio Berlusconi to the Sycamore Gap tree , we review the lives and legacies laid bare in our obituaries. Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+...
Dec 29, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast What can A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke tell us about AI? Does Shakespeare's Othello contain a warning for the 2024 US presidential election? Our journalists (and our listeners, too) recommend books that might help us better understand our times. Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our F...
Dec 28, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast On our website and in our app, “The Economist explains” is one of the best-read features. Today we invite a few of their authors to keep explaining. What is tranq dope ? Why did France get so het up about bedbugs (06:48)? Can superstars’ stadium shows actually affect inflation (11:50)? And, having at last seen Donald Trump’s, what is the back story of the mugshot (17:39)? Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to ...
Dec 27, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Which country improved the most this year? Nominations poured in from across the editorial department, and the competition was tough, but who came out on top? And our correspondent takes us on a train ride through Europe Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video ex...
Dec 26, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Scientists are making considerable progress in the race to slow the ageing process of our cells, and in turn, our bodies. But what would living for longer actually mean for the world? How government legislation and impatient consumers are forcing the advertising industry to adapt (13:19). And, the story behind a famous, 200-year-old Christmas poem (21:29). For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions Sign up for a free ...
Dec 22, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the Alternative for Germany , the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties. How viable are her policy plans? The startup behind a reusable missile that could change American warfare (10:08). And, the quirkiest segments we have run in 2023 (18:31). For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions Sign up for a free trial of Economis...
Dec 21, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The state’s supreme court has ruled that he cannot appear on the Republican primary ballot, citing insurrection and a constitutional amendment. It’s an extraordinary decision, but it will only matter if it sticks. In the Netherlands, far-right Geerts Wilders is hard-pressed to form a coalition government after his November victory (09:05). And, regulating riotous rickshaws in London (16:28). For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and dig...
Dec 20, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a dubious win in 2018, Felix Tshisekedi is running for office again in the Democratic Republic of Congo – and an incumbency bias could work in his favour. Is there any hope for a fair election ? 2023 has brought a flurry of news on the developments of artificial intelligence , so let’s take stock (13:45). And, why New York is introducing a congestion charge (21:50). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to ...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In response to the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Houthi militants are attacking vessels along the key shipping route . If it continues, the consequences could upend global trade. Why do so many young Americans think that the Holocaust is a myth (09:51)? And, how museums are finding some value in NFTs (14:40). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more informatio...
Dec 18, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast For almost a decade The Economist’s Noah Sneider has been following the story of MH17, the passenger plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014. All 298 people on board died. No group, or country, has ever admitted responsibility, leaving the victim's families searching for answers. In this episode Noah, who was at the scene of the crash that day, reports on the ten year battle for justice. Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economis...
Dec 16, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to secure more aid from Washington. But the decision rests with a divided Congress. What does this mean for the next phase of war? India’s aviation industry is really taking off and this boom looks much more promising than the last (10:59). And, the riotous origins of eggnog (18:42). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more informat...
Dec 15, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too left-leaning . Our data show there might be something to that, but the reasons why are more complicated than you think. As a NATO frontline state, the war in Ukraine is prompting Poland to ramp up its military spending – and double the size of its armed forces (08:42). And, what a hit property show reveals about the British dream (15:25). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you...
Dec 14, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a landmark agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. However, that is not the same as phasing them out. Has the deal done enough? For the young trying to invest, the markets look bleak. But they could make better choices (10:42). And, the allure of cookery books (17:18). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more informati...
Dec 13, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since the Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, debate at America’s top academic institutions has turned sour. Now, the issue has reignited an age-old argument about freedom of speech on campuses. Today Britain’s parliament will vote on whether to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – they aren’t the only ones thinking about outsourcing responsibility (07:54). And books about the twilight of the automobile age (17:32) Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber...
Dec 12, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our correspondent joins the French air force on a mission in the Baltics, seeing increasing support for NATO just as the country draws down in Africa. Drones have by now become a standard feature of warfare, but in Gaza the demands are different —and Israel has much expertise to draw upon (09:36). And artificial intelligence predicts the structures of 2m brand-new materials (16:38). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full...
Dec 11, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the American West, grizzly bears are spreading—and fights over protecting them under the Endangered Species Act test the frontiers between science and politics. Vaping is tremendous business in Britain, but the largely unregulated industry is now, curiously, asking for more oversight (10:57). And our language columnist explains our word of the year for 2023 (17:47). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all...
Dec 08, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even before America’s tussle over funding Ukraine’s war effort, it seemed as if Russia was gaining the upper hand —by exploiting Ukraine’s widening political cracks. A drought-induced traffic jam in the Panama Canal will only get worse in the coming dry season, and consumer-price rises look inevitable (10:42). And to save Britain’s heritage pig breeds, consumers should eat more of them (17:48). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’...
Dec 07, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
