The Intelligence from The Economist

Civil proceedings: America's presidential debate

America’s final presidential debate had <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/10/23/donald-trump-and-joe-biden-press-their-mute-buttons?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">less noise and more substance</a>. But polls seem immovable and nearly 50m Americans have already voted; will the race change? South Korea’s population-boosting efforts have failed, so it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/17/south-korea-wants-mothers-to-work-to-bolster-the-labour-force?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">encouraging more women</a> into the workforce—and that will redress some long-standing inequalities. And crunching 70 years’ worth of Formula 1 data to find <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/17/engineers-not-racers-are-the-true-drivers-of-success-in-motor-sport?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the sport’s true greatest</a>. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Pandemic power-grabs: autocrats’ covid opportunism

As it has with so many other trends, the pandemic has <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/10/17/the-pandemic-has-eroded-democracy-and-respect-for-human-rights?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hastened the decline</a> of democracy and human rights; covid-19 provides autocrats with perfect cover. The plummeting price for the cobalt that powers electronics has <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/10/17/in-congo-the-little-guys-are-jailed-for-stealing-minerals?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">upended lives</a> and driven crime in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/10/17/does-sound-like-light-have-a-maximum-speed?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how physicists found</a> an upper bound for the speed of sound. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Secular-stand nation: terror in France

<p>The brutal murder of a schoolteacher comes amid warnings of mounting Islamism in the country. The attack <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/18/the-beheading-of-a-teacher-will-harden-frances-belief-in-secularism?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will only harden</a> resolve for a secular society. Alexei Navalny, Russia’s opposition leader, <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/17/an-interview-with-alexei-navalny-assassination-survivor?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">speaks with our correspondent</a> about the attempt on his life; it signals, he says, a regime in decline. And data <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/10/faith-in-government-declines-when-mobile-internet-arrives?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveal</a> how the arrival of mobile internet erodes faith in governments.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The persecution of a people: China’s repression of the Uyghurs

<p>Reporting by <em>The Economist</em> reveals deepening efforts by Chinese authorities not just to imprison the Muslim-minority people but also <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/17/the-persecution-of-the-uyghurs-is-a-crime-against-humanity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to reduce their number</a>, to wipe out their culture and <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/10/15/if-i-speak-out-they-will-torture-my-family-voices-of-uyghurs-in-exile?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to hound them</a> wherever in the world they may go. Yet a visit to Yunnan province reveals that the party’s hostility to ethnic minorities <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/10/10/pictographs-survive-in-a-chinese-tourist-town?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">is not absolute</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Loved Labour’s won: landslide in New Zealand

After a term spent steering the country through crises, Jacinda Ardern has led her Labour party to <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/17/jacinda-arderns-quiet-competence-triumphs-in-new-zealand?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a thumping victory</a>; what will they do with their historic majority? Far from taking on water as the pandemic progresses, the shipping industry is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/10/how-covid-19-put-wind-in-shipping-companies-sails?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">steaming ahead</a>. And as museums sell off parts of their collections, we consider art’s value beyond the dollar signs. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Más MAS? Bolivia’s election

<p>After last year’s vote was marred by fraud allegations, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/15/fresh-elections-and-perhaps-a-fresh-start-for-bolivia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the electorate is split</a> ahead of Sunday’s poll: will the country return the socialist MAS party of exiled leader Evo Morales to power? A private tutor to the rich and anxious <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/10/09/first-class-flights-chauffeurs-and-bribery-the-secret-life-of-a-private-tutor?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveals the costs</a>—to students and tutors—of heightened academic pressure. And a new book yields a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/10/10/for-he-will-consider-jeoffry-the-poets-cat?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cat’s-eye view</a> of 18th-century London.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A close-it call: Nigeria’s uprising

<p>Angry protests following an alleged police killing continue, even after a hated police unit was shuttered. That exposes far-deeper discontent. Banks’ earnings this week show that belt-tightening earlier in the year has held them in good stead. What to do with the growing cash-pile? And misguided infrastructure plans have many Egyptians in a roads rage.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Scared strait: Taiwan

<p>Rhetoric and sabre-rattling from mainland China are rapidly ramping up; we examine the risk of an invasion that would have <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/10/defending-taiwan-is-growing-costlier-and-deadlier?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global consequences</a>. A decision by World Rugby to ban trans women from the women’s game <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/10/09/a-ban-by-world-rugby-could-prove-influential-for-transgender-sports?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stokes</a> a notoriously ill-tempered debate. And listening to <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/10/01/making-music-from-the-sounds-of-endangered-british-birds?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an album</a> built entirely from the songs of endangered British birds.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Food chain broken: famine in Yemen

<p>The country yet again faces widespread starvation as a civil war grinds on, and <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/03/famine-in-yemen-need-not-happen?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">both sides are to blame</a> for the misery visited upon civilians. With the stroke of a pen, Argentina recently <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/10/argentina-doubles-in-size-or-so-it-claims?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">doubled in size</a>—setting a precedent with big diplomatic and resource-extraction implications. And remembering the man who <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/10/10/swami-agnivesh-died-on-september-11th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set hundreds of thousands of Indians free </a>from indentured servitude.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

In their own Swede time: pandemic pragmatism

<p>By the numbers to date, Sweden's light-touch covid-19 measures may not seem successful. But its pragmatism takes an <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/10/the-real-lessons-from-swedens-approach-to-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instructively long view</a> of the pandemic. China’s high-level party machinery brooks no political dissent; among street-level functionaries, stories of disobedience and tolerance are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/09/03/to-buy-peace-officials-in-china-tolerate-some-forms-of-disobedience?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">far more nuanced</a>. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/10/10/a-new-device-may-help-stop-the-robbery-of-turtles-nests?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">devilishly clever way</a> to stem the poaching of endangered turtles’ eggs.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Buy the way? Kyrgyzstan’s post-election chaos

Citizens are furious after a poll seemingly tainted by vote-buying; its annulment leaves a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/07/angry-kyrgyz-rebel-against-a-tainted-election-for-the-third-time?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">power vacuum</a> that may yet draw in China and Russia. An author’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/09/12/life-of-a-klansman-brings-the-past-out-of-the-closet?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">journey</a> through the history of America’s racist militias, including the Ku Klux Klan, starts with his own family tree. And why not everyone is happy with Europe’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/26/the-problem-of-the-eus-golden-passports?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“golden passport” schemes</a>. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

More-civil discourse: Pence and Harris debate

<p>That a housefly could steal the show at America’s only vice-presidential debate is telling, but a discussion with <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/10/08/mike-pence-v-kamala-harris-ends-in-a-normal-sort-of-a-draw?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more substance than bombast</a> was a welcome respite. Cuba is experiencing its worst food crisis in decades, and that at last <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/10/with-shop-shelves-bare-cuba-mulls-economic-reforms?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may spur changes</a> to its confused and market-distorting dual-currency system. And geopolitics <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/26/even-as-countries-peck-at-each-other-their-birdwatchers-co-operate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sticks its beak</a> into an enormous annual bird migration.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Clerical era: Iraq in a hard place

A pilgrimage that is sure to become a covid-19 hotspot is a sign of how much the country’s government is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/10/03/iraq-is-too-broken-to-protect-itself-from-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">losing legitimacy</a> to its clergymen and tribal leaders. Social-media giants’ efforts to scrub violent content from their platforms simultaneously <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/09/21/social-media-platforms-are-destroying-evidence-of-war-crimes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hobbles</a> efforts to bring war criminals to justice. And why south-west England <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/03/cornish-miners-hope-to-profit-from-the-shift-to-electric-cars?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may soon be reviving</a> its long-lost mining industry. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Sailing into the wind: Boris Johnson

<p>Britain’s prime minister will outline big wind-energy plans at his party’s annual conference, even as the pandemic and Brexit blow his government <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/09/05/competence-matters-and-johnson-hasnt-got-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">off course</a>. The sombre tone at a thanksgiving festival in Ethiopia reveals how the country’s largest ethnic group is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/09/19/ethiopias-democratic-transition-is-in-peril?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">not getting the reforms</a> it was promised. And a carcinogenic nut that remains <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/10/03/a-risky-stimulant-thrives-in-chinas-capital-of-chewing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wildly popular</a> in China.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Ill-disposed: Trump’s hospital stay

<p>Amid a flurry of conflicting information over the weekend, details of Donald Trump’s progress and prognosis remain worryingly unclear. How will this <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/10/04/donald-trumps-illness-may-shorten-the-odds-of-his-losing-the-election?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brush with the virus</a> change the campaign, or the president? Asia’s migrant workers had difficult, precarious lives that the pandemic <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/19/asias-migrant-workers-are-having-a-rough-time-under-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">made even worse</a>; only now are matters improving. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/03/what-do-dua-lipa-rita-ora-and-ava-max-have-in-common?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">perplexing preponderance</a> of Albanian pop stars. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

In Syria’s trouble: an embattled despot digs in

Unexpected defeats at rebels’ hands, a cratered economy, a hungry citizenry and a runaway covid-19 epidemic: <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/09/26/victory-for-bashar-al-assad-has-meant-more-suffering-for-his-people?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">can anything unseat</a> Bashar al-Assad? When Germany reunified, many worried it would upset the balance of Europe; 30 years on and if anything the country <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/03/thirty-years-after-reunification-germany-is-shouldering-more-responsibility?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">must wield more</a> of its power. And celebrating <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/09/26/hercule-poirot-turns-100?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the centenary</a> of Agatha Christie’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Enclave on edge: Armenia and Azerbaijan

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been the subject of dispute and skirmishes for decades—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/28/armenia-and-azerbaijan-fight-over-nagorno-karabakh-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the current conflict</a> threatens to draw in both Turkey and Russia. Rule changes accelerated by the pandemic have revealed <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/09/19/the-pandemic-shows-a-better-way-to-handle-abortion?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a better way</a> to handle early-stage abortions. And, <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/09/26/why-funnel-web-spiders-are-so-dangerous-to-people?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unravelling the mystery</a> of the funnel-web spider’s deadly bite. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Shoutshow: Trump and Biden clash

<p>America’s first presidential debate was <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/30/a-dismal-presidential-debate-will-leave-voters-unimpressed?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unmitigated chaos</a>, revealing little more than the rancour between the candidates. In Chicago a newish musical genre called <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/09/03/an-ethnographers-study-of-drill-music-and-gang-violence-in-chicago?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drill</a> has a strong relation to the city’s gang violence; we ask whether it is a causal one. And amid a global rise in hand-washing, we look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/09/11/lather-me-than-you-the-joy-of-soap?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fascinating, fragrant history</a> of soap.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

No-tax-and-spend policy: Trump’s tax returns

<p>Just ahead of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/28/american-presidential-debates-rarely-change-election-outcomes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first presidential debate</a>, a trove of tax documents suggests the president has some staggeringly loss-making businesses and a staggering amount of debt coming due. We examine China’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/09/24/china-aims-to-cut-its-net-carbon-dioxide-emissions-to-zero-by-2060?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pledge</a> to become carbon-neutral by 2060 and what it will have to do to get there. And why a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/26/upcoming-referendums-will-show-how-the-swiss-may-relate-to-the-eu?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Swiss referendum</a> campaign involved a giant game of pick-up-sticks.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Bench press: Trump’s Supreme Court pick

On gun rights, abortion policy and health care Amy Coney Barrett, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/27/donald-trump-nominates-amy-coney-barrett-to-the-supreme-court?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seemingly unstoppable</a> successor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will shift the court’s balance for decades. In China, the visually impaired are usually <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/13/only-five-blind-people-sat-chinas-university-entrance-exam-this-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shuffled off</a> to the massage industry; we meet blind students with greater ambitions. And tracing the origins of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/08/28/mash-hits-the-land-that-spawned-the-supermarket-spud?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boring supermarket spud</a>. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Another matter: the Breonna Taylor verdict

<p>A grand jury’s decision has <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/c26eb42ae1a8b1ea54f325f051d6753f?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">re-energised</a> months-long protests. We ask how much another tragic death at the hands of police may spur meaningful reforms. A once-fringe movement to “re-wild” the Highlands of Scotland is gaining momentum. And how the promising German startup incubator Rocket Internet <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/09/24/why-rocket-internet-has-come-down-to-earth?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">left shareholders on the launchpad</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Winter is coming: covid-19’s next phase

<p>Soon the pandemic will have claimed a million lives. We take a broad look at what has been learned—and the deadly mistakes still being made. Our correspondent visits Wuhan, site of the first known outbreak, to find a city that beneath the surface has much healing yet to do. And a close look at New York’s much-loved, much-derided accent.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

America’s next top chamber, modelled: the Senate battle

<p>Congressional elections will decide the direction of America’s governance irrespective of the presidential pick; we reveal <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/23/why-the-democrats-are-our-narrow-favourites-to-win-the-senate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our statistical model</a> of the Senate races. Tesla steals the headlines in the electric-vehicle stakes, but a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/09/17/who-will-rule-the-teslaverse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vast, global industry</a> is nipping at its heels. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/09/17/who-will-rule-the-teslaverse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the astrophysicist</a> who explained the celestial light show of the aurorae.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Stumbling block: the battle over WeChat

<p>The Trump administration’s bid to block the Chinese app has been stymied—for now. The tussle reflects <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/13/donald-trump-has-caused-panic-among-millions-of-wechat-users?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a change</a> in how America does business, and how the internet itself may evolve. Migration in the Mediterranean is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/12/the-number-of-migrants-arriving-in-italy-is-up-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">picking up again</a>; the pandemic is making it even more perilous and political. And Japan’s canned-coffee obsession <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/09/12/who-will-win-the-brewing-battle-between-japan-and-america?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">steams ahead</a> in foreign markets.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Judge dread: the fight for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a liberal icon. Her death last week opens a Supreme Court vacancy for Donald Trump to fill, which could tip <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/19/a-battle-for-the-supreme-court-looms-after-the-death-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the court further right</a> ahead of what might be a legally fraught election. And there is nothing that Democrats can do about it. The majority of land in Africa is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/09/12/the-quest-for-secure-property-rights-in-africa?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">neither mapped nor documented</a>. People who can’t prove that they own their land, cannot unlock its value. That is holding back the continent’s economies. And Japan may be famous for its slick and speedy bullet trains. But the country’s rural railways have <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/12/japans-rural-railways-are-disappearing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reached the end of the line</a>. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Uneasy lies the head: Thailand’s under-fire king

Thailand is bracing for a large <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/20/audacious-student-protests-are-rocking-bangkok?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-government protest</a>, with some of the anger directed at the usually-revered monarchy. Some fear that the establishment’s patience will snap, with bloody results. Freemasonry has been one of the most <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/08/27/a-global-history-of-the-freemasons?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contagious ideas</a> of the modern age, spreading to every corner of the world. But the number of masons is shrinking. And in Britain, social distancing may have shut nightclubs. But many ravers <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/09/03/why-raves-are-enjoying-a-revival?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">don’t tech-no</a> for an answer. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Conviction politics: Florida’s disenfranchised felons

More than a million former felons in Florida regained the right to vote in 2018. Last week, many of them lost it again. We look at the barriers to voting in America. Colombia’s militarised police force are khaki-klad, poorly paid and heavy-handed. A case of police brutality has now provoked big protests and calls for reform. And in the Netherlands, covid-carrying Minks have been spared the slaughterhouse. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Sanctuary in Sochi: Belarus’ dictator clings on

Belarus dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has travelled to Sochi amid major protests at home to ask Vladimir Putin for help. We examine whether he will get it—and what the price might be. The possible discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus could be a tantalising hint of life beyond Earth. And K-Pop, marred by sexual abuse scandals, is shedding its misogynistic image. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

After Abe: Japan’s new prime minister

<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/14/suga-yoshihide-emerges-from-the-back-room-as-japans-next-leader?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Japan’s new prime minister</a> will be Yoshihide Suga, the son of a strawberry farmer from the country’s rural north. We look at whether he can step into the shoes of Abe Shinzo and revive Japan’s troubled economy. America may be leaving the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/09/12/the-world-needs-a-better-world-health-organisation%20?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Health Organisation</a>, but the institution has handled the pandemic well. And the standing of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/27/are-dogs-acceptable-pets-muslim-scholars-ask%20?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dogs in Islam</a> is hounding clerics. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Homework: the future of the office

The pandemic has been a giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/09/12/covid-19-has-forced-a-radical-shift-in-working-habits?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">experiment in working from home</a>. We examine whether workers are happier and more productive using Zoom in their pyjamas than commuting in a suit. In the southern hemisphere, the seasonal flu <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/09/12/the-southern-hemisphere-skipped-flu-season-in-2020?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seems to have faded</a>, as a happy byproduct of lockdown and social distancing. And an <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/28/abe-shinzo-resigns-leaving-formidable-problems-for-his-successor?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obituary</a> for one of Pol Pot’s murderous lieutenants. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>